Cameco Reports Higher Third Quarter Net Earnings.SASKATOON Saskatoon (săskət n`), city (1991 pop. 186,058), S central Sask., Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. , Saskatchewan Saskatchewan, province, CanadaSaskatchewan (səskăch`əwən, –wän', săs'–), province (2001 pop. 978,933), 251,700 sq mi (651,903 sq km), W Canada. -- Cameco Cameco Corp. TSX: CCO NYSE: CCJ is the world's largest publicly traded uranium company, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It was formed in 1988 by the merger and privatization of two crown corporations: the federal owned Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited (known better Corporation (TSX TSX Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE before April, 2002) TSX Transfer from Stack Pointer to Index TSX True Space Extension :CCO (Chief or Corporate Compliance Officer) The executive person in charge of compliance issues, regulatory requirements, internal controls and managing audits within an enterprise or organization. ) (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :CCJ See citizen journalism. ) today reported its financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September September: see month. 30, 2005. All numbers in this release are in Canadian dollars Noun 1. Canadian dollar - the basic unit of money in Canada; "the Canadian dollar has the image of loon on one side of the coin" loonie dollar - the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents , unless otherwise stated. All references to per share earnings or losses are based on diluted di·lute tr.v. di·lut·ed, di·lut·ing, di·lutes 1. To make thinner or less concentrated by adding a liquid such as water. 2. To lessen the force, strength, purity, or brilliance of, especially by admixture. earnings or losses per share. For a more detailed discussion of our financial results, see the management's discussion and analysis Management's discussion and analysis (MD&A) A report from management to shareholders that accompanies the firm's financial statements in the annual report. It explains the period's financial results and enables management to discuss topics that may not be apparent in the financial (MD&A) following this news release. Third Quarter 2005 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial Highlights Three Months Three Months % ($ millions except per Ended Ended Change share amounts) Sept 30/05 Sept 30/04 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue 287 313 (8) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings from operations 14 32 (56) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash provided by operations (a) 148 140 6 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Net earnings 78 52 50 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings per share - basic 0.45 0.30 50 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings per share - diluted 0.43 0.29 48 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjusted net earnings (b) 78 47 66 --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: All dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. (a) After working capital changes. (b) 2004 net earnings for the three months ended September 30 have been adjusted to exclude a net gain of $5 million ($0.03 per share) related to the Centerra restructuring transactions. This is a non-GAAP measure and Cameco believes the exclusion of this item provides a more meaningful basis for period-to-period comparisons of the company's financial results. In the third quarter of 2005, our net earnings were $78 million ($0.43 per share), $31 million higher than the adjusted net earnings in 2004, due to increased earnings from Bruce Power Bruce Power Limited Partnership is a Canadian corporation. It exists as a partnership between Cameco Corporation (31.6%), TransCanada Corporation (31.6%), BPC Generation Infrastructure Trust (31.6%), the Power Workers Union (4%) and The Society of Energy Professionals (1. and improved results in the uranium uranium (y rā`nēəm), radioactive metallic chemical element; symbol U; at. no. 92; at. wt. 238.0289; m.p. 1,132°C;; b.p. 3,818°C;; sp. gr. 19. business. These increases were partially offset by lower
profits in our gold business and higher charges for administration,
exploration and income taxes. Cash from operations in the third quarter
of 2005 was $148 million compared to $140 million in the third quarter
of 2004. Due to the uneven timing of uranium and conversion deliveries
as well as scheduled outages at Bruce Power, quarterly results are not
a good indicator IndicatorAnything used to predict future financial or economic trends. Notes: In the context of technical analysis, an indicator is a mathematical calculation based on a securities price and/or volume. The result is used to predict future prices. of Cameco's annual results. The improved results in our uranium business were due to higher uranium prices. Our average realized selling price for uranium increased by 26% in US dollars to $15.46 (US) versus the third quarter of 2004. Cameco's average realized price in Canadian dollars increased by only 18% due to the strengthening Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar. The increase in our average realized price was mainly the result of higher prices under fixed-price contracts and a higher uranium spot price, which averaged $30.41 (US) per pound in the third quarter of 2005, up 58% from the same period last year. Cameco's pre-tax pre-tax adj → anterior al impuesto pre-tax adj → avant impôt(s) pre-tax adj → al lordo d'imposta earnings from Bruce Power in the third quarter of 2005 increased to $97 million from $28 million in 2004, as a result of higher electricity prices in Ontario Ontario, city, United States Ontario, city (1990 pop. 133,179), San Bernardino co., S Calif., near Los Angeles, in a region of vineyards; inc. 1891. . Bruce Power realized an average price of $70 per megawatt meg·a·watt n. Abbr. MW One million watts. meg a·watt hour (MWh) in the third quarter from
a mix of contract and spot sales, 56% higher than the price realized in
the same period in 2004. During the quarter, the Ontario electricity
spot price averaged $86 per MWh, compared to $46 per MWh in the third
quarter of 2004. The higher electricity spot prices in 2005 were due to
an increase in demand as a result of the hot weather, which persisted
through the quarter."We are pleased with the higher realized uranium prices and the higher earnings from Bruce Power that contributed to a strong quarter," said Jerry Jer·ry n. pl. Jer·ries Chiefly British Slang A German, especially a German soldier. [Alteration of German. Grandey, Cameco's president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . "And we anticipate they will be significant contributors going forward." Year to Date 2005 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial Highlights Nine Months Nine Months % ($ millions except per Ended Ended Change share amounts) Sept 30/05 Sept 30/04 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue 790 688 15 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings from operations 66 80 (18) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash provided by operations (a) 186 169 10 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Net earnings 136 242 (44) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings per share - basic 0.79 1.42 (44) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings per share - diluted 0.76 1.35 (44) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjusted net earnings (b) 136 148 (8) --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: All dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. (a) After working capital changes. (b) 2004 net earnings for the nine months ended September 30 have been adjusted to exclude a net gain of $94 million ($0.55 per share) related to Centerra restructuring transactions. This is a non-GAAP measure and Cameco believes the exclusion of this item provides a more meaningful basis for period-to-period comparisons of the company's financial results. For the nine months ended September 30, 2005, our net earnings were $136 million ($0.76 per share), $12 million lower than the adjusted net earnings reported in 2004. The decline is due largely to higher charges for administration and increased spending on exploration. Cameco plans to invest $23 million for uranium exploration as part of its long-term Long-term Three or more years. In the context of accounting, more than 1 year. long-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss in the value of a security that has been held over a specific length of time. Compare short-term. plan to maintain its leadership position in uranium. In the first nine months of 2005, Cameco generated cash from operations of $186 million, up $17 million compared to 2004. This increase was mainly attributable attributable emanating from or pertaining to attribute. attributable proportion see attributable risk (below). attributable risk to higher gold sales compared to the previous year and cash distributions received from Bruce Power ($68 million), partially offset by an increase in uranium and conversion inventory levels. At September 30, 2005, our consolidated con·sol·i·date v. con·sol·i·dat·ed, con·sol·i·dat·ing, con·sol·i·dates v.tr. 1. To unite into one system or whole; combine: net debt to capitalization capitalization n. 1) the act of counting anticipated earnings and expenses as capital assets (property, equipment, fixtures) for accounting purposes. 2) the amount of anticipated net earnings which hypothetically can be used for conversion into capital assets. ratio was 14%, up slightly from 13% at the end of 2004. Consolidated Outlook for Fourth Quarter 2005 Effective November November: see month. 1, 2005, Cameco will proportionately pro·por·tion·ate adj. Being in due proportion; proportional. tr.v. pro·por·tion·at·ed, pro·por·tion·at·ing, pro·por·tion·ates To make proportionate. consolidate Consolidate To combine the assets, liabilities, and other financial items of two or more entities into one. Notes: This term is generally used in the context of consolidated financial statements. Bruce Bruce, Scottish royal family descended from an 11th-century Norman duke, Robert de Brus. He aided William I in his conquest of England (1066) and was given lands in England. Power's financial results. In the past, we have accounted for Bruce Power using the equity method. The move to this new method of accounting is driven by changes to the partnership agreement, which provide for joint control among the three major partners. We expect that the proportionate pro·por·tion·ate adj. Being in due proportion; proportional. tr.v. pro·por·tion·at·ed, pro·por·tion·at·ing, pro·por·tion·ates To make proportionate. consolidation of Bruce Power will add about $60 million to our reported revenues for the fourth quarter. Including these revenues from Bruce Power, we expect consolidated revenue in the fourth quarter of 2005 to be about 89% higher than in the third quarter of 2005 due to higher uranium and conversion deliveries. Earnings from Bruce Power are expected to be significantly lower than in the third quarter of 2005 due to expected lower realized prices and to no longer sharing in the operating results of the Bruce A units. Consolidated earnings for the fourth quarter of 2005 are expected to be moderately higher than those of the third quarter as the reduced earnings from Bruce Power largely offset the improved results in the uranium business. The outlook for the fourth quarter excludes the approximate ap·prox·i·mate v. To bring together, as cut edges of tissue. adj. 1. Relating to the contact surfaces, either proximal or distal, of two adjacent teeth; proximate. 2. Close together. $63 million loss that was triggered by the completion of the Bruce A restructuring restructuring - The transformation from one representation form to another at the same relative abstraction level, while preserving the subject system's external behaviour (functionality and semantics). and the expected gain The expected gain (or expected return) is the weighted-average most likely outcome in gambling, probability theory, economics or finance. Discrete scenarios In gambling and probability theory, there is usually a discrete set of possible outcomes. from Cameco's sale of its share in Energy Resources of Australia Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ASX: ERA) is a public company based in Australia. It is a subsidiary of the Rio Tinto Group which owns 68.4% of the company. The chairman is David Klingner and chief executive officer is Harry Kenyon-Slaney. Ltd (ERA). For more information on the Bruce A restructuring see the section titled Nuclear Electricity Generation in the MD&A that follows this news release. Outlook for the Year In 2005, consolidated revenue is expected to grow by more than 20% over 2004 due to increases in our uranium and gold businesses as well as proportionate consolidation of the Bruce Power revenues. On a consolidated basis, our gross profit margin Gross profit margin Gross profit divided by sales, which is equal to each sales dollar left over after paying for the cost of goods sold. gross profit margin A measure calculated by dividing gross profit by net sales. is projected to improve from the 23% reported in 2004. In our uranium business, revenue is expected to be about 15% higher due to a projected 11% improvement in the Canadian dollar selling price and a 5% increase in deliveries. Revenue from our conversion business is expected to be marginally mar·gin·al adj. 1. Of, relating to, located at, or constituting a margin, a border, or an edge: the marginal strip of beach; a marginal issue that had no bearing on the election results. 2. higher than in 2004 due to an anticipated 10% increase in the average realized selling price, largely offset by lower deliveries. Bruce Power earnings in 2005 are projected to be significantly higher than in 2004 mainly as a result of higher realized prices during the summer months. This outlook reflects the completion of the Bruce A restructuring, but excludes the loss it triggers and also excludes the gain expected from Cameco's sale of its shares in ERA. Revenue in our gold business is expected to be higher due primarily to a full year of consolidating the results from Kumtor and increased production at Boroo. In 2005, our gold results are projected to decline compared to 2004 due to higher unit costs and increased spending in exploration, which will offset the expected increase in revenue. For 2005, the effective tax rate is expected to be approximately ap·prox·i·mate adj. 1. Almost exact or correct: the approximate time of the accident. 2. 20%. Conference Call Cameco invites you to join its third quarter conference call on Wednesday Wednesday: see week. November 2, 2005 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Saskatoon time). The call will be open to all investors and the media. Members of the media will be invited to ask questions at the end of the call. To join the conference on Wednesday November 2, please dial (416) 695-6120 or (866) 905-2211 (Canada Canada (kăn`ədə), independent nation (2001 pop. 30,007,094), 3,851,787 sq mi (9,976,128 sq km), N North America. Canada occupies all of North America N of the United States (and E of Alaska) except for Greenland and the French islands of and US). An audio feed of the call will be available on the Web site at www.cameco.com. See the link on the home page on the day of the call. A recorded version of the proceedings will be available: - on our Web site, www.cameco.com, shortly after the call, and - on post view until midnight, Wednesday, November 16, by calling (416) 695-5275 or (888) 509-0081. Additional Information Additional information on Cameco, including its annual information form, is available on SEDAR SEDAR System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval SEDAR Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review at www.sedar.com and the company's Web site at www.cameco.com. Profile Cameco, with its head office in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is the world's largest uranium producer as well as a significant supplier of conversion services. The company's competitive position is based upon its controlling ownership of the world's largest high-grade High-grade Credit quality of AAA or AA. high-grade Of, relating to, or being a bond with little risk of default on the part of the issuer. High-grade is usually reserved for bonds rated AAA or AA by the rating services. reserves and low-cost operations. Cameco's uranium products are used to generate clean electricity in nuclear power plants around the world including Ontario where the company is a partner in North America's largest nuclear electricity generating facility. The company also explores for uranium in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , Australia Australia (ôstrāl`yə), smallest continent, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. With the island state of Tasmania to the south, the continent makes up the Commonwealth of Australia, a federal parliamentary state (2005 est. pop. and Asia, and holds a majority interest in Centerra Gold Centerra Gold Inc. (TSX: CG) is the gold mining company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The company was formed and went public in 2004 when Saskatoon, SK-based Cameco Corp. Inc., a leading North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. gold producer. Third Quarter Management's Discussion and Analysis The following discussion of the financial condition and operating results of Cameco Corporation should be read in conjunction conjunction, in astronomy conjunction, in astronomy, alignment of two celestial bodies as seen from the earth. Conjunction of the moon and the planets is often determined by reference to the sun. with the unaudited consolidated financial statements Consolidated Financial Statements The combined financial statements of a parent company and its subsidiaries. Notes: Because consolidated financial statements present an aggregated look at the financial position of a parent and its subsidiaries, they enable you to gauge and notes for the period ended September 30, 2005, as well as the audited consolidated financial statements for the company for the year ended December December: see month. 31, 2004 and management's discussion and analysis of the audited financial statements, both of which are included in the 2004 annual report and annual information form. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance Accordance is Bible Study Software for Macintosh developed by OakTree Software, Inc.[] As well as a standalone program, it is the base software packaged by Zondervan in their Bible Study suites for Macintosh. with Canadian Canadian (kənā`dēən), river, 906 mi (1,458 km) long, rising in NE New Mexico. and flowing E across N Texas and central Oklahoma into the Arkansas River in E Oklahoma. generally accepted accounting principles The standard accounting rules, regulations, and procedures used by companies in maintaining their financial records. Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) provide companies and accountants with a consistent set of guidelines that cover both broad accounting (GAAP GAAP See: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles GAAP See generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). ). The 2004 annual report and annual information form are available at www.cameco.com. The following is a summary of the key sections of this MD&A: - Consolidated financial results - Consolidated outlook for 2005 and the fourth quarter - Business segment results and outlook (uranium, conversion, nuclear electricity and gold) - Nuclear industry developments - Liquidity and capital resources - Other items
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Three Three Nine Nine
Months Months Months Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended YTD
Financial Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Change
Highlights 30/05 30/04 30/05 30/04 %
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Revenue
($ millions) 287 313 790 688 15
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Earnings from
operations
($ millions) 14 32 66 80 (18)
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Cash provided by
operations (a)
($ millions) 148 140 186 169 10
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Net earnings
($ millions) 78 52 136 242 (44)
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Earnings per share
(EPS) - basic ($) 0.45 0.30 0.79 1.42 (44)
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EPS - diluted ($) 0.43 0.29 0.76 1.35 (44)
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Adjusted net
earnings (b) 78 47 136 148 (8)
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Average uranium spot
price for the period
($US/lb U3O8) 30.41 19.29 26.63 17.94 48
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Average realized
uranium price for
the period
- $US/lb U3O8 15.46 12.29 14.82 12.35 20
- $Cdn/lb U3O8 20.19 17.08 19.81 17.42 14
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Average realized
electricity price
($/MWh) 70 45 58 46 26
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Average Ontario
electricity spot
price ($/MWh) 86 46 67 50 34
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Average realized
gold price for the
period ($US/ounce) 429 398 423 380 11
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Average spot market
gold price for the
period ($US/ounce) 440 401 431 401 7
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Note: All dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless
otherwise stated.
