Key Points: – Acquisition strengthens Major Drilling’s presence in Peru and expands access to Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Spain. – Adds 92 drills, increasing Major Drilling’s fleet to 701, reinforcing its industry leadership. – Initial $63M payment, plus $22M potential earn-out based on Explomin’s EBITDA growth targets.
In a strategic move to bolster its drilling capabilities and expand its footprint in South America, Major Drilling Group International Inc. has announced the acquisition of Explomin Perforaciones, a leading drilling contractor based in Lima, Peru. The deal, valued up to $85 million USD, is expected to significantly enhance Major Drilling’s access to the copper market and increase its service offerings in specialty drilling.
Explomin is one of the largest specialty drillers in South America, offering deep-hole, directional, high-altitude, and underground drilling services. The acquisition strengthens Major Drilling’s portfolio in copper and other essential minerals, which aligns with its growth strategy focused on geographical and service expansion.
In the twelve months ending October 31, 2024, Explomin generated approximately $95 million USD in revenue, with an EBITDA of $16 million USD, underscoring its solid standing in the industry. Around 90% of Explomin’s revenue is derived from partnerships with senior mining companies, a client base that Major Drilling expects to build upon.
Major Drilling’s CEO, Denis Larocque, highlighted the strategic value of this acquisition, noting that it aligns with the company’s long-term growth objectives, supports sustainable development goals, and builds on both companies’ shared cultural and operational values. Carlos Urrea, Chairman of Explomin, emphasized the potential for continued growth and praised the contributions of Explomin’s team, stating that the partnership would position both companies to thrive.
Under the acquisition agreement, Major Drilling paid an upfront cash amount of $63 million USD with the potential for an additional $22 million USD contingent on Explomin meeting specific EBITDA milestones over the next three years. This structure incentivizes Explomin to achieve an average annual EBITDA of $21 million USD during the earn-out period. Funding for this acquisition is supported by Major Drilling’s current cash reserves and debt facilities, reflecting the company’s strong financial position.
This acquisition positions Major Drilling to capitalize on increasing demand in the copper market and enhances its service portfolio in high-growth regions. The integration of Explomin is expected to be accretive, contributing positively to Major Drilling’s revenue streams and expanding its influence in the competitive mining sector.
Mark Reichman, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Kuri-Yawi epithermal gold target. Aurania’s 2024 exploration program will focus on the Kuri-Yawi epithermal gold target, including an induced polarization (IP) geophysical survey and drilling three drill holes later in the year totaling approximately 1,800 meters of drilling.
Awacha porphyry copper target. An Anaconda mapping program has been completed in the southern part of Aurania’s Awacha porphyry copper target area and exploration teams continue to map the remaining area. Having signed an agreement with the indigenous community that allows full access, the northern portion of the Awacha copper porphyry target will be mapped with the goal of preparing it for drilling in the future.
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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd. (TSXV: MTA) (NYSE American: MTA) and Nova Royalty Corp. (TSXV: NOVR) (OTCQB: NOVRF) have announced a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $190 million. The merger will create a larger royalty and streaming company focused on precious and base metals.
Under the agreement, Nova shareholders will receive 0.36 shares of Metalla for each Nova share they own. This represents a premium of 25% based on recent share prices.
The combined company will hold a portfolio of over 100 royalties and streams on mine projects operated by major miners like Barrick, Newmont, and Glencore. The deal is intended to boost scale, diversify assets, and enhance access to capital.
Nova recently conducted a strategic review process with the goal of maximizing shareholder value. After considering options, the Nova Board determined the merger with Metalla offered the best opportunity.
Both companies’ Boards have unanimously approved the transaction. It still requires shareholder and regulatory approvals before expected completion in late 2023. The merged entity will trade on the NYSE American exchange.
An investment firm called Beedie Capital is investing $15 million and expanding Metalla’s convertible loan facility by $35 million in conjunction with the deal. This will provide capital to fund further acquisitions and growth.
Brett Heath, CEO of Metalla, said the combination creates a clear path to becoming an intermediate royalty company. Nova interim CEO Hashim Ahmed noted the merger provides improved scale, cash flow, and trading liquidity.
The companies believe the increased diversification into copper along with gold and silver will give shareholders exposure to critical metals needed for the energy transition. According to management, the merged portfolio will have peer-leading growth potential.
New Projections for Copper Demand High, Price Seen as Still “Muted”
The copper market could see an “unprecedented” inflow in the coming years as investors seek to profit from the metal’s anticipated surge in value, driven by growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy, according to Citigroup.
