EM CEEMEA CREDIT: SEPLLN: 1Q25 results, supportive for credit

Apr-28 07:12

Seplat Energy (SEPLLN; Caa1pos/B/B)

1Q25 results, supportive for credit

  • Nigeria’s upstream oil&gas Seplat Energy posted 1Q25 results, showing strong increase in profitability on expanded scale production growth and contained cost base. PBT exceeded USD 207mn, +199% YoY. Not a surprise, revenues were up 350% YoY at USD809.3mn on crude oil contribution from offshore Seplat Energy Producing Nigeria Unlimited (SEPNU, volumes lifted 9.9MMbbls for the quarter). Co. sees production on track with FY25 guidance at 120-140kboepd. Adj EBITDA at USD400.6mn with margin 49.5% and cash from operations at USD306.5mn. Lower YoY capex at USD40.2mn (guidance for FY25 confirmed at USD260-320mn), resulted in FCF at USD176.4mn.
  • Having refinanced debt maturing in ‘26 with new ‘30s last month, the RCF has been extended to end of ’26 and the Co. released USD250mn from RCF in UF. With CCE at quarter end standing at USD334.6mn, net debt of USD747.1mn leaves with TTM leverage at 0.56x, trending lower vs YE24 (guidance below 2.0x, with debt covenants at 3.0x).
  • For reference, the SEPPLLN 9.125 30 closed Friday at z+670bp area, or approx. 10.25% yield, having launched at 9.125% yield mid March (source: Bloomberg data).

Historical bullets

USDCAD TECHS: Bullish Outlook

Mar-28 21:00
  • RES 4: 1.4700 Round number resistance
  • RES 3: 1.4641 76.4% retracement of the Feb 3 - 14 bear leg
  • RES 2: 1.4452/4543 High Mar 13 / 4 and a bull trigger
  • RES 1: 1.4402 High Mar 20 
  • PRICE: 1.4292 @ 16:50 GMT Mar 28
  • SUP 1: 1.4235 Low Mar 26 and a key near-term support   
  • SUP 2: 1.4151/4107 Low Feb 14 / 50.0% of Sep 25 - Feb 3 bull run
  • SUP 3: 1.4011 Low Dec 5 ‘24
  • SUP 4: 1.3944 61.8% retracement of the Sep 25 ‘24 - Feb 3 bull cycle

USDCAD traded through support at 1.4242 on Wednesday but has recovered. A return lower and clearance of this level would undermine the bull theme and instead highlight potential for a test of 1.4151, the Feb 14 low and a bear trigger. Moving average studies continue to highlight a dominant uptrend. A reversal higher would refocus attention on the bull trigger at 1.4543, the Mar 4 high. First resistance is 1.4402, the Mar 20 high.      

US FISCAL: Debt Limit "Extraordinary Measures" Pick Up, But Cash Dipping Pre-Tax

Mar-28 20:42

Treasury data shows that there were $207B of "extraordinary measures" available to circumvent hitting the debt limit as of Wednesday Mar 26. 

  • That's the most since Jan 27th and up from $163B a week earlier, from a total $376B available.
  • However, Treasury cash in the TGA fell to $316B as of the 26th (and was down to $280B on Thursday), meaning there were a combined $523B of resources available to avert the debt limit, the lowest since the impasse began in January (and half of the starting amount of just over $1T).
  • The next couple of weeks will be very important for Treasury, as they represent the biggest tax  take of the year. The Congressional Budget Office reported this week that per its estimates "if the debt limit [$36.1T] remains unchanged, the government's ability to borrow using extraordinary measures will probably be exhausted in August or September 2025." Treasury wrote to Congress this month that they would be able  to provide an update on the x-date in the first half of May, after the conclusion of tax season.
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AUDUSD TECHS: Remains Above Support

Mar-28 20:30
  • RES 4: 0.6429 High Dec 12 ‘24
  • RES 3: 0.6414 38.2% retracement of the Sep 30 ‘24 - Feb 3 bear leg              
  • RES 2: 0.6409 High Feb 21 and a bull trigger 
  • RES 1: 0.6391 High Mar 17 / 18 
  • PRICE: 0.6291 @ 16:46 GMT Mar 28
  • SUP 1: 0.6258 Low Mar 21
  • SUP 2: 0.6187 Low Feb 4
  • SUP 3: 0.6171/6088 Low Feb 4 / 3 and a key support
  • SUP 4: 0.6045 1.500 proj of the Sep 30 - Nov 6 - 7 price swing

AUDUSD is unchanged. A short-term bull theme is intact and the latest move down appears corrective. Key short-term support to watch is 0.6187, the Mar 4 low. Clearance of this level would reinstate a bear threat. First support is at 0.6258, the Mar 21 low. A stronger recovery would refocus attention on 0.6409, the Feb 21 high. Clearance of this hurdle would strengthen the bull cycle and resume the uptrend that started Feb 3.