Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO): Stonegate Capital Partners Updates Coverage on Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO).
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About Stonegate
Stonegate Capital Partners is a leading capital markets advisory firm providing investor relations, equity research, and institutional investor outreach services for public companies. Our affiliate, Stonegate Capital Markets (member FINRA) provides a full spectrum of investment banking, equity research and capital raising for public and private companies.
Contacts:
Stonegate Capital Partners
(214) 987-4121
info@stonegateinc.com
Source: Stonegate, Inc.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/212063
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Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO) (OTCQX: STPGF) (FSE: 2J9) ("Steppe Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.
HIGHLIGHTS
First Quarter Highlights
(all figures in US$000's unless stated otherwise, except per unit figures which are in US$)
Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024 amounted to $7,971 on sales of 3,723 gold ounces and 19,506 silver ounces, respectively.
Average realized prices for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were $2,043 per gold ounce and $19 per silver ounce, respectively.
Operating profit from mine operations before depreciation and depletion for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $4,324.
Adjusted EBITDA after payments made pursuant to the metals purchase and sale agreement (the "Stream Agreement") with Triple Flag Finance Bermuda Ltd. for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was negative $309.
Site All in Sustaining Cost ("AISC") was $945 per ounce sold for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. AISC was $1,522 per ounce sold for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, 133,090 tonnes of ore were mined and 145,479 tonnes of ore were stacked on the leach pad, with an average gold grade of 0.56 g/t.
As at March 31, 2024, the cash balance was $6,740 (including $87 recorded in assets classified as held for sale); total bank debt, payables and other debts (including liabilities of $81 recorded in assets classified as held for sale, excluding convertible debentures, Stream Agreement, lease liabilities, tax payables and asset retirement obligations) was $70,216 with net debt of $63,476.
On January 9, 2024, the Company announced that it had entered into a turnkey engineering, procurement and construction contract with Hexagon Build Engineering LLC for the Phase 2 Expansion.
The Phase 2 Expansion is proceeding according to the projected timelines and budgets, with commissioning planned for the first quarter of 2026.
On March 15, 2024, the Company entered into an amended and restated gold prepay agreement ("A&R Prepay Agreement") for an additional advance of $5,000 with a repayment term over five months, commencing on August 15, 2024, in five equal monthly deliveries of 530 ounces of gold for a total of 2,650 ounces delivered to Triple Flag International Ltd.
On March 26, 2024, a milestone payment of $37,000 was made to the EPC contractor in relation to the Phase 2 Expansion (as defined below) to fund procurement of major long lead items, mobilization costs, early construction works and foundational work. The major long lead items include the flotations cells, grinding mills, cluster cyclones, thickener units, filters and pumping systems.
On April 11, 2024, the Company announced that it had entered into a share exchange (the "Share Exchange Agreement") agreement pursuant to which it will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Boroo Gold LLC from an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Boroo Pte Ltd. ("Boroo Singapore") in an all-share transaction (the "Boroo Gold Transaction").
Additionally, on April 11, 2024, the Company announced that it had entered into separate definitive share purchase agreements (the "Share Purchase Agreements"), pursuant to which the Company will sell the Tres Cruces Oxide Project to Boroo Singapore for approximately CAD$12 million in cash (the "Tres Cruces Transaction", and, together with the Boroo Gold Transaction, the "Proposed Transaction"), payable over the next 18 months beginning as of the Closing Date (as defined in the Share Purchase Agreements).
Outlook
The Proposed Transaction to acquire Boroo Gold is a transformational step for the Company. With an expected closing in the third quarter of 2024, the Proposed Transaction is expected to accelerate the path to a multi-asset Mongolia-focused mining group and, importantly, is projected to immediately provide strong cash flow to support growth plans, further improved with the recent strong gold prices. The Proposed Transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of approval by the Company's shareholders at the annual general and special meeting of shareholders expected to be held at the end of June 2024, and certain regulatory approvals, including the approvals of the Toronto Stock Exchange and applicable Mongolian authorities.
The near term focus for the Company is on maximising production and cash flows at ATO Phase 1, executing on a successful completion of the Phase 2 Expansion, where construction activity continues, with a planned commissioning in Q1 2026, and on working towards closing the Proposed Transaction and planning for the successful integration of Boroo Gold into the Company's operations.
With the projected additional operating cash flow accruing from the Boroo Gold Transaction, the Company expects to be well-placed to increase exploration activities at both production centres with the aim of extending resources, reserves and production. The Company will also consider opportunistic acquisitions in Mongolia.
The Company's condensed interim consolidated financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 have been filed on SEDAR+. The full version of the condensed interim consolidated financial statements and associated management's discussion & analysis can be viewed on the Company's website at www.steppegold.com or under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Steppe Gold Ltd.
Steppe Gold is Mongolia's premier precious metals company.
For Further information, please contact:
Bataa Tumur-Ochir, Chairman and CEO
Jeremy South, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Elisa Tagarvaa, Investor Relations elisa@steppegold.com
Shangri-La office, Suite 1201, Olympic Street
19A, Sukhbaatar District 1,
Ulaanbaatar 14241, Mongolia
Tel: +976 7732 1914
Non-IFRS Performance Measures
The Company uses the following non-IFRS measures: Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDA and AISC. EBITDA is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. AISC is calculated using cash costs in addition to general and administration, asset retirement costs, and sustaining capital, less certain non-recurring costs (notably exploration costs at the Mungu deposit) to provide an overall company outlook on the total cost required to sell an ounce of gold.
