DJ PhosAgro to Discuss Key Areas of Growth Strategy to 2025 and Present New Dividend Policy at Capital Markets Day
OJSC PhosAgro (PHOR)
PhosAgro to Discuss Key Areas of Growth Strategy to 2025 and Present New
Dividend Policy at Capital Markets Day
25-Sep-2019 / 13:00 CET/CEST
Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group.
The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this
announcement.
For Immediate Release 25 September 2019
PhosAgro to Discuss Key Areas of Growth Strategy to 2025 and Present New
Dividend Policy at Capital Markets Day
Key Highlights of PhosAgro's strategy to 2020 adopted in 2013:
? Production of fertilizers increased more than 50% from 5.9 million
tonnes in 2013 to 9.0 million tonnes at the end of 2018, with expected
production of 9.4-9.5 million tonnes in 2019;
? Fertilizer sales volumes in the Company's priority domestic market
nearly doubled to 2.4 million tonnes (expected sales volume in 2019 is 2.5
million tonnes);
? Dividend payouts increased by more than 300% from the 2013 level;
? PhosAgro's EBITDA increased from RUB 23.9 billion in 2013 to RUB 74.9
billion in 2018;
? The EBITDA margin increased from 23% in 2013 to 32% in 2018;
? The net debt / EBITDA ratio decreased from 1.8x in 2013 to 1.3x in H1
2019;
? PhosAgro strengthened its position as one of the lowest-cost producers
of phosphate-based fertilizers by investing in debottlenecking, optimising
business processes and launching new high-tech facilities;
? The number of fertilizer grades offered to farmers in more than 100
countries increased from 25 to 39;
? PhosAgro is closer to consumers, with direct sales now accounting for
more than 90% of the total, compared to 53% in 2013;
? The majority of PhosAgro's Board of Directors are independent directors
(7 out of 10), in line with best practice in corporate governance.
As part of its strategy to 2025, PhosAgro aims to accomplish the following:
? Continue to expand production capacities: production of fertilizers and
feed phosphates is projected to increase by approximately 25% by 2025 to
11.7 million tonnes;
? Increase fertilizer sales in its priority domestic market to 3.7 million
tonnes (including third-party products) and sales to European markets to
3.1 million tonnes by 2025 (up from 1.9 million tonnes in 2018). This will
be achieved in part through the competitive advantages afforded by the
environmental safety of PhosAgro products, in accordance with EU
regulations limiting the cadmium contents of phosphate-based fertilizers;
? Invest around USD 3 billion in growth and modernisation by 2025. Once
completed, the investments are expected to provide an EBITDA uplift of USD
450 million, increase free cash flow, and further increase PhosAgro's
self-sufficiency in feedstocks;
? Maintain the net debt / EBITDA ratio at a comfortable level of
1.0x-1.5x;
? Support attractive returns to shareholders: under the Company's new
dividend policy, payouts may exceed 75% of free cash flow;
? Expand the range of fertilizer grades from 39 in 2018 to 50 by 2025,
including new high-performance grades with bio-additives;
? Prioritise long-term sustainable development goals.
London - 25 September 2019. At today's Capital Markets Day in London, the
top management and independent members of the Board of Directors of PhosAgro
("the Company", "the Group", Moscow exchange, LSE: PHOR), one of the world's
leading producers of phosphate-based fertilizers, will present the Company's
new development strategy to 2025, including its key priorities and long-term
goals, and will discuss the new dividend policy.
Andrey Guryev, PhosAgro's CEO and a member of the Company's Board of
Directors, said: "The strategy to 2025 aims to further expand PhosAgro's
presence in its priority domestic market, as well as in premium export
markets that offer the best netback prices. Compared to 2018 levels, we plan
to grow the Company's fertilizer sales volumes by 50% in Russia and by 60%
in Europe by 2025. The share of direct export sales will be maintained at a
level of at least 90% with the help of PhosAgro's 10 existing foreign
trading offices located in the Company's key sales regions.
"An additional competitive advantage that will increase PhosAgro's share in
priority markets along with its market premium will be the environmental
safety of fertilizers to human and soil health. These safety standards are
being implemented as part of new EU regulations on the sale of fertilizers
with high amounts of cadmium and other heavy metals. Starting this year, in
accordance with EU legislation, PhosAgro fertilizers will be sold with green
labelling. In addition, PhosAgro's fertilizers - along with agricultural
products - will be included in Russia's brand of products offering improved
environmental performance.
