Exxaro Gains as Tronox Sale Prompts $376 Million Dividend
Exxaro Gains as Tronox Sale Prompts $377 Million Special Payout
(Bloomberg) -- Exxaro Resources Ltd. rose the most in 11 months after the South African miner declared a 4.5 billion rand ($376 million) special dividend following the sale of part of its stake in titanium-dioxide producer Tronox Inc.
Exxaro raised about $474 million after selling 22.4 million Tronox class A shares in October, leaving it with about 24 percent of the U.S. company’s total voting shares. The coal miner considered issues including growth prospects, future capital commitments and debt repayment when deciding how to use the proceeds of the sale, it said in a statement Tuesday.
“Following the evaluation of the group’s capital structure, the board of directors has resolved to pay a special dividend” out of income reserves, Exxaro said. The payout equates to 12.55 rand per Exxaro ordinary share.
Exxaro rose as much as 9.6 percent, the biggest intraday gain since March. The shares traded 6.4 percent higher at 146.26 rand at 3:21 p.m. in Johannesburg.
“For future Tronox share disposals, the board of directors will continue to evaluate its funding requirements for future capital commitments, to repay debt and to return capital to shareholders,” the company said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Paul Burkhardt in Johannesburg at pburkhardt@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Herron at jherron9@bloomberg.net, Rakteem Katakey, Dylan Griffiths
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