Trident Royalties PLC Announces Interim Results
- 45% increase in royalty receipts
- Sale of pre-production gold royalties with $15.6 million cash proceeds and 140% return on invested capital
- Progress of Thacker Pass Lithium Project
- Completion of La Preciosa acquisition
- Announcement of two further royalty acquisitions
- Stock price declined by 9.0%
Interim Results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2023
LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / September 18, 2023 / Trident Royalties Plc (AIM:TRR)(OTCQB:TDTRF), is pleased to present its interim financial statements to shareholders for the six months ended 30 June 2023.
The Interim Results for the period ended 30 June 2023 are set out below and will be available in full on the Company's website https://tridentroyalties.com/.
HIGHLIGHTS
·
· Sale of several pre-production gold royalties with cash proceeds of up to
· Solid progress across the portfolio, including the Thacker Pass Lithium Project which is now in construction.
· Completion of the La Preciosa acquisition, providing Trident with exposure to silver, further increasing the commodity diversification of our portfolio.
· Post period, the announcement of two further royalty acquisitions over the Dandoko Gold Project in Western Mali, and a royalty over Anson's flagship Paradox Lithium Project in Utah.
· Admission to the OTC Market in North America, improving investor accessibility and strengthening Trident's presence in the US.
Adam Davidson, Chief Executive Officer of Trident commented:
"Trident has continued to see material advancements at several key assets, with permitting decisions resulting in the commencement of construction at the Thacker Pass Lithium Project. Deal flow is now accelerating. The La Preciosa transaction completed during the period was then swiftly followed by two deals post-period. All three transactions have enhanced the diversity of our portfolio and are set to contribute to our growing cash flow.
It has been a solid start to the year and the Board and I eagerly anticipate sharing further updates as the year progresses."
Competent Person's Statement
The technical information contained in this disclosure has been read and approved by Mr Nick O'Reilly (MSc, DIC, MAusIMM, MIMMM, FGS), who is a qualified geologist and acts as the Competent Person under the AIM Rules - Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Mr O'Reilly is a Principal Consultant working for Mining Analyst Consulting Ltd which has been retained by Trident to provide technical support.
All figures in US$ unless otherwise stated
Contact details:
Trident Royalties Plc Adam Davidson / Richard Hughes | www.tridentroyalties.com +1 (757) 208-5171 / +44 7967 589997 |
Grant Thornton (Nominated Adviser) Colin Aaronson / Samantha Harrison / Samuel Littler | +44 020 7383 5100 |
Liberum Capital Limited (Joint Broker) Scott Mathieson / Cara Murphy | +44 20 3100 2184 |
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Broker) Callum Stewart / Ashton Clanfield | +44 20 7710 7600 |
Tamesis Partners LLP (Joint Broker) Richard Greenfield | +44 20 3882 2868 |
St Brides Partners Ltd (Financial PR & IR) Susie Geliher / Catherine Leftley | +44 20 7236 1177 |
Chairman's Statement
In the six months to 30 June 2023, the price of Trident shares declined by
This is my first statement as Chairman, taking over from Paul Smith at our Annual General Meeting in June. I should like to thank Paul for his guidance as Chairman.
Our strategy remains unchanged; delivering significant shareholder returns through value accretive transactions across precious, base, battery and bulk materials. As mentioned in our 2022 Annual Report, our priorities for 2023 are to further reduce our cost of capital (as this directly improves our competitiveness) and deploy capital for value. We have a strong balance sheet, which enables us to take advantage of opportunities in this market.
As we build our portfolio, we may be 'overweight' in certain minerals for a period of time. But as our portfolio expands, our intention is to have a balanced portfolio of assets reflecting the broader mining sector. Some of the best acquisition opportunities are pre-production royalties. As these assets move to production and generate cashflow, the risks diminish and we can expect an enhanced valuation reflected in our share price.
