Teck finds a partner for QB2 mine

Article Excerpt

TECK RESOURCES LTD. $33 (Toronto symbol TECK.B; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 574.9 million; Market cap: $19.0 billion; Price-to sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 0.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.teck.com) is a leading producer of metallurgical coal, a key ingredient in steelmaking. It also produces zinc and copper. The company plans to build a second phase at the Quebrada Blanca copper mine in northern Chile. The expansion (called QB2) would substantially increase Teck’s annual copper production and extend the production life of the Quebrada Blanca complex by more than 25 years. To help offset the cost of QB2, Teck has now sold 30% of its stake in Quebrada Blanca to Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. That cut its interest to 60%; the Chilean government owns the remaining 10%. Teck’s share of QB2’s construction costs will total $175 million U.S. in 2019. It will not have to make further cash contributions until late 2020. Teck is a buy. buy…