ATHENS, Greece, Feb. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Capital Product Partners L.P. (the “Partnership”, “CPLP” or “we” / “us”) (NASDAQ: CPLP),
an international owner of ocean-going vessels, today released its financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023.
Operating Surplus3
and Operating Surplus after the quarterly allocation to the capital reserve for the fourth quarter of 2023
were $40.5 million and $1.5 million, respectively.
Announced common unit distribution of $0.15 for the fourth quarter of 2023.
Concluded a $500.0 million rights offering (the “Rights Offering”) and successfully closed a transaction to acquire 11 latest
generation two-stroke (MEGA) Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers (“LNG/C”) to be delivered between the fourth quarter of 2023
and the first quarter of 2027 (the “LNG/C Transaction”).
On December 21, 2023 and January 2, 2024, the Partnership took delivery of the LNG/C Amore Mio I and the LNG/C
Axios II, respectively, pursuant to the LNG/C Transaction.
Agreed to sell the 5,100 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (“TEU”) container vessel the M/V Long Beach Express.
1 Adjusted Net Income (excluding impairment of vessels) and Adjusted Net Income per common unit (excluding impairment of vessels) are non-GAAP
financial measures used to measure the financial performance of the Partnership and we believe these non-GAAP measures are useful to analysts
and investors in comparing the results of operations between periods. These non-GAAP measures are not required by accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) and should not be considered a substitute for Net income and Net Income per common unit prepared in
accordance with GAAP or as a measure of profitability.
2 Average number of vessels is measured by aggregating the number of days each vessel was part of our fleet during the period and dividing such
aggregate number by the number of calendar days in the period.
3 Operating surplus is a non-GAAP financial measure used by certain investors to measure the financial performance of the Partnership and other
limited partnerships. Please refer to Appendix A at the end of the press release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure with net income.
Overview of Fourth Quarter 2023 Results
Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, was $12.7 million, compared with net income of $21.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2022.
Taking into account the interest attributable to the general partner and the allocation of net income to unvested units, net income per common unit for
the quarter ended December 31, 2023, was $0.48, or $0.61 per common unit, if we exclude impairment of vessels in that quarter, compared to net
income per common unit of $1.03 for the fourth quarter of 2022.
Total revenue for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, was $95.5 million, compared to $79.9 million during the fourth quarter of 2022. The increase
in revenue was primarily attributable to the revenue contributed by the newbuilding vessels acquired by the Partnership, namely the M/V Manzanillo
Express acquired on October 12, 2022, the M/V Itajai Express acquired on January 10, 2023, the LNG/C Asterix I acquired on February 17, 2023, the
M/V Buenaventura Express acquired on June 20, 2023 and the LNG/C Amore Mio I acquired on December 21, 2023, partly offset by the sale of the
M/V Cape Agamemnon on November 7, 2023.
Total expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, were $55.1 million, compared to $42.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. Total vessel
operating expenses during the fourth quarter of 2023 amounted to $20.6 million, compared to $17.3 million during the fourth quarter of 2022. The
increase in vessel operating expenses was mainly due to the net increase in the average number of vessels in our fleet. Total expenses for the fourth
quarter of 2023 also include a non-cash impairment charge of $3.5 million in total that we recognized in connection with the sale of the M/V Cape
Agamemnon and the M/V Long Beach Express, and vessel depreciation and amortization of $22.2 million, compared to $17.0 million in the fourth
quarter of 2022. The increase in depreciation and amortization during the fourth quarter of 2023 was mainly attributable to the net increase in the
average size of our fleet. General and administrative expenses for the fourth quarter of 2023 increased to $5.7 million, compared to $4.0 million in the
fourth quarter of 2022, mainly due to the costs incurred in connection with the LNG/C Transaction.
Total other expense, net for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, was $27.7 million compared to $16.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2022. Total
other expense, net includes interest expense and finance cost of $27.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to $18.4 million for the fourth
quarter of 2022. The increase in interest expense and finance cost was mainly attributable to the increase in the Partnership’s average indebtedness
and the increase in the weighted average interest rate compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.
Capitalization of the Partnership
As of December 31, 2023, total cash amounted to $204.1 million. Total cash includes restricted cash of $11.7 million, which represents the minimum
liquidity requirement under our financing arrangements.
As of December 31, 2023, total partners’ capital amounted to $1,174.9 million, an increase of $536.5 million compared to $638.4 million as of
December 31, 2022. The increase reflects net income for the year ended December 31, 2023, other comprehensive income of $3.2 million relating to
the net effect of the cross-currency swap agreement we designated as an accounting hedge, the amortization associated with the equity incentive plan
of $3.8 million and the net result from the issuance of common units in connection with the Rights Offering of $498.7 million, partly offset by
distributions declared and paid during the period in a total amount of $12.2 million and the cost of repurchasing our common units under our Unit
Repurchase Program for an aggregate amount of $4.1 million.
As of December 31, 2023, the Partnership’s total debt was $1,787.8 million before financing fees, reflecting an increase of $488.6 million compared to
$1,299.2 million as of December 31, 2022. The increase is attributable to the assumption of $196.3 million of indebtedness in connection with the
acquisition of the LNG/C Amore Mio I in December 2023, the drawdown of $392.0 million of new debt in relation to the acquisition of the newbuilding
vessels acquired by the Partnership during the first half of 2023 and a $10.0 million increase in the U.S. Dollar equivalent of the euro-denominated
bonds issued by CPLP Shipping Holdings Plc in July 2022 and October 2021 as of December 31, 2023, partly offset by the scheduled principal
payments for the period of $86.4 million and the early repayment in full of the facility we entered into with CMB Financial Leasing Co., Ltd in 2021 to
partly finance the acquisition of the three Panamax container vessels the M/V Long Beach Express, the M/V Seattle Express and the M/V Fos Express
of a total amount of $23.4 million.
Operating Surplus
Operating surplus for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, amounted to $40.5 million, compared to $41.7 million for the previous quarter ended
September 30, 2023, and $37.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2022. We allocated $39.0 million to the capital reserve, an increase of
$4.5 million compared to the previous quarter due to the net increase in the rate of amortization of our debt. Operating surplus for the quarter ended
December 31, 2023, after the quarterly allocation to the capital reserve, was $1.5 million. Operating surplus is a non-GAAP financial measure used by
certain investors to measure the financial performance of the Partnership and other limited partnerships. Please refer to Appendix A at the end of the
press release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure with net income.