Phillips 66 (PSX)

[Enterprising Investor]

Phillips 66 Reports Fourth-Quarter Earnings of $650 Million or $1.20 Per Share (1/29/16)

Adjusted earnings of $710 million or $1.31 per share

Highlights

Fourth Quarter

• Generated $1.5 billion in cash from operations

• Refining achieved 94 percent utilization and record 85 percent clean product yield

• Sweeny Fractionator One and Clemens Caverns commenced operations

Full-Year 2015

• Earnings of $4.2 billion; operating cash flow of $5.7 billion

• Refining generated $2.6 billion of earnings

• Chemicals delivered $962 million in earnings amid declining commodity prices

• Received $1.5 billion from Phillips 66 Partners debt and equity offerings

• Capital spending of $4.3 billion, excluding $1.5 billion DCP Midstream contribution

• Midstream growth capital of $2.8 billion

• Increased quarterly dividend 12 percent to $0.56 per common share

• Returned $2.7 billion of capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX), an energy manufacturing and logistics company, announces fourth-quarter earnings of $650 million, compared with earnings of $1,578 million in the third quarter of 2015. Adjusted earnings, excluding special items of $60 million, were $710 million.

“We operated well in the quarter, as refining capacity utilization remained high and clean product yield increased," said Greg Garland, Chairman and CEO. "We also reached a significant milestone with the Sweeny Fractionator One and Clemens Caverns coming online. Solid execution in the fourth quarter generated $1.5 billion of cash from operations, and we returned over $700 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases."

"Our financial performance in 2015 demonstrates the resiliency of our diversified portfolio in a low commodity price environment. We create value by focusing on operating excellence, enhancing Refining returns, and delivering on our Midstream and Chemicals growth programs. Our balance sheet is strong, and we maintain a disciplined approach to capital allocation. We remain firmly focused on these core priorities in 2016."

Midstream

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Phillips 66's Midstream fourth-quarter adjusted earnings were $42 million, a decrease of $49 million from the third quarter.

Phillips 66’s Transportation business generated adjusted earnings of $78 million during the fourth quarter, consistent with the third quarter.

NGL adjusted losses were $2 million for the fourth quarter. The $34 million decrease from the prior quarter was largely driven by the timing of adjustments related to the tax extenders bill, signed in December, as well as additional costs associated with the Sweeny Hub.

Phillips 66 Partners (PSXP) contributed $37 million to the Midstream segment's fourth-quarter earnings. PSXP's limited partner distribution increased to $0.458 per unit, a 7 percent increase from the third quarter. Distributions to Phillips 66 from PSXP increased 14 percent in the fourth quarter, compared with the prior quarter, reflecting the impact of incentive distribution rights.

For the fourth quarter of 2015, the company’s equity investment in DCP Midstream, LLC (DCP Midstream) had an adjusted loss of $34 million, compared with an $18 million adjusted loss in the prior quarter. DCP Midstream's lower results were primarily due to lower natural gas and natural gas liquids marketing margins, as well as the impact of lower commodity prices.

During the fourth quarter, DCP Midstream recognized asset impairments primarily as a result of the continuing low commodity price environment. The impairments negatively impacted earnings from Phillips 66’s equity investment in DCP Midstream by $104 million after-tax, and were excluded from adjusted earnings.

Chemicals

The Chemicals segment reflects Phillips 66's equity investment in Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC (CPChem). Fourth-quarter Chemicals adjusted earnings were $182 million, compared with adjusted earnings of $272 million in the third quarter.

During the fourth quarter, CPChem's Olefins and Polyolefins business contributed $181 million to Phillips 66's Chemicals earnings. This was a decrease of $80 million compared with the prior quarter largely due to reduced margins, as well as decreased equity earnings. Turnaround and maintenance activity in the fourth quarter increased operating costs and decreased global utilization for O&P to 92 percent compared with 94 percent in the third quarter.

CPChem's Specialties, Aromatics and Styrenics business contributed $9 million of adjusted earnings in the fourth quarter, a decrease of $8 million from the prior quarter primarily due to lower earnings at CPChem's SA&S equity affiliates as a result of planned turnarounds and lower margins.

Chemicals earnings for the fourth quarter were positively impacted by a $34 million tax adjustment. This item was excluded from adjusted earnings.

Refining

Refining adjusted earnings were $376 million in the fourth quarter, compared with $1,052 million in the third quarter.

The decrease in earnings was largely driven by lower realized margins due to a 35 percent decline in global market cracks compared to the third quarter. Fourth-quarter gasoline market cracks dropped to $12.72 per barrel, compared with $21.44 per barrel during the third quarter, while distillate cracks declined from $15.67 per barrel to $12.86 per barrel for the same period.

Market capture increased to 74 percent, compared with 72 percent in the prior quarter. Phillips 66's refining utilization and worldwide clean product yield were 94 percent and 85 percent, respectively, in the fourth quarter. Turnaround costs for the fourth quarter were $130 million pre-tax, primarily relating to the Western/Pacific Region.

