Attention Business/Financial Editors:
Northgate posts fourth quarter net income of $32 million
Completes acquisition of Australian-based gold miner VANCOUVER, Feb. 28 /CNW/ - (All figures in US dollars except where noted) - Northgate Minerals Corporation (TSX: NGX; AMEX: NXG) today reported cash flow from operations of $32,914,000 or $0.13 per diluted common share and net earnings of $32,020,000 or $0.13 per diluted common share for the fourth quarter of 2007. Cash flow from operations for all of 2007 was $125,285,000 or $0.49 per diluted common share and net earnings were $38,136,000 or $0.15 per diluted common share. << Fourth Quarter Highlights - On October 29, 2007, Northgate announced its proposal to acquire Perseverance Corporation Ltd. ("Perseverance"), an Australian gold producer with two fully-permitted gold mines. The deal was approved by Perseverance securityholders and closed on February 18, 2008. - Northgate closed out its gold hedge book and is now completely exposed to future gold price changes. - Production of 41,467 ounces of gold and 16.8 million pounds of copper from the Kemess South mine. - Quarterly gold net cash cost of $18 per ounce and an annual net cash cost of negative $22 per ounce of gold for all of 2007. >> Ken Stowe, President and CEO, stated, "All in all, 2007 was another solid production year at Kemess despite a significant modification to the production schedule in the fourth quarter, which was necessitated by the realignment of the main haul road out of the pit. Strong cash flow from operations of $125 million for the year continued to strengthen an already strong balance sheet, thereby allowing us to complete the acquisition of Perseverance with no shareholder dilution. With the closing of the Perseverance deal, we have now achieved a key strategic objective and transformed Northgate into a multi-mine 400,000-ounce per year gold producer with all of our operations in stable jurisdictions. With unhedged gold and copper production in 2008 and record or near-record prices for both metals, we are well positioned for another strong year of cash flows. This will give us the ability to make strategic investments at our new Australian operations while continuing to aggressively develop the Young-Davidson project and look for additional growth opportunities." Results of Operations Northgate recorded net earnings of $32,020,000 or $0.13 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared with $19,790,000 or $0.09 per diluted share during the corresponding quarter of 2006. For the full year 2007, net earnings were $38,136,000 or $0.15 per diluted share compared with $106,742,000 or $0.48 per diluted share in 2006. Earnings for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2007 included non-cash future income tax recoveries of $2,267,000 and $13,065,000, respectively. Cash flow from operations, after changes in working capital and other items, was $32,914,000 or $0.13 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared with $43,884,000 or $0.20 per diluted share during the same quarter last year. For the full year 2007, cash flow from operations after changes in working capital and other items was $125,285,000 or $0.49 per diluted share compared with $146,612,000 or $0.66 per diluted share in 2006. Per share data is based on the weighted average diluted number of shares outstanding of 255,065,987 and 255,257,756 in the fourth quarter and full year of 2007, respectively. The weighted average diluted number of shares outstanding in the corresponding periods of 2006 was 224,674,332 and 222,892,929, respectively. Kemess South Mine Performance The Kemess mine posted production of 41,467 ounces of gold and 16.8 million pounds of copper in the fourth quarter of 2007. Metal production was significantly lower than forecast due to lower than expected mill throughput and a 15% copper grade deficit compared to blast hole estimates for the stockpiled, very unusual, high native copper ore that was milled from stockpile in November and December. Milling of this ore and other lower grade stockpiled hypogene ores during November and December was necessitated by the realignment of the main haul road out of the pit due to a crack, which developed in a section of the road. This realignment was completed on January 10, 2008 at which time ore production from the west end of the pit resumed. For all of 2007, Kemess posted gold and copper production of 245,631 ounces and 68.1 million pounds, respectively. During the fourth quarter of 2007, approximately 8.0 million tonnes of ore and waste were removed from the open pit compared to 11.0 million tonnes during the corresponding quarter of 2006. As a result of the lower tonnes mined, unit mining costs during the current quarter were unusually high at Cdn$2.37 per tonne compared with Cdn$1.64 per tonne in the same period of 2006. For the full year 2007, mining costs averaged Cdn$1.76 per tonne mined compared with Cdn$1.49 per tonne in 2006. Mill availability during the fourth quarter of 2007 averaged 90% and throughput averaged 46,072 tonnes per day (tpd), compared with 91% availability and throughput of 49,645 tpd in the fourth