CatchMark Announces Strong Second Quarter 2021 Results, Reports Significant Progress on Strategic Initiatives, Declares Dividend

ATLANTA, Aug. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. (NYSE: CTT) today reported second quarter 2021 results. The company also declared a cash dividend of $0.135 per share for its common stockholders of record as of August 31, 2021, payable on September 15, 2021.

Brian M. Davis, CatchMark's President and CEO, said: "CatchMark delivered an exceptionally strong quarter, as we continue to capture significantly higher pricing for both pulpwood and sawtimber from premier timberlands in our U.S. South markets. These pricing advantages more than offset the planned reduction in total harvest volume as we maintained consistent productivity on a per-acre basis. We believe consumption levels and availability of logs in our superior markets can continue to deliver pricing premiums, helped by heightened production in the U.S. South from new sawmills coming on-line over the next 18 months to meet increased demand for lumber products in U.S. housing markets. In addition, the U.S. South continues to meet increased demand from the ongoing decline in Canadian timber production."

"Second quarter results also benefited from higher year-over-year timberland sales, bringing year-to-date sales to almost 80% of full-year guidance targets. Liquidity remains ample and we further strengthened our capital position, recognizing an $0.8 million gain on the Oglethorpe large disposition and using net proceeds of $7.3 million to pay down outstanding debt. The pending disposition this month of our Pacific Northwest Bandon timberlands will further strengthen our capital position and enable future growth, concentrating in the U.S. South. Importantly, our dividend is covered by operating cash flow and we are on track to meet full-year guidance.

"Also, Triple T's recent agreement to sell approximately 28% of its timberlands to Hancock Natural Resource Group demonstrates how we have enhanced Triple T's financial performance and increased its per-acre value. We continue to explore further opportunities to unlock additional value for our Triple T investment partners and CatchMark."

SECOND QUARTER 2021 RESULTS

The following table summarizes the current quarter and comparable prior year period results:

Business Segments Overview

Harvest Operations 

Harvests from CatchMark's prime timberlands located in strong markets across the U.S. South and in the Pacific Northwest continued to generate significant price premiums over market averages during the second quarter and delivered substantially higher timber sales revenue year-over-year on 7% lower overall volumes. Lower volumes were anticipated and resulted from recent large timberland dispositions.

Robust mill demand in CatchMark's markets was driven by increased housing starts, significant repair and remodeling business, and continued demand for pulp-related products. 

U.S. South:

• Timber sales revenue increased $1.8 million, or 13%, year-over-year, resulting from exceptionally strong pricing, partly offset by 10% lower harvest volumes. Harvest volumes reflected consistent productivity on a per-acre basis.
• Pulpwood and sawtimber sales prices were 71% and 19%, respectively, higher than TimberMart-South South-wide averages, and 25% and 13% above CatchMark's realized prices for the prior year quarter.

Pacific Northwest:

• Timber sales revenue year-over-year increased by $2.1 million, a 131% increase, due to a 75% increase in harvest volume and a 26% increase in delivered sawtimber pricing.
• Increased regional harvest volumes by capitalizing on particularly favorable market conditions for lumber demand that have carried over from late 2020 as the economy accelerated emerging from the pandemic-related downturn.

Todd Reitz, Chief Resources Officer, said: "Despite wet weather in the U.S. South, we maintained consistent delivered and stumpage sales in the region as well as increased delivered volume in the Pacific Northwest, taking advantage of strong sawmill order files in our superior markets. Although the housing surge has slowed slightly, mill inventories remain thin and both sawtimber and pulp markets are buoyed by strong demand, which continues to position us well for the near-term."

Real Estate 

Timberland Sales:  

• The company sold 4,300 acres during the quarter, 3,200 acres more than in second quarter 2020, and at an 11% higher average price per acre — $1,743 versus $1,564 in second quarter 2020.
• The per-acre sales price increased despite lower average merchantable timber stocking levels and generated an improved margin — 26% in second quarter 2021 versus 13% in second quarter 2020.
• Acres sold in the current period had lower average merchantable timber stocking than our portfolio average.
• Through the second quarter, CatchMark has completed nearly 80% of its full-year 2021 timberland sales target and remains on course to meet guidance.

Acquisitions and Large Dispositions:  CatchMark made no acquisitions during the quarter, but completed a large disposition under its capital recycling program — the sale of 5,000 acres in Georgia (Oglethorpe) for $7.5 million. The transaction resulted in recognizing an $0.8 million gain and $7.3 million of net proceeds was used to pay down its outstanding debt balance on the Multi-Draw Term Facility. In addition, CatchMark entered into a definitive agreement on June 21, 2021 to sell 18,100 acres of Oregon timberlands — known as the Bandon property — for $100 million, or $5,536 per acre. CatchMark purchased the Bandon property in August 2018 for $88.8 million, or $4,916 per acre, and expects to recognize a gain on the sale in excess of $20 million in the third quarter of 2021. CatchMark will use most of the net proceeds from the Bandon disposition to pay down its outstanding debt.

