TIDMARCL
RNS Number : 4979W
Altus Resource Capital Limited
19 November 2010
ALTUS RESOURCE CAPITAL LIMITED
Interim Management Statement for the period 1 July 2010 to 31
October 2010 (the "Period").
Overview
Altus Resource Capital Limited (LSE:ARCL) (the "Company") is a
Guernsey registered, closed-ended investment company which listed
on the Specialist Fund Market of the London Stock Exchange on 30
June 2009 and the Channel Island Stock Exchange on 22 December
2009.
The Company is pleased to announce that the unaudited net asset
value over the Period has risen 35.3%.
Investment Objectives and Policy
The Company's objective is to realise capital growth from a
concentrated portfolio of junior resource equities and to generate
a significant capital return to shareholders.
The Company invests in companies engaged in the exploration,
development and/or mining of metals and minerals with a focus on
companies that operate in the gold sector. Portfolio companies will
be predominantly, but not exclusively, listed or quoted on either
UK markets or other recognised stock exchanges including the
Canadian and Australian markets.
Financial Highlights and Investment Review by Altus Capital
Limited
The unaudited net asset value of the Company increased to
GBP72.1 million or GBP1.82 per share over the period, showing a
35.3% rise since the beginning of the Period and a 91.2% rise since
the Company's launch on 30 June 2009.
At the end of October 2010, Company's portfolio comprised 29
holdings in junior mining and exploration companies and a single
investment in a commodity exchange traded fund (ETF). The Company
has acquired its positions in the market and through participating
in new equity issues.
The Company has benefited from its exposure to junior mining
equities with metal prices generally rising over the Period. Gold
rose 9.4% to end the Period at US$1,359 per ounce and since the end
of October the gold price has risen further, breaching the US$1,400
per ounce level and reaching an intraday high of US$1,424 per ounce
on 9 November 2010. The strength in the gold price at least in part
reflects continued dollar weakness with the dollar index losing
10.2% over the Period. Other metals, in which investee companies
are exposed, have shown even stronger performance with copper, zinc
and silver rising 26.3%, 36.2% and 33.3% respectively.
At the end of the period the Company held a cash position of
17.4% of AUM following profit-taking in many positions. However the
Company has already taken two new positions in November 2010 and is
continuing to look for further opportunities.
Outlook - as provided by the Investment Manager, Altus Capital
Limited
"The outlook for the Company remains positive with further
strength anticipated in metals prices and related junior mining
equities.
It is anticipated that the gold price will remain strong for at
least the next eighteen months, given continued concerns over the
speed of the global economic recovery, further quantitative easing
in the US and fears over Euro-zone sovereign debt. In addition,
central banks have become net buyers of gold and retail investment
demand continues to rise particularly in Asia and the Middle East.
A year ago, the Manager forecast a gold price of US$1,450 per ounce
for the end of 2010 and, while there will be volatility and
profit-taking which will cause pull backs in the commodity and
related mining equities, we expect the price of gold to breach the
US$1,500 per ounce level and rise as high as US$1 600 per ounce
over the next twelve to eighteen months.
Other commodities also have a positive outlook. The primary
driver behind this outlook is the continued strong demand for raw
materials from China and other developing economies. Chinese groups
have made significant investments over recent years in industrial
metal and mineral projects, and particularly in iron ore, copper
and coal assets, but also increasingly in Western gold companies.
Notably, portfolio company Kryso Resources, which is developing a
three million ounce in Tajikistan, is negotiating a strategic 29.9%
investment by China Nonferrous Metals.
Uranium has also become an increasingly attractive commodity
with the price rising over 10% in recent weeks to US$58.5 per
pound. As with other commodities, much of this interest is being
driven by demand from China. The French integrated nuclear group,
Areva, recently announced a deal to supply 20,000 tonnes of uranium
to the Chinese over a ten year period. This deal, worth US$3.5
billion, implies a uranium price of close to US$80 per pound of
uranium which is well above the previous norms for long-term
contracts of between US$70 and US$75 per pound.
Rare earth elements, which are essential for many emerging and
high-tech applications including the permanent magnets used in
electric and hybrid cars, have also seen significant price gains in
recent months. This price gain has again been influenced by China
which controls over 90% of supply of rare earths and has been
reducing export quotas. The Chinese have also been investing
directly in the more advanced rare earth projects globally and look
set to maintain their monopoly on this increasingly important
mineral group.
