Summit Midstream Partners (SMLP) 8-KSummit Midstream Partners, LP

On November 3, 2023, Summit Midstream Partners, LP (the “Partnership,” “we” and “our”) issued a press release announcing its results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2023. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

The information furnished in this Item 2.02 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, whether or not filed under the Securities Act of 1933 or the 1934 Act, regardless of any general incorporation language in such document.

In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"), the Partnership presents certain non-GAAP financial measures. Specifically, the Partnership presents adjusted EBITDA, distributable cash flow and free cash flow. We define adjusted EBITDA as net income or loss, plus interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, our proportional adjusted EBITDA for equity method investees, adjustments related to MVC shortfall payments, adjustments related to capital reimbursement activity, unit-based and noncash compensation, impairments, items of income or loss that we characterize as unrepresentative of our ongoing operations and other noncash expenses or losses, income tax benefit, income (loss) from equity method investees and other noncash income or gains. We define Distributable Cash Flow as adjusted EBITDA, as defined above, less cash interest paid, cash paid for taxes, net interest expense accrued and paid on the senior notes, and maintenance capital expenditures. We define free cash flow as distributable cash flow attributable to common and preferred unitholders less growth capital expenditures, less investments in equity method investees, less distributions to common and preferred unitholders. Free cash flow excludes proceeds from asset sales and cash consideration paid for acquisitions.

We exclude these items because they are considered unusual and not indicative of our ongoing operations. Our definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may differ from the definitions of similar measures used by other companies, thereby diminishing the utility of these measures. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in making financial, operating and planning decisions and in evaluating the Partnership’s financial performance. Furthermore, management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures may provide users of the Partnership’s financial statements with additional meaningful comparisons between current results and results of prior periods as they are expected to be reflective of our core ongoing business. These measures have limitations, and investors should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Partnership’s results as reported under GAAP.

We do not provide the GAAP financial measures of net income or loss or net cash provided by operating activities on a forward-looking basis because we are unable to predict, without unreasonable effort, certain components thereof including, but not limited to, (i) income or loss from equity method investees and (ii) asset impairments. These items are inherently uncertain and depend on various factors, many of which are beyond our control. As such, any associated estimate and its impact on our GAAP performance and cash flow measures could vary materially based on a variety of acceptable management assumptions.

Reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures are included as attachments to the press release which has been posted to the “Investors” section of our website at www.summitmidstream.com.