quarter of 2006. Mill throughput was lower in the most recent quarter than it was one year ago due to a variety of operating problems related to processing higher moisture supergene ore from stockpile during the colder winter months. For the full year, Kemess milled approximately 17.8 million tonnes of ore grading 0.627 grams per metric tonne (gr/mt) gold and 0.214% copper, and mill availability averaged 91%, which was the same as 2006. Gold and copper recoveries averaged 66% and 75%, respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared with 72% and 87% in the fourth quarter of 2006. Copper recoveries were significantly lower in the fourth quarter of 2007 than they were in the same quarter of 2006, due to the large quantity of very unusual, high native copper supergene ore with inherently lower copper recovery that was milled from the stockpile in November and December. For the full year, gold and copper recoveries were 68% and 81%, respectively, compared with 69% and 83% in 2006. Metal concentrate inventory decreased by 1,000 wet metric tonnes (wmt) to approximately 6,000 wmt during the fourth quarter of 2007. Concentrate inventory is expected to decline through 2008. The total unit cost per tonne milled during the fourth quarter of 2007 was Cdn$13.16 (2006 - Cdn$15.58), including Cdn$3.31 (2006 - Cdn$6.48) for marketing costs, which was comprised mainly of treatment and refining costs and transportation fees. The primary reason for the decline in unit cost is the reduction in treatment and refining costs, which are remitted to Xstrata Canada Corporation. Total site operating costs in the fourth quarter of 2007 were Cdn$41.9 million, consistent with costs of Cdn$41.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2006. The net cash cost of production at Kemess in the fourth quarter was $18 per ounce, bringing the average 2007 cash cost to negative $22 per ounce. The net cash cost of gold production for the full year is negative due to the large by-product credit derived from copper production, which is credited against site operating costs for purposes of calculating cash costs. << The following table provides a summary of operations for the fourth quarter and full year of 2007 and the comparable periods of 2006. 2007 Kemess Mine Production (100% of production basis) Q4 2007 Q4 2006 2007 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ore plus waste mined (tonnes) 8,042,000 11,018,461 42,025,404 43,045,348 Ore mined (tonnes) 3,206,000 4,746,251 17,060,785 17,219,143 Stripping ratio (waste/ore) 1.51 1.32 1.46 1.50 Ore milled (tonnes) 4,238,626 4,567,332 17,802,317 18,233,978 Ore milled per day (tonnes) 46,072 49,645 48,773 49,956 Gold grade (gr/mt) 0.459 0.772 0.627 0.763 Copper grade (%) 0.238 0.243 0.214 0.244 Gold recovery (%) 66 72 68 69 Copper recovery (%) 75 87 81 83 Gold production (ounces) 41,467 81,747 245,631 310,296 Copper production (thousands pounds) 16,766 21,255 68,129 81,209 Tonnes mined per shift worked 449 645 589 693 Tonnes milled per shift worked 237 267 249 277 Net cash cost ($/ounce) 18 (90) (22) (56) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Safety Safety at Kemess in the fourth quarter continued with solid performance, although one lost time incident was recorded. On an annual basis, 2007 was an excellent year for safety at Northgate's operations with only two lost time incidents reported at Kemess and no lost time incidents reported at Young-Davidson in Matachewan. Financial Performance Northgate's revenue in the fourth quarter of 2007 was $93,717,000 compared with $118,239,000 in the corresponding period of 2006. Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2007 included a positive mark-to-market adjustment of $29,631,000 on Northgate's hedge book (2006 - $17,975,000). Due to mark-to-market requirements of Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (Canadian GAAP) and the large size of the Corporation's copper forward sales position relative to quarterly copper production, earnings in future quarters may fluctuate significantly depending on future movements in the price of copper. Metal sales in the fourth quarter of 2007 consisted of 48,937 ounces of gold and 16.8 million pounds of copper, compared with 77,443 ounces of gold and 20.4 million pounds of copper in the fourth quarter of 2006. During the fourth quarter of 2007, the price of gold on the London Bullion Market (LBM) averaged $788 per ounce (2006 - $614) and the price of copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) averaged $3.26 per pound (2006 - $3.21). The net realized metal prices received on metal sales in the fourth quarter of 2007 were approximately $561 per ounce of gold and $3.30 per pound of copper, compared with $533 per ounce and $3.00 per pound in the fourth quarter of 2006. A total of $7,523,000 in gold hedging losses were reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income when the related sales occurred. The Corporation's gold hedging activities reduced the realized price of gold sold during the most recent quarter by $204 per ounce, compared with $82 per ounce in the corresponding quarter one year ago. At the end of the fourth