Good morning, and welcome to the Icahn Enterprises LP Q3 2019 Earnings Call with Jesse Lynn, General Counsel Keith Cozza, President and CEO and Seung Won Cho, Chief Financial Officer. I would now like to hand over the call to Jesse Lin, who will read the opening statements.
Thank you, operator. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward looking statements we make in this presentation, including statements regarding our future performance and plans for our businesses and potential acquisitions. These forward looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that are discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including economic, competitive, legal and other factors. Accordingly, there is no assurance that our expectations will be realized. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by law.
This presentation also includes certain non GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of such non GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures can be found in the back of this presentation. I'll now turn it over to Keith Cozza, our Chief Executive Officer.
Thanks, Jesse. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Q3 2019 Icahn Enterprises earnings conference call. Joining me on today's call is Sung Hwan Cho, our Chief Financial Officer. I will begin by providing some brief highlights. Sung will then provide an in-depth review of our financial results and the performance of our business segments.
We will then be available to address your questions. For Q3 2019, we had a net loss attributable to Icahn Enterprises of $49,000,000 or $0.24 per LP unit compared to net income of $118,000,000 or $0.64 per LP unit in the prior year period. The quarterly loss was primarily driven by losses in our investment funds offset in part by the gain from the sale of Ferris Resources, which closed during the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Icahn Enterprises for Q3 2019 was a loss of $121,000,000 compared to a gain of $5,000,000 for Q3 of 2018. Our investment funds had a negative return of 7.4% in Q3 2019 compared to a negative return of 6.3% for the prior year period.
Our negative performance in Q3 was driven by net losses in our short equity index positions and certain core long equity positions. The investment funds continue to be defensively positioned finishing the quarter with net short exposure of 16%. In our Energy segment, our Q3 2019 net sales were $1,600,000,000 and consolidated adjusted EBITDA was $235,000,000 CVR Energy had a strong Q3 led by improved capture rates, high throughput volumes and increased fertilizer sales volumes and pricing. Last week, CVR announced an increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.75 per share to $0.80 per share, as well as the authorization of a $300,000,000 stock repurchase program. Net sales and service revenues for our automotive segment in Q3 twenty nineteen were $744,000,000 compared to $735,000,000 in the prior year period.
The increase was primarily due to higher automotive service revenues, offset in part by a decrease in aftermarket parts sales. ICON Automotive Group continues to push forward with transformational plan to restructure the operations and improve profitability. During Q3, IEP issued 500,000,000 of new senior notes due in 20.24 at a coupon of 4.75%. We also paid down 1,700,000,000 senior notes due in 2020 in Q3 with cash on hand. Total debt outstanding at the holding company now stands at 5,600,000,000 dollars In Q3, we closed on our previously announced agreement to merge Ferris Resources with a wholly owned subsidiary of Vale.
IEP received proceeds of approximately $450,000,000 for our equity and debt interest in Ferris Resources, subject to future closing adjustments, realizing a gain of approximately $250,000,000 We closed the quarter with a strong balance sheet and continue to search for undervalued investment opportunities across all of our business segments. With that, let me turn it over to Sung. Thanks, Keith.
I will begin by briefly reviewing our consolidated results and then highlight the performance of our operating segments and comment on the strength of our balance sheet. In Q3 2019, net loss attributable to Icahn Enterprises was $49,000,000 compared to net income of $118,000,000 in the prior year period. As you can see on Slide 5, in Q3 2019, the performance of our investment funds was a significant driver of our net loss for the quarter. This was partially offset by the gain recorded on the sale of Ferris Resources that Keith mentioned earlier. Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Icahn Enterprises for Q3 2019 was a loss of $121,000,000 compared to a gain of $5,000,000 in Q3 2018.
I will now provide more detail regarding the performance of our segments. Our investment segment had a loss attributable to Icahn Enterprises of $342,000,000 for Q3 twenty nineteen. The investment funds had a return of negative 7.4% in Q3 twenty nineteen compared to a negative 6.3 percent for Q3 twenty eighteen. Long positions had a negative performance attribution of 5.2 percent for the current quarter, while short positions and other expenses had a negative performance attribution of 2.2%. Since inception in November 2004 through the end of Q3 2019, the investment fund gross return is 101% or approximately 4.8 percent annualized.
