Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO) Full Year 2024 ResultsKey Financial Results

  • Revenue: US$11.4b (up 16% from FY 2023).

  • Net income: US$3.38b (up 39% from FY 2023).

  • Profit margin: 30% (up from 25% in FY 2023). The increase in margin was driven by higher revenue.

  • EPS: US$4.33 (up from US$3.05 in FY 2023).

NYSE:SCCO Earnings and Revenue Growth February 13th 2025

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Southern Copper Revenues and Earnings Miss Expectations

Revenue missed analyst estimates by 1.8%. Earnings per share (EPS) also missed analyst estimates by 1.4%.

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 5.3% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 5.3% growth forecast for the Metals and Mining industry in the US.

Performance of the American Metals and Mining industry.

The company's shares are up 1.6% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

It is worth noting though that we have found 1 warning sign for Southern Copper that you need to take into consideration.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

By Amy Lv and Pratima Desai

BEIJING/LONDON (Reuters) – Freeport McMoRan is expected to resume shipments of copper concentrate from Indonesia this month under a new export licence after the previous one lapsed in December, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.

Indonesia has restricted raw material exports to pressure companies to refine minerals locally and add value to its exports. Freeport has local refining capacity, but is seeking to keep exporting concentrate due to a fire last October at its Manyar smelterin East Java.

The miner will start loading cargoes destined for China on Friday in anticipation of receiving an export licence by month end, according to one source with direct knowledge of the matter.

A shipment of copper concentrate from the company's mine at Grasberg, the world's second largest active copper mine, is expected to depart by late February, a second source said.

"Storage is becoming a big problem. We need to start shifting it," the first source said.

Indonesia's trade ministry said last week it would support Freeport resuming copper concentrate exports.

PT Freeport Indonesia did not respond to questions about the shipments sent via text. A spokesperson said separately they expected the government would accommodate a plan to resume exports.

Indonesia's mining ministry did not respond to questions about the shipments from Reuters sent via text message.

Freeport presold cargoes of copper concentrate in January with a contingent claim that the contracts will take effect only if they successfully renew their export licence, said a third source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Should exports resume, it will relieve, although not reverse, a shortage of copper concentrate that has hit the profits of smelters.

Treatment charges – fees paid by miners to smelters for converting raw materials into metal – stood at a negative $12.5 a ton on February 7, the lowest level yet recorded in information provider Fastmarkets' index tracing data back to 2013.

(Reporting by Amy Lv in Beijing and Pratima Desai in London; Additional reporting by Fransiska Nangoy in Jakarta; Editing by Lewis Jackson in Beijing and Jan Harvey)

As the U.S. markets react to a hotter-than-expected inflation report, with the Dow and S&P 500 closing lower and treasury yields soaring, investors are increasingly focused on finding stability amidst economic uncertainty. In such volatile times, dividend stocks can offer a reliable income stream, making them an attractive option for those looking to balance their portfolios against market fluctuations.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In The United States

Name

Dividend Yield

Dividend Rating

Columbia Banking System (NasdaqGS:COLB)

5.29%

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Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG)

4.93%

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Peoples Bancorp (NasdaqGS:PEBO)

4.92%

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FMC (NYSE:FMC)

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Southside Bancshares (NYSE:SBSI)

4.60%

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Regions Financial (NYSE:RF)

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Citizens & Northern (NasdaqCM:CZNC)

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Click here to see the full list of 135 stocks from our Top US Dividend Stocks screener.

We’re going to check out a few of the best picks from our screener tool.

Copa Holdings

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: ★★★★☆☆

Overview: Copa Holdings, S.A. operates through its subsidiaries to offer airline passenger and cargo services, with a market cap of approximately $3.71 billion.

Operations: Copa Holdings generates its revenue primarily from air transportation services, totaling approximately $3.48 billion.

Dividend Yield: 7.1%

Copa Holdings has a high dividend yield of 7.06%, placing it in the top 25% of U.S. dividend payers, but its dividends have been volatile over the past decade and are not well covered by free cash flows, with a high cash payout ratio of 243.4%. Despite reasonable earnings coverage with a low payout ratio of 37.5%, sustainability concerns persist due to inconsistent dividend history and reliance on non-cash earnings.

NYSE:CPA Dividend History as at Feb 2025EOG Resources

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: ★★★★☆☆

Overview: EOG Resources, Inc. is engaged in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas across various producing basins in the United States and internationally, with a market cap of approximately $74.09 billion.

Operations: EOG Resources generates revenue of $23.86 billion from its crude oil and natural gas exploration and production activities.

Dividend Yield: 3%

EOG Resources offers a dividend yield of 3.03%, which is lower than the top 25% of U.S. dividend payers. However, its dividends are well-covered by earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 29.2% and 36.7%, respectively. Despite trading at a good value relative to peers, EOG’s dividend history has been volatile over the past decade, raising concerns about reliability and stability for income-focused investors. Recent executive changes may impact strategic direction but have no immediate effect on dividends.

NYSE:EOG Dividend History as at Feb 2025FMC

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: ★★★★★★

Overview: FMC Corporation is an agricultural sciences company that offers crop protection, plant health, and professional pest and turf management products, with a market cap of $4.55 billion.

Operations: FMC Corporation’s revenue segment includes Innovative Solutions, generating $4.25 billion.

Dividend Yield: 6.3%

FMC’s dividend yield of 6.33% ranks in the top 25% of U.S. dividend payers, supported by stable and growing payments over the past decade. The dividends are well-covered by earnings (payout ratio: 72%) and cash flows (cash payout ratio: 48%). However, FMC’s recent financial performance shows a decline in profit margins and net income, with debt not fully covered by operating cash flow. Recent amendments to its $2 billion credit facility address leverage and interest coverage ratios.

NYSE:FMC Dividend History as at Feb 2025Turning Ideas Into Actions

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Ready To Venture Into Other Investment Styles?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include NYSE:CPA NYSE:EOG and NYSE:FMC.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com

Here are three stocks added to the Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) List today:

ASGN Incorporated ASGN provides IT services. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 7.2% downward over the last 60 days.

BHP Group Limited BHP is a resources company that operates in Petroleum, Copper, Iron Ore, and Coal segments. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 13.4% downward over the last 60 days.

Cimpress plc CMPR is a mass customizer of printing and related products. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 13.4% downward over the last 60 days.

View the entire Zacks Rank #5 List.

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BHP Group Limited Sponsored ADR (BHP) : Free Stock Analysis Report

ASGN Incorporated (ASGN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Cimpress plc (CMPR) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

REE Automotive Ltd.

Mission Mobile Medical and REE Automotive Partner to Transport Healthcare to Millions of Rural Americans

Mission Mobile, the world’s largest mobile health company, intends to build its new mobile healthcare fleet on REE’s P7 electric trucks

  • Mission Mobile, one of the world’s largest mobile health companies, intends to build its new mobile healthcare fleet on REE’s P7 electric trucks.

  • New Powered by REE fleet will aim to expand Mission Mobile’s 200 mobile healthcare programs targeting more than two million Americans in 42 states who currently do not have equitable healthcare access.

  • First P7 vehicle delivery is slotted for mid 2025.

GREENSBORO, N.C. and TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mission Mobile Medical and REE Automotive Ltd. (Nasdaq: REE) have signed an agreement under which REE will provide vehicles to Mission Mobile Medical which will be used by the latter to make healthcare more accessible to people in historically underserved, rural areas in the United States. The collaboration combines REE’s software-defined vehicle technology with Mission Mobile Medical Group’s ground-breaking innovations in mobile health solutions which will come together to deliver high-quality, cost-efficient healthcare in difficult to access areas in the U.S. Under the terms of the agreement, Mission Mobile Medical has ordered and secured priority production capacity for REE’s software-defined P7 electric trucks, with the first Powered by REE P7 delivery planned for mid 2025. With REE P7 trucks, Mission Mobile aims to deploy the next generation of mobile healthcare units this year with enhanced efficiency, adaptability and sustainability for rural communities across America.

Mission Mobile, one of the world’s largest mobile health companies, has redefined healthcare delivery through innovative medical solutions for at-risk communities. Over the past 5 years, Mission Mobile has created over 200 mobile health programs in 42 states and Canada to help patients and provide on-demand healthcare where traditional treatment is restricted.

“Our clients are mission-driven to efficiently deliver healthcare to every corner of our country,” said Travis LeFever, CEO of Mission Mobile Medical. “How long you live shouldn’t depend on where you live, and this partnership marks a pivotal step toward extending the reach of the healthcare system. With nearly 20% of Americans in rural areas facing critical barriers to care, we’re not just innovating—we’re taking action. Our country is in crisis and these solutions are a pragmatic and financially sustainable way to solve the challenge of equitable access to healthcare.”

Mission Mobile Medical chose REE for the P7’s unique zonal architecture and fully flat chassis that will enable Mission Mobile to build fully-customized, medical facility on the rear of the trucks. In addition, REE’s x-by-wire system allows the medical units to receive over-the-air (OTA) updates when needed and provides industry-leading levels of fleet and telematics data. This combination of REE’s proprietary automotive technology and Mission Mobile Medical’s expertise in transportable wellness programs will result in the next generation of customizable health solutions, designed with enhanced efficiency, adaptability and sustainability deployed in rural communities across America.

REE’s P7-C is the first U.S. certified fully by-wire vehicle, designed around four identical REEcorners®, which integrate all critical vehicle components (steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control) into a single compact module. Built with a technology-first mindset, the P7-C sets a new standard in safety and performance while offering flexibility to build cargo trucks, work trucks, medical vehicles and more.

“Collaborating with Mission Mobile Medical highlights the unique capabilities of REE’s software-defined technology,” said Tali Miller, Chief Business Officer of REE. “Our modular and customizable chassis enables purpose-built solutions to meet specific needs, and Mission Mobile Medical intends to utilize it to improve the lives of millions of people. In addition, our robust national dealer network with 80 points of service will allow these mobile health vehicles to be supported close to where medical services are being delivered. This collaboration demonstrates how zero-emission vehicles can provide essential services efficiently and at scale, creating positive impact for our communities.”