"We also hope that foreign regulators will remove trade restrictions -
import duties and customs ratios - for the cleanest fertilizers from Russia.
Farmers will benefit from this in terms of both price and the absence of a
risk of soil contamination, and the Company could potentially earn up to an
additional USD 100 million depending on market conditions. The authorities
in Argentina and Brazil recently abolished import duties on environmentally
friendly phosphate-based fertilizers from Russia.
"An important component of the new strategy is the construction of a new
plant in the Leningrad region with a capacity of 630 thousand tonnes, as
well as the modernisation of production facilities in the Saratov region.
These initiatives will make it possible to produce NPK(S) fertilizers with
an expansion of total fertilizer production from an expected 2.2 million
tonnes in 2019 to 3.3 million tonnes in 2022, in addition to increasing
PhosAgro's share in the domestic market supply from 34% to 60%.
"It should be noted that PhosAgro already passed the peak of its investment
cycle following completion of its key capital-intensive project under the
strategy to 2020, namely the construction of high-tech ammonia and
granulated urea facilities. Investments in the further development of
efficient, flexible and high-tech production facilities at existing
production sites using BATs - including cutting-edge technologies from one
of the world's leading R&D institutes for the fertilizer sector, the Y.
Samoilov Research Institute of Fertilizers and Insectofungicides - as well
as the adoption of digital and innovative solutions, will be implemented
only in projects for which the IRR exceeds the threshold of 20%.
"The Company will focus on expanding the capacity of its own railway and
port infrastructure, as well as increasing and upgrading its fleet of
railcars to reduce transportation costs.
"One of the key elements of the Company's new strategy is the commitment to
the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the implementation of which is
overseen by the Sustainability Committee of the PhosAgro Board of Directors,
headed by former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.
"Along with the implementation of investment programmes to ensure a stable
future cash flow, the Company will continue to pay competitive dividends in
a balanced manner, as well as implement charitable and social programmes
aimed at training highly professional engineering personnel and supporting
education, corporate housing, healthcare, youth policy and athletic
initiatives."
For further information please contact:
PhosAgro
Andrey Serov, Head of Investor Relations Department
+7 495 232 9689 ext 2183
ir@phosagro.ru
Timur Belov, Press Officer
+7 495 232 9689
EM
Sam VanDerlip
vanderlip@em-comms.com
+44 7554 993 032
+7 499 918 3134
Dmitriy Zhadan
zhadan@em-comms.com
+7 495 363 2849
+7 916 770 89 09
About the Company
PhosAgro is one of the world's leading vertically integrated phosphate-based
fertilizer producers in terms of production volumes of phosphate-based
fertilizers and high-grade phosphate rock with a P2O5 content of 39% and
higher. PhosAgro's pure phosphate-based fertilizers stand out for their high
efficiency and their environmental safety for the health of people and
soils.
The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer producer in Europe (by
total combined capacity for DAP/MAP/NP/NPK/NPS), the largest producer of
high-grade phosphate rock with a P2O5 content of 39%, a top-three producer
of MAP/DAP globally, one of the leading producers of feed phosphates (MCP)
in Europe, and the only producer in Russia, and Russia's only producer of
nepheline concentrate (according to the RAFP).
PhosAgro's main products include phosphate rock, 39 grades of fertilizers,
feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate, which are used by
customers in 100 countries spanning all of the world's inhabited continents.
The Company's priority markets outside of Russia and the CIS are Latin
America, Europe and Asia.
PhosAgro's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and Global Depositary
Receipts (GDRs) for shares trade on the London Stock Exchange (under the
ticker PHOR). Since 1 June 2016, the Company's GDRs have been included in
the MSCI Russia and MSCI Emerging Markets indexes.
More information about PhosAgro can be found on the website: www.phosagro.ru
[1].
ISIN: US71922G2093
Category Code: UPD
TIDM: PHOR
LEI Code: 635400F8A3KGJIIBIK95
Sequence No.: 21266
EQS News ID: 879647
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