Hudbay Minerals Inc. (“Hudbay”) (TSX,
NYSE: HBM) and Copper Mountain Mining Corporation
(“Copper Mountain”) (TSX: CMMC, ASX: C6C) are pleased to
announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement (the
“Arrangement Agreement”) pursuant to which Hudbay will acquire all
of the issued and outstanding common shares of Copper Mountain,
pursuant to a court approved plan of arrangement (the
“Transaction”).
The Transaction will create a premier
Americas-focused copper mining company that is well-positioned to
deliver sustainable cash flows from an operating portfolio of three
long-life mines, as well as compelling organic growth from a
world-class pipeline of copper expansion and development projects.
All assets in the combined portfolio are located in tier-one
mining-friendly jurisdictions of Canada, Peru and the United
States. The combined company represents the third largest copper
producer in Canada based on 2023 estimated copper productionii.
Peter Kukielski, Hudbay’s President and Chief
Executive Officer, commented, “This transaction represents a unique
opportunity to combine complementary assets and leverage our
technical expertise to create value for the shareholders of both
Hudbay and Copper Mountain. We estimate that this combination could
unlock US$30 million per year in operating efficiencies and
corporate synergies, and it is accretive to Hudbay’s key per share
metrics. With an expanded copper production profile, a low-cost
position on the copper curve and an enviable copper growth
pipeline, the combined company is expected to generate robust cash
flows through the cycle and achieve attractive returns by
efficiently allocating capital to the highest risk-adjusted return
opportunities in the combined project portfolio. Most importantly,
the combined company will be underpinned by our shared commitment
to the highest safety and ESG standards.”
Edward Dowling, Copper Mountain’s Chair of the
Board of Directors, stated, “The strategic rationale of the
transaction is compelling on many levels, and the combined company
is well-positioned to create sustainable value for all
stakeholders. This transaction provides Copper Mountain
shareholders with an attractive premium and the opportunity to
participate in a more diversified portfolio of three operating
assets and a leading organic copper growth pipeline.”
Gil Clausen, Copper Mountain’s President and
Chief Executive Officer, added, “We are very pleased to be entering
into this combination with Hudbay. The Copper Mountain team has
done a tremendous job as seen through the positive momentum at the
mine, and I am extremely proud of the team’s efforts. The mine is
now at a point where it will benefit from the additional support
available from Hudbay’s strong in-house technical services team.
There also remains significant potential to unlock further value by
leveraging the best practices of both companies.”
Strategic Rationale of the
Transaction
The combination of Hudbay and Copper Mountain is
on-strategy with strong industrial logic that will offer both sets
of shareholders compelling benefits, as highlighted below:
- Scale – a
larger-scale platform with three long-life operating mines with
exploration and expansion upside, three large-scale development
projects and one of the largest mineral resource bases among
intermediate copper producers;
- Diversification –
a geographically balanced portfolio in tier-one mining
jurisdictions with approximately 55% of net asset valueiii (“NAV”)
estimated to be from North American assets and 45% of NAV estimated
to be from South American assets;
- Copper-Focused
– a copper-focused portfolio with expected 2023
copper production of more than 150,000 tonnes in the second
quartile position on the copper cost curveiv, complemented by
meaningful gold production;
- Efficiencies
– an estimated US$30 millioni per year of
operating efficiencies and corporate synergies, including
approximately US$20 million per year from operating cost reductions
through the application of Hudbay’s operating efficiency practices
to the Copper Mountain mine;
- Deleveraging
– well-positioned for accelerated deleveraging in
the near-term from increased diversification of cash flows and
enhanced exposure to rising copper prices;
- Capital Allocation
– an ability to maximize value from a larger
organic growth pipeline by more efficiently allocating capital to
projects that yield the highest risk-adjusted returns; the combined
company’s greater cash flow generation and strong balance sheet
will enhance the ability to advance brownfield expansion
opportunities and prudently develop Hudbay’s Copper World project
in Arizona, which will deliver meaningful growth to the combined
company; and
- Valuation Re-rating
Potential – the strategic and financial
benefits from the Transaction ultimately position the combined
company for a valuation re-rating.