Management believes that these non-IFRS measures provide useful information to investors in measuring the financial performance of the Company for the reasons outlined below. These measures do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore they may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other publicly traded companies and should not be construed as an alternative to other financial measures determined in accordance with IFRS. The Company believes that these measures, together with measures determined in accordance with IFRS, provide investors with an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. The inclusion of these measures is meant to provide additional information and should not be used as a substitute for performance measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures are not necessarily standard and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers. Further details of non-IFRS measures noted above can be found in the Company's management's discussion & analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain statements or disclosures relating to the Company that are based on the expectations of its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company which may constitute forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. All such statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results, or developments that the Company anticipates or expects may, or will occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of the words "continued", "focus", "scheduled", "will", "projected", "expected", "planned" and similar expressions. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the following: the anticipated benefits of the Boroo Gold Transaction; the potential for value creation to Steppe Gold's shareholders; payments to be made under the A&R Prepay Agreement; consummation and timing of the Proposed Transaction; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the Proposed Transaction; the strengths, characteristics and potential of the resulting company and discussion of future plans, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts and the timing related thereto, including with respect to the Phase 2 Expansion and the ATO gold mine.
The forward-looking statements contained in this news release reflect several material factors and expectations and assumptions of the Company including, without limitation: required shareholder, regulatory and stock exchange approvals; approvals from applicable Mongolian authorities; exercise of any termination rights under the Share Exchange Agreement or the Share Purchase Agreements; meeting other conditions precedent to each of the Share Exchange Agreement and the Share Purchase Agreements material adverse effects on the business, properties and assets of the Company; changes in business plans and strategies; market and capital finance conditions; risks inherent to any capital financing transactions; changes in world commodity markets; currency fluctuations; costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry; change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry; and such other risk factors detailed from time to time in Steppe Gold's public disclosure documents, including, without limitation, those risks identified in Steppe Gold's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Steppe Gold assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Steppe Gold updates any one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209389
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Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO) (OTCQX: STPGF) (FSE: 2J9) ("Steppe Gold") is pleased to announce that it has filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities the management information circular dated May 8, 2024 and related meeting materials of Steppe Gold (the "Meeting Materials") for use at the annual general and special meeting (the "Meeting") of Steppe Gold shareholders (the "Shareholders") to be held in connection with the proposed transaction with Boroo Gold LLC ("Boroo Gold") and Boroo Pte Ltd. ("Boroo Singapore"), or one of its affiliates, as previously announced on April 11, 2024 (the "Transaction"). Steppe Gold has also mailed copies of the Meeting Materials to Shareholders entitled to vote on the Transaction at the Meeting.
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to consider and, if deemed advisable, to approve the Transaction. If the Transaction is completed: (i) Steppe Gold will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Boroo Gold in return for the issuance of that number of common shares in the capital of Steppe Gold ("Common Shares") that would result in Boroo Singapore, directly or indirectly, holding 55.9% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (calculated on a fully diluted basis); and (ii) Boroo Singapore will acquire the Tres Cruces Oxide Project (the "Tres Cruces Project") by purchasing all of the issued and outstanding shares of two of Steppe Gold's indirect, wholly-owned subsidiaries for aggregate cash consideration of approximately CAD$12 million.
THE Steppe Gold BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS UNANIMOUSLY DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSACTION IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF Steppe Gold AND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE IN FAVOUR OF THE TRANSACTION.
Benefits of the Transaction
The Transaction is expected to provide meaningful benefits to Shareholders, including:
The Meeting and Voting
The Meeting is scheduled to be held at the Shangri-La Hotel, 19 Olympic Street, Sukhbaatar District-1, Ulaanbaatar 14241 Mongolia on June 24, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (ULAT). Shareholders may vote in person at the Meeting or by proxy. Shareholders that are unable to attend the Meeting, or any adjourned or postponed Meeting in person, are requested to date, sign and return the form of proxy for use at the Meeting. The deadline for receipt of proxies for the Meeting is 10:00 a.m. (ULAT) on June 20, 2024.
Shareholders are advised to carefully read the Meeting Materials and then vote in person at the Meeting or by proxy. The Meeting Materials are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Only Shareholders of record as at the close of business on May 6, 2024 are eligible to vote at the Meeting.
About Steppe Gold
Steppe Gold is Mongolia's premier precious metals company and 100% owner of the ATO gold mine and the Uudam Khundii project in Mongolia.
About Boroo Gold
Established in 1997, Boroo Gold is a leading gold producer in Mongolia with over 50,000 tons per day mining fleet, 5,500 tons per day mill and carbon-in-leach circuit gold processing plant, 3,000,000 tons per annum heap leach and carbon-in-columns plant and an approximate workforce of over 400 people. Boroo Gold operates the Boroo mine in Selenge province, as well as owning and operating the adjacent Ulaanbulag mine in Mongolia.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes certain statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These include statements regarding Steppe Gold's intent, or the beliefs or current expectations for Steppe Gold's growth, production and valuation post-closing of the Transaction; future market conditions for metals; timing of the Meeting; and expected benefits to Shareholders as a result of the Transaction.
When used in this news release, words such as "expected", "scheduled" and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements as well as phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will", or "would" occur or the negative connotation of such terms.
As well, forward-looking statements may relate to Steppe Gold's future outlook and anticipated events, such as the consummation and timing of the Transaction; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to each of the Transaction; the anticipated benefits of the Transaction; the potential for value creation to Shareholders; the anticipated timing of the closing of the Transaction; the timing and anticipated receipt of required Shareholder, court and regulatory approvals for the Transaction; anticipated gold production of Boroo Gold and combined gold production of Steppe Gold; the anticipated cash flow of Steppe Gold; potential liquidity from the sale of the Tres Cruces Project; and discussion of future plans, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts and the timing related thereto.