In an interview with Bloomberg last week, Max Layton, Citi’s managing director for commodities research, said he believes now is an ideal time for investors to buy, as the price of copper is still muted on global recession concerns. The red metal is currently trading around $8,300 a ton, down approximately 26% from its all-time high of nearly $11,300, set in October 2021.
According to Layton, copper could top out at $15,000 a ton by 2025, a jump that would “make oil’s 2008 bull run look like child’s play.”
Citi also pointed out that copper may dip further in the short-term but could begin to rally in the next six to 12 months as the market fully recognizes the massive imbalance between supply and demand, a gap that’s expected to widen as demand for EVs and renewables expands.
This article was republished with permission from Frank Talk, a CEO Blog by Frank Holmes of U.S. Global Investors (GROW).
Find more of Frank’s articles here – Originally published June 12, 2023.
Internal Combustion Vehicle Sales Set To Peak This Decade: BloombergNEF
As I’ve mentioned before, electric vehicles (EVs) require up to three times more copper compared to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. This presents a challenge because the number of newly discovered copper deposits is decreasing, and the time it takes to go from discovery to production has been increasing due to rising costs. According to S&P Global, out of the 224 copper deposits found between 1990 and 2019, only 16 have been discovered in the last decade.
Meanwhile, EV sales continue to rise. Last year, these sales reached a total of 10.5 million, and projections by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (NEF) suggest that they could escalate to around 27 million by 2026. Bloomberg predicts that the global fleet of ICE vehicles will peak in as little as two years, after which the market will be dominated primarily by EVs and, to a lesser extent, hybrids. By 2030, EVs might constitute 44% of all passenger vehicle sales, and by 2040, three could account for three quarters of all vehicle sales.
Tesla Stock Supported By String Of Positive News
Tesla, which remains the world’s largest EV manufacturer, has seen its stock increase over 100% year-to-date in 2023, making it the third best performer in the S&P 500, following NVIDIA (+166%) and Meta (120%). In fact, shares of Tesla have now fully recovered (and then some) from October 2022, when CEO Elon Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion. This raised concerns among investors about Musk’s ability to run the EV manufacturer while taking on a new, time-intensive project, not to mention also juggling SpaceX.
Friday marked the 12th straight day that shares of Tesla have advanced, representing a remarkable winning streak that we haven’t seen since January 2021.
The Austin-based carmaker got a huge boost last week after it announced that its popular Model 3 now qualifies for a $7,500 EV consumer tax credit. This action means that in California, which applies its own $7,500 tax rebate for EV purchases, a brand new Tesla Model S is cheaper than a Toyota Camry.
To qualify for the U.S. tax credit, Tesla had to make changes to how it sourced materials for its batteries in accordance with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law in August 2022. The IRA stipulates that 40% of electric vehicle battery materials and components must be extracted or processed in the U.S. or in a country that has a free trade agreement with the U.S. This manufacturing threshold will increase annually, and by 2027, 80% of the battery must be produced in the U.S. or a partner country to qualify for the full rebate.
Tesla stock also benefited from last Thursday’s announcement that drivers of EVs made by rival General Motors (GM) would be able to use Tesla’s North American supercharger network starting next year. The deal not only gives GM customers access to an additional 12,000 charging stations across the continent, but it also vastly increases Tesla’s market share of the essential charging infrastructure.
Musk’s Copper Quest
Thinking ahead, Musk reportedly met virtually last month with L. Oyun-Erdene, prime minister of Mongolia. The details of their discussion were not fully disclosed, but it’s worth pointing out that Mongolia is a copper-rich country, home to the world’s fourth-largest copper mine, operated jointly by Rio Tinto and the Mongolian government. In May, Rio Tinto announced that production had finally begun at the mine, which sits 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) below the Gobi Desert.
With access to this copper, perhaps Tesla is planning to build a metals processing plant in Mongolia? This would make sense, as the company maintains a factory in Shanghai, China.
US Global Investors Disclaimer
Holdings may change daily. Holdings are reported as of the most recent quarter-end. The following securities mentioned in the article were held by one or more accounts managed by U.S. Global Investors as of (03/31/2023): Tesla Inc.
All opinions expressed and data provided are subject to change without notice. Some of these opinions may not be appropriate to every investor. By clicking the link(s) above, you will be directed to a third-party website(s). U.S. Global Investors does not endorse all information supplied by this/these website(s) and is not responsible for its/their content.
Is This The Start Of A New Golden Age Of Gold Mining Deals?
