VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gatos Silver, Inc. (NYSE/TSX: GATO) (“Gatos Silver” or the “Company”) today announced its fourth quarter and full year 2023 financial and operating results. The Company will host an investor and analyst call on February 21, 2024, details of which are provided below.
The Company has a 70% interest in the Los Gatos Joint Venture (“LGJV”), which in turn owns the Cerro Los Gatos (“CLG”) mine in Mexico. Production for the fourth quarter of 2023 was previously disclosed on January 9, 2024. The Company’s reporting currency is US dollars.
Dale Andres, CEO said: “During the fourth quarter we continued to add cash to the balance sheet, generated from another quarter of strong operational performance at the LGJV. All-in sustaining cost (“AISC”) per silver ounce was at the lower end of 2023 guidance thanks to improved operating efficiencies, which helped to offset inflationary cost pressures and the impact of the stronger Mexican peso.”
“For 2024, we expect silver production of 8.4 million ounces to 9.2 million ounces at an AISC, after by-product credits, of $9.50 to $11.50 per payable ounce produced. On a quarterly basis, we expect production will gradually increase throughout the year as we debottleneck the mine and further optimize the mill at CLG. Conversion drilling of the South-East Deeps inferred resource to extend mine life is progressing well and the LGJV has started ramping up exploration efforts on near mine targets in the Los Gatos district.”
Summary
LGJV 2023 results (100% basis):
- CLG life of mine extended by 2.75 years to the end of 2030 with a 46% increase in total silver production
- Cost of sales only 4% higher than 2022, despite mining and processing 10% more tonnes year over year
- Cash from operating activities of $142.0 million and free cash flow of $84.9 million1
- AISC after by-product credits of $11.331 per payable silver ounce produced on our previously disclosed production of 9.2 million ounces
Gatos Silver 2023 results:
- Net income of $12.9 million or $0.19 per basic and $0.18 per diluted share
- Received capital distribution of $59.5 million from the LGJV
- Cash used by operating activities of $12.0 million and free cash flow of $47.5 million1
- Year-end cash balance of $55.5 million and no debt
LGJV Q4 2023 results compared to Q4 2022 (100% basis):
- Revenue of $73.5 million, down 21% from $93.0 million
- Cost of sales $28.0 million, up 10% from $25.5 million
- Net income $24.9 million, down 16% from $29.8 million
- EBITDA $38.6 million, down 38% from $61.9 million1
- Cash from operating activities of $38.2 million, down 2% from $39.1 million
- Sustaining capital $11.7 million, down 40% from $19.5 million1
- Free cash flow $22.3 million, up 19% from $18.7 million1
- Co-product AISC of $14.73 per ounce of payable silver, down 0.5% from $14.801
- By-product AISC of $11.12 per ounce of payable silver, down 8% from $12.131
Gatos Silver Q4 2023 results compared to Q4 2022:
- Net income of $12.3 million, up 160% from $4.7 million
- Basic and diluted earnings per share of $0.18, up 157% from $0.07
- EBITDA $11.8 million, up 116% from $5.5 million1
- Cash used in operating activities of $2.5 million, compared to cash provided by operations of $5.9 million
- Free cash flow $22.0 million, up 277% from $5.8 million1
1 See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below
For Gatos Silver, higher net income, earnings per share and EBITDA1 for Q4 2023 were primarily attributable to a decrease in general and administrative expenses and lower legal settlement expenses. The change in operating cash flow was primarily attributable to the dividend payment received in Q4 2022. The increase in free cash flow1 was a result of the capital distribution received in Q4 2023.
Cash distributions to the LGJV partners in 2023 have been made through capital distributions which is more tax efficient than distributing cash dividends. As a result, cash distributions are currently shown on the balance sheet as cash flow received from investing activities, as opposed to being included as cash flows from operating activities as in 2022 when dividends were paid by the LGJV.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had a cash balance of $55.5 million, up 226% from $17.0 million a year earlier. The increase in cash was primarily due to receipt of $59.5 million in capital distributions and a $6.0 million management fee from the LGJV, partly offset by general and administrative costs incurred in the year.
As of January 31, 2023, the Company had a cash balance of $53.1 million and the LGJV had a cash balance of $43.1 million. On February 15, 2024, the LGJV made a capital distribution to its partners of $30.0 million of which the Company received $21.0 million.
The Company continues to be debt free with $50.0 million available under the Revolving Credit Facility.
Financial and Operating Results
Below is select operational and financial information for the three months and years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. For a detailed discussion of the year ended December 31, 2023 financial and operating results refer to the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on February 20, 2024, on both the EDGAR and SEDAR+ systems and posted on the Company’s website at https://gatossilver.com.
