Nexa Resources SA operate large-scale, mechanized underground and open pit mines, as well as smelters... Show more
Nexa Resources is one of Latin America's largest zinc producers, with mining and smelting operations spanning Peru and Brazil. Its quarterly results offer a direct read on zinc and copper pricing, smelter utilization, and cost discipline across a diversified base-metals portfolio. The third-quarter report carried added weight because investors were watching the ongoing ramp-up at the Aripuanã mine, the recovery of the Cajamarquilla smelter following a fire earlier in the year, and the company's balance-sheet trajectory. With zinc prices strengthening and by-product contributions improving, the quarter tested whether Nexa could convert stronger revenue into margin expansion while managing elevated capital expenditures and a growing project pipeline.
Nexa Resources reported net revenue of US$937 million for the third quarter of 2026, a 23% increase from US$751.6 million in the same period a year earlier, driven by higher smelting sales volumes and firmer zinc and copper prices. Revenue came in modestly below the consensus estimate of roughly US$939 million. Adjusted EBITDA rose 62% year over year to US$301 million, with the adjusted EBITDA margin expanding 7.7 percentage points to 32.1%.
The bottom line swung to a net loss of US$47 million, reversing a US$100 million profit in the prior-year quarter. The loss was driven primarily by two non-cash items: a US$124 million impairment of the Juiz de Fora and Três Marias cash-generating units, and a US$51 million revaluation adjustment tied to silver-streaming contracts. As a result, reported EPS came in at -US$0.47 per ADR, compared with a consensus estimate of US$0.60. Operationally, the company generated US$185 million in net cash from operating activities and US$73 million in free cash flow, while net leverage improved to 1.24x.
Nexa also raised its 2026 capital expenditure guidance by 10% to US$420 million, citing accelerated development at Aripuanã and the Cerro Pasco Integration Project.
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Nexa's ADRs closed modestly higher following the report, with shares trading around US$12.00, up roughly 1.5% on the day, according to market data. The muted reaction suggests investors looked past the headline net loss and focused instead on the stronger adjusted EBITDA, improved leverage, and robust operating cash flow. The non-cash nature of the impairment and streaming revaluation charges appears to have cushioned the negative EPS surprise, while the company's raised capital expenditure guidance underscored management's confidence in its growth pipeline. Sentiment heading into the quarter had been shaped by improving zinc fundamentals and the ongoing Aripuanã ramp, and the report largely reinforced that narrative even as reported earnings fell short of consensus.
Looking ahead, investors will be watching several themes that could shape Nexa's performance in the coming quarters. The first is the Aripuanã ramp-up, where plant utilization reached 90% in September, up from 84% on average for the third quarter and 71% in the second quarter. Sustaining higher processing rates there is central to the company's production growth plans.
Second, the Cerro Pasco Integration Project remains a key catalyst. Mechanical completion is expected by December 2026, with commissioning through the first quarter of 2027 and tailings pumping targeted for early in the third quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals in Peru.
Third, cost and margin trends will stay in focus. The company has flagged preparations for the 2026–2027 El Niño event, noting that its energy requirements are largely contracted in Peru and that uncovered positions in Brazil represent less than 10% of expected 2027 consumption. Zinc and copper price direction, along with silver by-product contributions, will continue to influence revenue and margins.
Finally, the higher 2026 capital expenditure guidance of US$420 million signals a heavier investment phase, and investors will monitor whether free cash flow generation remains resilient alongside that spending. None of this constitutes a price forecast; rather, these are the operational and financial signposts likely to guide the market's read on Nexa over the next several quarters.
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a company which produces, refines, processes and sells zinc
Industry OtherMetalsMinerals