Coal news and updates

Miner New Hope Corp's annual profit drops on lower coal prices

Recasts with CEO comments on possible acquisition, adds quotes in paragraphs 5-7

MELBOURNE, Sept 17 (Reuters) -Australian coal miner New Hope NHC.AX has built up a war chest to fund its growth plans which could include the coal assets of Anglo American AAL.L in Queensland if its bid is successful, CEO Rob Bishop said on Tuesday.

The Brisbane-headquartered miner has profited from a spike in prices for energy coal over the past few years, first from supply constraints during the COVID-19 pandemic andthen from the Ukraine war.

While thermal coal prices fallen frompeaks above $400 a metric ton two years ago to around $137 a ton on Tuesday, they are still double the levels seen in early 2020.

That has helped New Hope build up available cash of A$824.5 million ($556.46 million). The miner in July also completed an offering of$A300 million of senior unsecured convertible notes due in 2029.

"We want to make sure we have the firepower to execute if we see something attractive in the market," Bishop said in an interview after the company released results.

"We’re not desperate. It depends what type of assets come up," he said, adding that New Hope had submitted a bid for five metallurgical coal mines Anglo is selling.

First-round bids for the Anglo mineswere due by Sept. 9 as Anglo CEO Duncan Wanblad takes initial steps to simplify the company after it rejected a $49 billion takeover offer from BHP BHP.AX earlier this year.

An acquisition would be a big move from the thermal coal miner into steel-making coal.

Separately, New Hope expects to spend around $A500 million on its internal growth projects, mostly on the restart of its NewAcland mine. It has also raised its stake in privately held coal miner Malabar Resources to 19.97% from 15%.

"It ticked the boxes for our strategy, it's cash generative, permitted, already selling coal, it will be very low on the cost curve," he said, adding that a minority stake would allow it an opportunity to "get smarter" in underground mining.

Earlier on Tuesday,New Hope reported an annual profit on Tuesday that fell 56.2% because oflower coal prices.

The miner reported a full-year net profit attributable of A$475.9 million ($321.33 million), compared with A$1.09 billion a year earlier.

New Hope's average realised prices during the reported period fell to A$183.25 per ton from A$346.73 per ton in 2023, while its saleable coal production for the year increased 26% to 9.1 million metric tons.

The company declared a final dividend of 22 Australian cents, compared with 21 cents a year earlier. Shares rallied as much as 5.4% and were last at A$4.35,up 2.4%.

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