OREANDA-NEWS. AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) today reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2016.

1st Quarter 2016 Performance Summary
• Shipments of 1,658,200 tons
• Sales of $1.52 billion with an average selling price of $914 per ton
• Net loss of $13.6 million, or $0.08 per diluted share
• Adjusted EBITDA of $81.1 million, or $49 per ton
• Liquidity of $693.4 million

AK Steel reported a net loss of $13.6 million, or $0.08 per diluted share of common stock, for the first quarter of 2016, compared to a net loss of $306.3 million, or $1.72 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2015. The net loss for the year-ago first quarter included a charge of $256.3 million, or $1.44 per diluted share, to write off the company’s investment in Magnetation LLC. The company reported a 41% increase in adjusted EBITDA (as defined in the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below) to $81.1 million, or 5.3% of net sales, for the first quarter of 2016 from adjusted EBITDA of $57.5 million, or 3.3% of net sales, for the first quarter of 2015.

“We achieved significant improvement from a year ago as we made the strategic decision to reduce our exposure to commodity spot markets, optimize our footprint and focus on higher value products,” said Roger K. Newport, AK Steel’s Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Newport continued, “As a result of these actions, our continuous emphasis on operational improvements and relentless attention to cost management, our adjusted EBITDA improved significantly compared to a year ago.”

Shipments of 1,658,200 tons in the first quarter of 2016 were 5% lower than the first quarter of 2015, reflecting the company’s strategic decision to reduce exposure to commodity products. Shipments of hot rolled carbon steel products, most of which were sold into the commodity spot market, declined 34% from a year ago. Partially offsetting this decline was a 7% increase in higher value coated products that are sold mostly to the automotive market. As a result of reduced volumes and lower average selling prices, net sales for the first quarter of 2016 declined to $1.52 billion from $1.75 billion in the first quarter of 2015.

The company’s adjusted EBITDA increased 41% to $81.1 million in the first quarter of 2016 from the first quarter of 2015, principally due to a better product mix, operational improvements, a continuous focus on reducing costs, and lower raw material and energy costs. The first quarter of 2016 included a LIFO credit of $12.3 million, compared to a LIFO credit of $17.1 million in the first quarter of 2015.

The company ended the first quarter of 2016 with total liquidity of $693.4 million. Cash flows from operating activities were $136.7 million and included a $71.6 million contribution from working capital, as the company continued to proactively manage its inventory levels. The company repaid borrowings under its credit facility by $30.0 million and increased cash and cash equivalents by $56.4 million during the first quarter of 2016.