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Petra Earnings Rise Following Big-Stone Sales

Sep 14, 2021 10:03 AM   By Rapaport News
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RAPAPORT... 
Petra Diamonds saw a jump in revenues and a return to profit in the past fiscal year amid record sales of large and exceptional stones.

Group sales soared 65% to $402.3 million in the 12 months ending June 30, the mining company reported Tuesday. Sales volume rose 51% to 3.9 million carats, while profit came to $196.6 million, compared with a loss of $223 million for the previous year.

During the period, Petra carried out a capital restructuring that reduced the company’s net debt by a third, it added.

“The strong recovery in the diamond market towards the end of the financial year, [which] has continued into the current quarter, further bolstered our improved financial position,” said CEO Richard Duffy.

Some $62 million of revenue came from exceptional stones — the highest contribution to date, beating last year’s $14 million. During the period, the company sold five rough blue diamonds totaling 85.6 carats to De Beers and manufacturer Diacore for $40.4 million, while Dubai-based Stargems DMCC bought a 299.3-carat, white rough stone for $12.2 million. Meanwhile, a high-quality blue diamond weighing 11.82 carats sold for $9.5 million.

Total production fell 2% to 3.2 million carats. The company’s rough prices rose 9% on a like-for-like basis versus the previous year, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

Image: Petra Diamonds’ Cullinan mine in South Africa. (Petra Diamonds)
Tags: De Beers, Diacore, mining, petra, Petra Diamonds, Rapaport News, Richard Duffy, Stargems
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