Ausenco Limited (ASX: AAX) saw its share price jump as high as 35.5 cents today, currently up 29% at 29 cents, after the mining services company announced new contract wins.
Ausenco's APAC/Africa division is finalising a number of new contracts that are expected to deliver $45 million in revenues. That represents 80% of the revenues booked by the division in 2015 according to CEO Zimi Meka.
The company also says it has won a number of other contracts, including a $17 million project to upgrade a coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP) at a NSW coal facility. Ausenco also says it has been awarded a $15 million three-year contract to provide operations and maintenance services for the CHPP at the Isaac Plains coal mine in Queensland.
Ausenco is but one of the many ASX-listed mining services companies that has seen its share price hammered over the past few years, losing more than 90% of its value since March 2013 as the resources boom ended.
Worleyparsons Limited (ASX: WOR) share price has tumbled 82%, Lycopodium Limited (ASX: LYL) has seen its share price fall 79% while the Monadelphous Limited (ASX: MND) share price is down more than 70%.
Not only have these companies been affected by less available work, but competition for work on offer is fierce, resulting in lower margins and higher levels of risk.
As I've mentioned before, winning a contract means virtually nothing unless the contractor can make a profit from it, and the risks of that have risen substantially. I wouldn't be touching Ausenco shares even at these prices.
