ICL Reports Record Third Quarter 2022 Results

Company continues to grow specialties impact by building on existing momentum and targeting long-term leadership opportunities

ICL (NYSE: ICL) (TASE: ICL), a leading global specialty minerals company, today reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022. Consolidated sales of $2,519 million were up 41% year-over-year versus $1,790 million. Operating income of $935 million was up 191% versus $321 million, while adjusted operating income of $928 million was up 195% versus $315 million. Net income of $633 million was up 181%, while adjusted net income of $628 million was up 192%. Adjusted EBITDA of $1,049 million was up 139% versus $438 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin of 41.6% was up versus 24.5%. Earnings per share of $0.49 were up 188% versus $0.17.

Once again, ICL’s focus on long-term specialties solutions benefitted the company, as did additional upside from commodity prices, which began to ease following record-setting rates in the first half of the year.

“ICL delivered another quarter of record results, with record third quarter and year-to-date sales, operating income, EBITDA, operating cash flow and net profit, as well as a new production record at our Dead Sea site and year-to-date records for free cash flow and EPS. All three of our specialties businesses delivered record third quarter results, even with shifts in demand and continued global supply chain challenges,” said Raviv Zoller, president and CEO of ICL. “Our third quarter results reinforce our recent investor day message, which stressed our commitment to growing our leadership position across our differentiated businesses, as these represent significant long-term opportunities for ICL to deliver sustainable shareholder value.”

ICL expects to be at the upper end of its previously issued guidance range, which called for full year adjusted EBITDA of between $3,800 million to $4,000 million, with between $1,500 million to $1,600 million of this amount estimated to come from the company’s specialties focused businesses. (1a)

(1) Adjusted net income attributed to shareholders is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please refer to the adjustments table and the disclaimer below. (2) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Commencing in 2022, the company’s adjusted EBITDA definition was updated, see consolidated EBITDA table and disclaimer below.

Industrial Products

Third quarter 2022

• Record sales of $437 million were up $50 million or 13%.
• Record operating income of $154 million was up $49 million or 47%.
• Record EBITDA of $170 million was up $49 million or 40%.
• Maintained pricing, even as end-markets remained mixed and as raw materials prices remained elevated.

Highlights

• Elemental bromine: Sales were in-line with the third quarter of 2021, on lower volumes and with moderating bromine prices.
• Bromine-based flame retardants: Sales were slightly higher year-over-year, as pricing remained intact, however, electronics end-market demand remained soft.
• Phosphorus-based flame retardants: Sales were lower year-over-year, due to reduced construction activity and as Chinese supply remained in the market, however, pricing was preserved.
• Clear brine fluids: Sales increased year-over-year on higher prices, as the oil and gas industry maintained its positive momentum.
• Specialty minerals: Continued strong demand, with higher sales of magnesium chloride and potassium chloride for use in industrial applications.

Potash

Third quarter 2022

• Sales of $854 million were up $454 million or 114%.
• Operating income of $496 million was up $412 million – a significant increase.
• EBITDA of $537 million was up $416 million, also a significant increase.
• Grain Price Index increased year-over-year, with corn up 28.5%, rice up 23.5%, soybeans up 6.1% and wheat up 37.6%.
• Average potash realized price per ton of $652 was up 106% year-over-year, as prices remained elevated, due to continued uncertainty in global fertilizer markets.

Highlights

• ICL Dead Sea
  
  - Production increased year-over-year, as the site set new production records and continued to benefit from operational improvements and efficiencies.
• ICL Iberia
  
  - Production improvements continued to advance at the Cabanasses mine, with performance improvement measures on-track.
• Metal Magnesium
  
  - Higher prices contributed to record quarterly sales and profit.

Phosphate Solutions

Third quarter 2022

• Record sales of $766 million were up $167 million or 28%.
  
  - Phosphate specialties: Record sales of $455 million, up $110 million or 32%.
  
  - Phosphate commodities: Record sales of $311 million, up $57 million or 22%.
• Record operating income of $193 million was up $105 million or 119%.
• Record EBITDA of $239 million was up $98 million or 70%.
  
  - Phosphate specialties: Record EBITDA of $111 million, up $60 million or 118%.
  
  - Phosphate commodities: Record EBITDA of $128 million, up $38 million or 42%.
• The global phosphates market remained imbalanced, with demand outstripping supply in most regions and continued raw material and logistical challenges.
• Demand continued to grow for the specialty raw materials used for energy storage solutions.

Highlights

• Phosphate salts: Sales increased, with higher prices and strong demand for food across all regions, while industrial applications remained resilient in the U.S.
• White phosphoric acid: Sales benefitted from continued higher prices in the Americas, which helped offset increases in raw material costs and some softness in Europe.
• Dairy protein: Sales increased significantly year-over-year, driven by strong demand for specialty milk powders.
• Phosphate fertilizers: Sales were in-line with the prior year, as Russian exports impacted market prices.

