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  3. Diamonds, sparkling under an African sun, have an attraction commensurate(相称

Diamonds, sparkling under an African sun, have an attraction commensurate(相称

游客2024-09-18  51
问题     Diamonds, sparkling under an African sun, have an attraction commensurate(相称的)with their high price and beauty. For Anglo-American the opportunity to get their hands on some more has proved too much to resist. On November 4th the global mining giant announced that it would acquire the 40% of De Beers, a company that mines two-fifths of the world’s diamonds, from the Oppenheimer family for $5.1 billion. This takes Anglo-American’s stake in De Beers to 85% : the rest is owned by the government of Botswana, where the firm digs up its gems.
    The price looks right. Demand for diamonds has bounced back after the credit crisis in 2008 and the following recession in the rich world. More and more wealthy Indians and Brazilians seem keen to sport a "rock" to show just how well they are doing. And the shrewd Oppenheimers do not seem to be getting out of the business because its future looks bleak. There is apparently no family member who wants to take on diamond mining. Nicky Oppenheimer, De Beers’s chairman, foresaw the sale in February when he stood down from the board of Anglo-American.
    For Anglo-American it resolves the issue of its non-controlling stake in De Beers. Analysts have long reckoned it should either sell or try to increase its stake. In fact the firm might yet spin off De Beers with an IPO. The terms of the deal allow the Oppenheimers to pocket some more cash from a flotation(债券发行)or sale in the next couple of years, suggesting that such an outcome is not unlikely.
    It would also make sense. Anglo-American is a different beast to the global diversified mining giants that would count as its competitors. It stood apart from the wave of ironing mega-mergers over the past decade or so—except as a potential target. The consolidation and the emergence of huge markets for the world’s resources have propelled BHP Billiton, for instance, to become one of the world’s biggest listed companies.
    Many would claim that Anglo-American has suffered as a result. Once one of the world’s biggest miners, it now ranks alongside Xstrata, a company of just ten years old, which in 2009 even attempted a nil-premium takeover of Anglo. It also has a significant portion of its assets in South Africa. And unlike its peers it has a large platinum business, as well as all the diamonds.
    Anglo-American’s recent strategy has been to diversify out of South Africa, where the threat of nationalization, scarcely credible but a fear for investors none the less, hangs over it. Black-empowerment laws, a scarcity of water and electricity as well as an obstinate workforce make it a difficult place to operate. Botswana is far more accommodating, but it might also make sense to get out of diamonds: it is a business that is more about branding the rocks and less about the savvy(懂行的)capital deployment and logistical(物流的)know-how that are the hallmarks of the mining business. If that is Anglo’s eventual aim, then the deal looks like a smart move. [br] According to the passage, which of the following statements about global mining business is INCORRECT?
选项 A、Anglo-American has become a mining mega-merger.
B、BHP Billiton has become one of the biggest listed companies.
C、Anglo-American was once almost taken over by a company of ten years old.
D、Xstrata has a business in South Africa both in platinum and diamonds.
答案 A
解析 ]细节题。根据第四段第三句可知，在过去的大约十年里，英美资源集团一直远离矿业的巨资并购浪潮，[A]“英美资源集团已经成为一个大规模的矿业合并企业”陈述错误，故为正确答案。根据第四段第四句可知，这样的合并以及对全球资源巨大需求市场的出现已经促使必和必拓公司(BHP Billiton)成为全球最大的上市公司之一，[B]“必和必拓已经成为全球最大的上市公司之一”表述正确，故排除；根据第五段第二至四句可知，它曾经是世界上最大的矿业公司之一，而现在的排名却与斯特拉塔不相上下，斯特拉塔仅成立了十年，在2009年甚至尝试无溢价收购英美资源集团。斯特拉塔在南非也有重要份额的产业，与业内其他公司不同，除了钻石以外，它还有大型的铂金业务。由此可知，[C]“英美资源集团曾经几乎被一个成立十年的公司收购”和[D]“斯特拉塔公司在南非有铂金和钻石业务”表述正确，故均排除。
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