Avino Reports Q4 and YE 2020 Financial Results
Press Release
Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (ASM: TSX/NYSE American; FSE: GV6, “Avino” or “the Company”) released today its consolidated financial results for the Company’s fourth quarter and year end 2020. The Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) can be viewed on the Company’s web site at www.avino.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
David Wolfin, President and CEO commented, “2020 was a challenging year, and although we are relieved to put it behind us, the year can be marked as one of learning, patience, and a significant focus on the health and safety of the entire company spanning Mexico, Canada, and the US. The pandemic presented new challenges for our entire team and I am proud of the way we were united by our shared culture of discipline, flexibility and teamwork that made us stronger as a Company. Operations were temporarily suspended in April due to the pandemic; a phased ramp up started in June; and in early July, we were sidelined with a strike at the mine. Fortunately, the strike came to a successful conclusion in October. As we begin a new year, we are thrilled to have already reported an increase in measured and indicated mineral resources at the Avino property, and have kicked off the 2021 drill program, as well, we remain focused on ramping up operations at the Avino mine as we embark upon a busy and positive year ahead.”
Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial Highlights
- Ending cash balance of $11.7 million
- Ending working capital of $14.7 million
- Reduction in debt liabilities by $1.1 million
- Revenues from mining operations of $1.4 million
- Mine operating losses of $ 1.3 million, including $1.5 million in stand-by costs
- Net losses from continuing operations of $1.6 million, or $0.02 per share
- Losses before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”)3 of $2.3 million
- Adjusted losses3 of $0.2 million
- Consolidated cash production costs3, including standby costs, of $14.01 per silver equivalent payable ounce sold2
- Consolidated all-in sustaining cash costs, including standby costs of $1.5 million, (“AISC”)3 of $73.08 per silver payable equivalent ounce sold2 due to significantly lower ounces sold in the quarter
Full Year 2020 Financial Highlights
- Reduction in debt liabilities by $7.1 million
- Revenues from mining operations of $16.0 million
- Mine operating income of $0.2 million, including $2.4 million in stand-by costs
- Net loss from continuing operations of $7.5 million, or $0.09 per share
- Losses before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”)3 of $6.9 million
- Adjusted earnings3 of $1.5 million
- Consolidated cash production costs3, including standby costs, of $10.68 per silver equivalent payable ounce sold2
- Consolidated all-in sustaining cash costs, including standby costs of $2.4 million, (“AISC”)3 of $20.35 per silver payable equivalent ounce sold2
1. In 2020, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of $20.55 oz Ag, $1,769 oz Au and $2.80 lb Cu. In 2019, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of $16.20 oz Ag, $1,393 oz Au and $2.72 lb Cu. In Q4 2020, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of using metals prices of $24.39 oz Ag, $1,867 oz Au and $3.25 lb Cu. In Q4 2019, AgEq was calculated using metal prices of $17.32 oz Ag, $1,482 oz Au and $2.67 lb Cu.
2. “Silver equivalent payable ounces sold” for the purposes of cash costs and all-in sustaining costs consists of the sum of payable silver ounces, gold ounces and copper tonnes sold, multiplied by the ratio of the average spot gold and copper prices to the average spot silver price for the corresponding period.
3. The Company reports non-IFRS measures which include cash cost per silver equivalent payable ounce, all-in sustaining cash cost per payable ounce, EBITDA, adjusted earnings/losses, and cash flow per share. These measures are widely used in the mining industry as a benchmark for performance, but do not have a standardized meaning and the calculation methods may differ from methods used by other companies with similar reported measures. See Non-IFRS Measures section for further information and detailed reconciliations.