The platinum group metals market is also dominated by a single
country with South Africa accounting for over 80% of global supply
of platinum. Demand for platinum group metals is set to increase,
driven by the rapid increase in the number of new cars in China and
developing economies as well as an anticipated increase in the use
of diesel engines (which require larger amounts of platinum) in the
US. South Africa poses a number of issues for platinum group metals
producers with power costs increasing by 25% this year and similar
rises expected in 2011 and 2012. In addition, increasing industrial
action is causing disruption at mines and other organisations
throughout the country. The Manager therefore believes this creates
an interesting tension in the platinum group metals market and
anticipates that while the miners may struggle, metal prices will
rise. The Manager has therefore invested directly in the metal
through an exchange traded fund (ETF) but has also invested in
Eastern Platinum, a junior producer with a very significant
resource that offers leverage to a rising platinum price.
Merger and acquisition activity across the whole mining sector
is increasingly becoming a driver of value. Higher profile deals
have been dominated by the mid-tiers and majors although this deal
flow is beginning to impact the junior sector. An increasing number
of the Company's portfolio holdings are either the subject of
speculation about possible takeovers or have received takeover
approaches. Recent deals in the gold space include the acquisition
of Red Back Mining by Kinross for C$8.0 billion and the likely
take-over of Andean Resources by Goldcorp for US$3.4 billion
valuing its current resource at US$1,000 per ounce and pricing-in
further expected resource growth. The Manager anticipates further
takeovers of a number of its portfolio holdings and that M&A
activity elsewhere in the sector will drive up the value of its
holdings.
A further driver of value is expected to come from the fact that
resource equities and gold miners in particular have not performed
as strongly thus far as would have been anticipated on the back of
the metal price gains. Further value is expected to be realised as
these higher metal prices flow through to increased margins and
enhanced earnings in mining equities.
For example, gold has gained 46% or US$428 per ounce since the
Company's launch in June 2009 when the price was US$930 per ounce
to the end of October level of US$1,358 per ounce, Major gold
mining indices, the FTSE Gold Mines Index and the S&P/ TSX Gold
Index, have risen 44.3% and 29.4% respectively therefore performing
in line with and underperforming the metal. If we assume mine
operating costs are US$550 per ounce (close to the industry
average) and attribute a further US$200 per ounce for corporate
overhead and non-mining costs, the total cost is US$750 per ounce.
This cost structure would have realised an operating margin of
US$180 per ounce based on the June 2009 gold price rising to US$608
per ounce based on the gold price at the end of October 2010,
representing a 238% increase. We therefore anticipate that mining
equities will continue to perform strongly even if there are no
further advances in metals prices as these enhanced earnings are
realised".
End of Investment Managers Outlook report.
Investment Allocation
At 29 October 2010, the Company's assets were allocated in the
following approximate proportions:
Asset Allocation by Commodity Asset Allocation by Geography
Gold & Silver 55.9% Africa 41.7%
Bulk Minerals 4.1% Europe 11.4%
Base Metals 7.5% North America 3.9%
Energy Minerals 7.2% South America 10.8%
Platinum Group Metals 5.1% Central Asia & Russia 4.4%
Diamonds 0.4% South East Asia 3.8%
Other 2.4% Australasia 4.6%
Cash 17.4% Other (ETFs) 2.1%
Cash 17.4%
Asset Allocation by Development
Stage
Production 23.1%
Development 36.3%
Exploration 21.1%
ETF 2.1%
Cash 17.4%
Material events
Other than the information set out above, the Board is not aware
of any events during the Period, which would have had a material
impact on the financial position of the Company.
Investor Information
The latest available information on the Company can be accessed
via www.altrescap.com.
This document has been issued by, and is the sole responsibility
of, Altus Resource Capital Limited (the "Company") and is for
information purposes only. It is not, and is not intended to be an
invitation, inducement, offer, or solicitation, to deal in the
shares of the Company. The price of shares in the Company and the
income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not
get back the full amount invested on disposal of shares in the
Company. An investment in the Company should be considered only as
part of a balanced portfolio of which it should not form a
disproportionate part. Prospective investors are advised to seek
expert legal, financial, tax and other professional advice before
making any investment decision.
By order of the Board
Altus Resource Capital Limited
Administrative Enquiries: Investment Manager: Shareholder
Enquiries:
Anson Fund Managers Limited Altus Capital Limited Nimrod Capital
LLP
Tel: +44 (0) 1481 722 260 Tel: +44 (0) 1235 511767 Tel: +44 (0)
20 3355 6855
info@altus-cap.com info@nimrodcapital.com
19 November 2010
E&OE - In Transmission
END OF ANNOUNCEMENT
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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