quarter, Northgate had settled all its gold forward contracts and was completely unhedged. The cost of sales in the fourth quarter of 2007 was $60,322,000, which was consistent with the corresponding period of 2006 when the cost of sales was $60,461,000. Cost of sales in the most recent quarter reflect the negative impact of the strengthening Canadian dollar on the Corporation's mostly Canadian dollar costs, which was offset by lower treatment and refining costs for concentrate. Administrative and general expenses totalled $3,689,000 in the fourth quarter of 2007, higher than the $1,543,000 recorded in the corresponding period of 2006 due to additional corporate office salaries in support of organizational growth, increased administration and compliance spending, as well as the cost of various business development initiatives. Depreciation and depletion expenses in the fourth quarter were lower at $6,131,000 compared to $10,122,000 during the corresponding period of 2006, as a result of less ore being mined from the open pit in November and December while the main haul road in the pit was being realigned. Net interest income was significantly higher at $4,813,000 in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared with $2,156,000 in the corresponding quarter of 2006, as a result of substantial increases in the Corporation's cash position due to continued strong operating cash flow. Exploration costs in the fourth quarter were significantly higher at $7,679,000 compared with $4,953,000 in the comparable period of 2006, due to increased activity at Young-Davidson where the advanced underground exploration program continues. Other income recorded in the fourth quarter relates to the mark-to-market gain of $10,646,000 on Northgate's option to acquire Perseverance's portfolio of gold forward contracts from an Australian financial institution upon the close of the transaction. Capital expenditures totalled $2,565,000 in the fourth quarter of 2007, substantially lower than the $6,115,000 recorded in the corresponding period of 2006 when significant expenditures relating to the Kemess South tailings dam and permitting activities for the Kemess North project were incurred. The Kemess North project costs were written off in the third quarter of 2007. Liquidity and Capital Resources Working Capital: At December 31, 2007, Northgate had working capital of $235,883,000 compared with working capital of $297,957,000 at December 31, 2006. The decrease in working capital was mainly the result of a short-term loan ("the Loan") established with a major investment bank in the US. The proceeds of the Loan have been invested in highly liquid investments, which can be accessed if needed for working capital requirements. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2007 amounted to $266,045,000 compared with $262,199,000 at the end of 2006. All cash and cash equivalents are invested in R1/P1/A1 rated investments including money market funds, direct obligation commercial paper, bankers' acceptances and other highly rated short-term investment instruments. Investments: Northgate maintains a portion of its investments in Auction Rate Securities ("ARS"), all of which were rated AAA at the time of purchase. ARS are long-term, floating rate debt securities that are marketed by financial institutions with auction reset dates at 7, 28, or 35 day intervals to provide short-term liquidity. Beginning in August 2007, a number of auctions began to fail and the Corporation is currently holding ARS with a par value of $72,600,000, which currently lack liquidity. Northgate's ARS investments were originally structured and marketed by a major US investment bank. The fair market value of Northgate's ARS holdings at December 31, 2007 was $69,397,000, which reflects a $3,203,000 adjustment to the original par value of $72,600,000. This adjustment was recorded into other comprehensive income as Northgate believes that the decline in value is temporary. All of the Corporation's ARS investments continue to make regular cash interest payments. Historically, given the liquidity created by the auction process, ARS were presented as current assets on Northgate's balance sheet. Given the continued failure of these auctions and the uncertainty as to when liquidity will return, ARS have been reclassified as non-current assets. Certain rating agencies such as S&P, Moody's and Fitch monitor the credit rating of bond insurer institutions (Monoline Insurers), some of which were insurers of a portion of the ARS held by Northgate. In late January, a number of bond insurers were downgraded by certain ratings agencies, which in all cases resulted in corresponding downgrade of the AAA securities insured by those institutions. Approximately 57% of Northgate's ARS holdings are insured. All of the Corporation's uninsured ARS securities continue to be rated AAA and Aaa, as applicable. The Corporation has no investments in Asset Backed Commercial Paper (ABCP), Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) or Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO). The balance of Northgate's long-term investments comprises of equity investments in