Financial Highlights
| HIGHLIGHTS (Expressed in 000’s of US$) |
Fourth Quarter 2020 |
Fourth Quarter 2019 |
Change | Year 2020 |
Year 2019 |
Change | ||||
| Financial Operating Performance | ||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 1,407 | $ | 10,427 | -87% | $ | 16,022 | $ | 31,746 | -50% |
| Mine operating (loss) income | $ | (1,251) | $ | (445) | 181% | $ | 190 | $ | (270) | 270% |
| Net loss from continuing operations | $ | (1,553) | $ | (126) | 1133% | $ | (7,482) | $ | (2,335) | 220% |
| Net loss including discontinued operations | $ | (1,555) | $ | (29,043) | -95% | $ | (7,651) | $ | (31,461) | -76% |
| Earnings (loss) before interest, taxes and amortization (“EBITDA”)1 | $ | (2,269) | $ | 1,342 | -269% | $ | (6,945) | $ | 462 | 1603% |
| Adjusted earnings (losses)1 | $ | (182) | $ | 1,568 | -112% | $ | 1,500 | $ | 1,929 | -22% |
| Per Share Amounts | ||||||||||
| Loss per share from cont. operations – basic | $ | (0.02) | $ | (0.00) | -% | $ | (0.09) | $ | (0.03) | -200% |
| Loss per share – basic | $ | (0.02) | $ | (0.38) | 95% | $ | (0.09) | $ | (0.45) | 80% |
| Cash Flow per share1 – basic | $ | (0.03) | $ | 0.01 | -400% | $ | (0.03) | $ | 0.02 | -250% |
| HIGHLIGHTS (Expressed in 000’s of US$) |
December 31, 2020 |
September 30, 2020 |
Change | December 31, 2020 |
December 31, 2019 |
Change | ||||
| Liquidity & Working Capital | ||||||||||
| Cash | $ | 11,713 | $ | 12,493 | -6% | $ | 11,713 | $ | 9,625 | 22% |
| Working capital | $ | 14,680 | $ | 16,859 | -13% | $ | 14,680 | $ | 13,209 | 11% |
1. The Company reports non-IFRS measures which include cash cost per silver equivalent payable ounce, all-in sustaining cash cost per payable ounce, EBITDA, adjusted earnings/losses, and cash flow per share. These measures are widely used in the mining industry as a benchmark for performance, but do not have a standardized meaning and the calculation methods may differ from methods used by other companies with similar reported measures. See Non-IFRS Measures section for further information and detailed reconciliations.
Costs and Capital Expenditures:
On a consolidated basis, the Company reduced its G&A expenditures by $0.3 million, or 9% for the full year 2020 compared to 2019.
Capital expenditures company-wide for the full year 2020, were $2.2 million compared to $9.0 million for 2019.
Capital expenditures at the Avino property mainly relate to finalizing key upgrades to mill equipment to boost gold recoveries as well as payments for items that are needed for the planned dry-stack tailings storage facility (“TSF #2”).
Operational Highlights and Overview
| HIGHLIGHTS (Expressed in US$) |
Fourth Quarter 2020 |
Fourth Quarter 2019 |
Change | Year 2020 |
Year 2019 |
Change | ||||
| Operating | ||||||||||
| Tonnes Milled | – | 188,436 | -100% | 204,286 | 789,660 | -74% | ||||
| Silver ounces produced | – | 220,804 | -100% | 317,299 | 958,811 | -67% | ||||
| Gold ounces produced | – | 2,031 | -100% | 1,935 | 6,912 | -72% | ||||
| Copper pounds produced | – | 1,389,515 | -100% | 2,267,939 | 4,970,254 | -54% | ||||
| Silver equivalent ounces1 produced | – | 608,640 | -100% | 842,230 | 2,397,042 | -65% | ||||
| Concentrate Sales and Cash Costs | ||||||||||
| Silver equivalent payable ounces sold2 | 59,710 | 700,191 | -91% | 1,071,367 | 2,345,453 | -54% | ||||
| Cash cost per silver equivalent payable ounce1,2,3 | $ | 14.01 | $ | 13.14 | 7% | $ | 10.68 | $ | 12.08 | -12% |
| All-in sustaining cash cost per silver equivalent payable ounce1,2,3 | $ | 73.08 | $ | 18.27 | 300% | $ | 20.35 | $ | 17.19 | 18% |
1. In 2020, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of $20.55 oz Ag, $1,769 oz Au and $2.80 lb Cu. In 2019, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of$16.20 oz Ag, $1,393 oz Au and $2.72 lb Cu. In Q4 2020, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of $24.39 oz Ag, $1,867 oz Au and $3.25 lb Cu. In Q4 2019, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of $17.32 oz Ag, $1,482 oz Au and $2.67 lb Cu.
