Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX - Free Report) reported net income (attributable to common stock) of 9 cents per share in fourth-quarter 2018, down from 70 cents in the year-ago quarter. The figure excludes net charges of $21 million or 2 cents per share related to accruals for disputed royalty matters in Peru and net charges at PT-FI. The results were also hurt by lower copper prices.
Barring one-time items, adjusted earnings came in at 11 cents, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 21 cents.
Revenues went down around 26.9% year over year to $3,684 million. Also, the figure trailed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,848.9 million.
Consolidated sales from mines totaled 785 million pounds of copper, 266,000 ounces of gold and 24 million pounds of molybdenum. Copper sales volume fell 23% year over year.
FY18 Highlights
For 2018, net income (attributable to common stock) totaled $2,257 million or $1.55 per share, up from $1,817 million or $1.25 in the year-ago quarter.
Total revenues went up roughly 13.6% year over year to $18,628 million.
Operational Update
Consolidated average unit net cash costs of $1.54 per pound of copper for the fourth quarter were higher than $1.03 reported in the year-ago quarter.
Average realized price for copper was $2.75 per pound, down 14.3% year over year from $3.21. Average realized price per ounce for gold fell to $1,255 from $1,285 in the year-ago quarter, while average realized price per pound for molybdenum was $12.75 per pound.
Mining Update
North America Copper Mines: Copper sales fell 5.9% year over year to 333 million pounds. Production fell 3.8% to 353 million pounds.
Freeport expects copper sales from North America to be 1.4 billion pounds in 2019, in line with 2018 levels.
South America Mining: Copper sales were 325 million pounds in the quarter, up from 312 million pounds in the year-ago quarter.
Freeport projects South America mining to report sales of around 1.3 billion pounds of copper in 2019, compared with 1.25 billion pounds of copper in 2018.
Indonesia Mining: Copper sales of 127 million pounds declined from 351 million pounds in the year-ago quarter.
Gold sales declined to 261,000 ounces from 584,000 ounces in the year-ago quarter. Gold production fell to 327,000 ounces from 562,000 ounces in the prior-year quarter.
Sales from Indonesia mining are anticipated to be about 0.6 billion pounds of copper and 0.8 million ounces of gold for 2019 compared with 1.1 billion pounds of copper and 2.4 million ounces of gold for 2018.
Molybdenum Mines: Molybdenum production was 9 million pounds in the fourth quarter, up from 8 million pounds year-ago quarter’s tally.
Financial Position
Freeport’s operating cash outflows totaled $62 million in the fourth quarter, which includes $400 million in working capital use and other tax payments.
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2018 was $4,217 million, down 6.8% year over year. The company had total debt of $11.1 billion as of Dec 31, 2018, down from roughly $13.1 billion as of Dec 31, 2017.
Guidance
Freeport anticipates consolidated sales volumes for 2019 (reflecting a transition year) to be roughly 3.3 billion pounds of copper, 0.8 million ounces of gold and 94 million pounds of molybdenum, including 0.8 million pounds of copper, 255,000 ounces of gold and 24 million pounds of molybdenum for first-quarter 2019.
For 2019, the company expects operating cash flows to be roughly $1.8 billion. Capital expenditures are expected to be around $2.4 billion, which includes $1.5 billion for major mining projects mainly related to underground development in the Grasberg and the Lone Star oxide project.
Price Performance
Freeport’s shares have lost 37.9% in the past year compared with the industry’s 40.2% decline.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Freeport currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
A few better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include Ingevity Corporation (NGVT - Free Report) , The Mosaic Company (MOS - Free Report) and Israel Chemicals Ltd. (ICL - Free Report) . While Ingevity sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Mosaic and Israel Chemicals carry a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Ingevity has an expected earnings growth rate of 21.5% for 2019. The company’s shares have gained 15.5% in the past year.
Mosaic has an expected earnings growth rate of 24% for 2019. Its shares have moved up 16.8% in a year’s time.
Israel Chemicals has an expected earnings growth rate of 5.4% for 2019. Its shares have rallied 29.1% in a year’s time.
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It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.
This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.