Refining's earnings in the fourth quarter were impacted by certain tax impacts, including a $91 million benefit resulting from a change in German tax law. Additionally, the WRB joint venture recognized a lower-of-cost-or-market inventory adjustment resulting from declining commodity prices, which negatively impacted earnings from Phillips 66’s equity investment in WRB Refining LP by $33 million after-tax. These items were excluded from adjusted earnings.

Marketing and Specialties

Marketing and Specialties (M&S) fourth-quarter adjusted earnings were $227 million, compared with $344 million in the third quarter.

Adjusted earnings for Marketing and Other were $198 million, a decrease of $93 million from the prior quarter. The decrease in earnings was largely due to lower realized margins driven by less favorable market conditions relative to the third quarter. Refined product exports in the fourth quarter were 127,000 barrels per day (BPD), compared with 118,000 BPD in the prior quarter.

Phillips 66’s Specialties businesses generated adjusted earnings of $29 million during the fourth quarter. The $24 million decrease from the prior quarter was mainly due to reduced base oil margins, as well as lower finished lubricants margins and volumes.

Corporate and Other

Corporate and Other adjusted costs were $117 million after-tax in the fourth quarter, an increase of $5 million compared with the prior quarter.

Financial Position, Liquidity and Return of Capital

During the fourth quarter, Phillips 66 generated $1.5 billion of cash from operations. Operating cash flow excluding working capital changes was $1.8 billion. Capital expenditures and investments totaled $2.5 billion, supporting execution of the company's Midstream growth strategy, as well as the DCP Midstream recapitalization. The recapitalization, which included the company's $1.5 billion contribution to DCP Midstream, provides DCP Midstream with a stronger balance sheet and increased financial flexibility through the commodity cycle.

Phillips 66 returned $704 million to shareholders during the quarter, consisting of $298 million in dividends and the repurchase of 4.7 million shares of common stock for $406 million. For the year, the company repurchased 19.3 million shares of common stock for $1.5 billion, paid $1.2 billion in dividends, and increased the quarterly dividend by 12 percent. Since July 2012, the company has repurchased 92.5 million shares for $6.4 billion. Phillips 66 ended the quarter with 529 million shares outstanding.

As of Dec. 31, 2015, cash and cash equivalents were $3.1 billion and debt was $8.9 billion, including $1.1 billion at Phillips 66 Partners. The company's consolidated debt-to-capital ratio was 27 percent. Excluding Phillips 66 Partners, the debt-to-capital ratio was 25 percent. Additionally, Phillips 66 reported a 2015 return on capital employed (ROCE) of 14 percent.

Strategic Update

The company continues to execute on its plan to grow the Midstream and Chemicals businesses, while maintaining commitments to shareholder distributions, financial flexibility and a strong balance sheet. Midstream growth is fueled in part by robust operating cash flows generated by the company’s Refining and M&S operations. In addition, PSXP provides a cost-efficient vehicle to fund that growth and invest in fee-based infrastructure, as demonstrated by the $1.5 billion raised by PSXP in debt and equity offerings in the first quarter of 2015.

The company continued development of the Sweeny Hub with the 100,000 BPD Sweeny Fractionator One and Clemens Caverns projects, which came online in the fourth quarter. Construction of the 150,000 BPD Freeport LPG Export Terminal is on schedule and on budget with startup expected in the second half of 2016.

The company is participating in joint ventures to develop the approximately 470,000 BPD Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline (ETCOP) system. Phillips 66 has a 25 percent interest in these joint ventures with Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics Partners. Commercial operations are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2016.

In the fourth quarter of 2015, Phillips 66 Partners acquired Phillips 66's interest in the Bayou Bridge Pipeline joint venture. The joint venture was created to develop a pipeline from the Phillips 66 and Sunoco Logistics terminals in Nederland, Texas, to St. James, Louisiana. Construction is underway on the first segment of the pipeline, which will deliver crude oil from Nederland to Lake Charles, Louisiana. Commercial operations on this segment are expected to begin by the end of first-quarter 2016.

In Chemicals, overall progress on CPChem's world-scale U.S. Gulf Coast Petrochemicals Project is now approaching 70 percent completion, with startup expected in mid-2017. This project consists of an ethane cracker and related polyethylene facilities that will increase CPChem's U.S. ethylene and polyethylene capacity by more than 40 percent.

Later today, members of Phillips 66 executive management will host a webcast at noon EST to discuss the company’s fourth-quarter performance and provide an update on strategic initiatives. To access the webcast and view related presentation materials, go to www.phillips66.com/investors and click on "Events & Presentations." For detailed supplemental information, go to www.phillips66.com/supplemental.

About Phillips 66

Phillips 66 is a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics company. With a portfolio of Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties businesses, the company processes, transports, stores and markets fuels and products globally. Phillips 66 Partners, the company's master limited partnership, is an integral asset in the portfolio. Headquartered in Houston, the company has 14,000 employees committed to safety and operating excellence. Phillips 66 had $49 billion of assets as of Dec. 31, 2015. For more information, visit www.phillips66.com or follow us on Twitter @Phillips66Co.

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