OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A. M. Castle & Co. (NYSE: CAS) ("the Company"), a global distributor of specialty metal and plastic products, value-added services and supply chain solutions, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2014.

Consolidated net sales were $231.5 million for fourth quarter 2014 compared to $233.2 million in fourth quarter 2013 and $245.5 million in third quarter 2014. The Company reported a fourth quarter 2014 net loss of $39.1 million, or a net loss of $1.67 per diluted share. Fourth quarter 2013 net loss was $12.6 million, or a net loss of $0.54 per diluted share, and third quarter 2014 net loss was $7.3 million, or a net loss of $0.31 per diluted share. Adjusted non-GAAP net loss for fourth quarter 2014 was $38.5 million compared to adjusted non-GAAP net loss of $13.5 million in fourth quarter 2013. The Company reported a fourth quarter 2014 EBITDA loss of $14.3 million, compared to EBITDA of $0.3 million in fourth quarter 2013. Fourth quarter 2014 adjusted EBITDA loss was $13.7 million compared to adjusted EBITDA of $0.4 million in fourth quarter 2013. Fourth quarter 2014 results were negatively impacted by $8.2 million of provisions for inventory reserves and $2.9 million of other expense related to foreign currency transaction losses. Fourth quarter 2013 results included $1.6 million of provisions for inventory reserves and $0.5 million of foreign currency transaction losses.

"2014 was a year of significant change for the Company. We continued our restructuring and cost improvement efforts which included consolidation of certain facilities and strategic de-layering through headcount reductions. In light of the currently challenging market conditions, especially in the Oil and Gas sector, we have engaged Conway MacKenzie to expand and accelerate these efforts. Mr. A. Jeffrey Zappone of Conway MacKenzie has been appointed interim Chief Operating Officer of the Company. Jeff is a Certified Turnaround Professional with extensive experience in improving cash flow and profitability," said Scott Dolan, CEO of A. M. Castle.

Net sales from the Metals segment during fourth quarter 2014 were $197.8 million, which was 1.3% lower than fourth quarter 2013 and 6.1% lower than the third quarter 2014. Average selling price per ton sold was down 1.2% from both fourth quarter 2013 and third quarter 2014. Tons sold were up 3.2% compared to fourth quarter 2013 and down 3.5% compared to third quarter 2014.

In the Plastics segment, fourth quarter 2014 net sales were $33.6 million which was 2.7% higher than fourth quarter 2013 and 3.3% lower than third quarter 2014. The automotive, marine, life science and home goods markets drove solid performance in our Plastics segment in fourth quarter 2014.

Gross margins were 21.4% in fourth quarter 2014 compared to 26.4% in fourth quarter 2013 and 24.9% in third quarter 2014. Gross margins included LIFO income of $0.3 million in fourth quarter 2014 compared to LIFO income of $3.9 million in fourth quarter 2013 and a $0.4 million LIFO charge in third quarter 2014. The fourth quarter 2014 included an increase in inventory reserves as certain aged inventory was determined to be excess or obsolete. The fourth quarter 2014 increase in the inventory reserves had a 3.5% negative impact on gross margins.

Excluding restructuring activity expense of $0.5 million, operating expenses were $68.8 million in fourth quarter 2014 compared to $69.3 million in fourth quarter 2013 and $66.0 million in third quarter 2014 excluding $0.3 million of restructuring activity expense and $5.1 million of net gains from restructuring activity, respectively.

Full year 2014 consolidated net sales were $979.8 million compared to $1,053.1 million in 2013. The Company reported a net loss of $134.7 million in 2014, or a loss of $5.77 per diluted share, which included a $56.2 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge. Net loss in 2013 was $34.0 million, or $1.46 per diluted share. Adjusted non-GAAP net loss for 2014 was $86.4 million compared to adjusted non-GAAP net loss of $28.1 million in 2013. The Company reported a 2014 EBITDA loss of $69.5 million, which included a $56.2 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge, compared to EBITDA of $15.6 million in 2013. Adjusted EBITDA loss for 2014 was $17.5 million compared to adjusted EBITDA of $26.2 million in 2013. Full year 2014 results were negatively impacted by $8.7 million of provisions for inventory reserves and $4.3 million of other expense related to foreign currency transaction losses compared to $2.8 million of inventory reserve provisions and $1.9 million of foreign currency transaction losses in 2013. Foreign currency transaction losses included $3.5 million of non-cash charges in 2014 and $1.5 million of non-cash charges in 2013.