publicly-listed junior mining companies. These investments are carried on the balance sheet at fair value based on quoted bid prices. If uncertainties in the credit and capital markets persist or Northgate experiences further downgrades on its ARS holdings, the Corporation may incur additional impairments, which may be judged to be other than temporary. Northgate believes that based on its cash and cash equivalents balance of $266,045,000 at December 31, 2007 and expected operating cash flows, the current liquidity issues concerning its ARS investments will not have a material impact on Northgate's ability to carry on its business. Acquisition of Perseverance: In connection with the acquisition of Perseverance, Northgate agreed to acquire all of Perseverance's existing debt, gold forward contracts and guarantees from a major financial institution in Australia ("the Bank"). These arrangements were structured in such a way that they would be executed regardless of the outcome of the acquisition transaction. On December 18, 2007, the Corporation, through an Australian subsidiary, acquired the Bank's receivables for cash consideration (in Australian dollars ($A)) of A$29,637,000 (US$25,434,000) and comprised the following: << - Lease Receivables totalling A$1,012,000. All remaining lease and residual payments are due in the first quarter of 2008 and are included in accounts receivable. - Bridge Facility of A$25,000,000 of which two tranches totalling A$5,500,000 had been drawn. The tranches accrue interest daily at the Bank Bid Swap Rate ("BBSY") published in the Australian Financial Review plus a margin of 4.5% and is payable at the tranches' rollover date, at which point the principal is rolled over and the interest rate is reset. The facility has a maturity date of May 28, 2010. - Cash Advance Facility of A$23,125,000, which has been fully drawn, bearing interest daily at the BBSY Rate plus a margin of 1.40% and is payable at the tranches' rollover date, at which point the principal is rolled over and the interest rate is reset. The facility will be reduced to A$15,000,000 on May 28, 2009 and the remaining balance matures on May 28, 2010. >> Both the Bridge Facility and the Cash Advance Facility are secured by a fixed and floating charge over the assets of Perseverance's subsidiaries, a mining tenement mortgage over tenements held by a subsidiary of Perseverance, and guarantees by Perseverance and all its subsidiaries. As at December 31, 2007, other receivables included the lease receivables of US$888,000. The amounts outstanding under the Bridge and Cash Advance Facilities total US$25,117,000 and are included in long-term receivables. In connection with the Merger Implementation Agreement, Northgate and the Bank entered into an arrangement whereby Northgate will acquire Perseverance's gold forward contracts for a fixed amount, based on the value of the underlying forward contracts at October 30, 2007. The fair value of the underlying forward contracts at December 31, 2007 resulted in a mark-to-market gain of $10,646,000, which was recorded as other income in net earnings. On February 18, 2008, the transaction closed and a total of A$230,200,000 (US$210,300,000) was paid to Perseverance securityholders. Stand-By Letter of Credit ("SBLC"): In connection with the acquisition of Perseverance, the Corporation was required to pledge a cash amount of A$109,400,000 in a SBLC. A portion of the SBLC was released upon payment of the consideration for the debt instruments noted above. As at December 31, 2007, the remaining SBLC of A$58,700,000 was held as a pledge against Perseverance's forward gold sales contracts and certain bank guarantees. Subsequent to year-end, the forward gold contracts were acquired for A$49,307,000 (US$45,550,000). The funds remaining in the SBLC continue to pledge the guarantees of A$8,020,000 (US$7,434,000). Short-Term Loan: In December 2007, the Corporation secured the Loan in the amount of $48,716,000 from the same US investment bank, which structured and marketed Northgate's ARS investments. The Loan bears interest at LIBOR plus 100 basis points and matures on June 6, 2008. At December 31, 2007, the balance of the Loan including accrued interest was $44,835,000. Non-GAAP Measure The Corporation has included net cash costs of production per ounce of gold in the discussion of its results from operations, because it believes that these figures are a useful indicator to investors and management of a mine's performance as they provide: (i) a measure of the mine's cash margin per ounce, by comparison of the cash operating costs per ounce to the price of gold; (ii) the trend in costs as the mine matures; and, (iii) an internal benchmark of performance to allow for comparison against other mines. However, cash costs of production should not be considered as an alternative to operating profit or net profit attributable to shareholders, or as an alternative to other Canadian GAAP measures and they may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. A reconciliation of net cash costs per ounce of production to amounts reported in the statement of operations is shown below. << (Expressed