Transaction Terms
Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement,
each Copper Mountain shareholder will receive 0.381 of a Hudbay
common share for each Copper Mountain common share held.
The Transaction consideration represents
approximately C$2.67 per Copper Mountain common share and a US$439
million equity value based on Hudbay’s closing share price on April
12, 2023. The Transaction consideration represents a 23% premium to
Copper Mountain shareholders based Hudbay’s and Copper Mountain’s
10-day volume-weighted-average share prices on April 12, 2023.
Copper Mountain’s and Hudbay’s respective
officers and directors have entered into voting support agreements
pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, to vote
their shares in favor of the Transaction.
Following the closing of the Transaction, the
Board of Directors of Hudbay will include two directors from the
Board of Directors of Copper Mountain, and the management team of
Hudbay will include select members from the management team of
Copper Mountain. In addition, existing Hudbay and Copper Mountain
shareholders will own approximately 76% and 24% of Hudbay,
respectively.
In light of the Transaction, Gil Clausen has
postponed his retirement and will remain as President and Chief
Executive Officer of Copper Mountain until closing.
Transaction Conditions and
Timing
The Transaction will be implemented by way of a
court-approved plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations
Act (British Columbia). The arrangement will require the approval
of at least 66 2/3% of the votes cast by the shareholders of Copper
Mountain at a special meeting of Copper Mountain shareholders held
to consider the Transaction. The issuance of shares by Hudbay under
the Transaction is subject to the approval of a simple majority of
the votes cast by Hudbay shareholders at a special meeting of
Hudbay shareholders.
In addition to shareholder approvals, the
Transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain other closing
conditions customary in transactions of this nature, including
clearance under the Competition Act (Canada), B.C. court approval
and applicable stock exchange approvals.
The Arrangement Agreement contains customary
reciprocal deal-protection provisions including non-solicitation
covenants and a right to match any Superior Proposal (as defined in
the Arrangement Agreement). Under certain circumstances, Hudbay and
Copper Mountain would be entitled to a termination fee equal to a
percentage of respective equity values.
The Transaction is expected to be completed late
in the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2023.
Following completion of the Transaction, the shares of Copper
Mountain will be de-listed from the Toronto Stock Exchange and the
Australian Securities Exchange.
Board of Directors’
Recommendations
After consultation with its financial and legal
advisors, the Board of Directors of Hudbay unanimously approved the
entering into of the Arrangement Agreement. The Board of Directors
of Hudbay recommends that Hudbay shareholders vote in favor of the
Transaction.
TD Securities Inc. has provided a fairness
opinion to the Hudbay Board of Directors, stating to the effect
that, as of the date of such opinion and based upon and subject to
the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated in such
opinion, the consideration to be paid by Hudbay in the Transaction
is fair, from a financial point of view, to Hudbay.
Copper Mountain appointed a special committee of
independent directors (the “Copper Mountain Special Committee”) to
consider and make a recommendation with respect to the Transaction.
Based on the unanimous recommendation of the Copper Mountain
Special Committee, and after consultation with its financial and
legal advisors, the Board of Directors of Copper Mountain has
unanimously approved the entering into of the Arrangement
Agreement. The Board of Directors of Copper Mountain recommends
that Copper Mountain shareholders vote in favor of the
Transaction.
CIBC World Markets Inc. and Origin Merchant
Partners have each provided a fairness opinion to the Copper
Mountain Board of Directors and the Copper Mountain Special
Committee, to the effect that, as of the date of such opinion and
based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and
qualifications stated in such opinion, the consideration to be
received by the Copper Mountain shareholders is fair, from a
financial point of view, to such shareholders.
Advisors and Counsel
Citi is acting as financial advisor to Hudbay
and Goodmans LLP and Baker McKenzie LLP are acting as legal counsel
to Hudbay.
CIBC Capital Markets is acting as financial
advisor to Copper Mountain and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg
LLP is acting as legal counsel to Copper Mountain and the Special
Committee.
Analyst and Investor Webcast and
Conference Call
Hudbay and Copper Mountain will host a joint
conference call on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. ET to
discuss the Transaction. A copy of the presentation and webcast
audio will be available on Hudbay’s website following the
conference call.