This approach represents a convergence of cutting-edge engineering and healthcare innovation, enabling the development of next-generation health programs that are not only environmentally friendly but also equipped to meet our Nation’s need for convenient Preventative and Primary care in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.

To learn more about Mission Mobile Medical’s mission to save lives in rural communities, visit https://www.missionmobilemed.com/.

To learn more about REE’s patented technology enabling the company to break new ground in e-mobility, visit www.ree.auto.

About Mission Mobile Medical

Mission Mobile Medical is the world’s largest mobile health company. They are on a mission to expand access to high-quality medical care by providing mobile health programs as a service to health systems across the country and abroad. From preventative primary care and screenings to dental and specialty care, Mission Mobile Medical data analytics and proprietary Healthcare Savings mapping software empowers health systems and local governments to precisely deliver care to the right patients, at the right place, at the right time, driving savings for health payors in rural geographies, and saving lives. For more information, visit www.missionmobilemed.com.

About REE Automotive

REE Automotive (Nasdaq: REE) is an automotive technology company that allows companies to build electric vehicles of various shapes and sizes on their modular platforms. With complete design freedom, vehicles Powered by REE® are equipped with the revolutionary REEcorner®, which packs critical vehicle components (steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control) into a single compact module positioned between the chassis and the wheel. As the first company to FMVSS certify a full by-wire vehicle in the U.S., REE’s proprietary by-wire technology for drive, steer and brake control eliminates the need for mechanical connection. Using four identical REEcorners® enables REE to make the industry’s flattest EV platforms with more room for passengers, cargo and batteries. REE platforms are future proofed, autonomous capable, offer a low total cost of ownership (TCO), and drastically reduce the time to market for fleets looking to electrify. To learn more visit www.ree.auto.

Caution About Forward-Looking StatementsThis communication includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding REE or its management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. For example, REE is using forward-looking statements when it discusses the expected timing of the delivery of the REE EVs in the first half of 2025, the benefits of REE’s products and the potential benefits of its collaboration with Mission Mobile Medical. In addition, any statements that refer to plans, projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “aim,” “anticipate,” “appear,” “approximate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “foresee,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “would,” “designed,” “target” and similar expressions (or the negative version of such words or expressions) may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this communication may include, among other things, statements about REE’s strategic and business plans, technology, relationships and objectives, including its ability to meet certification requirements, the impact of trends on and interest in our business, or product, intellectual property, REE’s expectation for growth, and its future results, operations and financial performance and condition.

These forward-looking statements are based on REE’s current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as of the date of this communication and current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions. Although REE believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve an unknown number of risks, uncertainties, judgments, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. These factors are difficult to predict accurately and may be beyond REE’s control. Forward-looking statements in this communication speak only as of the date made and REE undertakes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws. In light of these risks and uncertainties, investors should keep in mind that results, events or developments discussed in any forward-looking statement made in this communication may not occur.

Uncertainties and risk factors that could affect REE’s future performance and could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to: REE’s ability to commercialize its strategic plan, including its plan to successfully evaluate, obtain regulatory approval, produce and market its P7 lineup; REE’s ability to maintain and advance relationships with current Tier 1 suppliers and strategic partners; development of REE’s advanced prototypes into marketable products; REE’s ability to grow and scale manufacturing capacity through relationships with Tier 1 suppliers; REE’s estimates of unit sales, expenses and profitability and underlying assumptions; REE’s reliance on its UK Engineering Center of Excellence for the design, validation, verification, testing and homologation of its products; REE’s limited operating history; risks associated with building out of REE’s supply chain; risks associated with plans for REE’s initial commercial production; REE’s dependence on potential suppliers, some of which will be single or limited source; development of the market for commercial EVs; risks associated with data security breach, failure of information security systems and privacy concerns; risks related to lack of compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement; future sales of our securities by existing material shareholders or by us could cause the market price for the Class A Ordinary Shares to decline; potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents, political events, international hostilities and instability, piracy or acts by terrorists; intense competition in the e-mobility space, including with competitors who have significantly more resources; risks related to the fact that REE is incorporated in Israel and governed by Israeli law; REE’s ability to make continued investments in its platform; the impact of interest rate changes, the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and any other worldwide health epidemics or outbreaks that may arise and adverse global conditions, including macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty; the global economic environment, the general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which we operate; the ongoing military conflict in Israel; fluctuations in interest rates and foreign exchange rates; the need to attract, train and retain highly-skilled technical workforce; changes in laws and regulations that impact REE; REE’s ability to enforce, protect and maintain intellectual property rights; REE’s ability to retain engineers and other highly qualified employees to further its goals; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in REE’s annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 27, 2024 and in subsequent filings with the SEC.

Media Contact

Mission Mobile MedicalDana SummersPenman PR dana@penmanpr.com

REE AutomotiveMalory Van GuilderSkyya PR for REE Automotive+1 651-335-0585ree@skyya.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3d5df7cb-57c2-4c31-ba45-f307f71cb897

Southern Copper (SCCO) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.01 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.02 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.57 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -0.98%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this miner would post earnings of $1.12 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.15, delivering a surprise of 2.68%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

Southern Copper , which belongs to the Zacks Mining – Non Ferrous industry, posted revenues of $2.78 billion for the quarter ended December 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.16%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.3 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Southern Copper shares have added about 1.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 3.2%.

What's Next for Southern Copper?

While Southern Copper has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Southern Copper: mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.26 on $2.77 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $4.63 on $11.61 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Mining – Non Ferrous is currently in the bottom 37% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Another stock from the same industry, Coeur Mining (CDE), has yet to report results for the quarter ended December 2024. The results are expected to be released on February 19.

This silver mining company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.12 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +700%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Coeur Mining's revenues are expected to be $321.3 million, up 22.6% from the year-ago quarter.

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Southern Copper Corporation (SCCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Coeur Mining, Inc. (CDE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Zacks Investment Research

The market expects Coeur Mining (CDE) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended December 2024. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.

The earnings report, which is expected to be released on February 19, 2025, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus Estimate

This silver mining company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.12 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +700%.

Revenues are expected to be $321.3 million, up 22.6% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions Trend

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.

Earnings Whisper

Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model — the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) — has this insight at its core.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Coeur Mining?

For Coeur Mining, the Most Accurate Estimate is the same as the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that there are no recent analyst views which differ from what have been considered to derive the consensus estimate. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of 0%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Coeur Mining will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?

Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Coeur Mining would post earnings of $0.07 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.12, delivering a surprise of +71.43%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.

Bottom Line

An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Coeur Mining doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

An Industry Player's Expected Results

Southern Copper (SCCO), another stock in the Zacks Mining – Non Ferrous industry, is expected to report earnings per share of $1.02 for the quarter ended December 2024. This estimate points to a year-over-year change of +79%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $2.78 billion, up 21.1% from the year-ago quarter.

The consensus EPS estimate for Southern Copper has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. However, a lower Most Accurate Estimate has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -13.30%.

This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Southern Copper will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

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Coeur Mining, Inc. (CDE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Southern Copper Corporation (SCCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Zacks Investment Research

PHOENIX (AP) — PHOENIX (AP) — Southern Copper Corp. (SCCO) on Wednesday reported net income of $793.9 million in its fourth quarter.

On a per-share basis, the Phoenix-based company said it had net income of $1.01.

The miner posted revenue of $2.78 billion in the period.

For the year, the company reported profit of $3.38 billion, or $4.33 per share. Revenue was reported as $11.43 billion.

_____

This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SCCO at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SCCO

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 13% in the last quarter. But in stark contrast, the returns over the last half decade have impressed. In fact, the share price is 213% higher today. So while it's never fun to see a share price fall, it's important to look at a longer time horizon. Ultimately business performance will determine whether the stock price continues the positive long term trend.

Since it's been a strong week for Freeport-McMoRan shareholders, let's have a look at trend of the longer term fundamentals.

See our latest analysis for Freeport-McMoRan

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During the last half decade, Freeport-McMoRan became profitable. That kind of transition can be an inflection point that justifies a strong share price gain, just as we have seen here.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

NYSE:FCX Earnings Per Share Growth February 12th 2025

This free interactive report on Freeport-McMoRan's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, Freeport-McMoRan's TSR for the last 5 years was 230%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

A Different Perspective

Freeport-McMoRan shareholders gained a total return of 3.9% during the year. But that was short of the market average. If we look back over five years, the returns are even better, coming in at 27% per year for five years. Maybe the share price is just taking a breather while the business executes on its growth strategy. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Freeport-McMoRan , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

We will like Freeport-McMoRan better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued stocks (mostly small caps) with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Gold Sponsors

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Toronto, Ontario–(Newsfile Corp. – February 12, 2025) – THE Mining Investment Event ("THE Event"), Canada's Only Tier 1 Global Mining Investment Conference, is pleased to announce new and returning participating sponsors and issuers joining us in Quebec City, June 3-5, 2025.

"In 2024, THE Event hosted several large-cap issuers and senior sponsors, demonstrating its global nature and establishing itself as one of the must-attend conferences for qualified companies. Participants from across the industry-issuers, related companies, and investors-came together to engage in high-level networking events and intimate one-on-one meetings, fostering valuable discussions and connections," remarked Joanne Jobin, CEO & Founder.

"We are thrilled to announce that over 100 international issuers have already confirmed their participation in THE Event 2025. With new issuers and sponsors joining our ranks daily, we are poised for another remarkable year of growth. We welcome our newest sponsors: Agnico Eagle, AtkinsRéalis, VRIFY, CAUR Technologies and the Gold Telegraph. Additionally, I am delighted to share that Glencore Canada will again support THE Student Sponsorship Program, now recognized as one of North America's most comprehensive fully funded conference initiatives for students."

