Jacques Magliolo
Diamond giant De Beers released its unaudited results for the year to December 1994 this week and promised investors virtually unchanged earnings per share and a mere 4,5 percent increase in dividends.
It seemed that the sole focus of the presentation was to voice their annoyance at Russia’s refusal to adhere to signed agreements, which require that all participants sell their diamonds to the De Beers Central Selling Organisation (CSO).
CSO managing director Gary Ralfe asserted that Russia’s sales of rough diamonds outside its agreements made a complete mockery of the single-channel marketing system. According to De Beers estimates, Russian rough diamond sales jumped by 30 percent last year to about R7-billion, but only 50 percent of these were sold through the CSO.
The remainder of the diamonds were sold to dealers in Antwerp, the Middle East and India.
De Beers chairman Julian Ogilvie Thompson said that, while worldwide retail sales of diamond jewellery in 1994 rose by four percent (in dollar terms), CSO sales of rough diamonds fell by three percent. However, he said discussions with Russian authorities were continuing.
Despite the furore over these sales, De Beers’ financial profile improved during the period under review with a stronger balance sheet and substantially higher net current assets; up by 360 percent to $327-million.
Although the sale of rough diamonds affected De Beers’ Diamond account, which showed a fall of 14 percent to $624- million, the company’s income statement displayed a 14 percent rise in investment income to $196-million.
Negative factors, such as a fall in interest income (down 17 percent), resulted in a 6,7 percent lower attributable earnings. However, a depreciation of the rand during the period under review caused earnings (in rand terms) to remain unchanged.
More good news for the diamond conglomerate is that negotiations with the Namibian government over the future of CDM were brought to a successful conclusion last year, culminating in the reconstruction of the company as Namdeb Diamond Corporation — De Beers is an equal partner with the Namibian government.