Smart Sand, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2023 Results

• 3Q 2023 total tons sold of approximately 1.2 million
• 3Q 2023 revenue of $76.9 million
• 3Q 2023 net income of $6.7 million
• 3Q 2023 adjusted EBITDA of $13.3 million
• 3Q 2023 net cash provided by operating activities of $12.5 million
• 3Q 2023 free cash flow of $5.6 million

SPRING, Texas, Nov. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smart Sand, Inc. (NASDAQ: SND) (the “Company” or “Smart Sand”), a fully integrated frac and industrial sand supply and services company, a low-cost producer of high quality Northern White frac sand, a proppant logistics solutions provider through both its in-basin transloading terminals and SmartSystems™ products and services and a provider of industrial product solutions, today announced results for the third quarter of 2023.

“Smart Sand delivered strong operating and financial results in the third quarter of 2023,” stated Charles Young, Smart Sand’s Chief Executive Officer. “Sales volumes increased sequentially as we saw strong demand in both the Bakken and Marcellus basins and had our first full quarter of operations at our Blair facility, leading to increased sales volumes into the Canadian market.”

“In the third quarter we increased the number of Smartpath fleets utilizing our new Smartbelt technology and we continue to add new industrial sand sales customers” continued Charles Young. “We continue to look for ways to expand our presence in key markets and broaden our customer base. In the fourth quarter, we expect to complete an expansion of our Waynesburg terminal in Pennsylvania to allow us to handle increased sales volume into the Marcellus Basin. Additionally, we anticipate completing improvements at our Utica, Illinois facility to add cooling and blending capabilities to support our industrial sand business. We continue to invest strategically to drive increased sales volumes from our three operating facilities. Our focus continues to be on increasing our free cash flow and delivering strong returns for our shareholders”

Third Quarter 2023 Results

Tons sold were approximately 1,219,000 in the third quarter of 2023, compared to approximately 1,084,000 tons in the second quarter of 2023 and 1,110,000 tons in the third quarter of 2022, an increase of 10% sequentially and 12% over the comparable period in 2022.

Revenues were $76.9 million in the third quarter of 2023, compared to $74.8 million in the second quarter of 2023 and $71.6 million in the third quarter of 2022. Revenues increased in the third quarter of 2023, compared to the second quarter of 2023, primarily due to contractual shortfall revenue recognized in the third quarter of 2023. Third quarter 2023 revenues increased, compared to third quarter 2022, due to higher sales volumes.

Gross profit was $14.4 million in the third quarter of 2023, compared to $12.7 million in the second quarter of 2023 and $11.4 million in the third quarter of 2022. Gross profit improved in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the second quarter of 2023 primarily due to contractual shortfall revenue recognized in the third quarter of 2023 and lower freight expenses. Gross profit improved for the third quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2022 primarily due to an increase in sales volumes leading to higher sand revenues.

For the third quarter of 2023, we had net income of $6.7 million, or $0.18 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net income of $6.3 million, or $0.17 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2023 and a net income of $2.7 million, or $0.06 per basic and diluted share, for the third quarter of 2022. Net income was higher in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2023 due to the income tax benefit recorded in the second quarter. The improvement in net income in the current year period relative to the comparable period in 2022 was primarily due to higher gross profit due to higher sand sales revenues from increased sales volumes.

Contribution margin of $21.0 million, or $17.20 per ton sold, for the third quarter of 2023 was an increase compared to $19.0 million, or $17.57 per ton sold for the second quarter of 2023, and third quarter 2022 contribution margin of $17.8 million, or $16.01 per ton sold. The increase in contribution margin, compared to the second quarter of 2023, was due primarily contractual shortfall revenue recognized in the quarter. The increase in contribution margin and contribution margin per ton in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2022 was primarily due to higher sales volumes leading to higher sand revenues and lower freight expenses.

Adjusted EBITDA was $13.3 million for the third quarter of 2023, compared to $11.4 million for the second quarter of 2023 and $11.3 million for the third quarter of 2022. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the prior quarter was primarily due to contractual shortfall revenue recognized in the third quarter of 2023. The improvement in Adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 was primarily due to higher contribution margin.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $12.5 million in the third quarter of 2023, compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $16.1 million in the second quarter of 2023 and net cash provided by operating activities of $10.8 million in the third quarter of 2022. The decrease in cash flow from operations in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the second quarter of 2023 was primarily due to accelerated payments to vendors and seasonal costs incurred as we built our winter inventory stockpiles at Oakdale and Blair in the third quarter of 2023. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2022 was primarily due to higher net income in the third quarter of 2023.

Free cash flow was $5.6 million for the third quarter of 2023. Net cash provided by operating activities was $12.5 million and capital expenditures were $6.9 million in the third quarter of 2023. We currently estimate that full year 2023 capital expenditures will be between $20.0 million and $23.0 million.