These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including those relating to: required shareholder, regulatory and stock exchange approvals; approvals from applicable Mongolian authorities; exercise of any termination rights under the share exchange agreement dated April 11, 2024 between Steppe Gold, Boroo Singapore and Centerra Netherlands BVBA (the "Share Exchange Agreement") or the separate definitive share purchase agreements (the "Share Purchase Agreements"), each between one of Steppe Gold's wholly-owned subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Boroo Singapore or one of its affiliates, on the other hand, each dated April 11, 2024; meeting other conditions precedent to each of the Share Exchange Agreement and the Share Purchase Agreements; material adverse effects on the business, properties and assets of Steppe Gold or Boroo Gold; discrepancies between actual and estimated production and test results, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; and such other risk factors detailed from time to time in Steppe Gold's public disclosure documents, including, without limitation, those risks identified in Steppe Gold's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Steppe Gold assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Steppe Gold updates any one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
Contact Information
Bataa Tumur-Ochir, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Jeremy South, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Elisa Tagarvaa, Investor Relations Manager (elisa@steppegold.com)
Shangri-La office, Suite 1201, Olympic Street 19A, Sukhbaatar District 1, Ulaanbaatar 14241, Mongolia
Tel: +976 7732 1914
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209078
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Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO) (OTCQX: STPGF) (FSE: 2J9) (" Steppe Gold ") is pleased to announce that, further to its press releases dated January 22, 2024 and March 19, 2024, it has entered into a share exchange agreement (the " Share Exchange Agreement ") pursuant to which Steppe Gold will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares (the " BG Common Shares ") of Boroo Gold LLC (" Boroo Gold ") from an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Boroo Pte Ltd. (" Boroo Singapore ") in an all-share transaction (the " Boroo Gold Transaction ").
Additionally, pursuant to separate definitive share purchase agreements (the " Share Purchase Agreements "), each between one of Steppe Gold's wholly-owned subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Boroo Singapore or one of its affiliates, on the other hand, each dated April 11, 2024, Steppe Gold will sell the Tres Cruces Oxide Project (the " Tres Cruces Project ") to Boroo Singapore for approximately CAD$12 million in cash (the " Tres Cruces Transaction ") payable over the next 18 months beginning as of the Closing Date (as defined in the Share Purchase Agreements).
Highlights
Bataa Tumur-Ochir, Chairman and CEO of Steppe Gold, commented: "We are very pleased to announce the agreement to acquire Boroo Gold. This transaction accelerates our path to a multi-asset Mongolia-focused mining group and, importantly, immediately provides strong cash flow to support our growth plans, further improved with the recent strong gold prices. In connection with the completion of this transaction we expect to finish 2024 with a run rate of around 90,000 oz in gold production, moving to over 150,000 oz in 2026 on a pro forma basis. We have also decided to divest the Tres Cruces Project to further improve our liquidity and sharpen our focus on Mongolia."
Boroo Gold Transaction Details
Share Exchange Agreement
Pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement, Steppe Gold will acquire all of the BG Common Shares in consideration for the issuance by Steppe Gold of 138,150,000 Steppe Common Shares, or that number of Steppe Common Shares that results in Boroo Singapore, directly or indirectly, holding 55.9% of the issued and outstanding Steppe Common Shares (calculated on a fully-diluted basis) upon completion of the Boroo Gold Transaction. Steppe Gold will seek approval for the issuance of Steppe Common Shares in connection with the Boroo Gold Transaction at Steppe Gold's annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the " Meeting "), which is expected to be held in June 2024.
The Boroo Gold Transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of approval by Steppe Gold's shareholders at the Meeting, and certain regulatory approvals, including the approvals of the Toronto Stock Exchange and applicable Mongolian authorities. Additionally, it is a condition to the closing of the Boroo Gold Transaction that the Tres Cruces Transaction has closed.
All of the directors and executive officers of Steppe Gold have entered into support and voting agreements pursuant to which they have agreed to support the Boroo Gold Transaction and to vote in favour of the Boroo Gold Transaction, subject to the provisions of such support and voting agreements.
The Share Exchange Agreement includes customary representations, warranties and covenants, including with respect to non-solicitation of alternative transactions, a right to match superior proposals and a fiduciary out in respect of the same. In addition, each of Boroo Singapore and Steppe Gold have agreed to pay a termination fee if the Share Exchange Agreement is terminated upon the occurrence of certain events.
Further details with respect to the Boroo Gold Transaction and the Tres Cruces Transaction will be included in the information circular to be mailed to Steppe Gold's shareholders in connection with the Meeting. Provided all conditions precedent in the Share Exchange Agreement are satisfied or waived in a timely manner (including the closing of the Tres Cruces Transaction), it is currently anticipated that the Boroo Gold Transaction will close in the third quarter of 2024. A copy of the Share Exchange Agreement, the Share Purchase Agreements and the information circular in respect of the Meeting will be filed on Steppe Gold's SEDAR+ profile and will be available for viewing at www.sedarplus.ca .
Investor Rights Agreement
At the closing of the Boroo Gold Transaction, Steppe Gold will enter into an investor rights agreement with Boroo Singapore (the " Investor Rights Agreement "). Pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement, Boroo Singapore will have the right to nominate up to two directors (the " Boroo Nominees ") to the board of directors of Steppe Gold (the " Steppe Board "), subject to Boroo Singapore maintaining ownership of at least 10% of the issued and outstanding Steppe Common Shares, and other terms and conditions as further set forth in the Investor Rights Agreement. In addition, Boroo Singapore will be provided with certain governance rights, so long as it maintains certain Steppe Common Share ownership thresholds, including pre-emptive rights and customary registration rights. The key executive management team of Steppe Gold will remain in place following closing of the Boroo Gold Transaction.
