KRONOS WORLDWIDE INC - Quarter Report: 2015 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarter ended March 31, 2015

Commission file number 1-31763

KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700

Dallas, Texas 75240-2697

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (972) 233-1700

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).    Large accelerated filer  ¨    Accelerated filer  x    Non-accelerated filer  ¨    Smaller reporting company  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

Number of shares of the Registrant’s common stock outstanding on April 30, 2015: 115,872,598.

KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX

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KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In millions)

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KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)

(In millions)

Commitments and contingencies (Notes 8 and 12)

See accompanying notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.  

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KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In millions, except per share data)

See accompanying notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.  

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KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(In millions)

See accompanying notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Three months ended March 31, 2015

(In millions)

See accompanying notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In millions)

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KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (CONTINUED)

(In millions)

See accompanying notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

March 31, 2015

(unaudited)

Note 1 - Organization and basis of presentation:

Organization - At March 31, 2015, Valhi, Inc. (NYSE: VHI) held approximately 50% of our outstanding common stock and NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NL) held approximately 30% of our common stock, Valhi owned approximately 83% of NL’s outstanding common stock and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Contran Corporation held approximately 93% of Valhi’s outstanding common stock.  Substantially all of Contran’s outstanding voting stock is held by family trusts established for the benefit of Lisa K. Simmons and Serena Simmons Connelly, daughters of Harold C. Simmons, and their children (for which Ms. Lisa Simmons and Ms. Connelly are co-trustees) or is held directly by Ms. Lisa Simmons and Ms. Connelly or persons or entities related to them, including their step-mother Annette C. Simmons, the widow of Mr. Simmons. Prior to his death in December 2013, Mr. Simmons served as sole trustee of the family trusts.  Under a voting agreement entered into by all of the voting stockholders of Contran, effective in February 2014 and as amended, the size of the board of directors of Contran was fixed at five members, Ms. Lisa Simmons, Ms. Connelly and Ms. Annette Simmons (and in the event of their death, their heirs) each has the right to designate one of the five members of the Contran board and the remaining two members of the Contran board must consist of members of Contran management. Ms. Lisa Simmons, Ms. Connelly, and Ms. Annette Simmons each serve as members of the Contran board.  The voting agreement expires in February 2017 (unless Ms. Lisa Simmons, Ms. Connelly and Ms. Annette Simmons otherwise unanimously agree), and the ability of Ms. Lisa Simmons, Ms. Connelly, and Ms. Annette Simmons to each designate one member of the Contran board is dependent upon each of their continued beneficial ownership of at least 5% of the combined voting stock of Contran.  Consequently, Ms. Lisa Simmons, Ms. Connelly and Ms. Annette Simmons may be deemed to control Contran, Valhi, NL and us.

Basis of presentation - The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report have been prepared on the same basis as the audited Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 12, 2015 (2014 Annual Report).  In our opinion, we have made all necessary adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) in order to state fairly, in all material respects, our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of the dates and for the periods presented.  We have condensed the Consolidated Balance Sheet and Statement of Stockholders’ Equity at December 31, 2014 contained in this Quarterly Report as compared to our audited Consolidated Financial Statements at that date, and we have omitted certain information and footnote disclosures (including those related to the Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2014) normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP).  Our results of operations for the interim period ended March 31, 2015 may not be indicative of our operating results for the full year.  The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report should be read in conjunction with our 2014 Consolidated Financial Statements contained in our 2014 Annual Report.

Unless otherwise indicated, references in this report to “we,” “us” or “our” refer to Kronos Worldwide, Inc. and its subsidiaries (NYSE: KRO) taken as a whole.

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Note 2 - Accounts and other receivables:

Note 3 - Inventories, net:

Note 4 - Marketable securities:

Our marketable securities consist of investments in the publicly-traded shares of related parties: Valhi, NL and CompX International Inc. NL owns a majority of CompX’s outstanding common stock.  All of our marketable securities are accounted for as available-for-sale securities, which are carried at fair value using quoted market prices in active markets for each marketable security, and represent a Level 1 input within the fair value hierarchy.  See Note 13.  Because we have classified all of our marketable securities as available-for-sale, any unrealized gains or losses on the securities are recognized through other comprehensive income, net of deferred income taxes.

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At December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, we held approximately 1.7 million shares of Valhi’s common stock.  We also held a nominal number of shares of CompX and NL common stocks.  At December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, the quoted per share market price of Valhi’s common stock was $6.41 and $6.23, respectively.

