SALABERRY-DE-VALLEYFIELD, QUEBEC — (Marketwire) — 11/12/12 — Noranda Income Fund (the „Fund“) (TSX: NIF.UN) reported third quarter earnings before income taxes which were supported by the continued high premiums.
Q3 2012 and Subsequent Highlights:
In addition, you can listen to the teleconference and view the slide presentation from the Noranda Income Fund website: or click on this link: http://events.digitalmedia.telus.com/noranda/111312/index.php.
The pass code is 4051 902# and you will be prompted for your name and company.
The recording will be available until midnight on November 27th, 2012.
Structure
The Independent Committee of the board of trustees of the Operating Trust (the „Board“), together with the Board, has reviewed the tax impact and other consequences to the Fund and its Unitholders for the Fund to convert to a corporation, while also considering the impact of remaining as a trust. The Independent Committee engaged Canaccord Genuity to act as an independent advisor to assist them in this regard.
The Independent Trustees have decided at this time, not to pursue a conversion of the Fund to a corporation. The conversion could only have been completed on terms that were acceptable to both unitholders of the Fund and Xstrata Canada Corporation („Xstrata Canada“), the holder of the ordinary units of the Noranda Income Limited Partnership („Partnership“). The Independent Trustees and Xstrata Canada discussed the terms on which such a conversion could occur, but they were unable to reach an agreement.
As an alternative to a conversion to a corporation, the Trustees and Xstrata Canada have approved, in principle, a reorganization that is low cost to implement, and it will eliminate the requirement for the Fund to declare an annual in-kind distribution to reduce its effective tax rate. The reorganization is expected to be completed prior to year end and it will eliminate the requirement for an in-kind distribution, starting in fiscal 2012. It is expected that unitholders will be taxed only on the income they effectively receive as cash distributions. The reorganization will not affect any of the arrangements between Xstrata Canada and the Fund or the Partnership, including the subordination of distributions on Xstrata Canada-s units of the Partnership.
Financial and Operating Highlights (Third quarter 2012 compared to the third quarter 2011)
Earnings before income taxes were $8.9 million in the third quarter of 2012, compared to $16.6 million in the same quarter a year ago. The $7.7 million decrease was mainly due to lower zinc sales and by-product revenues, partially offset by higher zinc premiums and processing fee, and lower finance costs.
Cash provided by operating activities in the third quarter of 2012, before net changes in non-cash working capital items, was $15.1 million compared to $18.9 million during the same period of 2011. Cash distributions of $4.7 million were declared in 2012 compared to $1.6 million in 2011. During the third quarter of 2012, non-cash working capital decreased by $14.2 million in large part due to an increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities. During the third quarter of 2011, non-cash working capital decreased by $3.3 million due to a decrease in accounts receivable and inventories, partially offset by a decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
Financial and Operating Highlights (First nine months 2012 compared to the first nine months 2011)
Earnings before income taxes were $36.4 million in the first nine months of 2012, compared to $43.6 million in the same period a year ago. The $7.2 million decrease was mainly due to lower zinc sales and by-product revenues, partially offset by higher zinc premiums and processing fee, and lower finance costs.
Cash provided by operating activities in the first nine months of 2012, before net changes in non-cash working capital items, was $47.2 million compared to $53.5 million during the same period of 2011. Cash distributions of $14.1 million were declared in 2012 compared to $1.6 million in 2011. During the first nine months of 2012, non-cash working capital increased by $2.8 million due to a decrease in income taxes payable and accrued liabilities and an increase in inventories, partially offset by a decrease in accounts receivable and an increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities. During the first nine months of 2011, non-cash working capital decreased by $27.0 million due to a decrease in accounts receivable, an increase in income taxes payable and the impact of the change in the fair value of the embedded derivative related to the zinc concentrate payable, partially offset by lower inventories and accounts receivable.
A full version of the third quarter 2012 Management-s Discussion and Analysis („MD&A“) and the Unaudited Interim Financial Statements will be posted on the Fund-s website, today, November 12, 2012 and they will be available on on November 13, 2012. Readers should be advised that the summarized communication presented in this press release is limited in its disclosure. It is not a suitable source of information for readers who are unfamiliar with the Fund, and it is not in any way a substitute for reading the Unaudited Interim Financial Statements and MD&A because a reader relying on this summary alone might overlook decision critical information.
Noranda Income Fund is an income trust whose units trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol „NIF.UN“. The Noranda Income Fund owns the electrolytic zinc processing facility and ancillary assets (the „CEZinc processing facility“) located in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec. The CEZinc processing facility is the second-largest zinc processing facility in North America and the largest zinc processing facility in eastern North America, where the majority of zinc customers are located. It produces refined zinc metal and various by-products from zinc concentrates purchased from mining operations. The CEZinc processing facility is operated and managed by Canadian Electrolytic Zinc Limited.
Except where otherwise indicated, all amounts in this press release are expressed in Canadian dollars.
Further information about the Noranda Income Fund can be found at .
Adjusted Earnings before Distributions to Unitholders, Finance Costs, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization („Adjusted EBITDA“)
Adjusted EBITDA is used by the Fund as an indication of cash generated from operations. Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized measure under IFRS and therefore the Fund-s method of calculating Adjusted EBITDA is unlikely to be comparable to methods used by other entities.
The Fund-s Adjusted EBITDA is calculated by starting with earnings before finance costs and income taxes and adjusting for all of the non-cash items such as depreciation, rehabilitation expense, net change in employee benefits, changes in fair value of embedded derivatives and non-cash gains/(losses) on derivative financial instruments. A reconciliation of earnings before finance costs and income taxes to Adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter and first nine months of 2012 compared to the same periods of 2011 is provided below:
Contacts: Michael Boone Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Canadian Electrolytic Zinc Limited, Noranda Income Fund-s Manager 416 775-1561