Growing Solutions

Third quarter 2022

• Record sales of $629 million were up $125 million or 25%.
• Record operating income of $112 million was up $60 million or 115%.
• Record EBITDA of $127 million was up $60 million or 90%.
• Higher prices for premium products drove year-over-year improvement, while prices for raw materials and other cost inputs remained elevated.

Highlights

• Specialty fertilizers: Higher sales were driven by higher prices across most regions.
• Turf and ornamental: Results slightly ahead of the prior year, as both turf and landscape and ornamental horticulture markets were positive.
• Brazil: Sales increased year-over-year, due to specialties focus product range and related premium pricing, as region entered peak season.
• Polysulphate: Sales continued to improve on higher prices and volumes and as production increased nearly 10% year-over-year.

Financial Items

Financing Expenses

Net financing expenses for the third quarter of 2022 were $24 million, down versus $34 million in the corresponding quarter of last year.

Tax Expenses

Tax expenses in the third quarter of 2022 were $276 million, reflecting an effective tax rate of 30%, compared to $45 million in the corresponding quarter of last year, reflecting an effective tax rate of 16%. The relatively high tax rate for this quarter is the result of tax expenses related to the surplus profit levy, partially offset by the favorable impact of the devaluation of the Israeli shekel against the U.S. dollar.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

ICL has long-term credit facilities of $1,100 million, of which $325 million were utilized as of September 30, 2022.

Outstanding Net Debt

As of September 30, 2022, ICL’s net financial liabilities amounted to $2,181 million, a decrease of $268 million compared to December 31, 2021.

Dividend Distribution

In connection with ICL’s third quarter 2022 results, the Board of Directors declared a dividend of 24.35 cents per share, or approximately $314 million, up versus 8.37 cents per share, or approximately $107 million, in the third quarter of last year. The dividend will be payable on December 14, 2022, to shareholders of record as of November 30, 2022.

About ICL

ICL Group Ltd. is a leading global specialty minerals company, which creates impactful solutions for humanity's sustainability challenges in the food, agriculture and industrial markets. ICL leverages its unique bromine, potash and phosphate resources, its global professional workforce, and its sustainability focused R&D and technological innovation capabilities, to drive the company's growth across its end markets. ICL shares are dual listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NYSE and TASE: ICL). The company employs more than 12,500 people worldwide, and its 2021 revenues totaled approximately $7 billion.

For more information, visit ICL's website at www.icl-group.com.

To access ICL's interactive Corporate Social Responsibility report, please click here.

You can also learn more about ICL on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Guidance

(1a) The company only provides guidance on a non-GAAP basis. The company does not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) to GAAP net income (loss), due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliation, in particular because special items such as restructuring, litigation and other matters, used to calculate projected net income (loss) vary dramatically based on actual events, the company is not able to forecast on a GAAP basis with reasonable certainty all deductions needed in order to provide a GAAP calculation of projected net income (loss) at this time. The amount of these deductions may be material and, therefore, could result in projected GAAP net income (loss) being materially less than projected adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP). The guidance speaks only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect actual outcomes, unless required by law. Specialties focused businesses are represented by the Industrial Products and Growing Solutions segments and the specialties part of the Phosphate Solutions segment. We present EBITDA from the phosphate specialties part of the Phosphate Solutions segment, as we believe this information is useful to investors in reflecting the specialty portion of our business.

Non-GAAP Statement

The company discloses in this quarterly announcement non-IFRS financial measures titled adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA. The management uses adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period. The company calculates adjusted operating income by adjusting operating income to add certain items, as set forth in the reconciliation table under "adjustments to reported operating and net income (non-GAAP)", in the appendix below. Certain of these items may recur. The company calculates adjusted net income attributable to the company’s shareholders by adjusting net income attributable to the company’s shareholders to add certain items, as set forth in the reconciliation table under "adjustments to reported operating and net income (non-GAAP)", in the appendix below, excluding the total tax impact of such adjustments. The company calculates diluted adjusted earnings per share by dividing adjusted net income by the weighted-average number of diluted ordinary shares outstanding. The company calculates adjusted EBITDA as net income before financing expenses, net, taxes on income, share in earnings of equity-accounted investees, depreciation and amortization and adjust items presented in the reconciliation table under "consolidated adjusted EBITDA and diluted adjusted earnings per share for the periods of activity" in the appendix below, which were adjusted for in calculating the adjusted operating income. Commencing with the year 2022, the company’s adjusted EBITDA calculation is no longer adding back minority and equity income, net. While minority and equity income, net reflects the share of an equity investor in one of the company’s owned operations, since adjusted EBITDA measures the company’s performance as a whole, its operations and its ability to satisfy cash needs before profit is allocated to the equity investor, management believes that adjusted EBITDA before deduction of such item is more reflective.