in thousands of US$, except ounce amounts) Q4 2007 Q4 2006 2007 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold production (ounces) 41,467 81,746 245,631 310,296 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost of sales $ 60,322 $ 60,461 $ 226,933 $ 224,584 Change in inventories and other (4,124) 1,944 (8,616) 7,836 Gross copper and silver revenue (55,467) (69,735) (223,721) (249,699) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total cash cost 731 (7,330) (5,404) (17,279) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash cost ($/ounce) $ 18 $ (89) $ (22) $ (56) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (Thousands of US dollars, 2007 Quarter Ended except per share, ---------------------------------------------------- per ounce and per pound amounts) Dec 31 Sep 30 Jun 30 Mar 31 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue $ 93,717 $ 86,756 $ 80,878 $ 74,313 Earnings (loss) for the period 32,020 (11,937) 8,647 9,406 Earnings (loss) per share Basic $ 0.13 $ (0.05) $ 0.03 $ 0.04 Diluted $ 0.13 $ (0.05) $ 0.03 $ 0.04 Metal production Gold (ounces) 41,467 70,055 65,999 68,110 Copper (thousands pounds) 16,766 18,822 14,839 17,702 Metal Prices Gold (LBM - $/ounce) 788 681 667 650 Copper (LME Cash - $/pound 3.26 3.50 3.47 2.69 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Thousands of US dollars, 2006 Quarter Ended except per share, ---------------------------------------------------- per ounce and per pound amounts) Dec 31 Sep 30 Jun 30 Mar 31 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue $ 118,239 $ 102,667 $ 105,348 $ 85,059 Earnings (loss) for the period (1) 19,790 14,902 50,315 21,735 Earnings (loss) per share (1) Basic $ 0.09 $ 0.07 $ 0.23 $ 0.10 Diluted $ 0.09 $ 0.07 $ 0.22 $ 0.10 Metal production Gold (ounces) 81,746 74,789 76,127 77,634 Copper (thousands pounds) 21,254 19,602 18,071 22,282 Metal Prices Gold (LBM - $/ounce) 614 622 627 554 Copper (LME Cash - $/pound 3.21 3.48 3.27 2.24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Operations and Exploration Update Australian Mines Northgate's acquisition of Perseverance was completed on February 18, 2008. From this date forward, gold production from the Fosterville and Stawell mines will be attributed to the Corporation. Initial projections call for these mines to produce between 190,000 - 200,000 ounces of gold during calendar 2008, all of which will be sold at spot prices. Northgate will include the results of its Australian operations from the date of acquisition in its consolidated financial results for the period ending March 31, 2008. In the second quarter of 2008, the Corporation plans to update its previously released 2008 production guidance to include the Fosterville and Stawell mines acquired in the transaction. Young-Davidson Update Drilling resumed at Young-Davidson in January 2008 with five drill rigs in operation. One drill is underground and the other four surface drills are testing underground targets at various levels in and around the known underground resources with the objective of increasing the indicated resource to a minimum of 2.0 million ounces. Diamond drilling completed in the fourth quarter of 2007 expanded resources between the Lower Boundary and the Lower YD zones and below the Lucky zone to a depth of 1,300 metres (m). On February 6, 2008 Northgate released a new mineral resource estimate based on drilling conducted during 2007. Total underground resources at Young-Davidson now include 1.42 million ounces of Measured and Indicated resources and an additional 440,000 ounces of Inferred resources. An update of the open pit resources at Young-Davidson is currently underway and will incorporate new assay data generated by the 5,000m of infill drilling completed in 2007. The ramp that will provide underground access to the Young-Davidson deposit advanced dramatically during 2007 and is now about 2,000m long, reaching a vertical depth of approximately 500m. Underground definition drilling has begun from the second leg of the ramp targeting the Upper Boundary zone in order to move the resources from Inferred to Indicated status. Dewatering of the existing No. 3 shaft down to the 360-m level is complete and the underground infrastructure left by the previous operator continues to be in excellent condition. Notice of Conference Call and Webcast of Year-End Results February 29 at 10:00 a.m. ET You are invited to participate in the Northgate Minerals Corporation live conference call and webcast discussing our year-end financial results. The call and webcast will take place on Friday, February 29, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. ET. Conference Call Please call 416-644-3415 or toll free in North America at 1-800-732-9307. To ensure your participation, please call five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. Webcast The webcast package, including the webcast link and management presentation, will be available on the morning of February 29 and posted on Northgate's website at www.northgateminerals.com under the Calendar of Events section. You may also access the webcast at http://www.newswire.ca/en/webcast/viewEvent.cgi?eventID=2147860. Replay