Antofagasta"s results reflect another bumper earnings season that has seen rivals Glencore and BHP Group making hefty payouts to investors LONDON: Chilean miner Antofagasta on Tuesday posted a 77% rise in full-year profit, benefiting from higher copper and molybdenum prices, and guided towards a total shareholder payout of $1.4 billion. The miner, majority owned by Chile"s Luksic family, said its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) rose to a record $4.8 billion in 2021, compared to $2.74 billion a year earlier. A final dividend of 118.9 cents per share was also declared, bringing the total for the year to 142.5 cents. Antofagasta"s results reflect another bumper earnings season that has seen rivals Glencore and BHP Group making hefty payouts to investors, buoyed by strong demand for commodities. "These results illustrate our performance as a reliable and responsible copper producer with the operational and financial strength and balance sheet to deliver on our promises," chief executive Iván Arriagada said. Copper prices broke records in 2021 and Chile, the world"s top producer, largely maintained production even during the worst of the pandemic. Copper is essential in construction and electric vehicle manufacturing. Antofagasta also said its capital expenditure increased 36% to $1.77 billion in 2021 due to expansion projects at its flagship mines Los Pelambres and Centinela.