The investment funds continue to be significantly hedged. At the end of Q3 2019, net short exposure was 16% compared to a net short exposure of 37% at the end of Q2 twenty nineteen. IEP's investment in the funds was $4,300,000,000 as of September 30, 2019. And now to our Energy segment. For Q3 2019, our Energy segment reported net sales of $1,600,000,000 and consolidated adjusted EBITDA of $235,000,000 Net sales were down 16% from the prior year period, while adjusted EBITDA was flat.
CVR Refining had a solid 3rd quarter performance. Despite tighter crack spreads and crude differentials in the Q3 this year, CVR generated strong quarterly results through improved capture rates and higher throughput volumes. CVR Refining reported Q3 2019 adjusted EBITDA of $228,000,000 compared to $219,000,000 in the prior year period. Combined total throughput was approximately 222,000 barrels per day for the quarter, which was slightly above the prior year period. Refining margin per total throughput barrel was $16.34 in Q3 2019 compared to 15.70 per barrel in the prior year period.
CPR Partners reported Q3 2019 adjusted EBITDA of $18,000,000 adjusted for turnaround expenses compared to $19,000,000 for Q3 twenty eighteen. East Dubuque successfully completed its planned turnaround and is now coming back up to full production. CVR Energy recently announced a $300,000,000 stock repurchase program and increased its quarterly cash dividend by 7% to $0.80 per share, which represents an annualized dividend yield of approximately 7%. Now to our Automotive segment. Q3 2019 net sales and service revenue for Icahn Automotive Group were $744,000,000 up 1% from the prior year period.
The increase was attributable to higher automotive service revenues, partially offset by a decrease in aftermarket part sales. Higher service revenues were due to growing do it for me and fleet businesses. Adjusted EBITDA attributable to IEP for the automotive segment was a loss of $23,000,000 in Q3 2019 compared to a gain of $8,000,000 in the prior year period. Profitability was impacted by margin rate contraction for services and parts businesses due to the reduction in vendor support funds and other unfavorable margin adjustments. As previously disclosed, Icahn Automotive is implementing a plan to separate its aftermarket parts business from the service business.
We have started to execute on a multi year transformation plan to improve profitability in our parts business and continue to invest in our growing service business. Now turning to our Food Packaging segment. Net sales for Q3 2019 were flat with the prior year period. Favorable price and product mix was offset by unfavorable foreign exchange and lower sales volumes. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA was $12,000,000 in Q3 2019, which was down $2,000,000 from the prior year period.
Gross margin as a percentage of net sales was $18,000,000 for Q3 2019 compared to 21% in the prior year period. Now to our Metals segment. Net sales for Q3 2019 decreased by $38,000,000 or 32% compared to the prior year period. The net sales decrease was due to lower volumes and lower average pricing for all product lines. Non ferrous shipment volumes continue to be significantly impacted by the ongoing trade dispute with China.
Adjusted EBITDA was $1,000,000 for Q3 2019, which was $4,000,000 below the prior year period. And now to our Real Estate segment. Real Estate operating revenues were $28,000,000 in Q3 2019, which was $1,000,000 below the prior year period. Revenue from our real estate operations for both Q3 2019 and Q3 2018 were substantially derived from income from club and rental operations. The Real Estate segment generated $7,000,000 of adjusted EBITDA in Q3 2019.
The decline from 2018 is due to the loss of income related to several properties that were sold and the loss of income due to the repayment of a loan related to the sale of the former Fontainebleau property in Las Vegas. Now turning to our home fashion segment. Q3 2019 net sales for our home fashion segment were up 34% compared to the year period due to higher sales volume attributable to the VSS acquisition in Q2 2019. As previously disclosed, the VSS acquisition strengthens West Point's focus in the institutional and hospitality businesses and extends its addressable market to international markets outside of the U. S.