(a) After working capital changes.
(b) 2004 net earnings for the three months and nine months ended
September 30 have been adjusted to exclude a net gain of $5
million ($0.03 per share) and $94 million ($0.55 per share),
respectively, related to Centerra restructuring transactions.
This is a non-GAAP measure and Cameco believes the exclusion of
this item provides a more meaningful basis for period-to-period
comparisons of the company's financial results.
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL RESULTS Consolidated Earnings In 2004, Cameco recorded an after tax gain of $94 million ($0.55 per share) related to certain restructuring transactions that led to the creation of Centerra Gold Inc. (Centerra). The following discussion of consolidated earnings excludes this net gain to provide a more meaningful comparison of operating results. All references to per share earnings or losses are based on diluted earnings or losses per share. Third Quarter For the three months ended September 30, 2005, our net earnings were $78 million ($0.43 per share), $31 million higher than the adjusted net earnings of $47 million ($0.26 per share) recorded in 2004 due to higher earnings from Bruce Power LP (Bruce Power) and improved results in the uranium business. These increases were partially offset by lower profits in the gold business and higher charges for administration and income taxes as well as increased spending on exploration. For details on the uranium, conversion services, electricity and gold businesses, see "Business Segment Results" later in this report. In the third quarter of 2005, total costs for administration, exploration, interest and other were about $46 million, $10 million higher than 2004. Administration costs increased by $6 million due to higher stock compensation charges from increased share prices ($3 million), higher administration costs at Centerra ($1 million) and higher expenditures for regulatory reg·u·late tr.v. reg·u·lat·ed, reg·u·lat·ing, reg·u·lates 1. To control or direct according to rule, principle, or law. 2. compliance. In the third quarter, Cameco and its subsidiaries incurred costs of $1 million related to Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Exploration expenditures rose by $5 million to $16 million due to increased exploration activity in both the gold and uranium businesses. In uranium exploration, a $2 million increase in expenditures was related to programs around existing mines in the Athabasca Basin The Athabasca Basin is a region of Northern Saskatchewan and Alberta Canada that is best known as the world's leading source of uranium. It currently supplies about 30% of the world's uranium. The basin is located just to the south of Lake Athabasca. in northern Saskatchewan. In the gold business, Cameco's 53% owned subsidiary, Centerra, increased its exploration expenditures by $3 million compared to 2004. The higher charges reflect increased gold exploration activity in the Kyrgyz Kyr·gyz or Kir·ghiz or Kir·giz n. pl. Kyrgyz or Kyr·gyz·es or Kirghiz or Kir·ghiz·es or Kirgiz or Kir·giz·es 1. Republic and Mongolia Mongolia, country, Asia Mongolia (mŏn-gō`lēə, mŏng–), officially State of Mongolia, republic (2005 est. pop. 2,791,000), 604,247 sq mi (1,565,000 sq km), N central Asia; traditionally known as Outer Mongolia. . Our effective tax rate increased to 24% in the third quarter from 12% in the same period of 2004 due to a greater proportion of total income being earned in Canada. The income tax expense in the third quarter was heavily influenced by earnings from Bruce Power, which represented 90% of pre-tax income. Earnings from Bruce Power are taxed at a rate of 33%. Earnings from operations were $14 million in the third quarter of 2005 compared to $32 million in 2004. The aggregate gross profit margin decreased to 21% from 22% in 2004. Year to Date For the nine months ended September 30, 2005, our net earnings were $136 million ($0.76 per share), $12 million lower than the adjusted net earnings of $148 million ($0.83 per share) reported in 2004 due largely to higher charges for administration and exploration. These cost increases were partially offset by improved results in our uranium business and improved earnings from Bruce Power. For details on the uranium, conversion services, electricity and gold businesses, see "Business Segment Results" later in this report. In 2005, total costs for administration, exploration, interest and other were about $122 million, $42 million higher than 2004. Administration costs increased by $27 million due to higher stock compensation charges from increased share prices ($10 million), higher administration and business development costs at Centerra ($8 million), higher expenditures for regulatory compliance ($5 million directly related to Sarbanes-Oxley compliance) and higher community donations ($1 million). Exploration expenditures rose by $18 million to $40 million due to increased exploration activity in both the gold and uranium businesses. Our uranium exploration expenditures increased by $5 million to $17 million and were related to programs around existing mines in the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan. We plan to invest $23 million in uranium exploration in 2005 as part of our plan to maintain our long-term leadership position. In the gold business, Centerra has increased its exploration expenditures by $13 million to $23 million compared to 2004. The higher charges reflect increased exploration activity in the Kyrgyz Republic and Mongolia. In the first nine months of 2005, our effective tax rate increased to 22% from 21% in the same period of 2004 due to a lower proportion of income being earned in jurisdictions with favourable tax rates relative to Canada. Earnings from operations were $66 million in the first nine months of 2005 compared to $80 million in 2004. The aggregate gross profit margin was unchanged at 23%.
Quarterly Consolidated Financial Results
($ millions except per share amounts)
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Highlights 2005 2004 2003
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Revenue Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4
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287 287 216 361 313 242 132 272
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Net earnings 78 32 26 37 52 151 39 34
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EPS - basic ($) 0.45 0.19 0.15 0.21 0.30 0.89 0.23 0.20
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EPS - diluted ($) 0.43 0.18 0.15 0.21 0.29 0.83 0.23 0.20
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Cash from
operations 148 (45) 84 59 140 (17) 46 79
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Deliveries in our uranium and conversion businesses tend to be higher in the fourth quarter. Net earnings do not trend directly with revenue because they are significantly influenced by results from Bruce Power. The equity method of accounting is applied to the investment in Bruce Power and thus no Bruce Power revenue is recorded. Cash from operations tends to be quite volatile With regard to computer memory, it means "temporary" and not "highly changeable," which is the usual meaning of the word. See volatile memory. 1. (programming) volatile - volatile variable. 2. (storage) volatile - See non-volatile storage. due largely to the timing of deliveries and product purchases in the uranium and conversion businesses. Cash Flow In the third quarter of 2005, we generated $148 million from operations compared to $140 million in the same period of 2004. The $8 million increase reflects cash distributions received from Bruce Power, which were offset by higher inventories. In the first nine months of 2005, Cameco generated cash from operations of $186 million compared to $169 million in 2004. This increase of $17 million was mainly attributable to higher gold sales compared to the previous year and cash distributions received from Bruce Power ($68 million), partially offset by an increase in inventory levels (see the balance sheet section that follows for more details). Cameco's cash from operations do not include its pro rata [Latin, Proportionately.] A phrase that describes a division made according to a certain rate, percentage, or share. In a Bankruptcy case, when the debtor is insolvent, creditors generally agree to accept a pro rata share of what is owed to them. interest in Bruce Power's operating cash flow Operating cash flow Earnings before depreciation minus taxes. Measures the cash generated from operations, not counting capital spending or working capital requirements. . The pro rata share would have been $161 million in the first nine months of 2005 compared to $141 million in 2004. Cameco accounts for this investment using the equity method of accounting and thus Bruce Power's operating cash flows are not consolidated with Cameco's. For further information, refer to note 2 of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and notes for the period ended September 30, 2005. Balance Sheet At September 30, 2005, our total debt was $654 million, an increase of $135 million compared to December 31, 2004. At September 30, 2005, our consolidated net debt to capitalization ratio was 14%, up from 13% at the end of 2004. Compared to the end of 2004, product inventories increased by $141 million as production and purchases of uranium and conversion services exceeded sales during the first nine months of 2005. Substantially all of the increase in inventory was attributable to greater volumes rather than cost. Of this increase, about $94 million was related to higher uranium inventory levels and about $31 million was due to higher conversion inventories. The accumulation Accumulation 1) In the context of individual investing, it is the process of contributing cash to invest in securities over a period of time in order to build a portfolio of desired value. Dividends and capital gains are also reinvested during this process. of inventory in the first nine months of the year is typical in our uranium and conversion businesses where deliveries are usually concentrated in the latter part of the year. In 2005, 45% of the uranium sales deliveries and 40% of the conversion sales are projected to occur in the fourth quarter. At September 30, 2005, our consolidated cash balance totalled $295 million and Centerra, Cameco's 53% subsidiary, held more than 80% of this amount. Cameco has a number of investments in publicly traded entities. The following table illustrates the book and market values for its more significant holdings.
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Book Value Market Value
Investment ($ millions) Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/05 Dec. 31/04
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Centerra Gold Inc. $407 $ 908 $ 845
UEX Corporation 12 148 81
Energy Resources of
Australia Ltd 18 191 79
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Total $437 $1,247 $1,005
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Foreign Exchange Update Cameco sells most of its uranium and conversion services in US dollars while most of its uranium and conversion services are produced in Canada. As such, these revenues are denominated mostly in US dollars, while production costs are denominated primarily in Canadian dollars. We attempt to provide some protection against exchange rate fluctuations by planned hedging hedging, in commerce, method by which traders use two counterbalancing investment strategies so as to minimize any losses caused by price fluctuations. It is generally used by traders on the commodities market. activity designed to smooth volatility Volatility 1. A statistical measure of the tendency of a market or security to rise or fall sharply within a period of time. 2. A variable in option pricing formulas that denotes the extent to which the return of the underlying asset will fluctuate between now and the . Therefore, our uranium and conversion revenues are partly sheltered shel·ter n. 1. a. Something that provides cover or protection, as from the weather. b. A refuge; a haven. c. An establishment that provides temporary housing for homeless people. 2. against declines in the US dollar in the shorter term. In addition, Cameco has a portion of its annual cash outlays Outlays Payments on obligations in the form of cash, checks, the issuance of bonds or notes, or the maturing of interest coupons. denominated in US dollars, including uranium and conversion services purchases, which provide a natural hedge against US currency fluctuations. While natural hedges provide this protection, the influence on earnings from purchased material in inventory is likely to be dispersed dis·perse v. dis·persed, dis·pers·ing, dis·pers·es v.tr. 1. a. To drive off or scatter in different directions: The police dispersed the crowd. b. over several fiscal periods and is more difficult to identify. During the quarter, the Canadian dollar strengthened against the US dollar from $1.23 ($0.82 (US) = $1.00 (Cdn)) at June June: see month. 30, 2005 to $1.16 ($0.86 (US) = $1.00 (Cdn)) at September 30, 2005. At September 30, 2005, we had a foreign currency hedge Currency hedge Applies mainly to international equities. Hedging technique to guard against foreign exchange fluctuations (i.e., short Euro l00 mm when holding a long position of Euro l00 mm in stocks). portfolio of $1.013 billion (US). The schedule of designations, by year, is as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Designations 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 --------------------------------------------------------------------- $US millions 183 365 260 145 60 --------------------------------------------------------------------- These hedges are expected to yield an average exchange rate of $1.22. The net mark-to-market Mark-to-market Adjustment of the book value or collateral value of a security to reflect current market value. gain on these hedge positions was $72 million at September 30, 2005. Timing differences between the maturity dates and designation DESIGNATION, wills. The expression used by a testator, instead of the name of the person or the thing he is desirous to name; for example, a legacy to. the eldest son of such a person, would be a designation of the legatee. Vide 1 Rop. Leg. ch. 2. 2. dates on previously closed hedge contracts may result in deferred revenue or deferred charges. At September 30, 2005, deferred revenue totalled $20 million. The schedule for deferred revenue to be released to earnings, by year, is as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Deferred revenue (loss) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 --------------------------------------------------------------------- $Cdn millions 7 20 - (7) - --------------------------------------------------------------------- For the remainder of 2005, approximately 69% of the net inflows of US dollars are hedged hedge n. 1. A row of closely planted shrubs or low-growing trees forming a fence or boundary. 2. A line of people or objects forming a barrier: a hedge of spectators along the sidewalk. with currency derivatives derivatives In finance, contracts whose value is derived from another asset, which can include stocks, bonds, currencies, interest rates, commodities, and related indexes. Purchasers of derivatives are essentially wagering on the future performance of that asset. . Net inflows represent forecast uranium and conversion sales less expected outlays (denominated in US dollars). For the uranium and conversion services businesses in the third quarter of 2005, the effective exchange rate, after allowing for hedging, was about $1.31 compared to $1.39 in the third quarter of 2004. Results from the gold business are translated into Canadian dollars at prevailing exchange rates. For the remainder of 2005, every one-cent change in the US to Canadian dollar exchange rate would change net earnings by about $1 million (Cdn). Consolidated Outlook for Fourth Quarter 2005 Effective November 1, 2005, Cameco will proportionately consolidate Bruce Power's financial results. In the past, we have accounted for Bruce Power using the equity method. The move to this new method of accounting is driven by changes to the partnership agreement, which provide for joint control among the three major partners. We expect that the proportionate consolidation of Bruce Power will add about $60 million to our reported revenues for the fourth quarter. Including these revenues from Bruce Power, we expect consolidated revenue in the fourth quarter of 2005 to be about 80% higher than in the third quarter of 2005 due to higher uranium and conversion deliveries. Earnings from Bruce Power are expected to be significantly lower than in the third quarter of 2005 due to expected lower realized prices and to no longer sharing in the operating results of the Bruce A units. Consolidated earnings for the fourth quarter of 2005 are expected to be moderately higher than those of the third quarter as the reduced earnings from Bruce Power largely offset the improved results in the uranium business. The outlook for the fourth quarter excludes the approximate $63 million loss that was triggered by the completion of the Bruce A restructuring and the expected gain from Cameco's sale of its share in Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ERA). For more information on the Bruce A restructuring see the section titled Nuclear Electricity Generation in this MD&A. Consolidated Outlook for the Year In 2005, consolidated revenue is expected to grow by more than 20% over 2004 due to increases in the uranium and gold businesses as well as the proportionate consolidation of Bruce Power revenues. On a consolidated basis, the gross profit margin is projected to improve from the 23% reported in 2004. In the uranium business, revenue is expected to be about 15% higher due to a stronger realized price and increased volumes. About 45% of the uranium sales deliveries occur in the fourth quarter. Revenue from the conversion business is expected to be marginally higher than in 2004 due to an anticipated 10% increase in the average realized selling price, largely offset by lower deliveries. Bruce Power earnings in 2005 are projected to be significantly higher than in 2004 mainly as a result of higher realized prices during the summer months. This outlook excludes the loss that was triggered by the completion of the Bruce A restructuring. We expect revenue in the gold business to be higher due primarily to a full year of consolidating the results from Kumtor and increased production at Boroo. In 2005, gold operating results are projected to decline compared to 2004 due to higher costs and increased spending in exploration, which will offset the expected increase in revenue. Administration and exploration costs are projected to be about 40% greater than in 2004. The increase in administration reflects higher charges for stock compensation, a full year of Centerra administration costs and regulatory compliance. Exploration costs will increase due to greater activity in both the uranium and gold business. For 2005, the effective tax rate is expected to be approximately 20%. Outlook Information For additional discussion on the company's business prospects for the fourth quarter and for the full year, see the outlook section under each business segment. BUSINESS SEGMENT RESULTS Cameco's results come from four business segments: - Uranium - Conversion services - Nuclear electricity generation - Gold
URANIUM
Highlights
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Three Months Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended
Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04 Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue
($ millions) 154 163 372 378
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross profit
($ millions) 33 25 79 59
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross profit % 21 15 21 16
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before
taxes ($ millions) 30 21 68 49
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Average realized
price
($US/lb) 15.46 12.29 14.82 12.35
($Cdn/lb) 20.19 17.08 19.81 17.42
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sales volume
(million lbs) 7.6 9.6 18.7 21.7
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Production volume
(million lbs) 5.9 4.9 16.5 14.4
