All dollar amounts expressed are in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
Q1 2022 Highlights
Markets | |||
---|---|---|---|
TSX | 20748.58 | +216.40 | |
TSXV | 724.19 | +9.53 | |
DOW | 33212.96 | +575.77 | |
S&P 500 | 4158.24 | +100.40 | |
NASD | 12131.13 | +390.48 | |
ASX | 7182.70 | +76.80 |
Commodities | |||
---|---|---|---|
Gold | 1853.48 | +0.45 | |
Silver | 22.12 | +0.03 | |
Copper | 4.32 | +0.06 | |
Palladium | 2076.57 | +13.05 | |
Platinum | 957.08 | +2.92 | |
Oil | 115.07 | +0.98 | |
Heating Oil | 3.90 | +0.05 | |
Natural Gas | 8.71 | -0.19 |
Currencies | |||
---|---|---|---|
BTCUSD | 28994.84 | -91.16 | |
USDCAD | 1.2725 | +0.0036 | |
USDEUR | 0.9315 | +0.0003 | |
USDGBP | 0.7918 | -0.0003 | |
USDAUD | 1.3957 | -0.0049 | |
USDJPY | 127.14 | +0.05 |
All dollar amounts expressed are in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
Q1 2022 Highlights
Vanadium Market Update 5
Largo Inc. (" Largo " or the " Company ") ( TSX: LGO ) ( NASDAQ: LGO ) today released financial and operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The Company reported quarterly vanadium pentoxide ("V 2 O 5 ") equivalent sales of 2,232 tonnes at a cash operating cost excluding royalties per pound 1 sold of $3.97.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511006043/en/
Largo Reports First Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Provides Adjusted 2022 Guidance; Announces Intention to Commence Normal Course Issuer Bid (Graphic: Business Wire)
Paulo Misk, President and CEO of Largo, stated: "Despite some temporary maintenance and global logistical problems experienced during the quarter, the Company has normalized its operating flows and positioned itself to benefit from the stronger vanadium prices, which raised our revenues per pound sold 1 in Q1 2022 by 34%. We have now adjusted our production, sales, and cost guidance for the full year 2022, factoring in the weaker first quarter as well as continued global inflationary pressures and the strengthening of the Brazilian Real against the U.S. Dollar. Management is confident in its ability to reach these updated targets and is focused on making additional improvements to its sales and production rates going forward. I am pleased to report that our commercial sales team continued to capitalize on current strong vanadium market fundamentals by surpassing 1,200 tonnes of V 2 O 5 equivalent sold in April. The Company increased its in-transit inventory during the quarter, which we expect to reduce during the second half of the year through higher sale volumes following the expected improvement of global logistical constraints."
Financial Results | ||
(thousands of U.S. dollars, except for basic earnings (loss) | Three months ended | |
March 31, 2022 | March 31, 2021 | |
Revenues | $42,688 | 39,801 |
Operating costs | (28,958) | (28,172) |
Direct mine and production costs | (17,560) | (15,544) |
Net income before tax | 814 | 4,447 |
Income tax (expense) | (602) | (321) |
Deferred income tax recovery (expense) | (2,166) | 18 |
Net income (loss) | (1,954) | 4,144 |
Basic earnings (loss) per share | ($0.03) | $0.07 |
Diluted earnings (loss) per share | ($0.03) | $0.07 |
|
|
|
Cash provided before non-cash working capital items | $5,751 | $12,731 |
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | (4,050) | 1,711 |
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities | 385 | (22,420) |
Net cash (used in) investing activities | (4,268) | (9,075) |
Net change in cash | (5,396) | (30,452) |
| As at | |
| March 31, | December 31, |
Cash | $78,394 | $83,790 |
Working capital 2 | 124,704 | 118,310 |
Maracás Menchen Mine Operational and Sales Results | ||
| Q1 2022 | Q1 2021 |
|
|
|
Total Ore Mined (tonnes) | 303,652 | 263,966 |
Ore Grade Mined - Effective Grade 6 (%) | 1.27 | 1.22 |
|
|
|
Concentrate Produced (tonnes) | 92,324 | 100,467 |
Grade of Concentrate (%) | 3.21 | 3.21 |
Global Recovery 7 (%) | 77.5 | 77.4 |
|
|
|
V 2 O 5 Produced (Flake + Powder) (tonnes) | 2,442 | 1,986 |
V 2 O 5 produced (equivalent pounds 3 ) | 5,383,682 | 4,378,375 |
V 2 O 5 Equivalent Sold (tonnes) | 2,232 | 2,783 |
Produced V 2 O 5 equivalent sold (tonnes) | 2,153 | 2,654 |
Purchased V 2 O 5 equivalent sold (tonnes) | 79 | 129 |
|
|
|
Cash Operating Costs Excluding Royalties per pound ($/lb) 1 | 3.97 | 2.87 |
Revenues per pound sold ($/lb) 1 | 8.67 | 6.49 |
Q1 2022 Financial Highlights
Additional Corporate Updates
Intention to Commence Normal Course Issuer Bid
The NCIB has been approved by the Board; however it is subject to acceptance by the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX"), and if accepted, will be made in accordance with the applicable rules and policies of the TSX and Canadian securities laws. Under the NCIB, the Company would be permitted to purchase for cancellation, through the facilities of the TSX, NASDAQ and alternative Canadian trading systems, up to 10% of the public float of Common Shares (calculated in accordance with TSX rules), or approximately 3,645,779 Common Shares. The exact number of Common Shares subject to the NCIB will be determined on the date of acceptance of the notice of intention by the TSX.