One of our cornerstone assets, Thacker Pass, is an excellent example of a pre-production asset that is advancing towards production. During the period, we saw the United States Federal Court confirm the validity of the permitting process for the project and the commencement of construction on site. In addition, General Motors announced a
Since the start of the year, we completed three transactions, all pre-production assets: La Preciosa (silver), Dandoko (gold) and Paradox (lithium). Each of these assets has a clear pathway to production and is a key asset to the relevant operator. In each case, the use of deferred consideration enabled Trident to optimise our deployment of capital and align our interest in achieving cash flow from these assets with milestone payments to the vendor.
La Preciosa is a near production silver project in Mexico. We were delighted to gain exposure to silver, which has the characteristics of a precious metal, and yet combines this with significant industrial use. Since the period end, we announced two further transactions. In August, we announced the acquisition of a royalty over the Dandoko Gold Project, in Western Mali, and a royalty over Anson's flagship Paradox Lithium Project, in Utah. Whilst we are not specifically seeking additional gold or lithium exposure, given our existing holdings in these areas, neither will we shy away from value-accretive transactions.
It has been a positive start to the year. We see further great opportunities for the Company through 2023 and beyond and we look forward to updating shareholders as we move through the year.
Al Gourley Non-Executive Chairman
18 September 2023
Chief Executive Officer Statement
The first half of 2023 saw material advancements at several of Trident's key assets alongside the acquisition of a new royalty interest. The new acquisition represents Trident's first exposure to silver, further increasing the commodity diversification of our portfolio. Post period, we announced a further two acquisitions increasing the total number of assets in Trident's portfolio to 20, of which 13 are currently cash flowing.
Royalty receipts for the period increased circa
From a corporate perspective, Trident was pleased to gain admission to trading on the OTC market in the US, which, over time, we hope will increase our investor accessibility, enhance liquidity, and strengthen our engagement with US investors. We intend to increase our interaction with North American investors over the coming months, particularly as Thacker Pass moves into construction in earnest over 2024.
Royalty Portfolio
The period under review has been particularly positive for our existing portfolio.
Trident holds a
Progress continued at Thacker Pass with several key permitting decisions reached during the period. In February 2023, the appeal relating to the issuance of the Record of Decision for Thacker Pass was dismissed by the US District Court, District of Nevada subject to minor additional work which was completed in May 2023. This decision was subsequently appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which rejected the arguments the opponents had put forth in their appeal and ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which approved Thacker Pass, had acted "reasonably and in good faith".
LAC made significant asset-level progress towards the development of Thacker Pass with a number of milestones including, the announcement of a
Thacker Pass is an asset of national significance to the USA as it seeks to secure and develop its own critical minerals supply chain. The project is on track to become a true Tier 1 lithium asset and we look forward to further updates from LAC over the coming months as it advances towards planned first production in H2 2026.
Our gold offtake portfolio continued to mature with progress across various assets in the portfolio. Construction of Equinox Gold's Greenstone project continues on schedule with first gold expected in H1 2024. Trident has a guarantee from a subsidiary of Equinox that the annual cap will be delivered in full during 2024 and 2025, with shortfalls to be compensated at an agreed rate. Victoria Gold reported a
Trident's remaining royalty portfolio continued to show solid progress throughout the half year. Royalty receipts from Mineral Resources' ("MinRes") Koolyanobbing project increased as MinRes looked to capitalise on high AUD iron ore prices and increased mining from Trident's royalty area. Operations at the Moxico Resources' Mimbula project continue to develop, with the first copper cathode production announced in the period following the previously announced completion of a bankable feasibility study contemplating an expanded production of 56,000 tonnes per annum alongside a capital raise of
Following the receipt of Q2 payments from both Koolyanobbing and Mimbula, Trident has now fully recovered its investment in both royalties. Trident retains life-of-mine exposure to both projects, with the royalty rate at Mimbula now adjusting to
Transactions
As announced in May, Trident acquired two royalties and the right to an associated
La Preciosa is being advanced by Avino Silver & Gold Mines ("Avino"), which operates the Avino mine and mill located 19km from La Preciosa. Avino is targeting initial production from stockpiled material at La Preciosa in late 2023 through its existing mill, before commencing production from fresh ore in 2024. Avino intend to ramp up silver production to circa 3.5 million ounces per annum by 2028.
