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Anglo American Preliminary Results for the year ended 31 December 2023

22 February, 2024

Production increase and strong cost performance outweighed by cyclical lows for PGMs and diamonds 

  • Quellaveco fully ramped up and produced 319,000 tonnes of copper at unit cost of 111 c/lb
  • On track to reduce annual costs by c.$1 billion and capex by c.$1.6 billion over 2024–2026
  • Underlying EBITDA* of $10.0 billion, a 31% decrease; 2% volume increase and unit costs held to +4% despite high inflation, more than offset by $5.5 billion revenue impact of PGMs and diamonds at cyclical lows
  • Profit attributable to equity shareholders of $0.3 billion 
  • Net debt* of $10.6 billion: investing in long term growth through the cycle, with leverage at 1.1x
  • $1.2 billion total dividend for FY 2023, equal to $0.96 per share, consistent with our 40% payout policy.

Duncan Wanblad, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: “2023 saw us increase production by 2% and contain the effect of high inflation on our costs, while facing a cyclical downturn in PGMs and diamonds. Against that backdrop, we are reducing annual run rate costs by $1 billion and capital spend by $1.6 billion over the next three years, while also cutting out unprofitable volumes. This value over volume mindset represents our biggest margin lever to enhance returns. We are systematically reviewing our assets and will take further actions as needed to ensure their competitiveness. We have also this week set out the difficult but necessary reconfigurations of our PGMs and Kumba operations to set them up on a far more sustainable footing, building on the recent 25% cost reduction from our consolidation of senior head office roles. 

“We continue to make progress on safety, achieving our lowest ever injury rate in 2023. However, I am sad to report that three colleagues died during the year following two accidents, at Los Bronces and Kumba. We extend our deepest condolences to their families, friends and colleagues. We are unconditional in our commitment to safety and working to ensure that every colleague returns home safe and well each day. 

“Operationally, we ramped up our flagship Quellaveco operation to full capacity in 2023, producing 319,000 tonnes of copper at a highly competitive unit cost. Minas-Rio set a number of performance records, while Kumba performed well but was limited by third-party rail constraints. At Los Bronces we have reconfigured the mine plan to remove unprofitable production during a phase of lower grades and hard ore, and in Australia we reset production plans to align with new safety protocols and ongoing challenging ground conditions at Moranbah. PGMs and De Beers performed well operationally but faced markets at cyclical lows. 

“Underlying EBITDA of $10.0 billion at a 39% Mining EBITDA margin* reflects a 13% lower product basket price and a 4% unit cost increase, partially offset by our 2% volume growth. Net debt increasing to $10.6 billion reflects the growth investments we are making through the cycle in line with our belief in the strong long term fundamentals. Our updated assessment of global GDP growth and consumer demand were the main factors behind our $1.6 billion write-down of our book value of De Beers, principally relating to goodwill. Our $0.5 billion proposed final dividend of $0.41 per share is in line with our 40% payout policy. 

“There is no doubt that while the immediate macro picture presents some challenges for our PGMs and diamonds businesses, the demand trends for metals and minerals have rarely looked better. We are focused on reducing complexities and continue to manage our assets, capital and portfolio dynamically and for value. This includes syndicating large greenfield projects for value, as we did with Quellaveco, and as we plan to do for Woodsmith at the right time. We also look to identify opportunities with adjacent assets where there is significant value to be unlocked, while progressing our sequence of organic project options that offer considerable value growth, predominantly in copper, crop nutrients and high quality iron ore.” 

Year ended 31 December 2023 31 December 2022 Change
US$ million, unless otherwise stated
Revenue 30,652 35,118 (13)%
Underlying EBITDA* 9,958 14,495 (31)%
Mining EBITDA margin* 39% 47%  
Attributable free cash flow* (1,385) 1,585 (187)%
Profit attributable to equity shareholders of the Company 283 4,514 (94)%
Basic underlying earnings per share* ($) 2.42 4.97 (51)%
Basic earnings per share ($) 0.23 3.72 (94)%
Final dividend per share ($) 0.41 0.74 (45)%
Interim dividend per share ($) 0.55 1.24 (56)%
Total dividend per share ($) 0.96 1.98 (52)%
Group attributable ROCE* 16% 30%  

Terms with this symbol * are defined as Alternative Performance Measures (APMs). For more information, refer to page 84.

View full PDF of this press release (PDF, 760KB, opens in a new window)

For further information, please contact:

Media Investors
UK UK
James Wyatt-Tilby Paul Galloway
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8759 Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8718
Marcelo Esquivel Emma Waterworth
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8891 Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8574
Rebecca Meeson–Frizelle Juliet Newth
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 1374 Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8830
South Africa Michelle Jarman
Nevashnee Naicker Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 1494
Tel: +27 (0)11 638 3189  
Sibusiso Tshabalala  
Email: [email protected]  
Tel: +27 (0)11 638 2175  

Notes to editors:

Anglo American is a leading global mining company and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive operations, with a broad range of future development options, provides many of the future-enabling metals and minerals for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast growing every day demands of billions of consumers. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to discover new resources and to mine, process, move and market our products to our customers – safely and sustainably.