The price that the Company will pay for any Common Shares will be the market price at the time of purchase in accordance with the rules and policies of the TSX and applicable securities laws. The actual number of Common Shares that may be purchased pursuant under the NCIB and timing of any such purchases will be determined by Largo.
Subject to acceptance by the TSX of the NCIB, Largo intends to commence the NCIB on or about June 1, 2022. The NCIB will terminate one year after its commencement, or earlier if the maximum number of Common Shares under the NCIB have been purchased. Although the Company has a present intention to acquire its Common Shares pursuant to the NCIB, the Company will not be obligated to make any purchases and purchases may be suspended by the Company at any time. The Company reserves the right to terminate the NCIB earlier if it feels it is appropriate to do so.
The Company believes that the market price of its Common Shares does not always adequately reflect its underlying fundamental value and future business prospects. The Company may purchase Common Shares from time to time under the NCIB if it believes that the market price of the Common Shares is attractive, and that the purchase would be an appropriate use of available corporate funds and in Largo's best interest.
As at May 11, 2022 there were 64,823,624 Common Shares outstanding.
Q1 2022 Webcast and Conference Call Information
The Company will host a webcast and conference call on Thursday, May 12th at 10:00 a.m. ET, to discuss its first quarter 2022 results and progress.
Webcast and Conference Call Details:
Details of the webcast and conference call are listed below: | |
Date: | Thursday, May 12, 2022 |
Time: | 10:00 a.m. ET |
Webcast Registration Link: | https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1540122&tp_key=11de69ee45 |
Dial-in Number: | Local: +1 (647) 794-4605 |
North American Toll Free: +1 (888) 204-4368 | |
Conference ID: | 5973251 |
Replay Number: | Local / International: + 1 (647) 436-0148 |
North American Toll Free: +1 (888) 203-1112 | |
Replay Passcode: 5973251 | |
Website: | To view press releases or any additional financial information, please visit the Investor Resources section of the Company's website at: www.largoinc.com/investors/overview |
A playback recording will be available on the Company's website for a period of 60-days following the conference call.
The information provided within this release should be read in conjunction with Largo's annual consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 and its management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2022 which are available on our website at www.largoinc.com or on the Company's respective profiles at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov .
About Largo
Largo has a long and successful history as one of the world's preferred vanadium companies through the supply of its VPURE TM and VPURE+ TM products, which are sourced from one of the world's highest-grade vanadium deposits at the Company's Maracás Menchen Mine in Brazil. Following the acquisition of vanadium redox flow battery technology in 2020, Largo is working to integrate its world-class vanadium products with its VCHARGE vanadium battery technology to support the planet's on-going transition to renewable energy and a low carbon future. Largo's VCHARGE batteries are uniquely capable of supporting reliability and grid stability as electricity systems move away from fossil-fuel generation. VCHARGE batteries are cost effective due to a variety of innovations, enabling an efficient, safe and ESG-aligned long duration solution that is fully recyclable at the end of its 25+ year lifespan.
Largo's common shares trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "LGO". For more information, please visit www.largoinc.com .
