ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, June 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aura Minerals Inc. (TSX: ORA, B3: AURA33 and OTCQX: ORAAF) (“Aura” or the “Company”) announced today that the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) has declared and approved the payment of a dividend (the “Dividend”) of US$0.35 per common share (approximately US$25.4 million in total). This payment is above the minimum foreseen in the Company’s Dividend Policy (the “Dividend Policy”). The Dividend is in respect of and is based on Aura’s expected financial results for the six months ending June 30, 2024.
Under the Dividend Policy, the Company’s minimum semi-annual dividend is equal to 20% of its estimated Adjusted EBITDA2 for the relevant six months less sustaining capital expenditures and exploration capital expenditures for the same period. The amount of the Dividend is based on the actual results for Q1 2024 and the expected results for Q2 2024, including expected production, cash costs and sustaining and exploration capex.
The Dividend will be paid in Dividend in US dollars on June 28, 2024, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 20, 2024 (“Record Date”).
Holders of the Company’s Brazilian Depositary Receipts as of Record Date are expected to receive payment on or around July 9, 2024, and will receive the Brazilian Reais equivalent of the Dividend, based on a market exchange rate to be disclosed in a future Press Release, in advance of its payment date.
The Dividend is not subject to withholding taxes at the time of payment by the Company.
Rodrigo Barbosa, President & CEO commented, ” We are delighted to conclude the first half of 2024 with operational results that have exceeded our expectations. As a result, we are pleased to declare a semi-annual dividend of USD$25.4 million, representing a dividend yield of approximately 8.8%1 over the last twelve months, including our ongoing share repurchase program. Furthermore, during our re-IPO in 2020, we outlined our strategy, which was based on robust cash flows, rapid growth, and dividend payouts. Since then, we have been among the highest dividend yield companies in the industry globally, with dividend/share buyback yields of 13.5% in 2021, 6% in 2022, and 6% in 2023. All of this was achieved while we built a new mine, Almas, and acquired the Borborema project, which is now under construction.”
About Aura 360° Mining
Aura is focused on mining in complete terms – thinking holistically about how its business impacts and benefits every one of our stakeholders: our company, our shareholders, our employees, and the countries and communities we serve. We call this 360° Mining.
Aura is a mid-tier gold and copper production company focused on the development and operation of gold and base metal projects in the Americas. The Company’s four producing assets include the San Andres gold mine in Honduras, the EPP and Almas gold mines in Brazil and the Aranzazu copper-gold-silver mine in Mexico. In addition, the Company has the Tolda Fria gold project in Colombia and four projects in Brazil: the Borborema and Matupá gold projects, which are in development the São Francisco gold project, which is on care and maintenance, and the Serra da Estrela copper project in Brazil, Carajás region, which is at the exploration stage.
Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements”, as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) which include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the expected timing of the Dividend; expected production levels in Q2 2024 and metal prices received in respect thereof; the Company’s sustaining capital expenditures and exploration capital expenditures for Q2 2024; the further potential of the Company’s properties; and the ability of the Company to achieve its short and long term outlook and the anticipated timing and results thereof.
Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s ability to predict or control, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Specific reference is made to the most recent Annual Information Form on file with certain Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements, which include, without limitation, the ability of the Company to achieve its short-term and longer-term outlook and the anticipated timing and results thereof, the ability to lower costs and increase production, the ability of the Company to successfully achieve business objectives, copper and gold or certain other commodity price volatility, changes in debt and equity markets, the uncertainties involved in interpreting geological data, increases in costs, environmental compliance and changes in environmental legislation and regulation, interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, general economic conditions and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the forward-looking statements.
All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
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1 Including shares and BDR buybacks. Dividend yield calculated based on the last twelve months dividend per share divided by average last twelve months share price, for the twelve months ended on June 6, 2024.
2 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure, is not a standardized financial measure under IFRS, and may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other issuers. See the disclosure under the heading “Non-GAAP Performance Measures” in the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the three months ended on March 31, 2024 (the “Q1 2024 MD&A”), which is available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to income in section 17.A of the Q1 2024 MD&A is incorporated by reference herein.
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