With respect to our investment in Valhi stock, our cost basis has exceeded its market value since March 2014, but we consider such decline in market price to be temporary at March 31, 2015.  We considered all available evidence in reaching this conclusion, including our ability and intent to hold this investment for a reasonable period of time sufficient for the recovery of fair value, as evidenced by the amount of liquidity we currently have with cash on hand.  We will continue to monitor the quoted market price for this investment.  In this regard, as of April 30, 2015, the aggregate quoted market price for our shares of Valhi common stock was $4.0 million less than our aggregate cost basis.  If we conclude in the future that a decline in value of one or more of these securities was other than temporary, we would recognize impairment through an income statement charge at that time.  Such income statement impairment charge would be offset in other comprehensive income by the reversal of the previously recognized unrealized losses to the extent they were previously recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income.

The Valhi, CompX and NL common stocks we own are subject to the restrictions on resale pursuant to certain provisions of SEC Rule 144.  In addition, as a majority-owned subsidiary of Valhi we cannot vote our shares of Valhi common stock under Delaware General Corporation Law, but we do receive dividends from Valhi on these shares, when declared and paid.

Note 5 - Other noncurrent assets:

Note 6 - Accounts payable and accrued liabilities:  

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Note 7 - Long-term debt:  

Term loan – During the first three months of 2015, we made our required quarterly principal payment of $.9 million.  The average interest rate on the term loan borrowings as of and for the quarter ended March 31, 2015 was 4.75%.  The carrying value of the term loan at March 31, 2015 includes unamortized original issue discount of $1.4 million.  

Revolving credit facilities - Our European revolving credit facility requires the maintenance of certain financial ratios, and one of such requirements is based on the ratio of net debt to last twelve months earnings before income tax, interest, depreciation and amortization expense (EBITDA) of the borrowers.  Based upon the borrowers’ last twelve months EBITDA as of March 31, 2015 and the net debt to EBITDA financial test, our borrowing availability at March 31, 2015 is approximately 59% of the credit facility, or €71 million ($77 million).  In addition, at March 31, 2015 we had approximately $94.8 million available for borrowing under our North American revolving facility.

Other - We are in compliance with all of our debt covenants at March 31, 2015.

Note 8 - Income taxes:  

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Tax authorities are examining certain of our U.S. and non-U.S. tax returns and have or may propose tax deficiencies, including penalties and interest.  Because of the inherent uncertainties involved in settlement initiatives and court and tax proceedings, we cannot guarantee that these matters will be resolved in our favor, and therefore our potential exposure, if any, is also uncertain.  We believe we have adequate accruals for additional taxes and related interest expense which could ultimately result from tax examinations.  We believe the ultimate disposition of tax examinations should not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.  We currently estimate that our unrecognized tax benefits will not change materially during the next twelve months.

Note 9 - Employee benefit plans:

Defined benefit plans - The components of net periodic defined benefit pension cost are presented in the table below.

Postretirement benefits - The components of net periodic postretirement benefits other than pension (OPEB) cost are presented in the table below.

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Contributions - We expect our 2015 contributions for our pension and other postretirement plans to be approximately $19 million.

Note 10 - Other noncurrent liabilities:

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Note 11 - Accumulated other comprehensive loss:

Changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015 are presented in the table below.

See Note 9 for amounts related to our defined benefit pension plans and OPEB plans.

Note 12 - Commitments and contingencies:

From time-to-time, we are involved in various environmental, contractual, product liability, patent (or intellectual property), employment and other claims and disputes incidental to our operations.  In certain cases, we have insurance coverage for these items.  We currently believe the disposition of all claims and disputes, individually or in the aggregate, should not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity beyond the accruals we have already provided.

Please refer to our 2014 Annual Report for a discussion of certain other legal proceedings to which we are a party.

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Note 13 - Financial instruments:

The following table summarizes the valuation of our financial instruments recorded on a fair value basis as of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015:

Certain of our sales generated by our non-U.S. operations are denominated in U.S. dollars.  We periodically use currency forward contracts to manage a very nominal portion of currency exchange rate risk associated with trade receivables denominated in a currency other than the holder’s functional currency or similar exchange rate risk associated with future sales.  We have not entered into these contracts for trading or speculative purposes in the past, nor do we currently anticipate entering into such contracts for trading or speculative purposes in the future.  Derivatives used to hedge forecasted transactions and specific cash flows associated with financial assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which meet the criteria for hedge accounting are designated as cash flow hedges.  Consequently, the effective portion of gains and losses is deferred as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income and is recognized in earnings at the time the hedged item affects earnings.  Contracts that do not meet the criteria for hedge accounting are marked-to-market at each balance sheet date with any resulting gain or loss recognized in income currently as part of net currency transaction gains and losses.  The fair value of the currency forward contracts is determined using Level 1 inputs based on the currency spot forward rates quoted by banks or currency dealers.

