CF Industries Holdings, Inc. Reports First Nine Months 2022 Net Earnings of $2.49 Billion, Adjusted EBITDA of $4.58 Billion
Company Release - 11/2/2022
Strong Operational Performance and Wide Energy Spreads Drive Record Results
Company to Collaborate with ExxonMobil on Landmark Carbon Capture Project
Board Authorizes New $3 Billion Share Repurchase Program
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CF), a leading global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products, today announced results for the first nine months and third quarter ended September 30, 2022.
Highlights
First nine months net earnings of $2.49 billion(1), or $12.04 per diluted share, EBITDA(2) of $4.30 billion, and adjusted EBITDA(2) of $4.58 billion
Third quarter net earnings of $438 million(1), or $2.18 per diluted share, EBITDA(2) of $826 million, and adjusted EBITDA(2) of $983 million
Trailing twelve months net cash from operating activities of $4.75 billion, free cash flow(3) of $3.68 billion
Repurchased approximately 6.1 million shares for $532 million during the third quarter of 2022; new $3 billion share repurchase program authorized through 2025
Company entered into the largest-of-its-kind commercial agreement with ExxonMobil to capture and permanently store up to 2 million tons of CO2 emissions annually from its Donaldsonville Complex in Louisiana
Initiated front-end engineering and design study for proposed joint venture with Mitsui & Co. to construct a greenfield blue ammonia facility in Ascension Parish, Louisiana
“The CF Industries team continues to deliver outstanding results as we work safely, run our plants extremely well and leverage our distribution and logistics capabilities to serve customers in North America and around the world,” said Tony Will, president and chief executive officer, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. “The conditions that have supported nitrogen prices for the last year - reduced global supply availability from lower operating rates due to high energy costs for marginal production in Europe and Asia - show no signs of abating. As a result, we expect the global nitrogen supply-demand balance to remain tight with attractive margin opportunities for low-cost producers further into the future.”
Nitrogen Market Outlook
Management expects the global nitrogen supply-demand balance will remain tight into 2025 due to agriculture-led demand and forward energy curves that point to persistently high energy prices in Europe and Asia.
The need to replenish global grains stocks, which has supported high prices for corn, wheat and canola, continues to drive global nitrogen demand. Below-trend yields are expected in key growing regions, including the U.S., due to unfavorable weather during 2022, preventing any meaningful increase to global grains stocks this year. Management believes that it will take at least two more seasons at trend yield to fully replenish global grains stocks, supporting strong grains plantings and incentivizing nitrogen fertilizer application over this time period.
North America: Highcrop futures prices, along with healthy farm economics, are projected to support high corn and wheat planted acreage in 2023.
India: Management expects that India will tender for urea throughout the remainder of the year and into 2023 to fully meet increased demand as farmers maximize grain production.
Europe: Ammonia and upgraded fertilizer production curtailments in Europe have led to significantly higher nitrogen imports to the region in the second half of 2022. Imports of urea into Europe are well-above their typical pace in part to replace lower nitrate supply.
Global nitrogen supply availability remains constrained as high energy prices in Europe and Asia have led to substantial curtailments of ammonia production in these regions. During the third quarter of 2022, an estimated 60% of ammonia capacity in Europe did not operate. For facilities able to do so, production economics continue to favor importing ammonia to manufacture upgraded products.
China: Urea exports from China remain lower than prior years due to measures the Chinese government has implemented to promote availability and affordability of fertilizers domestically. Management continues to expect that full year urea exports from China will be in the range of 1.5-2 million metric tons, well below the three-year average.
Russia: Exports of ammonia from Russia are significantly lower in 2022 compared to prior years due to geopolitical disruptions arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and related logistics bottlenecks. In contrast, exports of other nitrogen products from the country are at near-normal levels.
Forward energy curves suggest that production economics in Europe and Asia are likely to remain challenged for at least the next two years. Additionally, the forward curves point to an extended period of wide energy differentials between Europe and Asia and low-cost regions. As a result, the Company believes the global nitrogen cost curve will be steeper for longer, supporting increased margin opportunities for low-cost North American producers.