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Uranium Results Third Quarter Compared to the third quarter of 2004, revenue from the uranium business decreased by 6% to $154 million due to a 21% decline in sales volume. As the timing of deliveries of nuclear products within a calendar year is at the discretion of customers, our quarterly delivery patterns can vary significantly. The impact of the reduced volume was partially offset by an increase in the average realized selling price, which rose 26% (in US dollars) over the third quarter of 2004. The average realized price in Canadian dollars increased by only 18% due to the strengthening Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar. The increase in the average realized price was mainly the result of higher prices under fixed-price contracts and a higher uranium spot price, which averaged $30.41 (US) per pound in the third quarter of 2005 compared to $19.29 (US) in the third quarter of 2004. The total cost of products and services sold, including depreciation, depletion depletion n. when a natural resource (particularly oil) is being used up. The annual amount of depletion may, ironically, provide a tax deduction for the company exploiting the resource because if the resource they are exploiting runs out, they will no longer be able and reclamation Reclamation A claim for the right to return or the right to demand the return of a security that has been previously accepted as a result of bad delivery or other irregularities in the delivery and settlement process. (DDR (Double Data Rate) Refers to an SDRAM memory chip that increases performance by doubling the effective data rate of the frontside bus. For more details, see SDRAM. DDR - Double Data Rate Random Access Memory ) was $121 million in the third quarter of 2005 compared to $138 million in 2004. This decrease was attributable to the 21% decline in sales volume. The unit cost of product sold rose by 10% compared to the third quarter of 2004 due to higher costs for purchased uranium. Earnings before taxes from the uranium business improved to $30 million from $21 million last year, while the profit margin rose to 21% from 15% in 2004 due to the higher realized selling price. Year to Date Our revenue from the uranium business decreased by 2% to $372 million in 2005 due to a 14% decline in sales volume. This was largely offset by an increase in the average realized selling price, which rose 14% in Canadian dollar terms (20% in US dollars) over the first nine months of 2004. The increase in the average realized price was mainly the result of higher prices under fixed-price contracts and a higher uranium spot price, which averaged $26.63 (US) per pound in the first nine months of 2005 compared to $17.94 (US) in 2004. Our total cost of products and services sold, including DDR was $293 million in 2005 compared to $319 million in 2004. This decrease was attributable to the 14% decline in sales volume, partially offset by a 6% increase in the unit cost of product sold. The rise in the unit cost of product sold was due primarily to higher costs for purchased uranium. Earnings before taxes from the uranium business improved to $68 million from $49 million last year, while the profit margin rose to 21% from 16% in 2004 due to the higher realized selling price. Uranium Outlook for the Year In 2005, we expect uranium revenue to be about 15% higher than in 2004 due to a projected 11% improvement in the Canadian dollar selling price and a 5% increase in deliveries. Uranium sales volume is expected to total about 34 million pounds in 2005, up marginally from our original target. About 45% of uranium deliveries are expected to occur in the last quarter of the year compared to 2004 when 33% of the sales were delivered in the fourth quarter. In 2005, Cameco's share of uranium production is projected to increase to 21.1 million pounds of U3O8 from 20.5 million in 2004. Uranium margins are expected to improve to about 24% compared to 18% in 2004. Uranium Outlook for Fourth Quarter 2005 We expect earnings before taxes from the uranium segment to be nearly double those recorded in the third quarter of 2005 due to higher sales volume. The realized price is expected to be similar to that of the third quarter. Uranium Price Sensitivity For deliveries during the remainder of 2005, a $1.00 (US) per pound change in the uranium spot price from $33.00 (US) per pound would change revenue by about $1 million (Cdn). This sensitivity is based on an expected effective exchange rate of $1.00 (US) being equivalent to about $1.24 (Cdn). Over the past several years, Cameco's strategy has been to ensure adequate cash flow in the near term, while preserving upside potential Upside potential The amount by which analysts or investors expect the price of a security may increase. upside potential The potential price or gain that may be expected in a security or in a security average, generally stated as the dollar with a mix of spot price related and fixed-price (escalated by inflation) contracts. Many of our existing contracts have limited sensitivity to rising prices due to the fact that some are based on fixed prices, while others contain ceiling prices that were negotiated when uranium prices were significantly lower. Given the level of sales targeted each year, we are continually con·tin·u·al adj. 1. Recurring regularly or frequently: the continual need to pay the mortgage. 2. in the market signing new contracts for deliveries beginning up to four years in the future. Over the next four years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time current contract portfolio will be replaced in large part with contracts that were entered into in the previous two to three years. During this period of rapidly increasing spot and long-term prices, Cameco has continued to enter into new multi-year contracts with the evolving contract portfolio reflecting a mix of fixed and market-related prices. For the time being we continue to generally target our traditional blend “Blending” redirects here. For alpha blending, see Alpha compositing. In linguistics, a blend is a word formed from parts of two other words. These parts are sometimes, but not always, morphemes. of pricing mechanisms, which is 40% of sales volume with fixed pricing escalated by inflation and 60% with pricing related to market prices at the time of delivery. Depending on the contract market conditions, we may adjust our 60-40 blend of prices from time to time. The fixed-price contracts have prices that were set at the time of contract signing. This means we have some contracts at fixed prices below the current spot market prices and they fall into the category of "insensitive in·sen·si·tive adj. 1. Not physically sensitive; numb. 2. a. Lacking in sensitivity to the feelings or circumstances of others; unfeeling. b. " to market price, as noted below. Cameco continues to secure more favourable terms in market price related contracts, including firm floor prices in the mid $20 (US) range (escalated by inflation). During the past period of low prices, we attempted to keep the term of contracts as short as possible (three to five years). In the current market environment we are committing to longer-term contracts (up to 10 years or more) where the pricing terms provide downside protection Downside Protection Generally used in connection with covered call writing, this is the cushion against loss, in case of a price decline by the underlying security, that is afforded by the written call option. (floor prices) and retain upside potential. The following table shows the approximate percentage of our targeted sales volume that will be impacted by increases in the spot price above $33.00 (US) per pound U3O8. The proportion of targeted sales that is price sensitive increases in 2006 and continues to grow in 2007 and 2008. While the percentage of sales targets that is price insensitive has increased relative to the previous quarter, it is important to note that the value of the portfolio has risen as we secure new contracts due to new higher fixed-price contracts and higher ceiling prices in a rising market.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
% Sales Target
------------------------------------------------
2005 2006 2007 2008
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Price insensitive (1) 96% 87% 71% 54%
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Price sensitive (2) 4% 13% 29% 46%
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Fixed-price contracts and market-related contracts not sensitive
to increases in the spot price above $33.00 (US) per pound.
(2) Market-related contracts plus uncommitted volumes.
The percentages of price insensitive and price sensitive volume would not change significantly for spot price decreases down to the $20 (US) range. By 2008, Cameco should be realizing most of the benefit of today's improved uranium prices, assuming prices remain at current levels. Uranium Market The uranium market, like all commodity markets, has a history of volatility, moving not only with the standard forces of supply and demand, but also to whims of geopolitics. It has also evolved particularities of its own in response to the unique nature and use of this material. Update Uranium Spot Market The industry average spot price (TradeTech TradeTech is a portfolio of conferences, exhibitions and summits focussed on providing high quality content to the entire trading community. TradeTech’s conferences combine high quality content with unrivalled networking. and UxC) on September 30, 2005 was $31.63 (US) per pound U3O8, up 9% from $29.00 (US) at June 30, 2005. This compares to $20.00 (US) and $18.50 (US) for the same dates in 2004. Spot market volume reported for the third quarter of 2005 was 2.5 million pounds U3O8 for a total of 22.7 million pounds for the first nine months of the year. This compares to 6.2 million pounds in the third quarter of 2004 and a year to date total at that time of 16.7 million pounds. Spot market volume in the third quarter was considerably lower than in each of the previous two quarters, reflecting the traditional slowdown For articles with similar titles, see Slow Down (disambiguation). A slowdown is an industrial action in which employees perform their duties but seek to reduce productivity or efficiency in their performance of these duties. during the summer months. However, suppliers continued to increase their offer prices, reflecting the limited availability When customers of the PSTN make telephone calls, they commonly make use of a telecommunications network called a switched-circuit network. In a switched-circuit network, devices known as switches are used to connect the caller to the callee. of supplies and the anticipation The performance of an act or obligation before it is legally due. In patent law, the publication of the existence of an invention that has already been patented or has a patent pending, of increased demand later in the year. Discretionary purchases in the spot market continued at a high rate, reflecting utility purchases, likely for inventory building, and both trader and investment groups taking positions in a moving market. It is expected that spot market demand will increase in the fourth quarter while supply remains tight, adding upward pressure to price. Uranium Long-Term Market The long-term market continued to be active in the third quarter. Long-term contracting in 2005 is expected to significantly exceed the estimated 90 million pounds U3O8 contracted in 2004. The industry average long-term price (TradeTech and UxC) on September 30, 2005 was $32.50 (US) per pound U3O8, up from $30.00 (US) at the end of June 2005. This compares to $23.00 (US) and $18.75 (US) for the same dates in 2004.
Uranium Operations Update
Uranium Production
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Three Nine Nine
Months Months Months Months
Cameco's share Ended Ended Ended Ended 2005
of production Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Planned
(million lbs U3O8) 30/05 30/04 30/05 30/04 Production
---------------------------------------------------------------------
McArthur River/
Key Lake 3.9 3.2 10.4 9.1 13.1
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Rabbit Lake 1.4 1.2 4.5 3.8 5.8
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Ranch/
Highland 0.3 0.3 0.9 0.9 1.4
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Crow Butte 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.6 0.8
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 5.8 4.9 16.4 14.4 21.1
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
In the first nine months of 2005, our share of uranium production was 16.4 million pounds, an increase of 2.0 million pounds or 14% over 2004. McArthur McArthur may refer to: Places:
Cameco's share of production at McArthur River/Key Lake totalled 10.4 million pounds for the first nine months of 2005, which compares favourably Adv. 1. favourably - showing approval; "he reviewed the play favorably" favorably favourably U.S. favorably adverb 1. to the 9.1 million pounds produced during the same period in 2004. Our third quarter production equalled 3.9 million pounds versus 3.2 million pounds in the second quarter of 2005. Quarter to quarter variation in production is typical and is a result of timing of plant maintenance shutdowns and normal variation in ore ore, metal-bearing mineral mass that can be profitably mined. Nearly all rock deposits contain some metallic minerals, but in many cases the concentration of metal is too low to justify mining the ore. production. Cameco's share of production for the fourth quarter of 2005 is expected to be 2.7 million pounds as the operation is expected to reach the licensed annual production capacity limit of 18.7 million pounds (Cameco's share 13.1 million pounds) of U3O8 near the end of November. We have applied for an increase in the annual licensed capacity at McArthur River and Key Lake to 22 million pounds U3O8 per year compared to the current 18.7 million pounds. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), previously known as the "Atomic Energy Control Board" (AECB), is best described as the nuclear energy and materials watchdog in Canada. (CNSC CNSC Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (formerly the Atomic Energy Control Board, AECB) CNSC Chinese Newcomers Service Center CNSC Churchill Northern Studies Centre (Canada) CNSC Creative Needle Sewing Club ) is considering the appropriate process to complete its review of the impacts associated with this proposed expansion. Once the process is identified, we will be in a better position to estimate the time required for the CNSC to reach a decision. If approval is received, we expect it will take about two years to ramp up Ramp Up To increase a company's operations in anticipation of increased demand. Notes: A company might 'ramp up' operations if they just signed a contract creating substantially more demand for their product. See also: Demand, Economies of Scale production to a sustained level, with a planned production rate of approximately 21 million pounds. This production rate may change as we gain experience in ramping up production. Continued drilling near the McArthur River mine The McArthur River Uranium Mine is the world's largest high-grade uranium deposit. Since it began operating in 1999, it has also become the world's most productive uranium mine, contributing approximately 20% of total global uranium mining production. The mine produced 18. area has yielded positive results. We are conducting additional confirmatory drilling. We expect to discuss these results in the fourth quarter report. Rabbit Lake Rabbit Lake can refer to:
Rabbit Lake produced 1.4 million pounds of U3O8 during the third quarter of 2005 and a total of 4.5 million pounds of U3O8 for the first nine months of 2005. The additional production achieved relative to 2004 resulted from a significant increase in milled tonnage TONNAGE, mar. law. The capacity of a ship or vessel. 2. The act of congress of March 2, 1799, s. 64, 1 Story's L. U. S. 630, directs that to ascertain the tonnage of any ship or vessel, the surveyor, &c. . We expect production for the fourth quarter of 2005 to be similar to the third quarter. We are on track to achieve a planned production of 5.8 million pounds of U3O8 in 2005. An extensive diamond-drilling program over the last two years continues to yield good results and we hope to extend the mine life beyond 2007. One new mining zone will be ready for production in early 2006. Work continues on the environmental assessment (EA) to process a little over half of the uranium from Cigar Lake ore at the Rabbit Lake mill beginning in 2009. Draft guidelines guidelines, n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain tasks. that define the scope of the EA were issued by the regulators in September for public review. Smith Ranch-Highland and Crow Butte Butte, city, United States Butte (by t), city (1990 pop. 33,336), seat of Silver Bow co., SW Mont.; inc. 1879. It is a trade, ranching, and industrial center. Smith Ranch-Highland and Crow Butte in situ In place. When something is "in situ," it is in its original location. leach leach v. leached, leach·ing, leach·es v.tr. 1. To remove soluble or other constituents from by the action of a percolating liquid. 2. (ISL ISL - Interface Specification Language. Xerox PARC. Interface description language used by the ILU (Inter-Language Unification) system. Includes descriptions of multiple inheritance, exceptions and garbage collection. E-mail: Bill Janssen <janssen@parc.xerox.com>. ) mines produced 0.5 million pounds U3O8 in the third quarter of 2005 and 1.5 million in the first nine months of the year. The operations are expected to produce 2.2 million pounds in 2005, marginally below the annual target of 2.3 million. Uranium Projects Update Cigar Lake Construction began on January January: see month. 1, 2005 and remains on schedule for completion in the first half of 2007. The capital costs for the Cigar Lake project are currently forecast to increase by about 15% to $520 million from $450 million. Our share is 50%. The increase is largely due to greater than anticipated contractor contractor n. 1) a person or entity that enters into a contract. 2) commonly, a person or entity that agrees to construct a building or to provide or install specialized portions of the construction. rates driven by the high level of construction activity in western Canada
Western Canada, commonly referred to as the West , increased energy costs and several scope additions for project optimization optimization Field of applied mathematics whose principles and methods are used to solve quantitative problems in disciplines including physics, biology, engineering, and economics. . The scope changes include increasing the capacity of power transmission lines serving the site, the addition of an overhead crane An overhead crane is a type of crane where the hook-and-line mechanism runs along a horizontal beam that runs along two widely separated rails. Often it is in a long factory building and runs along rails along the building's two long walls. for maintenance of the mill, improvements to the site's sewage treatment Sewage treatment Unit processes used to separate, modify, remove, and destroy objectionable, hazardous, and pathogenic substances carried by wastewater in solution or suspension in order to render the water fit and safe for intended uses. plant and fire protection system, and expansion of the construction camp facilities. Also included are enhancements to Cigar Lake's environmental management system requested by the CNSC. The development of the second shaft shaft (shaft) a long slender part, such as the diaphysis of a long bone. shaft n. 1. An elongated rodlike structure, such as the midsection of a long bone. 2. is approximately 75% complete and development of the underground workings is approximately 40% complete. Ground freezing freezing, change of a substance from the liquid to the solid state. The temperature at which freezing occurs for a pure crystalline solid is called the freezing point and is a characteristic of the particular substance. of the first area planned for production began in September. Surface construction commenced in June. Once production begins, there will be a ramp-up period of up to three years before the mine reaches expected full production of 18 million pounds per year. Inkai The ISL test mine at Inkai, block 2 in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan or Kazakstan (kä'zäkstän`), officially Republic of Kazakhstan, republic (2005 est. pop. 15,186,000), c.1,050,000 sq mi (2,719,500 sq km), central Asia. produced about 0.1 million pounds U3O8 during the third quarter of 2005 and 0.4 million for the first nine months of the year. The test mine is projected to produce 0.5 million pounds U3O8 in 2005. Approval was received in the third quarter to increase the test mine's output to 0.8 million pounds U3O8. Construction to facilitate this increase is expected to be complete by year's end. The regulatory authorities Noun 1. regulatory authority - a governmental agency that regulates businesses in the public interest regulatory agency administrative body, administrative unit - a unit with administrative responsibilities have approved the EA and design plan for the commercial facility to be located at Inkai, block 1. Initial foundation work at the main processing plant and well field drilling has begun. Commercial production is scheduled for 2007. The costs, net of sales proceeds from Inkai production, are capitalized Capitalized Recorded in asset accounts and then depreciated or amortized, as is appropriate for expenditures for items with useful lives longer than one year. until commercial production is achieved. We expect Inkai to ramp up to full production of 5.2 million pounds U3O8 per year by 2010. Subject to executing formal amendments, Cameco has agreed in principle to increase its loan to the joint venture Inkai from $40 million (US) to a maximum of $100 million (US). We also agreed to reduce our financing fee from an effective 10% interest rate to one based on the three-month London London, city, Canada London, city (1991 pop. 303,165), SE Ont., Canada, on the Thames River. The site was chosen in 1792 by Governor Simcoe to be the capital of Upper Canada, but York was made capital instead. London was settled in 1826. inter bank offered rate (LIBOR LIBOR See: London Interbank Offered Rate LIBOR See London interbank offered rate (LIBOR). ) plus 2% (equal to 6.065% using the September 30, 2005 LIBOR rate). The earlier loan amount was based on constructing a smaller plant that would produce 2.6 million pounds annually. Repayment Repayment The act of paying back a debt. Notes: Everyone has to repay their debts eventually. See also: Debt, Defeasance, Loan of the loan will begin when commercial production starts. Legal work continues on formalizing these amendments.
