Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of September 13
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
In January-June of this year, the international vertically integrated pipe and wheel company Interpipe reduced its net profit by about 74.4% compared to the same period last year, to $29.431 million from $115.529 million.
According to the company’s interim report on operating and financial results for the second quarter and the first half of 2021, pre-tax profit in January-June decreased 58.3%, to $50.766 million from $123.495 million in the same period in 2020.
At the same time, operating profit halved – to $62.847 million from $128.058 million.
Interpipe received $111.209 million EBITDA in the first half of this year, which is 25.4% less than the same period last year ($148.980 million). The company’s revenue during this period decreased by 1.7%, to $460.471 million, while capital investments increased by 66%, to $31 million.
In addition, Interpipe increased its free funds from $96.631 million at the beginning of this year to $206.008 million by the middle of the year. In the same period last year, Interpipe reduced free funds from $256.148 million (at the beginning of 2020) to $186.790 million (as of mid-2020).
As reported in the company’s press release, Interpipe’s net debt at the end of the first half of 2021 was $199 million, while the net leverage ratio (net debt to EBITDA) remained stable at 0.9x.
In the second quarter of this year, revenue increased by 29% compared to the previous quarter, to $260 million, EBITDA increased by 75%, to $71 million, and the amount of capital investments increased by 20%, to $14 million.
Capex in new projects tripled year over year, to $21 million.
As of June 30, 2021, the company’s total debt increased to $199 million following the successful placement of a new $300 million eurobond issue with a rate of 8.375% maturing in 2026. The net leverage ratio remained stable at 0.9x.
Interpipe in January-March this year reduced its net profit by 90.4% compared to the same period last year, to $12.826 million from $133.064 million. In the second quarter, revenue decreased by 19.9%, to $200.952 million, EBITDA – by 53%, to $40 million, the amount of capital investments increased by 58%, to $17 million. Net debt was $53 million with the net leverage ratio of 0.2x. As of March 31, 2021, the company’s total debt fell to $110 million following the full redemption of the 2024 eurobonds on January 26, 2021, keeping the net leverage ratio low at 0.2x.
Interpipe is a Ukrainian industrial company, a manufacturer of seamless pipes and railway wheels. The company’s products are supplied to more than 80 countries all over the world through a chain of commercial offices located in the CIS, Europe, the United States and the Middle East.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) on September 9 made a decision to revoke the banking license and liquidate Bank Zemelny Capital (Dnipro) belonged to former Coal Industry Minister Viktor Topolov (94.4% of shares), the regulator has said on its website.
“At the suggestion of the Deposit Guarantee Fund, the NBU made decision No. 469-rsh dated September 9, 2021 to revoke the banking license and liquidate Bank Zemelny Capital,” the NBU said.
As reported, the NBU on August 11 classified Bank Zemelny Capital as insolvent due to the failure to meet its obligations to depositors and other creditors due to insufficient funds within the term established by the agreement or determined by the legislation of Ukraine.
Bank Zemelny Capital was founded in 1994. According to the NBU data as of January 1, 2021, the owner of the bank’s substantial participation is former Minister of the Coal Industry Viktor Topolov (94.4% of the shares).
According to the NBU, as of June 1, 2021, Bank Zemelny Capital ranked 63rd in terms of total assets (UAH 909.983 million) among 73 banks operating in the country.
The adoption of a bill on public health protection from tobacco exposure alone with earlier rejected and repeatedly submitted proposals for the second reading, such as a ban on the display of tobacco products at sales outlets, would increase counterfeiting, the European Business Association (EBA) has said on its website.
The association said that on July 13, 2021, at the sitting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee, it was unanimously decided to recommend the wording of bill No. 4358 on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on public health protection from tobacco exposure of November 10, 2020, for adoption at the first and final reading by Verkhovna Rada. The EBA has repeatedly submitted proposals for bill No. 4358 and the comments were partially taken into account.
“According to the information received in the working order, some MPs-initiators of the amendments to bill No. 4358, which had been rejected by the Verkhovna Rada Committee, announced their intention to initiate discussion of such amendments during the voting of bill No. 4358 in the second reading,” the association said.
These include amendments on banning the display of tobacco products at sales outlets, as well as amendments on introducing a standardized pack for cigarettes.
“Business urges MPs to implement the requirements of Directive 2014/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 without excessive regulatory burden,” the EBA said.
NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy plans to end 2021 with a net profit, CEO Yuriy Vitrenko has said.
“We are doing everything to show that, in the results of this year, Naftogaz is no longer a loss-making company and is financially stable,” he told Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of the YES Brainstorming 2021 forum in Kyiv on Friday.
Vitrenko recalled that the stability of Naftogaz largely depends on the solvency and financial discipline of its counterparties to whom it sells natural gas: thermal energy enterprises, industrial and household consumers.
In addition, the financial activities of Naftogaz are also influenced by the results of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU), on which the dynamic payments of Mahistralni Gazoprovody Ukrainy (MGU) for the infrastructure transferred at the end of 2019 depend.
“The situation when a critical element of the infrastructure – GTSOU – incurs losses that are not replenished, for example, due to unauthorized selections or nonpayment for balancing services, is not normal,” Vitrenko said.
“Naftogaz has enormous problems associated with the fact that the entire industrial chain was financially unstable. Our task is precisely to make sure that, on the one hand, the entire market can develop financially sustainably, and on the other hand, Naftogaz is a financially stable company. which can increase production and really ensure, and not at the level of declarations, the country’s energy security,” he said.
United States President Joe Biden will visit Ukraine, but not this year, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
“I have no doubt that President Biden will fly to the middle of the Dnipro River, and cross the Dnipro River, and land in Boryspil, and arrive in Kyiv. But this visit will not take place this year, since diplomatic practice does not provide for an exchange of visits of this level in one year,” Kuleba said in the Details of the Week (Podrobytsi Tyzhnia) program on the Inter television channel on Sunday evening.
The minister noted that for now, the parties would focus on the implementation of the agreements that were reached during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the U.S.
Ukrainian diplomats are working on preparations for U.S. President Biden’s visit to Ukraine, Kuleba earlier said.
Biden last visited Ukraine in January 2017 as U.S. vice president. During his visit, he took part in bilateral meetings with the fifth Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, and Volodymyr Groysman, who has been head of the government at the time.
