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Australia's Fortescue beats on first-half profit, posts strong dividend

Australia's Fortescue on Thursday published a 41% dive in its halfyear profit and stated a betterthanexpected dividend, supported by strong iron ore shipments and greater prices for its lower grades of the steelmaking raw material.

Imports to China, the world's largest iron ore customer, hit a record high last year on strong need as steel makers sought to conserve margins by utilizing more lower grade ore, raising need for Fortescue's items.

The world's fourth-largest iron ore miner said net earnings after tax attributable for the six months ended Dec. 31 was available in at $3.34 billion, up from $2.37 billion a year back. It beat an LSEG quote of $2.89 billion.

The beat on profit streamed in to raise its interim dividend to A$ 1.08 per share, topping the agreement quote of A$ 1.04, and up from A$ 0.75 apiece declared a year ago. The payment was in the middle of its 50-80% target range.

The market will take (the) dividend and EBITDA beat as a favorable, Citi analysts stated in a note, describing revenues before interest, amortisation, tax and depreciation. Shares in the miner rose 2.2%.

At its Iron Bridge magnetite operations, work is underway to replace a 65-km (40-mile) section of a high pressure water pipeline, anticipated to be completed by mid-2025, Fortescue stated.

Fortescue understood a typical earnings of $108.19 per dry metric tonne, as compared with $87.18/ dmt in the prior corresponding period and kept its overall complete fiscal-year delivery projection the same at 192 million to 197 million loads.

Fortescue likewise stayed with its spending guidance. Metals capital investment is seen at $2.8 billion-$ 3.2 billion and for its energy division, net operating expenditure of around $800. million and capital expenditure and financial investments of approximately. $ 500 million.

There was no update around the timing of final. investment decisions on green energy jobs in Norway, Brazil. and Kenya, which energy boss Mark Hutchinson said last month. were being readied and which Fortescue had previously said would be. ready at the end of 2023.

There are concerns about how Fortescue will money those. projects, even with complimentary capital at $2.65 billion and net financial obligation. of $569 million that has cut in half from June.

Those jobs are a 2.1 gigawatt green hydrogen project. in Brazil, a 300 megawatt (MW) task in Chui, Kenya, and a 300. MW Holmaneset project in Norway. Goldman Sachs, which has a sell. score on the stock, approximates these tasks combined will cost. $ 10 billion-$ 20 billion.

(source: Reuters)