Alrosa Profit, Revenue Rise in 2018

RAPAPORT… Sales of higher-quality stones and an increased average price drove a spike in Alrosa’s profit and revenue in 2018.


Profit increased 15% to RUB 90.4 billion ($1.39 billion),
while revenue climbed 9% to RUB 299.7 billion ($4.62 billion), the miner said
last week. The company’s diamond sales jumped 12% to RUB 278 billion ($4.29
billion), despite a 12% decrease in sales volume to 26.4 million carats. The decline
in carats sold was offset by a 21% surge in the average price for gem-quality
diamonds to $164 per carat. Alrosa derived its remaining revenue from
transportation, gas and social infrastructure.


Belgium remained the miner’s biggest market, as sales increased 4% to RUB 130.39 billion ($2.01 billion). Domestic sales
went up 8% to RUB 53.34 billion ($823 million) and India sales grew 3% to RUB
41.14 billion ($634.7 million).


“In 2018, the company continued to consistently improve its
financial position,” said Alrosa deputy CEO Alexey Philippovskiy. “The key
financial drivers included improved market environment (recovery in prices and
stronger demand for diamond jewelry in major markets), and management efforts
to boost efficiency.”


Production for the year fell 7% to 36.7 million carats, due
to the shutdown of the Mir pipe and the completion of open-pit mining at the
Udachnaya pipe, the company said.


In the fourth quarter, revenue inched up 1% to RUB 61.4 billion
($947.4 million), as the average price rose 10% year on year to $153 per carat.
Profit plunged 52% to RUB 7.9 billion ($121.9 million) as the figure in 2017 was higher
due to a payout from an insurance claim, Alrosa noted.



“The trend of weaker demand for lower-priced stones that
emerged in the third quarter continued into the fourth quarter,” the company
added.

Alrosa’s diamond inventory decreased 6% year on year to 17 million carats as of December 31, as the miner sold more diamonds than it produced.

The miner’s rough-diamond resources increased to 1.1 billion carats at July 1, from 1.03 billion carats the company reported in January 2017. Reserves, defined as resources whose mining is economically viable, dropped 4% to 628 million carats.


Image: Rough diamonds at the sorting center. (Alrosa)