Precious metals market drives Umicore 2021 growth

By rr_test_admin, 24 February, 2022
[caption id="attachment_17954" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Umicore logo on a screen under a magnifying glass. Umicore recovers a number of metals from scrap materials at its smelting and refining complex in Hoboken, Belgium, including printed circuit boards from North America. | Pavel Kapysh/Shutterstock[/caption] Metals mining and smelter company Umicore notched all-time record revenues and earnings in 2021 due to the high prices of precious metals, with recycling revenue increasing by one-third. The company's recycling division, which handles scrap circuit boards and other feedstock streams, posted record revenues and earnings, significantly above the previous record levels of 2020, a press release said. Recycling revenue increased 33% to 1.11 billion euros ($1.26 billion; all amounts below in U.S. dollars) and adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) increased 58% to $649 million. In 2020, recycling revenue was $947 million and adjusted EBIT was $410 million. Umicore recovers a number of metals from scrap materials at its smelting and refining complex in Hoboken, Belgium, including printed circuit boards (PCBs) from North America. In 2019, the company said a substantial portion of PCBs come from markets outside Europe, including North America. Total company revenues for 2021 grew by 22% to $4.5 billion and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) grew 56% to $1.4 billion. While all three business groups of the company - catalysis, energy and surface technologies, and recycling - had "strong underlying operational performance," a press release highlighted the "exceptional precious metal price environment." CEO Mathias Miedreich said in the press release that the complementary nature of the three business areas have "proven to be a true competitive edge." "In energy and surface technologies and catalysis we serve the automotive market by enabling electrification on a mass scale and by offering cutting-edge technologies for clean combustion engines," Miedreich said. "Through our recycling activities, we close our and our customers' materials loop and offer a unique sustainable and circular approach that will be ever more important in a world of raw materials scarcity." Umicore expects another strong performance in 2022, the press release said, despite inflation and "provided that geopolitical developments, the pandemic or supply-chain constraints will not result in additional material disruptions to the economy or Umicore's operations."

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