Net cash used in operations was $75.1 million during 2014 as $26.9 million of cash was used for additional investments in inventory, compared to net cash from operations of $74.4 million during 2013. The Company had $59.2 million of borrowings under its revolving credit facility at December 31, 2014 and $41.2 million of additional unrestricted borrowing capacity available under the terms of the revolving credit facility. There were no borrowings under the revolving credit facility at December 31, 2013. The Company's net debt-to-capital ratio was 65.5% at December 31, 2014 compared to 38.7% at December 31, 2013. Total debt outstanding, net of unamortized discount, was $310.1 million at December 31, 2014 and $246.0 million at December 31, 2013. Refer to the 'Total Debt' table below for details related to the Company's outstanding debt obligations.

Dolan concluded, "We enter 2015 with a renewed focus on our turnaround efforts and look forward to improving our operating performance this year."

Webcast Information

Management will hold a conference call at 11:00 a.m. ET today to review the Company's results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2014 and discuss business conditions and outlook. The call can be accessed via the internet live or as a replay. Those who would like to listen to the call may access the webcast through a link on the investor relations page of the Company's website at http://www.amcastle.com/investors/default.aspx or by calling (800) 774-6070 or (630) 691-2753 and citing code 7608 998#. A supplemental presentation accompanying the webcast can also be accessed at the link provided at the investor relations page of the Company's website.

An archived version of the conference call webcast will be available for replay at the link above approximately three hours following its conclusion, and will remain available until the next earnings conference call.

About A. M. Castle & Co.

Founded in 1890, A. M. Castle & Co. is a global distributor of specialty metal and plastic products and supply chain services, principally serving the producer durable equipment, oil and gas, commercial aircraft, heavy equipment, industrial goods, construction equipment, retail, marine and automotive sectors of the global economy. Its customer base includes many Fortune 500 companies as well as thousands of medium and smaller-sized firms spread across a variety of industries. Within its metals business, it specializes in the distribution of alloy and stainless steels; nickel alloys; aluminum and carbon. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Total Plastics, Inc., the Company also distributes a broad range of value-added industrial plastics. Together, Castle and its affiliated companies operate out of 47 service centers located throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CAS".

Conway MacKenzie

Conway MacKenzie is a leading consulting and advisory firm that provides custom solutions to businesses in virtually every industry. They proactively work with clients to identify issues, develop solutions, and implement industry-specific action plans to achieve the optimal results for clients. Their professionals work collaboratively, bringing to bear insights gleaned from years of experience working in various industries as executives and owners, as well as in the consulting world. Their mandate is simple and direct: improve results and restore value to the company and its stakeholders.

Regulation G Disclosure

This release and the financial statements included in this release include non-GAAP financial measures. The non-GAAP financial information should be considered supplemental to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. However, we believe that non-GAAP reporting, giving effect to the adjustments shown in the reconciliation contained in this release and in the attached financial statements, provides meaningful information and therefore we use it to supplement our GAAP reporting and guidance. Management often uses this information to assess and measure the performance of our business. We have chosen to provide this supplemental information to investors, analysts and other interested parties to enable them to perform additional analyses of operating results, to illustrate the results of operations giving effect to the non-GAAP adjustments shown in the reconciliations and to assist with period-over-period comparisons of such operations. The exclusion of the charges indicated herein from the non-GAAP financial measures presented does not indicate an expectation by the Company that similar charges will not be incurred in subsequent periods.

