Shares in Lynas Corporation Ltd (ASX: LYC) will be on watch today after releasing its quarterly report to the market this morning.
Lynas Corporation is a ‘rare earths’ minerals producer. Rare earths are minerals which are used as inputs to create many of the electronic devices (e.g. mobile phones) we know and use each day. Lynas has two large projects: Mt Weld in WA is a deposit and mining facility; Kuantan in Malaysia is one of the largest rare earths separation facilities in the world. Lynas is one of the world’s largest producers of rare earths outside of China.
Production And Sales Fall
REO (Rare Earth Oxides) sales volume came in at 4,186 tonnes, a decline of more than 11% on the previous quarter. Invoiced sales revenue reached $99.1 million.
The ongoing trade tensions between the U.S and China was cited as having a negative short-term effect on sales. The average market price for NdPr (Neodymium and Praseodymium) remained largely flat during the quarter.
Quarterly production was managed in-line with the production limits placed upon the company by the Malaysia Government for the 2019 calendar year. Total REO production came in at 3,926 tonnes, down close to 20% from the previous quarter. Lynas finished the quarter with a cash balance of $119.1 million, up from $89.7 million on June 30.
The Malaysian Government has renewed the operating license for the Lynas plant for another 6 month period. Provided conditions are met during this period, the company expects it will be able to continue operations beyond this brief license period.
Management Reaction
Lynas CEO Amanda Lacaze was bullish after the release, saying; “There continues to be strong interest in Rare Earth materials and in Lynas as the only significant outside China producer. We are uniquely positioned to benefit from the strong growth forecast. We are making good progress with our Lynas 2025 growth plans and we look forward to updating you as details are finalised.”
Regarding the production limits imposed on the Malaysian plant, Ms Lacaze said, “Lynas Malaysia has applied for, but is yet to receive approval for, an uplift in the lanthanide concentrate processing limit for CY19 (calendar year 2019). Production rates have been managed at reduced volumes for the quarter, in line with the current approval.”
Could This Present A Buying Opportunity?
Demand for Rare Earths is widely expected to grow significantly over the coming years and with Lynas being the only Australian producer in the market, it might be tempting to see any short-term share price weakness as an opportunity to buy into the business.
However, like most commodity-based companies, forecasting future cash flows is nigh on impossible due to the complete unpredictability of prevailing market prices at any future point.
I’d prefer to stick to proven shares such as the ones in the free report below.
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At the time of publishing, Luke has no financial interest in any companies mentioned.
