Final Results

Ferrexpo PLC 01 April 2008 1 April 2008 Preliminary Results for the Twelve Months ended 31 December 2007 Financial highlights > Revenue up by 28% to US$698m > EBITDA up by 65% to US$246m > EBIT for the year up by 63% to US$187m > Underlying earnings(1) up by 128% to US$152m > Operating C1 costs increased 8.6% vs Ukrainian PPI of 23.3% > Strong balance sheet. Gearing reduced to 26% from 48% > Dividend of 3.2 cents per share Operating highlights > 9% increase in iron ore output to 28.9 million tonnes > 19% increase in production of high quality (65% Fe) pellets from Company's own ore > Substantial savings in raw materials and energy per unit of output > Intensification of works in the northern extension of the current mine to increase the short-term iron ore output > Commencement of operations in Yeristovskoye deposit: infrastructure and site preparation works underway > Operations commenced at the TIS-Ruda port facility and established own fleet of railway cars Financial and production highlights (US$ '000, unless stated) 12 months ended 31 December 2007 12 months ended 31 December 2006 % Change ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iron ore production (kt) 28,934 26,425 +9% Pellet production from own ore (kt) 8,793 8,149 +8% Of which 65% Fe content(kt) 3,701 3,112 +19% Revenue 698,216 547,310 +28% EBITDA 246,057 149,142 +65% EBIT 186,935 114,850 +63% Pre-Tax Profit 160,760 80,737 +99% Underlying earnings(1) 151,545 66,359 +128% Basic EPS (US cents per share (Usc)) 20.41 10.47 +95% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (1) 'Underlying earnings' is an alternative earnings measure, which the directors believe provides a clearer picture of the underlying financial performance of the Group's operations. Underlying earnings is presented after minority interests and excludes adjusted items. Adjusted items are those items of financial performance that the Group believes should be separately disclosed on the face of the income statement to assist in the understanding of the underlying financial performance achieved by the Group. Adjusted items that relate to the operating performance of the Group include impairment charges and reversals and other exceptional items. Non-operating adjusting items include profits and losses on disposal of investments and businesses. Michael Abrahams, Chairman of Ferrexpo plc commented: '2007 was a significant and successful year for Ferrexpo. We became the first Ukrainian company to list on the London Stock Exchange. As such we are committed to best practice in our operations, marketing and corporate governance, and we are developing a significant and realistic growth programme. At a time of market volatility, Ferrexpo is well positioned for profitable long term growth. We continue to develop our existing operations and progress discussions with potential strategic partners with the intention to quadruple our output over the next 10 years.' Mike Oppenheimer, CEO of Ferrexpo plc commented: 'We have delivered an excellent set of results, having increased volumes, delivered further real cost reductions and operational improvements, taking full advantage of the increasingly strong pricing environment for our products. Our favourable location and commitment to product quality have resulted in further progress towards our objective of being the supplier of choice for our major customers; we have successfully moved our sales book to the desired level of long term contracts with direct linkage to global pricing. As we look forward, continued strong iron ore demand and pricing, tight cost control and an accelerated development of our resources present us with significant opportunities to create shareholder value.' For further information, please contact: Ferrexpo: +44 207 389 8304 Mike Oppenheimer, CEO Chris Mawe, CFO Gavin Mackay, Manager Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Finsbury: +44 207 251 3801 Robin Walker Alex Simmons Notes to editors: Ferrexpo plc is a Swiss headquartered resources company with assets in Ukraine, principally involved in the production and export of iron ore pellets, used in producing steel. Current output is over 9 million tonnes, approximately 85% of which is exported to steelmakers around the world. The Ferrexpo Group listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange in June 2007 under the ticker FXPO. For further information please visit www.ferrexpo.com. Chairman's statement A significant and successful year I am pleased to report that Ferrexpo has achieved strong operational and financial performance for its first full year reporting period as a publicly listed company. The Group retained its leading position as the largest exporter of iron ore pellets from the Ukraine and made considerable progress towards its stated objective of becoming a world-class resources company. We are committed to best practice in our operations, marketing and corporate governance, and we are developing a significant and realistic growth programme. At an operational level, we increased production from our existing mine for the sixth year in a row, producing a total of 9.1mt of iron ore pellets, an increase of 6% compared to 2006. Importantly, we produced 19% more high quality 65% Fe pellets from our own ore. The increases in volume and product quality resulted directly from continued improvements in operating efficiency and capital investment. This strong operational performance and the positive pricing that we have seen over the year resulted in an excellent financial performance: revenues for 2007 were up 28% at US$698.2m (US$547.3m). pre-tax profit increased by 99% to US$160.8m (US$80.7m); and Group EBITDA for the period increased by 65% to US$246.1m (US$149.1m). Positioned for accelerated growth Our excellent operational and financial performance in 2007 has established a strong foundation for the accelerated growth plans of the Group. At the start of the year, we set out to achieve improvements in operating efficiency, product quality and production growth. In marketing, we aimed to become the iron ore supplier of choice in our key markets. We have succeeded in all these endeavours, with substantial progress being made both at our existing operations and with our growth projects. We hold the exclusive licences to a world class iron ore resource, are positioned close to our core markets, and operating in a global market environment that is increasingly positive for our business. Among the world's iron ore producers, we are very favourably positioned to take advantage of the opportunities these circumstances present and have made significant progress in developing the range of capabilities required to do so. Our strategy is to maximise the value of the Group through the accelerated commercialisation of our extensive undeveloped ore deposits, whilst ensuring continuous production growth and cost competitiveness in our existing operations. The Board continues to refine and develop this strategy, with an overarching focus on management's priorities to establish the operational, financial and risk management capabilities required for aggressive delivery on our project pipeline. Market environment Globally, iron ore is currently in short supply, driven by demand from developing nations, in particular China and India, and in our core Eastern European markets, where per capita steel consumption continues to grow in line with their strong economic growth. This demand and supply dynamic has led to significant increases in international benchmark prices, and we anticipate further uplifts to our product prices in the current year on the back of continued demand growth. Our customers foresee continuing solid demand for steel in 2008. We believe that the existing positive market environment for our business is likely to continue for the next two years and beyond. This is fundamentally due to sustained strong demand for steel products and steel-making raw materials not only in the developing economies of China and India, but also in Eastern Europe, the former CIS and several other parts of the world. Strong iron ore pricing is being underpinned by a slow supply response from the mining