Glencore Xstrata Plc's first-half profit slid 39 per cent and the world's biggest exporter of power station coal wrote down the value of assets acquired in the Xstrata Plc takeover three months ago by $7.7 billion.
Adjusted net income fell to $2.04 billion from $3.36 billion a year earlier, Glencore said on Tuesday in a statement. That compares with the $1.87 billion average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Baar, Switzerland-based Glencore reported a net loss of $8.9 billion.
The $29 billion all-share purchase of Xstrata created the fourth-biggest miner and added coal, nickel, zinc and copper output to Glencore's global commodity trading empire. BHP Billiton Ltd, Rio Tinto Group and Glencore are among producers cutting costs, selling assets, revaluing mines and reducing spending as lower prices trim profits.
"A lot of the greenfield assets and certain assets which they had on their books we didn't put a large amount of value on," CEO Ivan Glasenberg said in an interview.
'Jarring' writedown
Some investors may find the figure on the Xstrata writedown "somewhat jarring, especially given management rhetoric on capital allocation," Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Jason Fairclough wrote on Tuesday in a note to clients.
Glencore also posted a $1.2-billion accounting loss on revaluing its 34 per cent interest in Xstrata at the time the transaction was completed, as well as a $452-million impairment charge at its Murrin Murrin nickel operation in Australia and a $324 million charge on its investment in United Co Rusal. The Xstrata takeover is expected to generate annual cost savings "well above" the stated $500-million plan, Glasenberg, 56, said in May. It will be "materially in excess of previous guidance," he said on Tuesday.
The combined group has interests in about 35 coal mines in Colombia, Africa and Australia, accounting for about 10 per cent of global seaborne supplies of the fuel.
It's the fourth-biggest producer of mined copper and third-largest in nickel. It employs about 190,000 people in more than 50 countries across its industrial and trading divisions.
Glencore fell 1.6 per cent to 297.15 pence by 8 am in London. The company, 25 per cent owned by management, reported an interim dividend of 5.4 cents a share.
Adjusted net income fell to $2.04 billion from $3.36 billion a year earlier, Glencore said on Tuesday in a statement. That compares with the $1.87 billion average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Baar, Switzerland-based Glencore reported a net loss of $8.9 billion.
The $29 billion all-share purchase of Xstrata created the fourth-biggest miner and added coal, nickel, zinc and copper output to Glencore's global commodity trading empire. BHP Billiton Ltd, Rio Tinto Group and Glencore are among producers cutting costs, selling assets, revaluing mines and reducing spending as lower prices trim profits.
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The Xstrata impairments reflect "the broader negative mining industry environment and sentiment which prevailed during the first half of 2013 and the heightened risks associated with greenfield and large-scale expansion projects," Glencore said in the statement.
"A lot of the greenfield assets and certain assets which they had on their books we didn't put a large amount of value on," CEO Ivan Glasenberg said in an interview.
'Jarring' writedown
Some investors may find the figure on the Xstrata writedown "somewhat jarring, especially given management rhetoric on capital allocation," Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Jason Fairclough wrote on Tuesday in a note to clients.
Glencore also posted a $1.2-billion accounting loss on revaluing its 34 per cent interest in Xstrata at the time the transaction was completed, as well as a $452-million impairment charge at its Murrin Murrin nickel operation in Australia and a $324 million charge on its investment in United Co Rusal. The Xstrata takeover is expected to generate annual cost savings "well above" the stated $500-million plan, Glasenberg, 56, said in May. It will be "materially in excess of previous guidance," he said on Tuesday.
The combined group has interests in about 35 coal mines in Colombia, Africa and Australia, accounting for about 10 per cent of global seaborne supplies of the fuel.
It's the fourth-biggest producer of mined copper and third-largest in nickel. It employs about 190,000 people in more than 50 countries across its industrial and trading divisions.
Glencore fell 1.6 per cent to 297.15 pence by 8 am in London. The company, 25 per cent owned by management, reported an interim dividend of 5.4 cents a share.