2. “Silver equivalent payable ounces sold” for the purposes of cash costs and all-in sustaining costs consists of the sum of payable silver ounces, gold ounces and copper tonnes sold, before penalties, treatment charges, and refining charges, multiplied by the ratio of the average spot gold and copper prices to the average spot silver price for the corresponding period.
3. The Company reports non-IFRS measures which include cash cost per silver equivalent payable ounce, all-in sustaining cash cost per payable ounce, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and cash flow per share. These measures are widely used in the mining industry as a benchmark for performance, but do not have a standardized meaning and the calculation methods may differ from methods used by other companies with similar reported measures. See Non-IFRS Measures section for further information and detailed reconciliations.
During the Q4 2020, no production mining activities took place due to the work stoppage at the Avino Mine. Transitional efforts are underway to restart production and mining operations.
Operational Overview
Consolidated Production Tables
| Q4 2020 | |||||
| Production by Mine | Tonnes Processed |
Silver Oz |
Gold Oz |
Copper Lbs |
AgEq |
| Avino | – | – | – | – | – |
| Historic Above Ground Stockpiles | – | – | – | – | – |
| Consolidated | – | – | – | – | – |
| Year 2020 | |||||
| Production by Mine | Tonnes Processed |
Silver Oz |
Gold Oz |
Copper Lbs |
AgEq |
| Avino | 199,575 | 312,819 | 1,916 | 2,263,082 | 835,370 |
| Historic Above Ground Stockpiles | 4,711 | 4,480 | 19 | 4,857 | 6,860 |
| Consolidated | 204,286 | 317,299 | 1,935 | 2,267,939 | 842,230 |
| Q4 2020 | ||||||
| Grade & Recovery by Mine | Grade Ag g/t |
Grade Au g/t |
Grade Cu % |
Recovery Ag % |
Recovery Au % |
Recovery Cu % |
| Avino | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Historic Above Ground Stockpiles | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Consolidated | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Year 2020 | ||||||
| Grade & Recovery by Mine | Grade Ag g/t |
Grade Au g/t |
Grade Cu % |
Recovery Ag % |
Recovery Au % |
Recovery Cu % |
| Avino | 54 | 0.40 | 0.58 | 90% | 75% | 88% |
| Historic Above Ground Stockpiles | 59 | 0.31 | 0.15 | 50% | 41% | 31% |
| Consolidated | 54 | 0.40 | 0.57 | 89% | 74% | 87% |
Non-IFRS Measures
The financial results in this news release include references to cash flow per share, cash cost per silver equivalent ounce, and all-in sustaining cash cost per silver equivalent ounce, EBITDA, and adjusted earnings/losses, all of which are non-IFRS measures. These measures are used by the Company to manage and evaluate operating performance of the Company’s mining operations, and are widely reported in the silver and gold mining industry as benchmarks for performance, but do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS, and are disclosed in addition to the prescribed IFRS measures provided in the Company’s financial statements and MD&A.
Conference Call and Webcast
In addition, the Company will be holding a conference call and webcast on Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 8:00 am PST (11:00 am EST). Shareholders, analysts, investors and media are invited to join the webcast and conference call by logging in here Avino Fourth Quarter and Year End 2020 Financial Results Conference Call and Webcast or by dialing the following numbers five to ten minutes prior to the start time:
Toll Free Canada & USA: 1-800-319-4610
Outside of Canada & USA: 1-604-638-5340
No passcode is necessary to participate in the conference call or webcast; participants will have the opportunity to ask questions during the Q&A portion.
The conference call and webcast will be recorded, and the replay will be available on the Company’s web site later that day.
Qualified Person
Peter Latta, P.Eng, MBA, Avino’s VP Technical Services, who is a qualified person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical data in this document.
On Behalf of the Board
“David Wolfin”
IBF4