In addition, the Company believes that the use and presentation of EBITDA, which is defined by the Company as income before provision for income taxes plus depreciation and amortization, and interest expense, less interest income, is widely used by the investment community for evaluation purposes and provides investors, analysts and other interested parties with additional information in analyzing the Company's operating results. Adjusted non-GAAP net income and adjusted EBITDA, which are defined as reported net income and EBITDA adjusted for non-cash items and items which are not considered by management to be indicative of the underlying results, are presented as the Company believes the information is important to provide investors, analysts and other interested parties additional information about the Company's financial performance. Management uses EBITDA, adjusted non-GAAP net income and adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the performance of the business.

Cautionary Statement on Risks Associated with Forward Looking Statements

Information provided and statements contained in this release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"), Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Exchange Act"), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements only speak as of the date of this release and the Company assumes no obligation to update the information included in this release. Such forward-looking statements include information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business strategy. These statements often include words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "predict," "plan," "should," or similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of performance or results, and they involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there are many factors that could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including those risk factors identified in Item 1A "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013. All future written and oral forward-looking statements by us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to above. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we do not have any obligations or intention to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances in the future, to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or for any other reason.

For Further Information:

- At ALPHA IR -
Analyst Contact:
Chris Hodges
(312) 445-2870
Email: CAS@alpha-ir.com



    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED
     STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS                              For the Three Months Ended                                       For the Year Ended

    (Dollars in thousands, except per
     share data)

    Unaudited                                                     December 31,                                                 December 31,
                                                                  ------------                                                 ------------

                                                       2014                                 2013                                  2014                                   2013
                                                       ----                                 ----                                  ----                                   ----

    Net sales                                                  $231,466                                          $233,229                                           $979,837                                          $1,053,066

    Costs, expenses and (gains):

    Cost of materials
     (exclusive of
     depreciation and
     amortization)                                  181,930                              171,558                               746,443                                779,208

    Warehouse, processing and
     delivery expense                                33,991                               34,722                               140,559                                140,934

    Sales, general, and
     administrative expense                          28,185                               27,977                               112,465                                113,405

    Restructuring activity,
     net                                                541                                  300                               (2,960)                                 9,003

    Depreciation and
     amortization expense                             6,655                                6,584                                26,044                                 26,188

    Impairment of goodwill                                -                                   -                               56,160                                      -
                                                        ---                                 ---                               ------                                    ---

    Operating loss                                 (19,836)                             (7,912)                             (98,874)                              (15,672)

    Interest expense, net                          (10,560)                            (10,087)                             (40,548)                              (40,542)

    Loss on extinguishment of
     debt                                                 -                             (2,606)                                    -                               (2,606)

    Other expense, net                              (2,896)                               (536)                              (4,323)                               (1,924)
                                                     ------                                 ----                                ------                                 ------

    Loss before income taxes
     and equity in earnings of
     joint venture                                 (33,292)                            (21,141)                            (143,745)                               (60,744)

    Income taxes                                    (7,565)                               6,340                                 1,353                                 19,795
                                                     ------                                -----                                 -----                                 ------

    Loss before equity in
     earnings of joint venture                     (40,857)                            (14,801)                            (142,392)                               (40,949)

    Equity in earnings of
     joint venture                                    1,777                                2,171                                 7,691                                  6,987
                                                      -----                                -----                                 -----                                  -----

    Net loss                                                  $(39,080)                                        $(12,630)                                        $(134,701)                                          $(33,962)
                                                               ========                                          ========                                          =========                                            ========

    Basic loss per share                                        $(1.67)                                          $(0.54)                                           $(5.77)                                            $(1.46)
                                                                 ======                                            ======                                             ======                                              ======

    Diluted loss per share                                      $(1.67)                                          $(0.54)                                           $(5.77)                                            $(1.46)
                                                                 ======                                            ======                                             ======                                              ======

    EBITDA (a)                                                $(14,300)                                             $307                                          $(69,462)                                            $15,579
                                                               ========                                              ====                                           ========                                             =======

    (a) Earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, and depreciation and amortization. See reconciliation to net loss below.