Conference Call and Webcast Details: |
|
Date: |
Thursday, April 13, 2023 |
Time: |
8:30 a.m. ET |
Webcast: |
www.hudbay.com |
Dial in: |
1-416-915-3239 or 1-800-319-4610 |
About Hudbay Minerals Inc.
Hudbay (TSX, NYSE: HBM) is a diversified mining
company with long-life assets in North and South America. The
company’s Constancia operations in Cusco (Peru) produce copper with
gold, silver and molybdenum by-products. Its Snow Lake operations
in Manitoba (Canada) produce gold with copper, zinc and silver
by-products. Hudbay has an organic pipeline that includes the
Copper World project in Arizona and the Mason project in Nevada
(United States), and its growth strategy is focused on the
exploration, development, operation, and optimization of properties
it already controls, as well as other mineral assets it may acquire
that fit its strategic criteria. Hudbay’s mission is to create
sustainable value through the acquisition, development and
operation of high-quality, long-life deposits with exploration
potential in jurisdictions that support responsible mining, and to
see the regions and communities in which the company operates
benefit from its presence. Further information about Hudbay can be
found on www.hudbay.com.
About Copper Mountain Mining
Corporation
Copper Mountain owns 75% of the Copper Mountain
Mine, which is located in southern British Columbia near the town
of Princeton. The Copper Mountain Mine produces approximately 100
million pounds of copper equivalent on average per year. Copper
Mountain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol
“CMMC” and Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol “C6C”.
Additional information is available on the company’s web page at
www.CuMtn.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This release contains certain “forward looking
statements” and certain “forward-looking information” as “defined
under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking
statements and information can generally be identified by the use
of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”,
“expect”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”,
“continue”, “plans” or similar terminology. The forward-looking
information contained herein is provided for the purpose of
assisting readers in understanding management’s current
expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are
cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other
purposes.
Forward-looking statements relate to future
events or future performance and reflect Hudbay’s and Copper
Mountain’s expectations or beliefs regarding future events.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to
statements with respect to the consummation and timing of the
Transaction; approval by Copper Mountain’s and Hudbay’s
shareholders; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the
Transaction; the strengths, characteristics and potential of the
Transaction; growth potential and expectations regarding the
timing, receipt and anticipated effects of court, regulatory and
other consents and approvals; the impact of the Transaction on
shareholders of Hudbay and Copper Mountain and other stakeholders
and other anticipated benefits of the Transaction. By their very
nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results,
performance or achievements to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, amongst
others, risks related to failure to receive approval by Copper
Mountain shareholders, the required court, regulatory and other
consents and approvals to effect the Transaction, the potential of
a third party making a superior proposal to the Transaction, the
possibility that the Arrangement Agreement could be terminated
under certain circumstances.
Forward-looking information are based on
management of the parties' reasonable assumptions, estimates,
expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on such
management's experience and perception of trends, current
conditions and expected developments, and other factors that
management believes are relevant and reasonable in the
circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Such factors,
among other things, include: business integration risks;
fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in
securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of
copper or certain other commodities; change in national and local
governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and
political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated
with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining
(including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or
unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding);
discrepancies between actual and estimated metallurgical
recoveries; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks
and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose
restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and
claims by local communities and indigenous populations;
availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and
labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and
development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses,
permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to
properties.
Hudbay and Copper Mountain undertake no
obligation to update forward-looking information except as required
by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents
management's best judgment based on the information currently
available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and
actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are
advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements
or information.
For investor and media inquiries, please
contact:
Hudbay
Candace BrûléVice President, Investor
Relations (416) 814-4387 candace.brule@hudbay.com
Copper MountainTom HaltonDirector, Investor
Relations and Corporate Communications(604)
682-2992Tom.Halton@CuMtn.com
________________________i Pre-tax annual synergies achieved over
the course of 3 years.ii Sourced from company filings and Wood
Mackenzie research.iii NAV is based on analyst consensus
estimates.iv Based on Wood Mackenzie’s 2023 by-product C1 copper
cost curve (Q4 2022 dataset).
Copper Mountain Mining (TSX:CMMC)
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