Sylvania Platinum — Great cost control

Sylvania Platinum (AIM: SLP)

Last close As at 21/11/2024

GBP0.46

−2.50 (−5.15%)

Market capitalisation

GBP121m

More on this equity

Research: Metals & Mining

Sylvania Platinum — Great cost control

Sylvania’s Q222 report showed good cost control with the ZAR cost per oz down 5.5% on Q1 and direct operating costs down 1.4%. If sustained, FY22 costs will be 2% lower than our forecast, indicating operating margin upside. The FY22 PGM production estimate is 66,000 to 68,000oz. Revenue recovered from Q1, but remains under pressure relative to FY21 due to lower production and the average gross basket price. Despite a healthy pick-up in Q2 US$ net profit (80%), FY22 earnings will be affected by a slower recovery in basket prices. However, long-term valuation dynamics remain strong and could be enhanced with cost control. Sylvania’s share price is at a more than 40% discount to the valuation of 175p/share in our October 2021 initiation.

Metals & Mining

Sylvania Platinum

Great cost control

Q222 production report

Metals & mining

2 February 2022

Price

92.5p

Market cap

£252m

£/US$1.34

Net cash (US$m) at 31 December 2021

110

Shares in issue

272.95m

Free float

97.7%

Code

SLP

Primary exchange

AIM

Secondary exchange

N/A

Share price performance

%

1m

3m

12m

Abs

4.5

(13.6)

(13.6)

Rel (local)

3.9

(15.1)

(25.0)

52-week high/low

143p

84p

Business description

Sylvania Platinum focuses on the re-treatment and recovery of platinum group metals including platinum, palladium and rhodium, mainly from tailings dumps and other surface sources, but also lesser amounts of run-of-mine underground ore from Samancor chrome mines in South Africa.

Analysts

René Hochreiter

+44 (0)20 3077 5700

Lord Ashbourne
(formerly Charles Gibson)

+44 (0)20 3077 5700

Sylvania’s Q222 report showed good cost control with the ZAR cost per oz down 5.5% on Q1 and direct operating costs down 1.4%. If sustained, FY22 costs will be 2% lower than our forecast, indicating operating margin upside. The FY22 PGM production estimate is 66,000 to 68,000oz. Revenue recovered from Q1, but remains under pressure relative to FY21 due to lower production and the average gross basket price. Despite a healthy pick-up in Q2 US$ net profit (80%), FY22 earnings will be affected by a slower recovery in basket prices. However, long-term valuation dynamics remain strong and could be enhanced with cost control. Sylvania’s share price is at a more than 40% discount to the valuation of 175p/share in our October 2021 initiation.

Year end

Revenue (US$m)

PBT*
(US$m)

EPS*
(c)

DPS**
(p)

P/E
(x)

Yield
(%)

06/20

115

65

14.6

1.6

8.4

1.7

06/21

206

143

36.7

7.8

3.4

8.4

06/22e

177

106

27.5

4.0

4.5

4.3

06/23e

175

102

26.4

4.9

4.7

5.3

Note: *PBT and EPS are normalised, excluding amortisation of acquired intangibles, exceptional items and share-based payments. **DPS 06/21 includes a windfall dividend of 3.75p per share.

It is rare for South African mining companies to cut unit costs and the fall in cash unit (-10.4%) and all-in sustaining costs (-10.8%) in US$ terms is noteworthy, albeit with 5% rand depreciation. Production of four-element platinum group metal (4E PGM) improved by 5%. Combined with 5% higher recoveries due to improved flotation stability, Sylvania Dump Operations produced 16,605oz of 4E PGM in Q2.

The Lesedi ramp-up to normal production levels has been delayed due to the nature of the temporary tailings facility, difficulty recovering return water and the general water shortage in the area. Lesedi produced 1,500oz less than anticipated in Q2. New water pipelines and drilling more water boreholes to partially alleviate the shortage should be completed by March 2022. We expect the Lesedi second stage milling and flotation project to be commissioned by the end of Q322. Sylvania is investigating lower PGM grades at the Mooinooi plant in conjunction with the host mine to evaluate potential new feed sources.

Sylvania reported group EBITDA up 64% in US$ terms and 73% in ZAR terms, largely driven by a reversal of the sales adjustment, but assisted by more ounces produced and lower unit costs. Pre-adjustment revenue was 17.6% down on Q221 and 15.7% year to date due to lower production and basket prices. We forecast an increase in the basket price for the rest of the financial year due to demand dynamics and remain comfortable with our long-term outlook published in December. The company generated US$22.3m in cash in the quarter to end with a balance of US$110.1m, which was down from US$132.7m after paying a US$14.6m dividend and taxes of US$12.9m. The high cash balance supports a healthy dividend payout with the H122 results, and a windfall dividend is likely to be declared in February payable in April 2022.

Sylvania Platinum is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited

Our earnings and valuation are under review and will be published following Sylvania’s H122 results on 21 February 2022.

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Frankfurt +49 (0)69 78 8076 960

Schumannstrasse 34b

60325 Frankfurt

Germany

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United Kingdom

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1185 Avenue of the Americas

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United States of America

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Level 4, Office 1205

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NSW 2000, Australia

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