USA pression Partners(USAC) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Full-year Adjusted EBITDA reached $613.8 million and Distributable Cash Flow (DCF) was $385.7 million, both records for the company [3][12] - Fourth quarter net income was $27.8 million, operating income was $76.6 million, and net cash provided by operating activities was $139.5 million [11] - Average pricing per horsepower increased to $21.69, a 1% sequential increase and a 4% increase year-over-year [11] - The leverage ratio at the end of Q4 was 4.0 times [11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Average active horsepower increased approximately 1% to 3.579 million [11] - Total fleet horsepower at the end of Q4 was approximately 3.9 million, adding about 21,000 horsepower compared to the prior quarter [11] - Average utilization for Q4 was 94.5%, a slight increase compared to the prior quarter [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Natural gas prices averaged $3.52 per MMBTU, a 56% increase from the prior year [5] - Oil production flattened in the latter half of the year, while natural gas production increased approximately 9% year-over-year [4] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to integrate the J-W Power acquisition, expecting annual run-rate synergies of $10 million to $20 million by the end of 2027 [8][9] - Focus on increasing customer retention and extending average contract duration [9] - Plans to add approximately 105,000 new horsepower in 2026, representing a 2% increase in active horsepower [6][13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The energy macroenvironment stabilized in 2025, but development pace slowed in the Permian due to lower oil prices [4] - Management remains bullish on the long-term prospects of the Permian basin despite short-term challenges [4] - The company is optimistic about the demand from data centers and LNG, indicating a positive outlook for the gas industry [43] Other Important Information - The company refinanced its ABL and senior notes, significantly reducing weighted average borrowing costs [3][14] - Expansion capital expenditures for Q4 were $40 million, with maintenance capital expenditures at $7.8 million [12] Q&A Session Summary Question: Growth CapEx guidance breakdown - Approximately $205 million of growth capital is tied to the typical compression business, with about $150 million for new units [20] Question: Impact of balance sheet actions on distribution coverage - The normalized distribution coverage is about 1.55x, with expectations to reach 1.6+ in the coming year [26] Question: Timing of new horsepower delivery - Most new horsepower is expected to come in the back half of the year, primarily from July onward [29] Question: Evaluation of distributed power space - The company has evaluated opportunities in the distributed power business but has not yet found suitable candidates [33] Question: Expectations for remaining new horsepower - The remaining balance of new horsepower is expected to be contracted soon, focusing on tier one customers [34] Question: Long-term horsepower growth strategy impact - Lead times for new packages are challenging but will not affect 2026 growth; efforts are being made to secure growth for 2027 [36]