West Fraser Announces Fourth Quarter Results
(firmenpresse) - VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/14/13 -- West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. (TSX: WFT) today reported earnings of $22 million or $0.51 per share on sales of $773 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and earnings of $87 million or $2.02 per share, on sales of $3 billion for 2012.
These results compare with previous periods as follows:
"In the second half of 2012 we saw encouraging signs that the U.S. housing market is recovering," said Hank Ketcham, West Fraser's Chairman and CEO. "This has led to gradual improvement of results from our building products operations."
Operational Results
In the quarter our lumber operations generated operating earnings of $52 million (Q3 -$37 million) and EBITDA of $75 million (Q3 - $58 million). The improvement in our results reflects improved prices for SPF and SYP lumber.
The panel segment, which includes plywood, LVL and MDF, generated operating earnings in the quarter of $7 million (Q3 -$22 million) and EBITDA of $12 million (Q3 - $25 million) as Canadian dollar plywood prices weakened from third quarter levels.
Pulp and paper operations generated operating earnings in the quarter of $13 million (Q3 - $17 million) and EBITDA of $24 million (Q3 - $28 million). Improved NBSK pricing was offset by weakening BCTMP and newsprint markets.
Outlook
We are approaching 2013 with guarded optimism that the long-awaited U.S. housing recovery is taking hold. We will continue to invest in our existing facilities in order to maintain and improve our competitiveness.
Leadership Succession
The Company also announced that, as part of its ongoing leadership succession process, effective March 1, 2013 Hank Ketcham will assume the role of Executive Chairman and Ted Seraphim, who is currently the Company's President and Chief Operating Officer, will be appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Seraphim will also be nominated for election as a director of the Company at the Company's April 30, 2013 Annual General Meeting.
Annual Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A")
The Company's consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2012 and related MD&A is available on the Company's website: and on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval at under the Company's profile.
Dividend Declared
The Board of Directors of the Company has declared a dividend of $0.14 per share on the Common shares and the Class B Common shares in the capital of the Company, payable on April 5, 2013 to shareholders of record on March 22, 2013.
The Company
West Fraser is an integrated wood products company producing lumber, wood chips, LVL, MDF, plywood, pulp and newsprint. The Company has operations in western Canada and the southern United States.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains historical information, descriptions of current circumstances and statements about potential future developments. The latter, which are forward-looking statements and are included under the heading "Outlook", are presented to provide reasonable guidance to the reader but their accuracy depends on a number of assumptions and is subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes and results will depend on a number of factors that could affect the ability of the Company to execute its business plans, including those matters described in the 2012 annual Management's Discussion & Analysis under "Risks and Uncertainties", and may differ materially from those anticipated or projected. Accordingly, readers should exercise caution in relying upon forward-looking statements and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Conference Call
Investors are invited to listen to the quarterly conference call on Friday, February 15, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time (11:30 a.m. Eastern Time) by dialing 1-800-952-6845 (toll-free North America). The call may also be accessed through West Fraser's website at .
West Fraser shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol: "WFT".
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
(figures are in millions of dollars, except where indicated - unaudited)
1. Nature of operations
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. ("West Fraser", "we", "us" or "our") is an integrated wood products company producing lumber, wood chips, LVL, MDF, plywood, pulp and newsprint with facilities in western Canada and the southern United States. Our executive office is located at 858 Beatty Street, Suite 501, Vancouver, British Columbia. West Fraser was formed by articles of amalgamation under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and is registered in British Columbia, Canada. We are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WFT.
2. Basis of presentation and statement of compliance
These condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34 Interim Financial Reporting as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and using the same accounting policies and methods of their application as the December 31, 2012 annual financial statements. These condensed consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's 2012 annual financial statements.
3. Inventories
Inventories at December 31, 2012 were written down by $3 million (September 30, 2012 - $6 million; December 31, 2011 - $15 million) to reflect net realizable value being lower than cost.
4. Tax provision
The tax provision differs from the amount that would have resulted from applying the Canadian statutory income tax rates to earnings before income taxes as follows:
5. Discontinued operations
We permanently closed our linerboard and kraft paper mill, located in Kitimat, B.C. in January 2010 and the windup was substantially completed in December 2011.
6. Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share is calculated based on earnings available to Common shareholders, as set out below, using the weighted average number of Common shares and Class B Common shares outstanding.
Diluted earnings per share is calculated based on earnings available to Common shareholders adjusted to remove the actual share option expense (recovery) charged to earnings and after deducting a notional charge for share option expense assuming the use of the equity settled method, as set out below. The diluted weighted average number of shares is calculated using the treasury stock method. When earnings available to Common shareholders for diluted earnings per share are greater than earnings available to Common shareholders for basic earnings per share, the calculation is anti-dilutive and diluted earnings per share are deemed to be the same as basic earnings per share.
7. Segmented information
The geographic distribution of external sales is as follows:
Sales distribution is based on the location of product delivery by the Company.
Contacts:
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
Larry Hughes
Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
(604) 895-2700
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
Rodger Hutchinson
Vice-President, Corporate Controller
(604) 895-2700
(604) 681-6061 (FAX)
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Datum: 14.02.2013 - 16:01 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 1197380
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Forest and Paper Products
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