Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

METINVEST INCREASES EBITDA BY 9.6% IN NOV 2020

Revenue of Metinvest B.V. (the Netherlands), the parent company of the Metinvest mining and metallurgical group, in November 2020 increased by 8.4%, or $73 million, compared to the previous month, to $941 million from $868 million.
According to the published preliminary unaudited consolidated monthly results of the company’s financial statements, the overall rate of EBITDA amounted to $263 million in November, which is $23 million more than in October ($240 million), while EBITDA from participation in the joint venture was $53 million (in October $56 million).
According to the financial statements, the adjusted EBITDA of the metallurgical division of the group for November 2020 amounted to “plus” $136 million (in October, “plus” $140 million), including $10 million from participation in the joint venture ($9 million); EBITDA of the mining division – $142 million (in October $128 million), including from the joint venture – $43 million ($47 million). The management company spent $8 million ($7 million).
Total revenue in November consisted of $759 million ($689 million in October) for the metallurgical division, $268 million ($228 million) for the mining division, and intragroup sales of $86 million ($49 million).
The total debt of the company in November increased by $8 million compared to October, to $2.940 billion from $2.932 billion, whiles the amount of cash increased by $101 million, to $813 million from $712 million.
Funds used in investment activities amounted to $81 million and in financial activities to $71 million.
Metinvest received $61 million from the resale of square billets (produced by PJSC Dniprovsky Metallurgical Plant of the Industrial Union of Donbas corporation) in November in the amount of 138,000 tonnes. In addition, $120 million was received from the resale of 225,000 tons of flat-rolled products, 67,000 tonnes of long rolled products for $34 million, and 113,000 tonnes of cast iron for $44 million.
In general, the company in November sold 517,000 tonnes of semi-finished products for $222 million, 801,000 tonnes of finished metal products for $454 million, and 165,000 tonnes of coke for $34 million.
In November, the group sold 1.589 million tonnes of iron ore for $172 million, and 49,000 tonnes of coal concentrate for $6 million.

, ,

CHINESE SHENZHEN MTC TO INVEST $ 13 MLN IN TV MANUFACTURER KIVI TV

The international TV manufacturer KIVI, headquartered in Ukraine, has signed an agreement on strategic partnership and deep integration with one of the largest electronics manufacturers, Shenzhen MTC (China, Shenzhen).

“In 2021, within the framework of the signed agreement, the Chinese manufacturing giant will invest more than $ 13 million only in the development of a new line of smart TVs KIVI 2021. Investments will be directed to the development of new hardware and software solutions for a significant increase in productivity and the implementation of a number of innovative technologies, new design solutions, as well as improved picture and sound quality,” the Ukrainian company said.

The document also provides for the implementation of a number of innovative projects aimed at developing products under the KIVI brand over the next five years.

KIVI is an international company, developer and manufacturer of smart TVs and TV services. Products under the eponymous brand are sold in the European and Asian markets, and the KIVI TV service is available on all TV sets with the Android system in Ukraine.

The head office of KIVI is located in Kyiv, the development of TV sets and TV services is carried out by an international team of KIVI specialists, and production is carried out at high-tech factories in Europe and Asia.

,

UKRAINIAN FM AND U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE REAFFIRM IMPORTANCE OF UKRAINE-U.S. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the importance of the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States.
“In our first call today Antony Blinken and I affirmed the importance of the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership. We agreed to raise the level of amtition and begin a new day in our relations. Grateful for the unfaltering U.S. support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Kuleba wrote on his Twitter on Monday night.
“It was our first conversation. The Secretary of State indicated at the very beginning that he wanted to talk with Ukraine one of the first […] We agreed on the main thing – to fill our strategic partnership with new ambitions,” Kuleba said on the Freedom of Speech television program on ICTV.
The minister said the conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken was planned last week and did not take place for technical reasons.

,

INTERFAX-UKRAINE NEWS AGENCY TO HOST PRESS CONFERENCE ‘BILL ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP: MYTHS AND REALITY’

On Tuesday, February 2, at 17.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host press conference entitled “Bill on Dual Citizenship: Myths and Reality.”
Participants include Parliamentarians of Ukraine Oleh Dunda, Oleksandr Aliksiychuk and Dmytro Mykysha (8/5a Reitarska Street).
The press conference will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine.
Media accreditation requires registration on the spot.