Expected Management Team on Closing
| (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer) |
| (Chief Operating Officer) |
| (SVP and Chief Financial Officer) |
| (President & Vice President, Finance) |
Benefits of the Boroo Gold Transaction
The Boroo Gold Transaction is expected to provide meaningful benefits to shareholders of Steppe Gold, including:
Tres Cruces Transaction Details
Steppe Gold is also pleased to announce that it has entered into the Share Purchase Agreements, pursuant to which Boroo Singapore will acquire the Tres Cruces Project by purchasing all of the issued and outstanding shares of two of Steppe Gold's indirect, wholly-owned subsidiaries for aggregate cash consideration of approximately CAD$12 million. The consideration is payable in four installments over a period of 18 months starting on the Closing Date (as defined in the Share Purchase Agreements). The Tres Cruces Transaction is expected to close in July 2024, following which, the Boroo Gold Transaction will close subsequently thereafter.
The Tres Cruces Transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is cross conditional on the closing of the Boroo Gold Transaction.
Recommendation of the Steppe Board
Based on an independent verbal fairness opinion provided by Sequeira Partners, in respect of the Boroo Gold Transaction, and after consulting with its financial and legal advisors, among other considerations, the Steppe Board has unanimously: (i) determined that each of the Boroo Gold Transaction and the Tres Cruces Transaction is fair to Steppe Gold; (ii) approved each of the Boroo Gold Transaction and the Tres Cruces Transaction and the entering into of the Share Exchange Agreement and Share Purchase Agreements, respectively, is in the best interests of Steppe Gold; and (iii) resolved to recommend that Steppe Gold's shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction Resolution (as defined in the Share Exchange Agreement).
Advisors
Steppe Gold's legal counsel is Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. Boroo Singapore's Canadian legal counsel is Stikeman Elliott LLP. Payet, Rey, Cauvi, Pérez Abogados are Peruvian legal counsel to Steppe Gold and Boroo Singapore. Steppe Gold's financial advisor is Sequeira Partners. Boroo Singapore's financial advisor is Cormark Securities Inc.
Qualified Persons
The technical content of this news release regarding Steppe Gold has been reviewed and validated by Enkhtuvshin Khishigsuren, PEng., a "Qualified Person" as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects .
Technical Reports
Additional information with respect to Steppe Gold's Altan Tsagaan Ovoo Project, including its AuEq resource base, is contained in the technical report of Steppe Gold dated November 6, 2022 and entitled "Altan Tsagaan Ovoo Project (ATO) 2022 Mineral Resources & Reserves Report (NI 43-101)". A copy of said report can be obtained from SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca .
Further information with respect to the Tres Cruces Project is contained in the technical report of Steppe Gold, dated August 21, 2023 and entitled "Form 43-101F1 Technical Report Preliminary Economic Assessment". A copy of said report can be obtained from SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca .
About Steppe Gold
Steppe Gold is Mongolia's premier precious metals company and 100% owner of the ATO gold mine and the Uudam Khundii project in Mongolia.
About Boroo Gold
Established in 1997, Boroo Gold is a leading gold producer in Mongolia with over 50,000 tons per day mining fleet, 5,500 tons per day mill and carbon-in-leach circuit gold processing plant, 3,000,000 tons per annum heap leach and carbon-in-columns plant and an approximate workforce of over 400 people. Boroo Gold operates the Boroo mine in Selenge province, as well as owning and operating the adjacent Ulaanbulag mine in Mongolia.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes certain statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These include statements regarding Steppe Gold's intent, or the beliefs or current expectations of the officers and directors of Steppe Gold, for Steppe Gold's growth, production and valuation post-closing of the Boroo Gold Transaction and Tres Cruces Transaction and future market conditions for metals.
When used in this news release, words such as "anticipated", "expected", "estimated", "future", "forecast", "likely", "opportunity", "ongoing", "potential", "planned", "projected", "proposed", "vision" and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements as well as phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "could", "may", "should", "will", or "would" occur or the negative connotation of such terms.
As well, forward-looking statements may relate to Steppe Gold's future outlook and anticipated events, such as the consummation and timing of each of the Boroo Gold Transaction and the Tres Cruces Transaction; the Steppe Board and management team of Steppe Gold following the Boroo Gold Transaction; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to each of the Boroo Gold Transaction and Tres Cruces Transaction; the anticipated benefits of the Boroo Gold Transaction; the potential for value creation to Steppe Gold's shareholders; the anticipated timing of the closings of the Boroo Gold Transaction and Tres Cruces Transaction; the entering into of the support and voting agreements, Investor Rights Agreement and other ancillary documents in connection with the Boroo Gold Transaction; the filing of the Share Exchange Agreement, the Share Purchase Agreements and the information circular in respect of the Meeting on SEDAR+; the details to be included in the information circular regarding the Meeting in respect of the Boroo Gold Transaction and the Tres Cruces Transaction; the timing and anticipated receipt of required shareholder, court and regulatory approvals for the Boroo Gold Transaction and, if applicable, for the Tres Cruces Transaction; Boroo's nomination and governance rights under the Investor Rights Agreement; anticipated gold production of Boroo Gold and combined gold production of Steppe Gold; the anticipated cash flow of Steppe Gold; potential liquidity from the sale of the Tres Cruces Project; and discussion of future plans, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts and the timing related thereto.
These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including those relating to: required shareholder, regulatory and stock exchange approvals; approvals from applicable Mongolian authorities; exercise of any termination rights under the Share Exchange Agreement or the Share Purchase Agreements; meeting other conditions precedent to each of the Share Exchange Agreement and the Share Purchase Agreements; the time required to prepare and mail the Meeting materials, including the information circular; material adverse effects on the business, properties and assets of Steppe Gold or Boroo Gold; discrepancies between actual and estimated production and test results, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; and such other risk factors detailed from time to time in Steppe Gold's public disclosure documents, including, without limitation, those risks identified in Steppe Gold's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca .
Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Steppe Gold assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Steppe Gold updates any one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
Contact Information
Bataa Tumur-Ochir, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Jeremy South, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Shangri-La office, Suite 1201, Olympic Street 19A, Sukhbaatar District 1, Ulaanbaatar 14241, Mongolia
Tel: +976 7732 1914
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Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO) (OTCQX: STPGF) (FSE: 2J9) (" Steppe Gold " or the " Company ") is pleased to announce its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2023.
HIGHLIGHTS
Fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023 Highlights
(all figures in US$000's unless stated otherwise, except per unit figures which are in US$)
Outlook
With the landmark financing package secured and the first tranche of $50,000 fully drawn down, the Company's main operational focus is execution of development of the Phase 2 Expansion with its EPC partners at Hexagon Build.
This will involve acceleration of the ordering of long lead items, commencement of early construction and foundational works and mobilization to site by Hexagon Build.
The potential acquisition of Boroo Gold is proceeding well with the due diligence process now in the latter stages. The Company is also in negotiations regarding the sale of the Tres Cruces Project.
The Company's consolidated financial results for the year ended December 31, 2023 have been filed on SEDAR+. The full version of the annual consolidated financial statements and associated management's discussion & analysis can be viewed on the Company's website at www.steppegold.com or under the Company's profile on SEDAR + at www.sedarplus.ca .
Steppe Gold Ltd.
Steppe Gold is Mongolia's premier precious metals company.
For Further information, please contact:
Bataa Tumur-Ochir, Chairman and CEO
Jeremy South, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Shangri-La office, Suite 1201, Olympic Street
19A, Sukhbaatar District 1,
Ulaanbaatar 14241, Mongolia
Tel: +976 7732 1914
Non-IFRS Performance Measures
EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Further details of Non-IFRS Performance Measures noted above can be found in the Company's management's discussion & analysis.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain statements or disclosures relating to the Company that are based on the expectations of its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company which may constitute forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. All such statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results, or developments that the Company anticipates or expects may, or will, occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of the words "continued", "focus", "scheduled", "will", "potential", "planned" and similar expressions. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the following: trading of the Company's common shares and business; economic, and political conditions in Mongolia and Peru; and discussion of future plans, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts and the timing related thereto, including with respect to the ATO Gold Mine, the Phase 2 Expansion, the EPC Contract, the Boroo Gold transaction and the sale of the Tres Cruces Project.
The forward-looking statements contained in this news release reflect several material factors and expectations and assumptions of the Company including, without limitation: exercise of any termination rights under the Term Sheet; the negotiation of definitive agreements in respect of the acquisition of Boroo Gold and the sale of the Tres Cruces Project; material adverse effects on the business, properties and assets of the Company; changes in business plans and strategies; market and capital finance conditions; risks inherent to any capital financing transactions; changes in world commodity markets; currency fluctuations; costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry; change in government; and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry.
The Company believes the material factors, expectations and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable at this time, but no assurance can be given that these factors, expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry; changes in government; changes to regulations affecting the mining industry; and certain other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's public disclosure documents, including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release and in the Company's annual information form dated April 1, 2024, copies of which are available on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca . Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.
The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.
News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia
Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV:LG)(OTCQB:LGCXF)(the "Company" or "Lahontan") is pleased to announce results from a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment(" PEA") on its flagship Santa Fe Mine gold-silver project located in Nevada's prolific Walker Lane Trend. The PEA was prepared by Kappes, Cassiday & Associates ("KCA") of Reno, Nevada with mine planning and production scheduling contributions from RESPEC Company LLC ("Respec"), Reno, Nevada and mineral resource estimation by Equity Exploration Consultants Ltd. ("Equity"), of Vancouver, British Columbia, in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").
PEA Highlights:
Kimberly Ann, Lahontan Gold Corp Executive Chair, CEO, President, and Founder commented: "Lahontan is very excited about the results of the PEA: a low-capex, highly profitable mining project with a quick payback certainly bodes well for the future of Lahontan and all stakeholders. There is considerable potential to expand gold and silver resources, therefore this is just the first step in restarting mining operations at Santa Fe. With mine permitting well under-way, targeting a 2026 mine ground-breaking, the potential for the Company to realize the economic outcomes outlined in the PEA is very real, especially given current trends in gold and silver prices. Continued optimization of the mine plan, resource expansion drilling, and refining the metallurgical flow sheet are planned for 2025, in parallel with our permitting activities."
The PEA is preliminary in nature, includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Company has not defined any Mineral Reserves at the Santa Fe Mine project.
Economic Sensitivities
Sensitivity of the project economics to metals prices is shown in Table 1, showing the base case metal prices used for the PEA, as well as a low case, a high case and the spot case.