Forward-looking Information:
This press release contains forward-looking information under Canadian securities legislation ("forward-looking information"), some of which may be considered "financial outlook" for the purposes of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". All information contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward looking information. Forward‐looking information contained in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the timing and amount of estimated future production and sales ; costs of future activities and operations; production and sale of titanium dioxide pigment, expansion of vanadium production, and related impacts on cash flow; the successful vertical integration of the Company; timing and cost related to the build-out of the ilmenite plant and titanium dioxide pigment processing plant; the extent of capital and operating expenditures; the effectiveness of our efforts to mitigate effects of future rains on operations at the Maracás Menchen Mine; the impact of global delays and related price increases on the Company's global supply chain and future V 2 O 5 equivalent sales; the completion by Largo Physical Vanadium Corp. of a qualifying transaction with Column Capital Corp. and listing of the resulting issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange; the receipt of the required approvals for the NCIB, the estimated timing of the commencement of the NCIB and any future decision by the Company to purchase Common Shares for cancellation under such NCIB purchases of vanadium products from GMR.
The following are some of the assumptions upon which forward-looking information is based: that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; demand for, and stable or improving price of V 2 O 5 , other vanadium commodities, iron ore, ilmenite and titanium dioxide pigment; receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, permits and renewals in a timely manner; that the Company will not experience any material accident, labour dispute or failure of plant or equipment or other material disruption in the Company's operations at the Maracás Menchen Mine or relating to Largo Clean Energy; the availability of financing for operations and development; the Company's ability to procure equipment and operating supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; that the estimates of the resources and reserves at the Maracás Menchen Mine and the geological, operational and price assumptions on which these are based are within reasonable bounds of accuracy (including with respect to size, grade and recovery); the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and directors; the ability of management to execute strategic goals; that we will be able to build, finance and operate our vanadium redox flow ("VRFB") business; that we will be able to protect and develop our technology and maintain our intellectual property; that we will be able to market, sell and deliver our VCHARGE± battery system on specification and at a competitive price; that the Company's current plans for iron ore, ilmenite, titanium dioxide pigment and VRFBs can be achieved; that we will be able to secure the required production resources to build our VCHARGE± battery system; and that VRFB technology will generally be adopted in the market.
Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to those risks described in the annual information form of Largo and in its public documents filed on www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov from time to time. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Although management of Largo has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Largo does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Readers should also review the risks and uncertainties sections of Largo's annual and interim MD&As which also apply.
Trademarks are owned by Largo Inc.
Q1 2022 Net Income Reconciliation | ||||
|
| Q1 2022 |
| |
Total V 2 O 5 equivalent sold | 000s lbs |
| 4,921 | A |
| tonnes 1 |
| 2,232 |
|
|
|
|
| |
Produced V 2 O 5 equivalent sold | 000s lbs |
| 4,747 | B |
| tonnes 1 |
| 2,153 |
|
|
|
|
| |
Revenues per pound sold | $/lb | $ | 8.67 | C |
Cash operating costs per pound | $/lb | $ | 4.40 | D |
1. | Conversion of tonnes to pounds, 1 tonne = 2,204.62 pounds or lbs. |
|
| Q1 2022 |
| |
Revenues |
| $ | 42,688 | A x C 2,232 tonnes of V 2 O 5 equivalent sold (Q1 2021 - 2,783 |
Cash operating costs |
|
| (20,889) | B x D Global recovery of 77.5% (Q1 2021 - 77.4%), residual |
Other operating costs |
|
|
| |
Conversion costs (costs incurred in converting V 2 O 5 to FeV that are recognized on the sale of FeV) | (1,847) |
| Note 20 | |
Product acquisition costs (costs incurred in purchasing products from 3rd parties that are recognized on the sale of those products) | (1,550) |
| Note 20 | |
Distribution costs | (1,455) |
| Note 20 | |
Depreciation | (4,305) |
| Note 20 | |
Iron ore costs | (215) |
| Note 20 | |
|
|
| (9,372) |
|
Commercial & Corporate costs |
|
|
| |
Professional, consulting and management fees | (2,383) |
| Note 16 (Sales & trading plus Corporate) | |
Other general and administrative expenses | (529) |
| ||
Share-based payments | (810) |
| ||
|
|
| (3,722) |
|
Largo Clean Energy |
|
| (5,992) | Note 16 (excluding finance costs and foreign exchange) |
| ||||
Largo Physical Vanadium |
|
| (199) | Note 16 |
Titanium project |
|
| (135) | Note 16 - "other" |
Foreign exchange loss |
|
| (1,467) |
|
Finance costs |
|
| (177) |
|
Interest income |
|
| 184 |
|
Exploration and evaluation costs |
|
| (105) |
|
|
|
|
| |
Net income before tax |
|
| 814 |
|
|
|
|
| |
Income tax expense |
|
| (602) |
|
Deferred income tax expense |
|
| (2,166) |
|
|
|
|
| |
Net income (loss) |
| $ | (1,954) |
|
Non-GAAP Measures
The Company uses certain non-GAAP measures in its press release, which are described in the following section. Non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios are not standardized financial measures under IFRS, the Company's GAAP, and might not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other issuers. These measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.
