Global Ship Lease, Inc., a containership charter owner, announced its unaudited results for the three months ended March 31, 2017.

First Quarter Highlights

– Reported operating revenues of $39.6 million for the first quarter 2017

– Reported net income for common shareholders for the first quarter 2017 of $6.8 million; normalized net income was also $6.8 million

– Generated $28.0 million of Adjusted EBITDA(1) for the first quarter 2017

Ian Webber, Chief Executive Officer of Global Ship Lease, stated, “During the first quarter of 2017, we continued to execute our core strategy, maximizing the value of our long-term time charters with high-quality counterparties, maintaining high levels of vessel utilization and closely controlling costs. Our success in this regard has enabled us to continue generating strong, stable cashflows.”

Mr. Webber continued, “With high levels of scrapping and minimal vessel ordering in the year-to-date, we have seen significant improvement in spot market charter rates in the last few weeks. This trend has been particularly pronounced for the mid-sized and smaller vessel classes where we focus. While most of our vessels continue on their current charters for multiple years, we are encouraged by the improvement in the spot market, which, if sustained, will benefit those vessels that are due to become open later this year and early next. We believe that our established relationships with strong counterparties, consistent cashflows, and ongoing deleveraging of our balance sheet position Global Ship Lease to benefit from market improvement.”

Operating Revenues and Utilization

The fleet generated operating revenues from fixed-rate time charters of $39.6 million in the three months ended March 31, 2017, down $3.0 million or 7.0% on operating revenues of $42.6 million for the comparative quarter in 2016. The reduction in revenue is mainly due to 68 fewer operating days, mainly as a result of three dry-dockings in the quarter, compared to none in the prior period, and to the prior period being a leap year, together with the effect of the amendments to the charters of Marie Delmas and Kumasi, effective August 1, 2016, whereby the previous charter rate of $18,465 per day was reduced to $13,000 per day against the granting of options in our favor to extend the charters at $9,800 per day in three periods, potentially to end 2020. There were 1,620 ownership days in the quarter, down on 1,638 ownership days in the comparative quarter, due to the leap year. In the first quarter 2017, there were 50 days offhire, 47 of which were for three scheduled dry-dockings, giving an overall utilization of 96.9%. There was no offhire in the first quarter 2016, and consequently utilization was 100.0%.

Vessel Operating Expenses

Vessel operating expenses, which include costs of crew, lubricating oil, spares and insurance, were $10.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017, down 8.7% from $11.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016. The average cost per ownership day fell $535 per day, or 7.7%, from $6,961 in the three months ended March 31, 2016 to $6,426 for the three months ended March 31, 2017. The reduction is due to lower lubricating oil costs from unit price reductions and fewer steaming days, and to lower repairs and maintenance, in part due to the timing of purchases.

Depreciation

Depreciation for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $9.6 million, compared to $10.9 million in the three months ended March 31, 2016, with the reduction due to the effect of lower book values for a number of vessels following impairment write downs in 2016.

General and Administrative Costs

General and administrative costs incurred were $1.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2017, compared to $2.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2016. The reduction is mainly due to lower legal and other professional fees.

Other Operating Income

Other operating income in the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $42,000, compared to $81,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

Adjusted EBITDA

As a result of the above, Adjusted EBITDA was $28.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017, down from $29.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

Interest Expense

Debt at March 31, 2017 comprises amounts outstanding on our 10% Notes, the revolving credit facility which was drawn March 11, 2015, and the secured term loan which was drawn September 10, 2015.

Interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $11.0 million, down $2.1 million on the interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2016 of $13.1 million. The reduction is mainly due to a lower principal amount outstanding on the Notes, following the 2015 excess cashflow and sale proceeds tender offer (relating to the sales of two vessels in late 2015), which closed in March 2016, and open market purchases of Notes between April 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016, which in aggregate retired $53.9 million principal amount of the Notes. Further, the three months ended March 31, 2016 included $0.9 million aggregate charge for the premium paid in March 2016 in relation to the tender offer and accelerated write off of the portion of the original issue discount and deferred financing costs attributable to the Notes which were retired.

The tender offer for 2016 excess cashflow closed in April 2017, resulting in $19.5 million principal amount of the Notes being purchased, at a purchase price of 102% plus accrued interest, and subsequently retired.

Interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 was not material.

Taxation

Taxation for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 was not material.

Earnings Allocated to Preferred Shares

The Series B preferred shares, issued on August 20, 2014, carry a coupon of 8.75%, the cost of which for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $0.8 million.

Net Income Available to Common Shareholders and Normalized Net Income

Net income available to common shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $6.8 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, net income was $4.6 million. This year-over-year increase is mainly due to reduced interest expense, depreciation and operating costs, partially offset by lower operating revenues.

Normalized net income for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was the same as that reported.

Normalized net income for the three months ended March 31, 2016, which excludes the charges associated with the excess cash flow tender offer completed in the quarter, was $5.4 million.

Source: Global Ship Lease