You should not view adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share or adjusted EBITDA as a substitute for operating income or net income attributable to the company’s shareholders determined in accordance with IFRS, and you should note that the definitions of adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA may differ from those used by other companies. Additionally, other companies may use other measures to evaluate their performance, which may reduce the usefulness of ICL’s non-IFRS financial measures as tools for comparison. However, the company believes adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain items management believes are not indicative of ongoing operations. Management uses these non-IFRS measures to evaluate the company's business strategies and management's performance. The company believes these non‑IFRS measures provide useful information to investors because they improve the comparability of financial results between periods and provide for greater transparency of key measures used to evaluate performance.

The company presents a discussion in the period-to-period comparisons of the primary drivers of changes in the results of operations. This discussion is based in part on management’s best estimates of the impact of the main trends on its businesses. The company has based the following discussion on its financial statements. You should read such discussion together with the financial statements.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement contains statements that constitute forward‑looking statements, many of which can be identified by the use of forward‑looking words such as anticipate, believe, could, expect, should, plan, intend, estimate, strive, forecast, target, and potential, among others.

Forward‑looking statements appear in a number of places in this announcement and include, but are not limited to, our 2022 adjusted EBITDA guidance, statements regarding our intent, belief or current expectations. Forward‑looking statements are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and the actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward‑looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to:

Changes in exchange rates or prices compared to those we are currently experiencing; loss or impairment of business licenses or mineral extractions permits or concessions; volatility of supply and demand and the impact of competition; the difference between actual reserves and our reserve estimates; natural disasters; global unrest and conflict; failure to harvest salt, which could lead to accumulation at the bottom of evaporation Pond 5 in the Dead Sea; construction of a new pumping station; disruptions at our seaport shipping facilities or regulatory restrictions affecting our ability to export our products overseas; general market, political or economic conditions in the countries in which we operate; price increases or shortages with respect to our principal raw materials; delays in the completion of major projects by third party contractors and/or termination of engagements with contractors and/or governmental obligations; the inflow of significant amounts of water into the Dead Sea could adversely affect production at our plants; labor disputes, slowdowns and strikes involving our employees; pension and health insurance liabilities; the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted, and may continue to impact our sales, operating results and business operations by disrupting our ability to purchase raw materials, by negatively impacting the demand and pricing for some of our products, by disrupting our ability to sell and/or distribute products, impacting customers' ability to pay us for past or future purchases and/or temporarily closing our facilities or the facilities of our suppliers or customers and their contract manufacturers, or restricting our ability to travel to support our sites or our customers around the world; changes to governmental incentive programs or tax benefits, creation of new fiscal or tax related legislation; changes in our evaluations and estimates, which serve as a basis for the recognition and manner of measurement of assets and liabilities; higher tax liabilities; failure to integrate or realize expected benefits from mergers and acquisitions, organizational restructuring and joint ventures; currency rate fluctuations; rising interest rates; government examinations or investigations; disruption of our, or our service providers', information technology systems or breaches of our, or our service providers', data security; failure to retain and/or recruit key personnel; inability to realize expected benefits from our cost reduction program according to the expected timetable; inability to access capital markets on favorable terms; cyclicality of our businesses; changes in demand for our fertilizer products due to a decline in agricultural product prices, lack of available credit, weather conditions, government policies or other factors beyond our control; sales of our magnesium products being affected by various factors that are not within our control; our ability to secure approvals and permits from the authorities in Israel to continue our phosphate mining operations in Rotem; volatility or crises in the financial markets; uncertainties surrounding the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union; hazards inherent to mining and chemical manufacturing; the failure to ensure the safety of our workers and processes; cost of compliance with environmental, regulatory, legislative, and licensing restrictions; laws and regulations related to, and physical impacts of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions; litigation, arbitration and regulatory proceedings; exposure to third party and product liability claims; product recalls or other liability claims as a result of food safety and food-borne illness concerns; insufficiency of insurance coverage; closing of transactions, mergers and acquisitions; war or acts of terror and/or political, economic and military instability in Israel and its region; filing of class actions and derivative actions against the Company, its executives and Board members; the company is exposed to risks relating to its current and future activity in emerging markets; and other risk factors discussed under Item 3 - Key Information - D. Risk Factors in the company's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 23, 2022 (the Annual Report).

Forward‑looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the company does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information or future developments or to release publicly any revisions to these statements in order to reflect later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

This announcement for the third quarter of 2022 (herein after the quarterly announcement) should be read in conjunction with the annual report, including the description of the events occurring subsequent to the date of the statement of financial position, as filed with the SEC.

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