Friday, November 6, 2020
Norbord Inc. today reported Adjusted EBITDA of $322 million for the third quarter of 2020 compared to $84 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $33 million in the third quarter of 2019. The increases versus all comparative periods were primarily driven by significantly higher realized North American oriented strand board (OSB) prices partially offset by higher North American profit share attributed to higher earnings. North American operations generated Adjusted EBITDA of $310 million compared to $84 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $24 million in the third quarter of 2019, and European operations delivered Adjusted EBITDA of $16 million compared to $2 million in the prior quarter and $11 million in the same quarter last year.
“The third quarter of 2020 was Norbord’s strongest quarter ever,” said Peter Wijnbergen, Norbord’s President & CEO. “The recovery in economic activity that unfolded in the latter stages of Q2 carried into Q3, driving strong new housing construction and repair-and-remodelling demand that helped lift North American benchmark OSB prices to all-time highs. Our European results also benefitted from higher quarter-over-quarter panel prices and continued recovery of UK panel demand that had been significantly impacted by the pandemic in the second quarter. Adjusted EBITDA increased nearly tenfold from year-ago levels and was 18% above Norbord’s previous best quarterly result in the second quarter of 2018. I remain particularly pleased with our team’s ability to remain focused on working safely within the strict protocols required by the pandemic while at the same time containing manufacturing costs.”
“Customer demand has been significantly stronger than expected during this unusual period of economic uncertainty. We are optimistic, but we also recognize that our business is cyclical and that it is not yet clear whether the worst of the pandemic is behind us. Today we announce the permanent closure of the 100 Mile House mill in British Columbia, which will reduce Norbord’s North American stated capacity, as the ongoing wood supply shortage in that region makes the reopening of that mill uneconomic. As always, we will remain vigilant, focused on the health and safety of our employees as well as our customers’ needs, and we will manage the business to be resilient and flexible.”
Norbord recorded Adjusted earnings of $204 million or $2.52 per share (basic and diluted) versus Adjusted earnings of $31 million or $0.38 per share (basic and diluted) in the second quarter of 2020 and an Adjusted loss of $9 million or $0.11 per share (basic and diluted) in the third quarter of 2019. Earnings in the current quarter include $10 million of costs related to closure of the 100 Mile House, British Columbia mill.
Tags: EBITDA, norbord, oriented strand board, OSB, third quarter