industry, attributable to the acute execution difficulties being experienced by many of the projects that have been launched to meet the demand surge, the need to develop lower quality ore bodies and massive infrastructure investments required for many of the new green field developments. The global steel industry has also been subject to increased environmental limits on sinter plant construction, a declining global supply of high quality lump iron ore and heightened productivity targets in steel making. These factors are likely to result in sustained higher consumption ratios of pellets versus other forms of iron ore feed. From a cost perspective, the industry has witnessed fundamental structural changes in the past year. The production cost of the marginal tonne of iron ore has risen substantially and, in the view of many market commentators, permanently. We believe that this rebasing of production costs provides a new floor for iron ore prices. Marketing and logistics We have had a very successful year in the crucial areas of marketing and distribution, having extended one of our largest long term contracts to 2015, and initiated a major new long term supply agreement in Ukraine. To ensure access to world markets, the TIS-Ruda ocean-vessel port facility was commissioned in May 2007 and formally recognised by the Port of Yuzhny in October 2007. Ferrexpo owns 49% of TIS-Ruda, the first privately owned dry bulk commodity terminal in the former CIS, and has access to its 5mtpa export capacity. To enhance the reliability of supply, we are also in the process of procuring up to 550 railcars for use on the state railway infrastructure. We continue to develop the Group's logistical capabilities throughout the delivery chain to allow further expansion of our global customer base in anticipation of our growing production. Investing activities Operating cash flow for 2007 was US$188.8m, an increase of 176% over the previous year (US$68.3m). Together with the proceeds from our listing in June, this strong cash flow has allowed us to initiate investment in our accelerated growth strategy. The Group invested US$104.4m in continuing to develop and upgrade our existing operations in 2007, and, in November 2007, the Board committed a further US$158m in development capital expenditure for this purpose. In addition to the expansion and optimisation of the existing mine, we are focusing our investment activities primarily on our major growth projects. The Board has approved a new accelerated business plan which envisages the parallel development of several of the Group's major expansion projects. The first of these is Yeristovskoye, for which the Board committed US$47m in September 2007 for new draglines. This equipment will be used to commence stripping operations at the Yeristovskoye deposit in 2008. Health and safety Considerable progress has been made in establishing health, safety and environmental management ('HSE') systems at Ferrexpo Poltava Mining ('FPM') and a culture of continuous improvement in HSE performance is evident. Sadly, we suffered a fatality during 2007 and a further two in 2008. These tragedies are totally unacceptable and have provided a rallying point for us to redouble our efforts in continuing to introduce best practice in health and safety management. We have now appointed Du Pont Safety Resources who has an outstanding record of success in assisting companies to achieve a 'zero harm' objective. Management & people We continued to strengthen our management and operational capability. We are pleased to welcome to the Board Chris Mawe (previously Finance Director of UK Coal plc) as Chief Financial Officer and Oliver Baring (Chairman of Mwana Africa plc) as Senior Independent Non-executive Director. Our strong performance in 2007 is a direct result of the quality and dedication of our people and their enthusiastic support for the major change programmes that are now underway across all facets of our business. We are committed to building the additional capability required to implement our aggressive growth plans in line with best practice, while containing costs and this is a critical priority for our executive team. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank all our employees and our key partners for their ongoing support and contribution. Corporate governance and social responsibility I am pleased to report that the Group has achieved substantial compliance with the UK Combined Code on Corporate Governance within six months of its listing on the London Stock Exchange, and our governance regime is now broadly in line with best practice. The Board remains firmly committed to delivering high standards of corporate governance in the future. The Board has constituted a Corporate Social Responsibility ('CSR') Committee, chaired by our Chief Executive, to monitor the management of the Group's health, safety, environmental and community programmes. CSR remains a priority and we are continuing to develop further initiatives to institutionalise safety conscious behaviour, actively engage with local communities and to minimise our impact on the environment. Outlook The current year has started strongly with substantial increases in global iron ore prices being announced. This has created a very positive environment for the annual price negotiations with our major customers and we expect the global pricing trends to flow through to our new contract prices from 1 April 2008. We continue to grow production as our improvement and efficiency programmes impact positively upon operations. Whilst we expect cost inflation to remain a factor, as a result of both industry wide issues and, in the short term, domestic Ukrainian inflationary pressures, particularly affecting those costs which are State-regulated, our continued focus on efficiency will serve to mitigate this to some extent. Overall, based on the fundamentals of our company and the market, the substantial progress we are making with our existing mines and the execution of our growth projects, the Directors believe the Group is well positioned for continued profitable growth. Dividend The Directors recommend a dividend in respect of profits generated for the Ferrexpo Group in 2007 of 3.2 cents per share, for payment on 19 May 2008 to shareholders who were on the register of members at the close of business on 18 April 2008. Operating and financial review Operating performance review Highlights > 9% increase in iron ore output to 28.9 million tonnes > 19% increase in production of high quality (65% Fe) pellets from Company's own ore > Substantial savings in raw materials and energy per unit of output > Intensification of works in the northern extension of the current mine to increase the short-term iron ore output > Commencement of operations in Yeristovskoye deposit: infrastructure and site preparation works underway > Operations commenced at the TIS-Ruda port facility and established own fleet of railway cars Production Operating statistics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ UOM FY2007 FY2006 Change +/- % ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Iron ore mined 000't 28 934 26 425 2 509 9 Fe content % 29.91 29.72 0.19 1 Iron ore processed 000't 29 024 26 507 2 517 9 Concentrate produced (WMS) 000't 10 651 9 695 956 10 Fe content % 63.50 63.36 0.14 - Floated concentrate 000't 5 620 4 418 1 202 27 High grade 000't 4 032 3 392 640 19 Fe content % 67.28 67.25 0.03 - Purchased concentrate 000't 266 441 (175) (40) Fe content % 64.06 63.68 0.38 1 Purchased iron ore 000't 172 51 121 237 Pellets produced from own ore 000't 8 793 8 149 644 8 Higher grade 000't 3 701 3 112 589 19 Fe content % 65,09 65,06 0,03 - Lower grade 000't 5 092 5 037 55 1 Fe content % 62.22 62.22 0.00 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UOM FY2007 FY2006 Change +/- % ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pellets produced from purchased concentrate and ore 000't 279 401 (122) (30) Lower grade 000't 207 392 (185) (47) Fe content % 62.22 62.22 (0.0) (0) Total pellet production 000't 9 072 8 550 522 6 Pellet sales volume 000't 9 261 8 740 521 6 ---------------- ------- -------- -------- -------- ------ Gravel output 000't 3 162 3 023 139 5 Stripping volume 000'm3 18 664 18 517 147 1 In 2007, the goals for our existing operations at FPM centred on continuing the demonstrated trend of improvements across all areas of CSR, and in operating efficiency, product quality and production growth. FPM mined 28,934kt of iron ore in 2007, 9.5% more than in the previous year. FPM currently mines two different types of iron ore; K22 which is a richer ore containing a slightly higher percentage of iron, and K23 which is a leaner ore containing slightly less iron. Improvements in mining conditions in the pit meant that production growth was accompanied by a 17% increase in the proportion of rich (K22) ore mined. This increase in the overall quality of the ore mined resulted in a decrease in the proportion of lean (K23) ore used for processing to 53.8% (compared to 56.7% in 2006), which assisted in increasing the operational efficiency of the FPM concentrating plant and improving concentrate quality. FPM produced 10,651kt of concentrate in 2007, a 10% increase compared to 2006. Emphasis was placed on achieving higher quality concentrate. Upgrades to FPM's beneficiation technology resulted in improvements in magnetic iron yield to 92.4% (91.8% in 2006). The quality of concentrate in the year under review increased to 63.50% Fe, continuing the improving trend seen in previous years (63.36% and 62.63% in 2006 and 2005 respectively). Total pellet production in 2007 increased by 6% to 9,072kt (8,550kt in 2006). Production of pellets from own ore increased by 8%, while production of pellets from purchased ore and concentrate declined as a result of concentrate market tightness and the consequent inability of the Group to realise sufficient margins from this business. As a result of FPM's efficiency and mining volume improvements in 2007, the decline in production of pellets from purchased raw materials was more than offset by the increase in production of pellets from FPM's own produced concentrate. The improvements in concentrate quality and increases in flotation volumes enabled FPM to substantially increase its production of higher quality 65% Fe pellets. Production of 65% Fe pellets from own ore increased by 19% to 3,701kt, and now constitutes 42% of FPM's total production (38% in 2006), consistent with the Group's commitment to quality enhancement and its 'value in use' marketing strategy. As a result of international iron ore benchmark price increases in 2007 and success in our continued efforts to increase prices to appropriate levels on a delivered, 'value in use' basis, the Group achieved an average Delivery at Frontier ('DAF')/ Free on board ('FOB') price of US$72.3 per tonne of pellets sold in 2007, a 17% increase over the average achieved price in the previous year (US$61.8 per tonne). At year end, the Group was selling approximately 85% of its output to established clients on the basis of long term supply agreements. Business improvement programme We have continued to see positive results from our Business Improvement Programme ('BIP'), which remains a priority for FPM management. We have committed to an intensification of the BIP programme at FPM to accelerate the shift towards best in class operational performance assisted by GPR Dehler, a consultant widely used in the mining industry to facilitate improvement initiatives. FPM is now two years into a four-year programme which aims to introduce global best operating practice across its different areas of operation. Following BIP recommendations, FPM concentrated on implementing various improvements to its mining facility in 2007, principally around the planning and organisation of maintenance and repairs. This resulted in substantial improvements in the availability and utilisation of mining equipment. It also enabled FPM to increase the operating efficiency of its existing mining equipment, allowing it to scale down plans to increase its equipment fleet and thereby avoid unnecessary capital expenditure. As part of the BIP, the Group also implemented a range of training sessions for managers and employees, and set up an initial team of FPM employees with responsibility for implementing and monitoring the ongoing BIP initiatives. The Group has implemented various management changes, aimed at creating a culture of continuous improvement. Costs The Group's cash cost of pellet production ('C1') in 2007 was US$31.79 per tonne, an increase of 8.6% over 2006 (US$29.26 per tonne). The Ukrainian Producer Price Index ('PPI'), however, increased by 23.3% over the year. Relative to PPI, the Group therefore achieved a significant (approximately 15 percentage points) real term reduction in costs compared to 2006. The challenge facing the Group in 2007 was to sustain operating efficiency under these inflationary conditions. Management efforts were focused on implementing measures aimed at reducing the rates of consumption of energy and raw materials through efficiency initiatives and improvements in technology. Electricity consumption per tonne of pellets produced from own ore, the largest single cost item, declined by 3.3% to 190.9KWHr per tonne of pellets produced from own ore during 2007. Gas consumption reduced by 8.5% requiring 18.44 thousand cubic metres per tonne of pellets compared to 2006. There was also a decline of approximately 4% in the consumption of steel grinding bodies in 2007. More efficient use of machinery was also a factor mitigating against inflationary increases. Efficiency programmes resulted in a reduction of the average number of employees by 11% in 2007. Overall, 9,188 people were employed as at 31 December 2007. This was due to more efficient operations and improved organisation. Total payroll costs were US$5.78 per tonne of pellets in 2007, an increase of 4% compared to 2006, significantly below the prevailing inflation rate of 16.6%. FPM has achieved a reduction in its labour cost in real terms, given the 11% reduction in personnel and the fact that Ukrainian CPI increased by 16.6% in 2007. Total payroll cost in 2007 was US$42.6m (2006: US$38.3m), or US$4.70 per tonne of pellets produced (2006: US$4.48 per tonne). The Group's costs are principally denominated in Ukrainian Hryvnia, which is a managed currency currently maintained at UAH5.05 to the US dollar. Distribution costs per tonne of pellets increased by 9.9%, from US$9.88 per tonne in 2006 to US$10.86 per tonne in 2007. This resulted from increases in railway tariffs and port charges imposed by the Ukrainian authorities. The Group has begun to implement a series of measures to minimise the effect of rising distribution costs. These include railcar purchases, renegotiating freight terms with customers, using transhipment ports with lower charges, using its own barge port on the Dnieper River more intensively and investment in the TIS-Ruda port facility. Capital expenditure The Group's total capital expenditure in 2007 was US$104.4m, 114% more than in 2006 (US$48.8m). The major part of this, US$56.9m, was invested in the mining complex. The Group announced the commitment of US$47m of capital expenditure for six draglines to be used for stripping operations at the new Yeristovskoye mine in September 2007, and a further US$158m for the expansion and extension of the current GPL mine. In March 2008 the Group announced US$55m for initial mining equipment for Yeristovskoye. Growth projects Mine expansion and life extension at existing operations We carried out extensive engineering work on the Gorishne - Plavninskoye - Lavrikovskoye (GPL) mine in 2007, in the course of fulfilling our commitment to optimising our existing facilities. The work was undertaken in conjunction with Turgis Consulting (Proprietary) Limited ('Turgis'), the company's South Africa-based mining engineering partner. This work revealed the potential to expand and improve the mine beyond what was thought feasible at the time of our listing on the London Stock Exchange. The culmination of this came in November 2007 when the Group announced the commencement of a project to expand production at its current GPL mining operation to approximately 32mtpa by 2011 and to extend the life