Los Gatos Joint Venture
1 See Non-GAAP Financial Measures below
2 Totals may not add up due to rounding
3 Silver equivalent production for both 2022 and 2023 is calculated using prices of $22/oz silver, $1.20/lb zinc, $0.90/lb lead and $1,700/oz gold to “convert” zinc, lead and gold production contained in concentrate to “equivalent” silver ounces (contained metal, multiplied by price, divided by silver price).
Gatos Silver, Inc.
1 See Non-GAAP Financial Measures below
2 Totals may not add up due to rounding
2024 Guidance (CLG 100% basis)
Production and cost guidance for 2024 is shown in the table below:
1 Silver equivalent production is calculated using prices of $23/oz silver, $1.20/lb zinc, $0.90/lb lead and $1,800/oz gold to “convert” zinc, lead and gold production contained in concentrate to “equivalent” silver ounces (contained metal, multiplied by price, divided by silver price). For 2022 and 2023, silver equivalent production was calculated using prices of $22/oz silver, $1.20/lb zinc, $0.90/lb lead and $1,700/oz gold. For comparative purposes, the calculated silver equivalent production in the table above at these price assumptions would be 13.7 – 15.3 million ounces.
2 Financial metrics assume an exchange rate of 18.50 Mexican Pesos per US$1.00. In 2022 and 2023, an exchange rate of 20.00 Mexican Pesos per US$1.00 was assumed. Costs used in calculating financial metrics include an allocation for Gatos Silver and Dowa corporate costs paid by the Los Gatos Joint Venture (“LGJV”) of approximately $7 million per year. See “Non-GAAP Financial Performance Measures” for additional information.
Gatos Silver expects plant throughput to average between 3,000 and 3,300 tonnes processed per day in 2024, compared to 2,935 tonnes per day in 2023. Feed grades to the mill are expected to be lower in the first quarter versus the average grades expected during the year. Following previously disclosed mill throughput tests conducted in December 2023 demonstrating higher capacity with good metallurgical performance, the LGJV plans to continue to strive to achieve sustainably higher plant throughput rates as mine debottlenecking efforts continue with a medium-term target to sustain 3,500 tonnes per day beyond 2024, or 40% above original design capacity.
The Company expects sustaining capital expenditures at CLG (100% basis) to be approximately $45 million in 2024, of which $25 million is for underground development primarily to access the lower levels of the NW and Central zones and to further develop access to the SE zone. The remainder of capital expenditures are expected to be primarily associated with minor upgrades to the processing plant, equipment replacements and rebuilds, and dewatering and other infrastructure work including projects to help improve operating efficiencies and to support debottlenecking efforts in the mine.
Exploration and definition drilling expenditures are expected to be approximately $18 million in 2024, of which $9 million is expected to be capitalized and incurred on resource development drilling primarily in the South East Deeps zone and $9 million expensed and incurred on greenfield exploration. The LGJV currently has eight active drill rigs on surface and four underground. The primary focus until the end of the first quarter of 2024 is infilling the South East Deeps zone to approximately 50 metre spacing for the 2024 mineral resource and mineral reserve update anticipated to be announced in the third quarter of 2024. After the end of the first quarter, the focus for the surface drilling rigs is expected to shift to other district targets including Portigueño, San Luis and El Lince.
Financial Results Webcast and Conference Call
Investors and analysts are invited to attend the financial results webcast and conference call as follows:
Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m. ET
Listen-Only Webcast: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/541149212
Direct Event Registration Link (for Analysts only): https://registrations.events/direct/Q4I90079276
Dial-in number: 1-888-500-3691 or +1-646-307-1951 Conference ID: 90079
An archive of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website at: https://gatossilver.com within 24 hours.
About Gatos Silver
Gatos Silver is a silver dominant exploration, development and production company that discovered a new silver and zinc-rich mineral district in southern Chihuahua State, Mexico. As a 70% owner of the Los Gatos Joint Venture (“LGJV”), the Company is primarily focused on operating the Cerro Los Gatos mine and on growth and development of the Los Gatos district. The LGJV includes approximately 103,000 hectares of mineral rights, representing a highly prospective and under-explored district with numerous silver-zinc-lead epithermal mineralized zones identified as priority targets.
Qualified Person
Scientific and technical disclosure in this press release was approved by Anthony (Tony) Scott, P.Geo., Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Technical Services of Gatos Silver who is a “Qualified Person” as defined in S-K 1300 and NI 43-101.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We use certain measures that are not defined by GAAP to evaluate various aspects of our business. These non-GAAP financial measures are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The measures are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under GAAP.
Cash Costs and All-In Sustaining Costs
Cash costs and all-in sustaining costs (“AISC”) are non-GAAP measures. AISC was calculated based on guidance provided by the World Gold Council (“WGC”). WGC is not a regulatory industry organization and does not have the authority to develop accounting standards for disclosure requirements. Other mining companies may calculate AISC differently as a result of differences in underlying accounting principles and policies applied, as well as definitional differences of sustaining versus expansionary (i.e. non-sustaining) capital expenditures based upon each company’s internal policies. Current GAAP measures used in the mining industry, such as cost of sales, do not capture all of the expenditures incurred to discover, develop and sustain production. Therefore, we believe that cash costs and AISC are non-GAAP measures that provide additional information to management, investors and analysts that aid in the understanding of the economics of the Company’s operations and performance compared to other producers and provides investors visibility by better defining the total costs associated with production.