THE Participating Companies*1×1's only ^^Mi3 ExplorCo Lounge #Coreshack Participant ~Industry Invitee/Corp. Dev. 

1911 Gold Mining*TSX-V: AUMB

E2Gold Inc.^^TSX-V: ETU; OTCQB ETUGF

Lithium Royalty Corp.TSX: LIRC; OTCQX: LITRF

Resouro Strategic Metals*TSX-V: RSM.

Abcourt Mines Inc.*TSX-V: ABI; OTCQB: ABMBF

Emperor Metals Inc. ^^CSE: AUOZ; OTCQB: EMAUF

Magna Mining Inc.TSX-V: NICU; OTCQB: MGMNF

Sayona Mining Ltd.ASX: SYA; OTCQB: SYAXF

Abitibi Metals Corp#CSE: AMQ; OTCQB: AMQFF

Equity Metals Corporation*TSX-V: EQTY; OTCQB: EQMEF

Major Drilling Group Int'l.*TSX: MDI

Scandium Canada Ltd.*TSX-V: SCD; OTCQB: SCDCF

Abra Silver Resource Corp.TXS-V: ABRA; OTCQX: ABBRF

Exiro Minerals Corp.*Private

Mandalay Resources CorpTSX:MND; OTCQB: MNDJF

Silver One Resources Inc.TSX-V: SVE, OTCQX: SLVRF

Adyton Resources Corp.TSX-V: ADY

Exploits Discovery Corp.*CSE: NFLD; OTCQB: NFLDF

Maple Gold Mines Ltd.TSX:-V: MGM; OTCQB: MGMLF

Silver X Mining Corp.*TSX-V: AGX; OTCQB: AGXPF

Agnico Eagle Mines LimitedTSX: AEM; NYSE: AEM

Firefly Metals Ltd. ASX: FFM

Maritime Resources Corp.TSX-V: MAE

Sirios Resources Inc.*TSX-V: SOI; OTCQB: SIREF

Amex Exploration Inc.TSX-V: AMX; OTCQX: AMXEF

Fireweed Metals CorpTSX-V: FWZ; OTCQX: FWEDF

Max Resource Corp.TSX-V: MAX

Standard Uranium Limited*TSX-V: STND; OTCQB: STTDF

Andean Precious MetalsTSX-V: APM

First Mining Gold Corp.TSX: FF; OTCQX: FFMGF

Midland Exploration Inc.*TSX-V: MD

Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp*TSX-V: PGE; OCTQB: PGEZF

Angus Gold Inc~TSX-V: GUS; OTCQB: ANGVF

First Phosphate Corp.#CSE: PHOS: OTCQB: FRSPF

Mineros S.A.TSX: MSA

Strategic Resources Inc.TSX-V:SR

Apollo Silver CorpTSX-V: APGO; OTCQB: APGOF

FPX Nickel Corp.TSX-V: FPX; OTCQB: FPOCF

Mines D'or Orbec Inc.^^TSX-V: BLUE

Red Pine Exploration*TSX-V: RPX: OTCQB: RDEXF

Arizona Metals Corp.TSX: AMC; OTCQX:AZMCF

Glencore CanadaLSE: GLEN; JSE: GLN

New Gold Inc.TSX: NGD: NYSE: NGD

Strikepoint Gold Inc.^^TSX-V: SKP; OTCQB: STKXF

Atha Energy Corp.TSX-V: SASK; OTCQB: SASKF

Go Metals Corp.^^CSE: GOCO

Niobay Metals Inc.^^#TSX-V: NBY; OTCQB: NBYCF

Summit Royalty Corp.*Private

Aurania Resources Ltd.*TSX-V: ARU; OTCQB: AUIAF

Gold Royalty Corp.NYSE: GROY

Nuvau Minerals Corp.*TSX-V: NMC

Temas Resources Corp.^^CSE: TMAS; OTCQB: TMASF

Avanti Gold Corp.*CSE: AGC

Golden Cariboo Resources ^^CSE: GCC; OTCQB: GCCFF

Opus One Gold Corporation^^TSX-V: OOR

Troilus Gold Corp.TSX: TLG; OTCQX: CHXMF

Brunswick Exploration Inc.#TSX-V: BRW; OTCQB: BRWXF

Grid Metals Corp.^^TSX-V: GRDM; OTCQB: MSMGF

Orogen Royalties Inc.TSX-V: OGN; OTCQB: OGNRF

Tronic Metals*Private

Bunker Hill Mining Corp.TSX-V: BNKR ; OTCQB: BHLL

Harfang Exploration Inc.^^TSX-V: HAR

Orvana Minerals Corp.*TSX:ORV

Unigold Inc.*TSX-V:UGD: OTCQX: UGDIF

Calibre Mining Corp.TSX: CXB; OCTQX: CXBMF

i80 Gold Corp.TSX: IAU; NYSE: IAUX

Osisko Development Corp.TSX-V: ODV; NYSE: ODV

Valkea Resources Corp.*TSX-V: OZ

Canterra Minerals Corp*TSX-V: CTM; OTCQX: CTMCF

IAMGOLD CorporationTSX: IMG; NYSE: IAG

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd.TSX: OR; NYSE: OR

Vior Inc.TSX-V: VIO; OTCQB: VIORF

Collective Mining Ltd.TSX: CNL; NYSE: CNL

Integra Resources Corp.TSX-V: ITR; NYSE: ITRG

Osisko Metals Incorporated#TSX-V: OM; OTCQX: OMZNF

Vizsla Silver Corp.TSX-V: VZLA; NYSE: VZLA

Cygnus Metals LimitedTSX-V: CYG

Juno Corp.*Private

Patriot Battery Metals Inc.TSX:PMET; ASX:PMT; OTCQX:PMETF

Wallbridge Mining Company TSX: WM; OTCQX: WLBMF

CUPANI Metals Corporation*CSE: CUPA

Kenorland Minerals Ltd.TSX-V: KLD; OTCQX: KLDCF

Peloton Minerals Corporation*CSE: PMC; OTCQB: PMCCF

Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd.TSX: WDO; OTCQX: WDOFF

Dolly Varden Silver CorpTSX-V: DV; OTCQX: DOLLF

Kirkland Lake Discoveries*TSX-V: KLDC

Perseverance Metals*Private

West Red Lake Gold Mines TSX-V: WRLG; OTCQB: WRLGF

Dryden Gold Corp.*#TSX-V: DRY; OCTQB: DRYGF

Kuya Silver Corporation*CSE: KUYA; OTCQB: KUYAF

Power Nickel Inc.TSX-V: PNPN; OTCQB:PNPNF

Western Alaska Minerals Corp*TSX-V: WAM

Dumont NickelPrivate

Lavras Gold Corp.TSX-V: LGC; OTCQB: LGCFF

Q2 Metals Corp.#TSX-V:QTWO; OTCQB:QUEXF

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.TSX:WPM; NYSE:WPM

Dynasty Gold Corp*#TSX-V: DYG

Li-FT Power Ltd.TSX-V:LIFT: OTCQX:LIFFF

Quimbaya Gold Inc. ^^CSE: QIM; OTCQB; QIMFG

XXIX Metal Corp.*TSX:V: XXIX; OTCQB: QCCUF

Radisson Mining ResourcesTSX-V: RDS; OTCQB: RMRDF

Yukon Metals Corp.*CSE: YMC: OTCQB: YMMCF

 

THE MINING INVESTMENT EVENT – AGENDA FORMAT Centre des congrès de Québec | Quebec Convention CentreCorporate Presentations, Private Investor One-on-One Meetings & Networking Events

Mon. June 2Early Registration6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

– CAUR Technologies Welcome Event – Badges & Beers; – Loggia, Quebec Convention Centre– Pre-registration and live entertainment with The Tremors

DAY I – Tues. June 3Producers, Royalty Co's7:00 am – 5:00 pm

– Company Presentations, Keynote Speakers/Panels & Scheduled 1×1 Meetings – 6:30 pm – Midnight – THE Sponsors Gala Networking Event & Casino – THE Juneuary Lounge

DAY II – Wed. June 4Critical & Transition Metals7:00 am – 5:00 pm

– Company Presentations, Keynote Speakers/Panels & Scheduled 1×1 Meetings– 6:00 – 7:30 pm – THE Sponsors Cocktail Networking Event – THE Juneuary Lounge– 9:00 pm – Midnight – THE AtkinsRéalis After Dark Event – Hilton Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor

DAY III – Thurs. June 5Explorers & Developers7:00 am – 4:00 pm

– Company Presentations, Keynote Speakers/Panels & Scheduled 1×1 Meetings – 4:00 pm – Adieu Cocktails – Loggia, Quebec Convention Centre

 

THE Event is invitation only – Interested investors & issuers, please go here:

https://www.themininginvestmentevent.com/register or contact Jennifer Choi, jchoi@irinc.ca

THE Mining Investment Event-Canada's Only Tier I Global Mining Investment Conference© is held annually in Québec City, Canada. It is independently sponsored and designed to facilitate privately arranged meetings between mining companies, international investors, and various mining government authorities. The conference provides a platform to hear from some of the most influential thought leaders in the sector.

THE Event is committed to promoting diversity, equality, and sustainability in the mining industry through education and innovation through its unique Student Sponsorship and SHE-Co Initiatives.

Joanne Jobin CEO & FounderIR.INC & VID Media jjobin@irinc.ca

Jennifer ChoiVice President, OperationsIR.INC & VID Media jchoi@irinc.ca

Brhett BookerAssociateIR.INC & VID Media bbooker@irinc.ca

Sydney SchuchAssociateIR.INC & VID Mediasydney@irinc.ca

 

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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/240474

By Melanie Burton

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -BHP, the world's biggest listed mining company, said on Wednesday that former National Australia Bank CEO Ross McEwan would be its new chairman, replacing Ken MacKenzie, who will step down on March 31.

In his new role, McEwan is expected to be tasked with overseeing the selection of BHP's next CEO and will need to consider whether the company resurrects plans to buy rival Anglo American after a $49 billion offer failed last year.