    Reconciliation of EBITDA
     and of adjusted EBITDA to
     net loss:                                           For the Three Months Ended                                  For the Year Ended
    --------------------------


    (Dollars in thousands)                                December 31,                                              December 31,
                                                          ------------                                              ------------

    Unaudited                                          2014                                 2013                                  2014                                   2013
                                                       ----                                 ----                                  ----                                   ----

    Net loss                                                  $(39,080)                                        $(12,630)                                        $(134,701)                                          $(33,962)

    Depreciation and
     amortization expense                             6,655                                6,584                                26,044                                 26,188

    Interest expense, net                            10,560                               10,087                                40,548                                 40,542

    Loss on extinguishment of
     debt                                                 -                               2,606                                     -                                 2,606

    Income taxes                                      7,565                              (6,340)                              (1,353)                              (19,795)
                                                      -----                               ------                                ------                                -------

    EBITDA                                         (14,300)                                 307                              (69,462)                                15,579

    Non-GAAP net loss
     adjustments (b)                                    619                                   92                                51,944                                 10,597
                                                        ---                                  ---                                ------                                 ------

    Adjusted EBITDA                                           $(13,681)                                             $399                                          $(17,518)                                            $26,176
                                                               ========                                              ====                                           ========                                             =======

    (b) Non-GAAP net loss adjustments relate to restructuring activity and unrealized (gains) losses for commodity hedges for all periods presented and impairment of goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2014. Refer to 'Reconciliation
     of Adjusted Non-GAAP Net Loss to Reported Net Loss' table for additional details on these amounts.



    CONDENSED
     CONSOLIDATED
     BALANCE
     SHEETS                          As of
                                     -----

    (In
     thousands,
     except par
     value data)    December 31,           December 31,

    Unaudited               2014                    2013
                            ----                    ----

    ASSETS

    Current
     assets

    Cash and
     cash
     equivalents                   $8,454                            $30,829

    Accounts
     receivable,
     less
     allowances
     of $3,375
     and $3,463          131,003                            128,544

    Inventories,
     principally
     on last-in
     first-out
     basis
     (replacement
     cost higher
     by $129,779
     and
     $130,854)           236,932                            214,900

    Prepaid
     expenses
     and other
     current
     assets                9,458                              9,927

    Deferred
     income
     taxes                   685                              3,242

    Income tax
     receivable            2,886                              3,249

     Total
      current
      assets             389,418                            390,691

    Investment
     in joint
     venture              37,443                             41,879

    Goodwill              12,973                             69,289

    Intangible
     assets, net          56,555                             69,489

    Prepaid
     pension
     cost                  7,092                             16,515

    Other assets          11,660                             15,265

    Property,
     plant and
     equipment

    Land                   4,466                              4,917

    Buildings             52,821                             53,252

    Machinery
     and
     equipment           183,923                            179,632
                         -------                            -------

    Property,
     plant and
     equipment,
     at cost             241,210                            237,801

    Less -
     accumulated
     depreciation      (168,375)                         (161,107)

    Property,
     plant and
     equipment,
     net                  72,835                             76,694
                          ------                             ------

    Total assets                 $587,976                           $679,822
                                 ========                           ========

    LIABILITIES
     AND
     STOCKHOLDERS'
     EQUITY

    Current
     liabilities

    Accounts
     payable                      $68,782                            $69,577

    Accrued
     payroll and
     employee
     benefits              9,332                              9,853

    Accrued and
     other
     liabilities          18,338                             20,154

    Income taxes
     payable                 328                              1,360

    Current
     portion of
     long-term
     debt                    737                                397

     Total
      current
      liabilities         97,517                            101,341

    Long-term
     debt, less
     current
     portion             309,377                            245,599

    Deferred
     income
     taxes                 8,360                             10,733

