Sherritt takes a big charge

Article Excerpt

SHERRITT INTERNATIONAL $0.65 (Toronto symbol S; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (1-800-704-6698; www.sherritt.com; Shares outstanding: 293.9 million; Market cap: $199.8 million; No dividends paid) owns 40% of the Ambatovy nickel mine on the island nation of Madagascar, off Africa’s east coast. The $5.3-billion U.S. project started up in 2015. However, nickel prices have fallen sharply, from $12.00 U.S. a pound in January 2011 to $3.87 today. To reflect the lower value of the mine’s reserves, Sherritt will now take a $1.6-billion after-tax writedown on the value of its Ambatovy stake. The charge will show up in its 2015 fourth-quarter results. Sherritt can survive this non-cash writedown. But if commodity prices remain weak past 2018, it could have trouble repaying its $2.1 billion long-term debt. The company needs an improving global economy to fuel demand for the two currently depressed commodities it produces: nickel and oil. But it’s well positioned to profit when markets rebound. Sherritt is a buy for aggressive investors. investors. …