Amplats' First-Half Profit Down 62% on Low Metal Prices
July 25 2016 - 6:50AM
Dow Jones News
JOHANNESBURG—Anglo American Platinum Ltd., the world's top
producer of the precious metal, said Monday that low metals prices
and a tax adjustment hit its earnings hard in the first half of
2016.
The Johannesburg-listed miner reported a profit of 938 million
South African rand ($65.4 million) for the six months ended June
30, down 62% from the same period a year earlier.
Amplats shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange were down 0.9%
at 385.70 rand a share in early trade Monday. Still, the stock has
gained 51% over the last 12 months, on the back of rising platinum
futures prices, a plunging South African rand and off a very low
base.
Amplats, a majority-owned unit of globally diversified miner
Anglo American PLC, reported headline earnings, which strip out
certain exceptional and one-off items, of ZAR1.04 billion for the
first half of 2016, down 58% from the same period in 2015, in line
with the company's previously announced guidance.
The company has previously said that the decrease in profit is
primarily due to an after-tax gain of ZAR1.6 billion booked during
the first half of 2015, thanks to an adjustment to metal inventory
levels, as well as low metal prices during the first half of 2016.
The company's average U.S. dollar basket price per platinum ounce
sold fell 24% in the first half of 2016 to $1,632 from $2,157 in
the first half of 2015.
Still, all mining operations continued to be cash flow positive,
and during the first half of 2016, Amplats reduced net debt 23% to
ZAR9.92 billion. Amplats also reaffirmed its production guidance
for the year, and said it expects platinum production to come in at
the upper end of the guided range of 2.3 million to 2.4 million
ounces.
Refined platinum production fell 8.2% to 1.01 million ounces in
the first six months of the year, while total platinum production
rose 1.8% to 1.15 million ounces, the company said. However,
despite benefits from a weaker South African rand and a rise in
platinum futures prices, overall metal prices continue to present a
challenge for the company
As a result, Amplats is continuing to restructure its operations
and is in the process of selling its Rustenburg assets, and
continues to look for a buyer for its Union mine, as well as an
exit from its joint ventures at the Bokoni, Pandora and Kroondal
mines.
"We've advanced disposals of noncore assets," Chief Executive
Chris Griffith said on a call Monday. The sale of the company's
Rustenburg assets to Sibanye Gold Ltd. is expected to close by the
end of 2016, Mr. Griffith said. In addition, a party interested in
the company's Union mine is currently completing due diligence on
the assets, he said.
"We are absolutely adamant that we are not going to have
unprofitable ounces going to the market," Mr. Griffith said.
Amplats, like other South African platinum producers, has been
hammered by labor issues and low prices, which have driven away
investment. Amplats reported net revenue of ZAR30.66 Billion for
the first half of the year, up 2.7% from the six months ended June
30, 2015, but missing expectations for revenue of ZAR32.5
billion.
Write to Alexandra Wexler at alexandra.wexler@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 25, 2016 06:35 ET (10:35 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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