Operator
Operator
Good day, and welcome to Steel Dynamics' Second Quarter 2016 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After management's remarks, we will conduct a question-and-answer session, and instructions will be given at that time. Please be advised this call is being recorded today, July 19, 2016, and your participation implies consent to our recording this call. If you do not agree to these terms, please disconnect. At this time, I would like to turn the call over to Theresa Wagler, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Thank you. Please go ahead. Theresa E. Wagler - Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President: Thank you, Brenda. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Steel Dynamics' second quarter 2016 earnings conference call. Leading today's call are Mark Millett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Steel Dynamics; and myself. We're also joined by Russ Rinn, Executive Vice President of our Metals Recycling; Chris Graham, Senior Vice President of Fabrication and Manufacturing; Glenn Pushis, Senior Vice President of Long Products Steel Group; and Barry Schneider, Senior Vice President of Flat Roll Steel Group. Please be advised that certain comments made today may involve forward-looking statements about future events that by their nature are predictive. They're intended to be covered by the Safe Harbor protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1955 (sic) [1995] (01:19). We refer you to a more detailed form of this statement contained in the press release announcing this earnings call. These predicted statements speak only as of this day, July 19, 2016, and involve many risks and uncertainties related to our business and the environments in which we operate, any of which may cause actual results to turn out differently than anticipated. More detailed information about such risks and uncertainties may be found in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or in other reports which we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. And now, I'm pleased to turn the call over to Mark. Mark D. Millett - President, Chief Executive Officer & Director: Thank you, Theresa. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to our second quarter earnings call. I hope and trust you are all enjoying the summer, and I'm going to have safe summer with that. It seems difficult to believe that we are already halfway through 2016. I guess time flies when you're having a lot of fun. But thankfully, we have a notably improved profile compared to last year. To begin this morning, I would ask Theresa to comment on our second quarter financial performance. Theresa E. Wagler - Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President: Thank you. With a continued challenging global steel industry environment, the teams achieved strong operational and financial results. For the second quarter 2016, our net income was $142 million or $0.58 per diluted share, slightly above our guidance of between $0.53 per share and $0.57 per share, really based on the strengths from the Flat Roll Group. These results are over double those of sequential and prior year quarters. Sequential first quarter net income was $63 million or $0.26 per diluted share and prior-year second quarter adjusted net income was $53 million or $0.22 per diluted, which excludes expenses primarily associated with idling our Minnesota operations. Second quarter 2016 revenues were $2 billion, a 16% improvement over the sequential first quarter based on both increased shipments and product pricing from our steel operations. Our second quarter 2016 gross margin as a percentage of sales increased to 19%, driven by the improved performance at our steel operations, most specifically from our Flat Roll Group. This represents a significant improvement of our near-term history, including first quarter 2016 performance of 14%. As a result, our operating income for the second quarter was $256 million, compared to first quarter results of $132 million, a 94% improvement. For the second quarter, steel shipments increased 9% to 2.5 million tons, as volumes improved across all divisions except in special bar quality products. The SBQ market continues to be challenged by weak demand dynamics. Conversely, domestic flat roll steel utilization is strong, as imports have declined and customer inventory levels are better balanced with actual demand. Even though second quarter platform utilization was 95%, it's a bit misleading as the Flat Roll Group produced over the theoretical quarterly capacity, offsetting lower utilization at the structural and engineered bar divisions, which operated at 82% and 53% respectively. Second quarter 2016 steel platform average selling prices increased $67 (sic) [$66] (04:41) per ton to $640, outpacing increased average scrap cost [ph] at $74 (04:47) per ton. Increased metal spread and continuing improvement in volume resulted in our second consecutive quarter of significantly higher profitability generated by the steel platform. Operating income was $276 million, just over double first quarter results. Our Flat Roll Group continued to drive this performance with a 159% increase in group operating income based on an 8% increase in shipments coupled with meaningful metal spread expansion. While our metals recycling platform continues to operate in an extremely challenging environment, the team was able to achieve significantly improved profitability, recording $15 million of operating income versus $6 million in the sequential first quarter. Increased domestic steel mill utilization resulted in improved recycling demand and pricing. Second quarter 2000 (sic) [2016] (05:38) shipments increased 3% and ferrous metal spread increased 30% compared to the sequential quarter. Additionally, internal ferrous shipments represented 60% of OmniSource's second quarter volume, effectively levering the strength of our vertically integrated business profile. Non-residential construction demand was steady throughout much of the United States, but negatively affected by inclement weather in the Southwest, resulting in a slight decrease in our second quarter fabrication shipments, but order entry and coating activity remained strong. As we suggested on the first quarter call, fabrication experienced metal spread compression, as higher steel prices increased raw material costs, while product pricing modestly declined. As a result, second quarter 2016 operating income from our fabrication operations was $24 million, a decrease of $8 million when compared to the first quarter. Although we anticipate stronger fabrication volumes, we accept to see additional metal spread compression in the third quarter, as higher price flat roll steel inventories flow through the system. During the second quarter 2016, we generated cash flow