CONVERSION SERVICES
Highlights
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Three Months Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended
Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04 Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue
($ millions) 39 34 95 98
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross profit
($ millions) 5 - 22 22
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross profit % 13 - 23 22
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before
taxes ($ millions) 4 - 21 21
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sales volume
(million kgU) 4.2 4.4 9.6 11.5
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Production volume
(million kgU) 2.4 - 8.6 7.1
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Conversion Services Results Third Quarter In the third quarter of 2005, revenue from our conversion business rose by 15% to $39 million compared to the same period in 2004 as a result of an 18% improvement in the realized price. Most conversion sales are at fixed prices and have not yet fully benefited from the recent significant increase in UF6 spot prices. The benefit of the improved price was partially offset by a 5% decline in sales volume. As the timing of deliveries of nuclear products within a calendar year is at the discretion of customers, Cameco's quarterly delivery patterns can vary significantly. In the third quarter of 2005, our total cost of products and services sold, including DDR, was unchanged at $34 million. The 5% decrease in sales volume was offset by a higher unit cost of product sold. The unit cost rose by 5% compared to the third quarter of 2004 due primarily to higher costs for purchased conversion, which have trended up with the rise in the UF6 spot price. In the third quarter of 2005, earnings before taxes from the conversion business increased by $5 million compared to the third quarter of 2004 while the gross profit margin increased to 13% from 0%. In the third quarter of 2004, earnings from the conversion business were impacted by the strike at the Port Hope facility. Year to Date In the first nine months of 2005, revenue from our conversion business declined by 3% to $95 million compared to the same period in 2004. A 16% improvement in the realized price during the period was offset by a 17% decline in sales volume. Most conversion sales are at fixed prices and have not yet fully benefited from the recent increase in UF6 spot prices. The total cost of products and services sold, including DDR, was $73 million in 2005 compared to $76 million in 2004. This decrease reflects the 17% decline in deliveries, largely offset by a higher unit cost of product sold. The unit cost rose by 16% compared to the first nine months of 2004 due primarily to higher costs for purchased conversion, which have trended upward with the rise in the UF6 spot price. In 2005, the cost of purchased conversion has risen by about 50% compared to the first nine months of 2004, due to purchases made to replenish re·plen·ish v. re·plen·ished, re·plen·ish·ing, re·plen·ish·es v.tr. 1. To fill or make complete again; add a new stock or supply to: replenish the larder. 2. inventory drawn down as a result of last year's strike at the Port Hope facility. The timing of conversion services deliveries vary significantly within a calendar year. In 2005, 40% of the conversion services sales are expected to occur in the fourth quarter. In the first nine months of 2005, earnings before taxes from the conversion business were unchanged at $21 million while the gross profit margin increased to 23% from 22% in 2004. Conversion Services Outlook for the Year Revenue from the conversion business is expected to be marginally higher than in 2004 due to an expected 10% increase in the average realized selling price partially offset by a forecast 4% reduction in deliveries. Conversion sales volume is expected to total about 16.3 million kilograms of uranium (kgU) in 2005 compared to 16.9 million kgU in 2004. Production for 2005 is projected to be about 11.6 million kgU, up from 9.5 million kgU in 2004. As a result, unit costs for produced conversion are expected to be lower than in 2004. Conversion Services Outlook for Fourth Quarter 2005 For the fourth quarter of 2005, our conversion revenue is projected to be about 50% higher than in the third quarter of 2005 due to increased deliveries. Gross profit is expected to rise significantly as a result of conversion production returning to normal levels after the summer maintenance shutdown shut·down n. A cessation of operations or activity, as at a factory. shutdown Noun the closing of a factory, shop, or other business Verb shut down . Conversion Services Price Sensitivity Analysis The majority of conversion sales are at fixed prices with inflation escalators. In the short term, Cameco's financial results are relatively insensitive to changes in the spot price for conversion. The newer fixed-price contracts generally reflect longer-term prices at the time of contract award. Therefore, in the coming years, our contract portfolio will be positively impacted by these higher fixed-price contracts. UF6 Conversion Market Update Outlined below are the industry average spot market prices (TradeTech and UxC) for North American and European European emanating from or pertaining to Europe. European bat lyssavirus see lyssavirus. European beech tree fagussylvaticus. European blastomycosis see cryptococcosis. conversion services.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sept. June Sept. June
30/05 30/05 30/04 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Average spot market price
($US/kgU)
- North America 11.50 11.75 9.00 7.75
- Europe 11.50 11.75 10.00 9.13
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-term UF6 conversion prices strengthened during the quarter.
Outlined below are the industry average long-term prices
(TradeTech and UxC) for North American and European conversion
services.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sept. June Sept. June
30/05 30/05 30/04 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Average long-term price
($US/kgU)
- North America 12.00 11.88 10.00 7.75
- Europe 13.13 12.63 11.50 9.25
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Conversion Services Operations Update Production Port Hope production for the third quarter of 2005 was 2.4 million kgU compared to no production in the third quarter of 2004 because of the strike last year. Production in the third quarter of 2005 was lower than expected as a consequence of an extended maintenance shutdown and a difficult restart To resume computer operation after a planned or unplanned termination. See boot, warm boot and checkpoint/restart. of the UF6 plant due mainly to the hot and humid hu·mid adj. Containing or characterized by a high amount of water or water vapor: humid air; a humid evening. See Synonyms at wet. weather during the summer months. Production for the first nine months of 2005 was 8.6 million kgU, up 21% from 7.1 million kgU for the same period in 2004. Cameco expects to produce 11.6 million kgU for the year, below the target of 13.5 million kgU. We produced 9.5 kgU in 2004 when production was affected by a strike. Slightly Enriched Uranium Enriched uranium is a sample of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Natural uranium is 99.284% 238U isotope, with 235U only constituting about 0.711 % of its weight. (SEU SEU Shoot 'Em Up (game category) SEU St. Edward's University (Austin, Texas) SEU Southeast University SEU Single Event Upset ) Project Update During the quarter, Cameco announced a decision not to pursue the blending blend v. blend·ed or blent , blend·ing, blends v.tr. 1. To combine or mix so that the constituent parts are indistinguishable from one another: of SEU in Port Hope. We determined it was necessary to seek alternative supply sources because it was not certain that the Port Hope conversion facility would be able to supply SEU in time to meet Bruce Power's schedule for the new fuel. Three alternative suppliers for the blending services were identified.
NUCLEAR ELECTRICITY GENERATION
Highlights
Bruce Power Limited Partnership (100% basis)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Three Months Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended
Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04 Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Output
(terawatt hours) 9.1 8.7 24.6 26.1
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Capacity factor
(%) (1) 88 85 80 85
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Realized price
($/MWh) 70 45 58 46
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Average Ontario
electricity spot
price ($/MWh) 86 46 67 50
---------------------------------------------------------------------
($ millions)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue 642 395 1,453 1,228
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating costs 317 297 966 833
----------------------------------------------------
Cash costs
- operating &
maintenance 207 198 640 549
- fuel 21 16 58 51
- supplemental
rent (2) 41 40 123 116
Non cash costs
(amortization) 48 43 145 117
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Earnings before
interest and taxes 325 98 487 395
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Interest and
finance charges 18 17 52 50
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Earnings before
taxes 307 81 435 345
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Cash from
operations 299 153 508 446
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Capital
expenditures 87 71 240 250
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Operating costs
($/MWh) 35 34 39 32
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Distributions 165 - 215 -
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(1) Capacity factor for a given period represents the amount of
electricity actually produced for sale as a percentage of the
amount of electricity the plants are capable of producing for
sale.
(2) Supplemental rent is about $27.5 million per operating reactor
per year.
In the third quarter of 2005, Bruce Power generated cash from operations of $299 million compared to $153 million in the third quarter of 2004. Capital expenditures for the third quarter of 2005 totalled $87 million compared to $71 million during the same period in 2004. Bruce Power also distributed $165 million to the partners in the third quarter. Cameco's share was $52 million. The partners have agreed that all excess cash will be distributed on a monthly basis and that separate cash calls will be made for major capital projects.
Cameco's Earnings from Bruce Power
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Three Months Three Months Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended
($ millions) Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04 Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04
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Bruce Power's earnings
before taxes (100%) 307 81 435 345
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Cameco's share of
pre-tax earnings
before adjustments 97 26 137 109
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Adjustments:
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Sales contract valuation 3 4 10 15
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Interest capitalization - - - 2
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Interest income on loan
to Bruce Power 2 2 6 6
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Fair value increments
on assets(1) (5) (4) (12) (13)
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Pre-tax earnings from
Bruce Power 97 28 141 119
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Bruce Power Distributions
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Cameco's share 52 - 68 -
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(1) Reflects the amortization of Cameco's excess purchase price over
book value of assets.
Third Quarter Earnings Before Taxes In the third quarter of 2005, Bruce Power recorded earnings of $307 million before taxes, up from $81 million for the third quarter of 2004. The increase reflects higher revenue due to high electricity prices during the period. Cameco's pre-tax earnings from Bruce Power amounted to $97 million compared to $28 million in 2004. Output Bruce Power achieved a capacity factor of 88% in the third quarter of 2005 compared to 85% in the same period of 2004. The increase primarily reflects fewer planned outage out·age n. 1. A quantity or portion of something lacking after delivery or storage. 2. A temporary suspension of operation, especially of electric power. days in the quarter compared with the same period in 2004, when all four Bruce B units were taken off-line See offline. (jargon) off-line - (Or "offline") 1. Not directly connected to the computer (e.g., an off-line tape drive), or with connection suspended ("take the printer off-line"). Contrast background, on-line. 2. Not now or not here. in mid-September n. 1. the middle part of September. Noun 1. mid-September - the middle part of September period, period of time, time period - an amount of time; "a time period of 30 years"; "hastened the period of time of his recovery"; "Picasso's blue for a vacuum vacuum, theoretically, space without matter in it. A perfect vacuum has never been obtained; the best man-made vacuums contain less than 100,000 gas molecules per cc, compared to about 30 billion billion (30×1018) molecules for air at sea level. building outage. During the third quarter of 2005, the Bruce Power units generated 9.1 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity compared to 8.7 TWh in 2004. Outlined below are the maintenance activities that occurred during the third quarter of 2005.
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Planned Outages
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Bruce B Unit 7 - Returned to service on Aug. 13 following a
planned inspection that began May 7 to complete
major spacer relocation work and turbine
replacement.
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Unplanned Outages
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Bruce B Unit 7 - The planned outage referenced above included an
11-day unplanned outage extension.
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Bruce A Unit 3 - Returned to service on Sept. 18 following an
outage that began Sept. 7 to repair the reactor
regulating system.