Adjustable EBITDA adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $2,000,000 for the quarter compared to a loss of $1,000,000 for the prior year period. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales was 16% for Q3 2019 as compared to 13% for Q3 2018. Now I will discuss our liquidity position. We maintain ample liquidity at the holding company and at each of our operating subs to take advantage of attractive opportunities. We ended Q3 2019 with cash, cash equivalents, our investment in the investment funds and revolver availability totaling approximately $8,200,000,000 Our subsidiaries have approximately $800,000,000 of cash and $600,000,000 of undrawn credit facilities to enable them to take advantage of attractive opportunities.
In summary, we continue to focus on building asset value and maintaining ample liquidity to enable us to capitalize on opportunities within and outside of our existing operating segments. Thank you. Operator, can you please open the call for questions?
Thank And our first question comes from Dan Fannon from Jefferies. Your line is open.
Hey, this is actually James Steele filling in for Dan. Good morning.
Hey, James. Hey, James.
So my question is just on kind of your outlook on valuation, noting that the hedge fund is getting less net short or got less net short throughout the quarter. So just just kind of wondering what the house view is on valuation and how you're approaching things there?
Yes, sure. I would describe the adjustment of net exposures from previous quarter end to this quarter end as sort of specific view on the that we basically had at the end of August, beginning of September regarding trade negotiations and whether progress would be made. And so I would describe that more as a tactical trading opportunity, which we do once in a while. I describe it as rarely. But I would even say that some of those shorts have been sort of reestablished at higher levels.
It was sort of it was a short term view for the month of September related to China trade negotiations.
Understood. And then just
Yes, for valuations, sure. So your second part of your question for valuations, I mean, look, I know we've been pretty consistent. There are certain pockets, certain investment themes within the fund that we're seeing where the act broadly speaking, yes, we're finding less opportunities than in a market that would be 25% lower. That sort of goes without saying. But we're still fine and picking spots here or there.
But it's been very long in the cycle, this bull market. You're approaching 10.5, 11 years. Valuations are broadly. We're much as you know, we have a value investing approach. And so, a little bit harder to find names, but I think we're still doing okay.
Got it. And secondly, I guess since the last time we heard from you guys, the outlook for interest rates has sort of changed. So just knowing that you just finished paying down debt, issuing some more debt and have some more cash on the balance sheet from Ferris, just curious what the appetite might be for or what the need might be for more debt just given the outlook for future acquisitions?
Yes. I think we'll really approach that on an opportunistic basis. So what I mean by that is, I'm sure you're familiar with our current debt stack or debt maturity ladder and it's pretty well balanced from 2022 through 2026. As we get closer to 2022, obviously, we'll look to do some normal refinancings eventually. And as far as adding incremental debt, it will really just be what the market looks like from a rate perspective.
Meaning, if we can add some new 7 or 8 year debt at compelling rates, we will do that. I mean, we like we view cash as our raw material effectively and we don't mind stockpiling it for short periods of time or even intermediate periods of time while we look for investment opportunities. Inevitably, there will be another market correction. There will be another recession. There'll be some great opportunities and it's always better to have the money on the balance sheet when that happens rather than to go search for it at that time.
So I think you can see us again, it will depend on the opportunity set, but it wouldn't be surprising if we were back in the marketplace looking to extend out maturities.
Got it. And then just lastly, there were some headlines throughout the quarter on Mr. Icahn moving down to Florida, if that has any impact on the financials or the operations of the business in the near term?
I don't think so. It's been a fairly smooth process. Something we rolled out around May and the move will take place at the end of Q1 of next year. And I think we have a number of plans and employees moving, and we certainly don't expect any disruption to operations or financials or anything like that.
Perfect. Thank you.
Thanks. Thank you. And I'm showing no further questions from our phone lines.
Okay. Thanks everybody. We'll look forward to speaking with you in the New Year to discuss Q4 results. Have a good day.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for participating in today's conference. This does conclude the program. You may all disconnect. Everyone have a wonderful day.