from operations of $158 million, as working capital used $136 million in the quarter due to increased sales. For the first half of 2016, we generated $447 million. First half 2016 capital investments totaled $63 million. We currently estimate full-year 2016 capital expenditures to be in a range of $225 million, obviously weighted to the second half of the year. And this includes the paint line addition at our Columbus Flat Roll Division, which is still expected to begin operations in the first quarter of 2017. We maintained our cash dividend in the second quarter at $0.14 per common share. Our history of sustained and increasing cash dividends demonstrates the confidence that we and our directors have in the strength and consistency of our cash flow generation capability. As demonstrated through the years, our business model generates strong cash flow through varying market cycles based on the low, highly variable cost structure of our operations and our diversified value-added product offerings. We achieved record liquidity of over $2.2 billion at June 30, 2016, comprised of our undrawn revolver and available cash of $1.1 billion. During the second quarter, total debt remained flat while net debt decreased $82 million to $1.5 billion. Our second quarter 2016 adjusted EBITDA was $340 million and trailing 12-month EBITDA $903 million, resulting in net leverage of 1.7 times, down from 2.7 times at the end of the year. Our credit profile continues to be solidly aligned with our preferred due cycle net leverage of less than three times. Additionally, our debt maturity outlook continues to provide great optionality, having no meaningful maturities until 2019, but in the interim periods having provision call flexibility. Looking forward, we continue to believe that our capital structure and credit profile have the strength and flexibility to not only sustain current operations, but to support additional strategic growth. Mark? Mark D. Millett - President, Chief Executive Officer & Director: Thank you, Theresa. Some may think it redundant, but I want to reiterate on each call that safety and welfare of our employees remains our number one value. Nothing surpasses the importance of creating and maintaining a safe work environment. Our safety performance remains better than industry averages, but our goal is to have a zero incident environment. We've reduced our total recordable injury rate in the first half of 2016 by a further 15% when compared to last year's full-year results. The team continues to do a phenomenal job, and we're on track for another record performance this year, but everyone must remain focused. My sincere thanks go to the entire SDI team for their dedication to our most important priority. The steel platform performed well in the second quarter. 2016 has certainly provided a changing landscape to the domestic flat roll market. Several positive macro shifts have resulted in significantly improved flat roll product pricing. Year-over-year, first half flat roll steel import levels have declined and customer inventory levels are better aligned to actual consumption, all supporting higher domestic sheet mill utilization. While demand has remained steady, these supply side drivers have led to much improved market dynamics. Our flat roll steel mills operated at full capacity during the second quarter, supported by the automotive and construction sectors. Although conversely, even though sequential long products steel shipments improved 14%, they operated at about 75% of their full production capability, with engineered bar being the most challenged. So, for the steel platform as a whole, our production utilization rate for the second quarter of 2016 increased to 95% compared to the overall domestic steel industry that's been operating at around 74%. Despite a significant increase in second quarter scrap costs, our overall average steel metal spread improved, as average product pricing outpaced the increased costs. However, as a subgroup, our combined long product divisions actually experienced flat pricing and metal spread compression in the second quarter. Although overall construction continues to improve, the competitive landscape for structural steel, merchant sheets, and engineered bar is extremely aggressive. The robust increase in second quarter 2016 long product group shipments was due to the customers buying ahead of the significant scrap increase in April and in May. While we anticipate third quarter of 2016 metal spread expansion for the long products group, the buy-ahead customer activity will likely result in slightly reduced related shipments. Part of the investment thesis from our recently announced $126 million planned acquisition of Vulcan Threaded Products is the potential volume improvement for our Engineered Special Bar Products division that could result as being a supplier to Vulcan. Historically, Vulcan has purchased nearly 20,000 tons of steel from SDI. But based on our production capabilities, this could increase to as much as 30,000 tons to 50,000 tons, just under 10% of our Engineered Bar division's 2015 shipments. Vulcan purchases special bar quality steel products for the manufacture and sale of higher-margin threaded steel rod, cold-finished bar, and heat-treated bar. We're excited to soon welcome the Vulcan employees to the SDI family. Vulcan has a great reputation in the industry for supplying high-quality products with excellent customer service. We have recently received the required regulatory approvals for the deal and hope to close the transaction shortly. At Columbus, the successful market and product diversification that we achieved during 2015 is one of the key differentiators for the improved profitability that we are realizing this year. As an example, Columbus achieved record six months production stats in the first half of 2016 and continues to increase their value-added product capabilities. The new paint line project is on budget and on schedule, with expectations for painted product shipments to begin in the first quarter of 2017. The total $100 million investment will provide 250,000 tons of annual coating capability and further diversification into higher-margin products for Columbus. We already have two paint lines and a Galvalume capability in Indiana. And this new project allows for higher-quality, double-wide steel and access to the southern markets, including Mexico. We plan to sell surface-critical, appliance-grade steel as well as construction-related products from this line. As a part of the project, this month, we're installing equipment in one of the Columbus' galvanizing lines to allow them to sell value-added Galvalume products into the construction sector. We anticipate the installation and resulting disruption to result in about $5 million of lost earnings in the third quarter 2016. Our steel