At March 31, 2015, we had currency forward contracts to exchange:

The estimated aggregate fair value of our currency forward contracts at March 31, 2015 was a $4.5 million net liability which is recognized as part of accounts payable and accrued liabilities in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.  There is also a corresponding net $4.5 million currency transaction loss recognized in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations.  We are not currently using hedge accounting for our outstanding currency forward contracts at March 31, 2015, and we did not use hedge accounting for any of such contracts we previously held in 2014.  Accordingly, changes in the aggregate fair value of currency forward contracts we hold are recognized as a currency transaction gain or loss.

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The following table presents the financial instruments that are not carried at fair value but which require fair value disclosure as of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015.

At March 31, 2015, the estimated market price of our term loan was $1,012.50 per $1,000 principal amount.  The fair value of our term loan is based on quoted market prices; however, these quoted market prices represent Level 2 inputs because the markets in which the term loan trades were not active.  The fair value of our common stockholders’ equity is based upon quoted market prices at each balance sheet date, which represent Level 1 inputs.  Due to their near-term maturities, the carrying amounts of accounts receivable and accounts payable are considered equivalent to fair value.

Note 14 - Recent accounting pronouncements:

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).  This standard replaces existing revenue recognition guidance, which in many cases was tailored for specific industries, with a uniform accounting standard applicable to all industries and transactions.  The new standard is effective for us beginning with the first quarter of 2017.  Entities may elect to adopt ASU No. 2014-09 retrospectively for all periods for all contracts and transactions which occurred during the period (with a few exceptions for practical expediency) or retrospectively with a cumulative effect recognized as of the date of adoption.  ASU No. 2014-09 is a fundamental rewriting of existing GAAP with respect to revenue recognition, and we are still evaluating the effect the Standard will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements.  In addition, we have not yet determined the method we will use to adopt the Standard.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30):  Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which requires unamortized debt issuance costs (or deferred financing costs) to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt liability, consistent with the presentation of a debt discount.  Currently, such unamortized debt issue costs are generally presented as a noncurrent asset.  However, to the extent an entity has unamortized debt issuance costs associated with an unfunded debt liability, such as an undrawn revolving line of credit, such unamortized debt issue costs would continue to be recognized as an asset since there is no liability recognized from which such unamortized debt issue costs can be deducted.  The guidance in the new standard is limited to the presentation of debt issuance costs and does not affect the recognition, measurement or amortization of debt issuance costs; therefore, the standard will not have a material effect on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.  The standard is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted and the new guidance will be applied on a retrospective basis, although we have not yet determined when we will adopt the standard.

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ITEM 2.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF    OPERATIONS

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS:

Business overview

We are a leading global producer and marketer of value-added titanium dioxide pigments (TiO₂). TiO₂ is used for a variety of manufacturing applications, including paints, plastics, paper and other industrial and specialty products.  For the three months ended March 31, 2015, approximately one-half of our sales volumes were into European markets.  Our production facilities are located in Europe and North America.

We consider TiO₂ to be a “quality of life” product, with demand affected by gross domestic product, or GDP, and overall economic conditions in our markets located in various regions of the world.  Over the long-term, we expect demand for TiO₂ will grow by 2% to 3% per year, consistent with our expectations for the long-term growth in GDP.  However, even if we and our competitors maintain consistent shares of the worldwide market, demand for TiO₂ in any interim or annual period may not change in the same proportion as the change in global GDP, in part due to relative changes in the TiO₂ inventory levels of our customers.  We believe that our customers’ inventory levels are influenced in part by their expectations for future changes in TiO₂ market selling prices as well as their expectations for future availability of product.  Although certain of our TiO₂ grades are considered specialty pigments, the majority of our grades and substantially all of our production are considered commodity pigment products, with price and availability being the most significant competitive factors along with quality and customer service.

The factors having the most impact on our reported operating results are:

Our key performance indicators are our TiO₂ average selling prices, our level of TiO₂ sales and production volumes and the cost of our third-party feedstock ore.  TiO₂ selling prices generally follow industry trends and prices will increase or decrease generally as a result of competitive market pressures.