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During the third quarter of 2005, the Bruce Power reactors were offline (1) Not connected to the Internet, online service or internal network. See offline file. (2) Not connected to or not installed in the computer. If a terminal, printer or other device is physically connected to the computer, but is not turned on or in ready mode, it is for a total of 55 days (32 planned and 23 unplanned). In the third quarter of 2004, Bruce Power experienced 55 reactor Reactor (electricity) A device for introducing an inductive reactance into a circuit. Inductive reactance x is a function of the product of frequency f and inductance L; thus, x = 2πfL. days of planned maintenance and 13 days of unplanned outages. Price For the third quarter of 2005, Bruce Power's revenue increased to $642 million from $395 million over the same period in 2004. The realized price achieved from a mix of contract and spot sales averaged $70 per megawatt hour (MWh) in the third quarter, higher than the $45 per MWh realized in 2004. During the quarter, the Ontario electricity spot price averaged $86 per MWh, compared to $46 per MWh in the third quarter of 2004. The higher prices in 2005 were due to an increase in demand as a result of warm weather. To reduce its exposure to spot market prices, Bruce Power has a portfolio of fixed-price sales contracts Sales Contract Contract between a seller and buyer for the sale of goods, services, or both. . During the third quarter of 2005, about 40% of Bruce Power's output was sold under fixed-price contracts compared to 45% in the same period in 2004. Cameco provides guarantees to customers under these contracts of up to $152 million. At September 30, 2005, our actual exposure under these guarantees was $133 million. In addition, we provide financial assurances for other Bruce Power commitments, which totalled about $82 million at September 30, 2005. Costs Operating costs operating costs npl → gastos mpl operacionales (including amortization) were $317 million in the third quarter of 2005, compared with $297 million in the same period of 2004. About 95% of Bruce Power's operating costs are fixed. As such, most of the costs are incurred whether the plant is operating or not. On a per MWh basis, the operating cost in the third quarter of 2005 was $35 per MWh, compared with $34 per MWh in the third quarter of 2004. Year to Date Earnings Before Taxes For the nine months ended September 30, 2005, Bruce Power earnings before taxes were $435 million compared to $345 million in 2004. This increase primarily reflects higher realized electricity prices as a result of strong demand brought on by warmer weather, partially offset by a 5% decrease in capacity factor compared with the same period in 2004. Year to date, Cameco's earnings before tax from Bruce Power amounted to $141 million compared to $119 million for the same period in 2004. Output For the first nine months of the year, the Bruce Power units achieved a capacity factor of 80%, compared with 85% in the same period last year. These units produced 24.6 TWh during the first nine months of the year, a decrease of 1.5 TWh over the same period last year. This decrease reflects the planned outages of A3, A4 and B7 as well as other unplanned outages, primarily the 29-day outage of B6 to replace its main output transformer transformer, electrical device used to transfer an alternating current or voltage from one electric circuit to another by means of electromagnetic induction. . Price For the first nine months of 2005, revenues totalled $1,453 million, compared to $1,228 million in the first nine months of 2004. During this period, Bruce Power's realized price averaged $58 per MWh from a mix of contract and spot sales compared with $46 per MWh during the same period last year. The Ontario electricity spot price averaged about $67 per MWh during the first nine months of the year, compared to $50 per MWh a year ago. During the first nine months of 2005, about 47% of Bruce Power's output was sold under fixed-price contracts, the same as during the first nine months of 2004. Costs For the first three quarters of 2005, operating costs were $966 million compared with $833 million in the same period in 2004. Though up from 2004, operating costs were better than expected primarily due to lower outage and fuel costs and lower depreciation expenses on capital projects brought into service. About 95% of Bruce Power's operating costs are fixed. As such, most of the costs are incurred whether the plant is operating or not. On a per MWh basis, the operating cost in the first nine months of 2005 was $39 per MWh, compared with $32 per MWh for the same period in 2004. The increase is primarily due to planned and unplanned outages and related outage costs. Bruce Power Outlook for 2005 The targeted average capacity factor for 2005 remains at 83% for Bruce A and B. The targeted average capacity factor for Bruce B for 2005 is 82%. There is one planned outage for the remainder of 2005 for Bruce Power's reactors. Bruce unit B5 was taken offline on October October: see month. 8 for an inspection program that is expected to last up to two months. Bruce Power earnings in 2005 are expected to be significantly higher than in 2004, given the relatively high spot price for electricity in Ontario over the third quarter. This outlook excludes the loss that was triggered by the completion of the Bruce A restructuring. Results remain sensitive to the Ontario electricity price and the operating performance of the Bruce Power units. Bruce Power Outlook for Fourth Quarter 2005 Cameco's earnings from Bruce Power are expected to be significantly lower than in the third quarter of 2005 due to expected lower realized prices and not sharing in the results of the A units. This outlook excludes the loss that was triggered by the completion of the Bruce A restructuring. Planned outages in the fourth quarter are expected to total about 60 days, five days more than all the outages in the third quarter of 2005. In addition, Cameco anticipates it will proportionately consolidate Bruce Power's results once the restructuring is complete. In the past, we have accounted for Bruce Power using the equity method. The move to this new method of accounting is driven by changes to the partnership agreement, which provide for joint control among the three major partners. Electricity Price Sensitivity Analysis For the remainder of 2005, about 37% of Bruce Power's planned output will be under fixed-price contracts when based on total site output. This number increases approximately to 58% based on Bruce B alone. A $1.00 per MWh change in the spot price for electricity in Ontario would change Cameco's after-tax af·ter-tax also af·ter·tax adj. Relating to or being that which remains after payment, especially of income taxes: after-tax profits. earnings from Bruce Power by about $1 million. Bruce Power has 13 TWh sold under fixed-price contracts for 2006. This would represent about 45% of Bruce B's generation at a 100% utilization utilization, n 1. the extent to which a given group uses a particular service in a specified period. Although usually expressed as the number of services used per year per 100 or per 1000 persons eligible for the service, utilization rates may be factor. Nuclear Electricity Update Bruce A1 and A2 Restart Cameco confirmed on October 31 that the Bruce Power restructuring was completed. Cameco maintains its existing 31.6% interest in the Bruce Power Limited Partnership (BPLP) which is responsible for the overall management of the site and holds a 31.6% beneficial interest in the four Bruce B reactors. However, Cameco no longer holds an interest in the four Bruce A reactors and will not invest in the planned $4.25 billion program to increase their output. As part of the restructuring, BPLP paid a distribution to its limited partners. Cameco's share is $200 million. As previously announced, the restructuring will result in Cameco recording a loss of $63 million (Cameco's share after tax) subject to closing adjustments which may increase or decrease the amount. The loss will be recorded in the fourth quarter of 2005. Cameco will continue to be the fuel procurement The fancy word for "purchasing." The procurement department within an organization manages all the major purchases. manager for the Bruce A and B units but will no longer have obligations to procure To cause something to happen; to find and obtain something or someone. Procure refers to commencing a proceeding; bringing about a result; persuading, inducing, or causing a person to do a particular act; obtaining possession or control over an item; or making a person or supply uranium concentrates to the Bruce A reactors. Ontario Electricity Market Extreme weather, high oil and gas prices and inadequate hydro-electric Hy`dro-e`lec´tric a. 1. Pertaining to, employed in, or produced by, the evolution of electricity by means of a battery in which water or steam is used. generation pushed Ontario electricity spot prices to record levels two months in a row, climbing over $93 per MWh in September. During the quarter, the Ontario government restated its commitment to the retirement of coal capacity while at the same time announcing, in conjunction with OPG OPG Ontario Power Generation (Canada) OPG Osteoprotegerin OPG Online Policy Group OPG Oldroyd Publishing Group (UK) OPG Orthopantomography OPG Office of Projects and Grants , that there was no economic justification justification In Christian theology, the passage of an individual from sin to a state of grace. Some theologians use the term to refer to the act of God in extending grace to the sinner, while others use it to define the change in the condition of a sinner who has received for returning Pickering Pick·er·ing , Edward Charles 1846-1919. American astronomer noted for his work on stellar photometry. His brother William Henry Pickering A-2 and A-3 reactors to service. GOLD Cameco owns about 53% of Centerra, which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) Canada's largest stock exchange, trading approximately 1,200 company stocks and 33 options. (TSX). Centerra began trading on the TSX under the symbol CG in June 2004. We transferred substantially all of our gold assets to Centerra as part of our strategy to unlock the value contained in these gold properties. The operating results of Kumtor Gold Company (Kumtor) have been fully consolidated as of June 22, 2004. Prior to that, we proportionately consolidated our interest in Kumtor. We also fully consolidate the results of Boroo, Centerra's gold mine in Mongolia. We adjust for a 47% minority interest in Centerra, which reflects that share of earnings attributable to shareholders other than Cameco.
Financial Highlights
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Three Months Three Months Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended
Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04 Sept. 30/05 Sept. 30/04
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Revenue ($ millions) 94 115 324 212
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Gross profit
($ millions) 23 42 85 77
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Gross profit % 25 37 26 36
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Realized price
($US/ounce) 429 398 423 380
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Sales volume
(ounces)(1) 178,000 218,000 624,000 415,000
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Production
(ounces)(2) 194,000 236,000 621,000 670,000
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(1) Comprising of 100% of Boroo and one-third of Kumtor to June 22,
2004 and 100% thereafter.
(2) Represents 100% of production from the Kumtor and Boroo mines.
Gold Results Third Quarter In the third quarter of 2005, revenue from the gold business declined by $21 million to $94 million compared to the third quarter of 2004. This decrease was due to lower gold production at the Kumtor mine. The realized price for gold increased to $429 (US) in the quarter compared to $398 (US) per ounce ounce, in zoology ounce, in zoology: see leopard. ounce, unit of measurement ounce: see English units of measurement. in the third quarter of 2004, due to higher spot prices. For the quarter, the gross profit margin for gold declined to 25% from 37% in 2004 due to higher costs at Kumtor, largely the result of the lower production. On a 100% basis, Kumtor's production was 123,000 ounces compared to 167,000 ounces in the third quarter of 2004. This decrease was due to a lower mill head grade that averaged 3.4 grams per tonne tonne measure of weight or mass; 1 tonne=1000 kg. See also ton. (g/t) compared to 4.3 g/t in 2004. Production at Boroo was 71,000 ounces compared to 69,000 ounces in 2004. The average head grade of ore fed to the mill was 4.1 g/t compared to 5.3 g/t last year. In spite of in opposition to all efforts of; in defiance or contempt of; notwithstanding. See also: Spite the lower grade, production rose marginally due to a 22% increase in throughput The speed with which a computer processes data. It is a combination of internal processing speed, peripheral speeds (I/O) and the efficiency of the operating system and other system software all working together. 1. . Year to Date In the first nine months of 2005, revenue from our gold business rose by $112 million to $324 million compared to 2004. This increase was due largely to the full consolidation of Kumtor's results. The realized price for gold increased to $423 (US) in 2005 compared to $380 (US) per ounce in 2004, due to higher spot prices. While Centerra's 2005 gold sales are unhedged, gold revenue includes proceeds from the sale of gold in the current period as well as deferred charges related to closed hedge contracts. The recognition of the deferred charges causes the realized gold price to vary relative to the average spot price for the period. In 2005, the deferred charges amounted to $7 per ounce compared to $17 per ounce in 2004. Gold production at Kumtor was 403,000 ounces in the first nine months of 2005, 22% lower than in 2004 due mainly to a lower mill head grade that averaged 3.6 g/t compared to 4.6 g/t last year. Boroo gold production in the first nine months of 2005 was 218,000 ounces compared to 151,000 ounces in 2004 due to a full nine months of production. The average head grade of ore fed to the mill was 4.4 g/t compared to 4.6 g/t last year. Gold Market Update The average spot market gold price during the third quarter of 2005 was $440 (US) per ounce, ending the quarter at $473 (US) per ounce. The average spot market gold price during the third quarter of 2004 was $401 (US) per ounce. Timing differences between the settlement and designation of hedge contracts have resulted in deferred charges. At September 30, 2005, these deferred charges to be recognized in future periods totalled $4 million (US), including $1 million (US) in the remaining three months of 2005. Gold Outlook for the Year Based on Centerra's current operations, total production for the year is forecast at 800,000 ounces, a decline of almost 12% from 2004 primarily as a result of lower grades at the Kumtor mine. However, Centerra's beneficial production is expected to increase to 784,000 ounces from 610,000 in 2004 due to the increased ownership level in both mines and a full year of operation at Boroo. At Kumtor, production in 2005 is expected to decline to 513,000 ounces from 657,000 ounces in 2004, due to a lower mill head grade that is expected to average 3.4 g/t compared to 4.4 g/t in 2004. For Boroo, the outlook for 2005 calls for production to increase to 285,000 ounces from 246,000 ounces in 2004 due to higher throughput level. The mill head grade is expected to average 4.2 g/t compared to 4.5 g/t in 2004. Overall, gold results are expected to decline in 2005 from 2004 due to higher unit costs and increased spending in exploration. Gold Outlook for Fourth Quarter 2005 For the fourth quarter of 2005, profits from the gold business are projected to decline compared to the third quarter as a result of lower production from the Kumtor and Boroo mines where ore grades Ore grade is a measure that describes the concentration of a valuable natural material (such as metals or minerals) in its surrounding ore. Ore grade is used to assess the economic feasibility of a mining operation: the cost of extracting a natural material from its ore is directly are expected to be lower than in the third quarter. Gold Price Sensitivity Analysis For 2005, gold sales are unhedged. For the remainder of 2005, a $10.00 (US) per ounce change in the gold spot price would change Cameco revenue by about $2 million (Cdn), cash flow by about $2 million (Cdn) and net earnings by about $1 million (Cdn). Kyrgyz State Auditing Chamber Update In its second quarter report, Centerra reported on requests for information from the Kyrgyz State Auditing Chamber. In the Chamber's recently-released report there are no issues that are expected to have material consequences for Centerra. Centerra has subsequently provided the authorities with further information in response to the report. Kumtor Tax Update During the quarter, Centerra filed normal-course objections to the Kyrgyz tax and customs assessments received during the second quarter. Following arguments presented by Centerra, the tax authorities reversed the previous denial denial, in psychology, an ego defense mechanism that operates unconsciously to resolve emotional conflict, and to allay anxiety by refusing to perceive the more unpleasant aspects of external reality. of loss carry-forwards that would have had a negative cash tax effect of $12 million over a three-year period. The outcome of the other tax audit objections, currently under consideration by the tax authorities, is not expected to have a material impact on Centerra's financial position. Discussions with customs audit officials regarding Centerra's formal objection A formal attestation or declaration of disapproval concerning a specific point of law or procedure during the course of a trial; a statement indicating disagreement with a judge's ruling. notice filed during the third quarter are continuing. The impact of these proceedings, if any, is not determinable Liable to come to an end upon the happening of a certain contingency. Susceptible of being determined, found out, definitely decided upon, or settled. determinable adj. at this time. COMPANY DEVELOPMENTS Zircatec Precision Industries On October 4, 2005, Cameco announced it is negotiating to acquire Zircatec Precision Industries, Inc. Zircatec manufactures metal components for nuclear fuel bundles at its plant in Cobourg, Ontario Cobourg (2006 population 18,210) is a town some 110 kilometers east of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is the largest town in and the seat of Northumberland County, Ontario; its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, 7 km to the west. . A second plant in Port Hope, Ontario Hope, Ontario is the northernmost community in the City of Vaughan. The community is mostly rural, with farms scattered along the major thoroughfare. The heart of the settlement is at York Regional Road 6 and Kirby Road, with its eastern side stretching as far as York Regional Road handles nuclear material and completes the fuel bundle To sell hardware and software as a combined product or to combine several software packages for sale as a single unit. Contrast with unbundle. See bundled software and bundling. fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh n the construction or making of a restoration. process. A decision is expected by year-end year-end also year·end n. The end of a year. adj. Occurring or done at the end of the year: a year-end audit. Noun 1. . NUCLEAR INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. In the US, the prospects for new nuclear power plants continue to improve. US President George George, river, c.345 mi (560 km) long, rising in a lake on the Quebec-Labrador boundary, E Canada. It flows N through Indian Lake (125 sq mi/324 sq km) to Ungava Bay (an arm of Hudson Strait). Bush signed into law the first national energy policy in more than 10 years. The policy contains provisions that encourage investment in new nuclear reactor nuclear reactor, device for producing controlled release of nuclear energy. Reactors can be used for research or for power production. A research reactor is designed to produce various beams of radiation for experimental application; the heat produced is a waste construction. Companies constructing new plants will receive financial protection for delays beyond their control for the first six new reactors and a limited production tax credit for the first eight years of operation for the first 6,000 megawatts built. Ten entities have expressed an interest in proceeding with applications for either early site permits (ESP (1) (Enhanced Service Provider) An organization that adds value to basic telephone service by offering such features as call-forwarding, call-detailing and protocol conversion. ) or combined construction and operating licence (COL col (kol) a depression in the interdental tissues just below the interproximal contact area, connecting the buccal and lingual papillae. col n. ) for a potential new nuclear power plant. Three ESP applications are currently under review by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), an independent U.S. government commission, created by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 and charged with licensing and regulating civilian use of nuclear energy to protect the public and the environment. , one is being developed and four others have indicated they will go straight to a COL. An early site permit does not guarantee automatic approval for a new reactor, but verifies a site's suitability, environmental impact, and emergency planning concerns. Obtaining an early site permit should simplify the application process when a utility files for a COL and would be valid for 20 years, with the potential to be renewed re·new v. re·newed, re·new·ing, re·news v.tr. 1. To make new or as if new again; restore: renewed the antique chair. 2. for another 20 years. The COL process will provide an accurate estimate of costs for building and operating a new nuclear plant. Several potential sites and reactor types have been identified with the potential for a new reactor to be completed as early as 2014. A public opinion poll conducted in August on behalf of the US Nuclear Energy Institute indicates continued public support for new US nuclear power plants. Residents living within 16 kilometres of an operating nuclear power plant were surveyed with the results indicating 83% favour Favor or favour (see spelling differences) may be
