Mining’s old guard needs strong medicine
A new report details subpar investor returns in the mining industry over the last decade, particularly big cap diversified companies which have not adapted to new realities.
China Shenhua Energy Co., the country’s biggest coal miner, said profit jumped to the highest level since 2012 as robust demand and government efforts to rein in overcapacity helped bolster prices.
Net income climbed to 47.8 billion yuan ($7.6 billion) from 24.9 billion yuan a year ago, the Beijing-based miner said in a statement Friday to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Revenue rose 35.8 per cent to 248.7 billion yuan. The company, which also runs power stations and railroads, had flagged the profit jump in January.
Coal prices were supercharged last year as China pressed on with efforts to cut overcapacity by shuttering some mines and restricting imports, aiding major producers including Shenhua, Yanzhou Coal Mining Co. and China Coal Energy Co. Demand was also underpinned by robust economic growth. Still, there’s concern the good times will end as prices have eased in recent months and analysts are warning of further declines as mines ramp up output.
Spot coal at the Chinese port of Qinhuangdao averaged 36 per cent higher last year and hit 751 yuan in January, the most since 2012, according to China Coal Resource. Prices, which have since eased to 636 yuan as of March 19, may decline about 5 per cent this year, Shanxi-based Fenwei Energy estimates.
Coal Targets
Shenhua targets output this year of 290 million tons after posting a 1.9 per cent rise to 295.4 million for 2017. Coal sales will also slide to 430 million tons, from almost 444 million tons. As the country brings on new “advanced” capacity mines this year, the nation’s overall coal output will likely increase while imports will remain steady, the company said.
Shenhua proposed a final dividend of 0.91 yuan per share for 2017, a far cry from the large special dividend the previous year that sent its shares jumping.
Separately, Yanzhou said Friday that net income jumped more than fourfold to 7.36 billion yuan. Revenue gained almost 48 percent to 151.2 billion yuan, the Shandong-based miner said in a statement.
The company’s coal sales last year rose 29 per cent to 96.8 million tons after new mines in Inner Mongolia started operation and the acquisition of Coal & Allied Industries Ltd. in Australia was completed in September, it said. Net income was also helped by its subsidiary, Yancoal Australia Ltd., swinging to a record profit from a loss the previous year, the company said.
Yanzhou also reported impairments of more than 2.2 billion yuan, including bad debts and depreciation of inventory. A company statement showed the bulk of the writedowns came from almost 1.5 billion yuan in assets held by Inner Mongolia Xintai Coal Mining Co., without providing further details.
China Coal, the country’s largest listed miner after Shenhua, reported net income doubled to 3.49 billion yuan last year. While the producer said China may face coal shortages from time to time, it warned the nation’s consumption will slow.
— With assistance by Jing Yang.
