Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Antofagasta's first-half profits fall as expected

(Sharecast News) - Copper miner Antofagasta reported a 7% drop in half-year profits as higher prices were offset by falling volumes and higher depreciation and amortisation, though the bottom line came in slightly ahead of market forecasts. Pre-tax profit totalled $712.6m, down from $764.5m the year before but above the consensus forecast of $710.6m.

The company saw increased depreciation and amortisation, mainly due to the start of depreciating the assets at the Los Pelambres Phase 1 Expansion project, which is now in operation.

The headline profit figure also included an exceptional fair-value gain of $51m related to its recent investment in Peruvian base metals operator Buenaventura. Excluding this one-off gain, pre-tax profits would have been down 13% year-on-year at $661.6m.

While copper sales volumes were 6% lower than last year while gold volumes sank 23%, realised prices of both commodities increased 10% and 16% respectively, leading to a 2% uplift in revenues in the first half to $2,955m, more or less in line with forecasts.

Looking ahead, the miner reaffirmed full-year production guidance for output to be at the lower end of the 670,000-710,000 tonne range.

Cash cost guidance was also maintained, with after by-product credit costs expected at $1.70 a pound, down from $1.60 previously.

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Northvolt in talks with investors, lenders over €200m funding
(Sharecast News) - Battery maker Northvolt is reportedly in talks with investors and lenders to secure about €200m in short-term funding as it seeks to stabilise its finances.
Braveheart acquires 29.5pc stake in IQ-AI
(Sharecast News) - Braveheart Investment Group announced on Friday that it had acquired a 29.51% stake in IQ-AI, an imaging software and healthcare diagnostics company, for £0.72m.
Auction Technology Group performing well but improvements needed, says RBC
(Sharecast News) - RBC Capital Markets has trimmed its target price for Auction Technology Group (ATG) and kept a 'sector perform' stance on the stock, saying that it needs to see evidence of improving market conditions before turning more positive.
Digital 9 appoints new investment manager for portfolio wind-down
(Sharecast News) - Digital 9 Infrastructure announced the appointment of InfraRed Capital Partners as its new investment manager and alternative investment fund manager (AIFM) on Friday, overseeing the managed wind-down of its portfolio.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.