In consideration for the acquisition, Trident paid
This acquisition further enhances the diversity of our portfolio and will contribute to our growing cash flow from 2024.
Outlook
We observed a marked increase in our opportunity pipeline during the first half as challenging equity and debt markets increased the attractiveness of royalty financing. Post-period end, the Company was pleased to announce two new royalty acquisitions.
The first, a
With a growing portfolio which currently includes 13 producing royalties, and is seeing material organic growth, we are well positioned to deliver continued growth against a broader challenging macroeconomic backdrop. We remain well capitalised to act on a deep pipeline of new opportunities which meet our stringent investment criteria and our pipeline of opportunities is considerable.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Board and management team for their continued support and enthusiasm during the first half of 2023, and we eagerly anticipate sharing further updates as the year progresses.
Adam Davidson Chief Executive Officer
18 September 2023
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Overview
Trident began 2023 by completing the sale of several pre-production exploration stage gold royalties over assets in Australia for cash proceeds of up to
Acquisitions and disposal
The Group completed the following transactions during the period:
· Acquisition of a
· Acquisition of a
· Sale of several pre-production exploration stage gold royalties over assets in Australia for cash proceeds of up to
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
Following these transactions, total net assets increased from
Intangible assets consist of
Royalty financial assets were valued at
Trade and other receivables totalling
Trade and other payables totalling
At the 30 June 2023 the net gold receivable amount was
Total cash at the end of the year was
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income and EBITDA
The Group reported a gross profit of
A profit of
The Group generated net revenue predominantly from its gold offtakes of
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
The below table summarises EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA:
Six months ended 30 June 2023 | Six months ended 30 June 2022 | |||
$'000 | $'000 | |||
Profit after tax |
| 3,814 | (611) | |
Income tax |
| 1,922 | (189) | |
Amortisation |
| 2,510 | 1,822 | |
Finance costs net of finance income |
| 1,799 | 2,240 | |
EBITDA |
| 10,045 | 3,262 | |
Other adjustments: |
|
| ||
Net foreign exchange losses |
| (20) | 830 | |
Income from financial instrument through profit and loss |
| 1,500 | 1,000 | |
Revaluation of royalty financial assets |
| (578) | (921) | |
Share-based payments charge and other non-cash items |
| 195 | 430 | |
Profit on disposal of intangible asset |
| (6,965) | (1,862) | |
Adjusted EBITDA |
| 4,177 | 2,739 |
The following table shows total royalty receipts for the period for royalty intangible assets, royalty financial assets, net offtake proceeds and gross disposal proceeds:
Six months ended 30 June 2023 | Six months ended 30 June 2022 | ||
$'000 | $'000 | ||
Royalties |
| 1,411 | 561 |
Offtakes (net proceeds) |
| 3,107 | 2,572 |
Royalties due or received from royalty financial assets |
| 1,500 | 1,000 |
Proceeds from gold offtake amendment (gross) |
| - | 3,706 |
Proceeds from Australian gold royalties sale (gross) |
| 14,300 | - |
|
| 20,318 | 7,839 |
An offtake contract is a contract pursuant to which the operator agrees to sell, and the purchaser (Trident) agrees to buy, refined gold produced from the mine or mines over which the offtake is granted. The key commercial terms include those relating to the amount of gold to be purchased, the duration of the contract, and the payment terms. Trident has the right to purchase gold at the lowest reference price (usually a contract referenced by the LBMA or COMEX) in a defined quotation period, which is typically 6-8 days. The revenue from these contracts is disclosed net of the purchase costs in the income statement.