Revenues Per Pound
The Company's press release refers to revenues per pound sold, V 2 O 5 revenues per pound of V 2 O 5 sold and FeV revenues per kg of FeV sold, which are non-GAAP financial measures that are used to provide investors with information about a key measure used by management to monitor performance of the Company.
These measures, along with cash operating costs, are considered to be key indicators of the Company's ability to generate operating earnings and cash flow from its Maracás Menchen Mine and sales activities. These measures differ from measures determined in accordance with IFRS, and are not necessarily indicative of net earnings or cash flow from operating activities as determined under IFRS.
The following table provides a reconciliation of revenues per pound sold, V2O5 revenues per pound of V2O5 sold and FeV revenues per kg of FeV sold to revenues and the revenue information presented in note 16 as per the Q1 2022 unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements.
| Three months ended | |||
| March 31, | March 31, | ||
Revenues - V 2 O 5 produced 1 | $ | 21,814 | $ | 21,858 |
V 2 O 5 sold - produced (000s lb) |
| 2,694 |
| 3,549 |
V 2 O 5 revenues per pound of V 2 O 5 sold - produced ($/lb) | $ | 8.10 | $ | 6.16 |
|
|
| ||
Revenues - V 2 O 5 purchased 1 | $ | 386 | $ | 370 |
V 2 O 5 sold - purchased (000s lb) |
| 44 |
| 44 |
V 2 O 5 revenues per pound of V 2 O 5 sold - purchased ($/lb) | $ | 8.77 | $ | 8.41 |
|
|
| ||
Revenues - V 2 O 5 1 | $ | 22,200 | $ | 22,228 |
V 2 O 5 sold (000s lb) |
| 2,738 |
| 3,593 |
V 2 O 5 revenues per pound of V 2 O 5 sold ($/lb) | $ | 8.11 | $ | 6.19 |
|
|
| ||
Revenues - FeV produced 1 | $ | 19,028 | $ | 15,757 |
FeV sold - produced (000s kg) |
| 632 |
| 705 |
FeV revenues per kg of FeV sold - produced ($/lb) | $ | 30.11 | $ | 22.35 |
|
|
| ||
Revenues - FeV purchased 1 | $ | 1,460 | $ | 1,816 |
FeV sold - purchased (000s kg) |
| 40 |
| 76 |
FeV revenues per kg of FeV sold - purchased ($/lb) | $ | 36.50 | $ | 23.89 |
|
|
| ||
Revenues – FeV 1 | $ | 20,488 | $ | 17,573 |
FeV sold (000s kg) |
| 672 |
| 781 |
FeV revenues per kg of FeV sold ($/lb) | $ | 30.49 | $ | 22.50 |
|
|
| ||
Revenues 1 | $ | 42,688 | $ | 39,801 |
V 2 O 5 equivalent sold (000s lb) |
| 4,921 |
| 6,135 |
Revenues per pound sold ($/lb) | $ | 8.67 | $ | 6.49 |
1 | As per note 16 in the Company's Q1 2022 unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements. |
Cash Operating Costs and Cash Operating Costs Excluding Royalties
The Company's press release refers to cash operating costs per pound and cash operating costs excluding royalties per pound, which are non-GAAP ratios based on cash operating costs and cash operating costs excluding royalties, which are non-GAAP financial measures, in order to provide investors with information about a key measure used by management to monitor performance. This information is used to assess how well the Maracás Menchen Mine is performing compared to plan and prior periods, and also to assess its overall effectiveness and efficiency.
Cash operating costs includes mine site operating costs such as mining costs, plant and maintenance costs, sustainability costs, mine and plant administration costs, royalties and sales, general and administrative costs (all for the Mine properties segment), but excludes depreciation and amortization, share-based payments, foreign exchange gains or losses, commissions, reclamation, capital expenditures and exploration and evaluation costs. Operating costs not attributable to the Mine properties segment are also excluded, including conversion costs, product acquisition costs, distribution costs and inventory write-downs.
Cash operating costs excluding royalties is calculated as cash operating costs less royalties.
Cash operating costs per pound and cash operating costs excluding royalties per pound are obtained by dividing cash operating costs and cash operating costs excluding royalties, respectively, by the pounds of vanadium equivalent sold that were produced by the Maracás Menchen Mine.