Executive summary

We reported net income of $18.4 million, or $.16 per share, in the first quarter of 2015 as compared to $14.3 million, or $.12 per share, in the first quarter of 2014.  Our net income in the first quarter of 2015 is higher principally due to the net effects of higher income from operations resulting from higher sales and production volumes, lower raw material and other production costs, a favorable net effect of changes in currency exchange rates and lower average selling prices in 2015.

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Forward-looking information

This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended.  Statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that are not historical facts are forward-looking in nature and represent management’s beliefs and assumptions based on currently available information.  Statements in this report including, but not limited to, statements found in Item 2 - “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” are forward-looking statements that represent our management’s beliefs and assumptions based on currently available information.  In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “believes,” “intends,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “anticipates,” “expects” or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategies or trends.  Although we believe the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not know if these expectations will be correct.  Such statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could significantly impact expected results.  Actual future results could differ materially from those predicted.  The factors that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those described herein are the risks and uncertainties discussed in this Quarterly Report and those described from time to time in our other filings with the SEC including, but are not limited to, the following:

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Should one or more of these risks materialize (or the consequences of such a development worsen), or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from those forecasted or expected.  We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement whether as a result of changes in information, future events or otherwise.

Results of operations

Current industry conditions

Due to competitive pressures, our average selling prices decreased throughout 2014 and the first quarter of 2015.  Our average selling prices at the end of the first quarter of 2015 were 7% lower than at the end of 2014, with lower prices in all major markets.  We experienced higher sales volumes in all major markets, particularly in European and export markets, in the first quarter of 2015 as compared to the first quarter of 2014 as demand has generally been stable.

We operated our production facilities at overall average capacity utilization rates of 93% in the first quarter of 2015 compared to approximately 90% in the first quarter of 2014.  Our production capacity utilization rates in the first quarter of 2014 were impacted by a union labor lockout at our Canadian production facility that ended in December 2013, as restart of production at the facility did not begin until February 2014.  Our production rates in the first quarter of 2015 were impacted by the implementation of certain productivity-enhancing improvement projects at certain facilities, as well as necessary improvements to ensure continued compliance with our permit regulations, which resulted in longer-than-normal maintenance shutdowns in some instances.

We continued to experience moderation in the cost of TiO₂ feedstock ore procured from third parties in 2014 and continuing into the first quarter of 2015.  Given the time lag between when such third-party feedstock ore is procured and when the TiO₂ product produced with such ore is sold and recognized in our cost of sales, our cost of sales per metric ton of TiO₂ sold declined throughout 2014 and into the first quarter of 2015.  Consequently, our cost of sales per metric ton of TiO₂ sold in the first quarter of 2015 was slightly lower than our cost of sales per metric ton of TiO₂ sold in the first quarter of 2014 (excluding the effect of changes in currency exchange rates).

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Quarter ended March 31, 2015 compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2014

Net sales - Net sales in the first quarter of 2015 decreased 13%, or $55.0 million, compared to the first quarter of 2014 primarily due to the net effects of an 11% decrease in average TiO₂ selling prices (which decreased net sales by approximately $46 million) and a 7% increase in sales volumes (which increased net sales by approximately $29 million).  TiO₂ selling prices will increase or decrease generally as a result of competitive market pressures, changes in the relative level of supply and demand as well as changes in raw material and other manufacturing costs.

Our sales volumes increased 7% in the first quarter of 2015 as compared to the first quarter of 2014 due to higher sales in all major markets, particularly in certain export and European markets.  We estimate that changes in currency exchange rates (primarily the euro) decreased our net sales by approximately $33 million as compared to the first quarter of 2014.

Cost of sales - Cost of sales decreased $51.9 million or 15% in the first quarter of 2015 compared to 2014 due to the net impact of lower raw materials and other production costs of approximately $21 million (primarily caused by lower third-party feedstock ore costs), a 7% increase in sales volumes, a 4% increase in TiO₂ production volumes and currency fluctuations (primarily the euro).  Our cost of sales as a percentage of net sales decreased to 79% in the first quarter of 2015 compared to 81% in the same period of 2014, as the favorable effect of lower raw material costs and efficiencies related to higher production volumes more than offset the unfavorable impact of lower average selling prices, as discussed above.