,

UKRAINIAN FORTE LIFE INSURER CHANGES OWNER

Astrum Ukraine LLC, which owns 99% of the shares of Forte Life insurance company (Kyiv), has reduced its stake to zero, according to the official information of the insurer.
It is noted that Oksana Kuleshina became the owner of 99% of the shares of the insurance company.
According to the unified state register of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, Kuleshina is the ultimate beneficiary of Astrum Ukraine LLC.
Forte Life (formerly Insurance Union Life), registered in 2005, specializes in providing services in the field of life insurance.

, ,

LARGEST UKRAINIAN MINING AND METALLURGICAL HOLDING METINVEST INCREASES PRODUCTION OF STEEL BY 9% IN 2020

Metinvest, the largest Ukrainian mining and metallurgical holding, in 2020 increased steel production by 9% compared to 2019, to 8.268 million tonnes, cast iron by 7%, to 8.475 million tonnes, and total coke production by 3%, to 4.808 million tonnes.
According to a press release from the parent company Metinvest B.V. on the results of operating activities for 2020, the group in the fourth quarter of 2020 reduced the production of cast iron by 9% compared to the previous quarter, to 2.105 million tonnes due to a decrease in production at both Mariupol plants.
Thus, the decline at Illich Iron and Steel Works amounted to 137,000 tonnes, as blast furnace No. 3 was shut down for a major overhaul in November 2020 and at Azovstal to 63,000 tonnes amid less intensive blast furnace operations due to a planned overhaul of the air separation unit’s oxygen block and changes in the burden composition.
Steel production in the fourth quarter of 2020 decreased by 3% compared to the previous quarter, to 2.118 million tonnes, mainly due to an overhaul of basic oxygen furnace No. 2 at Azovstal in September-October 2020. At the same time, the volume of steel production at Illich Iron and Steel Works remained practically unchanged compared to the previous quarter as hot metal was reallocated to steelmaking.
In 2020, cast iron production increased by 7% compared to last year amid greater production at both Mariupol plants. At Azovstal, production climbed by 328,000 tonnes, as the highly efficient blast furnace No. 3 was launched following its major overhaul and upgrade in June 2019 and a planned major overhaul of blast furnace No. 2 in the fourth quarter of 2019.
At Illich Iron and Steel Works, output increased by 219,000 tonnes, mainly due to a low-base effect caused by the shutdown of blast furnaces No. 3 and 5 for planned overhauls in 2019.
Steel production in 2020 increased by 9% year-over-year mainly due to an increase in production at Illich Iron and Steel Works by 512,000 tonnes amid the reallocation of hot metal to steelmaking. The increase in production at Azovstal by 178,000 tonnes was caused by an increase in hot iron production.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, the production of semi-finished products decreased by 17% compared to the previous quarter, to 816,000 tonnes. At the same time, the decrease in cast iron production amounted to 107,000 tonnes as hot metal was redirected to make steel and downstream products at Illich Iron and Steel Works, and marketable slab to 57,000 tonnes due to the redistribution of slab in favor of flat-rolled products. In 2020, the production of merchant semi-finished products increased by 5% compared to 2019, to 3.313 million tonnes as Mariupol plants boosted merchant slab output by 329,000 tonnes in response to greater demand. Consequently, cast iron production declined by 14% y-o-y to 1.088 million tonnes.
In 2020, production of finished goods increased by 4% compared to the previous year, to 5.833 million tonnes. Namely: the production of flat products increased by 132,000 tonnes, to 4.809 million tonnes; the production of long products increased by 80,000 tonnes, to 794,000 tonnes; the production of rail products increased by 30,000 tonnes, to 79,000 tonnes amid an increase in orders from the Ukrainian railways; and the production of tubular products decreased by 4,000 tonnes, to 151,000 tonnes.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, coke production increased to 1.224 million tonnes.

, ,