Yahoo Finance United States Antimony Corp (UAMY) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript Highlights: Navigating ...
Cash and Cash Equivalents: Decreased by $7.2 million during 2023.
Operational Losses: $5.9 million from Mexico operations.
Inventory Purchases: $1.8 million related to Mexico operations.
Noncash Charges: $3.6 million, mainly from inventory write-downs and depreciation.
Dividend Payments: $1.1 million to Series D preferred stockholders.
CapEx Spending: $1.5 million, primarily at Bear River Zeolite facility.
Sales Decrease: 21% in 2023 compared to 2022.
Antimony Sales Price Decrease: 44% of sales decrease due to lower market prices.
Volume Decreases: 56% of sales decrease, mainly from reduced zeolite sales.
Gross Profit: Decreased, impacted by sales decline and higher processing costs.
Zeolite Revenues: $2,462,000 in 2023, down $689,000 from 2022.
Release Date: April 17, 2024
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Q & A Highlights
Q: With what management has learned with your recent lobbying efforts in Washington, DC concerning government grants and loans on strategic metals and materials, has the company changed any of its thinking or game plan with respect to this area? A: Gary Evans, Chairman of the Board, confirmed that the company has indeed adjusted its activities to align with the key requirements for receiving government grants, based on insights gained from discussions in Washington, DC.
Q: When do you expect BRZ to be fully operational with these improvements? A: Gary Evans explained that BRZ is currently fully operational and producing more zeolite than before, with new management on-site ensuring efficient operations and minimal downtime.
Q: With respect to zeolite, it seems that buyers of the rolled products create the various uses of zeolites. We seem to have no product development or marketing. The middleman makes the great margin, not UAMY. Has the company identified this as an issue? And if so, are there any plans to rectify? A: Gary Evans acknowledged the issue and mentioned plans to hire seasoned salespeople to improve direct marketing and capture more of the value chain, reducing reliance on middlemen.
Q: Previously, samples had been sent to DoD and approved. What happened there? A: Joe Bardswich, Director, noted that while UAMY remains the only North American supplier of antimony dry sulfide to the US Department of Defense, the source was in Mexico. The company is actively seeking other sources to resume shipments.
Q: Are you still in conversation with Perpetual? A: Gary Evans discussed ongoing but cautious interactions with Perpetual, noting that while Perpetual has been successful in securing grants, they are still years away from operational status and product sales.
Q: Has the company identified a domestic new source of Antimony? A: Joe Bardswich confirmed that the company is actively identifying and securing new domestic sources of Antimony.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