McEwan has been a non-executive director at BHP since April 2024 after five years running NAB, Australia's second-largest bank, and its biggest business lender. He has also held the top job at Royal Bank of Scotland.

The New Zealand-born banker was installed as CEO of NAB after a damaging royal commission inquiry into poor business practices in 2019, and was widely seen as reviving the bank’s standing with investors with a simplification programme.

He is currently a director of defence technology company QinetiQ Group and Australian plumbing and bathroom products supplier Reece.

McEwan is likely to oversee the process of finding a replacement for CEO Mike Henry who is entering his fifth year at the helm of BHP, where tenure in the top job averages about six years.

MacKenzie was with BHP for nine years and has been chair for the last eight. He oversaw BHP's failed offer for Anglo, its recovery from the Samarco dam disaster in Brazil, the unification of its structure to a single Australian listing, the approval of major investments in Canadian potash and a workforce that is approaching gender equity.

"I think he’s done a really good job over that time," said Andy Forster of Argo Investments in Sydney. “He brought in a lot of operational discipline, really focused on returns and capital allocation."

MacKenzie's decision to step down probably lowered the chances of BHP making another tilt at Anglo, said two other investors who were not authorised to speak to media.

MacKenzie told the company's annual general meeting on October 30 that BHP had "moved on" from pursuing Anglo, although the company subsequently backtracked in a filing to regulators.

(Reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne. Additional reporting by Byron Kaye in Sydney and Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Jamie Freed)

(Bloomberg) — BHP Group has appointed Ross McEwan as chairman, replacing Ken MacKenzie who will retire from the board at the end of next month.

Most Read from Bloomberg

MacKenzie has led BHP’s board since September 2017, when he replaced former Ford Motor Co boss Jac Nasser, a veteran executive who spent a tumultuous seven years in the position. MacKenzie focused on lifting investor returns, repairing investor confidence and, later, overseeing a cautious return to growth.

His tenure included the divestment of the company’s vast oil and gas portfolio, but also its return to acquisitions and the audacious bid for Anglo American Plc.

MacKenzie’s retirement leaves decisions on future purchases to McEwan, who will also likely be the one to help select an eventual successor for BHP’s chief executive, Mike Henry, who has been in the role since early 2020.

McEwan, a former chief executive officer of Royal Bank of Scotland and National Australia Bank Ltd., has been a non-executive director on BHP’s board since April 2024.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

Participants

Brent Collins; Vice President – Investor Relations; Compass Minerals International Inc

Edward Dowling; President, Chief Executive Officer, Director; Compass Minerals International Inc

Presentation

Operator

Hello and thank you for standing by. My name is Regina, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Compass Minerals first quarter fiscal 2025 earnings conference call. (Operator Instruction) I would now like to turn the conference over to Brent Collins, Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasurer. Please go ahead.

Brent Collins

Thank you, operator. Good morning and welcome to the Compass Minerals fiscal 2025 first quarter earnings conference call. Today we will discuss our recent results and update our outlook for fiscal 2025. We will begin with prepared remarks from our President and CEO Edward Dowling and our CFO, Peter Fjellman. Joining in for the question-and-answer portion of the call will be Ben Nichols, our Chief Sales Officer, and Jenny Hood, chief supply chain officer. Before we get started, I will remind everyone that the remarks we make today reflect financial and operational outlooks as of today's date February 11, 2025. These outlooks entail assumptions and expectations that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results to differ materially. The discussion of these risks can be found in our SEC filings located online at investors.compassminerals.com. Our remarks today also include certain non-gap financial measures. You can find reconciliations of these items in our earnings release or in our presentation, both of which are also available online. I will now turn the call over to Ed.

Edward Dowling

Thank you, Brent. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us on our call today. Before I begin, I want to make a few comments about the senior leadership petitions we announced a couple of weeks ago. An important aspect of executing on our back to basic strategy is operational discipline and intense focus on continuous improvement. The appointments of Pat Maron and Peter Feldman as COO and CFO respectively, bring two executives to Compass Minerals with proven track records of leading teams and building cultures focused on disciplined operational management. That will join the company officially in early March. Peter's been with the company a short time and is quickly getting up to speed. He's with us on the call today. I am excited about these auditions and these two leaders to our core team and look forward to their contributions to the company. Peter is succeeding Jeff Cathy, who stepped down for personal reasons, though we will continue to benefit from his knowledge as he serves in a consulting room for the next several months. Jeff first served as a Chief Accounting Officer and then as CFO, and he was instrumental in leading the finance and accounting organization through a number of important matters. On behalf of Compass Minerals, I want to thank Jeff for his many contributions to the company, and I wish him well in his future endeavors. I'll start with making a few comments on the business, beginning with our salt business. Consistent with prior comments we've made, one important area of focus this year has been the flexibly manage the business and to reduce our absolute inventory levels of highway deicing salt. You'll recall that this was a key driver in a decision to curtail production at Godrich mine in 2024. Reducing inventory obviously has the benefit of freeing cash that is hung up in working capital. It also helps remove supply demand balance in the market that is long on supply following last year's weak winter. Salt is like any other commodity. When there's too much of it in the system, it will weigh on price, all things being equal. We're making good progress in reducing our inventory volumes with North American highway deicing inventory volume down approximately 10% year over year, and that is despite the fact that winter began slower than we'd hoped in October and November. We typically see both prefill activity and replenishment early. In the fiscal first quarter generated by early snow events. Unfortunately, we really didn't see any weather in our certain markets early in the quarter to drive our orders, given that large parts of our customer base had adequate inventory following last year's exceptionally mild winter. December saw an increase in winter weather that was consistent with the 10 year average in our sort of markets and it's significantly above what we saw last year. Looking outside the quarter, we saw winter weather further strengthened in January, which allowed us to claw back some of the shortfall from the first quarter. We'll see how the rest of winter deicing season progresses, and that will inform our production plans for the coming year. One new factor that could influence production plan is the tariff on Canadian imports that the US administration announced and then quickly paused last week. And the impact that this would have on both salt and SOP produced in Canada and sold in the US should the tariff eventually be implemented. There's obviously a lot of details to work through, but I'll share a few of our initial thoughts regarding our highway deicing business. We don't expect the tariff would materially impact the current year deicing season as the inventory is largely forward deployed and available for our customers. It does have the potential impact next year as we will need to produce and then move salt across our deep network. We're evaluating options to minimize the more immediate impacts such as tariffs could have on our CNI chemical, and yard served SOP business. As we see, this matter will likely be very dynamic for some time, and we'll continue to monitor it closely. As the situation continues to evolve and settle out, we will update the investment community as appropriate. In the plant nutrition business, we've talked in the past about the goal of restoring the pond complex at Ogden. This is a multi-year process that we engaged with for several years, and focus is improving consistency of the grade of SOP raw materials going to the plant. Acknowledging that this has not been a quick recovery process, there are beginning to see positive results from these efforts which are having an impact on our cost structure. The site has been focused on finding opportunities to improve operational efficiency. While pricing in the quarter was a little weaker than expected. We had stronger sales volumes and lower costs that allowed us to exceed forecast. In this turns enabling us to increase guidance for this segment. At Ports, we continue to evaluate all options for the business, including ongoing discussions with the US Forest Service regarding the evaluation and testing of the company's conditionally qualified technical grade orthophosphate-based aerial fire-retardant cola. With respect to guidance, we're moving the range for a total adjusted EBITDA down by roughly $15 million. The main driver of this change is a lighter start in sales and our salt business tribunal to the mild weather in October and November I mentioned earlier. Again, January came in better than forecast. We included some of that outperformance into our revised guidance. Plant nutrition is up by about $4 million based on the factors previously mentioned. Corporate even is even unchanged from what we guided in December. To offset this reduction in adjusted EBITDA, the company is reducing the range of capital gains by approximately $25 million. When we laid out our guidance for the year in the last earnings call, we noted that we had sculpted the CapEx program such that we could modify our spend to adjust to how the deicing season shaped up, and we're pulling that lever as a vision. I'll note that the operational initiatives are underway to improve reliability and lower costs, which will have a positive impact on CapEx over time. We're already seeing benefits for some of that work. Respect to the balance sheet, our plan remains to refinance our debt stack this year with the intention of restructuring in a way that better aligns with our current strategy. We believe that we'll be able to move forward with a structure that provides more flexibility around our covenants. Our vision for compost minerals remains unchanged. To build a company that generates free cash flow, even mild winters, strong free cash flow during normal winters and outstanding cash flow and strong winners. We have more work to do to get there, but the company's made important strides over the past several quarters for improving areas that we have the most ability to influence. So differently, we're doing a better job at controlling the controllables. I'll expect our progress on this front to continue and accelerate with the arrival of Pat and Peter. Remain focused on delivering on our back to basic strategy. I'm excited about the progress we're making in the organization to execute on that goal. With that, I'll turn the call over to Peter.

Thanks, Ed. Good morning to everyone. I'm extremely excited to be joining Compass Minerals and working with the team here. My background and skill set align well with the back to basic strategy that the company has embarked on. I want to echo the sentiments shared by Ed earlier about Jeff. He's been incredibly helpful and generous with his time and knowledge as we transition the role. I'll comment briefly on the financial results for the quarter before turning the call over for Q&A. For the first quarter, consolidated revenue was $307 million down 10% year over year. It's important to remember that the fiscal first quarter of 2024 included contribution related to Fortress from the US Forest Service contract we had in that year. From an operating earnings perspective, we essentially broke even in the current quarter. Consolidated net loss was $24 million and adjusted EBITDA was approximately $32 million for the quarter. Drilling down into the segment results in the salt business, revenue in the first quarter was $242 million compared to $274 million a year ago. Pricing was up 1% year over year to approximately $97 per ton, with volumes down 13% compared to the prior year period. Net revenue per ton, which accounts for distribution costs, increased 3% to over $68. On a per ton basis, operating earnings came in lower year over year at $11.79 per ton, down 34%. While adjusted EBITDA per ton decreased 17% to $19.17. The decrease in margin reflects the increase in production cost per ton due to the curtailment of production at Goddard's mine last year. In the plant nutrition business, revenue for the first quarter was $61 million which is up 24% year over year from $50 million. Sales volumes were up 36% from prior year periods while pricing was down 9%. Distribution costs per ton decreased 2% to around $91.50 per ton, and all in production costs per ton decreased 10%. At quarter end, we had liquidity of $126 million comprised of $46 million of cash and a revolver capacity of around $80 million. At quarter end, the consolidated net leverage ratio was 5.9 times within the company's net leverage covenant of 6.5 times. Last week, the company had approximately $195 million of liquidity with $65 million of cash and $130 million of revolver capacity. With that, I'll turn the call over for questions.