Cash costs include all direct and indirect operating cash costs related directly to the physical activities of producing metals, including mining, processing and other plant costs, treatment and refining costs, general and administrative costs, royalties and mining production taxes. AISC includes total production cash costs incurred at the LGJV’s mining operations plus sustaining capital expenditures. The Company believes this measure represents the total sustainable costs of producing silver from current operations and provides additional information of the LGJV’s operational performance and ability to generate cash flows. As the measure seeks to reflect the full cost of silver production from current operations, new project and expansionary capital at current operations are not included. Certain cash expenditures such as exploration, new project spending, tax payments, dividends, and financing costs are not included.
EBITDA
Management uses earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation, depletion and amortization (“EBITDA”) to evaluate the Company’s operating performance, to plan and forecast its operations, and assess leverage levels and liquidity measures. The Company believes the use of EBITDA reflects the underlying operating performance of our core mining business and allows investors and analysts to compare results of the Company to similar results of other mining companies. EBITDA do not represent, and should not be considered an alternative to, net income or cash flow from operations as determined under GAAP.
Free Cash Flow
Management uses Free Cash Flow as a non-GAAP measure to analyze cash flows generated from operations. Free Cash Flow is Cash Provided By (Used In) Operating Activities less Cash flow from Investing Activities as presented on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company believes Free Cash Flow is also useful as one of the bases for comparing the Company’s performance with its competitors. Although Free Cash Flow and similar measures are frequently used as measures of cash flows generated from operations by other companies, the Company’s calculation of Free Cash Flow is not necessarily comparable to such other similarly titled captions of other companies.
Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures
The table below presents a reconciliation between the most comparable GAAP measure of the LGJV’s expenses to the non-GAAP measures of (i) cash costs, (ii) cash costs, net of by-product credits, (iii) co-product AISC and (iv) by-product AISC for our operations.
1 Exploration costs are not related to current operations.
2 Represent reductions on customer invoices and included in Sales of the LGJV combined statement of income (loss).
3 Sustaining capital excludes resource development drilling costs related to resource development drilling of the South- East Deeps zone.
4 By-product credits reflect realized metal prices of zinc, lead and gold for the applicable period, which includes any final settlement adjustments from prior periods.
5 Payable silver equivalents utilize the average realized prices during the year ended December 31, 2023, of $24.33/oz silver, $1.10/lb zinc, $0.97/lb lead and $1,818/oz gold and the average realized prices during the three months ended December 31, 2023, of $22.36/oz silver, $1.10/lb zinc, $0.95/lb lead and $1,789/oz gold. Payable silver equivalents utilize the average realized prices during the year ended December 31, 2022, of $20.72/oz silver, $1.58/lb zinc, $0.90/lb lead and $1,678/oz gold and the average realized prices during the three months ended December 31, 2022, of $21.35/oz silver, $1.09/lb zinc, $0.89/lb lead and $1,591/oz gold. Realized prices include the impact of final settlement adjustments from sales.
The following table provides a breakdown of cash flows used by investing activities of the LGJV:
The table below reconciles EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure to Net income for the Company:
The table below reconciles of EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, to the LGJV’s Net income:
The following table sets forth a reconciliation of Free Cash Flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, to Cash (used) provided by operating activities operating activities for the Company, which the Company believes to be the GAAP financial measure most directly comparable to Free Cash Flow.
The following table sets forth a reconciliation of Free Cash Flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, to Cash provided by operating activities for the LGJV.
Please see Appendix A for the unaudited balance sheets of the Company and the LGJV as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related unaudited consolidated statements of income of the Company, unaudited combined statements of operations of the LGJV, and statement of cash flows for the years then end.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that constitute “forward looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. and Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding the progress of conversion drilling and exploration, production and cost guidance for 2024, and expected or potential feed grades, mine debottlenecking, processing rates, capital costs and exploration expenditures, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and such other risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities commissions. Gatos Silver expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which such statements are based unless required to do so by applicable law. No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release.
Investors and Media Contact
André van Niekerk
Chief Financial Officer
[email protected]
604-424 0984
APPENDIX A
GATOS SILVER, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(UNAUDITED)
GATOS SILVER, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(UNAUDITED)
GATOS SILVER, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
LOS GATOS JOINT VENTURE
COMBINED BALANCE SHEETS
(UNAUDITED)
LOS GATOS JOINT VENTURE
COMBINED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS)
(UNAUDITED)
LOS GATOS JOINT VENTURE
COMBINED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