of the mine at these higher production levels for at least the period to 2032. The design of the pit expansion is such that the incremental ore mined will consist entirely of richer (K22) ore, all of which will be used to produce FPM's higher quality pellets. This project is currently underway, with the additional ore production allowing the Group to take advantage of currently under-utilised processing capacity. This will increase high quality pellet production by approximately 15%, or 1.3mtpa. We expect this project to deliver meaningful and capital-efficient growth as we continue to pursue opportunities for extracting greater value from our current operations. The capital expenditure committed to this project in 2007 will be spent on stripping works over the next three years, with the remainder to be spent on additional mining equipment. Major growth projects At the time of our listing on the London Stock Exchange, in June 2007, we informed the market that we planned to double our production by 2014. We proposed to do this by commissioning a second open-cut mine immediately to the north of our existing GPL mine, on the Yeristovskoye deposit. We now believe that further accelerated development of the deposits to the north of the GPL mine is feasible. Studies underway on the Yeristovskoye and Belanovskoye deposits indicate that they can be developed essentially in parallel. Work is also proceeding on plans to develop Galeshchinskoye, the deposit to the north of Belanovskoye. Given the positive conditions prevailing in the global iron ore market and our enhanced operational and project execution capability, this acceleration will be of great benefit to Ferrexpo. We are now contemplating a fourfold increase in ore production within the next 10 years. We are planning to accelerate the development of the Yeristovskoye mine by one year, and then to develop a mine at the Belanovskoye deposit soon thereafter. First ore from the Yeristovskoye mine is now expected in 2011, with infrastructure and site preparation works already underway. Six new draglines were ordered in September to assist in the stripping of Yeristovskoye at a cost of US$47m. The Yeristovskoye mine is currently in detailed feasibility study, and the Board expects to consider final investment commitment to the entire project during Q3 2008. Belanovskoye is currently at the pre-feasibility study stage, and development option studies for the Galeshchinskoye deposit are now in progress. We have made significant progress in developing the capability to execute these expansion projects. A new operating entity, separate from FPM, is being established to develop and ultimately operate the new assets and key senior managers have been appointed. This will facilitate the immediate introduction of best practice into these assets. We are developing our mining alliance with DTP Terassement S.A. (France) ('DTP') and project management alliance with Worley Parsons Europe Limited, and these are gathering momentum and have been instrumental in enabling us to aggressively pursue these growth projects with confidence. Our growth projects are brownfield expansions of our existing business, supported by our existing transport and logistics infrastructure, and as, such represent substantially lower risk additions of new iron ore capacity than many of the iron ore projects that have been announced worldwide. The Group formed the separate operating entity to administer the three major growth projects separately from the GPL operation. The Group has appointed George Mover as Director General (designate) for this entity, and Nikolay Goroshko, the former Acting Chief Financial Officer for the Group, has moved to become Chief Commercial Officer with responsibility for all financial and commercial aspects of the projects. Dave Webster has moved from Chief Projects Officer for the Group to Interim Chief Operating Officer with oversight of the major growth projects and the GPL expansion project. It is intended that this separate operational entity will have best practice operations from the outset. The Group is actively recruiting quality employees for these projects, and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DTP in respect of the planned contract mining alliance for Yeristovskoye. We are confident in our capacity to fund and execute our growth plans from our own resources. However, we are actively discussing the mutual benefits of investments in our growth assets with a range of strategic investors to provide the additional funding and execution capability that will be required if we are to progress our plans as aggressively as possible in order to take advantage of the extremely positive outlook for our products. Marketing Ferrexpo is a well established producer and has been supplying iron ore pellets to some of its key customers for more than 20 years. Several of the Group's traditional customers within Central and Eastern Europe operate steel plants that were designed specifically to use its iron ore pellets, giving the Group an unrivalled position within these markets. Our marketing strategy aims to develop a portfolio of customers in a range of market destinations that will enable us to achieve full value for our products and provide sales volume growth commensurate with the pace of development of our new producing assets. The Group currently views its markets in three main categories, Traditional, Natural, and Growth. The Group's 'Traditional Markets' are those markets that the Group has supplied historically, and in which it enjoys a competitive advantage based on its location. These include Austria, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia. Serbia is a more recent addition to this segment. 'Natural Markets' are relatively new markets for the Group in regions where the Board believes it has a competitive advantage which is yet to be exploited. This segment includes Western Europe, Turkey and the Middle East. 'Growth Markets' are those which offer to add new and significant tonnage expansion potential to the Group's customer portfolio. Currently China is the major target, where five long term contracts are in place providing a solid base for future sales growth. The Group's products are mainly sold in the international markets. Export sales are handled by its specialist sales and marketing arm, Ferrexpo AG, which is based in Switzerland with additional offices in Kyiv, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The Group exported more than 80% of its production in 2007. Historically, the Group has principally supplied pellets to iron and steel plants in Central and Eastern Europe, although it is now increasingly supplying customers in Asia. 18.4% of the Group's total sales in 2007 was sold into China. The share of pellet sales to Ukrainian customers increased from 14% in 2006 to 19% in 2007, as a result of more reliable domestic demand from the expanding Ukrainian steel industry. Domestic sales are made directly through FPM on an ex-works basis. The following table shows the Group's principal export markets for iron ore pellets for the years ended 31 December 2007 and 2006 (by volume): 2007 2006 ('000t) ('000t) Traditional Markets 5,900.7 5,641.9 Natural Markets 187.9 390.7 Growth Markets 1,576.0 1,419.5 Total 7,664.6 7,452.1 We seek to maximise the proportion of our production sold on long term contracts and to strengthen our relationships with our key customers, while also participating in a low level of short term sales. We have had a successful 2007, with a major new long-term contract in Ukraine, as well as the extension of our contract with VoestAlpine AG to 2015 and the extension of our contracts in Slovakia and Serbia. At the end of 2007, approximately 85% of our sales were made under long-term supply agreements, against 77% in 2006, most of which are directly or indirectly linked to benchmark prices, and the balance subject to annual pricing based on market supply-demand fundamentals. Sales in 2007 reached 9,261kt and included growth in our highest return core markets of Eastern Europe and Ukraine. We were successful in establishing long term business into Turkey, resuming sales to Russia