A replay of the conference call will be available beginning on February 29 at 12:00 p.m. ET until March 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Replay Access No. 416-640-1917 or 1-877-289-8525 Passcode: 212 60 773 followed by the number sign. NORTHGATE MINERALS CORPORATION is a mid-tier gold and copper producer with mining operations, development projects and exploration properties in Canada and Australia. The company is forecasting over 400,000 ounces of unhedged gold production in 2008 and is targeting steady production growth through further acquisition opportunities in stable mining jurisdictions around the world. Northgate is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NGX and on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol NXG. Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," or "continue" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Certain of the statements made herein by Northgate Minerals Corporation ("Northgate") including those related to future financial and operating performance and those related to Northgate's future exploration and development activities, are forward-looking and subject to important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the corporations' ability to control or predict. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: gold price volatility; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and interest rates, impact of any hedging activities; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, between actual and estimated reserves and resources and between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; costs of production, capital expenditures, costs and timing of construction and the development of new deposits, and success of exploration activities and permitting time lines; In addition, the factors described or referred to in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Northgate's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2006 or under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Northgate's 2006 annual report, both of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and which should be reviewed in conjunction with this document. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither corporation undertakes any obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except in each case as required by law. << INTERIM CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS December 31 December 31 Thousands of US dollars 2007 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Unaudited) Assets Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 266,045 $ 262,199 Concentrate settlements and other receivables 17,245 17,960 Inventories 35,234 26,208 Future income tax asset 1,194 7,469 Deferred hedging loss - 8,583 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 319,718 322,419 Other assets 80,181 27,622 Long-term receivables 25,117 - Deferred acquisition costs 1,799 - Future income tax asset 17,100 6,291 Mineral property, plant and equipment 121,337 159,299 Investments 70,074 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- $ 635,326 $ 515,631 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Current Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 35,861 $ 22,023 Short-term loan 44,835 - Current portion of capital lease obligations 2,267 - Future income tax liability 872 2,439 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 83,835 24,462 Capital lease obligations 282 2,586 Other long-term liabilities 14,115 - Provision for site closure and reclamation obligations 49,120 28,197 Future income tax liability 2,487 12,638 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 149,839 67,883 Shareholders' equity Common shares 309,455 307,914 Contributed surplus 3,940 2,596 Accumulated other comprehensive income (3,282) - Retained earnings 175,374 137,238 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 485,487 447,748 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- $ 635,326 $ 515,631 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Thousands of US dollars, except share and per share amounts, Three Months Ended Dec 31 Twelve Months Ended Dec 31 unaudited 2007 2006 2007 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue $ 93,717 $ 118,239 $ 335,664 $ 411,313 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost of sales 60,322 60,461 226,933 224,584 Administrative and general 3,689 1,543 10,461 8,209 Depreciation and depletion 6,131 10,122 34,140 35,591 Net interest income (4,813) (2,156) (17,124) (4,013) Exploration 7,679 4,953 29,887 11,449 Currency translation loss (gain) 342 3,726 (6,704) 1,922 Accretion of site closure and recla- mation costs 690 406 2,559 1,553 Writedown of mineral property 382 - 31,815 - Other expense (income) (10,646) - (7,820) 8,423 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 63,776 79,055 304,147 287,718 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings before income taxes 29,941 39,184 31,517 123,595 Income tax recovery (expense) Current (188) (951) (6,446) (5,406) Future 2,267 (18,443) 13,065 (11,447) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2,079 (19,394) 6,619 (16,853) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net earnings for the period $ 32,020 $ 19,790 $ 38,136 $ 106,742 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other comprehensive income Reclassification of net realized gains on available for sale securities to net earnings - - (315) - Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale securities (3,486) - (3,296) - Reclassification of deferred losses on gold forward contracts to net earnings, net of tax of $2,567 Q4 and $9,843 YTD 4,956 - 19,005 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1,470 - 15,394 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comprehensive income (loss) $ 33,490 $ 19,790 $ 53,530 $ 106,742 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net earnings (loss) per share Basic $ 0.13 $ 0.09 $ 0.15 $ 0.50 Diluted $ 0.13 $ 0.09 $ 0.15 $ 0.48 Weighted average shares outstanding Basic 254,329,720 217,165,384 254,166,789 215,609,932 Diluted 255,065,987 224,674,332 255,257,756 222,892,929 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Thousands of US dollars, except common Number of Common Share shares, Common Shares Purchase Contributed unaudited Shares Amount Warrants Surplus ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at December 31, 2006 253,700,033 $ 307,914 $ - $ 2,596 Transitional adjustment on adoption of financial instruments - - - - Shares issued under employee share purchase plan 32,807 79 - - Shares issued on exercise of options 413,420 519 - (153) Stock-based compensation - 39 - 759 Net income - - - - Other comprehensive income - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at March 31, 2007 254,146,260 $ 308,551 $ - $ 3,202 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan 41,860 107 - - Shares issued on exercise of options 5,600 15 - (4) Stock-based compensation - 53 - 320 Net income - - - - Other comprehensive income - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at June 30, 2007 254,193,720 $ 308,726 $ - $ 3,518 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan 46,559 67 - - Shares issued on exercise of options 5,200 14 - (3) Stock-based compensation - 34 - 279 Net loss - - - - Other comprehensive income - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at September 30, 2007 254,245,479 $ 308,841 $ - $ 3,794 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan 55,983 114 - - Shares issued on exercise of options 151,400 443 - (142) Stock-based compensation - 57 - 288 Net loss - - - - Other comprehensive income - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at December 31, 2007 254,452,862 $ 309,455 $ - $ 3,940 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Thousands of Accumulated US dollars, Other except common Compre- shares, Retained hensive unaudited Earnings Income Total ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at December 31, 2006 $ 137,238 $ - $ 447,748 Transitional adjustment on adoption of financial instruments - (18,676) (18,676) Shares issued under employee share purchase plan - - 79 Shares issued on exercise of options - - 366 Stock-based compensation - - 798 Net income 9,406 - 9,406 Other comprehensive income - 4,125 4,125 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at March 31, 2007 $ 146,644 $ (14,551) $ 443,846 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan - - 107 Shares issued on exercise of options - - 11 Stock-based compensation - - 373 Net income 8,647 - 8,647 Other comprehensive income - 5,174 5,174 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at June 30, 2007 $ 155,291 $ (9,377) $ 458,158 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan - - 67 Shares issued on exercise of options - - 11 Stock-based compensation - - 313 Net loss (11,937) - (11,937) Other comprehensive income - 4,624 4,624 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at September 30, 2007 $ 143,354 $ (4,753) $ 451,236 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan - - 114 Shares issued on exercise of options - - 301 Stock-based compensation - - 345 Net loss 32,020 - 32,020 Other comprehensive income - 1,471 1,471 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at December 31, 2007 $ 175,374 $ (3,282) $ 485,487 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Thousands of US dollars, Number of Common Share except common Common Shares Purchase Contributed shares, unaudited Shares Amount Warrants Surplus ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at December 31, 2005 214,011,246 $ 195,565 $ 8,715 $ 1,657 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan 45,027 68 - - Shares issued on exercise of share purchase warrants 314,523 480 (102) - Shares issued on exercise of options 386,800 490 - (154) Stock-based compensation - 34 - 1,131 Net income - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at March 31, 2006 214,757,596 $ 196,637 $ 8,613 $ 2,634 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan 30,269 76 - - Shares issued on exercise of share purchase warrant 10,202 27 - - Shares issued on exercise of options 810,880 2,245 - (706) Stock-based compensation - 39 - 240 Net income - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at