We may be about to enter a new golden age of gold mining deals as explorers and producers seek to capitalize on higher metal prices and gain exposure to other key minerals, including copper, at a time when consolidation in the gold industry vastly trails that of other metals.
Last week, major U.S. gold producer Newmont raised its bid for Australian rival Newcrest Mining to $19.5 billion after its earlier bid of $17 billion was rejected. Due diligence is expected to take around four weeks, and if Newcrest’s board and shareholders accept the offer, the acquisition would represent one of the top 10 biggest metal deals ever and the single biggest gold mining takeover, nearly twice the value of last year’s merger between Kirkland Lake and Agnico Eagle.
(A note about the chart above: Just today, Teck Resources rejected Glencore’s $23 billion takeover bid, calling it “opportunistic and unrealistic.” Vancouver-based Teck says it will proceed with plans to spin off its steelmaking coal business, creating two new companies: Teck Metals and Elk Valley Resources. This separation “creates a significantly greater spectrum of opportunities to maximize value for Teck shareholders” compared to an acquisition by Glencore, says Teck’s Board of Directors Chair Sheila Murray.)
This article was republished with permission from Frank Talk, a CEO Blog by Frank Holmes
Time will tell if Newcrest approves of Newmont’s offer, but I believe this could be the start of a much-needed consolidation cycle in the gold industry, one that could potentially benefit shareholders.
Gold Is One Of The Most Fragmented Gold Mining Industries
Back in 2019, many analysts and market participants—myself included—heralded Newmont and Goldcorp’s $9.3 billion merger as the beginning of a new era of gold consolidation, and I believe the Newmont-Newcrest deal could serve as a (delayed) continuation of the trend.
The truth is that, compared to other important metals, gold is sorely in need of consolidation. The chart below, courtesy of metals and mining consultancy firm CRU Group, shows the global share of output from each metal’s top 10 producers. Gold is at the bottom, with its top 10 producers responsible for only 28% of global output. By comparison, the top 10 iron ore producers generate nearly 70% of the world’s supply.
Higher gold prices in recent years have not resulted in significantly increased exploration spending. In lieu of that, companies can expand and create shareholder value through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), which allow miners to “increase their production share, replenish depleting gold reserves and… lower production costs through relatively less risk,” writes CRU analysts.
Copper To Face Ongoing Supply Deficits
M&A can also result in metal diversification—one of Newmont’s stated goals in acquiring Newcrest. Copper currently accounts for roughly 25% of Newcrest’s total net revenue, and the company hopes to increase it to 50% of revenue by the end of the decade. As one of the key minerals in the global transition to renewable energy, copper is poised to surge in price in the coming years as demand far outpaces supply.
In fact, copper mining deals exceeded gold mining deals in total value last year, according to a new report by S&P Global. M&A work among copper companies in 2022 totaled more than $14 billion in value, a 103% jump over the previous year, while the combined value of gold deals stood at $9.8 billion, a 48% decrease from 2021.
US Global Investors Disclaimer
The NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index is a modified market capitalization weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in the mining for gold and silver. The S&P 500 Stock Index is a widely recognized capitalization-weighted index of 500 common stock prices in U.S. companies. Free cash flow (FCF) represents the cash a company generates after accounting for cash outflows to support operations and maintain its capital assets. Frank Holmes has been appointed non-executive chairman of the Board of Directors of HIVE Blockchain Technologies. Both Mr. Holmes and U.S. Global Investors own shares of HIVE. Effective 8/31/2018, Frank Holmes serves as the interim executive chairman of HIVE.
Holdings may change daily. Holdings are reported as of the most recent quarter-end. The following securities mentioned in the article were held by one or more accounts managed by U.S. Global Investors as of (09/30/2021): Torex Gold Resources Inc., Centerra Gold Inc., Gran Colombia Gold Corp., Dundee Precious Metals Inc., Pretium Resources Inc., Endeavour Mining PLC, Barrick Gold Corp., Eldorado Gold Corp., SSR Mining Inc., Silver Lake Resources Ltd., Karora Resources Inc.
All opinions expressed and data provided are subject to change without notice. Some of these opinions may not be appropriate to every investor. By clicking the link(s) above, you will be directed to a third-party website(s). U.S. Global Investors does not endorse all information supplied by this/these website(s) and is not responsible for its/their content.
Stellantis Invests in Mine to Satisfy Increasing Demand for Copper
Stellantis is the latest car company to invest in a mining company to help avoid any hiccups on its road to being carbon-free by 2038. The company just announced it acquired a 14.2% stake in McEwen Copper. Partnering with or securing a large stake in a mining company or projects has been a growing trend among car companies as they secure raw materials needed to assemble the next generation of vehicles. Stellantis, the world’s third-largest automaker, owns brands such as Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, and Peugeot. It says it wants 100% of its European cars and 50% of its US cars and light trucks to be battery electric by 2030.