and we delivered our first trial cargo to Japan. In addition, the Group completed its first long-term contract with a Chinese steel mill in 2006, and has subsequently entered into four more such agreements in China. The Group's expansion into China demonstrates its track record in creating and building solid customer relations. It has increased its sales into China from 1.8% of total sales in 2004 to 15.0% in 2007. The Group sold its remaining iron ore pellets on shorter term contracts consistent with the terms of trade in certain markets, or on the spot market as trials to new customers. The Board expects that the proportion of sales that will be made under long-term contracts in 2008 will be broadly similar to that seen in 2007. Our focus on long term contracts links together with our aim of achieving higher prices through enhanced pellet quality and a better understanding of our customers' requirements of its products. This is necessary in order to capture the maximum price relative to its competitors' delivered cost to the customer on a 'value to the customer' basis. The Group continued to significantly reduce third party agents in various historic marketing arrangements, and now has direct commercial and technical relationships with the majority of its end-users. This strategy will continue in 2008. Pricing The Group achieved an average DAF/FOB price for the pellets it sold in 2007 of US$72.3 per tonne, an increase of 17% over the average achieved price for 2006 (US$61.8 per tonne). Most of the Group's export sales are based on annually negotiated prices contained in supplements to long-term supply contracts. A proportion of sales tonnage is directly tied to the international seaborne traded iron ore benchmark price ('Benchmark Price') movement agreed between the major iron ore producers and specific western European or Asian steel producers for a given year. Historically, the Group has often realised a discount to the prevailing Benchmark Price, but after adjustments for freight, quality, proximity and logistics impacts, this is no longer the case. Variations in the Group's achieved price stem from price variations of pellets sold into different jurisdictions, as well as the mix between our 62% Fe pellets and our 65% Fe pellets (which attract a premium). Domestic sales have historically taken place using quarterly prices, but the Group has successfully moved a substantial proportion of Ukrainian sales to annual or long term contracts from 2007. Logistics We are committed to managing the fullest extent of our delivery chain to assure our customer service, to maximise overall sales margins and to ensure that our growth plans are not frustrated by logistics constraints. This will be achieved by developing world class customer delivery chain logistics management as an integral function of our sales and marketing activities. Selected investments in barge, rail and port facilities will also be required to overcome logistics bottlenecks in Ukraine and Eastern Europe and these are being contemplated with key partners. Significant progress was made in 2007. Our investment in the TIS-Ruda ocean vessel terminal provides us with access to a private port on the Black Sea with a capacity of 5mtpa. This facility has significant expansion potential and provides the base from which we can grow our seaborne trade as we expand our producing assets. In terms of rail freight, we acquired 110 rail cars in 2007, with a further 440 planned for delivery in 2008. This will allow us to benefit from lower rail tariffs afforded to users of own rolling stock and to enhance reliability. We also have major rail and waterway assessments underway in Ukraine to determine future needs. FINANCIAL REVIEW Highlights > Revenue up by 28% to US$698m > EBITDA up by 65% to US$246m > EBIT for the year up by 63% to US$187m > Underlying earnings* up by 128% to US$152m > Operating C1 costs increased 8.6% vs Ukrainian PPI of 23.3% > Free cash flow of $139.0m > Strong balance sheet: gearing reduced to 26% from 48% > Dividend of 3.2 cents per share Revenues The Group achieved overall revenue growth of 27.6% compared with the prior year. The Group's revenue for the year increased by US$150.9m to US$698.2m. This strong performance was principally due to improved average DAF/FOB pellet prices (including applicable distribution costs) which rose by 17% to US$72.3 per tonne compared with US$61.8 per tonne in 2006. Sales volumes for the year increased to 9,261kt (8,740kt in 2006) as did growth in the proportion of sales of higher priced high-grade '65% pellets' which increased to 40.7% for 2007 from 35.1% in 2006. Costs & margins A principal measure of operating performance of the business is C1 cost per tonne of pellets produced. This is defined as the cash production cost from own ore divided by the total volume of production. In 2007 the Group achieved C1 cash cost of production from own ore of US$31.79 per tonne compared with US$29.26 per tonne in 2006. This excellent performance was achieved in the face of Ukrainian PPI inflation of 23.3%. It is pleasing to report that the group was able to contain its C1 costs significantly below general inflation due to reduced energy consumption per tonne of pellets, improved operating efficiency and tight cost control of other general production expenses. Higher sales prices principally improved the gross margin in the year which was 51.9% (2006: 45.8%). Gross profit increased by 44.6% to US$362.3m (2006: US$250.6m). The Group pays distribution costs principally to deliver pellets to the border of Ukraine or within Ukraine to supply domestic customers. Total distribution costs per tonne of pellets sold increased to US$10.86 per tonne for the year compared with US$9.88 per tonne in 2006. This increase was primarily driven by higher rail tariffs. General and Administration costs relate to the operations within Ukraine and at the Swiss sales and holding Company, including Group costs. These amounted to US$44.3m in 2007 compared with US$41.1m for the prior year. In 2006 General and Administration costs included US$3.9m in relation to Vostok Ruda. The majority of the Group's holding in Vostok Ruda was disposed of in 2006. Underlying General and administration costs now reflect an appropriate level which is required for the Groups operation as a large public company. Initial public offering costs amounted to US$65.9m in the year, of which US$34.0m was expensed and US$31.9m offset against the share premium account reserve. Ukrainian inflation Ukraine has experienced high inflation in 2007 as a result of high government spending and rapid economic growth. Inflation accelerated in the fourth quarter of 2007, particularly for electricity and natural gas, two of the Group's key cost inputs. We expect Ukrainian inflation will be high again in 2008. Whilst this inflationary environment is a challenge to the cost base of the Group we have a number of initiatives underway to assist us in managing our cost structure over the medium to long term and continue to focus on business inputs cost control. Finance costs Net finance costs reflected lower overall debt levels post IPO and reduced to US$22.7m from US$30.3m in 2006. This was due to strong operational cash generation and the receipt of IPO proceeds during the year. In December 2006 the Group restructured its bank debt, extending the maturity dates of its outstanding indebtedness and decreasing its cost of borrowings. As part of this restructuring, the Group raised a bank syndicated loan in an initial amount of US$275.0m. This successful transaction was later increased to US$335.0m as a result of oversubscription. This allowed the Group to reduce its weighted average interest rate to 7.6% from 8.3% and to 8.2% from 9.2% on floating and fixed interest rate financial liabilities, respectively. Taxation The Group derives taxable income mainly in Switzerland and Ukraine. The effective tax rate was 16.6% compared with 18.3% in 2006. Earnings As a result of the strong operational performance described above, the Group was able to achieve an increase in underlying earnings of 128.4% to US$151.5m (2006: US$66.4m) and improve earnings per share ('EPS') significantly. Fully diluted EPS rose strongly to 20.33 USc in 2007 (2006: 10.47 USc). Underlying EPS was similarly higher at 24.93USc in 2007 (2006: 10.92USc). Dividend The Directors recommend a dividend in respect of profits generated for the Ferrexpo Group in 2007 of 3.2 US cents per share, for payment on 19 May 2008 to shareholders who were on the register of members at the close of business on 18 April 2008. Balance sheet and cash flow The cash flow of the business is summarised in the table below: Year ended US$ millions 31.12.07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EBITDA 246.1 Working capital movements (1.8) Net financial payments (24.0) Income tax paid (32.0) Movement in provisions and other non-cash items 0.