STAMFORD, Conn., May 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Star Group, L.P. (the "Company" or "Star") (NYSE:SGU), a home energy distributor and services provider, today announced financial results for its fiscal 2024 second quarter, the three month period ended March 31, 2024. Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 Compared to the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023For the fiscal 2024 second quarter, Star reported a 9.7 percent decrease in total revenue to $666.0 million compared with $737.6 million in the prior-year period, reflecting a decline in volume sold and lower selling prices for petroleum products. The volume of home heating oil and propane sold during the fiscal 2024 second quarter decreased by 4.0 million gallons, or 3.3 percent, to 117.1 million gallons, as the additional volume provided from acquisitions and colder weather was more than offset by the impact of net customer attrition and other factors. Temperatures in Star's geographic areas of operation for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were 6.9 percent colder than the three months ended March 31, 2023 but 15.2 percent warmer than normal, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Selling prices decreased largely due to a decline in wholesale product cost of $0.3775 per gallon, or 12.5 percent. Star's net income increased by $6.3 million in the quarter, to $68.4 million, as a favorable change in the fair value of derivative instruments of $14.8 million and a $1.2 million decrease in interest expense was only partially offset by a $5.8 million reduction in Adjusted EBITDA and a $3.6 million increase in income tax expense. The Company reported second quarter Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure defined below) of $96.3 million, versus $102.2 million in fiscal 2023, as higher home heating oil and propane per-gallon margins were more than offset by a 4.0 million gallon decrease in the volume of home heating oil and propane sold and a $6.4 million reduction in the Company's weather hedge benefit compared to the prior year. "Temperatures in the second quarter were 15.2 percent warmer than normal throughout Star's footprint. While slightly colder than the same period last year, it was unfortunately not enough to drive higher delivery volumes. However, we were able to mute the impact on adjusted EBITDA, even with a lower weather hedge benefit and some ongoing inflationary pressures, by improving per gallon margins and employing solid expense control," said Jeff Woosnam, Star Group's President and Chief Executive Officer. "As previously noted, we closed on two strategic acquisitions in February on Long Island, and we were able to keep net customer attrition at modest levels during the quarter. We believe we are well prepared for the months ahead and the opportunities summer brings to further invest in our people and business development activity." Six Months Ended March 31, 2024 Compared to the Six Months Ended March 31, 2023For the six months ended March 31, 2024, Star reported a 13.8 percent decrease in total revenue to $1.2 billion compared with $1.4 billion in the prior-year period, reflecting a decrease in total volume sold and a decline in selling prices in response to lower wholesale product costs. The volume of home heating oil and propane sold during the first six months of fiscal 2024 decreased by 13.0 million gallons, or 6.2 percent, to 197.3 million gallons as the additional volume provided from acquisitions was more than offset by slightly warmer temperatures, net customer attrition and other factors. Temperatures in Star's geographic areas of operation fiscal year-to-date were 0.2 percent warmer than during the prior-year period and 14.7 percent warmer than normal, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Star's net income increased by $5.8 million for the first six months of fiscal 2024, to $81.4 million, primarily due to a favorable change in the fair value of derivative instruments of $13.4 million and a $2.1 million decrease in interest expense, partially offset by a $5.9 million reduction in Adjusted EBITDA, a $3.3 million higher income tax provision, and a $0.7 million increase in depreciation and amortization expense.  Year-to-date Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $5.9 million, to $145.4 million, compared to the prior-year period as an increase in home heating oil and propane per-gallon margins and an increase in service and installation profitability was more than offset by the 13.0 million gallon decrease in home heating oil and propane volumes and a $5.0 million reduction in the Company's weather hedge benefit. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP Financial Measures)EBITDA (Earnings from continuing operations before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) and Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings from continuing operations before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, (increase) decrease in the fair value of derivatives, other income (loss), net, multiemployer pension plan withdrawal charge, gain or loss on debt redemption, goodwill impairment, and other non-cash and non-operating charges) are non-GAAP financial measures that are used as supplemental financial measures by management and external users of the Company's financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks and research analysts, to assess Star's position with regard to the following: compliance with certain financial covenants included in our debt agreements; financial performance without regard to financing methods, capital structure, income taxes or historical cost basis; operating performance and return on invested capital compared to those of other companies in the retail distribution of refined petroleum products, without regard to financing methods and capital structure; ability to generate cash sufficient to pay interest on our indebtedness and to make distributions to our partners; and the viability of acquisitions and capital expenditure projects and the overall rates of return of alternative investment opportunities. The method of calculating Adjusted EBITDA may not be consistent with that of