Manganese Ore Mining Segment Performance - Manganese ore mining segment turned a profit of HKD 73.4 million in 2022, compared to a loss of HKD 180.6 million in 2021, primarily due to the early termination of subcontracting services at the Bembélé manganese mine in Gabon, which incurred settlement expenses of HKD 166.0 million in 2021[31] - Manganese ore mining revenue increased to HKD 1,257.2 million in 2022, accounting for 74.2% of total revenue, up from HKD 721.7 million in 2021[29] - Manganese mining segment revenue increased by 74.2% to 1,257.2 million HKD in 2022 from 721.7 million HKD in 2021 due to expanded mining operations at the Bembélé manganese mine[176] Electrolytic Manganese Metal Products Performance - The company's electrolytic manganese metal products saw an 8.1% decrease in average selling price to HKD 20,322 per ton in 2022, down from HKD 22,121 per ton in 2021[26] - Gross profit margin for electrolytic manganese metal products dropped by 28.2 percentage points to 16.0% in 2022, compared to 44.2% in 2021[26] - Gross profit contribution from electrolytic manganese metal products decreased by 71.5% to HKD 385.8 million in 2022, down from HKD 1,355.7 million in 2021[26] - Electrolytic manganese product sales volume decreased by 14.6% to 118,500 tons in 2022 (2021: 138,682 tons), with an average selling price decrease of 8.1% to HKD 20,322 per ton (2021: HKD 22,121 per ton)[52] Trade Business Performance - Trade business revenue grew to HKD 9,411.0 million in 2022, representing 58.8% of total revenue, up from HKD 5,924.6 million in 2021[29] - The total sales cost increased by 39.7% to HKD 14,659.6 million in 2022 (2021: HKD 10,491.8 million), in line with the increase in trade business revenue and sales costs[36] Battery Materials Production Performance - Battery materials production revenue increased to HKD 1,986.7 million in 2022, representing 18.7% of total revenue, up from HKD 1,673.9 million in 2021[29] - The battery materials production division's revenue increased by 18.7% to HKD 1,986.7 million in 2022 (2021: HKD 1,673.9 million), and gross profit increased by 55.7% to HKD 692.5 million (2021: HKD 444.7 million)[53] - The average selling price of lithium manganate increased by 130.3% to HKD 99,597 per ton in 2022 (2021: HKD 43,236 per ton), in line with the surge in lithium carbonate prices[35] Financial Performance Overview - Total revenue increased by 24.9% to HKD 16,031.9 million in 2022 (2021: HKD 12,830.8 million), while gross profit decreased by 41.3% to HKD 1,372.3 million (2021: HKD 2,338.9 million), with a gross margin of 8.6% (2021: 18.2%)[46] - The company's operating profit decreased by 59.0% to HKD 514.2 million in 2022, compared to HKD 1,254.1 million in 2021, mainly due to reduced gross profit contribution from electrolytic manganese metal products[28] - The company's attributable profit to owners was HKD 336.1 million in 2022 (2021: HKD 454.6 million)[46] - The company's profit attributable to owners for 2022 was HK454.6 million in 2021[60] - Revenue increased by 24.9% to 16,031,885 thousand HKD in 2022 compared to 12,830,762 thousand HKD in 2021[175] - Gross profit decreased by 41.3% to 1,372,332 thousand HKD in 2022 from 2,338,939 thousand HKD in 2021, with gross margin dropping to 8.6% from 18.2%[175] - Operating profit fell by 59.0% to 514,169 thousand HKD in 2022 from 1,254,104 thousand HKD in 2021[175] - Profit before tax decreased by 27.7% to 394,879 thousand HKD in 2022 from 546,344 thousand HKD in 2021[175] - Net profit attributable to the company's owners dropped by 26.1% to 336,091 thousand HKD in 2022 from 454,583 thousand HKD in 2021[175] Impairment Losses and Adjustments - The company recognized non-cash impairment losses of HKD 119.7 million for property, plant, and equipment, and mining rights in 2022 (2021: HKD 236.4 million)[46] - The company adjusted its investment and expansion plans for the Changgou and Waifu manganese mines, resulting in impairment losses of HKD 70.9 million and HKD 48.8 million, respectively[40][43] - The company recognized a non-cash impairment loss of 119.7 million HKD related to mining rights in 2022[164] Financial Position and Liquidity - Cash and bank balances (including pledged deposits) increased to HK1,245.9 million in 2021, while borrowings increased to HK4,113.9 million[64] - Net current liabilities decreased to HK1,584.9 million in 2021, primarily due to obtaining more long-term loans[67] - Fixed-rate and floating-rate borrowings were HK925.7 million respectively in 2022, with fixed-rate loans carrying interest rates between 1.40% and 9.3%[69] - The company's financial expenses remained stable at HK236.0 million in 2021[83] - The net debt ratio decreased to 90.1% as of December 31, 2022 (2021: 92.3%)[46] - The group's quick ratio improved to 0.63 in 2022 from 0.60 in 2021, while the net debt ratio decreased to 90.1% from 92.3%[126] - The company's current liabilities exceeded its current assets by HKD 746.3 million as of December 31, 2022, raising liquidity risk concerns[128] - The company successfully renewed or obtained new bank loans amounting to HKD 3,145.5 million from January 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023, addressing liquidity concerns[128] Tax and