Question and Answer Session

Operator

At this time, if you would like to ask a question, press star, then the number one on your telephone keypad. We kindly ask that you limit your questions to one and one follow up. We'll take our first question from the line of David Begleiter with Deutsche Bank. Please go ahead.

Thank you. Good morning. Ed, given the recent, winter weather activity, can you kind of frame the outlook for highway the icing volumes, in both Q2 as well as the full year?

Edward Dowling

Well, we're in the February now. January was, I mean, as we said, October, November were not good months for us. The winter really didn't materialize in our sort of markets. December was a really solid month for us, really being relatively equal to our 10 year average. January was really great and A really mainly in our southern markets, the storm tracks, largely in the south, and of course now what we've been seeing more recently, the storm tracks are really into our core serve markets and you know we hope that sort of continues. The, we'll see, so February is looking pretty good so far. We'll have to see how March, lays out and we'll, and have that effect on inventory. We'll do our production planning, based on really how we sort of wrap up the season kind of at the end of. March.

Very good. And just on fortress, when you say conditionally qualified, what does that actually Mean?

Edward Dowling

There is several steps that the Forest Service uses to prove products. The first step is sort of a lab-based product to conditionally qualify it. There's several, really things that go into that. Once that is conditionally qualified, which it is, then you take it into the field through what's called the operational field evaluation OFE and that's what we're talking to the [forest] right now. Jenny, you want to add anything to that?

I'll just as part of the field evaluation, the OFE [that just mentioned] during that process, they'll also be doing integration testing with the legacy retardants that are in the market. Thanks.

And is this, does this mean you've solved the corrosion issues you highlighted last year, what they highlighted Last year?

Edward Dowling

It's a different base chemistry, initially the chemistry was a magnesium chloride based chemistry, and that's where, we were all surprised about this time last year to learn when we were very close to having a contract that inspection of the airplanes found the corrosion. That investigation's still going on, we can't comment on it because it's going on within the [NTSB]. What we're talking about with [Quela], it is a different chemistry based on a phosphate type chemistry, and it's been through the testing and evaluation, which is obviously getting a lot more scrutiny given where we ended up last year. So, Jenny anything you want to add to that?

No, thanks Ed.

Operator

Thank you very much. Our next question comes from the line of Joel Jackson with BMO Capital Markets. Please go ahead.

Hi, good morning. I'm fixing a call head and team. First question Surprised that you lowered your full year of volume guidance, and it is snowing a fair bit. I live in Toronto, as I'm shopping a lot. We're all hoping a lot and talking about it. American rock salts have issue with production, right? It seems like there's some shortages in western New York. Understand that we started light the beginning of the winter in December, but I'm surprised that you lowered your volume guidance considering everything going on. Can you talk about that?

Edward Dowling

Well, it's just what we've done is, we're not weather forecasters and can't project going forward. What we're doing, in the past, you'll recall we were using more of a distributed approach to guidance. What we're doing is, as we have talked about in the past, a little different approach to it now where we're given the shortfall in the first quarter. We're really, we've taken that, we have added a little bit back in January, and that's kind of what we're saying right now. Now, if we have knock out February and knockout March, we'll probably adjust it back up. But we're just being careful. About it.

Okay, my second question can be two parts. The first part we following up on that, but you gave guidance in the middle of December, and it's only snowed very strongly since then. That's why I'm surprised you lowered your volume, guide. And the second question is, Ed, talk about what you're doing on [SGNA] because that's been a big focus of yours when you came in about a year or 15 months ago, and [SGNA] in the first quarter was extremely flat with [SGNA]and fiscal quarter of 2024. So what progress are you making and can you make on [SGNA]?

Edward Dowling

Yeah, we are, we have made progress at [SGNA], if you think about the sort of the headcount, we're down, probably about 80% running with a team of about 80% of the number of people that we had here not too distant past. The what's been offsetting us are things. Like legal costs associated with some of the class action lawsuits and things like that has been all setting sort of [SGNA]. It remains a really important focus for. It's a very active discussion going on with management as we speak.

And just (Multiple speakers)

Edward Dowling

Yeah, I was just going to say in the middle of December to kind of follow up on that, we really was, we did that in mid-December, we would only closed in October. Before that, right?

Okay, thank you.

Operator

Our next question comes from the line of Jeff Zajkaowshi with JP Morgan. Please go ahead.

Thanks very much. Can you talk about what's going on in your accounts receivable line? And you know where you expect that to go? And likewise, do you have targets for where you want to bring your inventories down to?

Edward Dowling

Yeah, well, we can tell you that we talked inventories a lot. We are bringing them down, we'll bring them down to lower than historical norms, that liberate the casts associated with that. Brent, you want to add anything to that?

Brent Collins

I think that's right Ed, just where the winner is tracking all things being equal and if you kind of take the midpoint of our guidance, you know that's relative to last year, that's roughly half million tons alone on the demand profile. So, we're also taking actions at the mine that you've seen published and we anticipate to draw the inventories down.

Edward Dowling

Significantly.

Yes, we continue to run Godrich at the curtailed rate. And we won't ramp it back up until we've got a better, level on our inventory. You want to talk to AR.

Brent Collins

Yeah, Jeffrey. So, AR that's just sales. So, as we talked about in the remarks, October and November were pretty light, but December was a strong month. So that's just the cash conversion cycle of things coming out of inventory, going up into accounts receivable, and then we'll start collecting that here in the 2nd quarter.

Okay, and then it looks like you're I don't know if you're deferring $25 million in CapEx or canceling $25million in CapEx. Okay, can you talk about what it is that you're not spending and whether You will see that in the Future

The, let me remind everybody that we last year we installed a more disciplined approach to capital where we rank projects based on really the risk associated with kind of not doing the project and we're not going to cut environmental health or safety. Let's just say that. And we do get emergency capital requests that come through that we have to have a provision for. What we're talking about are projects that we've ranked from kind of higher risk to lower risk that are in the capital plan for 2025. And what we're planning at this point is not doing about $25 million worth of that with the lower end of those projects which would have scored lower in terms of that risk profile. Now they'll probably show back up in 2026 and we'll go through that process again. So, we put the process in place last year, what we've done this year is organize our capital plan so that we could ramp it up or ramp it down depending on how the year went. Given the first quarter was behind plan, we have ramped it down accordingly.

Great. Thank you.

Brent Collins

Hey, Jeff, this is Brent. I did want to clarify one thing on the accounts receivable that I was, I think about. So, on the product recall that we announced that was disclosed last quarter, the way the accounting for that works is that you, we expect that to be covered by insurance. The way that you have to handle that from an accounting perspective is you have to do a gross-up of the claim and then the receivable. So that could be something that you're seeing there is that there's just a gross up on the balance sheet to reflect that.

How much is that?

Brent Collins

$35 million grossed up

Okay, thanks.

Operator

Our final question will come from the line of David C. Silver with C.L. King & Associates. Please go ahead.

Yeah, hi, thank you. I do have a couple of questions. So, the first one would be about your managing your salt business through the balance of the winter season. In reading through the Press release a couple of words that I don't usually see their toggle and tariffs. And when I think about it, I'm guessing officially the tariffs would not kick in until, I don't know, March 3rd or 4th in a worst-case scenario. And in the meantime, I'm guessing that you are leveraging, the code blanche production to kind of meet the needs in your target market area, marketing radius to the greatest extent possible, but could you just kind of talk through, why would the tariffs, at least for this winter. Be an issue in kind of a worst-case scenario. In other words, between now and March 4th, you can produce and position and then you can run code blanche or toggle, I guess running code blanche a little harder and moving product up the river, but between the toggles and the tariffs, what is kind of a, what do you fear, I guess, at least in terms of The current winter season, through March 31st or April, my assumption is you should be able to get through unscathed, but is there kind of a worst case scenario there? Thank you.

Edward Dowling

Yeah, thanks. David C, in terms of the highway day icing, we don't really see much risk associated with tariffs for this fiscal year. As we said, most of our inventory is already forward, from Godrich in Canada, is already forward deployed so that the customers can access it this year. We're going to have to see what happens with an [N and F] the tariffs are reinstated here in a month or so you need to be prepared for that. You mentioned one potential contingency, and this would be really more for next year, not this year, but some flexibility associated with Cote blanche to serve some of our historical markets. And but there would be over time a reordering that would happen within the serve markets for all the salt producers. We just have to see what happens and there's many potential scenarios that come out of that. We did mention that products made from like our SOP product and and CNI product made in Canada and imported into the US. Could be affected through tariffs this year and there's scenarios where that could be both negative, obviously, but it could, ironically it could end up being positive for SOP produced in Utah. So we'll just have to see how it goes.

Okay, thank you for that. Next question would be, maybe a follow up to on a certain extent to the CapEx question, but then also, about your SOP business in particular so. The wording in the press release indicated that I don't know, remediation or repair efforts, and I apologize, I forget the exact term, but you're doing things with the SOP ponds and what not that are, generating some better results. You also talked about, optimizing the use of KCL. So, I'm kind of scratching my head, but within the context of knocking or taking $25 million out of the CapEx budget. I mean, are the efforts or are the steps you're taking at Ogden on the SOP business, are those capital projects or is the spending that you're doing there actually flowing through the income statement by quarter? So just, maybe a comment on what most recently you've done at Ogden and the SOP ponds that are generating better results and then how does that kind of play into the capital budget that you've established, as of this quarter.