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net cash flow from operating activities 188.8 Sustaining capital expenditure (49.8) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Free cash flow 139.0 (Paid for) / Received from: Expansionary projects (54.6) Purchase of available-for-sale investments (12.1) Loans to Associates (5.0) Distributions (69.8) Net IPO proceeds 153.4 Other receipts 9.7 Reduction in debt 160.6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The strong operating results increased EBITDA by 65.0% to US$246.1m increasing EBITDA margin to 35.2% in 2007 from 27.2% in 2006. Net cash flow from operating activities amounted to US$188.8m in 2007 (2006: US$68.3m). This strong performance and the proceeds of our recent IPO have enabled the Group to strengthen the Balance Sheet significantly. As a result, Net Financial Indebtedness has decreased to US$117.9m at 31 December 2007 (31 December 2006: US$278.5m). Overall this cash flow was invested partly in the modernisation of plant and equipment for existing operations and partly in investments which lay the foundations for the development of the unexploited ore body. Expenditure on capital was US$104.4m in 2007 compared with US$48.8m in 2006. Of this expenditure US$54.6m related to expansionary projects and US$49.8m was applied in replacement or modernisation of plant in the existing operations. Our increased financial strength is apparent in our debt to equity gearing ratio. This was 26% at 31 December 2007 compared to 48% at 31 December 2006. During the year the Group continued its phased disposal of Vostok Ruda, disposing of 6.2% to an entity under common control for $5,613,000, resulting in a gain of $4,714,000. The remainder of the Vostok Ruda investment representing 3.2% of the share capital is available for sale. Also during the year the Group acquired a stake of 9.91% in OJSC Stahanov, a rail car construction plant, from an entity under common control. This is to help secure supplies of rail cars for our expanding logistic operations. Consolidated income statement Year ended Year ended US$ 000 Notes 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue 3 698,216 547,310 Cost of sales 4 (335,936) (296,720) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gross profit 362,280 250,590 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selling and distribution expenses (100,614) (86,376) General and administrative expenses (44,308) (41,140) Other income 4,844 2,583 Other expenses (5,096) (5,078) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating profit from continuing operations before adjusted items 217,106 120,579 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Write-offs and impairment losses (1,568) (2,205) Share of gains of associates 687 - Net loss on disposal of subsidiary - (3,524) Gain on disposal of available for sale investment 4,714 - Initial public offering costs (34,004) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Profit before tax and finance 186,935 114,850 ----------------------- ------- ------- ------- Finance income 5 3,242 2,326 Finance expense 5 (25,950) (32,655) Foreign exchange loss 5 (3,467) (3,784) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Profit before tax 160,760 80,737 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tax 6 (26,725) (14,758) Profit for the year 134,035 65,979 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attributable to: Equity shareholders of Ferrexpo plc 124,076 63,578 Minority interest 9,959 2,401 134,035 65,979 Earnings per share: Basic 7 20.41 10.47 Diluted 7 20.33 10.47 Dividends: Proposed ordinary dividend per share (US cents) 7 3.2 - Proposed ordinary dividend (US$ 000) 7 19,449 - Consolidated balance sheet US$ 000 As at 31.12.07 As at 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assets Property, plant and equipment 364,545 301,343 Goodwill and other intangible assets 156,827 156,534 Investments in associates 17,637 16,950 Available-for-sale financial assets 47,134 34,641 Other non-current assets 15,179 916 Deferred tax asset 8,107 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total non-current assets 609,429 510,384 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inventories 56,545 48,487 Trade and other receivables 43,575 58,284 Prepayments and other current assets 10,773 17,118 Income taxes recoverable and prepaid 5,350 1,424 Other taxes recoverable and prepaid 52,362 42,489 Available-for-sale financial assets 2,941 1,451 Short term deposits with banks 10 - 11,043 Cash and cash equivalents 10 86,966 16,236 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total current assets 258,512 196,532 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total assets 867,941 706,916 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equity and liabilities Share capital 121,628 - Share Premium 188,566 - Other reserves 14,258 137,482 Retained earnings 216,616 163,164 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equity attributable to equity shareholders of the parent 541,068 300,646 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minority interest 45,854 36,146 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total equity 586,922 336,792 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interest-bearing loans and borrowings 10 146,091 204,732 Trade and other payables 2,583 10,484 Defined benefit pension liability 16,169 14,501 Shares redemption liability - 9,062 Provision for site restoration 1,746 402 Deferred tax liability 1,025 2,535 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total non-current liabilities 167,614 241,716 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interest-bearing loans and borrowings 10 54,537 81,243 Trade and other payables 25,127 21,492 Accrued liabilities and deferred income 13,812 17,986 Shares redemption liability 10,036 - Income taxes payable 7,717 4,646 Other taxes payable 2,176 3,041 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total current liabilities 113,405 128,408 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total liabilities 281,019 370,124 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total equity and liabilities 867,941 706,916 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consolidated cash flow statement Year ended Year ended US$ 000 Notes 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net cash flows from operating activities 9 188,846 68,300 Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of property, plant and equipment (104,352) (48,760) Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 1,896 374 Purchase of intangible assets (435) (745) Deposits lodged at banks 9,011 8,732 Purchases of available for sale securities (12,126) (3,119) Proceeds from sale of financial assets 5,704 2,408 Interest received 4,805 1,473 Dividends received - 17 Acquisition of minority interest in subsidiaries - (231,945) Acquisition of associates - (16,950) Loans provided to related parties - (16,674) Loans provided to associates (5,000) - Loans repaid by related parties - 123,457 Proceeds from disposal of subsidiaries - 4,338 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net cash flows used in investing activities (100,497) (177,394) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from borrowings and finance 175,244 565,593 Repayment of borrowings and finance (276,084) (512,819) Dividends paid to minority interest (786) (245) Distribution