Latest News

MinRes halts lithium purchasing spree; shares fall 12% on revenue downturn

Australian diversified miner Mineral Resources (MinRes) is highly not likely to pursue acquisitions in the next 12 months offered low lithium prices and its existing holdings of the battery basic material, its handling director said on Thursday.

The world's biggest miner of hardrock spodumene got stakes in a bunch of early stage projects last year as it fought with Australia's wealthiest individual Gina Rinehart to win footholds in appealing Australian expedition jobs.

Australia accounts for just under half of the world's. seaborne supply of the battery raw material.

MinRes reported a nearly 80% depression in its yearly underlying. earnings after the marketplace closed on Wednesday to A$ 158 million. ($ 107.33 million) and suspended its dividend. It was struck by. weaker lithium prices in spite of record delivery volumes. Shares. fell by as much as 12% on Thursday.

Managing Director Chris Ellison, a billionaire who owns. about 12% of the miner, said the business remained in a extremely. conservative mode as it grappled with lower commodity costs.

It's extremely not likely that we 'd be looking at any. acquisitions of any kind over the next 12 months, he told a. media call following results.

Ellison has been singing about his strategies to centrally process. lithium ore mined in Western Australia's southern goldfields. area by third parties and miners it owns a stake in as part of. a center and spoke model.

The company also mines iron ore and runs a mining services. business.

MinRes has stakes in designers consisting of Global Lithium. , Delta Lithium and Wildcat Resources,. but it lost its bid to purchase Azure Minerals to fellow billionaire. Rinehart and Chile's SQM late last year.

(source: Reuters)