Aura Announces Plans for Initial Public Offering and Listing in Brazil

ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, March 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aura Minerals Inc. (TSX: ORA) (“Aura” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that the Company has filed a draft of a preliminary prospectus and draft of a Formulário de Referência with the Brazilian Securities Commission (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários, or the “CVM”) for the purposes of completing an initial public offering (the “Offering”) in Brazil and concurrent listing of Brazilian depositary receipts (“BDRs”) on B3 S.A. – Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão (the “B3”). Each BDR shall represent an interest in an underlying share in the capital of Aura to be held by a custodian.

The shares underlying the BDRs will be comprised of a combination of (i) shares to be issued by Aura and (ii) shares to be sold by selling shareholder(s). The Offering will be directed to:

• the public in Brazil, pursuant to the CVM Instruction 400; and 
• “Qualified Institutional Buyers” in the United States as permitted under Rule 144A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act.

The issue price and size of the Offering will be determined by considering investment intentions expressed by institutional investors during the book-building process.  Aura expects to complete the Offering sometime in April 2020.

Aura expects to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund  (i) continuous development, maintenance and expansion of the Company's operating assets; (ii) exploration and development of projects that are not yet operational; and (iii) reinforcement of the Company's capital structure.

Aura’s shares will continue trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) under the symbol “ORA” and listing of the shares underlying the BDRs on the TSX will be subject to the approval of the B3 and the TSX.

THIS NEWS RELEASE SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THE SECURITIES BEING OFFERED HAVE NOT BEEN, NOR WILL THEY BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, AND SUCH SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ABSENT REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS THEREUNDER.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements”, as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) which include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Statements containing forward-looking information in this press release may include, among other things, statements relating to: the completion of the Offering, the determination of the issue price and size of the Offering and the listing of the BDRs on the B3.

Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s ability to predict or control, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Annual Information Form on file with certain Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

About Aura 360° Mining

Aura is focused on mining in complete terms – thinking holistically about how its business impacts and benefits every one of our stakeholders: our company, our shareholders, our employees, and the countries and communities we serve. We call this 360° Mining.

Aura is a mid-tier gold and copper production company focused on the development and operation of gold and base metal projects in the Americas. The Company’s producing assets include the San Andres gold mine in Honduras, the Ernesto/Pau-a -Pique gold mine in Brazil and the Aranzazu copper-gold-silver mine in Mexico. In addition, the Company has two additional gold projects in Brazil, Almas and Matupá, and one gold project in Colombia, Tolda Fria.

For further information, please visit Aura’s website at or contact:

Rodrigo Barbosa                      

President & CEO                      

305-239-9332