Investing.com -- Anglo American 's (LON:AAL) proposed restructuring drive will "take time" as the miner looks to turn the page after a takeover bid by rival BHP Group (LON:BHPB) failed earlier this week, analysts at UBS said in a note downgrading their rating of the stock to "Neutral" from "Buy."
On Wednesday, mining giant BHP ditched its proposed multi-billion plan to acquire Anglo, bringing an end to six weeks of negotiations.
BHP's objective was to fold in Anglo's lucrative copper assets in Latin America, but the deal collapsed with both sides at odds over its complex structure. Under the terms of the proposed acquisition, Anglo would have had to offload its South African platinum and iron ore divisions -- a prospect that Anglo ultimately rejected.
Following the collapse of the talks, Anglo told shareholders that it was now focused on delivering a planned overhaul of the company. Anglo has said it is looking to potentially divest several less profitable parts of its operations, including its De Beers diamond unit and its steelmaking coal division, and instead hone in on expanding its copper output.
The move comes as copper prices have shot up this year thanks to the red metal's use in items seen as necessary for both the green energy transition and the data centers powering the development of artificial intelligence.
However, the analysts flagged that Anglo's overhaul will not turn it into a "pure-play" copper miner, adding that they expect 30% of its of 2025 core income will derive from its iron ore segment.
They also noted that Anglo could be the target of another acquisition attempt in "6 plus months" if it does not successfully carry out the restructuring push.
Shares in U.K.-listed Anglo were marginally higher on Thursday. They have risen by more than 26% so far this year.