Newmont Announces Solid Second Quarter 2020 Results

Jul 30, 2020

DENVER - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT) (Newmont or the Company) today announced second quarter 2020 results.

SECOND QUARTER 2020 HIGHLIGHTS

Produced 1.3 million attributable ounces of gold* and reported CAS* of $748 per ounce and AISC* of $1,097 per ounce and produced 138 thousand attributable gold equivalent ounces from co-products
Generated $668 million of cash from continuing operations and $388 million of Free Cash Flow* while safely managing the ramp up of operations in care and maintenance
Reported $3.8 billion of consolidated cash with $6.7 billion of liquidity and a net debt to adjusted EBITDA* ratio of 0.6x
Declared second quarter dividend of $0.25 per share
Returned >$2.0 billion to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks since January 2019

“In the second quarter we delivered solid financial performance with $984 million in adjusted EBITDA and $388 million in free cash flow, both substantial increases over the prior year quarter. Our focus remains on ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce and neighboring communities as we manage through the Covid pandemic. I am very proud of our workforce for the agility and resolve that they have demonstrated during these challenging times," said Tom Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We safely and efficiently executed restart plans at our mines previously in care and maintenance and Newmont’s world-class portfolio is well positioned to deliver an even stronger second half of 2020. The ongoing favorable gold price environment amplifies our free cash flow generation yet our discipline around capital allocation will not change as we continue to invest in profitable projects and provide shareholders industry-leading returns while maintaining a strong balance sheet.”

- Tom Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer

COVID-19 UPDATE

Continued our wide-ranging controls at the Company's operations and offices to put the health, safety, and overall wellbeing of Newmont's people and communities above all else
Implemented effective quarantine and contact tracing procedures for positive cases
Executed safe and efficient restart plans at all five sites previously in care and maintenance, including Cerro Negro, Yanacocha, Éléonore and Peñasquito and Musselwhite
Delivered strong second quarter production despite a reduction of ~300Kozs gold and ~100Koz of co-product GEOs from operational downtime at sites in care and maintenance
Incurred $195 million of care and maintenance costs during the second quarter, which included wages, direct operating costs for critical activities and non-cash depreciation
Incurred $33 million of incremental Covid specific costs for activities such as additional health and safety procedures, increased transportation and community fund contributions
Distributed $5.7 million to date from Newmont's $20 million Global Community Support Fund focused on employee and community health, food security and local economic resilience through partnerships with local governments, medical institutions, charities and non-governmental organizations

SECOND QUARTER 2020 FINANCIAL AND PRODUCTION SUMMARY

Attributable gold production1 decreased 21 percent to 1,255 thousand ounces from the prior year quarter primarily due to the sites in care and maintenance and the sale of Red Lake and Kalgoorlie, partially offset by higher grades at Porcupine and higher grades and increased throughput at Tanami.

Gold CAS2 decreased 24 percent to $940 million from the prior year quarter due to the sites in care and maintenance and Gold CAS per ounce improved one percent to $748 per ounce primarily due to lower stockpile and leach pad inventory adjustments, partially offset by lower ounces sold.

Gold AISC3 increased eight percent to $1,097 per ounce from the prior year quarter primarily due to care and maintenance costs, partially offset by lower sustaining capital spend.

Attributable gold equivalent ounce (GEO) production from other metals increased to 138 thousand ounces primarily due to the impact of the blockade at Peñasquito in North America last year, partially offset by the classification of copper as a by-product at Phoenix following the formation of Nevada Gold Mines, and lower grade and throughput at Boddington. CAS from other metals totaled $118 million for the quarter. CAS per GEO2 improved by 58 percent to $555 per ounce from the prior year quarter primarily due to higher sales at Peñasquito, partially offset by higher mill maintenance costs at Boddington and the classification of copper as a by-product at Phoenix. AISC per GEO3 improved 41 percent to $974 per ounce primarily due to lower CAS from other metals.

Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Newmont stockholders for the quarter was $412 million or $0.51 per diluted share, an increase of $411 million from the prior year quarter primarily due to higher average realized gold prices, the increase in fair value of investments, lower operating costs and lower transaction and integration costs; partially offset by lower sales volumes from certain sites in care and maintenance and the sale of Kalgoorlie.

Adjusted net income4was $261 million or $0.32 per diluted share,compared to $92 million or $0.12 per diluted share in the prior year quarter. The adjustments to net income of $0.19 primarily related to changes in the fair value of investments, COVID-19 specific costs, valuation allowance and other tax adjustments, and transaction and integration costs. Adjusted EBITDA5 improved 45 percent to $984 million for the quarter, compared to $679 million for the prior year quarter.

Revenue increasedfive percent from the prior year quarter to $2,365 million primarily due to higher average realized gold prices, partially offset by lower gold sales volumes.

