VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 28,
2022 /CNW/ - Pan American Silver Corp.
(NASDAQ: PAAS) (TSX: PAAS) ("Pan American") today announces it has
filed the management information circular (the "Circular")
in respect of the special meeting (the "Meeting") of
shareholders of Pan American ("Shareholders") to be
held in connection with Pan American's proposed acquisition of all
of the issued and outstanding common shares of Yamana Gold Inc.
("Yamana") and the sale by Yamana of its Canadian assets,
including certain subsidiaries and partnerships which hold Yamana's
interests in the Canadian Malartic mine, to Agnico Eagle Mines
Limited ("Agnico"), by way of a plan of arrangement (the
"Arrangement") under the Canada Business Corporations
Act.
An electronic copy of the Circular is available on Pan
American's website at
https://www.panamericansilver.com/invest/arrangement-agreement-with-yamana/
and on SEDAR and EDGAR under Pan American's issuer profile at
www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively. The mailing of the
Circular and other materials to Shareholders will commence on or
about January 4, 2023.
Your vote is important regardless of the number of shares you
own. Pan American encourages Shareholders to read the Circular
in detail.
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT - PLEASE
VOTE TODAY
After careful consideration of the
Arrangement, the Pan American Board of Directors UNANIMOUSLY
RECOMMENDS
that Shareholders VOTE FOR the proposed resolution.
Reasons for and Benefits of the
Arrangement
This is a transformational and strategic transaction for Pan
American, which will strengthen Pan American's position as the
leader in silver and gold production in Latin America.
Benefits to Shareholders include:
- A transformative increase in Pan American's scale, adding four
producing mines, plus additional development projects in
Latin America;
- Significantly improved trading liquidity (+50%)[1]
with a pro forma US$5.6
billion market capitalization[2];
- Meaningful impact to production and margin, demonstrated by
representative 2022 pro forma figures[3]:
-
- Increase in annual silver production of approximately
9.5Moz;
- Increase in annual gold production of approximately 550koz;
- Expected lower overall cost structure – Yamana's Latin American
assets forecast all-in sustaining cost ("AISC") of
approximately US$981 per gold
equivalent ounce ("GEO") in 2022;
- Broadens and diversifies Pan American's Latin American exposure
with operations in two additional jurisdictions (Brazil and Chile);
- Pan American's scale, experience and expertise in Latin America maximizes its ability to
integrate and optimize Yamana's Latin American assets;
- Significant potential synergies targeted to be US$40 million to US$60
million per year through the operational efficiencies from
the combined Latin American portfolios and corporate general and
administrative cost savings[4];
- Accretive on a per share basis with respect to key financial
and operating metrics, even before considering synergies;
- Robust pro forma revenue, which is expected to result in
increased cash flow from operations allowing for improved capital
allocation flexibility. For example, revenue on a pro forma
basis would have been US$2.8 billion
and US$2.0 billion for 2021 and the
nine months ended September 30, 2022,
respectively[5];
- Improved ability to internally fund the La Colorada Skarn
development and other growth projects;
- Adds assets with a long history of reserve replacement and an
extensive exploration portfolio; and
- Enhances ability to return capital to shareholders.
[1] Based on Yamana's
average daily trading value over the last 12 months (attributable
to Pan American based on the percentage of aggregate consideration
funded by Pan American) divided by Pan American's average daily
trading value over the last 12 months.
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[2] Based on the pro
forma shares of the combined company outstanding of 364
million, multiplied by the November 3, 2022 closing price of the
common shares of Pan American ("Pan American Shares") of
US$15.25.
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[3] Based on Yamana's
2022 guidance, as per its news release dated February 17, 2022. GEO
is calculated as the sum of gold ounces and the gold equivalent of
silver ounces using a ratio of 72.55 for the year ended December
31, 2021. AISC per GEO sold is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please
see the section entitled "Non-GAAP and IFRS Measures" at the end of
this news release.
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[4] Pan American's
anticipated synergies are expected to be post-tax savings given
geographic breakdown of taxable income.
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[5] Please see the
Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Statements in Schedule C
of the Circular.
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Pan American Special
Meeting
The Meeting is scheduled for 10:00
a.m. (Vancouver time)
on Tuesday, January 31, 2023,
at Oceanview Suite, Pan Pacific Vancouver, 300 - 999 Canada Place,
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C
3B5, to consider an ordinary resolution to authorize the issuance
of up to 156,923,287 Pan American Shares to the shareholders of
Yamana as consideration in respect of the Arrangement.
Shareholder Information and
Questions
Shareholders who have questions about the Circular, or need
assistance with voting their Pan American shares, can contact our
proxy solicitation agent, Morrow Sodali (Canada) Ltd.:
Morrow Sodali
North America Toll Free:
1-888-777-1346
Outside North America, Banks,
Brokers and Collect Calls: 1-289-695-3075
Email: assistance@morrowsodali.com
Shareholders are encouraged to vote today using the internet,
telephone or mail.
