Joint ventures and asset sales are expected to accelerate in the mining industry, which is ripe for consolidation due to the slowdown in manufacturing and demand growth for industrial metals, particularly in top consumer China.
However, full-scale mergers and acquisitions activity among diversified miners could be hampered for now by prohibitive high costs and significant chances of eventual rejection, investors said ahead of a global gathering of the copper industry for the CESCO event in Santiago, Chile next week.
Reluctance to engage at a company level is seen in LSEG data showing M&A in mining sector fell 27% in value terms to $15 billion in the first quarter compared to the same 2024 period.
Since the start of 2024, BHP’s shares have slumped 26% and Rio Tinto has dropped 23%, while Glencore’s shares have collapsed 42%.
Companies such as BHP and Rio Tinto have robust balance sheets and…