Net gold offtake proceeds of
Cashflow and Borrowings
Net cash increased in the period by
Taxation
During the period the Group paid
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
for the six-months ended 30 June 2023
Six months ended 30 June 2023 Unaudited | Six months ended 30 June 2022 Unaudited | ||
Continuing operations | $'000 | $'000 | |
|
|
| |
Revenue |
| 4,518 | 3,133 |
Amortisation |
| (2,510) | (1,822) |
Gross profit |
| 2,008 | 1,311 |
Administrative expenses |
| (2,036) | (1,824) |
Operating loss | (28) | (513) | |
|
|
| |
Revaluation of royalty financial assets |
| 578 | 921 |
Profit on disposal of intangible asset |
| 6,965 | 1,862 |
Finance income |
| 493 | 10 |
Finance costs |
| (2,292) | (2,250) |
Net foreign exchange gains/(losses) |
| 20 | (830) |
Profit / Loss before taxation | 5,736 | (800) | |
Income tax |
| (1,922) | 189 |
Profit / Loss attributable to owners of the parent |
| 3,814 | (611) |
|
| ||
Other comprehensive income |
|
| |
Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss: |
|
| |
Exchange gains arising on translation of foreign operations |
| (39) | 126 |
Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax |
| (39) | 126 |
Total comprehensive income attributable to the owners of the parent | 3,775 | (485) | |
|
|
|
|
Earnings per share: |
|
| |
Basic and diluted earnings per share (U.S. cents) |
| 1.31 | (0.21) |
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
As at 30 June 2023
30 June 2023 Unaudited | 31 December 2022 Audited | ||
$'000 | $'000 | ||
|
|
|
|
Non-current assets |
|
| |
Intangible assets |
| 109,812 | 104,975 |
Royalty financial assets at fair value through profit and loss |
| 6,732 | 7,653 |
Deferred tax assets |
| 795 | 2,005 |
Total non-current assets |
| 117,339 | 114,633 |
|
|
| |
Current assets |
| ||
Trade and other receivables |
| 9,405 | 12,047 |
Assets classified as held for sale |
| - | 6,750 |
Cash and cash equivalents |
| 25,430 | 16,577 |
Current assets |
| 34,835 | 35,374 |
Total assets |
| 152,174 | 150,007 |
|
|
| |
Current liabilities |
|
| |
Trade and other payables |
| 1,185 | 2,277 |
Borrowings |
| 2,500 | 7,500 |
Total current liabilities |
| 3,685 | 9,777 |
|
|
|
|
Non-current liabilities |
|
|
|
Borrowings |
| 37,500 | 32,500 |
Contingent consideration |
| - | 408 |
Derivative financial liability |
| 2,045 | 2,452 |
Total non-current liabilities |
| 39,545 | 35,360 |
Total liabilities |
| 43,230 | 45,137 |
|
|
|
|
Net assets |
| 108,944 | 104,870 |
|
|
|
|
Equity attributable to owners of the parent |
|
|
|
Share Capital |
| 3,837 | 3,835 |
Share Premium |
| 106,488 | 106,387 |
Share-based payments reserve |
| 707 | 511 |
Foreign exchange reserve |
| 220 | 259 |
Retained Earnings |
| (2,308) | (6,122) |
Total equity | 108,944 | 104,870 |
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
for the six-month period ended 30 June 2023
| Share capital | Share Premium | Share-based payments reserve | Foreign exchange reserve | Retained Earnings | Total |
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |
1 January 2022 | 3,307 | 87,046 | 403 | 118 | (2,804) | 88,070 |
Loss for the period | - | - | - | - | (611) | (611) |
Other comprehensive income: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exchange losses on translation of foreign operations | - | - | - | 126 | - | 126 |
Total comprehensive income for the period | - | - | - | 126 | (611) | (485) |
Transactions with owners: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue of share capital | 528 | 19,613 | - | - | - | 20,141 |
Share issue costs | - | (272) | - | - | - | (272) |