Licence extensions continue, with a total of 35 US reactors granted 20-year licence extensions, while extensions for 39 more reactors have been applied for or their operators have indicated they intend to apply for life extensions. This amounts to over 70% of all US reactors. The US government has announced it will contribute an excess quantity of military highly enriched uranium (HEU HEU Highly Enriched Uranium HEU Hospital Employees Union HEU Higher Echelon Unit ) to an international fuel reserve in order to prevent the spread of enrichment enrichment Food industry The addition of vitamins or minerals to a food–eg, wheat, which may have been lost during processing. See White flour; Cf Whole grains. technology without discouraging dis·cour·age tr.v. dis·cour·aged, dis·cour·ag·ing, dis·cour·ag·es 1. To deprive of confidence, hope, or spirit. 2. To hamper by discouraging; deter. 3. the expansion of nuclear power. The fuel reserve is part of a larger back-up In cartography, an image printed on the reverse side of a map sheet already printed on one side. Also the printing of such images. supply mechanism designed to ensure reliable access to nuclear fuel at a reasonable cost in the event of supply disruptions in the commercial market for nations that forego enrichment and reprocessing Reprocessing may refer to:
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International organization officially founded in 1957 to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. (IAEA IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency. ) requested access for an eligible country suffering fuel supply disruptions. The 17.4 tonnes of US HEU, containing the equivalent of 7.6 million pounds U3O8, will be blended blend v. blend·ed or blent , blend·ing, blends v.tr. 1. To combine or mix so that the constituent parts are indistinguishable from one another: down to low enriched uranium over the next four years and is expected to be available for the fuel reserve in 2009. Previously, this material was expected to be made available to the commercial market. The US has also announced plans to end nuclear sanctions Sanctions is the plural of sanction. Depending on context, a sanction can be either a punishment or a permission. The word is a contronym. Sanctions involving countries: officially Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons International agreement intended to prevent the spread of nuclear technology. It was signed by the U.S. and its military nuclear facilities would still remain closed to inspections. India would maintain a moratorium A suspension of activity or an authorized period of delay or waiting. A moratorium is sometimes agreed upon by the interested parties, or it may be authorized or imposed by operation of law. on the testing of nuclear weapons and agree to keep up its non-proliferation Noun 1. non-proliferation - the prevention of something increasing or spreading (especially the prevention of an increase in the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons); "they protested that the nonproliferation treaty was just a plot to maintain the hegemony efforts. India currently has over 3,300 megawatts of nuclear generating capacity and has announced plans to increase this to 20,000 megawatts by 2020, but does not have economic domestic uranium supply capable of supporting such a nuclear program. The removal of the sanctions could provide an additional market for nuclear fuel suppliers, equivalent to about 9 million pounds U3O8 per year by 2020. India currently consumes about 1.2 million pounds annually. Canada The Province of New Brunswick New Brunswick, province, Canada New Brunswick, province (2001 pop. 729,498), 28,345 sq mi (73,433 sq km), including 519 sq mi (1,345 sq km) of water surface, E Canada. will proceed with refurbishing its only reactor, a 680 MWe Candu, which started operations in 1983 and was scheduled to close in 2008. The refurbishment re·fur·bish tr.v. re·fur·bished, re·fur·bish·ing, re·fur·bish·es To make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate. re·fur will start in April 2008 and be completed by September 2009, prolonging the life of the unit by about 25 years. The cost of the project, including purchasing replacement electricity, is estimated at $1.4 billion. The Canadian utility OPG has commenced the process of restarting its newly refurbished Pickering A-1 nuclear unit. The 515 MWe Candu last operated in December 1997. Work on the unit began in the summer of 2004 at a projected cost of $1.0 billion. OPG also announced that it will not proceed with the refurbishment of Pickering units A-2 and A-3 but will instead focus on maximizing max·i·mize tr.v. max·i·mized, max·i·miz·ing, max·i·miz·es 1. To increase or make as great as possible: the performance of its existing nuclear units. Europe Europe (y r`əp), 6th largest continent, c.4,000,000 sq mi (10,360,000 sq km) including adjacent islands (1992 est. pop. 512,000,000). France's utility has announced plans to begin to build at least one European pressurized water reactor Noun 1. pressurized water reactor - a nuclear reactor that uses water as a coolant and moderator; the steam produced can drive a steam turbine PWR water-cooled reactor - nuclear reactor using water as a coolant (EPR EPR Electron Paramagnetic Resonance EPR Extended Producer Responsibility EPR Electronic Patient Record(s) EPR Emergency Preparedness and Response (US DHS) EPR Endpoint Reference EPR Ethylene-Propylene Rubber ) a year starting in 2020 to replace most of its existing 58 pressurized water reactors. It cited economic performance, stability of costs, and respect for environmental constraints CONSTRAINTS - A language for solving constraints using value inference. ["CONSTRAINTS: A Language for Expressing Almost-Hierarchical Descriptions", G.J. Sussman et al, Artif Intell 14(1):1-39 (Aug 1980)]. as the basis for its decision. A demonstration EPR is scheduled to begin construction in 2007. The Netherlands Netherlands (nĕth`ərləndz), Du. Nederland or Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, officially Kingdom of the Netherlands, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 16,407,000), 15,963 sq mi (41,344 sq km), NW Europe. has reversed its policy of closing down its only nuclear reactor by 2013 and has granted a 20-year life extension allowing the unit to operate for a total of 60 years until 2033. The United Kingdom has granted 10-year life extensions to two of its units allowing operations until 2018. Licence extensions for other units are being pursued. In Germany Germany (jûr`mənē), Ger. Deutschland, officially Federal Republic of Germany, republic (2005 est. pop. 82,431,000), 137,699 sq mi (356,733 sq km). , the September federal elections failed to result in a majority win for the pro-nuclear opposition leader who had promised to reconsider re·con·sid·er v. re·con·sid·ered, re·con·sid·er·ing, re·con·sid·ers v.tr. 1. To consider again, especially with intent to alter or modify a previous decision. 2. the phase-out Noun 1. phase-out - the act or instance of a planned discontinuation discontinuance, discontinuation - the act of discontinuing or breaking off; an interruption (temporary or permanent) of nuclear power in that country. A coalition is being negotiated with an agreement expected in November, but it is unlikely that a coalition government will be able to undertake any pro-nuclear initiatives in the near term. Other The World Nuclear Association (WNA WNA World Nuclear Association (UK) WNA Wisconsin Nurses Association WNA Weather Normalization Adjustment WNA Wireless Network Access WNA Wireless Network Administration WNA Wednesday Night Acro WNA White Noise Acceleration ) has published its bi-annual nuclear fuel supply and demand report, which details three supply and three demand scenarios for uranium. The WNA forecasts that over the period 2005 through 2030, the world demand for uranium is expected to increase at an annual rate of about 3% in the reference case and 6% in the upper case. On the supply side, the report concludes that for the reference case there is sufficient potential supply available to meet demand through 2015, but expresses concern about a shortfall Shortfall The amount by which the capital required to fulfill a financial obligation exceeds available capital. Notes: Shortfall risk is often combated with an efficient hedging strategy created by a fund, group, institution, or individual. after that time. The report assumes significant uranium supply comes in a timely manner from sources not yet identified and does not consider costs of production. For example, it assumes uranium from dismantled dis·man·tle tr.v. dis·man·tled, dis·man·tling, dis·man·tles 1. a. To take apart; disassemble; tear down. b. Russian Russian associated in some way with Russia. Russian blue a breed of cats with short, dense, silver-tipped blue-colored coat and vivid green eyes. weapons will continue to enter the market after the existing agreement expires in 2013, and production from a number of mines that still require feasibility studies The analysis of a problem to determine if it can be solved effectively. The operational (will it work?), economical (costs and benefits) and technical (can it be built?) aspects are part of the study. Results of the study determine whether the solution should be implemented. and/or and/or conj. Used to indicate that either or both of the items connected by it are involved. Usage Note: And/or is widely used in legal and business writing. development decisions. Overall, the report is generally consistent with Cameco's view that additional primary supply will be needed to meet rising demand. The largest difference is that our analysis takes into consideration the prices required to bring on new capacity, while the WNA cannot due to the composition of its membership, which includes many fuel suppliers. LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES Changes in liquidity and capital resources during the third quarter included the following: Commercial Commitments Commercial commitments at September 30, 2005 increased by 15% to $416 million from $363 million at June 30, 2005. Our obligations to provide financial guarantees supporting Bruce Power increased by $56 million, while standby standby Medtalk adjective Referring to the immediate availability of a certain specialist–anesthesiologist, surgeon, who can be deployed in a medical emergency. Cf Concurrent. letters of credit decreased by $3 million to the end of the quarter. At September 30, 2005, commercial commitments included standby letters of credit of $201 million and financial guarantees for Bruce Power of $215 million. Credit Ratings On August 26, 2005, Moody's Investors Service Moody's Investors Service A leading global credit rating, research and risk analysis firm. Moody's Investors Service A leading firm engaged in credit rating, risk analysis, and research of fixed-income securities and their issuers. (Moody's Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is the holding company for Moody's Investors Service which performs financial research and analysis on commercial and government entities. The company also ranks the credit-worthiness of borrowers using a standardized ratings scale. ) downgraded Cameco's senior unsecured debt Unsecured debt Debt that does not identify specific assets that the debtholder is entitled to in case of default. rating to Baa2 from Baa1. As of September 30, 2005, we had the following ratings for our senior debt from third-party rating agencies: - Dominion Bond Rating Service Dominion Bond Rating Service is a credit rating agency based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1976, it is one of the largest credit rating agencies in Canada. It is one of five Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations in the United States, though significantly smaller Limited (DBRS DBRS Dominion Bond Rating Service ) - "A (low)" with a stable outlook - Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) - "Baa2" with a stable outlook - Standard & Poor's (S&P) - "BBB BBB A medium grade assigned to a debt obligation by a rating agency to indicate an adequate ability to pay interest and repay principal. However, adverse developments are more likely to impair this ability than would be the case for bonds rated A and above. +" with a stable outlook Debt On September 16, 2005, Cameco issued $300 million of 10-year, 4.7% unsecured Unsecured A loan or equity interest that is given without any guarantee of payment, performance, satisfaction or opportunity for return from the recipient. No property, interest or security is used as collateral in either a guarantee or a pledge. debentures, with the net proceeds Net Proceeds The amount received after all costs are deducted from the sale of a piece of property or security. Notes: In the case of an investor selling a security, net proceeds represent the proceeds from the sale minus any trading costs (i.e. commissions). applied principally to retiring outstanding commercial paper, planned capital expenditures and general corporate purposes. Cameco has $50 million outstanding in senior unsecured debentures that bear interest at 7% and will mature on July July: see month. 6, 2006. We also have $100 million outstanding in senior unsecured debentures that bear interest at 6.9% and will mature on July 12, 2006. As these debentures mature within the next year, they have been classified on the balance sheet as current obligations. We do not expect any difficulties in meeting these obligations by their respective maturity dates. In addition to cash from operations, debt is used to provide liquidity. Cameco has sufficient borrowing capacity to meet its current requirements. Cameco has access to about $742 million in unsecured lines of credit. Commercial lenders Whilst nearly all lenders offer loans on a commercial basis the term commercial lender has differed meanings around the world.
A line of credit where the customer pays a commitment fee and is then allowed to use the funds when they are needed. It is usually used for operating purposes, fluctuating each month depending on the customers current cash flow needs. facility, available until November 30, 2010, with annual extension provisions. Up to $100 million of this facility can be used to support letters of credit. The facility ranks equally with all of Cameco's other senior debt. At September 30, 2005, there were no amounts outstanding under these credit facilities credit facilities npl → facilidades fpl de crédito credit facilities npl → facilités fpl de paiement credit facilities . Cameco may borrow Borrow To obtain or receive money on loan with the promise or understanding that it will be repaid. directly from investors by issuing commercial paper up to a maximum of $400 million. To the extent necessary, we use the revolving credit facility to, among other things, provide liquidity support for its commercial paper program. At September 30, 2005, there were no amounts outstanding under the commercial paper program. Cameco also has agreements with various financial institutions to provide up to $242 million in short-term Short-term Any investments with a maturity of one year or less. short-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss on the value of an asset that has been held less than a specified period of time. borrowing and letter of credit facilities. These arrangements are predominantly pre·dom·i·nant adj. 1. Having greatest ascendancy, importance, influence, authority, or force. See Synonyms at dominant. 2. used to fulfill ful·fill also ful·fil tr.v. ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils 1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises. 2. regulatory requirements Regulatory requirements are part of the process of drug discovery and drug development. Regulatory requirements describe what is necessary for a new drug to be approved for marketing in any particular country. to provide financial assurance for future reclamation of our operating sites. Outstanding letters of credit at September 30, 2005 amounted to $201 million. SHARE CAPITAL At September 30, 2005, there were 174.4 million common shares and one Class B share outstanding. In addition, there were 4.8 million stock options outstanding with exercise prices ranging from $5.00 to $54.08 per share. Cameco also had convertible debentures Convertible Debenture Any type of debenture that can be converted into some other security. Notes: For example, a convertible bond can be converted into stock. in the amount of $230 million outstanding. This issue may be converted into a total of 10.6 million common shares at a conversion price of $21.67 per share. The debentures are redeemable Redeemable Eligible for redemption under the terms of an indenture. by Cameco beginning on October 1, 2008 at a redemption price Redemption price See: Call price redemption price 1. The price at which an open-end investment company will buy back its shares from the owners. In most cases, the redemption price is the net asset value per share. 2. of par plus accrued ac·crue v. ac·crued, ac·cru·ing, ac·crues v.intr. 1. To come to one as a gain, addition, or increment: interest accruing in my savings account. 2. and unpaid interest. At current share prices, we expect existing holders to convert to equity. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Cameco buys a significant amount of goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. for its Saskatchewan mining operations from northern Saskatchewan suppliers to support economic development in the region. One such supplier is Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership. Harry Cook, a director of Cameco, was the chair of this company and was also the chief of Lac LaRonge Indian Band, which owns Kitsaki. In the first nine months of 2005, we paid Kitsaki subsidiary companies $22.7 million for transportation and catering services. Chief Cook retired as chief of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and chair of Kitsaki as of March 31, 2005. Mr. Cook may continue to be affiliated af·fil·i·ate v. af·fil·i·at·ed, af·fil·i·at·ing, af·fil·i·ates v.tr. 1. To adopt or accept as a member, subordinate associate, or branch: with the Band and Kitsaki. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING for·ward-look·ing adj. Concerned with or making provision for the future: forward-looking educators; a forward-looking corporate plan. Adj. 1. INFORMATION Statements contained in this news release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied Inferred from circumstances; known indirectly. In its legal application, the term implied is used in contrast with express, where the intention regarding the subject matter is explicitly and directly indicated. by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences, without limiting the generality gen·er·al·i·ty n. pl. gen·er·al·i·ties 1. The state or quality of being general. 2. An observation or principle having general application; a generalization. 3. of the following, include: volatility and sensitivity to market prices for uranium, electricity in Ontario and gold; the impact of the sales volume of uranium, conversion services, electricity generated and gold; competition; the impact of change in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates; imprecision im·pre·cise adj. Not precise. im pre·cise ly adv. in decommissioning Decommissioning is a general term for a formal process to remove something from operational status. Some specific instances include:
n. pl. ge·ol·o·gies 1. The scientific study of the origin, history, and structure of the earth. 2. The structure of a specific region of the earth's crust. 3. A book on geology. or hydrological hy·drol·o·gy n. The scientific study of the properties, distribution, and effects of water on the earth's surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere. conditions; adverse mining conditions; political risks arising from operating in certain developing countries; a possible deterioration de·te·ri·o·ra·tion n. The process or condition of becoming worse. in political support for nuclear energy; changes in government regulations and policies, including tax and trade laws and policies; demand for nuclear power; replacement of production and failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities; legislative and regulatory initiatives regarding deregulation Deregulation The reduction or elimination of government power in a particular industry, usually enacted to create more competition within the industry. Notes: Traditional areas that have been deregulated are the telephone and airline industries. , regulation or restructuring of the electric utility industry in Ontario; Ontario electricity rate regulations; weather and other natural phenomena; ability to maintain and further improve positive labour relations labour relations (US), labor relations npl → relations fpl dans l'entreprise labour relations labour npl → Beziehungen pl ; operating performance and life of the facilities; decrease in electrical production due to planned outages extending beyond their scheduled periods or unplanned outages; success of planned development projects; terrorism terrorism, the threat or use of violence, often against the civilian population, to achieve political or social ends, to intimidate opponents, or to publicize grievances. ; sabotage sabotage [Fr., sabot=wooden shoe; hence, to work clumsily], form of direct action by workers against employers through obstruction of work and/or lowering of plant efficiency. Methods range from peaceful slowing of production to destruction of property. ; and other development and operating risks Operating risk The inherent or fundamental risk of a firm, without regard to financial risk. The risk that is created by operating leverage. Also called business risk. . Although Cameco believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this report. Cameco disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
INVESTOR INFORMATION
Common Shares Inquiries Transfer Agent
CCO Cameco Corporation CIBC Mellon Trust
Toronto Stock Exchange 2121 - 11th Street West Company
Saskatoon, 320 Bay Street,
CCJ Saskatchewan P.O. Box 1
New York Stock Exchange S7M 1J3 Toronto, Ontario
Phone: 306-956-6200 M5H 4A6
Fax: 306-956-6318
CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES Web: www.cameco.com Phone: 800-387-0825
CCO.DB (North America)
Toronto Stock Exchange Phone: 416-643-5500
(outside North
America)
Cameco Corporation
Highlights
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04 Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
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Financial (in millions)
Revenue $ 287 $ 313 $ 790 $ 688
Earnings from
operations 14 32 66 80
Net earnings 78 52 136 242
Cash provided by
operations 148 140 186 169
Working capital
(end of period) 561 594
Net debt to
capitalization 14% 14%
Per common share
Net earnings - Basic $0.45 $0.30 $0.79 $1.42
- Diluted 0.43 0.29 0.76 1.35
Dividend 0.06 0.05 0.18 0.15
Weighted average number
of paid common shares
outstanding
(in thousands) 174,266 171,753 173,752 171,015
Average uranium spot
price for the period
(US$/lb) $30.41 $19.29 $26.63 $17.94
Sales volumes
Uranium
(in thousands lbs U3O8) 7,634 9,553 18,702 21,658
Uranium conversion (tU) 4,210 4,375 9,635 11,542
Gold (troy ounces) 178,000 218,000 624,000 415,000
Electricity (TWh) 2.9 2.8 7.8 8.3
Note: Currency amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless
stated otherwise.