Average realized price6 for gold was $1,724, an increase of $407 per ounce over the prior year quarter; average realized price for copper was $2.91, an increase of $0.43 per pound over the prior year quarter; average realized price for silver was $14.70 per ounce, an increase of $0.50 per ounce over the prior year quarter; average realized price for lead was $0.75 per pound, a decrease of $0.01 per pound; average realized price for zinc was $0.70 per pound, and there were no zinc sales in the prior year quarter.

Capital expenditures7 decreased by 26 percent from the prior year quarter to $280 million, primarily due to lower spend from five operations being placed into care and maintenance, lower sustaining capital spend from the sale of Red Lake and Kalgoorlie, and reduced spending from the completion of Borden Underground, Ahafo Mill Expansion, and other projects in 2019. Development capital expenditures in 2020 primarily include advancing Tanami Expansion 2, Yanacocha Sulfides, Ahafo North and Subika mining method change, Musselwhite Materials Handling and conveyor installation, Éléonore Lower Mine Material Handling System, Quecher Main, and projects associated with the Company’s ownership interest in Nevada Gold Mines.

Consolidated operating cash flow from continuing operations increased 122 percent from the prior year quarter to $668 million due to higher realized gold prices, partially offset by lower sales volumes. Free Cash Flow8alsoincreased to $388 million primarily due to higher operating cash flow and lower capital expenditures.

Balance sheet ended the quarter with $3.8 billion of consolidated cash and approximately $6.7 billion of liquidity; reported net debt to adjusted EBITDA of 0.6x9.

Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) attributable gold production was 326 thousand ounces with CAS of $797 per ounce and AISC of $979 per ounce for the second quarter 2020. EBITDA for NGM was $277 million.

PROJECTS UPDATE

Newmont’s capital-efficient project pipeline supports stable production with improving margins and mine life. Funding for the current development capital projects Tanami Expansion 2 and Musselwhite Materials Handling has been approved and the projects are in execution. Additional projects not listed below represent incremental improvements to the Company's outlook.

Tanami Expansion 2 (Australia) secures Tanami’s future as a long-life, low cost producer with potential to extend mine life to 2040 through the addition of a 1,460 meter hoisting shaft and supporting infrastructure to achieve 3.5 million tonnes per year of production and provide a platform for future growth. The expansion is expected to increase average annual gold production by approximately 150,000 to 200,000 ounces per year for the first five years beginning in 2023, and is expected to reduce operating costs by approximately 10 percent. Capital costs for the project are estimated to be between $700 million and $800 million.
Musselwhite Materials Handling (North America) improves material movement from Musselwhite’s two main zones below Lake Opapimiskan. An underground shaft will hoist ore from the underground crushers, reducing haulage distances and ventilation costs. The project is 95 percent complete; however, full commissioning has been delayed amidst the Covid pandemic as Musselwhite operations were previously on care and maintenance. The Company expects to commission the project upon completion of the Musselwhite conveyor system by the end of 2020.

OUTLOOK

On May 19, Newmont provided revised 2020 outlook as the Company's mines that were previously in care and maintenance began ramping up. Today, the Company is reaffirming its latest 2020 production outlook and is providing additional details on its regional and site-level guidance.

Newmont's 2020 attributable gold production remains at approximately 6.0 million ounces and the Company expects to produce approximately 1.0 million gold equivalent ounces from co-products. Gold CAS has been lowered to $760 per ounce, while gold AISC is unchanged at $1,015 per ounce on increased sustaining capital spend.

Newmont continues to progress the majority of its development and sustaining capital projects, including Tanami Expansion 2, developing the sub-level shrinkage mining method at Subika Underground and advancing laybacks at Boddington and Ahafo. However, total 2020 capital expenditure is expected to be approximately $1.4 billion due to reductions in non-essential activities and changes to the development capital schedule for Tanami Expansion 2, which defers some expenditure to 2021.

For exploration and advanced projects, approximately 80 percent of the Company’s exploration budget is allocated to near-mine activities and the majority of those programs continued through the second quarter at sites that were operating. Newmont's 2020 exploration and advanced project spend has been lowered to approximately $350 million as all Greenfield programs were suspended and infill drilling programs were on hold at operations in care and maintenance. The Company is currently ramping up drilling programs and preparing to restart Greenfields activities as soon as local restrictions are lifted in areas of Africa, Australia and South America. Advanced project study work for Yanacocha Sulfides and Ahafo North continues remotely.

