Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hello Pat: Can I have your opinion on Altius Minerals? Thanks

Article Excerpt

A: Altius Minerals Corp., $12.39, symbol ALS on Toronto, (Shares outstanding: 43.3 million; Market cap: $541.7 million; www.altiusminerals.com), owns a portfolio of royalty interests in 15 operating mines in Canada and one in Brazil. They produce both precious and base metals. That includes copper, zinc, potash, and both thermal and steelmaking coal. The company adds to its royalties by forming joint-venture partnerships for exploration projects. Currently, base metals generate 44% of Altius’s royalty revenue; thermal coal contributes 33%; potash contributes 11%; steelmaking coal generates another 10%; and iron contributes the remaining 2%. The company acquired 10% interest in the Labrador Nickel Royalty Limited Partnership in 2003 for $13.6 million. That partnership, in turn, has 3% royalty interest in the nickel-copper-cobalt mine operated by Vale in Voisey’s Bay, Labrador. Currently, Altius is in a legal disagreement with Vale over past and present royalty payments. Part of the dispute involves development costs to build the Voisey’s Bay mine. Vale deducts a portion of those overall…