Ramaco Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ: METC) reported Q4 EPS of ($0.11), $0.07 worse than the analyst estimate of ($0.04). Revenue for the quarter came in at $51.1 million versus the consensus estimate of $46.74 million.

Outlook and Comment

Randall Atkins, Ramaco Resources' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer remarked, "While 2020 is a year that none of us want to repeat, I am incredibly proud of what Ramaco managed to safely accomplish in the middle of an unprecedented global pandemic. We are perhaps the only public coal company that ended the year with roughly the same level of liquidity compared to where we started, without either diluting our equity or pledging our mining operations against secured debt. Given the Company's solid liquidity position, and better visibility into the improving world metallurgical coal markets, the Board of Directors earlier this week authorized us to resume our balanced production growth and its related capital spending. To that end, the Board approved the completion of the low-vol Berwind slope, as well as starting the new mid-vol Big Creek surface mine at the Knox Creek complex. As we noted on Wednesday, we will spend approximately $18 million over two years on these properties. At full production, these two mines are expected to produce almost one million new tons per year and increase our overall capacity by roughly 50%, to approximately 3 million tons of low-cost production. The mines will have a material positive impact on our future earning capacity. They will also provide additional near-term tonnage in 2021 to sell into these strengthening markets. This should provide us with up to 2.4 million tons of production this year and increase into 2022 and 2023 as Berwind fully ramps up."

Atkins continued, "When we made the decision to pause our growth capital spending early in the second quarter of 2020, we had just received force majeure notices from our two largest customers, and major uncertainty existed in the market. Though these force majeure notices ultimately cost Ramaco over $6 million in 2020 EBITDA, we are seeing a much different response out of our customers today. Earlier this month, U.S. hot rolled coil steel prices hit above $1,200 per ton for the first time on record. At the same time, as of January 31, U.S. steel service centers had their second lowest months of supply on hand over the past 40 years. Simply put, the same customers who caused us disruption in 2020 are now seeking more tons, at materially higher pricing than just a few months ago."

Atkins finished, "From a macro perspective, we are excited about the market prospects for our commodity. U.S. metallurgical coal indices are up well over 50% above their 2020 COVID-induced lows, while steel prices are near all-time highs. Governments around the world are increasing money supply at the fastest rates ever seen, on the back of massive proposed global fiscal stimulus packages aimed at consumption and infrastructure. We believe this macro environment provides extremely positive and unique market conditions for both near and medium-term growth in metallurgical coal demand. These positive macro trends have now directly translated into much stronger fixed price and index-based sales booked in early 2021. This strengthening demand landscape is dramatically contrasted against very negative supply-constraining conditions. To name but a few would include challenges in securing coal-related financing, ESG issues, regulatory and permitting challenges, and the thermal coal overhang in ARO and related legacy liabilities which impact many of our peers. In summary, I am proud that we managed to endure an unprecedented 2020, emerging with perhaps a few battle scars, but a lot of lessons learned. We now look forward to the imminent resumption of Ramaco's originally projected growth trajectory to over 4 million tons of production in a strengthening market and the prospect of generating meaningful free cash flow."

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