Russian State-controlled diamond producer Alrosa said on Friday that its second-quarter net profit fell by 98% year on year to 300-million roubles ($4-million) as the novel coronavirus outbreak hit demand for precious stones.
The global diamond supply chain has been convulsed by the pandemic, prompting Alrosa and its peers to carry on with critically low sales for months. Alrosa’s second-quarter sales in carats shrunk by 92%.
The world’s largest producer of rough diamonds said its free cash flow turned negative in the second-quarter, leaving its shareholders without a dividend payment for the first half of 2020.