Phoenix-based Freeport also boosted its budget for the year by roughly 5% to $4.4 billion and forecast an increase for next year as well, surprising investors.
On an adjusted basis, the company earned 31 cents per share in the quarter, compared with the analysts’ average estimate of 20 cents per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Source – Reuters
Pan American Silver’s shares slumped Monday in the wake of the Canadian miner’s move to buy smaller producer MAG Silver in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $2.1 billion.
In morning trading, the shares were 14% lower at C$32.61 in Toronto and down 15% at $23.17 on the New York Stock Exchange. MAG Silver in contrast jumped 8.1% to C$25.49, widening its advance so far this year to 30%.
The deal between the Vancouver, British Columbia, companies will bolster Pan American’s position as a silver-and-gold producer in the Americas and add a stake in a big producing silver mine in Mexico. The agreement comes after precious-metals prices have rallied this year, encouraging a number of mergers and acquisitions among mining companies.
Source – Market Watch
Source – MSN
Idaho Strategic Resources Inc – is a resource based company that develops and extracts precious metals like gold, silver and base metal minerals in North Idaho.
Mali said on Wednesday it was suspending licenses for foreign artisanal gold mining companies after a series of fatal accidents in the West African country, one of Africa’s top three gold producers.
Gen. Assimi Goita, president of Mali’s transitional government, ordered “the suspension of artisanal mining permits granted to foreigners,” according to a statement issued following a Council of Ministers meeting.
“These measures are designed to further strengthen the state authorities and protect our fellow citizens. These measures give us the power to seize materials (mining equipment), which will be confiscated and placed in the domain of national heritage,” Gen. Daoud Ali Mohammedine, the minister of security and civil protection, said on ORTM.
Source – The Associated Press – Business News
Base metal prices plunged early Friday, with three-month benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange recently -3.7% at $8,985.50/metric ton and three-month aluminum -1.4% at $2,422.50/ton, as President Trump’s worse than expected tariffs trigger global growth slowdown fears, sparking a selloff in industrial metals and mining equities.
Copper and aluminum have dropped 8.7% and 7.7%, respectively, so far this week, as the tariffs drag down demand forecasts
Trump hit China with a 34% “reciprocal” tariff on top of existing duties, and China announced Friday that it will likewise impose 34% tariffs on all U.S. goods starting April 10.
“While we remain structurally bullish copper in the long run, weaker global GDP and copper demand growth risk delaying the deficit we expect to see in the market this year,” Goldman Sachs wrote.
Source – Seeking Alpha
Follow up on Kentucky considers bill to entice gold and silver investors
House Bill 2, introduced last week by Rep. T.J. Roberts, R-Burlington, and backed by several other GOP representatives, would void a controversial line-item budget veto by Beshear last year that prevented state lawmakers from exempting “bullion currency” — or gold and silver coins — from taxation.
The proposed bill would also give people who have paid sales taxes on gold and silver since August — when the exemption was set to take effect — the power to use the courts to seek a refund along with $1,000 for “each day that the violation occurred,” paid by the governor’s office.
Source – Louisville Courier-Journal
Spot gold was up 0.8% at $2,864 per ounce by 09:24 a.m. ET (1424 GMT), after hitting a record high of $2,877 earlier in the session.
“Gold continues to be largely influenced by trade uncertainties… the tariffs with China and the retaliation has the market on edge, so safe-haven flows remain the dominant factor,” said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals.
Spot silver rose 0.4% to $32.23 per ounce, platinum gained 1.6% to $979.40 and palladium added 0.4% to $994.75.
Source – Reuters