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Cameco Cameco's Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
Production Share Sept 30/05 Sept 30/04 Sept 30/05 Sept 30/04
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Uranium
production
(in thousands
lbs U3O8)
McArthur River 69.8% 3,932 3,175 10,421 9,062
Rabbit Lake 100.0% 1,446 1,215 4,503 3,862
Crow Butte 100.0% 199 210 631 618
Smith Ranch
Highland 100.0% 325 312 945 878
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Total 5,902 4,912 16,500 14,420
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Uranium
conversion(tU) 100.0% 2,382 - 8,575 7,060
Gold (troy ounces)
Kumtor (i) 100.0% 123,000 167,000 403,000 519,000
Boroo (ii) 100.0% 71,000 69,000 218,000 151,000
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Total 194,000 236,000 621,000 670,000
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(i) Cameco's effective ownership interest in Kumtor was 33.3% for
the first six months of 2004.
(ii) Quantity reported for Boroo in 2004 excludes 28,000 ounces
produced prior to declaration of commercial production.
Cameco's effective ownership interest in Boroo is about 53%.
Cameco Corporation
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)
(In Thousands)
As At
--------------------------
Sept 30/05 Dec 31/04
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Assets
Current assets
Cash $ 295,199 $ 189,532
Accounts receivable 100,394 182,951
Inventories 527,493 386,936
Supplies and prepaid expenses 111,188 90,923
Current portion of long-term
receivables, investments and other 741 898
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1,035,015 851,240
Property, plant and equipment 2,297,108 2,281,418
Long-term receivables, investments
and other 793,985 732,262
Goodwill (note 10) 180,574 187,184
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3,271,667 3,200,864
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Total assets $4,306,682 $4,052,104
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---------------------------------------------------------------------
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 251,231 $ 231,697
Dividends payable 10,462 8,652
Current portion of long-term debt
(note 3) 150,000 -
Current portion of other liabilities 4,077 17,317
Future income taxes 57,799 38,653
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473,569 296,319
Long-term debt (note 3) 504,076 518,603
Provision for reclamation 166,845 166,941
Other liabilities 27,290 31,086
Future income taxes 502,722 533,024
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1,674,502 1,545,973
Minority interest 355,040 345,611
Shareholders' equity
Share capital 772,387 750,559
Contributed surplus 520,098 511,674
Retained earnings 1,044,038 938,809
Cumulative translation account (59,383) (40,522)
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2,277,140 2,160,520
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Total liabilities and shareholders'
equity $4,306,682 $4,052,104
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See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
Cameco Corporation
Consolidated Statements of Earnings
(Unaudited)
(In Thousands)
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
Sept 30/05 Sept 30/04 Sept 30/05 Sept 30/04
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Revenue from
Products and services $287,037 $313,198 $ 790,390 $ 687,806
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Expenses
Products and
services sold 178,478 187,023 472,933 408,736
Depreciation,
depletion and
reclamation 48,272 58,310 130,633 120,521
Administration 25,560 19,728 76,174 49,515
Exploration 16,126 11,032 39,788 22,072
Research and
development 554 445 1,924 1,341
Interest and
other (note 5) 3,869 5,225 4,492 7,427
Gain on sale of assets (133) (313) (1,448) (1,459)
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272,726 281,450 724,496 608,153
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Earnings from operations 14,311 31,748 65,894 79,653
Earnings from
Bruce Power 97,091 28,166 140,548 119,162
Other income
(expense) (note 6) (3,698) 15,825 (3,382) 132,696
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Earnings before
income taxes
and minority interest 107,704 75,739 203,060 331,511
Income tax
expense (note 7) 25,945 8,819 44,243 68,629
Minority interest 3,994 15,354 22,329 20,802
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Net earnings $ 77,765 $ 51,566 $ 136,488 $ 242,080
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Basic earnings per
common share (note 8) $ 0.45 $ 0.30 $ 0.79 $ 1.42
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Diluted earnings per
common share (note 8) $ 0.43 $ 0.29 $ 0.76 $ 1.35
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Cameco Corporation
Consolidated Statements of Retained Earnings
(Unaudited)
(In Thousands)
Nine Months Ended
Sept 30/05 Sept 30/04
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Retained earnings at beginning of period $ 938,809 $694,423
Net earnings 136,488 242,080
Dividends on common shares (31,259) (25,690)
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Retained earnings at end of period $1,044,038 $910,813
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See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
Cameco Corporation
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
(In Thousands)
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
Sept 30/05 Sept 30/04 Sept 30/05 Sept 30/04
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Operating activities
Net earnings $ 77,765 $ 51,566 $ 136,488 $ 242,080
Items not requiring
(providing) cash:
Depreciation,
depletion and
reclamation 48,272 58,310 130,633 120,521
Provision for
future taxes (note 7) 17,015 8,452 19,985 60,671
Deferred revenue
recognized (10,102) (4,521) (39,894) (11,500)
Unrealized (gains)
losses on derivatives 2,949 734 5,551 (3,623)
Stock-based
compensation (note 9) 4,002 2,767 10,836 5,364
Gain on sale of assets (133) (313) (1,448) (1,459)
Earnings from
Bruce Power (97,091) (28,166) (140,548) (119,162)
Equity in (earnings)
loss from associated
companies (1,920) (90) (919) 309
Other (income) expense 6,323 (8,375) 6,323 (124,160)
Minority interest 3,994 15,354 22,329 20,802
Other operating
items (note 11) 97,017 44,244 37,108 (20,756)
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Cash provided by
operations 148,091 139,962 186,444 169,087
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Investing activities
Acquisition of net
business assets, net
of cash acquired - - - (3,717)
Additions to property,
plant and equipment (72,535) (41,032) (173,699) (87,532)
Increase in long-term
receivables, investments
and other (963) (1,869) (5,389) (4,015)
Proceeds on sale
of property, plant
and equipment 42 284 1,225 1,306
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Cash used in investing (73,456) (42,617) (177,863) (93,958)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Financing activities
Decrease in debt (320,597) (53,352) (166,233) (58,527)
Short-term financing - - (14,544) -
Issue of debentures,
net of issue costs 297,750 - 297,750 -
Issue of shares 4,516 11,497 19,395 28,258
Subsidiary issue
of shares - 27,609 - 101,234
Dividends (10,451) (8,581) (29,507) (25,640)
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Cash provided by
(used in) financing (28,782) (22,827) 106,861 45,325
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Increase in cash
during the period 45,853 74,518 115,442 120,454
Exchange rate changes
on foreign currency
cash balances (11,300) (7,881) (9,775) (7,176)
Cash at beginning
of period 260,646 130,710 189,532 84,069
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Cash at end of period $295,199 $197,347 $ 295,199 $ 197,347
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---------------------------------------------------------------------
Supplemental cash flow disclosure
Interest paid $ 7,250 $ 9,315 $ 20,812 $ 27,192
Income taxes paid $ 5,625 $ 4,280 $ 40,024 $ 16,205
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See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
Cameco Corporation
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
1. Accounting Policies These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and follow the same accounting principles and methods of application as the most recent annual consolidated financial statements. Since the interim financial statements do not include all disclosures required by GAAP, they should be read in conjunction with Cameco's annual consolidated financial statements included in the 2004 annual report. Certain comparative figures for the prior period have been reclassified to conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" the current period's presentation.
2. Bruce Power
(a) Summary Financial Information - Bruce Power Limited Partnership
(100% basis)
(i) Income Statements
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Nine Months Ended
(millions) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
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Revenue $1,453 $1,228
Operating costs 966 833
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Earnings before interest and taxes 487 395
Interest 52 50
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Earnings before taxes 435 345
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Cameco's share (a) 137 109
Adjustments (b) 4 10
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Cameco's share of earnings before taxes $ 141 $ 119
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(a) Cameco's interest in Bruce Power earnings is 31.6%.
(b) In addition to its proportionate share of earnings from Bruce
Power, Cameco records certain adjustments to account for any
differences in accounting policy and to amortize fair values
assigned to assets and liabilities at the time of acquisition.
(ii) Balance Sheets
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(millions) Sep 30/05 Dec 31/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Assets
Current assets $ 499 $ 390
Property, plant and equipment 2,341 2,233
Long-term receivables and investments 138 172
---------------------------------------------------------------------
$ 2,978 $ 2,795
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Liabilities and Partners' Capital
Current liabilities $ 212 $ 246
Long-term debt 1,123 1,126
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1,335 1,372
Partners' capital 1,643 1,423
---------------------------------------------------------------------
$ 2,978 $ 2,795
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(iii) Cash Flows
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Nine Months Ended
(millions) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash provided by operations $508 $446
Cash used in investing (249) (263)
Cash used in financing (217) (111)
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---------------------------------------------------------------------
(b) Financial Assurances Cameco has provided the following financial assurances on behalf of the partnership, with varying terms that range from 2004 to 2018: (i) Licensing assurances to Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission of $24,000,000. (ii) Guarantees to customers under power sale agreements of up to $152,000,000. Cameco's actual exposure under these guarantees was $133,000,000 at September 30, 2005. (iii) Termination The point where a line, channel or circuit ends. See SCSI termination and hybrid. payments to Ontario Power Generation Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is a public company whose shares are wholly owned by the Government of Ontario. It is responsible for approximately 70% of the electricity generation in the province of Ontario, Canada [1]. Inc. pursuant to the lease agreement of $58,000,000. (c) Subsequent Event On October 31, 2005, a new Bruce A limited partnership was formed to hold the lease for the four Bruce A reactors. Cameco is not part of this new partnership but it has maintained its existing 31.6% interest in the Bruce Power Limited Partnership (BPLP), which will retain ownership of the four Bruce B reactors. BPLP will receive an initial payment for the assets transferred to the Bruce A partnership which will result in a special distribution to the partners. Cameco's share of the special distribution will be approximately $200,000,000. The reorganization The process of carrying out, through agreements and legal proceedings, a business plan for winding up the affairs of, or foreclosing a mortgage upon, the property of a corporation that has become insolvent. involving Bruce A triggers a loss of about $63,000,000 (Cameco's share after tax) subject to closing adjustments, which may increase or decrease the amount. This loss will be recognized in the fourth quarter. 3. Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt Loans and financial obligations lasting over one year. Notes: For example debts obligations such as bonds and notes which have maturities greater than one year would be considered long-term debt. The fair value of the outstanding convertible debentures based on the quoted market price of the debentures at September 30, 2005 was approximately $688,000,000. Cameco completed a $300,000,000 debt issuance on September 16, 2005 in the form of unsecured debentures. These debentures bear interest at a rate of 4.7% per annum Per annum Yearly. and mature September 16, 2015. Cameco has $50,000,000 outstanding in senior unsecured debentures that bear interest at a rate of 7.0% per annum and mature July 6, 2006. Cameco also has $100,000,000 outstanding in senior unsecured debentures that bear interest at a rate of 6.9% per annum and mature July 12, 2006. During the quarter, these amounts were reclassified from long-term to current. 4. Share Capital (a) At September 30, 2005, there were 174,368,941 common shares outstanding. (b) Options in respect of 4,758,340 shares are outstanding under the stock option plan and are exercisable up to 2015. Upon exercise of certain existing options, additional options in respect of 83,000 shares would be granted.
5. Interest and Other
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
(thousands) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04 Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Interest on
long-term debt $ 9,026 $ 10,341 $ 24,252 $ 30,128
Other interest and
financing charges 353 1,115 1,201 2,176
Interest income (2,366) (966) (5,513) (2,712)
Foreign exchange
(gains) losses 627 79 (276) (604)
(Gains) losses on
derivatives 2,723 734 2,556 (3,623)
Capitalized interest (6,494) (6,078) (17,728) (17,938)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net $ 3,869 $ 5,225 $ 4,492 $ 7,427
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Other Income (Expense)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
(thousands) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04 Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Restructuring of
gold business $ - $ 6,899 $ - $ 123,512
South Texas Project
break fee - 8,110 - 8,110
Dividends on
portfolio investments 705 726 2,022 1,383
Writedown of
portfolio investments (6,323) - (6,323) -
Equity in earnings
(loss) of associated
companies 1,920 90 919 (309)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net $ (3,698) $ 15,825 $ (3,382) $ 132,696
---------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Income Tax Expense
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
(thousands) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04 Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Current income taxes $ 8,930 $ 367 $24,258 $ 7,958
Future income taxes 17,015 8,452 19,985 60,671
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Income tax expense $25,945 $8,819 $44,243 $68,629
---------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Per Share Amounts
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
(thousands) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04 Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic earnings
per share
computation
Net earnings $77,765 $51,566 $136,488 $242,080
Weighted average common
shares outstanding 174,266 171,753 173,752 171,015
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic earnings per
common share $ 0.45 $ 0.30 $ 0.79 $ 1.42
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Diluted earnings
per share
computation
Net earnings $77,765 $51,566 $136,488 $242,080
Dilutive effect of:
Convertible debentures 2,101 1,845 6,268 5,798
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings, assuming
dilution $79,866 $53,411 $142,756 $247,878
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Weighted average common
shares outstanding 174,266 171,753 173,752 171,015
Dilutive effect of:
Convertible debentures 10,614 10,614 10,614 10,614
Stock options 2,702 2,715 2,469 2,169
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Weighted average common
shares outstanding,
assuming dilution 187,582 185,082 186,835 183,798
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Diluted earnings per
common share $ 0.43 $ 0.29 $ 0.76 $ 1.35
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Approximately 1,200,000 options whose exercise price was greater than
the average market price were excluded from the calculation.