June 30, 2006 215,608,947 $ 199,024 $ 8,613 $ 2,168 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan 30,955 73 - - Shares issued on exercise of share purchase warrant 2,778 8 - - Shares issued on exercise of options 22,800 84 - (27) Stock-based compensation - 36 - 244 Net income - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at September 30, 2006 215,665,480 $ 199,225 $ 8,613 $ 2,385 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan 39,300 87 - - Shares issued on exercise of share purchase warrant 37,895,253 108,383 (8,613) 14 Shares issued on exercise of options 100,000 176 - (49) Stock-based compensation - 43 - 246 Net income - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at December 31, 2006 253,700,033 $ 307,914 $ - $ 2,596 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Accumulated Thousands of Other US dollars, Compre- except common Retained hensive shares, unaudited Earnings Income Total ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at December 31, 2005 $ 30,496 $ - $ 236,433 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan - - 68 Shares issued on exercise of share purchase warrants - - 378 Shares issued on exercise of options - - 336 Stock-based compensation - - 1,165 Net income 21,735 - 21,735 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at March 31, 2006 $ 52,231 $ - $ 260,115 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan - - 76 Shares issued on exercise of share purchase warrant - - 27 Shares issued on exercise of options - - 1,539 Stock-based compensation - - 279 Net income 50,315 - 50,315 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at June 30, 2006 $ 102,546 $ - $ 312,351 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan - - 73 Shares issued on exercise of share purchase warrant - - 8 Shares issued on exercise of options - - 57 Stock-based compensation - - 280 Net income 14,902 - 14,902 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at September 30, 2006 $ 117,448 $ - $ 327,671 Shares issued under employee share purchase plan - - 87 Shares issued on exercise of share purchase warrant - - 99,784 Shares issued on exercise of options - - 127 Stock-based compensation - - 289 Net income 19,790 - 19,790 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balance at December 31, 2006 $ 137,238 $ - $ 447,748 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS Thousands of US dollars, Three Months Ended Dec 31 Twelve Months Ended Dec 31 unaudited 2007 2006 2007 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating activities: Net earnings for the period $ 32,020 $ 19,790 $ 38,136 $ 106,742 Non-cash items: Depreciation and depletion 6,131 10,122 34,140 35,591 Unrealized currency translation losses (gains) (1,379) 266 1,362 (22) Unrealized gain on hedge option (10,646) - (10,646) - Accretion of site closure and reclamation costs 690 406 2,559 1,553 Amortization of hedging losses 7,523 6,348 28,848 21,375 Amortization of deferred charges (15) 73 214 562 Stock-based compensation 345 290 1,829 2,014 Future income tax expense (recovery) (2,267) 18,443 (13,065) 11,447 Change in fair value of forward contracts (29,631) (17,975) 24,628 (16,619) Writedown of mineral property 382 - 31,815 - Gain on sale of investments - - (315) - Changes in operating working capital and other: Concentrate settlements and other receivables 40,529 11,194 (3,099) 13,154 Inventories 1,655 (457) (1,860) (4,661) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (6,195) (2,930) 10,874 3,222 Settlement of forward contracts (5,677) (1,572) (19,584) (25,397) Reclamation costs paid (551) (114) (551) (2,349) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32,914 43,884 125,285 146,612 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Investing activities: Purchase of other assets (51,000) (1,714) (51,000) (1,845) Purchase of mineral property, plant and equipment (2,565) (6,115) (13,825) (15,199) Deferred costs paid (1,673) - (1,673) - Acquisition of receivables (25,434) - (25,434) - Purchase of investments - - (72,922) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (80,672) (7,829) (164,854) (17,044) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financing activities: Repayment of capital lease obligation (638) (708) (2,476) (6,870) Financing from credit facility 44,835 - 44,835 - Repayment of long-term debt - - - (13,700) Issuance of common shares 415 99,998 1,056 102,562 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44,612 99,290 43,415 81,992 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (3,146) 135,345 3,846 211,560 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 269,191 126,854 262,199 50,639 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 266,045 $ 262,199 $ 266,045 $ 262,199 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Supplementary information Cash paid during the period for: Interest $ 266 $ 111 $ 482 $ 1,006 Income taxes - 484 - 484 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> %CIK: 0000072931
For further information: Ms. Keren R. Yun, Investor Relations, (416) 216-2781, Email: ngx@northgateminerals.com, Website: www.northgateminerals.com