other companies, and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA both have limitations as analytical tools and so should not be viewed in isolation but in conjunction with measurements that are computed in accordance with GAAP. Some of the limitations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are as follows: EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect cash used for capital expenditures; although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated or amortized often will have to be replaced and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash requirements for such replacements; EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital; EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash necessary to make payments of interest or principal on indebtedness; and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash required to pay taxes. REMINDER:Members of Star's management team will host a webcast and conference call at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, May 2, 2024. The webcast will be accessible on the company's website, at www.stargrouplp.com, and the telephone number for the conference call is 888-346-3470 (or 412-317-5169 for international callers). About Star Group, L.P.Star Group, L.P. is a full service provider specializing in the sale of home heating products and services to residential and commercial customers to heat their homes and buildings. The Company also sells and services heating and air conditioning equipment to its home heating oil and propane customers and, to a lesser extent, provides these offerings to customers outside of its home heating oil and propane customer base. Star also sells diesel, gasoline and home heating oil on a delivery only basis. We believe Star is the nation's largest retail distributor of home heating oil based upon sales volume. Including its propane locations, Star serves customers in the more northern and eastern states within the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. regions. Additional information is available by obtaining the Company's SEC filings at www.sec.gov and by visiting Star's website at www.stargrouplp.com, where unit holders may request a hard copy of Star's complete audited financial statements free of charge. Forward Looking InformationThis news release includes "forward-looking statements" which represent the Company's expectations or beliefs concerning future events that involve risks and uncertainties, including the impact of geopolitical events on wholesale product cost volatility, the price and supply of the products that we sell, our ability to purchase sufficient quantities of product to meet our customer's needs, rapid increases in levels of inflation, the consumption patterns of our customers, our ability to obtain satisfactory gross profit margins, the effect of weather conditions on our financial performance, our ability to obtain new customers and retain existing customers, our ability to make strategic acquisitions, the impact of litigation, natural gas conversions and electrification of heating systems, pandemic and future global health pandemics, recessionary economic conditions, future union relations and the outcome of current and future union negotiations, the impact of current and future governmental regulations, including climate change, environmental, health, and safety regulations, the ability to attract and retain employees, customer credit worthiness, counterparty credit worthiness, marketing plans, cyber-attacks, global supply chain issues, labor shortages and new technology, including alternative methods for heating and cooling residences. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Report including, without limitation, the statements under "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and elsewhere herein, are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "seek," "estimate," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" and "Business Strategy" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "Form 10-K") for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations ("Cautionary Statements") are disclosed in this news release and in the Company's Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Cautionary Statements. Unless otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this news release. (financials follow)   STAR GROUP, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS       March 31,   September 30, (in thousands)     2024       2023   ASSETS   (unaudited)     Current assets         Cash and cash equivalents   $ 12,063     $ 45,191   Receivables, net of allowance of $8,896 and $8,375, respectively     198,280       114,079   Inventories     63,293       56,463   Fair asset value of derivative instruments     222       10,660   Weather hedge contract receivable     7,498       —   Prepaid expenses and other current assets     28,574       28,308   Total current assets     309,930       254,701   Property and equipment, net     106,141       105,404   Operating lease right-of-use assets     87,834       90,643   Goodwill     268,360       262,103   Intangibles, net     81,359       76,306   Restricted cash     250       250   Captive insurance collateral     72,811       70,717   Deferred charges and other assets, net     13,067       15,354   Total assets   $ 939,752     $ 875,478   LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS' CAPITAL         Current liabilities         Accounts payable   $ 37,597     $ 35,609   Revolving credit facility borrowings     29,239       240   Fair liability value of derivative instruments     2,189       118   Current maturities of long-term debt     16,500       20,500   Current portion of operating lease liabilities     18,030       18,085   Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     147,796       115,606   Unearned service contract revenue     72,900       63,215   Customer credit balances     51,276       111,508   Total current liabilities     375,527       364,881   Long-term debt     119,189       127,327   Long-term operating lease liabilities     74,615       77,600   Deferred tax liabilities, net     23,207       25,771   Other long-term liabilities     16,079