from Loop Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOOP)
Loop Industries Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2024 Results And Provides Updates On Business Developments
- Loop will participate in and present the Infinite Loop™ technology at groundbreaking ceremony for the Ulsan Advanced Recycling Cluster ("Ulsan ARC") on November 9 th, 2023
- Loop Management to hold update call at 8:30 AM ET ON OCTOBER 16, 2023
MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / October 16, 2023 / Loop Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOOP) (the "Company" or "Loop"), a clean technology company whose mission is to accelerate a circular plastics economy by manufacturing 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate ("PET") plastic and polyester fiber, today reported its consolidated financial results for the second quarter for fiscal year 2024 and provided an update on current developments in the business.
Commercialization Update
Loop and its strategic partner, SK Geo Centric ("SKGC"), announced on April 27th, 2023 that they have signed a joint venture agreement to build Infinite Loop™ facilities in the Asian market. The two companies plan to build four Infinite Loop™ manufacturing facilities throughout Asia by 2030. The first planned facility in Asia will be part of SKGC's Ulsan ARC in South Korea.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Ulsan ARC is scheduled to take place on Thursday November 9th, 2023. Daniel Solomita, Loop's Founder and CEO, will present the Infinite Loop™ technology at the ceremony. Event attendees include top executives of the SK group, senior central and local government officials, customers, media, environmental institutions, and academic experts. Construction of the Infinite Loop™ Ulsan facility is anticipated to commence by the end of 2023 and reach completion by the end of 2025.
Loop is in advanced discussions with strategic and government partners to secure its equity contribution for the Ulsan facility.
Loop Industries, together with SUEZ and SKGC, announced on February 16th, 2023 that Saint-Avold in the Grand Est region of France has been selected as the site for their planned joint venture commercial manufacturing facility in Europe. The three companies have engaged the Commission Nationale du Débat Public (CNDP) to organize a preliminary local consultation required under the French Environmental Code, which is taking place from September 11 to November 7, 2023. During this period, the public can obtain information, submit comments and questions, and discuss the project. A consultation website has been set up at www.concertation-projet-parkes.fr which provides access to all information relating to the project and the consultation process, and includes a participatory section where members of the public can submit their opinions or questions on the project.
Operating Efficiencies and Liquidity Update
As Loop transitions from its demonstration facility, which has established its ability to scale up and commercialize its technology, the Company has continued to significantly reduce ongoing operating expenses. With the new streamlining measures in place, the Company expects to spend $1.0-1.2 million per month for the balance of the current fiscal year for its Terrebonne and head office operations. This projection excludes amounts which Loop currently expects to be recoverable from the Ulsan Joint Venture company.
Loop has previously incurred significant costs for the planned Infinite Loop™ facility in Ulsan, including long-lead equipment, engineering, and development costs. Loop currently expects to recover approximately $16 million from the joint venture with SKGC as reimbursement for these expenditures when construction begins on the Ulsan project.
The Company has $13.4 million of cash on hand at August 31, 2023. Based on the amount of cash on hand and the $16 million expected to be recovered, Loop believes that it is in a favourable liquidity position to fund its ongoing operations for approximately three years, not including the new growth capital currently being raised to fund the Ulsan project.
CEO Comment
Daniel Solomita, Founder and CEO of Loop Industries, commented on the recent updates, saying: "The groundbreaking ceremony of the Ulsan ARC paves the way for the planned construction of the Infinite Loop™ Ulsan facility and the commercialization of Loop's technology. We are currently engaged in advanced discussions to secure the required funding for the Infinite Loop™ Ulsan facility and we are excited to continue to collaborate with our valued strategic partners as we now transition to the next stage of Loop's strategic development."
Corporate Update Call
Senior Management of Loop will host a corporate update call, followed by a question-and-answer session, which can be accessed via the dial-in numbers below. Slides supporting Senior Management's remarks will be available via the Investors section of Loop's website at http://loopindustries.com/en/investors/overview.
Date: Monday, October 16, 2023
Time: 8:30 am Eastern Time
Participant joining details (by Telephone):
Joining by Telephone:
United States (Local): +1 646 904 5544
United States (Toll-Free): +1 833 470 1428
Access Code: 304631
OR
Registration Link: https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=242a4375&confId=56780
- Avoid wait time - Bypass speaking with an operator to join the call
- Receive a Calendar Invitation with call access details including your unique PIN
Q2 2024 Financial Results
Three Months Ended August 31, 2023
The following table summarizes our operating results for the three-month periods ended August 31, 2023 and 2022, in thousands of U.S. Dollars.