    Other non-
     current
     liabilities           3,655                              5,646

    Pension and
     postretirement
     benefit
     obligations          18,747                              6,609

    Commitments
     and
     contingencies

     Stockholders'
     equity

    Preferred
     stock,          $0.00 par   31, 2013
     $0.01 par       value
     value-          shares); no
     9,988           shares
     shares          issued and
     authorized      outstanding
     (including      at December
     400 Series      31, 2014
     B Junior        and
     Preferred                 -                                 -

    Common
     stock,          outstanding
     $0.01 par       at December
     value-          31, 2014
     60,000          and 23,471
     shares          shares
     authorized      issued and
     and 23,630      23,409
     shares          outstanding
     issued and      at December
     23,559                  236                                234

    Additional
     paid-in
     capital             225,953                            223,893

    (Accumulated
     deficit)
     retained
     earnings           (29,424)                           105,277

    Accumulated
     other
     comprehensive
     loss               (45,565)                          (18,743)

    Treasury
     stock, at
     cost-71
     shares at
     December
     31, 2014
     and 62
     shares at
     December
     31, 2013              (880)                             (767)
                            ----                               ----

    Total
     stockholders'
     equity              150,320                            309,894
                         -------                            -------

    Total
     liabilities
     and
     stockholders'
     equity                      $587,976                           $679,822
                                 ========                           ========



    CONSOLIDATED
     STATEMENTS OF
     CASH FLOWS                  For the Year Ended

    (Dollars in
     thousands)                     December 31,
                                    ------------

    Unaudited              2014                           2013
                           ----                           ----

    Operating
     activities:

    Net loss                    $(134,701)                     $(33,962)

    Adjustments to
     reconcile net
     loss to net cash
     (used in) from
     operating
     activities:

    Depreciation and
     amortization        26,044                         26,188

    Amortization of
     deferred gain        (261)                       (1,214)

    Amortization of
     deferred
     financing costs
     and debt
     discount             8,064                          7,914

    Impairment of
     goodwill            56,160                              -

    (Gain) loss on
     sale of
     property, plant
     and equipment      (5,603)                            42

    Unrealized
     (gains) losses
     on commodity
     hedges             (1,256)                           358

    Unrealized
     foreign currency
     transaction
     losses               3,540                              -

    Equity in
     earnings of
     joint venture      (7,691)                       (6,987)

    Dividends from
     joint venture       12,127                          3,963

    Deferred tax
     expense
     (benefit)              184                       (24,089)

    Share-based
     compensation
     expense              1,972                          3,062

    Excess tax
     benefits from
     share-based
     payment
     arrangements          (76)                         (420)

    Increase
     (decrease) from
     changes in:

    Accounts
     receivable         (5,785)                         9,279

    Inventories        (26,941)                        87,316

    Prepaid expenses
     and other
     current assets        (60)                         1,402

    Other assets          1,686                          1,470

    Prepaid pension
     costs                  387                          3,953

    Accounts payable      2,630                          (434)

    Accrued payroll
     and employee
     benefits             (230)                       (1,892)

    Income taxes
     payable and
     receivable           (772)                         4,388

    Accrued
     liabilities        (3,493)                       (2,854)

    Postretirement
     benefit
     obligations and
     other
     liabilities        (1,002)                       (3,098)
                         ------                         ------

    Net cash (used
     in) from
     operating
     activities        (75,077)                        74,385

    Investing
     activities:

    Capital
     expenditures      (12,351)                      (11,604)

    Proceeds from
     sale of
     property, plant
     and equipment        7,464                            794
                          -----                            ---

    Net cash used in
     investing
     activities         (4,887)                      (10,810)

    Financing
     activities:

    Short-term debt
     repayments               -                         (496)

    Proceeds from
     long-term debt     462,404                        115,300

    Repayments of
     long-term debt   (403,811)                     (170,345)

    Payment of debt
     issue costs          (627)                             -

    Exercise of stock
     options                158                          1,216

    Excess tax
     benefits from
     share-based
     payment
     arrangements            76                            420
                            ---                            ---