Table 1: Santa Fe Project 2024 PEA Economics
Low Case | Base Case | High Case | Spot Case (1) | |
Gold Price (US$/oz) | 1,800 | 2,025 | 2,200 | 2,705 |
Silver Price (US$/oz) | 21.50 | 24.20 | 26.3 | 32.60 |
Net Revenue (US$) | 618.6 M | 696.2 M | 756.5 M | 930.8 M |
Pre-Tax NCF(2) (US$) | 65.0 M | 141.6 M | 201.2 M | 373.3 M |
Pre-Tax NPV5(3) (US$) | 21.7 M | 82.2 M | 129.2 M | 265.1 M |
Pre-Tax IRR(4) | 8.5% | 17.4% | 23.9% | 41.0% |
After-Tax NCF(2) (US$) | 47.8 M | 107.7 M | 154.1 M | 288.9 M |
After-Tax NPV5(3) (US$) | 8.7 M | 56.5 M | 93.3 M | 200.0 M |
After-Tax IRR(4) | 6.4% | 14.0% | 19.5% | 34.2% |
Payback Period(5) (years) | 5.1 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 2.9 |
(1) As of December 10, 2024
(2) NCF means net cash flow
(3) NPV5 refers to net present value at 5% discount rate
(4) IRR means internal rate of return
(5) Pre-production capital, excluding sustaining capital
Capital Costs
Capital costs for the project are summarized in Table 2. Capital costs associated with the mining operation were estimated by RESPEC and based on mining by contractor. Pre-stripping costs were based on the operating costs discussed below. Capital costs associated with processing such as crushing, heap leaching and metal recovery, along with support and infrastructure costs associated with laboratory, water and power distribution and general site services were estimated by KCA. Reclamation and closure costs of $12.5 M were estimated by KCA.
Table 2: Project Capital Costs
Pre-Production (US$ M) | LOM Sustaining (US$ M) | |
Mining | 2.5 | 0.8 |
Processing, Support & Infrastructure | 116.0 | 17.0 |
Owner's Costs | 5.3 | 0.0 |
Initial Fills | 0.5 | 0.0 |
Working Capital(1) | 10.7 | 0.0 |
TOTAL(2) | 135.1 | 17.8 |
Operating Costs
Operating costs for the project are summarized in Table 3. Mining operating costs were estimated by RESPEC and based on estimated anticipated equipment hours and personnel requirements at a 25% markup for contractor rates. The off-road red-dye diesel fuel price in this estimate was assumed to be $0.74/L. All other operating costs were estimated by KCA and based on first principles on certain components where possible, such as reagent and power consumption, along with benchmarking with similar operations for other components, such as labor, maintenance and discretionary expenses
Table 3: Project Operating Costs
LOM Total (US$ M) | Per Tonne Processed ($/t) | |
Mining | 204.2 | 7.36 |
Processing | 138.7 | 5.00 |
Support & Infrastructure | 17.3 | 0.62 |
G&A | 35.8 | 1.29 |
TOTAL(1) | 402.5 | 14.28 |
(1) Values are rounded and may not sum perfectly
Mine Production Schedule
The PEA mine production schedule includes mining of leach material and waste for the Santa Fe, Calvada, Slab, and York deposits. Leach material was assumed to be sent to a centralized crushing plant and then stacked on a leach pad and the waste material was sent to designed waste rock storage facilities (WRSF) or used as partial backfill into the Calvada pit.
Because the Santa Fe Mine is a brown-field project, minimal pre-stripping is required to develop sufficient stockpiles to feed the crusher. The mine production schedule requires 2 months of preproduction which begins in the Santa Fe deposit. The Calvada deposit is started in year 2 and mined concurrently with Santa Fe. Calvada mining is followed by mining of Slab and York deposits.
The process schedule was developed with a ramp up of production from year 1 through year 3 to a full 4.56 million tonnes per year. Table 4 shows the process production schedule.
Table 4: Projected Production Summary
Year | Tonnes Processed (kt) | Gold Grade (g/t) | Silver Grade (g/t) | Gold Produced (koz) | Silver Produced (koz) | Gold Equivalent Produced(1) (koz) |
1 | 3,468 | 0.47 | 4.1 | 30.3 | 88.1 | 31.4 |
2 | 4,517 | 0.58 | 4.6 | 51.4 | 168.9 | 53.4 |
3 | 4,563 | 0.66 | 3.7 | 60.2 | 155.7 | 62.0 |
4 | 4,563 | 0.70 | 3.0 | 60.5 | 124.2 | 62.0 |
5 | 4,563 | 0.73 | 2.5 | 62.0 | 93.5 | 63.1 |
6 | 4,563 | 0.61 | 2.2 | 49.9 | 56.9 | 50.5 |
7 | 1,497 | 0.58 | 2.1 | 20.1 | 23.1 | 20.4 |
8(2) | 0 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 2.3 | ||
TOTAL(3) | 27,731 | 0.63 | 3.3 | 336.7 | 714.7 | 345.2 |
Table 5 shows the key production parameters for the mine and processing units used in the generation of the production and cash flow profiles.
Table 5: Key Mining and Processing Production Parameters
LOM | |
Mining | |
Total Waste Tonnes Mined (Mt) | 42.9 |
Total Processed Tonnes Mined (Mt) | 27.7 |
Total Tonnes Mined (Mt) | 70.6 |
Heap Recovery - Gold | |
Santa Fe Oxide | 71% |
Santa Fe Transition | 49% |
Calvada Oxide | 71% |
Calvada Transition | 45% |
Slab Oxide | 50% |
York Oxide | 60% |
York Transition | 45% |
Heap Recovery - Silver | |
Santa Fe Oxide | 30% |
Santa Fe Transition | 30% |
Calvada Oxide | 13% |
Calvada Transition | 0% |
Slab Oxide | 12% |
York Oxide | 0% |
York Transition | 0% |
Mining and Processing
The mineralized material will be mined by standard open-pit mining methods using a contractor-owned and operated mining fleet consisting of 92-tonne haul trucks and 11.5-m3 loading units and transported to the crushing circuit for processing.
