The world’s top 40 miners saw returns hitting decade-low in 2014 — report – Mining.com

June 4, 2015

The world’s 40 largest mining companies shed $156 billion in market value last year, or about 16% of their combined worth, the lowest since at least 2003 as a result of a sustained fall in commodity prices, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

In its latest report, published Thursday, PwC said the unexpected, but major drop in iron ore prices was what largely drove the steep decline in investment returns, but coal and copper also contributed to it.

In fact, the only commodities that generated higher revenues for miners compared with their 2013 results were nickel, zinc and platinum, adds the report.

The drop in investment returns was the second straight year of decline and left the combined market value about half what it was four years ago, according to PwC.

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