| Three months ended August 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | ||||||||||
Revenue from contracts with customers | $ | 54 | $ | 135 | $ | (81) | ||||||
Expenses | ||||||||||||
Research and development | ||||||||||||
Employee compensation | 1,218 | 1,749 | (531) | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 155 | 319 | (164) | |||||||||
Machinery and equipment expenditures | - | 1,184 | (1,184) | |||||||||
External engineering | 141 | 611 | (470) | |||||||||
Plant and laboratory operating expenses | 447 | 584 | (137) | |||||||||
Tax credits | (22) | (839) | 817 | |||||||||
Other | 99 | 143 | (44) | |||||||||
Total research and development | 2,038 | 3,751 | (1,713) | |||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||||||
Employee compensation | 647 | 722 | (75) | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 233 | 310 | (77) | |||||||||
Professional fees | 912 | 1,476 | (564) | |||||||||
Insurance | 709 | 1,071 | (362) | |||||||||
Other | 342 | 432 | (90) | |||||||||
Total general and administrative | 2,843 | 4,011 | (1,168) | |||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 136 | 138 | (2) | |||||||||
Interest and other financial expenses | 44 | 43 | 1 | |||||||||
Interest income | (219) | (10) | (209) | |||||||||
Foreign exchange gain | (38) | (93) | 55 | |||||||||
Total expenses | 4,804 | 7,840 | (3,036) | |||||||||
Net loss | $ | (4,750) | $ | (7,705) | ) | $ | 2,955 | |||||
Revenues
Revenues for the three-month period ended August 31, 2023 decreased $81 to $54, as compared to $135 for the same period in 2022. The revenues resulted from the delivery of initial volumes to customers of Loop™ PET resin produced using monomers manufactured at the Terrebonne Facility.
Research and Development
Research and development expense for the three-month period ended August 31, 2023 decreased $1,713 to $2,038, as compared to $3,751 for the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $1,184 decrease in purchases of machinery and equipment for the Terrebonne Facility, a $531 decrease in employee compensation expenses, and a $470 decrease in external engineering costs for design work for our Infinite Loop™ manufacturing process, partially offset by a decrease in tax credits accounted for as a reduction of R&D expenses of $817.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses for the three-month period ended August 31, 2023 decreased $1,168 to $2,843, as compared to $4,011 for the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $564 decrease in professional fees, and a $362 decrease in insurance costs.
Net Loss
The net loss for the three-month period ended August 31, 2023 decreased $2,955 to $4,750, as compared to $7,705 for the same period in 2022. The decrease is primarily due to the $1,713 decrease in research and development expenses, and the decrease in general and administrative expenses of $1,168.
Six Months Ended August 31, 2023
The following table summarizes our operating results for the six-month periods ended August 31, 2023 and 2022, in thousands of U.S. Dollars.
| Six months ended August 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | ||||||||||
Revenue from contracts with customers | $ | 81 | $ | 135 | $ | (54) | ||||||
Expenses | ||||||||||||
Research and development | ||||||||||||
Employee compensation | 2,504 | 3,639 | (1,135) | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 315 | 716 | (401) | |||||||||
Machinery and equipment expenditures | 1,236 | 3,073 | (1,837) | |||||||||
External engineering | 1,297 | 2,206 | (909) | |||||||||
Plant and laboratory operating expenses | 916 | 1,450 | (534) | |||||||||
Tax credits | (47) | (908) | 861 | |||||||||
Other | 307 | 376 | (69) | |||||||||
Total research and development | 6,528 | 10,552 | (4,024) | |||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||||||
Employee compensation | 1,285 | 1,438 | (153) | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 428 | 8,379 | (7,951) | |||||||||
Professional fees | 1,531 | 2,275 | (744) | |||||||||
Insurance | 1,412 | 2,173 | (761) | |||||||||
Other | 652 | 782 | (130) | |||||||||
Total general and administrative | 5,308 | 15,047 | (9,739) | |||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 268 | 277 | (9) | |||||||||
Interest and other financial expenses | 98 | 84 | 14 | |||||||||
Interest income | (318) | (23) | (295) | |||||||||
Foreign exchange gain | (52) | (91) | 39 | |||||||||
Total expenses | 11,832 | 25,846 | (14,014) | |||||||||
Net loss | $ | (11,751) | $ | (25,711) | $ | 13,960 | ||||||
Revenues
Revenues for the six-month period ended August 31, 2023 decreased $54 to $81, as compared to $135 for the same period in 2022. The revenues resulted from the delivery of initial volumes to customers of Loop™ PET resin produced using monomers manufactured at the Terrebonne Facility.
Research and Development
Research and development expense for the six-month period ended August 31, 2023 decreased $4,024 to $6,528, as compared to $10,552 for the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $1,837 decrease in purchases of machinery and equipment for the Terrebonne Facility, a $1,536 decrease in employee compensation expenses, including stock-based compensation, a $909 decrease in external engineering costs for design work for our Infinite Loop™ manufacturing process, and a $534 decrease in plant and laboratory expenses to operate our Terrebonne Facility, partially offset by a decrease in tax credits accounted for as a reduction of R&D expenses of $861.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses for the six-month period ended August 31, 2023 decreased $9,739 to $5,308, as compared to $15,047 for the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $7,951 decrease in stock-based compensation which is mostly related to a $7,740 expense recorded in relation to the achievement of a performance milestone for 1,000,000 RSUs in the six-month period ended August 31, 2022, a $761 decrease in insurance costs, and a $744 decrease in professional fees.
Net Loss
The net loss for the six-month period ended August 31, 2023 decreased $13,960 to $11,751, as compared to $25,711 for the same period in 2022. The decrease is primarily due to the decrease in general and administrative expenses of $9,739, and the $4,024 decrease in research and development expenses.
Loop Industries, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share data) | Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | ||||||||||||||
| August 31, 2023 | August 31, 2022 | August 31, 2023 | August 31, 2022 | </ | ||||||||||||