Mineralized material from the Santa Fe, Calvada, Slab and York deposits will be processed by conventional heap leaching methods. The nominal processing rate will be 4.6 million tonnes per annum or 12,500 tonnes per day. Three-stage crushing of the material to 12.7 mm, will be followed by conveyor stacking on to a multi-lift heap leach pad. Dilute sodium cyanide solution will be applied to the heap, with the pregnant gold and silver-bearing solution effluent from the heap being processed in a carbon adsorption-desorption-recovery (ADR) plant. Gold and silver will be produced in the form of doré bars from the on-site smelting process.
Mineral Resource Estimation
The mineral resource estimate ("MRE") was prepared in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards and Canadian National Instrument NI-43-101. The effective date of the MRE prepared by Equity is October 9, 2024. The MRE is shown in Table 6.
Table 6: Project-wide Resources, Santa Fe Mine, Mineral County, Nevada
Notes to Table 6:
Estimation Approach: Lithology and gold and silver bearing domains were modelled using Leapfrog 2024. These domains are mainly defined by logged jasperoid and limestone-breccia lithologies and continuity of gold grades above 0.1 g/t gold. Metallurgical domains for oxide, transition and non-oxide were modelled based on ratio of cyanide leachable gold assay values to fire assay gold values in addition to drillhole logs recording abundance of pyrite and oxidation intensity. Transition material represents approximately 35% of oxide tonnes and comes almost entirely from the Santa Fe deposit. Transition domain material is included in the oxide resource. Domains representing lithology, weathering and mineralization models were assigned to a block model with a block size of 5 m x 5 m x 6 m. Average bulk densities representative of the mineralization and lithology models were assigned to the block model and vary from 2.4 t/m3 to 2.6 t/m3.
Grade capping and outlier restrictions were applied to gold and silver values and interpolation parameters respectively. Top cut values for gold and silver were evaluated for each domain independently prior to compositing to 1.52 m lengths that honor domain boundaries. Estimation was completed using Micromine Origin with Ordinary Kriging (OK) and Inverse Distance cubed (ID3) interpolants. Blocks were classified in accordance with the 2014 CIM Definition Standards. The nominal drillhole spacing for Indicated Mineral Resources is 50 m or less. The nominal drillhole spacing for Inferred Mineral Resources is 100 m or less.
Prospects for eventual economic extraction were evaluated by performing pit optimization using Lerchs-Grossman algorithm with the following parameters: gold price of US$1,950/oz gold, silver price of US$23.50/oz silver, selling costs of US$29.25/oz gold. Mining costs for resource and waste of US$2.50/t, processing cost (oxide) US$3.49/t, processing cost (non-oxide) US$25/t, G&A cost US$1.06/t. Royalties for the Slab, York and Calvada deposits are 1.25%. Maximum pit slope is 50 degrees. Processing recoveries range from 45% to 79% for oxide, silver recoveries range from 10% to 30% for oxide and non-oxide gold and silver recoveries are 71%.
More information regarding the Santa Fe Mine project's MRE update is included in the NI 43-101 Technical Report titled Santa Fe Project Technical Report with an effective date of October 9, 2024, Report Date: November 27, 2024*.
Qualified Persons
The qualified persons are Kenji Umeno, P.Eng. of Kappes, Cassiday & Associates; Thomas Dyer, P.E. of RESPEC; Trevor Rabb, P.Geo. and Darcy Baker, P.Geo. of Equity Exploration Consultants Ltd. each of whom is an independent "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101. A technical report supporting the results disclosed herein will be published within 45 days. The effective date of the technical report will be December 10, 2024.
About Lahontan Gold Corp.
Lahontan Gold Corp. is a Canadian mine development and mineral exploration company that holds, through its US subsidiaries, four top-tier gold and silver exploration properties in the Walker Lane of mining friendly Nevada. Lahontan's flagship property, the 26.4km2 Santa Fe Mine project, had past production of 356,000 ounces of gold and 784,000 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1995 from open pit mines utilizing heap-leach processing (Nevada Division of Minerals, www.ndomdata.com). The Santa Fe Mine has a Canadian National Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resource of 1,539,000 oz Au Eq(grading 0.99 g/t Au Eq) and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 411,000 oz Au Eq (grading 0.76 g/t Au Eq), all pit constrained (Au Eq is inclusive of recovery, please see Santa Fe Project Technical Report*). For more information, please visit our website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com
* Please see the Santa Fe Project Technical Report, Authors: Trevor Rabb, P. Geo, Darcy Baker, PhD, P. Geo., and Kenji Umeno, P. Eng., Effective Date: October 9, 2024, Report Date: November 27, 2024. The Technical Report is available on the Company's website and SEDAR+.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Kimberly Ann
Founder, CEO, President, and Director
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Lahontan Gold Corp.
Kimberly Ann
Founder, Chief Executive Officer, President, Director
Phone: 1-530-414-4400
Email: Kimberly.ann@lahontangoldcorp.com
Website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-Looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things: the Company's strategic plans; the results of the PEA; the economic potential and merits of the Project; the estimated amount and grade of mineral resources at the Project; precious metals prices; the PEA representing a viable development option for the Santa Fe Mine project ("the Project"); the timing and particulars of the development phases as identified in the PEA; estimates with respect to LOM, operating costs, sustaining capital costs, capex, AISC, cash costs, LOM production, processing plant throughput, NPV and after-tax IRR, payback period, production capacity and other metrics; the estimated economic returns from the Project; mining methods and extraction techniques; the exploration potential of the Project and its inclusion in future mining studies.
These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon several assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; tonnage to be mined and processed; grades and recoveries; prices for silver and gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; reclamation estimates; reliability of the updated MRE and the assumptions upon which it is based; future operating costs; prices for energy inputs, labor, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); the availability of skilled labor and no labor related disruptions at any of the Company's operations; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled production; performance of available laboratory and other related services; availability of funds; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals for operations are received in a timely manner; the ability to secure and maintain title and ownership to properties and the surface rights necessary for operations; and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com
Read on for more on what factors moved the gold price in Q4, followed by a look back at the entire year.