9. Stock-Based Compensation Stock Option Plan Cameco has established a stock option plan under which options to purchase common shares may be granted to directors, officers and other employees of Cameco. Options granted under the stock option plan have an exercise price of not less than the closing price quoted on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) for the common shares of Cameco on the trading day In Business, the trading day is the time span that a particular stock exchange is open. For example, the New York Stock Exchange is, as of 2006, open from 09:30AM to 4:00PM. Trading days never take place on weekends. prior to the date on which the option is granted. The options vest over three years and expire expire /ex·pire/ (ek-spi´er) 1. to exhale. 2. to die. ex·pire v. 1. To breathe one's last breath; die. 2. To exhale. eight years from the date granted. Options granted prior to 1999 expire 10 years from the date of the grant of the option. The aggregate number of common shares that may be issued pursuant to the Cameco stock option plan shall not exceed 15,730,209, of which 9,397,357 shares have been issued. For the nine months ended September 30, 2005, Cameco has recorded compensation expense of $10,836,000 (2004 - $5,364,000) with an offsetting credit to contributed surplus to reflect the estimated fair value of stock options granted to employees in 2005. Cameco has applied the pro forma As a matter of form or for the sake of form. Used to describe accounting, financial, and other statements or conclusions based upon assumed or anticipated facts. The phrase pro forma disclosure provisions of the standard to awards granted on or after January 1, 2002 but prior to January 1, 2003. The pro forma effect of awards granted prior to January 1, 2002 has not been included. The pro forma net earnings, basic and diluted earnings per share diluted earnings per share An earnings measure calculated by dividing net income less preferred stock dividends for a period by the average number of shares of common stock that would be outstanding if all convertible securities were converted into shares of after giving effect to the grant of these options in 2002 are:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
(thousands) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04 Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings
- as reported $77,765 $51,566 $136,488 $242,080
Add: Stock option
employee compensation
expense included in
reported net earnings 4,002 2,767 10,836 5,364
Deduct: Total stock
option employee
compensation expense
determined under fair
value based method
for all awards (4,002) (2,918) (10,913) (5,817)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings - pro forma $77,765 $51,415 $136,411 $241,627
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Pro forma basic
earnings per share $ 0.45 $ 0.30 $ 0.79 $ 1.41
Pro forma diluted
earnings per share $ 0.43 $ 0.29 $ 0.76 $ 1.35
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The fair value of the options issued was determined using the
Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Nine Months Ended
(thousands) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of options granted 1,293,390 1,934,250
Average strike price $ 53.99 $ 21.81
Expected dividend $ 0.24 $ 0.20
Expected volatility 34% 37%
Risk-free interest rate 3.5% 3.3%
Expected life of option 4 years 4 years
Expected forfeitures 15% 15%
Weighted average grant date fair values $ 16.64 $ 6.78
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Performance Share Unit (PSU PSU - power supply unit ), Deferred Share Unit (DSU 1. (communications) DSU - Data Service Unit. 2. DSU - Disk Subsystem Unit (Artecon). 3. (humour) DSU - Dwarf Storage Unit. ), and Other Plans Commencing in 2005, Cameco provides each executive officer an annual grant of PSUs in an amount determined by the Board. Each PSU represents one phantom common share that entitles the participant Participant A party of a funding. It usually refers to the lowest rank or smallest level of funding. to a payment of one Cameco common share purchased on the open market, or cash at the Board's discretion, at the end of each three-year period if certain performance and vesting Vesting The process by which employees accrue non-forfeitable rights over employer contributions that are made to the employee's qualified retirement plan account. Notes: criteria criteria (krītēr´ē n. have been met. The final value of the PSUs will be based on the value of Cameco common shares at the end of the three-year period and the number of PSUs that ultimately vest. Vesting of PSUs at the end of the three-year period will be based on total shareholder return over the three years, Cameco's ability to meet its annual cash flow from operations Cash flow from operations A firm's net cash inflow resulting directly from its regular operations (disregarding extraordinary items such as the sale of fixed assets or transaction costs associated with issuing securities), calculated as the sum of net income plus noncash expenses targets and whether the participating executive remains employed by Cameco at the end of the three-year vesting period. As of September 30, 2005, the total PSUs held by the executive was 98,100. Cameco offers a deferred share unit plan to non-employee directors. A DSU is a notional no·tion·al adj. 1. Of, containing, or being a notion; mental or imaginary. 2. Speculative or theoretical. 3. unit that reflects the market value of a single common share of Cameco. In the nine months ended September 30, 2005, sixty percent of each director's annual retainer A contract between attorney and client specifying the nature of the services to be rendered and the cost of the services. Retainer also denotes the fee that the client pays when employing an attorney to act on her behalf. was paid in DSUs. In addition, on an annual basis directors can elect to receive the remaining forty percent of their annual retainer and any additional fees in the form of DSUs. Each DSU fully vests upon award. The DSUs will be redeemed re·deem tr.v. re·deemed, re·deem·ing, re·deems 1. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum. 2. To pay off (a promissory note, for example). 3. for cash upon a director leaving the board. The redemption The liberation of an estate in real property from a mortgage. Redemption is the process by which land that has been mortgaged or pledged is bought back or reclaimed. It is accomplished through a payment of the debt owed or a fulfillment of the other conditions. amount will be based upon the weighted average of the closing prices of the common shares of Cameco on the TSX for the last twenty trading days prior to the redemption date Redemption date The date on which a bond matures or is redeemed. redemption date The date on which a debt security is scheduled to be redeemed by the issuer. The redemption date is the scheduled maturity date or, if applicable, a call date. multiplied mul·ti·ply 1 v. mul·ti·plied, mul·ti·ply·ing, mul·ti·plies v.tr. 1. To increase the amount, number, or degree of. 2. Mathematics To perform multiplication on. by the number of DSUs held by the director. As of September 30, 2005, the total DSUs held by participating directors was 130,887 (September 30, 2004 - 114,550). Cameco makes annual grants of bonuses to eligible non-North American American, river, 30 mi (48 km) long, rising in N central Calif. in the Sierra Nevada and flowing SW into the Sacramento River at Sacramento. The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill (see Sutter, John Augustus) along the river in 1848 led to the California gold rush of employees in the form of phantom stock Phantom stock is essentially a cash bonus plan, although some plans pay out the benefits in the form of shares. Phantom stock provides a cash or stock bonus based on the value of a stated number of shares, to be paid out at the end of a specified period of time. options. Options under this plan are not physically granted; rather employees receive the equivalent value of shares in cash when exercised. Options granted under the phantom stock option plan have an award value equal to the closing price quoted on the TSX for the common shares of Cameco on the trading day prior to the date on which the option is granted. The options vest over three years and expire eight years from the date granted. As of September 30, 2005, the number of options held by participating employees was 243,780 (September 30, 2004 - 348,300) with exercise prices ranging from $9.61 to $54.08 per share (September 30, 2004 - $9.61 to $21.03) and a weighted average exercise price of $23.53 (September 30, 2004 - $16.16).
Cameco has recognized the following amounts for these plans:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
(thousands) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04 Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Performance share units $ 587 $ - $ 1,183 $ -
Deferred share units 1,041 625 2,678 989
Phantom stock options 2,002 1,664 5,788 2,118
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Goodwill
The acquisitions undertaken as part of the 2004 gold restructuring
were accounted for using the purchase method whereby assets and
liabilities assumed were recorded at their fair market value as of
the date of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over such
fair value was recorded as goodwill. The change in goodwill is due
to the following:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(thousands)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance, beginning of period $187,184
Change in foreign exchange rate (6,610)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance, end of period $180,574
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Cameco tests goodwill for possible impairment Impairment 1. A reduction in a company's stated capital. 2. The total capital that is less than the par value of the company's capital stock. Notes: 1. This is usually reduced because of poorly estimated losses or gains. 2. on an annual basis and at any other time if an event occurs or circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. During the third quarter of 2005, Cameco completed the goodwill impairment test for all reporting units. The results of this test have indicated there is no impairment.
11. Statements of Cash Flows
Other Operating Items
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
(thousands) Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04 Sep 30/05 Sep 30/04
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventories $(44,372) $ 28,716 $(134,574) $(57,496)
Accounts receivable 30,085 67,480 87,962 93,194
Accounts payable and
accrued liabilities 55,082 (26,090) (8,260) (31,474)
Bruce Power
distribution 52,140 - 67,940 -
Other 4,082 (25,862) 24,040 (24,980)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Total $ 97,017 $ 44,244 $ 37,108 $(20,756)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Commitments and Contingencies Contingencies (ISSN 1048-9851) is the bimonthly magazine of the American Academy of Actuaries, providing a large and diverse readership with general interest and technical articles on a wide range of issues related to the actuarial profession. (a) Cameco signed a toll-conversion agreement with British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL BNFL British Nuclear Fuels LTD ) to acquire uranium UF6 conversion services from BNFL's Springfields plant in Lancashire Lancashire (lăng`kəshĭr, –shər), county (1991 pop. 1,365,100), 1,878 sq mi (4,864 sq km), N England, on the Irish Sea. The county town is Lancaster. , United Kingdom. Under the 10-year agreement, BNFL will annually convert a base quantity of 5 million kgU as UO3 to UF6 for Cameco. (b) In its financial statements for the second quarter of 2005, Cameco reported on the Kyrgyz tax authorities' state tax audit and customs audit of Centerra's 100% subsidiary, Kumtor Gold Company (Kumtor). During the quarter, Kumtor filed normal-course objections to the tax and customs assessments. Following arguments presented by Kumtor, the regulators reversed the previous denial of loss carry-forwards that would have had a negative cash tax effect of $12,000,000 over a three-year period. The outcome of the other tax audit objections, currently under consideration by the regulators, is not expected to have a material impact on Cameco's financial position. Discussions with the customs audit officials regarding Kumtor's formal objection notice filed during the third quarter are continuing. We believe the outcome of these proceedings will not have a material impact on Cameco's financial position. (c) In its financial statements for the second quarter of 2005, Cameco reported on requests for information from the State Auditing Chamber of the Kyrgyz Republic. The Chamber recently released its report. We believe none of the issues raised in the report will have a material impact on Cameco's financial position. Kumtor has subsequently provided the authorities with further information and documents in response to the report. (d) A jury action was commenced by Oren Benton Benton, city (1990 pop. 18,177), seat of Saline co., central Ark.; founded 1836. Once a significant aluminum producer, the city manufactures fabricated-metal and wood products. on November 28, 2000 in the State of Colorado Colorado, state, United States Colorado (kŏlərăd`ə, –răd`ō, –rä`dō), state, W central United States, one of the Rocky Mt. states. , USA, against Cameco. The action claims in excess of $200,000,000 (US) for breach of contract, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, and tortuous tor·tu·ous adj. Having many turns; winding or twisting. tortuous adjective Referring to complexly twisted thing. Cf Tortious. interference interference, in physics, the effect produced by the combination or superposition of two systems of Waves, in which these waves reinforce, neutralize, or in other ways interfere with each other. with contractual relations and/or business expectations. Cameco's motion to dismiss dismiss v. the ruling by a judge that all or a portion (one or more of the causes of action) of the plaintiff's lawsuit is terminated (thrown out) at that point without further evidence or testimony. the claim was granted by Senior Judge Daniel Daniel, book of the Bible Daniel, book of the Bible. It combines "court" tales, perhaps originating from the 6th cent. B.C., and a series of apocalyptic visions arising from the time of the Maccabean emergency (167–164 B.C. B. Sparr by order filed November 15, 2002 and Mr. Benton's claim was dismissed dis·miss tr.v. dis·missed, dis·miss·ing, dis·miss·es 1. To end the employment or service of; discharge. 2. . Mr. Benton has unsuccessfully un·suc·cess·ful adj. 1. Having an unfavorable outcome: an unsuccessful venture. 2. Failing to attain something desired or intended: an unsuccessful entrepreneur. appealed this decision and his appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court of the United States Final court of appeal in the U.S. judicial system and final interpreter of the Constitution of the United States. The Supreme Court was created by the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as the head of a federal court system, though it was was also denied. On October 9, 2005, Oren Benton filed a claim in Regina Regina (rĭjī`nə), city (1991 pop. 179,178), provincial capital, S Sask., Canada, on Wascana Creek. The city is the distribution and service center for one of the world's largest wheat-growing areas. , Saskatchewan. The claim is similar to the action he commenced in Colorado other than it does not specify an amount of damages claimed. Cameco believes the claim is without merit. 13. Related Party Transactions The company purchases a significant amount of goods and services for its Saskatchewan mining operations from northern Saskatchewan suppliers to support economic development in the region. One such supplier is Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership (Kitsaki). Harry Cook, a director of Cameco, was the chair of the company and was also the chief of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, which owns Kitsaki. In the nine months ended September 30, 2005, Cameco has paid Kitsaki subsidiary companies $22,700,000 (2004 - $18,500,000) for transportation and catering services. The transactions were conducted in the normal course of business and were accounted for at the exchange amount. Accounts payable include a balance of $1,854,000 (2004 - $536,000) resulting from these transactions.
14. Segmented Information
For the three months ended (a)
September 30, 2005 Uranium Conversion Power Gold
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $ 154,490 $ 39,035 $ 206,408 $ 93,512
Expenses
Products and
services sold 92,575 32,219 84,687 53,684
Depreciation,
depletion and
reclamation 29,238 2,133 18,972 16,901
Exploration 7,825 - - 8,301
Research and
development - 554 - -
Other (income) expense (4,643) - 5,658 -
Gain on sale of assets (69) - - (64)
Earnings from
Bruce Power
Non-segmented expenses
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before
income taxes
and minority
interest 29,564 4,129 97,091 14,690
Income tax expense
Minority interest
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
For the three months ended (a)
September 30, 2005 Subtotal Adjustments Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $493,445 $(206,408) $287,037
Expenses
Products and services sold 263,165 (84,687) 178,478
Depreciation, depletion
and reclamation 67,244 (18,972) 48,272
Exploration 16,126 - 16,126
Research and development 554 - 554
Other (income) expense 1,015 (5,658) (4,643)
Gain on sale of assets (133) - (133)
Earnings from Bruce Power (97,091) (97,091)
Non-segmented expenses - 37,770
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before income taxes
and minority interest 145,474 - 107,704
Income tax expense 25,945
Minority interest 3,994
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings $ 77,765
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
For the three months ended (a)
September 30, 2004 Uranium Conversion Power Gold
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $ 163,474 $ 34,463 $ 129,655 $ 115,261
Expenses
Products and
services sold 106,794 31,012 80,359 49,217
Depreciation,
depletion and
reclamation 31,631 2,897 17,774 23,782
Exploration 5,695 - - 5,337
Research and
development - 445 - -
Other (income)
expense (956) - 3,356 (6,768)
Gain on sale
of assets (313) - - -
Earnings from
Bruce Power
Non-segmented
expenses
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before
income taxes and
minority interest 20,623 109 28,166 43,693
Income tax expense
Minority interest
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
For the three months ended (a)
September 30, 2004 Subtotal Adjustments Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $442,853 $(129,655) $313,198
Expenses
Products and services sold 267,382 (80,359) 187,023
Depreciation, depletion and
reclamation 76,084 (17,774) 58,310
Exploration 11,032 - 11,032
Research and development 445 - 445
Other (income) expense (4,368) (3,356) (7,724)
Gain on sale of assets (313) - (313)
Earnings from Bruce Power (28,166) (28,166)
Non-segmented expenses 16,852
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before income taxes
and minority interest 92,591 - 75,739
Income tax expense 8,819
Minority interest 15,354
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings $ 51,566
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Consistent with the presentation of financial information for
internal management purposes, Cameco's pro rata share of Bruce
Power's financial results have been presented as a separate
segment. In accordance with GAAP, this investment is accounted
for by the equity method of accounting in these consolidated
financial statements and the associated revenues and expenses
are eliminated in the adjustments column.
14. Segmented Information
For the nine months ended (a)
September 30, 2005 Uranium Conversion Power Gold
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $ 371,582 $ 95,140 $ 469,187 $ 323,668
Expenses
Products and
services sold 226,187 67,168 258,220 179,578
Depreciation,
depletion and
reclamation 66,153 5,502 56,642 58,978
Exploration 16,831 - - 22,957
Research and
development - 1,924 - -
Other (income)
expense (5,618) - 13,777 -
Gain on sale of
assets (197) (2) - (1,249)
Earnings from
Bruce Power
Non-segmented expenses
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before income
taxes and minority
interest 68,226 20,548 140,548 63,404
Income tax expense
Minority interest
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
For the nine months ended (a)
September 30, 2005 Subtotal Adjustments Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $1,259,577 $(469,187) $790,390
Expenses
Products and services sold 731,153 (258,220) 472,933
Depreciation, depletion and
reclamation 187,275 (56,642) 130,633
Exploration 39,788 - 39,788
Research and development 1,924 - 1,924
Other (income) expense 8,159 (13,777) (5,618)
Gain on sale of assets (1,448) - (1,448)
Earnings from Bruce Power (140,548) (140,548)
Non-segmented expenses - 89,666
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before income taxes
and minority interest 292,726 - 203,060
Income tax expense 44,243
Minority interest 22,329
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings $136,488
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
For the nine months ended (a)
September 30, 2004 Uranium Conversion Power Gold
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $ 377,968 $ 97,530 $ 402,616 $ 212,308
Expenses
Products and
services sold 249,631 68,614 226,288 90,491
Depreciation,
depletion and
reclamation 69,131 6,586 49,029 44,804
Exploration 11,589 - - 10,483
Research and
development - 1,341 - -
Other (income) expense (473) - 8,137 (124,093)
Gain on sale of assets (1,209) - - (250)
Earnings from Bruce Power
Non-segmented expenses
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before
income taxes and
minority interest 49,299 20,989 119,162 190,873
Income tax expense
Minority interest
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
For the nine months ended (a)
September 30, 2004 Subtotal Adjustments Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $1,090,422 $(402,616) $687,806
Expenses
Products and services sold 635,024 (226,288) 408,736
Depreciation, depletion
and reclamation 169,550 (49,029) 120,521
Exploration 22,072 - 22,072
Research and development 1,341 - 1,341
Other (income) expense (116,429) (8,137) (124,566)
Gain on sale of assets (1,459) - (1,459)
Earnings from Bruce Power (119,162) (119,162)
Non-segmented expenses - 48,812
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings before income taxes
and minority interest 380,323 - 331,511
Income tax expense 68,629
Minority interest 20,802
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Net earnings $242,080
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Consistent with the presentation of financial information for
internal management purposes, Cameco's pro rata share of Bruce
Power's financial results have been presented as a separate
segment. In accordance with GAAP, this investment is accounted
for by the equity method of accounting in these consolidated
financial statements and the associated revenues and expenses
are eliminated in the adjustments column.
Cameco Corporation (TSX:CCO) (NYSE:CCJ) |
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