Edward Dowling

[Jake], thanks for the question. We've been working for some time to restore the, that's the word we're using, restore the health of the ponds that we mine, basically scrape up the material and to really control the brine chemistry more properly, along with a prudent use of KCL which does help that restoration. That's really the first step in terms of restoring this business to its historical level of business performance. And what we're really pointing out is after a year of work, and of course remember this is a multi-year cycle, we're seeing the benefits of that. What we're seeing is what we expected to see is higher grade SOP in the material that we mine and send to the plant. Now there's two plants. There's a wet plant, where we separate SOP from magnesium chloride. Then the SOP then goes over to the dry plant. There will be some capital projects in that dry plant in the future to get the water, really the moisture in the SOP right for compaction when operating that plant for some period of time in a less than optimal a process in terms of the moisture feeding compaction. And we suffer losses associated with that. So, we are seeing benefits now, the operating costs just by managing our business better. That's more just operating costs. In the future, we will have capital costs, and this is not something that we want to defer. There are really two really critical sort of business projects that we want to do on the capital side. One, as I mentioned, the dry plant at Ogden, which will help us reduce our costs even more. The second, which is really a sustainability project, is the relocation at Godrich mine, which will occur probably in 2027. So, we're preparing to do those projects, doing the engineering right and We are spending capital on those, but those projects themselves will be coming in the future.

Operator

And that will conclude our question-and-answer session and with that I'll turn the call back over to Ed Dowling for closing remarks.

Edward Dowling

Okay, thank you for your interest in Compass Minerals. Please don't hesitate to reach out to Brent if you have any follow up questions. We look forward to speaking to you. In the next quarter. Thanks very much.

Operator

That will conclude today's call. Thank you all for joining and you may now disconnect.

  • Consolidated Revenue: $307 million, down 10% year over year.

  • Net Loss: $24 million for the quarter.

  • Adjusted EBITDA: Approximately $32 million for the quarter.

  • Salt Business Revenue: $242 million, compared to $274 million a year ago.

  • Salt Business Pricing: Up 1% year over year to approximately $97 per ton.

  • Salt Business Volumes: Down 13% compared to the prior year period.

  • Salt Business Operating Earnings per Ton: $11.79, down 34% year over year.

  • Salt Business Adjusted EBITDA per Ton: $19.17, down 17% year over year.

  • Plant Nutrition Revenue: $61 million, up 24% year over year.

  • Plant Nutrition Sales Volumes: Up 36% from prior year periods.

  • Plant Nutrition Pricing: Down 9% year over year.

  • Liquidity at Quarter End: $126 million, with $46 million in cash and $80 million in revolver capacity.

  • Net Leverage Ratio: 5.9 times, within the covenant of 6.5 times.

Release Date: February 11, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

  • Compass Minerals International Inc (NYSE:CMP) successfully reduced North American highway deicing inventory volumes by approximately 10% year over year, freeing up cash and improving supply-demand balance.

  • The company reported stronger sales volumes and lower costs in the plant nutrition business, allowing them to exceed forecasts and increase guidance for this segment.

  • CMP is making progress in restoring the pond complex at Ogden, which is beginning to show positive results and impact on cost structure.

  • The company is implementing a disciplined approach to capital expenditure, allowing flexibility to adjust spending based on seasonal performance.

  • CMP is focused on improving operational efficiency and reliability, which is expected to have a positive impact on capital expenditure over time.

Negative Points

  • Consolidated revenue for the first quarter was down 10% year over year, primarily due to a lighter start in sales in the salt business attributed to mild weather in October and November.

  • The company reported a consolidated net loss of $24 million for the quarter, with adjusted EBITDA at approximately $32 million.

  • Salt business revenue decreased to $242 million from $274 million a year ago, with volumes down 13% compared to the prior year period.

  • Pricing in the plant nutrition business was weaker than expected, despite stronger sales volumes.

  • CMP lowered its full-year volume guidance due to a slow start to the winter season, despite recent strong snow activity.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Given the recent winter weather activity, can you frame the outlook for highway deicing volumes in both Q2 and the full year? A: Edward Dowling, CEO: January was strong, especially in southern markets, and February is looking promising. We’ll assess inventory and production plans based on how the season concludes in March.

Q: What does “conditionally qualified” mean for Fortress? A: Edward Dowling, CEO: It refers to the initial lab-based approval by the Forest Service. The next step is the operational field evaluation, which includes integration testing with existing retardants.

Q: Why did you lower your full-year volume guidance despite recent snow activity? A: Edward Dowling, CEO: We are cautious with guidance due to the slow start in October and November. If February and March perform well, we may adjust guidance upwards.

Q: Can you discuss the accounts receivable line and inventory targets? A: Edward Dowling, CEO: We aim to reduce inventories below historical norms to free up cash. Brent Collins, VP of Investor Relations, added that accounts receivable reflects sales timing and a $35 million insurance-related gross-up.

Q: Are you deferring or canceling $25 million in CapEx, and what projects are affected? A: Peter Fjellman, CFO: We are deferring lower-risk projects from the 2025 capital plan. These may reappear in 2026, depending on the year’s performance.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

NOTRE-DAME-DU-LAUS, QC, Feb. 11, 2025 /CNW/ – Canada Carbon Inc. (the "Company" or "CCB") (TSXV: CCB), in collaboration with the Municipality of Notre-Dame-du-Laus ("NDL"), held a meeting of the Asbury Community Advisory Committee (the "Committee"). This was the second meeting of the Committee, which met for the first time in May 2024.

The Committee was set up to encourage NDL residents to collaborate and participate in the harmonious development of the Asbury graphite mine project (the "Project"), for the benefit of the entire community, the environment and the regional economy. Its mission is to submit recommendations to the Company to foster a transparent development process for the Project, ensure the adoption of best practices, and propose actions and initiatives based on the community's recommendations.

The meeting was an opportunity for the Company to provide an update on the Project's progress, to inform the Committee of the various work that has taken place in recent months, and to present the Project's next steps and deadlines. For its part, the Municipality reiterated its desire to collaborate with the Company, as well as to act as a channel of communication with all its taxpayers regarding the next steps.

At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to combine the Committee's next meeting with a citizens' information meeting, to enable NDL residents to ask questions and express their opinions on the project and its development.

"This new meeting of the Community Advisory Committee reiterates the commitment of the Municipality of Notre-Dame-du-Laus to foster collaboration and citizen participation in Canada Carbon's Asbury project. This is what we will continue to do, with the aim of maximizing the positive spin-offs for all our fellow citizens.", commented Yves Plouffe, deputy mayor of Notre-Dame-du-Laus.

"I would like to thank the members and the municipality for their participation and would like to underline the quality of the constructive and collaborative exchanges between the community of Notre-Dame-du-Laus and Canada Carbon. These discussions demonstrate a shared commitment to a transparent approach that respects everyone. Our goal remains to foster ongoing dialogue and build a lasting partnership that benefits the entire community.", said Ellerton Castor, President and CEO of Canada Carbon.

Graphite plays an essential role in the energy transition, as well as in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries, which are vital to the electrification of transportation and the economy. This critical mineral can enable Quebec to make further progress in its electrification policies, in its efforts to combat climate change and to secure a crucial resource in the current geopolitical context.

About Notre-Dame-du-LausThe Municipality of Notre-Dame-du-Laus is part of the Antoine-Labelle MRC, located in the Laurentians region. Located in the southwest of the MRC, it covers a total area of 866 kilometres2, or 14.9% of the MRC's municipalized territory. It is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain, Lac-du-Cerf and Kiamika, and to the north and east by a vast non-municipalized territory that forms part of the Papineau-Labelle wildlife reserve. To the southeast, it is bordered by the Papineau MRC, and to the southwest by the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau MRC.

About Canada Carbon Inc.Canada Carbon Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of graphite deposits. The company has acquired two historic graphite mines, the Miller and Asbury mines, located respectively in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge and Notre-Dame-du-Laus, Quebec. Canada Carbon is committed to realizing its potential as a producer of high-quality graphite while maintaining the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility.

For more information on Canada Carbon's mining activities, please visit our website at www.canadacarbon.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this press release. Any statements that address predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always, using expressions such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", etc.) are forward-looking statements, "The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are not statements of historical fact and may constitute forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements relating to the settlement of debt. In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, the company has made certain assumptions. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information will prove to have been correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may affect the company's results. These factors include, but are not limited to, compliance with extensive government regulations, domestic and foreign laws and regulations adversely affecting the company's business and results of operations, the impact of COVID-19, and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting the forward-looking information or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Canada Carbon Logo (CNW Group/Canada Carbon)Municipalité de Notre-Dame-du-Laus Logo (CNW Group/Canada Carbon)

SOURCE Canada Carbon

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2025/11/c1994.html

C3 Metals (CCCM.V) on Tuesday said the company along with certain subsidiary companies entered an ea

We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Long Term ASX Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) stands against the other long term ASX stocks.

Vanguard believes that Australia's economy remains well-placed to recover gradually in 2025 after the broader economy witnessed its slowest growth in 32 years in 2024 amid sticky inflation and higher interest rates. The investment firm expects modest improvement in economic momentum, courtesy of higher real household incomes as inflation subsides. Furthermore, a rebounding housing market and expectations of rate cuts might also provide some support.

Key Indicators Likely to Shape Australia's Economy in 2025

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept the policy rate target unchanged at 4.35% on December 10. However, the bank noted that it continues to see signs of inflation moving sustainably towards the target. That being said, Vanguard expects that RBA will remain patient and that a tight labor market is expected to keep RBA from initiating rate cuts until Q2 2025. Furthermore, stagnant labor productivity has been contributing to higher inflation.