About Pan American
Pan American owns and operates silver and gold mines located in
Mexico, Peru, Canada,
Argentina and Bolivia. We also own the Escobal mine in
Guatemala that is currently not
operating. Pan American provides enhanced exposure to silver
through a large base of silver reserves and resources, as well as
major catalysts to grow silver production. We have a 28-year
history of operating in Latin
America, earning an industry-leading reputation for
sustainability performance, operational excellence and prudent
financial management. We are headquartered in Vancouver, B.C. and our shares trade on NASDAQ
and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "PAAS".
Learn more at panamericansilver.com.
Non-GAAP and IFRS Measures
This news release refers to various non-GAAP and IFRS measures,
such as the AISC per GEO for Yamana's Latin American assets, which
Yamana uses to manage and evaluate operating performance at each of
its mines and are widely reported in the gold mining industry as
benchmarks for performance, but do not have standardized meaning
and are not a recognized measure under GAAP or IFRS. In particular,
Yamana's and Pan American's calculations of AISC differ. To
facilitate a better understanding of non-GAAP and IFRS measures as
calculated by Pan American, please see "Alternative Performance
(Non-GAAP) Measures" in Pan American's management discussion
and analysis ("MD&A") for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in our MD&A for the
three and nine months ended September 30,
2022. To facilitate a better understanding of these measures
as calculated by Yamana, please see "Non-GAAP Financial
Performance Measures" in Yamana's annual information form dated
March 28, 2022, Yamana's MD&A for
the year ended December 31, 2021, and
Yamana's MD&A for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and
Information
Certain of the statements and information in this news release
constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and
"forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable
Canadian provincial securities laws. All statements, other than
statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or
information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news
release relate to, among other things, the anticipated timing for
the Meeting; the combined company's silver and gold asset
portfolio, production of metals including silver and gold, margins,
and production costs; the combined company's growth profile; that
the Arrangement will strengthen Pan American's position as the
leader in silver and gold production in Latin America; the combined company's
financial position and any potential benefits of the Arrangement on
its financial performance, including with respect to revenues and
cash flows; the combined company's diversification; the combined
company's trading liquidity and market capitalization; exposure to
additional jurisdictions upon completion of the Arrangement;
potential synergies of the combined company; the ability of the
combined company to fund La Colorada Skarn development; and
enhanced ability to return capital to Shareholders.
These forward-looking statements and information reflect Pan
American's current views with respect to future events and are
necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while
considered reasonable by Pan American, are inherently subject to
significant operational, business, economic and regulatory
uncertainties and contingencies. Pan American cautions the reader
that forward-looking statements and information involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause
actual results and developments to differ materially from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or
information contained in this news release and Pan American has
made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these
factors. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking
information are the following: the duration and effect of local and
world-wide inflationary pressures and the potential for economic
recessions; the duration and effects of COVID-19, and any other
pandemics on our operations and workforce, and the effects on
global economies and society; fluctuations in silver, gold and base
metal prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour,
materials, supplies and services (including transportation);
fluctuations in currency markets (such as the PEN, MXN, ARS, BOB,
GTQ and CAD versus the USD); operational risks and hazards inherent
with the business of mining (including environmental accidents and
hazards, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or
unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding
and severe weather); risks relating to the credit worthiness or
financial condition of suppliers, refiners and other parties with
whom Pan American does business; inadequate insurance, or inability
to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; employee
relations; relationships with, and claims by, local communities and
indigenous populations; our ability to consummate the Arrangement;
our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and
regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws,
regulations and government practices in the jurisdictions where we
operate, including environmental, export and import laws and
regulations; changes in national and local government, legislation,
taxation, controls or regulations and political, legal or economic
developments in Canada,
the United States, Mexico, Peru,
Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala or other countries where Pan
American or the combined company may carry on business, including
risks relating to expropriation and risks relating to the
constitutional court-mandated ILO 169 consultation process in
Guatemala; diminishing quantities
or grades of mineral reserves as properties are mined; increased
competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified
personnel; the ability of Pan American and Yamana to successfully
integrate operations and employees and realize synergies and cost
savings, and to the extent anticipated, the possibility that
transactions contemplated by the Arrangement Agreement will be
completed in the expected timeframe or at all; and those factors
identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Circular and
under the heading "Risks Related to Pan American's Business" in Pan
American's most recent form 40-F and annual information form dated
February 23, 2022, filed with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian
provincial securities regulatory authorities, respectively.
Although Pan American has attempted to identify important factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be
other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated,
estimated, described or intended. Investors are cautioned against
undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.
Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help
readers understand management's current views of our near and
longer term prospects and may not be appropriate for other
purposes. Pan American does not intend, nor does it assume any
obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements or
information, whether as a result of new information, changes in
assumptions, future events or otherwise, except to the extent
required by applicable law.
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content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pan-american-silver-files-management-information-circular-in-connection-with-the-proposed-arrangement-with-yamana-and-agnico-301710791.html
SOURCE Pan American Silver Corp.