platform also continues to benefit from other organic growth investments, some of which began contributing in 2015 but should continue to increase momentum in 2016. The $26 million investment in premium rail is continuing to improve the ratio of premium to standard rail shipments. The $96 million investment in engineered special bar quality diversification and capacity expansion generally are geared toward automotive industry. This diversification has already facilitated increased mill utilization and cost compression during the ongoing weak heavy equipment and energy demand environment. Finally, the $22 million investment for an additional 600,000 tons of annual flat roll pickling capability at our Butler Flat Roll division, which will increase value-added sales while deemphasizing commodity-grade hot roll. The team began operating the line in January and has already achieved 75% utilization. The continued increase in domestic steel mill utilization is also benefiting our metals recycling platform. The team was able to achieve meaningful improvement in profitability for the second consecutive quarter. The recycling environment remains challenging. Many regional players in the industry are either for sale or headed into insolvency. As such, the number of active shredders has declined, which should benefit the industry in the years ahead. Earlier this year, the rapid and significant increase in flat roll steel mill utilization and product pricing during a period of low obsolete scrap flows resulted in significant ferrous scrap price increases. April pricing increased about $50 per ton followed by another increase in May of about $20 per ton to $30 per ton. But looking forward, we expect the pricing environment to decrease somewhat and stabilize, as the rush to regain mill inventories subsides and obsolete scrap flows, perhaps, improve. We saw this occur as June and July's price trend was basically unchanged for prime grades, but then $10 per ton to $20 per ton for obsolete grades. Combined with the expectation of a continued relative strong U.S. dollar and relatively low scrap exports, we anticipate ample scrap supply and don't see likely drivers for significant increases in ferrous scrap prices. The fabrication platform continues their ongoing strong performance. Since our acquisition of additional deck assets in September 2015, we've gained considerable market share for deck, achieving 31% for the first half of 2016, compared to only 24% in the same timeframe last year. Additionally, the acquisition provides an opportunity for steel supply options from our Columbus Flat Roll division. Over the last three years, the acquired assets averaged over 60,000 tons of annual flat roll steel purchases, predominantly galvanized and predominantly from our competitors. We plan to source a substantial amount of the steel from Columbus, which will help further shift Columbus' product mix and increase mill utilization during weak demand environment. The power of pull-through volume was certainly helpful in last year's steel environment. Our fabrication operations purchased just over 300,000 tons of steel from our steel operations in 2015 and has already purchased over 160,000 tons in 2016. The New Millennium team continues to perform extremely well, levering our national footprint to gain market share. The strength of this business provides positive insight into the continued growth of non-residential construction activity. We continue to see strong ore activity and expect increasing volumes. But the increased cost of flat roll steel, which benefits our $7 million ton capacity Flat Roll Group, will result in further margin compression for our fabrication operations in the third quarter. This natural hedge continues to benefit the overall company. Relative to the macro environment, the steel-consuming sectors that were weak in 2015 such as energy, heavy equipment, and agriculture will likely remain so in 2016. However, those that have been strong or recovering are expected to continue this path, such as automotive and construction. 2016 forecast for these two largest domestic steel-consuming sectors remains positive. Automotive has continued forecasting strength. And overall, construction spending continues to improve with additional forecasted growth in 2016. SDI is growing exposure to both of these sectors through our Columbus Flat Roll division, additional Long Products production capability, and growing fabrication operations. Driven by the strength of the U.S. dollar, low iron ore costs and global overcapacity, steel imports were 2015's principal headwind. However, recent import levels have declined and the trade cases are likely to erode them further. Reduced imports, idling of domestic capacity, and relatively higher global pricing, along with steady demand and rebalanced supply chain inventory, have created a positive pricing and volume environment for flat roll products. As raw material prices moderate, there's likely margin expansion opportunity. As in the past, importantly, we are not waiting in order to help inflate ourselves from the imports. Part of our strategy is to not only develop strong customer relationships but to also manufacture products that are more difficult to compete with on a global basis, such as painted flat roll steel, highly engineered SBQ steel, and long length rail. As such, we're able to mitigate some of the import impact and, with our broad portfolio of value-added products, able to maintain higher steel mill utilization rates when compared to our domestic peers. As you've seen, we continue to strengthen our financial position through strong cash flow generation and the execution of our long-term strategy. We also have additional company-specific earnings catalysts and are well positioned for growth. Customer focus, coupled with our market diversification and low-cost operating platforms, support our ability to maintain our best-in-class industry performance. We believe we are uniquely poised to capitalize on growth opportunities that will benefit our customers, shareholders, employees, and communities. Driven to maintain a sustainable differentiated business, we're focusing on growth opportunities to maximize our financial performance throughout market cycles. We will concentrate on growth opportunities that will improve the quality of our margins, with a particular focus on downstream value-added growth to mitigate the impact of imports and the evitable cyclicality of our business. The strong character and determination of our employees are absolutely unmatched. They are a phenomenal group, and I'm proud to stand with them. We look forward to creating new opportunities for them, for our customers, and our shareholders in the months and years ahead. So, again, thank you for your time today. And Brenda, we'd love to open the call up for questions.