The employment-to-population ratio of 64.5%, and the labor force participation rate of 67.1% both were at record levels in December 2024. With the broader economy remaining close to full capacity, businesses are required to hire, which can keep the labor market tight and unit labor costs at elevated levels, opines Vanguard. Notably, the unemployment rate increased to a seasonally adjusted 4.0% in December, reflecting a rise from 3.9% in November. The investment firm anticipates that the unemployment rate can rise to ~4.6% in 2025 due to tightened financial conditions amidst higher interest rates.

Outlook on Australian Equities

As per Paul Taylor, Portfolio Manager at Fidelity International, the long-term prospects for Australian equities are promising thanks to numerous structural tailwinds. Notably, population growth fueled by immigration and the associated increase in consumption offer a robust foundation for economic expansion. The persistent service sector inflation is expected to be a critical indicator for RBA to monitor. If the service inflation begins to ease, it can hint at the potential for rate cuts, providing relief for younger Australians witnessing higher mortgage costs and higher living costs.

Furthermore, Taylor believes that the relationship between China and the Trump administration is expected to be critical. If China responds through fiscal stimulus measures to aid the domestic economy, Australian materials companies might benefit. This is due to strong linkages between China's economy and the broader Australian materials sector.

Our Methodology

To list the 10 Best Long Term ASX Stocks to Buy Now, we used a screener to shortlist the stocks that are trading on ASX and the US exchanges. Next, we chose the ones which were popular among hedge funds. Finally, the shortlisted stocks were arranged in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiments, as of Q3 2024.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

An aerial view of a mining operation in action, with large trucks and yellow diggers.

BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 22

BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) operates as a resources company. The company delivered safe and reliable performance during the half-year ended 31 December 2024. Its flagship copper, iron ore, and steelmaking coal assets posted particularly healthy production. Copper volumes increased 10%, with Escondida achieving a 10-year production record, more than mitigating the impact of a weather-related power outage at Copper SA. BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) continues to maintain the sector-leading cost discipline and is on track to post FY 2025 unit cost guidance throughout all the assets.

In January 2025, the company completed the formation of Vicuña Corp., which is a 50/50 JV with Lundin Mining to develop the Filo del Sol and Josemaria copper projects. BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP)’s total cash completion payment stood at US$2.0 billion. Furthermore, in November 2024, the company outlined its attractive organic copper growth pipeline at its Chilean copper site tour, with low capital intensity options in both concentrator and leaching pathways.

For FY 2025, the company expects copper production in the range of 1,845kt – 2,045kt and iron ore production of between 255Mt – 265.5Mt. Notably, BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP)’s stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price objective of $53.00.

Overall BHP ranks 1st on our list of the long term ASX stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of BHP as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than BHP but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

 

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap.

 

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

We feel now is a pretty good time to analyse REE Automotive Ltd.'s (NASDAQ:REE) business as it appears the company may be on the cusp of a considerable accomplishment. REE Automotive Ltd. operates as an automotive technology company in France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. The US$151m market-cap company posted a loss in its most recent financial year of US$114m and a latest trailing-twelve-month loss of US$110m shrinking the gap between loss and breakeven. Many investors are wondering about the rate at which REE Automotive will turn a profit, with the big question being “when will the company breakeven?” In this article, we will touch on the expectations for the company's growth and when analysts expect it to become profitable.

View our latest analysis for REE Automotive

According to the 2 industry analysts covering REE Automotive, the consensus is that breakeven is near. They anticipate the company to incur a final loss in 2026, before generating positive profits of US$6.0m in 2027. Therefore, the company is expected to breakeven roughly 2 years from now. How fast will the company have to grow each year in order to reach the breakeven point by 2027? Working backwards from analyst estimates, it turns out that they expect the company to grow 58% year-on-year, on average, which is extremely buoyant. Should the business grow at a slower rate, it will become profitable at a later date than expected.

NasdaqCM:REE Earnings Per Share Growth February 11th 2025

We're not going to go through company-specific developments for REE Automotive given that this is a high-level summary, but, take into account that typically a high forecast growth rate is not unusual for a company that is currently undergoing an investment period.

One thing we would like to bring into light with REE Automotive is its relatively high level of debt. Typically, debt shouldn’t exceed 40% of your equity, which in REE Automotive's case is 43%. A higher level of debt requires more stringent capital management which increases the risk in investing in the loss-making company.

Next Steps:

This article is not intended to be a comprehensive analysis on REE Automotive, so if you are interested in understanding the company at a deeper level, take a look at REE Automotive's company page on Simply Wall St. We've also put together a list of important aspects you should further examine:

  • Historical Track Record: What has REE Automotive's performance been like over the past? Go into more detail in the past track record analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of our analysis for more clarity.

  • Management Team: An experienced management team on the helm increases our confidence in the business – take a look at who sits on REE Automotive's board and the CEO’s background.

  • Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

  • Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

    We recently compiled a list of the 12 Best Basic Materials Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) stands against the other basic material stocks.

    Fitch Ratings sees a stable demand environment for North American building products and materials companies heading into 2025. This is expected to be aided by a rebound in residential remodel activity, a rise in US housing starts, and robust public construction spending amidst a slowdown in non-residential construction activity. The rating agency went on to say that building products companies garnering significant revenues from repair and remodel projects can outperform as declining interest rates fuel demand recovery.

    What Lies Ahead for Steel and Commodity Chemicals?

    Fitch Ratings expects a modest growth in steel output demand in North America and Europe in 2025. The rating agency anticipates that lower raw material costs in 2025 and companies' strategic investments focused on expanding higher-margin value-added production and additional new low-cost capacity to meet demand would offer some margin support. As a result of Trump's tariffs, Fastmarkets believes that the domestic steel industry might reap some benefits from the approach. The domestic steelmakers were in an advantageous position from the Section 232 actions which were first implemented in 2018, leading to higher steel prices and margins. As per Samir Kapadia, principal and chief operating officer at the Vogel Group (an international government affairs and consulting firm), steel prices are expected to go up, and it will be a good year for the US steel industry.

    Commodity chemicals producers face higher operating leverage because a marginal volume decrease results in reduced capacity utilization, impacting profits. This happened in the past year as lower volumes and reduced capacity utilization adversely impacted the producers’ profit. However, since demand saw an improvement in H2, capacity utilization followed the lead. Morningstar projects that demand will continue to recover in 2025, resulting in increased volumes and better utilization rates. This is expected to support a recovery in profit for producers.

    READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In.

    Lithium Prices to Rise in 2025, Says Morningstar

    The energy transition revolves around a broader lithium market, fueled by strong demand for EVs. Morningstar sees that lithium demand has been increasing from higher global EV sales and the buildout of utility-scale batteries utilized in energy storage systems. Over the near term, the firm expects increased average prices in 2025 as supply cuts are expected to move the market closer to balance, pushing the prices higher, mainly in H2. Over the medium term, Morningstar anticipates prices to average $20,000 per metric ton.

    Our Methodology

    To list the 12 Best Basic Materials Stocks to Buy According to Analysts, we used a screener to filter out the stocks catering to the basic materials sector. Next, we chose the ones in which analysts saw upside potential. Finally, the stocks were arranged in ascending order of their average upside potential, as of February 7. We also mentioned hedge fund sentiments around each stock, as of Q3 2024.

    At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

    Is Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) the Best Stock to Buy and Hold For 2025?

    A large open-pit copper mine with heavy machinery extracting minerals from the earth.

    Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX)

    Average Upside Potential: 46.5%

    Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 74

    Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) is engaged in the mining of mineral properties. Carlos De Alba, an analyst from Morgan Stanley, maintained a “Buy” rating on the company’s stock, maintaining the price target of $55.00. The rating stems from several factors surrounding the company’s recent performance and future potential. Despite mixed Q4 2024 results, the analyst believes that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) has demonstrated its ability to manage costs and capitalize on positive market conditions.  Amidst concerns relating to increased costs and lower copper sales in the near term, the company’s initiatives and planned capital expenditures, such as investments in smelting operations in Indonesia, place it well for long-term growth and profitability, says the analyst.

    The analyst also opines that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) is well-placed to benefit from favorable trends in copper and gold prices. The optimism around the company’s stock is affected by its strategic positioning in the market. Notably, the scarcity of pure copper investment opportunities and expected copper deficits continue to enhance Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX)’s appeal.

    The company continues to operate in a competitive global mining industry, but the strong asset base and operational expertise place it well among its peers.  Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX)’s focus on copper production is expected to support growth given the favourable outlook for the metal.

    Overall FCX ranks 3rd on our list of the best basic material stocks to buy according to analysts. While we acknowledge the potential of FCX as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than FCX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

     

    READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap.

     

    Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

    Goliath Resources (GOT.V) was at last look down 3% after it reported Monday gold intercepts at the S

    Goliath Resources Limited

    Assays Compilation, Interpretation and Modeling For 83 More Holes Are Underway

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    Infographic 9

    Drilling Highlights:

    • Strong gold mineralization assaying 12.03 g/t AuEq (11.84 g/t Au and 15.61 g/t Ag) over 10.00 meters, including 19.91 g/t AuEq (19.62 g/t Au and 25.61 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters plus a second separate interval assaying 8.59 g/t AuEq (8.35 g/t Au and 20.74 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 14.26 g/t AuEq (13.87 g/t Au and 34.10 g/t Ag) over 3.00 meters have been confirmed in an intrusion related feeder dyke that remains open, strongly indicating close proximity to a large gold-rich intrusive source at depth (Reduced Intrusion Related Gold system, RIRG).

    • Strong mineralization confirmed in 100% of 243 widespread drill holes containing 300 intercepts to date within 1.8 km2 area where 8 stacked gold veins as well as 5 new stacked gold veins have been identified and confirmed by assays. Confirmation of multiple stacked gold veins and widespread gold rich reduced intrusion feeder dykes within the 1.8 km2 area up to >1.2 km deep that remain open both laterally and to depth, confirms the continuity of the widths and grades at Surebet demonstrating this world class gold system has tremendous additional untapped expansion potential remaining.