Cash operating costs, cash operating costs excluding royalties, cash operating costs per pound and cash operating costs excluding royalties per pound, along with revenues, are considered to be key indicators of the Company's ability to generate operating earnings and cash flow from its Maracás Menchen Mine. These measures differ from measures determined in accordance with IFRS, and are not necessarily indicative of net earnings or cash flow from operating activities as determined under IFRS.
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash operating costs and cash operating costs excluding royalties, cash operating costs per pound and cash operating costs excluding royalties per pound for the Maracás Menchen Mine to operating costs as per the Q1 2022 unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements.
| Three months ended | |||||
| March 31, 2022 | March 31, 2021 | ||||
Operating costs 1 | $ | 28,958 |
| $ | 28,172 |
|
Professional, consulting and management fees 2 |
| 1,036 |
|
| 1,030 |
|
Other general and administrative expenses 2 |
| 267 |
|
| 223 |
|
Less: iron ore costs 1 |
| (215 | ) |
| — |
|
Less: conversion costs 1 |
| (1,847 | ) |
| (2,229 | ) |
Less: product acquisition costs 1 |
| (1,550 | ) |
| (2,508 | ) |
Less: distribution costs 1 |
| (1,455 | ) |
| (1,169 | ) |
Less: inventory write-down 1 |
| — |
|
| (2 | ) |
Less: depreciation and amortization expense 1 |
| (4,305 | ) |
| (5,250 | ) |
Cash operating costs |
| 20,889 |
|
| 18,267 |
|
Less: royalties 1 |
| (2,026 | ) |
| (1,470 | ) |
Cash operating costs excluding royalties |
| 18,863 |
|
| 16,797 |
|
Produced V 2 O 5 sold (000s lb) |
| 4,747 |
|
| 5,850 |
|
Cash operating costs per pound ($/lb) | $ | 4.40 |
| $ | 3.12 |
|
Cash operating costs excluding royalties per pound ($/lb) | $ | 3.97 |
| $ | 2.87 |
|
1 | As per note 20 in the Company's Q1 2022 unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements. | |||
2 | As per the Mine properties segment in note 16 in the Company's Q1 2022 unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements. |
_____________________________________ | |
1 | Revenues per pound sold and cash operating costs are non-GAAP financial measures, and cash operating costs per pound and cash operating costs excluding royalties per pound are non-GAAP ratios with no standard meaning under IFRS, and may not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other issuers. Refer to the "Non-GAAP Measures" section of this press release. |
2 | Defined as current assets less current liabilities per the consolidated statements of financial position. |
3 | Conversion of tonnes to pounds, 1 tonne = 2,204.62 pounds or lbs. |
4 | Includes sales of up to 1,000 tonnes V 2 O 5 equivalent purchased products. |
5 | Fastmarkets Metal Bulletin. |
6 | Effective grade represents the percentage of magnetic material mined multiplied by the percentage of V 2 O 5 in the magnetic concentrate. |
7 | Global recovery is the product of crushing recovery, milling recovery, kiln recovery, leaching recovery and chemical plant recovery. |
8 | GAAP – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles |
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511006043/en/
Investor Relations
Alex Guthrie
Senior Manager, External Relations
+1.416.861.9778
aguthrie@largoinc.com
News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia
Largo Inc. (" Largo " or the " Company ") ( TSX: LGO ) ( NASDAQ: LGO ) will release its first quarter 2022 financial results on Wednesday, May 11 after the close of market trading. Additionally, the Company will host a webcast and conference call to discuss its first quarter 2022 operating and financial results on Thursday, May 12 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Details of the webcast and conference call are listed below:
Date: | Thursday, May 12, 2022 |
Time: | 10:00 a.m. ET |
Webcast Registration Link: | https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1540122&tp_key=11de69ee45 |
Dial-in Number: | Local: +1 (647) 794-4605 |
North American Toll Free: +1 (888) 204-4368 | |
Conference ID: | 5973251 |
Replay Number: | Local / International: + 1 (647) 436-0148 |
North American Toll Free: +1 (888) 203-1112 | |
Replay Passcode: 5973251 | |
Website: | To view press releases or any additional financial information, please visit the Investor Resources section of the Company's website at: www.largoinc.com/investors/Overview |
About Largo
Largo has a long and successful history as one of the world's preferred vanadium companies through the supply of its VPURE TM and VPURE+ TM products, which are sourced from one of the world's highest-grade vanadium deposits at the Company's Maracás Menchen Mine in Brazil. Following the acquisition of vanadium redox flow battery technology in 2020, Largo is working to integrate its world-class vanadium products with its VCHARGE vanadium battery technology to support the planet's on-going transition to renewable energy and a low carbon future. Largo's VCHARGE batteries are uniquely capable of supporting reliability and grid stability as electricity systems move away from fossil-fuel generation. VCHARGE batteries are cost effective due to a variety of innovations, enabling an efficient, safe and ESG-aligned long duration solution that is fully recyclable at the end of its 25+ year lifespan.
