Caledonia Mining Corporation: Fourth Quarter and 2013 Results

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Mar 31, 2014) - Caledonia Mining Corporation (CAL.TO)(CALVF)(CMCL.L) ("Caledonia" or the "Company") announces its operating and financial results for the fourth quarter of 2013 ("Q4" or the "Quarter") and the 12 months to December 31, 2013 (the "Year"). All results are reported in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated. Following the implementation of indigenisation in September 2012, Caledonia owns 49% of the Blanket Mine in Zimbabwe. Caledonia continues to consolidate Blanket and the operational and financial information set out below is on a 100% basis unless indicated otherwise.

Commenting on the results for 2013, Stefan Hayden, Caledonia's President and CEO said:

"2013 was a challenging year due to the lower gold price. Nevertheless, Caledonia has produced a creditable set of operating results for the year. Caledonia's financial results were adversely affected by the impairment of the Nama copper and cobalt exploration project in Zambia. After adjusting for this and other unusual items, Caledonia's financial performance was in-line with expectations.

"Notwithstanding the lower gold price, Blanket's cash flows remain strong and Blanket has continued to implement its investment strategy which I am confident will, as planned, result in further increases in production and underpin Blanket's position as one of Africa's lowest cost gold producers."

Operating and Financial Review

Q4
2012

Q4
2013

Year
2012

Year
2013

Comment

Gold produced (oz)

11,821

11,429

45,465

45,527

Gold production in Q4 2013 was adversely affected by a 3-day plant shut down for essential maintenance and a lower head grade

On Mine cash cost (US$/oz)1

603

666

570

613

On-mine costs were adversely affected by higher work-in-progress at December 31, 2013 of 1,978 ounces.

All-in sustaining cost (US$/oz)1

937

1,175

857

978

All-in sustaining costs were adversely affected in Q4 by higher administrative expenses and planned sustaining capital investment

Gold Sales (oz)

10,337

9,454

45,181

45,048

Lower sales in Q4 2013 is due to work in progress at December 31, 2013

Average realised gold price (US$/oz)2

1,703

1,277

1,666

1,402

Lower realised gold prices in Q4 and Year 2013 is due to the lower gold price

Gross profit ($'m)3

9.7

4.5

40.9

29.9

Lower gross profit is due mainly to the lower realised gold prices

Net (loss)/profit attributable to shareholders ($'m)

3.4

(14.3)

8.7

(3.0)

Net loss in Q4 and the Year is after an impairment charge of $14.2m mainly in respect of the Nama copper and cobalt projects

Adjusted basic earnings per share4 (cents)

6.3

0.2

49.9

28.3

Adjusted basic earnings per share excludes the impairment charge, foreign exchange profits or losses, indigenisation expenses and deferred taxation.

Cash and cash equivalents ($'m)

27.9

25.2

27.9

25.2

Caledonia's cash is held in Canadian, UK and South African banks.

Cash from operating activities ($'m)

8.0

2.8

29.7

14.6

Cash flow in Q4 was adversely affected by higher work-in progress at December 31, 2013. Cash flow in the Year and the Quarter was adversely affected by the lower realised gold price

Payments to the Gwanda Community and Zimbabwe Government ($'m)

5.9

3.6

24.0

19.5

Payments include direct and indirect taxes, royalties, licence fees and levies. The total of such payments in 2013 was lower primarily due to lower income tax payable on the reduced profit and reduced royalty payments due to the lower prevailing gold price.

1 "On-mine cash costs" and "all-in sustaining cost" are non-IFRS measures. Refer to Section 10 of the Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for a discussion of non-IFRS measures.

2 "Average realised gold price per ounce" is a non-IFRS measure. Refer to Section 10 of the Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for a discussion of non-IFRS measures.

3 Gross Profit Gross profit is after deducting royalties, production costs and depreciation but before administrative expenses

4 "Adjusted earnings per share" ("EPS") is a non-IFRS measure which aims to reflect Caledonia's ordinary trading performance. The adjusted EPS calculation excludes any share based expense arising on the implementation of indigenisation and the impairment and the foreign exchange profit, all of which are included in the calculation of EPS under IFRS. Refer to Section 10 of the MD&A for a discussion of non-IFRS measures

Indigenisation and Growth at the Blanket mine

Blanket was the first substantial gold producer in Zimbabwe to comply with Zimbabwean indigenisation legislation following the completion of the various indigenisation transactions in September 2012. As an indigenised business, Blanket continues to implement its growth strategy which was announced in January 2013 and which will result in production increasing to approximately 52,000 ounces of gold per annum in 2015. Further increases in production are expected following the completion of the No. 6 Winze Project, which is intended to provide access to deeper resources below 750 meters.