As a responsible producer of copper, nickel, platinum group metals, diamonds (through De Beers), and premium quality iron ore and steelmaking coal – with crop nutrients in development – we are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2040. More broadly, our Sustainable Mining Plan commits us to a series of stretching goals to ensure we work towards a healthy environment, creating thriving communities and building trust as a corporate leader. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock enduring value from precious natural resources for the benefit of the communities and countries in which we operate, for society as a whole, and for our shareholders. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives.
www.angloamerican.com

Webcast of presentation:

A live webcast of the results presentation, starting at 9.00am UK time on 22 February 2024, can be accessed through the Anglo American website at
www.angloamerican.com

Note: Throughout this results announcement, ‘$’ denotes United States dollars and ‘cents’ refers to United States cents. Tonnes are metric tons, ‘Mt’ denotes million tonnes and ‘kt’ denotes thousand tonnes, unless otherwise stated.

Group terminology

In this document, references to “Anglo American”, the “Anglo American Group”, the “Group”, “we”, “us”, and “our” are to refer to either Anglo American plc and its subsidiaries and/or those who work for them generally, or where it is not necessary to refer to a particular entity, entities or persons. The use of those generic terms herein is for convenience only, and is in no way indicative of how the Anglo American Group or any entity within it is structured, managed or controlled. Anglo American subsidiaries, and their management, are responsible for their own day-to-day operations, including but not limited to securing and maintaining all relevant licences and permits, operational adaptation and implementation of Group policies, management, training and any applicable local grievance mechanisms. Anglo American produces group-wide policies and procedures to ensure best uniform practices and standardisation across the Anglo American Group but is not responsible for the day to day implementation of such policies. Such policies and procedures constitute prescribed minimum standards only. Group operating subsidiaries are responsible for adapting those policies and procedures to reflect local conditions where appropriate, and for implementation, oversight and monitoring within their specific businesses.

Disclaimer

This document is for information purposes only and does not constitute, nor is to be construed as, an offer to sell or the recommendation, solicitation, inducement or offer to buy, subscribe for or sell shares in Anglo American or any other securities by Anglo American or any other party. Further, it should not be treated as giving investment, legal, accounting, regulatory, taxation or other advice and has no regard to the specific investment or other objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any recipient.

Forward-looking statements and third party information

This document includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this document, including, without limitation, those regarding Anglo American’s financial position, business, acquisition and divestment strategy, dividend policy, plans and objectives of management for future operations, prospects and projects (including development plans and objectives relating to Anglo American’s products, production forecasts and Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource positions) and sustainability performance related (including environmental, social and governance) goals, ambitions, targets, visions, milestones and aspirations, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Anglo American or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding Anglo American’s present and future business strategies and the environment in which Anglo American will operate in the future. Important factors that could cause Anglo American’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, levels of actual production during any period, levels of global demand and commodity market prices, unanticipated downturns in business relationships with customers or their purchases from Anglo American, mineral resource exploration and project development capabilities and delivery, recovery rates and other operational capabilities, safety, health or environmental incidents, the effects of global pandemics and outbreaks of infectious diseases, the impact of attacks from third parties on our information systems, natural catastrophes or adverse geological conditions, climate change and extreme weather events, the outcome of litigation or regulatory proceedings, the availability of mining and processing equipment, the ability to obtain key inputs in a timely manner, the ability to produce and transport products profitably, the availability of necessary infrastructure (including transportation) services, the development, efficacy and adoption of new or competing technology, challenges in realising resource estimates or discovering new economic mineralisation, the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on market prices and operating costs, the availability of sufficient credit, liquidity and counterparty risks, the effects of inflation, terrorism, war, conflict, political or civil unrest, uncertainty, tensions and disputes and economic and financial conditions around the world, evolving societal and stakeholder requirements and expectations, shortages of skilled employees, unexpected difficulties relating to acquisitions or divestitures, competitive pressures and the actions of competitors, activities by courts, regulators and governmental authorities such as in relation to permitting or forcing closure of mines and ceasing of operations or maintenance of Anglo American’s assets and changes in taxation or safety, health, environmental or other types of regulation in the countries where Anglo American operates, conflicts over land and resource ownership rights and such other risk factors identified in Anglo American’s most recent Annual Report. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be construed in light of such risk factors and undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Anglo American expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking (except as required by applicable law, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, the UK Listing Rules, the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority, the Listings Requirements of the securities exchange of the JSE Limited in South Africa, the SIX Swiss Exchange, the Botswana Stock Exchange and the Namibian Stock Exchange and any other applicable regulations) to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Anglo American’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Nothing in this document should be interpreted to mean that future earnings per share of Anglo American will necessarily match or exceed its historical published earnings per share. Certain statistical and other information included in this document is sourced from third party sources (including, but not limited to, externally conducted studies and trials). As such it has not been independently verified and presents the views of those third parties, but may not necessarily correspond to the views held by Anglo American and Anglo American expressly disclaims any responsibility for, or liability in respect of, such information.

©Anglo American Services (UK) Ltd 2024.   and are trademarks of Anglo American Services (UK) Ltd.

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