Largo's common shares trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "LGO". For more information, please visit www.largoinc.com .
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220420005861/en/
For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations
Alex Guthrie
Senior Manager, External Relations
+1.416.861.9778
aguthrie@largoinc.com
News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia
All amounts expressed are in Canadian dollars, denominated by "C$".
Largo Inc. ("Largo" or the "Company") (TSX: LGO) (NASDAQ: LGO) is pleased to provide an update on Largo Physical Vanadium Corp. (" LPV ") and the proposed qualifying transaction (" Qualifying Transaction ") with Column Capital Corp. (the " CPC ") that was announced in the Company's press release dated February 3, 2022. LPV and CPC have entered into a definitive agreement (" Definitive Agreement ") dated April 14, 2022, which sets out the terms and conditions of a three-cornered amalgamation that will result in CPC acquiring all of the issued and outstanding securities of LPV in exchange for securities of CPC and will result in a reverse-takeover of CPC by LPV to form a combined entity (the " Resulting Issuer "), expected to be named "Largo Physical Vanadium Corp.". For full details on the Definitive Agreement, please refer to CPC's press release dated April 14, 2022. Upon completion of the Qualifying Transaction, it is expected that the Resulting Issuer will be a publicly listed physical vanadium holding company that will purchase and hold physical vanadium, providing investors with ownership and exposure to vanadium.
Paulo Misk, President and CEO of Largo commented: " We are very pleased with the advancement of LPV and are proud to be an initial strategic investor as it develops into a strategic source of value for Largo's two-pillar business strategy." He continued: "Upon completion of the Qualifying Transaction and applicable regulatory and stock exchange approvals, we believe LPV will offer potential investors direct exposure to the attractive opportunity presented by the long-term fundamentals of vanadium—a key transition metal for greener steel, strategic and energy storage industries—in an environment of tightening supply and increasing demand."
Overview of the Resulting Issuer: Largo Physical Vanadium Corp.
Upon completion of the Qualifying Transaction, the Resulting Issuer is expected to provide a secure, convenient and exchange traded alternative for investors interested in direct investment exposure to physical vanadium and its use in ESG-friendly energy transition and industrial applications, including vanadium redox flow batteries (" VRFBs ") and greener steel. Physical inventory purchased by the Resulting Issuer will be unencumbered, other than by rights under the Safekeeping Agreement (defined below), and fully allocated to investors. Growth in new economy use cases is expected to increase vanadium requirements and usage.
Subject to TSX Venture Exchange (the " TSXV ") approval and upon completion of the Qualifying Transaction, it is expected that the board of directors and the senior officers of the Resulting Issuer will be made up of the following individuals. Below is a brief biography of each of the proposed individuals:
Paul Vollant – Chief Executive Officer and Director
Mr. Vollant is the Vice President of Commercial at Largo Inc. Mr. Vollant is highly experienced in the sale and marketing of metals and minerals and has specialized in strategic metals, particularly vanadium and titanium. He in the Chairman of Vanitec's Market Development Committee. Mr. Vollant's experience includes holding the position of General Manager of Sales and Marketing at TNG Limited, Shanghai, where his responsibility included the setup and operation of TNG's vanadium, titanium and iron products distribution strategy. Mr. Vollant was a founding Director of global commodity distribution company Element Commodities which is specialized in vanadium and titanium and was formerly with the Noble Group in London and Hong Kong. He is a Director of the HLG Group and a Non-Executive Director of Nairobi Securities Exchange. Mr. Vollant holds a MSc in finance and international business from the University of Lyon ESDES Business School and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Corporate Directors (GAICD).
Jonathan Lee – Director
Mr. Lee is Vice President with the private equity firm Arias Resource Capital Management LP and serves on the board of Largo Inc. Prior to Arias Resource Capital Management, Mr. Lee worked with Ambac Assurance Corporation, a global bond insurer. Prior to Ambac, Mr. Lee held positions with the investment firm Raging River Capital, the mining hedge fund Geologic Resource Partners LLC, and Byron Capital Markets Ltd. in Canada as a mining & metals equity research analyst. Additionally, Mr. Lee has prior experience as an Environmental Engineer with several construction and engineering firms. Mr. Lee previously served on the board of Park Lawn Company Ltd. and Bearing Lithium Corp. Mr. Lee earned his MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University and holds a BS in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Economics from Tufts University.