under 50/50 tax ruling (5,000) (31,521) Proceeds from issue of share capital in Ferrexpo AG - 109,329 Proceeds from issue of share capital in Ferrexpo plc: Initial public offering proceeds 202,072 - Non-initial public offering proceeds 99 - Initial public offering costs (48,648) (7,503) Share buyback in previous parent (64,055) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net cash flows from financing activities (17,158) 122,834 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 71,191 13,740 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 16,236 2,496 Currency translation differences (461) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 86,966 16,236 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes to the Consolidated Financial Information Note 1: General information The financial information for the year ended 31 December 2007 does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. Statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2006 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and those for 2007 will be delivered following the Company's annual general meeting convened for Thursday 15 May 2008. This preliminary announcement is based on unaudited results for the year ended 31 December 2007. Note 2: Summary of significant accounting policies Whilst the preliminary announcement has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ('IFRS') and International Financial Reporting Interpretation Committee ('IFRIC') interpretations adopted for use by the European Union and with those parts of the Companies Act 1985 applicable to companies reporting under IFRS, this announcement does not itself contain sufficient information to comply with IFRS. The Board approved the full financial statements that comply with IFRS in March 2008. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the recording of pension assets and liabilities and the revaluation of certain financial instruments. The accounting policies applied are consistent with those adopted and disclosed in the Group's annual financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2006. Note 3: Revenue Revenue for the year ended 31 December 2007 consisted of the following: Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue from sales of ore pellets: Export 560,805 467,099 Ukraine 128,731 73,089 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 689,536 540,188 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue from services provided 3,005 3,158 Revenue from other sales 5,675 3,964 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 698,216 547,310 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Export sales by geographical destination were as follows: Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Austria 160,324 140,286 China 103,223 83,258 Slovakia 81,516 54,143 Serbia 83,708 64,015 Czech Republic 55,617 52,775 Bulgaria 27,389 15,587 Poland 23,766 15,571 Romania 7,038 23,838 Germany - 4,183 Turkey 9,777 12,302 Japan 5,029 - Italy 3,418 - Other - 1,141 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 560,805 467,099 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During the year ended 31 December 2007 sales made to three customers accounted for approximately 53.9% of the net sales revenue (2006: 55.3%). Note 4: Cost of sales Cost of sales for the year ended 31 December 2007 consisted of the following: Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Materials 92,449 62,002 Purchased ore and concentrate 17,587 16,703 Electricity 74,621 65,535 Personnel costs 47,402 46,231 Spare parts and consumables 14,663 27,072 Depreciation and amortisation 25,635 24,895 Fuel 28,086 25,798 Gas 25,576 20,806 Royalties and levies 8,570 7,678 Other 1,347 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 335,936 296,720 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost of sales is reconciled to 'C1' costs in the following manner: Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost of sales 335,936 296,720 Depreciation and amortisation (25,635) (24,895) Purchased ore and concentrate (19,911) (19,396) Production cost of gravel (2,101) (2,728) Stock movement in the period (6,284) (9,930) Pension current service cost (1,877) (1,784) Other (555) 484 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C1 Cost 279,573 238,471 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Own ore produced tonnes 8,793,000 8,149,000 C1 cash cost per tonne $ 31.79 29.26 'C1' costs represent the cash costs of production of own ore divided by production volume of own ore, and excludes non cash costs such as depreciation, pension costs and stock movement, and costs of purchased ore, concentrate and the production cost of gravel. Note 5: Financing income/expense Finance revenue and costs for the year ended 31 December 2007 consisted of the following: Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finance income Interest income on bank deposits 2,457 2,326 Other finance revenue 785 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3,242 2,326 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finance expense Interest expense on financial liabilities measured at amortised cost (21,493) (27,425) Interest on defined benefit plans (1,462) (1,269) Bank charges (1,642) (3,870) Other finance costs (1,353) (91) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (25,950) (32,655) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreign exchange loss (3,467) (3,784) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net finance expense (26,175) (34,113) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note 6: Income tax expense Major components of income tax expense for the year ended 31 December 2007 consisted of the following: Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current income tax 31,163 16,371 Deferred income tax (4,438) (1,613) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26,725 14,758 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Group's income was subject to taxation in Ukraine, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. During the year ended 31 December 2007 the corporate income tax was levied on taxable income less allowable expenses at the following rates: - Ukraine 25% (2006: 25%) - Switzerland 9.8 - 16.2% (2006: 9.3%) - UK 30% (2006: 30%) The effective income tax rate differs from the corporate income tax rates. The weighted average of the statutory rates was 17.6% for 2007 (2006: 13.9%). This is calculated as the average of the statutory tax rates applicable in the countries in which the Group operates, weighted by the profit/(loss) before tax of the subsidiaries in the respective countries as included in the consolidated historical financial information. The effective tax rate is 16.6% (2006: 18.3%) The changes in the weighted average statutory income tax rate are largely due to a change in the weighting of profit/ (loss) before tax in the various jurisdictions in which the Group operates. A reconciliation between the income tax charged in the accompanying historical financial information and income before taxes multiplied by the weighted average statutory tax rate for the year ended 31 December 2007 is as follows: Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Profit before tax 160,760 80,737 Notional tax computed at the weighted average statutory tax rate of 17.6% (2006: 13.9%) 28,234 11,186 50/50 Swiss tax ruling (472) (1,991) (Recognition)/derecognition of deferred tax assets - 791 Tax indexation of fixed assets (6,084) - Expenses not deductible for tax purposes 4,675 4,759 Prior year items 32 13 Other 340 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income tax expense 26,725 14,758 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note 7: Earnings per share and dividends paid and proposed The earnings per share ('EPS') calculation has assumed that the number of ordinary shares issued pursuant to the share exchange agreements in relation to the acquisition of Ferrexpo AG by Ferrexpo plc have been in issue throughout 2006 and 2007 which is consistent with the pooling of interests method used to account for combinations of businesses under common control. The directors believe that