Share-based payments charge | - | - | 238 | - | - | 238 |
Total transactions with owners, recognised directly in equity | 528 | 19,341 | 238 | - | - | 20,107 |
Balance at 30 June 2022 - Unaudited | 3,835 | 106,387 | 641 | 244 | (3,415) | 107,692 |
Loss for the period | - | - | - | - | (3,073) | (3,073) |
Other comprehensive income: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exchange gains on translation of foreign operations | - | - | - | 15 | - | 15 |
Total comprehensive income for the period | - | - | - | 15 | (3,073) | (3,058) |
Transactions with owners: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share option lapse | - | - | (366) | - | 366 | - |
Share-based payments charge | - | - | 236 | - | - | 236 |
Total transactions with owners, recognised directly in equity | - | - | (130) |
| 366 | 236 |
Balance at 31 December 2022 - Audited | 3,835 | 106,387 | 511 | 259 | (6,122) | 104,870 |
Proft for the period | - | - | - | - | 3,814 | 3,814 |
Other comprehensive income: | ||||||
Exchange losses on translation of foreign operations | - | - | - | (39) | - | (39) |
Total comprehensive income for the period | - | - | - | (39) | 3,814 | 3,775 |
Transactions with owners: | ||||||
Issue of share capital | 2 | 101 | - | - | - | 103 |
Share-based payments charge | - | - | 196 | - | - | 196 |
Total transactions with owners, recognised directly in equity | 2 | 101 | 196 | - | - | 299 |
Balance at 30 June 2023 - Unaudited | 3,837 | 106,488 | 707 | 220 | (2,308) | 108,944 |
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
for the six-month period ended 30 June 2023
Six months to 30 June 2023 Unaudited | Six months to 30 June 2022 Unaudited | ||
$'000 | $'000 | ||
Cash flows from operating activities |
|
|
|
Profit/(loss) before taxation |
| 5,736 | (800) |
Revaluation of royalty financial instruments |
| (578) | (921) |
Finance income |
| (493) | (10) |
Finance costs |
| 2,292 | 2,250 |
Profit on disposal of intangible asset |
| (6,965) | (1,862) |
Net foreign exchange losses |
| 204 | 830 |
Amortisation |
| 2,510 | 1,822 |
Share-based payments charge and other non-cash items |
| 195 | 430 |
Net cashflow before changes in working capital |
| 2,901 | 1,739 |
(Decrease)/increase in payables |
| (1,738) | (832) |
(Increase)/decrease in receivables |
| 3,348 | (145) |
Income tax paid |
| (27) | - |
Net cash from/(used) in operating activities | 4,484 | 762 | |
Cash flows from investing activities |
|
| |
Payments for acquisition of royalty intangible assets |
| (7,393) | (60,386) |
Cash received from royalty financial asset |
| 500 | 875 |
Payment for Sonora royalty investment |
| - | (2,500) |
Net proceeds from disposal of intangible asset |
| 13,166 | 3,528 |
Finance income |
| 467 | 10 |
Net cash from/(used) in investing activities |
| 6,740 | (58,473) |
Cash flows from financing activities |
| ||
Issue of share capital |
| - | 6,449 |
Share issue costs |
| - | (272) |
Proceeds from borrowings |
| - | 40,000 |
Repayment of borrowings |
| - | (10,000) |
Finance costs |
| (2,353) | (3,850) |
Net cash generated from/(used in) financing activities |
| (2,353) | 32,327 |
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents during the period |
| 8,871 | (25,384) |
Cash at the beginning of period | 16,577 | 45,637 | |
Effect of foreign exchange rate |
| (18) | (102) |
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period | 25,430 | 20,151 | |
|
**ENDS**
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SOURCE: Trident Royalties PLC
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