John Kanellitsas – Director
John Kanellitsas is the Executive Vice Chair of Lithium Americas Corp. He is now primarily responsible for business development and capital markets strategies. Mr. Kanellitsas joined Lithium Americas Corp. as a Director in 2011 and served as a former CEO until the company's merger with Western Lithium USA Corp. in September 2015. He has over 25 years of experience in the investment banking and asset management industries. Mr. Kanellitsas co-founded and was a partner of Geologic Resource Partners, LLP, where he served as its Chief Operating Officer from 2004 to 2014. Prior to Geologic, Mr. Kanellitsas was employed by Sun Valley Gold, LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York and San Francisco. Mr. Kanellitsas has an MBA from the University of California in Los Angeles and a BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.
Andrea Weinberg – Director
Andrea Weinberg is a Partner of BTG Pactual and joined the firm in March 2019. Prior to that, Ms. Weinberg worked for 7 years as a Director at BlackRock for Latin American and Global Emerging Markets funds, responsible for coverage of Commodities (metals & mining, pulp & paper, and oil), Education and Industrials sectors. Previously she spent 5 years as an equity analyst at AllianceBernstein and Dynamo Administradora de Recursos covering the prior mentioned sectors. Before joining the buyside industry, Andrea worked as a sell side analyst at Merrill Lynch (2004-2007) and Goldman Sachs (1998-2004) covering Metals & Mining sector. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and a Master's degree in Financial Engineering & Operations Research from Columbia University.
Justin Reid – Director
Justin Reid is the current President, CEO and Founder of Troilus Gold Corp. Mr. Reid is a geologist and capital markets executive with over 20 years of experience focused exclusively in the mineral resource space. Mr. Reid began his career as a geologist with Saskatchewan Geological Survey and Cominco Global Exploration after which he became a partner and senior mining analyst at Sprott Capital and Cormark Securities in Toronto. Mr. Reid was then named Executive General Manager at Paladin Energy, where he was responsible for leading all merger and acquisition, corporate and market related activities. He is the former Managing Director, Global Mining Sales at National Bank Financial, where he directed the firm's sales and trading in the mining sector. Most recently, he acted as President and Director of Sulliden Gold Corporation, until its acquisition by Rio Alto Mining in 2014 and was Managing Director at Aguia Resources Ltd. from 2015 to 2019. He holds a BSc from the University of Regina, a MSc from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Larry Ciccarelli – Director
Larry Ciccarelli is the President and Secretary of Rinlar Inc., a private family office, and the Vice President and Secretary of a private investment firm, KARR Securities which he co-founded in 1989. Since 2010, Mr. Ciccarelli has been Director and Chairman of Licella Holdings, Sydney, Australia. Also, a current Director of Arbios Biotech, Vancouver, since 2019. Mr. Ciccarelli is also the Director of Mura Technology, London, England, since 2018. Larry was the Founder and Chairman of a natural resource company, Karmin Exploration, Toronto-Sao Paulo, from 2011- 2019, which was subsequently acquired by Nexa Resources. Mr. Cicarelli was the Founder and Executive Chairman of Globestar Mining Co. Toronto-Santo Domingo, 1999-2009, which was subsequently acquired by Perilya Limited. In 2010, Mr. Ciccarelli was a finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and in 2009 he received both the Ontario Global Traders Award and the Ontario Business Achievement Award. From 1993-2015, Mr. Ciccarelli was the co-owner of the Sarnia Sting Major Junior Hockey League team and in 2004, co-founded the palliative care initiative for the Sarnia community, St. Joseph's Hospice. Mr. Ciccarelli earned his BA from the University of Western in Ontario, Canada.
Safekeeping and Technical Advisory Agreements
Vanadium utilized in VRFBs or stored in protected warehouses will always remain under the oversight and management of Largo (or one of its affiliates), in its capacity as safekeeper (the " Safekeeper "). Under the Safekeeping Agreement (defined below), associated conversion costs between electrolyte and powder/flake requirements will also be borne by the Safekeeper. More specifically, vanadium utilized in a VRFB installation will remain under full ownership of the Resulting Issuer and not be part of the upfront installation capital borne by the VRFB end user, resulting in expected price competitiveness relative to other long duration storage alternatives.
