AMG had a net debt position of $154.0 million as of September 30, 2019. This was due to the return of $86.8 million to shareholders in 2019 through its share repurchase program, dividend payments of $16.7 million and significant investment in growth initiatives.
Cash (used in) operating activities of ($4.9) million in the third quarter of 2019 decreased by $28.0 million compared to the same period in 2018, primarily due to lower profitability.
Capital expenditures decreased to $13.3 million in the third quarter of 2019 compared to $14.0 million in the same period in 2018. Capital spending in the third quarter 2019 included $6.2 million of maintenance capital. The remaining $7.1 million of capital spending is primarily attributable to expansion projects at AMG’s vanadium, titanium aluminide, lithium and heat treatment facilities.
Including the $229.0 million of cash, AMG had $398.7 million of total liquidity as of September 30, 2019.
Net Finance Costs
AMG’s third quarter 2019 net finance costs increased to $5.9 million compared to $4.7 million in the third quarter 2018. Third quarter 2019 includes additional interest expense associated with lease liabilities due to the adoption of IFRS16 on January 1, 2019.
SG&A
AMG’s third quarter 2019 SG&A expenses were $35.1 million compared to $35.6 million in the third quarter of 2018, primarily due to lower variable compensation expense.
Subsequent Events
On October 8, 2019, AMG signed an agreement with Shell Catalysts & Technologies to form a joint venture that will provide a long-term solution for catalyst reclamation and recycling. Also, to increase AMG Titanium Alloys & Coatings’ market position, the Company signed a definitive agreement on October 9, 2019 to acquire the assets of International Specialty Alloys from Kennametal.
Outlook
Although our financial results continue to be impacted by depressed market conditions, we reiterate our 2019 EBITDA outlook of approximately $120 million. We are continuing to focus on the things we can control and are extremely pleased with the noted achievements in our strategic initiatives which will drive long-term value creation. Assuming continued weak market conditions, our target for 2020 is to improve profitability relative to 2019.