KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- 2Q26 net profit USD 24 Mn, down 18.2% QoQ but up 163.0% YoY, taking 1H26 to USD 54 Mn: 35.5% of FY26F consensus, a miss, against 54.2% for 1H26 EBITDA, a beat.
- 2Q26 revenue USD 593 Mn, +126.6% YoY, led by nickel matte sales of 10,457 tNi and 383,177 t of sulphuric acid sold at USD 217/t.
- 2Q26 EBITDA rose 17.4% QoQ to USD 168 Mn, but gross margin eased 2.2pp to 25.2% as HPM-linked royalties almost doubled to USD 40 Mn. A USD 32 Mn FX loss, USD 15 Mn associate losses and a 22.6% tax rate hit 2Q26 net profit.
- Our read: a strong operating quarter, diluted below the line. The new HPM moves margin from tax-holiday smelters to the taxed mine, and minorities kept 63.7% of 2Q26 profit. At 6.4x forward EV/EBITDA, below its two-year -1SD of 7.8x, the market already discounts this, while 1H25 carried only 19.8% of FY25 net profit. Key watch: whether ESG at nameplate and first MHP from SLNC turn associates positive in 3Q26.
Regards, Aldiracita Research