Investment Management 

• The 12% increase in asset management fee revenue year-over-year to $3.2 million resulted from the amended asset management agreement with the Triple T joint venture, which was completed during the second quarter of 2020.
• CatchMark received $0.4 million of distributions from the Dawsonville Bluffs joint venture during the second quarter, including $0.1 million of incentive-based promotes for exceeding investment hurdles. Subsequent to quarter-end, the company received an additional $0.7 million distribution from Dawsonville Bluffs, including incentive-based promotes.
• On July 30, 2021, the Triple T joint venture entered into a definitive agreement to sell 301,000 acres of its 1.1 million acres of prime East Texas timberlands for $498 million, exclusive of transaction costs. The negotiated per-acre sales price of $1,656 compares to Triple T's $1,264 per-acre acquisition price in July 2018. Sale proceeds will be used to reduce Triple T's leverage and to pay down a portion of the preferred partnership interests in the joint venture. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions.

CAPITAL POSITION AND SHARE REPURCHASES

CatchMark maintained its strong capital position with more than $180 million of liquidity from a combination of credit facilities and cash on hand, as of June 30, 2021.

• Following the Oglethorpe large disposition and the use of $7.3 million in net proceeds to paydown its outstanding balance on the Multi-Draw Term Facility, CatchMark had a cash balance of $22.3 million and $158.2 million of borrowing capacity remaining under its credit facilities, consisting of $123.2 million under the Multi-Draw Term Facility and $35.0 million under the Revolving Credit Facility, as of June 30, 2021.
• On August 4, 2021, CatchMark amended its existing credit agreement to establish a $68.6 million revolver feature on Term Loan A-3 and extend the maturity date of the existing Revolving Credit Facility from 2022 to 2026.

Chief Financial Officer Ursula Godoy-Arbelaez, said: "Under the amended credit agreement, CatchMark can use proceeds from the pending Bandon disposition to further deleverage the company while improving future available debt capacity. We have increased the weighted-average life of our debt while maintaining current competitive pricing. The amendment improves liquidity, flexibility and balance sheet strength, all while maximizing debt capacity for future growth."

Covered Dividend

• During the second quarter, CatchMark paid $6.6 million of distributions to stockholders, fully covered by net cash provided by operating activities.

Conference Call

The company will host a conference call and live webcast at 10 a.m. ET on Friday, August 6, 2021 to discuss these results. Investors may listen to the conference call by dialing 1-888-347-1165 for U.S/Canada and 1-412-902-4276 for international callers.  Participants should ask to be joined into the CatchMark call. Access to the live webcast is available at www.catchmark.com or here. A replay of this webcast will be archived on the company's website immediately after the call. 

About CatchMark

CatchMark (NYSE: CTT) seeks to deliver consistent and growing per share cash flow from disciplined acquisitions and superior management of prime timberlands located in high demand U.S. mill markets. Concentrating on maximizing cash flows throughout business cycles, the company strategically harvests its high-quality timberlands to produce durable revenue growth and takes advantage of proximate mill markets, which provide a reliable outlet for merchantable inventory. Headquartered in Atlanta and focused exclusively on timberland ownership and management, CatchMark began operations in 2007 and owns interests in 1.5 million acres* of timberlands located in Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas. For more information, visit www.catchmark.com.  

* As of June 30, 2021

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by our use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "continue," or other similar words. However, the absence of these or similar words or expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are based on certain assumptions, discuss future expectations, describe plans and strategies, contain projections of results of operations or of financial condition or state other forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, that we believe consumption levels and availability of logs in our superior markets can continue to deliver pricing premiums, helped by heightened production in the U.S. South from new sawmills coming on-line over the next 18 months to meet increased demand for lumber products in U.S. housing markets; that the pending disposition in the third quarter of our Pacific Northwest Bandon timberlands will further strengthen our capital position and enable future growth; that we are on track to meet full-year guidance; that both sawtimber and pulp markets are buoyed by strong demand, which continues to position us well for the near-term; and  that the sale of property by Triple T is expected to close during the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions. Risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, that (i) the conditions to closing the Bandon disposition may not be satisfied in a timely manner or at all and our gain on the transaction may less than we currently anticipate; (ii) the conditions to closing the Triple T land sale transaction may not be satisfied in a timely manner or at all and Triple T's proceeds from the transaction could be less than we anticipate; (iii) we may not generate the harvest volumes from our timberlands that we currently anticipate; (iv) the demand for our timber may not increase at the rate we currently anticipate or could decline due to changes in general economic and business conditions in the geographic regions where our timberlands are located, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken as a response thereto; (v) a downturn in the real estate market, including decreases in demand and valuations, may adversely impact our ability to generate income and cash flow from sales of higher-and-better use properties; (iv) timber prices may not increase at the rate we currently anticipate or could decline, which would negatively impact our revenues; (vii) the supply of timberlands available for acquisition that meet our investment criteria may be less than we currently anticipate; (viii) we may be unsuccessful in winning bids for timberland that are sold through an auction process; (ix) we may not be able to make large dispositions of timberland in capital recycling transactions at prices that are attractive to us or at all; (x) we may not be able to access external sources of capital at attractive rates or at all; (xi) potential increases in interest rates could have a negative impact on our business; (xii) our share repurchase program may not be successful in improving stockholder value over the long-term; (xiii) our joint venture strategy may not enable us to access non-dilutive capital and enhance our ability to make acquisitions; (xiv) we may not be successful in effectively managing the Triple T joint venture and the anticipated benefits of the joint venture may not be realized, including that our asset management fee could be deferred or decreased and our investment in the joint venture may lose some or all of its value; and (xv) the factors described in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update our forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SOURCE CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc.