RE: Dividend cut? So what!!6 Aug 2020 12:54
Glencore Plc ditched its annual dividend after net debt surged because the commodities giant poured money into its trading business to cash in on volatile price swings....well it will have more debt if its borrowing money to buy cheap oil to sell at a profit once their trades are sold the debt is paid off that's business all over revolving credit
The company put the payment on hold earlier this year as it moved to protect itself from potential shocks from the coronavirus pandemic. Glencore bet heavily on oil when prices collapsed earlier this year, leading to record gains but also a spike in its debt. That, combined with uncertainty over the near-term outlook, prompted a decision to cancel the dividend.
It went all in on trading during the worst of the pandemic, with the board taking the unusual decision to increase limits -- raising the risk of losing more money than usual but also providing room for bumper gains. The bet paid off: Glencore’s trading business earned $2 billion in earnings before interest and tax, double the returns it made a year earlier, the company reported Thursday.
However, net debt rose to $19.7 billion, well above a target of between $10 billion and $16 billion. Glencore shares fell 4.1% by 8:17 a.m. in London, extending this year’s decline to 20%.