Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation, an owner and operator of tanker vessels, reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021.
Angeliki Frangou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Navios Acquisition stated, “I am pleased with our results for the first quarter of 2021, another hard quarter since the start of the pandemic. During the first quarter of 2021, Navios Acquisition reported $72.5 million of revenue and $29.1 million of Adjusted EBITDA. While the current market remains difficult, prospects are positive. The IMF projects 2021 global GDP to grow by a virtually unprecedented 6%, and we have experienced modest recovery in the product tanker sector.”
HIGHLIGHTS - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Fleet development
During the second quarter of 2021, Navios Acquisition completed the sale of all container vessels acquired in 2020 as part of the liquidation of Navios Europe II. During the first quarter of 2021, Navios Acquisition sold the Allegro N and the Solstice N for an aggregate net sale price of $24.6 million. During the second quarter of 2021, Navios Acquisition sold the Acrux N, the Vita N, the Ete N, the Fleur N and the Spectrum N for an aggregate net sale price of $73.5 million.
Navios Acquisition entered into agreements to sell two VLCC vessels, to unaffiliated third parties, for an aggregate net sale price of $48.0 million. The Nave Celeste, a 2003-built VLCC vessel of 298,717 dwt, was delivered to her new owners in March 2021. The Nave Neutrino, a 2003-built VLCC vessel of 298,287 dwt, is expected to be delivered to her new owners in June 2021.
Two newbuilding VLCC vessels, the Baghdad of 313,433 dwt and the Erbil of 313,486 dwt under bareboat lease contracts, were delivered in October 2020 and February 2021, respectively, from a Japanese shipyard.
Two additional newbuilding VLCC vessels of about 310,000 dwt each, are expected to be delivered in each of the third quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022.
8.125% Ship Mortgage Notes maturity
Our Ship Mortgage Notes mature on November 15, 2021. Although we are currently attempting to refinance the outstanding amount of our Ship Mortgage Notes and have also engaged in discussions with the holders of our Ship Mortgage Notes, there can be no assurance we will be successful in such attempts or that any such potential refinancing, sales or other action, will be consummated on terms satisfactory to us or at all.
Fleet employment
As of May 19, 2021, Navios Acquisition’s core fleet consisted of a total of 45 vessels (excluding the Nave Neutrino), of which 12 are VLCCs (including two bareboat chartered-in VLCCs expected to be delivered in each of the third quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022), 31 are product tankers and two are chemical tankers.
Currently, Navios Acquisition has contracted 76.8% of its available days of its core fleet on a charter-out basis for the remaining nine month period of 2021. The average base contractual net daily charter-out rate for the 67.1% of available days that are contracted on base rate and on base rate with profit sharing arrangements is expected to be $18,017.
Three month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020
Revenue for the three month period ended March 31, 2021 decreased by $25.4 million, or 25.9%, to $72.5 million, as compared to $97.9 million for the same period of 2020. The decrease was mainly attributable to a decrease in market rates during the three month period ended March 31, 2021 as compared to the same period of 2020; partially mitigated by an increase in revenue by $9.5 million due to the acquisition of seven containerships from Navios Europe II in June 2020 and the delivery of two bareboat charter-in vessels, one in each of October 2020 and February 2021. Available days of the fleet increased to 4,493 days for the three month period ended March 31, 2021, as compared to 3,755 days for the three month period ended March 31, 2020, mainly due to the reasons mentioned above. The time charter equivalent rate, or TCE Rate per day, decreased to $14,854 for the three month period ended March 31, 2021, from $24,442 for the three month period ended March 31, 2020.
Time charter and voyage expenses for the three month period ended March 31, 2021 decreased by $0.3 million, or 4.9%, to $5.8 million, as compared to $6.1 million for the same period of 2020. The decrease was mainly attributable to a: (i) $2.4 million decrease in bunkers and voyage expenses related to the spot voyages incurred in the period; (ii) $0.5 decrease in port expenses; and (iii) $0.3 million decrease in brokers’ commission costs; partially mitigated by a $2.9 million increase in charter-in expenses.
Net loss was $9.7 million for the three month period ended March 31, 2021 as compared to $0.9 million net income for the same period of 2020. Net loss was affected by the items described in the table above. Excluding these items, Adjusted net loss for the three month period ended March 31, 2021 was $9.7 million as compared to $14.9 million Adjusted net income for the same period of 2020. The decrease in Adjusted net income was mainly attributable to a: (i) $27.1 million decrease in Adjusted EBITDA; and (ii) $1.0 million increase in direct vessel expenses (in relation to amortization of dry dock and special survey cost); partially mitigated by a $3.5 million decrease in interest expense and finance cost (excluding write off of deferred finance costs).
EBITDA for the three month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 was affected by items described in the table above. Excluding these items, Adjusted EBITDA for the three month period ended March 31, 2021 decreased by $27.1 million to $29.1 million, as compared to $56.2 million for the same period of 2020. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA was mainly due to a: (i) $25.4 million decrease in revenue; (ii) $2.7 million increase in vessel operating expenses primarily due to the increase in the size of our fleet as discussed above; and (iii) $1.2 million increase in general and administrative expenses (excluding stock-based compensation) mainly due to the increase in the size of our fleet as discussed above; partially mitigated by a: (i) $1.7 million decrease in other expenses, net; (ii) $0.3 million decrease in time charter and voyage expenses; and (iii) $0.2 million decrease in direct vessel expenses (other than amortization of dry dock and special survey cost).