Liquidity

Our primary sources of liquidity are cash on hand, cash flow generated from operations and available borrowings under our ABL Credit Facility. As of September 30, 2023, cash on hand was $9.3 million and we had $19.0 million in undrawn availability on our ABL Credit Facility.

Conference Call

Smart Sand will host a conference call and live webcast for analysts and investors on November 8, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its third quarter 2023 financial results. Investors are invited to join the conference by dialing (412)-317-0790 or 1-877-870-4263 and referencing “Smart Sand” when connected to the operator. Additionally, the call may also be streamed via webcast at https://app.webinar.net/1ZrWVRQqaAD or within the “Investors” section of the Company’s website at www.smartsand.com. A replay will be available shortly after the call and can be accessed on the “Investors” section of the Company’s website.

Forward-looking Statements

All statements in this news release other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements that contain our Company’s current expectations about our future results, including the Company’s expectations regarding future sales. We have attempted to identify any forward-looking statements by using words such as “expect,” “will,” “estimate,” “believe” and other similar expressions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected and the assumptions or bases underlying our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, events or financial positions to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in product demand, delays in the completion of certain expansion and improvement projects at our existing facilities or failure to recognize the anticipated benefits of such projects, regulatory changes, adverse weather conditions, increased fuel prices, higher transportation costs, access to capital, increased competition, changes in economic or political conditions, and such other factors discussed or referenced in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 28, 2023, and in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, filed by the Company with the SEC on November 7, 2023.

You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, unless required by law.

About Smart Sand

Smart Sand is a fully integrated frac and industrial sand supply and services company, offering complete mine to wellsite proppant and logistic solutions to our frac sand customers, and a broad offering of products for industrial sand customers. The Company produces low-cost, high quality Northern White sand, which is a premium sand used as a proppant to enhance hydrocarbon recovery rates in the hydraulic fracturing of oil and natural gas wells. The Company’s sand is also a high-quality product used in a variety of industrial applications, including glass, foundry, building products, filtration, geothermal, renewables, ceramics, turf & landscaping, retail, recreation and more. The Company also offers logistics solutions to our customers through its in-basin transloading terminals and our SmartSystems wellsite storage capabilities. Smart Sand owns and operates premium sand mines and related processing facilities in Wisconsin and Illinois, which have access to four Class I rail lines, allowing the Company to deliver products substantially anywhere in the United States and Canada. For more information, please visit www.smartsand.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Contribution Margin

We also use contribution margin, which we define as total revenues less costs of goods sold excluding depreciation, depletion and accretion of asset retirement obligations, to measure its financial and operating performance. Contribution margin excludes other operating expenses and income, including costs not directly associated with the operations of the Company’s business such as accounting, human resources, information technology, legal, sales and other administrative activities. 

We believe that reporting contribution margin and contribution margin per ton sold provides useful performance metrics to management and external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks, because these metrics provide an operating and financial measure of our ability, as a combined business, to generate margin in excess of our operating cost base.

Gross profit is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to contribution margin. Contribution margin should not be considered an alternative to gross profit presented in accordance with GAAP. Because contribution margin may be defined differently by other companies in the industry, our definition of contribution margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing its utility. The following table presents a reconciliation of gross profit to contribution margin.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

We define EBITDA as net income, plus: (i) depreciation, depletion and amortization expense; (ii) income tax expense (benefit); (iii) interest expense; and (iv) franchise taxes. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA, plus: (i) gain or loss on sale of fixed assets or discontinued operations; (ii) integration and transition costs associated with specified transactions; (iii) equity compensation; (iv) acquisition and development costs; (v) non-recurring cash charges related to restructuring, retention and other similar actions; (vi) earn-out, contingent consideration obligations and other acquisition and development costs; and (vii) non-cash charges and unusual or non-recurring charges. Adjusted EBITDA is used as a supplemental financial measure by management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks, to assess:

• the financial performance of our assets without regard to the impact of financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis of our assets;
• the viability of capital expenditure projects and the overall rates of return on alternative investment opportunities;
• our ability to incur and service debt and fund capital expenditures;
• our operating performance as compared to those of other companies in our industry without regard to the impact of financing methods or capital structure; and
• our debt covenant compliance, as Adjusted EBITDA is a key component of critical covenants to the ABL Credit Facility.
  

We believe that our presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA will provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. Net income is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered alternatives to net income presented in accordance with GAAP. Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definitions of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility. The following table presents a reconciliation of net (loss) income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for each of the periods indicated.

Free Cash Flow

Free cash flow, which we define as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property, plant and equipment, is used as a supplemental financial measure by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks, to measure the liquidity of our business.

Net cash provided by operating activities is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to free cash flow. Free cash flow should not be considered an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities presented in accordance with GAAP. Because free cash flows may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definition of free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing its utility. The following table presents a reconciliation of net cash provided by (used in) operating activities to free cash flow.

Investor Contacts:

Lee Beckelman
Chief Financial Officer
(281) 231-2660
lbeckelman@smartsand.com