As automakers move to expand EV production, access to an uninterrupted source of raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper is a concern that needs to be planned for. Some car companies have developed strategies to to directly sourcing raw materials from mines. And others are likely to follow. This year, Tesla (TSLA), Ford (F), and General Motors (GM) are all expected to be better represented than in the past at the top mining conferences being held over the next two weeks. These include the Global Metals and Mining Conference in South Florida (Feb. 27 – Mar. 1) and the Mineral Exploration & Mining Convention in Toronto (Mar. 5 – Mar. 8).
Because not all investors can make it to Toronto, analysts from Noble Capital Markets will be attending PDAC conference meetings and then interviewing select executives. This will be captured on video for the exclusive benefit of Channelchek subscribers (no cost). Learn more about the Channelchek Takeaway Series at PDAC.
The Stellantis Purchase
The $155 million investment in a project located in Argentina, is expected to make what the press release called, “a major contribution to the company’s plan to become carbon net zero by 2038.” It represents a 14.2% equity stake in McEwen Copper, a subsidiary of Canadian mining company McEwen Mining (MUX), which owns the Los Azules project in Argentina and the Elder Creek project in Nevada.
The large stake makes Stellantis McEwen Copper’s second-largest shareholder, along with Rio Tinto, through its copper leaching technology venture, Nuton. Los Azules plans to produce 100,000 tons per year of cathode copper at 99.9% purity starting in 2027 and the resources can secure the operation for at least 33 years.
“Stellantis intends to lead the industry with the commitment to be carbon net zero by 2038 – a goal that requires innovation and a complete redefinition of the entire business,” said Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO. “We are taking important steps in Argentina and Brazil, with the aim of decarbonizing mobility and ensuring strategic supplies of raw materials necessary for the success of the Company’s global electrification plans,” he said.
“Copper is a strategic raw material for the future of electric mobility, and it is estimated that global demand for the conductive metal will triple in the coming years. By making an investment in one of the top 10 international projects in the development of this commodity, Stellantis should be able to supply some of the projected copper demand starting in 2027,” said Carlos Tavares.
Take Away
The move to electric cars presents a number of opportunities to investors beyond picking which car company perform best, or even survive. Looking forward to areas of increased demand from the EV business, lithium is the mineral spoken about most. But copper is not only important in its use throughout the vehicle, it is also critical to distribute electricity to charging stations. It wouldn’t be a surprise to hear announcements by other car companies that they are also enhancing their vertical integration by partnering with or purchasing mining operations.
Channelchek is a great resource for information on small and microcap mining companies. For an extensive listing of companies involved in copper mining, including description, data, and stock price history, click here.
Sierra Metals Inc. is a diversified Canadian mining company with Green Metal exposure including increasing copper production and base metal production with precious metals byproduct credits, focused on the production and development of its Yauricocha Mine in Peru, and Bolivar and Cusi Mines in Mexico. The Company is focused on increasing production volume and growing mineral resources. Sierra Metals has recently had several new key discoveries and still has many more exciting brownfield exploration opportunities at all three Mines in Peru and Mexico that are within close proximity to the existing mines. Additionally, the Company also has large land packages at all three mines with several prospective regional targets providing longer-term exploration upside and mineral resource growth potential.
Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst, Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Operational challenges negatively impact production. During the third quarter, Sierra Metals produced 6.3 million pounds of copper, 3.9 million pounds of lead, 10.8 million pounds of zinc, 2.2 thousand ounces of gold, and 669 thousand ounces of silver. On a sequential basis, copper and gold production declined 24% and 16%, respectively, while lead, silver, and zinc production increased 16%, 10%, and 4%, respectively. On a copper equivalent basis, production declined 7% sequentially and was below our estimate. Production was negatively impacted, among other things, by a mudslide at the Yauricocha mine and flooding in the NorthWest Zone at the Bolivar mine.
Updating estimates. We have lowered our 2022 EBITDA and EPS estimates to $29.9 million and $(0.08) per share from $44.6 million and $(0.01) per share. We have lowered our 2023 EBITDA and EPS estimates to $76.1 million and $0.12 per share. Operational uncertainty associated with production at the company’s mines clouds our confidence in 2023 estimates. Sierra will release third quarter results after the market close on November 14 and will host an investor call on November 15 at 11:00 am ET.
This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