In connection with the Qualifying Transaction: (a) LPV and the Safekeeper have entered into a safekeeping agreement dated April 14, 2022 (the " Safekeeping Agreement "), whereby the Safekeeper will provide for the management and safekeeping of the physical vanadium owned by the Resulting Issuer, effective upon the closing of the Qualifying Transaction; and (b) LPV and Largo have entered into a technical advisory agreement dated April 14, 2022(the " Technical Advisory Agreement ").
Pursuant to the Technical Advisory Agreement, Largo will provide technical services to the Resulting Issuer, including but not limited to commercial advisory services with respect to the management of the movement and storage of vanadium and the marketing thereof, effective upon closing of the Qualifying Transaction.
Advisory Services and Supply Agreements
Further, LPV has entered into: (a) an advisory services agreement with Sprott Capital Partners LP (" Sprott ") and Term Oil Inc. (" Term Oil ") (the " Advisory Services Agreement "), whereby Sprott and Term Oil will provide advisory services to the Resulting Issuer effective upon the closing of the Qualifying Transaction; and (b) a supply agreement with LPV (the " Supply Agreement "), whereby, Largo will exchange approximately 200 tonnes of vanadium products to LPV in return of shares of LPV (the " Largo Contribution In-Kind "), which will be exchanged for the same number of shares of the Resulting Issuer in connection with the Qualifying Transaction, on terms and conditions described in greater detail in CPC's press release dated April 14, 2022. Under the Supply Agreement, Largo has also granted the Resulting Issuer a right of first refusal over any non-committed commercial vanadium equivalent products from January to September of each fiscal year.
Cash Investment
In addition to the Largo Contribution In-Kind, Largo participated in CPC's previously announced and now closed brokered private placement of subscription receipts of the Resulting Issuer for an aggregate amount of C$20.0 million.
About Largo
Largo has a long and successful history as one of the world's preferred vanadium companies through the supply of its VPURE TM and VPURE+ TM products, which are sourced from one of the world's highest-grade vanadium deposits at the Company's Maracás Menchen Mine in Brazil. Following the acquisition of vanadium redox flow battery technology in 2020, Largo is working to integrate its world-class vanadium products with its VCHARGE vanadium battery technology to support the planet's on-going transition to a low carbon future. Largo's VCHARGE batteries are uniquely capable of supporting reliability and grid stability as electricity systems move away from fossil-fuel generation. VCHARGE batteries are cost effective due to a variety of innovations, enabling an efficient, safe and ESG-aligned long duration solution that is fully recyclable at the end of its 25+ year lifespan.
Largo's common shares trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "LGO". For more information, please visit www.largoinc.com .
Forward-looking Information:
This press release contains forward-looking information under securities legislation, some of which may be considered "financial outlook" for the purposes of applicable securities legislation ("forward-looking statements"). Forward‐looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to general market and economic conditions, our ability to build, finance and operate a VRFB business, our ability to protect and develop our technology, our ability to maintain our IP, our ability to market and sell our VCHARGE batteries on specification and at a competitive price, the willingness of VRFB customers to lease vanadium in purchased VRFBs, our ability to secure the required production resources to build our VCHARGE batteries, and the adoption of VRFB technology generally in the market. Forward‐looking information in this press release also includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the ability of the Resulting Issuer to attract investors, the desire of investors to invest in physical vanadium and to have the Resulting Issuer own physical vanadium stored in VRFBs, the ability to satisfy the conditions required for the completion of the proposed Qualifying Transaction, completion and terms of the proposed Qualifying Transaction, the strategy of the Resulting Issuer, the anticipated composition of the board of directors of the Resulting Issuers, management team and insiders of the Resulting Issuer following the closing of the Qualifying Transaction, the closing of the Qualifying Transaction, the intention of the Resulting Issuer to undertake certain corporate changes in connection with the proposed Qualifying Transaction (including without limitation a change of name), the Largo Contribution In-Kind, the technical services to be provided by Largo to the Resulting Issuer, the advisory services to be provided by Sprott and Term Oil, and the competitive advantage provided to Largo VRFBs by virtue of the Resulting Issuer's anticipated business strategy. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". All information contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward looking information. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Largo to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to those risks described in the annual information form of Largo and in its public documents filed on www.sedar.com and available on www.sec.gov from time to time. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Although management of Largo has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Largo does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Readers should also review the risks and uncertainties sections of Largo's annual and interim MD&As which also apply.
Trademarks are owned by Largo Inc.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220413006095/en/
Investor Relations
Alex Guthrie
Senior Manager, External Relations
+1.416.861.9778
aguthrie@largoinc.com
Column Capital Corp.
Brian Bayley
President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary, and Director
(604) 488-5427
bayley@earlston.ca
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