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Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX - Free Report) reported net income (attributable to common stock) of 9 cents per share in fourth-quarter 2018, down from 70 cents in the year-ago quarter. The figure excludes net charges of $21 million or 2 cents per share related to accruals for disputed royalty matters in Peru and net charges at PT-FI. The results were also hurt by lower copper prices.
Barring one-time items, adjusted earnings came in at 11 cents, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 21 cents.
Revenues went down around 26.9% year over year to $3,684 million. Also, the figure trailed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,848.9 million.
Consolidated sales from mines totaled 785 million pounds of copper, 266,000 ounces of gold and 24 million pounds of molybdenum. Copper sales volume fell 23% year over year.
FY18 Highlights
For 2018, net income (attributable to common stock) totaled $2,257 million or $1.55 per share, up from $1,817 million or $1.25 in the year-ago quarter.
Total revenues went up roughly 13.6% year over year to $18,628 million.
Operational Update
Consolidated average unit net cash costs of $1.54 per pound of copper for the fourth quarter were higher than $1.03 reported in the year-ago quarter.
Average realized price for copper was $2.75 per pound, down 14.3% year over year from $3.21. Average realized price per ounce for gold fell to $1,255 from $1,285 in the year-ago quarter, while average realized price per pound for molybdenum was $12.75 per pound.
Mining Update
North America Copper Mines: Copper sales fell 5.9% year over year to 333 million pounds. Production fell 3.8% to 353 million pounds.
Freeport expects copper sales from North America to be 1.4 billion pounds in 2019, in line with 2018 levels.
South America Mining: Copper sales were 325 million pounds in the quarter, up from 312 million pounds in the year-ago quarter.
Freeport projects South America mining to report sales of around 1.3 billion pounds of copper in 2019, compared with 1.25 billion pounds of copper in 2018.
Indonesia Mining: Copper sales of 127 million pounds declined from 351 million pounds in the year-ago quarter.
Gold sales declined to 261,000 ounces from 584,000 ounces in the year-ago quarter. Gold production fell to 327,000 ounces from 562,000 ounces in the prior-year quarter.
Sales from Indonesia mining are anticipated to be about 0.6 billion pounds of copper and 0.8 million ounces of gold for 2019 compared with 1.1 billion pounds of copper and 2.4 million ounces of gold for 2018.
Molybdenum Mines: Molybdenum production was 9 million pounds in the fourth quarter, up from 8 million pounds year-ago quarter’s tally.
Financial Position
Freeport’s operating cash outflows totaled $62 million in the fourth quarter, which includes $400 million in working capital use and other tax payments.
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2018 was $4,217 million, down 6.8% year over year. The company had total debt of $11.1 billion as of Dec 31, 2018, down from roughly $13.1 billion as of Dec 31, 2017.
Guidance
Freeport anticipates consolidated sales volumes for 2019 (reflecting a transition year) to be roughly 3.3 billion pounds of copper, 0.8 million ounces of gold and 94 million pounds of molybdenum, including 0.8 million pounds of copper, 255,000 ounces of gold and 24 million pounds of molybdenum for first-quarter 2019.
For 2019, the company expects operating cash flows to be roughly $1.8 billion. Capital expenditures are expected to be around $2.4 billion, which includes $1.5 billion for major mining projects mainly related to underground development in the Grasberg and the Lone Star oxide project.
Price Performance
Freeport’s shares have lost 37.9% in the past year compared with the industry’s 40.2% decline.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Freeport currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
A few better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include Ingevity Corporation (NGVT - Free Report) , The Mosaic Company (MOS - Free Report) and Israel Chemicals Ltd. (ICL - Free Report) . While Ingevity sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Mosaic and Israel Chemicals carry a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Ingevity has an expected earnings growth rate of 21.5% for 2019. The company’s shares have gained 15.5% in the past year.
Mosaic has an expected earnings growth rate of 24% for 2019. Its shares have moved up 16.8% in a year’s time.
Israel Chemicals has an expected earnings growth rate of 5.4% for 2019. Its shares have rallied 29.1% in a year’s time.
More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!
It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market.
Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020.
Click here for the 6 trades >>
Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.
This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.
Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>
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