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Vallourec warns of lower first-half earnings as United States prices weigh

French steel tubes maker Vallourec warned of a cut to its halfyear earnings forecast on Thursday, as its North American tubemaking organization continued to be affected by lower rates, setting off a drop in its share cost.

Vallourec anticipated incomes before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of less than 470 million euros ($ 511 million) for the first half of 2024, compared to around 502 million euros it had actually targeted previously.

In the United States, a reset in market expectations has actually triggered some further incremental rates pressure, Vallourec Chairman and CEO Philippe Guillemot stated in a statement.

Shares in Vallourec fell 5.5% in early trading.

Vallourec, which provides tubing for oil and gas, low-carbon energy and commercial markets, posted a 27% year-on-year drop in first-quarter EBITDA to 235 million euros.

Second-quarter incomes were expected to reasonably decline compared to the January-March period, it included.

Inquired about an accurate full-year EBITDA projection, Guillemot stated throughout a media call this will depend on market conditions in the United States, which are indeed slow to support, however are anticipated to support in the 2nd half of the year.

I can also verify that, at these EBITDA levels, we will be in a position to continue with the group's financial obligation reduction, said Guillemot, adding that financial obligation reduction is ahead of schedule.

Net debt dropped to 485 million from 570 million at the end of 2023 and Guillemot stated this reduction made him much more favorable about the timing of the return to financiers.

Vallourec said it expects to begin returning capital to investors in 2025 at the most recent.

I will remind you that there has actually been no return to investors in the last ten years, Guillemot included.