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Gross margin and income from operations - Income from operations increased by $6.2 million, from $26.0 million in the first quarter of 2014 to $32.2 million in the first quarter of 2015.  Income from operations as a percentage of net sales increased to 9% in the first quarter of 2015 from 6% in the same period of 2014.  This increase was driven by the increase in gross margin percentage, which increased to 21% for the first quarter of 2015 compared to 19% for the first quarter of 2014.  As discussed and quantified above, our gross margin percentage increased primarily due to the net effect of lower manufacturing costs (primarily raw materials), higher production volumes, higher sales volumes and lower selling prices.  While our gross margin percentage was higher in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the first quarter of 2014, our gross margin dollars were lower, as the favorable impact of higher sales and production volumes, lower manufacturing costs and the effect of changes in currency exchange rates was more than offset by the unfavorable impact of lower average selling prices.  We estimate that changes in currency exchange rates increased income from operations by approximately $14 million in the first quarter of 2015 as compared to the same period in 2014, as discussed below.

Other non-operating income (expense) - Interest expense increased $.6 million from $4.0 million in the first quarter of 2014 to $4.6 million in the first quarter of 2015 primarily due to higher average debt levels in the first quarter of 2015. We currently expect our interest expense for all of 2015 will be comparable to 2014, due to expected comparable annual average debt levels resulting from the term loan we issued in February 2014.  See Note 7 to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Income tax expense - We recognized income tax expense of $9.4 million in the first quarter of 2015 compared to $7.9 million in the same period last year.  This increase in our income tax expense in the first quarter of 2015 is primarily due to our increased earnings.  See Note 8 to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for a tabular reconciliation of our statutory income tax provision to our actual tax provision.  For interim financial reporting purposes, we apply an effective tax rate methodology in determining our provision for income taxes.  Generally, we expect the effective tax rate associated with our non-US earnings to be lower than our U.S. statutory rate of 35%.  The decrease in our effective tax rate in the first quarter of 2015 is primarily due to the relative impact of our domestic production tax credit and our non-US earnings, in each case as a percentage of the reported amount of our pre-tax income in the periods presented.

We have substantial net operating loss carryforwards in Germany (the equivalent of $738 million and $94 million for German corporate and trade tax purposes, respectively, at December 31, 2014) and in Belgium (the equivalent of $87 million for Belgian corporate tax purposes at December 31, 2014).  At March 31, 2015, we have concluded that no deferred income tax asset valuation allowance is required to be recognized with respect to such carryforwards, principally because (i) such carryforwards have an indefinite carryforward period, (ii) we have utilized a portion of such carryforwards during the most recent three-year period and (iii) we currently expect to utilize the remainder of such carryforwards over the long term.  However, prior to the complete utilization of such carryforwards, particularly if we were to generate losses in our German and Belgian operations for an extended period of time, or if applicable law were to change such that the carryforward period was no longer indefinite, it is possible that we might conclude the benefit of such carryforwards would no longer meet the more-likely-than-not recognition criteria, at which point we would be required to recognize a valuation allowance against some or all of the then-remaining tax benefit associated with the carryforwards.

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Effects of Currency Exchange Rates

We have substantial operations and assets located outside the United States (primarily in Germany, Belgium, Norway and Canada).  The majority of our sales from non-U.S. operations are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, principally the euro, other major European currencies and the Canadian dollar.  A portion of our sales generated from our non-U.S. operations is denominated in the U.S. dollar (and consequently our non-U.S. operations will generally hold U.S. dollars from time to time).  Certain raw materials used worldwide, primarily titanium-containing feedstocks, are purchased in U.S. dollars, while labor and other production and administrative costs are incurred primarily in local currencies.  Consequently, the translated U.S. dollar value of our non-U.S. sales and operating results are subject to currency exchange rate fluctuations which may favorably or unfavorably impact reported earnings and may affect the comparability of period-to-period operating results.  In addition to the impact of the translation of sales and expenses over time, our non-U.S. operations also generate currency transaction gains and losses which primarily relate to (i) the difference between the currency exchange rates in effect when non-local currency sales or operating costs (primarily U.S. dollar denominated) are initially accrued and when such amounts are settled with the non-local currency, (ii) changes in currency exchange rates during time periods when our non-U.S. operations are holding non-local currency (primarily U.S. dollars), and (iii)  relative changes in the aggregate fair value of currency forward contracts held from time to time.  As discussed in Note 13 to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, we periodically use currency forward contracts to manage a portion of our currency exchange risk, and relative changes in the aggregate fair value of any currency forward contracts we hold from time to time serves in part to mitigate the currency transaction gains or losses we would otherwise recognize from the first two items described above.