this measure of EPS provides a more meaningful comparison with the Group's ongoing business than using the statutory EPS which would only reflect shares issued based on the actual date of issue. Furthermore this approach provides the same results as if the Ferrexpo AG shares, outstanding between 2006 and 2007, have been multiplied by the exchange ratio shares in Ferrexpo plc. Basic EPS is calculated by dividing the net profit for the year attributable to ordinary equity shareholders of Ferrexpo plc by the number of ordinary shares as defined above. Year ended Year ended 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Profit for the period attributable to equity shareholders Basic earnings per share (US cents) 20.41 10.47 Diluted earnings per share (US cents) 20.33 10.47 Underlying earnings for the period Basic earnings per share (US cents) 24.93 10.92 Diluted earnings per share (US cents) 24.84 10.92 The calculation of the basic and diluted earnings per share is based on the following data: Year ended Year ended Thousands 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of shares Basic number of ordinary shares outstanding 607,796 607,471 Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares 2,403 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diluted number of ordinary shares outstanding 610,199 607,471 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The number of ordinary shares in issue excludes the shares held by the Ferrexpo AG Employee Benefit Trust. Diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting the number of ordinary shares in issue on the assumption of conversion of all potentially dilutive ordinary shares. All share awards are potentially dilutive and have been included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share. 'Underlying earnings' is an alternative earnings measure, which the directors believe provides a clearer picture of the underlying financial performance of the Group's operations. Underlying earnings is presented after minority interests and excludes adjusted items. The calculation of underlying earnings per share is based on the following earnings data: Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Profit attributable to Equity holders 124,076 63,578 Writeoffs/impairments 1,568 2,205 Loss on disposals - 3,524 IPO costs 34,004 - Gain on sale of available for sale investment (4,714) - Tax on adjusting items (3,217) (1,432) Minority interests (220) (1,213) Tax on Minority interests 48 (303) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Underlying earnings 151,545 66,359 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjusted items are those items of financial performance that the Group believes should be separately disclosed on the face of the income statement to assist in the understanding of the underlying financial performance achieved by the Group. Adjusted items that relate to the operating performance of the Group include impairment charges and reversals and other exceptional items. Non-operating adjusting items include profits and losses on disposal of investments and businesses. Dividends paid and proposed Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dividends proposed Dividend proposed by subsidiary to minority $0.015 (2006: $0.01) 251 563 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 251 563 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dividends paid during the period Final dividend paid by parent company proposed in 2004 - 108 Final dividend proposed in previous years to minority interest 786 178 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 786 286 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The directors are proposing a dividend in respect of profits generated by the Ferrexpo Group in 2007 of 3.2 US cents per ordinary share. Based on shares eligible for dividends as at 31 December 2007 this will result in a distribution of US$ 19,449,000 of shareholders' funds. These financial statements do not reflect this dividend payable, in accordance with UK Companies Act and IFRS, as it is still subject to shareholder approval. The Ferrexpo AG Employee Benefit Trust, has waived the right to receive dividends on the shares it holds. Note 8: EBITDA The Group calculates EBITDA as profit from continuing operations before tax and finance, adjusted for depreciation and amortisation, non-recurring items included in other income & other costs, and the net gain/loss on disposal of subsidiaries and associates. The Group presents EBITDA because it believes that EBITDA is a useful measure for evaluation of its ability to generate cash and of its operating performance. Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Profit before tax and finance 186,935 114,850 Write-offs and impairment losses 1,568 2,205 Net loss on disposal of subsidiary - 3,524 Net gain on disposal of available for sale investment (4,714) - Initial public offering costs 34,004 - Depreciation and amortisation 28,264 28,563 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EBITDA 246,057 149,142 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Group has changed how it defines EBITDA from that used in prior periods which now excludes the effect of foreign exchange gains/losses because the Group believe this is a more appropriate reflection of its ability to generate cash and of its operating performance. Note 9: Reconciliation of profit before income tax to net cash flow from operating activities Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Profit before income tax 160,760 80,737 Adjustments for: Depreciation of property, plant and equipment and amortisation of intangible assets 28,265 28,563 Interest expense 24,488 27,425 Interest income (3,242) (2,326) Dividend income - (17) Movement in allowance for doubtful receivables 336 183 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment - 601 Write off and impairment losses 1,568 2,021 Site restoration provision 1,269 - (Gains)/ losses on disposal of investments available for sale (4,714) 31 Losses from disposal of subsidiaries and associates - 3,524 Initial public offering costs 34,004 - Share of income from associates (687) - Defined benefit plan expense 3,915 3,163 Foreign exchange loss 3,467 645 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating cash flow before working capital changes 249,429 144,550 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes in working capital Decrease / (increase) in trade accounts receivable and other receivables 13,951 (38,658) (Increase) / decrease in inventories (7,840) 9,237 Increase / (decrease) in trade and other accounts payables 6,534 (2,467) (Increase) / decrease in other taxes receivable (14,411) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating cash flows after working capital changes 247,663 112,662 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interest paid (24,525) (28,119) Income tax paid (32,018) (14,562) Post employment benefits paid (2,274) (1,681) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net cash flows from operating activities 188,846 68,300 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note 10: Net financial indebtedness Year ended Year ended US$ 000 31.12.07 31.12.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash and cash equivalents 86,966 16,236 Term deposits - 11,043 Current borrowings (54,537) (81,243) Non-current borrowings (146,091) (204,732) Short term due for equipment (1,664) (9,300) Long term due for equipment (2,569) (10,462) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net financial indebtedness (117,895) (278,458) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net financial indebtedness as defined by the Group comprises cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, interest bearing loans and borrowings and amounts payable for equipment. Payables for equipment comprised balances due to foreign suppliers for mining equipment denominated in USD and EURO which are interest bearing but included within trade payables. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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Ferrexpo (FXPO)
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