VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA—(Marketwire – July 28, 2009) – For the second quarter of 2009, Methanex (TSX:MX)(NASDAQ:MEOH)(SANTIAGO:Methanex) reported Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $24.8 million and a net loss of $5.7 million ($0.06 per share on a diluted basis). This compares with Adjusted EBITDA of $13.1 million and a net loss of $18.4 million ($0.20 per share on a diluted basis) for the first quarter of 2009.
Bruce Aitken, President and CEO of Methanex, commented, “Despite lower produced sales volumes and a slightly lower methanol sales price, we realized improved earnings in the second quarter compared to the first quarter, as our cost structure continued to decline. Natural gas costs were lower in second quarter compared to the first quarter and our cost reduction plan also had a positive impact.”
Mr. Aitken added, “Primarily as a result of strong demand in Asia, particularly in China, global methanol demand improved in the second quarter, which has supported a strengthening methanol price environment as we enter the third quarter and this should provide further upward momentum for our earnings. In July, our average non-discounted price is about $235 per tonne, up from our Q2-09 price of $211 per tonne.”
Mr. Aitken concluded, “With US$278 million of cash on hand at the end of the quarter, a strong balance sheet, no near term refinancing requirements, an undrawn credit facility, and the new low-cost Egypt project on track for start-up in the first half of next year, we are well positioned to meet our financial commitments through this period of uncertainty and continue to invest to grow the Company.”
A conference call is scheduled for July 29, 2009 at 11:00 am ET (8:00 am PT) to review these second quarter results. To access the call, dial the Telus Conferencing operator ten minutes prior to the start of the call at (416) 883-7132, or toll free at (888) 205-4499. The passcode for the call is 45654. A playback version of the conference call will be available for fourteen days at (877) 245-4531. The reservation number for the playback version is 668312. There will be a simultaneous audio-only webcast of the conference call, which can be accessed from our website at www.methanex.com. In addition, an audio recording of the conference call can be downloaded from our website for three weeks after the call.
Methanex is a Vancouver-based, publicly traded company and is the world’s largest supplier of methanol to major international markets. Methanex shares are listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada under the trading symbol “MX”, on the NASDAQ Global Market in the United States under the trading symbol “MEOH”, and on the foreign securities market of the Santiago Stock Exchange in Chile under the trading symbol “Methanex”. Methanex can be visited online at www.methanex.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION WARNING
This Second Quarter 2009 press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to us and the chemical industry. Refer to Forward-Looking Information Warning in the attached Second Quarter 2009 Management’s Discussion and Analysis for more information.
| (1) | Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure that does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and therefore is unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Refer to Additional Information – Supplemental Non-GAAP Measures in the attached Second Quarter 2009 Management’s Discussion and Analysis for a description of each supplemental non-GAAP measure and a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measure. |
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For further information, contact:
Jason Chesko
Director, Investor Relations
Methanex Corporation
604-661-2600
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