Overall, we estimate that fluctuations in currency exchange rates had the following effects on the reported amounts of our sales and income from operations for the periods indicated.

The $33 million reduction in net sales (translation loss) was caused primarily by a strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to the euro, as our euro-denominated sales were translated into fewer U.S. dollars in 2015 as compared to 2014.  The strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to the Canadian dollar and the Norwegian kroner in 2015 did not have a significant effect on the reported amount of our net sales, as a substantial portion of the sales generated by our Canadian and Norwegian operations are denominated in the U.S. dollar.

The $14 million increase in income from operations was comprised of the following:

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Outlook

During the first quarter of 2015 we operated our production facilities at 93% of practical capacity.  While we expect our production volumes to be higher in 2015 as compared to 2014, we expect to continue to operate below full production capacity in 2015, due principally to completing the implementation of certain productivity-enhancing capital improvement projects at certain facilities which will result in longer-than-normal maintenance shutdowns in some instances.  Assuming economic conditions do not deteriorate in the various regions of the world, we expect our sales volumes to be higher in 2015 as compared to 2014.  We will continue to monitor current and anticipated near-term customer demand levels and align our production and inventories accordingly.

We continued to experience moderation in the cost of TiO₂ feedstock ore procured from third parties in 2014 continuing into 2015.  Given the time lag between when such third-party feedstock ore is procured and when the TiO₂ product produced with such ore is sold and recognized in our cost of sales, our cost of sales per metric ton of TiO₂ sold in the first quarter of 2015 was slightly lower than our cost of sales per metric ton of TiO₂ sold in the first quarter of 2014 (excluding the effect of changes in currency exchange rates).  While we expect our cost of sales per metric ton of TiO₂ sold for the remainder of 2015 will be comparable to such per-metric ton cost in the first quarter of 2015, such per-metric ton cost for the remainder of 2015 is expected to continue to be slightly lower as compared to the same periods in 2014 (excluding the effect of changes in currency exchange rates).  

We started 2015 with selling prices 9% lower than the beginning of 2014, and prices declined by an additional 7% in the first quarter of 2015.  Industry data indicates that overall TiO₂ inventory held by producers has been significantly decreased.  In addition, we believe most customers hold very low inventories of TiO₂ with many operating on a just-in-time basis.  With the strong sales volumes experienced in the first quarter of 2015, we continue to see evidence of improvement in demand for our TiO₂ products in certain of our primary markets.  The extent to which we will be able to achieve any price increases in the near term will depend on market conditions.  

Overall, we currently expect that income from operations in 2015 will be comparable to 2014, as the favorable effect of higher sales volumes and moderating raw material costs will be mostly offset by the effects of lower anticipated average selling prices (since our average selling prices at the beginning of 2015 were 9% lower than the beginning of 2014).

Due to the constraints of high capital costs and extended lead time associated with adding significant new TiO₂ production capacity, especially for premium grades of TiO₂ products produced from the chloride process, we believe increased and sustained profit margins will be necessary to financially justify major expansions of TiO₂ production capacity required to meet expected future growth in demand.  As a result of customer decisions over the last year and the resulting adverse effect on global TiO₂ pricing, some industry projects to increase TiO₂ production capacity have been cancelled or deferred indefinitely, and announcements have been made regarding the closure of certain facilities.  Given the lead time required for such production capacity expansions, a shortage of TiO₂ products could occur if economic conditions improve and global demand levels for TiO₂ increase sufficiently.

Our expectations for our future operating results are based upon a number of factors beyond our control, including worldwide growth of GDP, competition in the marketplace, continued operation of competitors, unexpected or earlier-than-expected capacity additions or reductions and technological advances.  If actual developments differ from our expectations, our results of operations could be unfavorably affected.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Consolidated cash flows

Operating activities

Trends in cash flows as a result of our operating activities (excluding the impact of significant asset dispositions and relative changes in assets and liabilities) are generally similar to trends in our earnings.

We generally report a net use of cash from operating activities in the first three months of each year due to seasonal changes in the level of our working capital.  Cash used in operating activities was $10.0 million in the first three months of 2015 compared to $2.5 million in the first three months of 2014.  This $7.5 million increase in the amount of cash used was primarily due to the net effects of the following:

Changes in working capital were affected by accounts receivable and inventory changes.  As shown below:

For comparative purposes, we have also provided comparable prior year numbers below.