    Net cash from
     (used in)
     financing
     activities          58,200                       (53,905)

    Effect of
     exchange rate
     changes on cash
     and cash
     equivalents          (611)                         (448)

    Net change in
     cash and cash
     equivalents       (22,375)                         9,222
                        -------                          -----

    Cash and cash
     equivalents-
     beginning of
     year                30,829                         21,607

    Cash and cash
     equivalents-end
     of year                        $8,454                        $30,829
                                    ======                        =======



    Reconciliation of
     Adjusted Non-GAAP Net
     Loss to Reported Net
     Loss:                                              For the Three Months Ended                                       For the Year Ended
    ----------------------

    (Dollars in thousands, except
     per share data)

    Unaudited                                                  December 31,                                                 December 31,
                                                             ------------                                            ------------

                                                    2014                                 2013                                  2014                                   2013
                                                    ----                                 ----                                  ----                                   ----

    Net loss, as reported                                  $(39,080)                                        $(12,630)                                        $(134,701)                                        $(33,962)

    Restructuring activity
     (a)                                             541                                  300                               (2,960)                                10,239

    Impairment of goodwill                             -                                   -                               56,160                                      -

    Unrealized (gains)
     losses on commodity
     hedges                                           78                                (208)                              (1,256)                                   358

    Tax effect of
     adjustments                                       -                               (937)                              (3,677)                               (4,709)
                                                     ---                                                                   ------

    Adjusted non-GAAP net
     loss                                                  $(38,461)                                        $(13,475)                                         $(86,434)                                        $(28,074)
                                                            ========                                          ========                                           ========                                          ========

    Adjusted non-GAAP
     basic loss per share                                    $(1.64)                                          $(0.58)                                           $(3.70)                                          $(1.21)
                                                              ======                                            ======                                             ======                                            ======

    Adjusted non-GAAP
     diluted loss per share                                  $(1.64)                                          $(0.58)                                           $(3.70)                                          $(1.21)
                                                              ======                                            ======                                             ======                                            ======

    (a) Restructuring activity includes costs associated with the write-off of inventory included in cost of materials within the condensed consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2013 and costs (gains)
     recorded to the restructuring activity line item within the condensed consolidated statements of operations for all periods presented.



    Total Debt:                                               As of
    -----------

    (Dollars in thousands)                   December 31,           December 31,

    Unaudited                                        2014                             2013
                                                     ----                             ----

    LONG-TERM DEBT

    12.75% Senior Secured Notes due December
     15, 2016                                             $210,000                         $210,000

    7.0% Convertible Notes due December 15,
     2017                                          57,500                           57,500

    Revolving Credit Facility due December
     10, 2019                                      59,200                                -

    Other, primarily capital leases                 1,257                              998
                                                    -----                              ---

     Total long-term debt                         327,957                          268,498

    Less:  unamortized discount                  (17,843)                        (22,502)

    Less:  current portion                          (737)                           (397)
                                                     ----                             ----

    Total long-term portion                       309,377                          245,599

    TOTAL DEBT                                            $310,114                         $245,996
                                                          ========                         ========



    Reconciliation
     of Total Debt
     to Net Debt
     and Net Debt-
     to-Capital:                     As of
    --------------

    (Dollars in
     thousands)    December 31,            December 31,

    Unaudited              2014                              2013
                           ----                              ----

    Total Debt                  $310,114                          $245,996

    Less: Cash and
     Cash
     Equivalents        (8,454)                         (30,829)

    NET DEBT                    $301,660                          $215,167
                                ========                          ========


    Stockholders'
     Equity                     $150,320                          $309,894

    Total Debt          310,114                           245,996

    CAPITAL                     $460,434                          $555,890
                                ========                          ========


    NET DEBT-TO-
     CAPITAL              65.5%                            38.7%
                           ====                              ====

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SOURCE A. M. Castle & Co.