Newmont will continue to maintain wide-ranging protective measures for its workforce and neighboring communities, including screening, physical distancing, deep cleaning, and avoiding exposure for at-risk individuals. If at any point the Company determines that continuing operations poses an increased risk to our workforce or host communities, it will reduce operational activities up to and including care and maintenance and management of critical environmental systems. Newmont’s 2020 outlook assumes operations continue throughout the remainder of the year without major interruptions.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Non-GAAP financial measures are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standard meaning prescribed by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Unless otherwise noted, we present the Non-GAAP financial measures of our continuing operations in the tables below. For additional information regarding our discontinued operations, see Note 13 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Adjusted net income (loss)

Management uses Adjusted net income (loss) to evaluate the Company’s operating performance and for planning and forecasting future business operations. The Company believes the use of Adjusted net income (loss) allows investors and analysts to understand the results of the continuing operations of the Company and its direct and indirect subsidiaries relating to the sale of products, by excluding certain items that have a disproportionate impact on our results for a particular period. Adjustments to continuing operations are presented before tax and net of our partners’ noncontrolling interests, when applicable. The tax effect of adjustments is presented in the Tax effect of adjustments line and is calculated using the applicable regional tax rate. Management’s determination of the components of Adjusted net income (loss) are evaluated periodically and based, in part, on a review of non-GAAP financial measures used by mining industry analysts.

Free Cash Flow

Management uses Free Cash Flow as a non-GAAP measure to analyze cash flows generated from operations. Free Cash Flow is Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities of discontinued operations less Additions to property, plant and mine development as presented on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company believes Free Cash Flow is also useful as one of the bases for comparing the Company’s performance with its competitors. Although Free Cash Flow and similar measures are frequently used as measures of cash flows generated from operations by other companies, the Company’s calculation of Free Cash Flow is not necessarily comparable to such other similarly titled captions of other companies.

The presentation of non-GAAP Free Cash Flow is not meant to be considered in isolation or as an alternative to net income as an indicator of the Company’s performance, or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of liquidity as those terms are defined by GAAP, and does not necessarily indicate whether cash flows will be sufficient to fund cash needs. The Company’s definition of Free Cash Flow is limited in that it does not represent residual cash flows available for discretionary expenditures due to the fact that the measure does not deduct the payments required for debt service and other contractual obligations or payments made for business acquisitions. Therefore, the Company believes it is important to view Free Cash Flow as a measure that provides supplemental information to the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of Free Cash Flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, to Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, which the Company believes to be the GAAP financial measure most directly comparable to Free Cash Flow, as well as information regarding Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities and Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities.

Costs applicable to sales per ounce/gold equivalent ounce

Costs applicable to sales per ounce/gold equivalent ounce are non-GAAP financial measures. These measures are calculated by dividing the costs applicable to sales of gold and other metals by gold ounces or gold equivalent ounces sold, respectively. These measures are calculated for the periods presented on a consolidated basis. Costs applicable to sales per ounce/gold equivalent ounce statistics are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The measures are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under GAAP. Other companies may calculate these measures differently.

Gold by-product metrics

Copper, sliver, lead and zinc are by-products often obtained during the process of extracting and processing the primary ore-body. In our GAAP Consolidated Financial Statements, the value of these by-products is recorded as a credit to our CAS and the value of the primary ore is recorded as Sales. In certain instances, copper, silver, lead and zinc are co-products, or a significant resource in the primary ore-body, and the revenue is recorded as Sales in our GAAP Consolidated Financial Statements.

Gold by-product metrics are non-GAAP financial measures that serve as a basis for comparing the Company’s performance with certain competitors. As Newmont’s operations are primarily focused on gold production, “Gold by-product metrics” were developed to allow investors to view Sales, CAS per ounce and AISC per ounce calculations that classify all copper, silver, lead and zinc production as a by-product, even when copper, silver, lead or zinc is a significant resource in the primary ore-body. These metrics are calculated by subtracting copper, silver, lead and zinc sales recognized from Sales and including these amounts as offsets to CAS.

Gold by-product metrics are calculated on a consistent basis for the periods presented on a consolidated basis. These metrics are intended to provide supplemental information only, do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may calculate these measures differently as a result of differences in the underlying accounting principles, policies applied and in accounting frameworks, such as in IFRS.

About Newmont

Newmont is the world’s leading gold company and a producer of copper, silver, zinc and lead. The Company’s world-class portfolio of assets, prospects and talent is anchored in favorable mining jurisdictions in North America, South America, Australia and Africa. Newmont is the only gold producer listed in the S&P 500 Index and is widely recognized for its principled environmental, social and governance practices. The Company is an industry leader in value creation, supported by robust safety standards, superior execution and technical proficiency. Newmont was founded in 1921 and has been publicly traded since 1925.

Source: https://www.newmont.com/investors/news-release/news-details/2020/Newmont-Announces-Solid-Second-Quarter-2020-Results/default.aspx

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Newmont Announces Solid Second Quarter 2020 Results