Dividend Information - The effective tax rate for 2022 was 13.3%, lower than the statutory corporate income tax rate due to the utilization of unrecognized tax loss balances by certain profitable subsidiaries[84] - The company did not recommend any dividend for the year ended December 31, 2022, consistent with 2021[85] - The company did not recommend the payment of any dividends for the year[170] Operational and Strategic Developments - The company is exploring ways to improve its borrowing structure, including short-term and medium-term notes, to optimize interest rates and repayment terms[93] - The group is negotiating a repayment schedule with Customer A and preparing for legal action to expedite the recovery of overdue amounts[108] - The group faces interest rate risk due to fluctuations in the China Loan Prime Rate and LIBOR, which could increase financial expenses if rates rise[108] - The group uses interest rate swap contracts to manage interest rate risk by converting some floating-rate USD borrowings to fixed rates[108] - The group's operations in China and Gabon face foreign exchange risks, with revenues and expenses denominated in RMB, USD, and Central African CFA francs[111] - The group aims to become a leading global manganese producer with a focus on improving operational efficiency and profitability[112] - The electrolytic manganese division faces challenges due to oversupply and rising production costs in the steel industry, leading to reduced demand[114] - The company is optimistic about China's economic recovery following the relaxation of COVID-19 quarantine measures and lockdown policies at the end of 2022[133] - The company focuses on five business segments: ore and traditional manganese-related products, new energy materials, alloy materials, supply chain logistics, and solid waste resource utilization[134] - The company is actively developing new energy battery materials, including electrolytic manganese dioxide and lithium manganate, to expand applications in electric vehicles and other tools[144] - The company established an independent investigation committee on March 31, 2023, to address audit concerns[149] - The company's two subsidiaries were recognized as Guangxi Digital Workshops and Guangxi Green Manufacturing Enterprises[157] - The company was selected as one of the first batch of manufacturing single champion demonstration enterprises in Guangxi in 2022[189] - The company's high-performance lithium-ion battery cathode material key technology and industrialization project won the second prize of the Guangxi Autonomous Region Science and Technology Progress Award in 2022[189] Asset and Liability Changes - Prepayments, other receivables, and other assets classified as current assets decreased by 21.7% to HK1,521.4 million in 2022, mainly due to reduced advances from trade business customers and decreased VAT payable in China[66] - Inventory increased by 32.2% to HKD 1,849.1 million in 2022, driven by higher inventory and production materials at the Bembélé manganese mine in Gabon[89] - Trade payables and notes increased by 65.3% to HKD 2,148.9 million in 2022, mainly due to increased production and trade-related payables[90] - Total borrowings increased to HKD 4,460.4 million in 2022, with HKD 3,266.9 million due within one year[93] - Total assets increased to 11,450,624 thousand HKD in 2022 from 10,984,343 thousand HKD in 2021[185] - Total liabilities increased to 8,618,338 thousand HKD in 2022 from 8,248,510 thousand HKD in 2021[185] Corporate Governance and Auditing - The company appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers as its new auditor effective October 19, 2022, following the resignation of Ernst & Young[135] - The company is addressing internal control deficiencies identified in an independent review to meet the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's resumption guidance[139] - The group's financial statements for 2021 were restated due to underreporting of reserves and overreporting of non-controlling interests[118][119] - The group may incur additional income tax expenses and related late payment fees due to past tax planning arrangements for certain subsidiaries[121] Other Financial Metrics - EBITDA for 2022 decreased by 20.8% to 1,048.0 million HKD from 1,323.0 million HKD in 2021[164] - Other income and gains increased by 15.7% to 183.2 million HKD in 2022, primarily due to foreign exchange gains[166] - The company holds 33% equity in an associate company, with outstanding bank loans secured by the associate's land, property, plant, and equipment[95] - The company used HK$7.2 million in 2022 to pay the Chinese government for the extension of mining rights for the Changgou Manganese Mine, with annual payments of approximately RMB 6.2 million required from 2023 to 2032[63] - Total funds raised from the IPO amounted to HKD 1,983 million, with HKD 1,894 million (95.5%) utilized as of December 31, 2022[86] - The company's registered office is located at Clarendon House, 2 Church Street, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda[155] - The company's headquarters in Hong Kong is located at Room A02, 35/F, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong[155]
南方锰业(01091) - 2023 - 年度财报