The gold price began Q4 at US$2,660.30, but quickly saw a retraction to US$2,608.40 on October 9. However, the decline didn't last, and gold again rose, setting a new record high of US$2,785.40 on October 30.
The surge upward was fueled by a weaker-than-expected September US consumer price index report, which showed annual inflation of 2.4 percent and monthly inflation of 0.2 percent. These numbers were higher than analysts' forecasts of 2.3 and 0.1 percent, raising expectations that the Fed would cut rates at its November meeting.
Gold was in retreat to start November, dropping to US$2,664 on November 6 after Trump’s victory. The next day, it briefly surged above the US$2,700 mark as the Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points on November 7.
By November 15, the price of gold had fallen to its quarterly low of US$2,562.50.
The end of the month saw gold leap to US$2,715.80 on November 22. Following this peak, gold entered December below the US$2,700 mark, closing at US$2,660.50 on December 9.
Gold price, Q4 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
Geopolitical impacts have been important to gold in Q4.
In addition to Trump's re-election, which has caused turmoil in various forms, on November 17 the US authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range missiles to attack targets deeper into Russian territory. The UK and France mirrored this move, giving Ukraine the green light to use long-range missiles in the ongoing conflict.
Tensions continued to ratchet up in the days following as Russia announced it was lowering the threshold for nuclear retaliation to include conventional attacks from countries backed by nuclear nations. In a demonstration of its capabilities, Russia launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile for the first time on November 21. While the missile appeared only to carry inert warheads, it is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear armaments.
The threat of a significant escalation has bolstered gold’s appeal as a safe-haven asset and store of value.
Gold set its first record price of the year at US$2,251.37 on March 31.
Central bank buying, notably China's purchase of 22 metric tons of gold in the first two months of the year, supported the price. Turkey, Kazakhstan and India also significantly increased their holdings at the start of the year.
Further momentum came from Chinese wholesale demand, which jumped to 271 metric tons in January, the strongest ever recorded. Investors were turning to the yellow metal as a defense against falling real estate and stock prices. At that time, the country's stocks had lost nearly US$5 trillion in value over the past three years.
Gold price, Q1 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
“As central banks continue to be significant buyers and geopolitical risks and global uncertainties drive investors towards the perceived safety of gold, the current environment underscores gold’s importance as a strategic asset for portfolio diversification and risk mitigation. Therefore, while there may have been a perception of western disinterest in gold, recent developments indicate a sustained and broad-based demand for the precious metal,” Joe Cavatoni, market strategist, Americas, told the Investing News Network (INN) in an email at the time.
The gold price saw increasing momentum in Q2, setting a new all-time of US$2,450.05 on May 20.
Gains through the quarter were influenced by strong central bank demand. Investor sentiment toward the yellow metal also shifted, with outflows from western exchange-traded funds starting to slow.
Although European funds still saw significant declines, it wasn’t all bad news — the US-based SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:GLD), the Sprott Physical Gold Trust (NYSE:PHYS), Ireland’s Royal Mint Responsibly Sourced Physical Gold ETC (LSE:RMAU) and Switzerland’s UBS ETF Gold (SWX:AUUSI) all saw increases.
Gold price, Q2 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
In a May interview with INN, Jeff Clark, editor of Paydirt Prospector, noted several other market dynamics that caused the price of gold to rise dramatically. He said the real starting point for the precious metal's gains was the end of February, when the Fed indicated it was expecting three or four rate cuts in 2024.
“All of a sudden, gold was off to the races. It jumped so high that suddenly, you had some short covering that needed to happen then as well. So you had short covering, which means they’re buying. And then you had momentum chasers and traders jumping all in. That was a pretty good spike ... that's what kind of started all of this,” he said.
Gold set another record price during the third quarter, reaching US$2,672.51 on September 26.
The high came just a week after the conclusion of the Fed's September meeting, when it announced a jumbo 50 basis point cut to the federal funds rate. While the People’s Bank of China maintained its pause on gold purchases in the third quarter, it granted several regional banks new import quotas in August.
Gold price, Q3 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
David Barrett, CEO of the UK division of global brokerage firm EBC Financial Group, suggested at the time that Fed rate cuts were less of a factor for gold than central bank buying. “I still see the global central bank buying as the main driver — as it has been over the last 15 years. This demand removes supply from the market. They are the ultimate buy-and-hold participants and have been buying massive amounts,” he told INN via email.
The quarter also saw significant merger and acquisition activity, with South Africa-based Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI,JSE:GFI) announcing plans to acquire Canada’s Osisko Mining (TSX:OSK) for C$2.16 billion, and South African gold miner AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) agreeing to purchase UK-based Centamin (TSX:CEE,LSE:CEY) for US$2.5 billion.
Overall, uncertainty has been a key driver for gold in 2024.
Central banks have continued to increase their physical holdings against an increasingly polarized political landscape. The most recent data from the World Gold Council shows that they added 186 metric tons of gold to their coffers during the third quarter, with the National Bank of Poland leading the way with 42 metric tons.
The World Gold Council notes that on a rolling four-quarter basis, central bank buying has slowed to 909 metric tons — that's compared to 1,215 metric tons one year ago.
Investors also began returning to the precious metal throughout 2024 as geopolitical tensions and fragile economies pushed them toward gold as a safe haven to help shield their portfolios from volatility.
With the world’s largest economy set to welcome Trump back to the White House in 2025, there are many unknowns. His economic policies could cause inflation to begin creeping up. In contrast, his foreign policies could create new ripples through global trade and financial markets given that he campaigned on more protectionist policies.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
