Altius Reports Royalty Revenue of $17.5M and $66.9M for the Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2018 and Provides Revenue Guidance for 2019 of $67-$72M

 

Altius Minerals Corporation (TSX: ALS; OTCQX: ATUSF) (“Altius” or the “Corporation”) reports that it will release audited financial results for its three month and twelve month period ended December 31, 2018 on March 12, 2019 after the close of market, with a conference call to follow March 13, 2019 at 9:00 am ET.

Altius expects to report attributable royalty revenue¹ of approximately $17.5 million ($0.41 per share) for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $17.1 million ($0.40 per share) in Q3 2018 and to $13.7 million ($0.32 per share) in the two month period ended December 31, 2017, when Altius was transitioning to a December year end. Full year attributable royalty revenue is expected to be approximately $66.9 million ($1.56 per share) which compares to $46.7 million ($1.08 per share) during the abbreviated previous year comparable period.

Summary of attributable royalty revenue			Three months ended December 31,			12 months ended December 31,			8 months ended December 31,
(in thousands of Canadian dollars)			2018			2018			2017
Base metals			7,388			29,209			20,808
Potash			3,695			14,023			7,365
Thermal (electrical) coal			3,064			13,119			9,465
Iron ore (1)			2,097			5,911			6,116
Metallurgical coal			859			3,227			1,466
Other royalties and interest			388			1,434			1,527
Attributable royalty revenue			17,491			66,923			46,747
See non-IFRS measures section of this MD&A for definition and reconciliation of attributable revenue
(1) LIF dividends received

The results, which are consistent with the mid range of guidance, were positively impacted by higher potash prices and production volumes and higher metallurgical coal volumes. These factors were negatively offset by the election of Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corporation (LIORC) to withhold an unusual amount of its free cash flows from shareholder dividends during the second half of the year, and by lower base metal prices.

Altius anticipates $67-72 million in attributable royalty revenue in 2019, which assumes current commodity prices and incorporates information received from mine operators with regards to expected production volumes where provided and assumptions based upon historical production rates and other publicly available information in other cases.

At year end, the Corporation had approximately $28 million in cash, $115 million in debt, and $139 million in investments, which are primarily the position in LIORC and the junior equity portfolio as detailed in the press release dated January 10, 2019.

More detail on royalty revenue, costs and outlook will be provided in the upcoming year end disclosure.

Year End Financials Conference Call and Webcast Information:

A conference call will be held on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, starting at 9:00 a.m. EST to further discuss the quarter and year end results and guidance for 2019. To participate in the conference call, use the following dial-in numbers or join the webcast on-line as detailed below.

Time: 9.00 a.m. EST on Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Dial-In Numbers: +1 647-427-2311 (Direct), or 1-866-521-4909(US/Canada)
Pass code: None required, but provide title of call
Conference Title: Altius December 31, 2018 Q4 and year end results
Webcast URL: Altius Q4 and Year End 2018 webcast

The call will be webcast and archived on the Corporation’s website for a limited time.

¹ Attributable royalty revenue is a non‐IFRS measure and does not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS. For a detailed description and examples of the reconciliation of this measure, please see the Corporation’s MD&A disclosures for prior quarterly and annual reporting periods, which are available at http://altiusminerals.com/financial-statements

About Altius
Altius’ directly and indirectly held diversified royalties and streams generate revenue from 15 operating mines. These are located in Canada and Brazil and produce copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, iron ore, potash and thermal (electrical) and metallurgical coal. The portfolio also includes numerous pre-development stage royalties covering a wide spectrum of mineral commodities and jurisdictions. It also holds a large portfolio of exploration stage projects which it has generated for deal making with industry partners that results in newly created royalties and equity and minority interests.

Altius has 42,851,726 common shares issued and outstanding that are listed on Canada’s Toronto Stock Exchange. It is a member of both the S&P/TSX Small Cap and S&P/TSX Global Mining Indices.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward‐looking information. The statements are based on reasonable assumptions and expectations of management and Altius provides no assurance that actual events will meet management's expectations. In certain cases, forward‐looking information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "could", "estimates", "expects", "may", "shall", "will", or "would". Although Altius believes the expectations expressed in such forward‐looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Mining exploration and development is an inherently risky business. In addition, factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from the forward-looking information stated herein include any factors which affect decisions to pursue mineral exploration on the relevant property and the ultimate exercise of option rights, which may include changes in market conditions, changes in metal prices, general economic and political conditions, environmental risks, and community and non-governmental actions. Such factors will also affect whether Altius will ultimately receive the benefits anticipated pursuant to relevant agreements. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the forward‐looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Altius does not undertake to update any forward-looking information contained herein except in accordance with securities regulation.

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