SunCoke Energy(US:SXC)2026-02-17 17:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The consolidated adjusted EBITDA for Q4 2025 was $56.7 million, down $9.4 million compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower coke sales volumes and market conditions [9][10] - Full year adjusted EBITDA for 2025 was $219.2 million, a decrease of $53.6 million from the previous year, driven by changes in contract and spot coke sales and lower economics on the Granite City contract extension [9][10] - The net loss attributable to SunCoke for Q4 2025 was $1 per share, down from $1.28 in Q4 2024, influenced by one-time items totaling $0.85 per share [8][9] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The domestic coke business delivered full-year adjusted EBITDA of $170 million, down $64.7 million from the prior year, impacted by contract and spot coke sales mix and the Algoma breach [10][11] - The industrial services segment, including Phoenix Global, reported full-year adjusted EBITDA of $62.3 million, an increase of $11.9 million year-over-year, primarily due to the addition of Phoenix Global [11] - Corporate and other expenses increased by $800,000 year-over-year to $13.1 million, reflecting costs from legacy operations [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The domestic coke segment is expected to deliver adjusted EBITDA between $162 million and $168 million in 2026, with sales of approximately 3.4 million tons [17][19] - Industrial services adjusted EBITDA is projected to be between $90 million and $100 million in 2026, reflecting expectations for improved market conditions [20][22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to utilize free cash flow to support capital allocation priorities, including paying down revolver balance and maintaining dividends [24][25] - SunCoke aims to continue integrating Phoenix Global and assess new growth opportunities across its business [25] - The company has extended key contracts, including the Granite City and Haverhill Two contracts, to ensure stable revenue streams [6][19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management anticipates a meaningful recovery in 2026, supported by an optimized coke fleet and improved market conditions [16][24] - The company expects to generate positive free cash flow in 2026, with gross leverage targeted around 2.45x, below the long-term target of 3x [16][24] - Management highlighted the impact of recent weather conditions and operational challenges, including a turbine failure, on first-quarter results [47][48] Other Important Information - The company returned approximately $41 million to shareholders via dividends in 2025 and plans to continue this practice in 2026 [6][24] - The integration of Phoenix Global is progressing well, with expected synergies contributing to future earnings [33][20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Status of litigation with Algoma regarding contract breach - Management confirmed ongoing arbitration with Algoma, expecting to recover losses from the breach, which could amount to up to $70 million [30][31] Question: Expected EBITDA contribution from Phoenix Global - Management affirmed the anticipated annual EBITDA contribution of approximately $60 million from Phoenix Global, along with expected synergies of $5 million to $10 million [33] Question: Future of Haverhill One facility - Management indicated that Haverhill One could be restarted but would require significant capital investment and is currently not economically viable [42][43] Question: Impact of Middletown turbine failure and weather on operations - Management noted that the turbine failure and severe weather have resulted in an estimated $10 million impact on first-quarter results [48][49] Question: Drivers of expected improvement in industrial segment handling volumes - Management attributed the expected improvement to a full year of the new KRT contract and modest recovery across both KRT and CMT [52]