As mining investors push caution, Glencore differs from rivals

TORONTO/MELBOURNE, Feb 16 (Reuters): As shareholders push the world's cash-rich miners to maintain lush dividends and make the most of existing assets, Glencore is taking a slightly different tactic that positions it for shrewd acquisitions.

Like other big rivals, Glencore is expected to lift its dividend payout when it reports results next week, but the Swiss miner and trader is also "open for business" when it comes to buying mines or companies, its chief financial officer said in December.

"Glencore's deal-making is now very strategic. They're trying to find businesses with the highest margin and get into sectors where they will have a competitive advantage," said David Neuhauser, managing director of Livermore Partners, which holds Glencore shares.

"They want to do deals where they are not just first movers, but can become leaders," he added.

Rising commodity prices, cost cuts and global growth have improved their balance sheets, but most miners are not plowing money into mega-mines or big acquisitions - caution welcomed by investors burned by massive losses in the last downturn.

"I don't think they've really got a mandate to do that (spend on major projects) at this stage," said Rohan Walsh, investment manager at Melbourne-based Karara Capital, which holds BHP and Rio shares, a view echoed by multiple investors interviewed by Reuters.

"Returning capital is appropriate, particularly after going through a pretty major investment boom we saw a couple of years ago," Walsh added. "They ... will have to optimize the capital that has already been invested, run those existing assets pretty effectively and then look for exceptional opportunities going forward."

Between 2012 and 2016, the world's top 40 miners booked more than $200 billion in impairments, according to a recent PwC report, as the value of assets acquired in a deal-making binge crumbled alongside commodity prices.

Still smarting, most top miners reporting earnings this month are expected to keep a grip on capital expenditures, even as cash generation improves.

In 2016, $49 billion in capex from the world's top 40 miners was a record low, and none announced new projects, PwC said. Additionally, a series of expected M&A deals failed to materialize as numerous large asset sales were withdrawn, PwC said.

The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company's headquarters in Baar, Switzerland. — Reuters