    • GD-22-58 intercepted two separate intervals with exceptional gold grades over substantial widths within a reduced intrusion related porphyritic intermediate feeder dyke containing visible gold, bismuth and molybdenum mineralization reminiscent of a RIRG system that remains open:

      • 12.03 g/t AuEq (11.84 g/t Au and 15.61 g/t Ag) over 10.00 meters, including 19.91 g/t AuEq (19.62 g/t Au and 25.61 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters, including 23.82 g/t AuEq (23.47 g/t Au and 30.54 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters.

      • 8.59 g/t AuEq (8.35 g/t Au and 20.74 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 14.26 g/t AuEq (13.87 g/t Au and 34.10 g/t Ag) over 3.00 meters.

      • An accompanying infographic is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8be74eae-e539-40a0-8fe3-f97bb0fdf895

    • Widespread gold-rich RIRG mineralization in mineralized porphyritic dykes has been previously reported in drill holes GD-24-237 which intercepted 10.50 g/t AuEq (10.41 f/t Au and 7.15 g/t Ag) over 7.00 meters, GD-23-180 which intercepted 3.46 g/t AuEq (3.43 g/t Au and 2.68 g/t Ag) over 7.00 meters, and GD-23-226 which intercepted 1.85 g/t AuEq (1.85 g/t Au and 0.00 g/t Ag) over 8 meters.

    • Continued confirmation of high gold grades in this newly discovered RIRG system characterized by considerable amounts of visible gold, bismuth, and molybdenum mineralization in the felsic to intermediate porphyritic dykes on Surebet as well as in the intrusions surrounding Surebet (i.e. Blue Origin) could greatly increase the resource potential of the Surebet discovery.

    • Drilling in 2025 will focus on expanding the stacked layers of gold mineralization that remains open in all directions, including to depth and vectoring in on the reduced intrusion indicated at depth believed to be the source for the extensive high-grade gold mineralization on the Surebet discovery currently covering at least 1.8 km2.

    • GD-24-250 intercepted multiple stacked intervals of strong gold mineralization consisting of quartz-sulphide veining and breccias with visible gold, sphalerite and galena from the Whopper vein, Surebet Zone and Bonanza shear that remain open:

      • Whopper Vein: 6.55 g/t AuEq (6.45 g/t Au and 4.08 g/t Ag) over 6.69 meters, including 9.48 g/t AuEq (9.34 g/t Au and 5.33 g/t Ag) over 4.61 meters.

      • Surebet Zone: 4.49 g/t AuEq (3.88 g/t Au and 14.44 g/t Ag) over 4.90 meters, including 5.48 g/t AuEq (4.72 g/t Au and 29.92 g/t Ag) over 3.75 meters.

      • Bonanza Shear: 11.66 g/t AuEq (11.13 g/t Au and 17.82 g/t Ag) over 5.97 meters, including 17.48 g/t AuEq (16.71 g/t Au and 26.24 g/t Ag) over 3.97 meters.

      • An accompanying infographic is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4b5f7eb9-693c-46c7-bbaf-904e913d3af4

    • GD-24-291 intercepted substantial gold mineralization consisting of quartz-sulphide veins and breccia intervals with visible gold, galena, sphalerite and minor chalcopyrite in several stacked intervals corresponding to the Bonanza Shear and the Golden Gate zone that remain open:

      • Bonanza Shear: 6.14 g/t AuEq (6.10 g/t Au and 1.50 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 16.15 g/t AuEq (16.12 g/t Au and 1.24 g/t Ag) over 1.00 meter.

      • Bonanza Shear: 2.86 g/t AuEq (2.74 g/t Au and 5.37 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters, including 8.35 g/t AuEq (8.23 g/t Au and 6.34 g/t Ag) over 1 meter.

      • Golden Gate: 6.32 g/t AuEq (6.29 g/t Au and 1.51 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters, including 9.45 g/t AuEq (9.41 g/t Au and 2.07 g/t Ag) over 4.00 meters.

      • An accompanying infographic is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a3eefe41-11b7-4f32-86d3-987a3abd2b6c

    • GD-24-263 intercepted 3 stacked gold mineralized zones with quartz-sulphide vein stockwork and breccias with sections of semi-massive to massive sphalerite and galena, as well as visible gold in an interval corresponding to the Bonanza Shear that remain open:

      • New stacked Gold Vein: 2.06 g/t AuEq (1.92 g/t Au and 4.01 g/t Ag) over 6.17 meters, including 2.43 g/t AuEq (2.27 g/t Au and 4.57 g/t Ag) over 5.13 meters.

      • New stacked Gold Vein: 2.08 g/t AuEq (1.93 g/t Au and 5.76 g/t Ag) over 10.32 meters, including 2.24 g/t AuEq (2.06 g/t Au and 6.78 g/t Ag) over 5.19 meters.

      • Bonanza Shear: 8.56 g/t AuEq (8.37 g/t Au and 12.71 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters, including 10.27 g/t AuEq (10.05 g/t Au and 15.25 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 12.84 g/t AuEq (12.56 g/t Au and 19.02 g/t Ag) over 4.00 meters.

      • An accompanying infographic is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c5c59aa-b4f9-40f6-84ae-6e6d3a40f704

    • GD-24-290 intercepted exceptional stacked intervals of quart-sulphide veining and breccias in 4 mineralized horizons containing pyrrhotite, sphalerite and galena the deepest of which corresponds to the Bonanza Shear that remains open:

      • New stacked Gold Vein: 7.96 g/t AuEq (7.88 g/t Au and 5.52 g/t Ag) over 4.85 meters, including 13.49 g/t AuEq (13.38 g/t Au and 8.87 g/t Ag) over 2.85 meters.

      • New stacked Gold Vein: 3.42 g/t AuEq (3.40 g/t Au and 1.44 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 8.41 g/t AuEq (8.38 g/t Au and 2.88 g/t Ag) over 2.00 meters.

      • New stacked Gold Vein: 4.50 g/t AuEq (4.49 g/t Au and 0.84 g/t Ag) over 5.15 meters.

      • Bonanza Shear: 4.24 g/t AuEq (4.18 g/t Au and 2.71 g/t Ag) over 4.98 meters.

      • An accompanying infographic is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/49f7b451-444c-4f59-a570-974285be6b3d

    • GD-24-241 intercepted an excellent interval of quartz-sulphide veining containing visible gold, sphalerite and galena corresponding to the Bonanza Shear that remains open:

    • With only 15 months of boots on the ground, the strong mineralization consistently observed in 100% of all 243 drill holes collared within a 1.8 km2 area to date clearly demonstrates the continuity and predictability of this extensive mineralizing system that remains open in all directions providing for excellent additional discovery and expansion potential.

    • 100% of 243 widespread holes drilled on Surebet intersected the targeted mineralized zones in 300 intercepts, 106 of which intersected visible gold including the 64 holes drilled in 2024 which intercepted significant mineralization with 92% of the holes (or 59 out of 64 holes) containing visible gold, demonstrating the excellent continuity and predictability of this extensive high-grade world class gold discovery that remains wide open.

    • Metallurgical testing has shown exceptional gold recoveries of 92.2% from gravity and floatation requiring only a 327 micrometer crush, with 48.8% occurring as free gold; no cyanide required to recover the gold.

    • Assays compilation, interpretation and modeling are currently underway for an additional 83 holes and will be announced shortly: 45 drilled in 2024 (38 or 84% have visible and or abundant visible gold), 12 drilled into the Reduced Intrusive Dykes 2021-2023 (5 or 42% have visible and or abundant visible gold), 14 relogged shoulders 2021 – 2023 (3 or 21% have visible and or abundant visible gold) and 12 from VMS style mineralization at Treasure Island 40 km to the north of Surebet.

    TORONTO, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Goliath Resources Limited (TSX-V: GOT) (OTCQB: GOTRF) (FSE: B4IF) (the “Company” or “Goliath”) is pleased to report exceptional gold intercepts of 12.03 g/t AuEq (11.84 g/t Au and 15.61 g/t Ag) over 10.00 meters, including 19.91 g/t AuEq (19.62 g/t Au and 25.61 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters plus a second separate interval assaying 8.59 g/t AuEq (8.35 g/t Au and 20.74 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 14.26 g/t AuEq (13.87 g/t Au and 34.10 g/t Ag) over 3.00 both from a high-grade gold intrusive feeder dyke that remains open at Surebet on its 100% controlled Golddigger Property (the “Property”), Golden Triangle, B.C. This excellent interval clearly indicates close proximity to a large feeder source at depth believed to be a Reduced Intrusion Related Gold system (RIRG). In addition, initial assays compiled/modeled for 5 additional drill holes from the successful 2024 drill program intersected excellent gold grades up to 11.66 g/t AuEq (11.13 g/t Au and 17.82 g/t Ag) over 5.97 meter in the shear hosted veins at Surebet, clearly demonstrating minable widths and grades and exceptional continuity and predictability of this large expanding world-class gold discovery that remains wide open both laterally and to depth with tremendous untapped discovery potential remaining.

    Assays compilation, interpretation and modeling are currently underway for an additional 83 holes and will be announced shortly: 45 drilled in 2024 (38 or 84% have visible and or abundant visible gold), 12 drilled into the Reduced Intrusive Dykes 2021-2023 (5 or 42% have visible and or abundant visible gold), 14 relogged shoulders 2021 – 2023 (3 or 21% have visible and or abundant visible gold) and 12 from VMS style mineralization at Treasure Island 40 km to the north of Surebet.

    • GD-22-58 intercepted two separate intervals with exceptional gold grades over substantial widths within a reduced intrusion related porphyritic intermediate feeder dyke that remains open containing visible gold, bismuth and molybdenum mineralization reminiscent of a RIRG system at depth:

      • 12.03 g/t AuEq (11.84 g/t Au and 15.61 g/t Ag) over 10.00 meters, including 19.91 g/t AuEq (19.62 g/t Au and 25.61 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters, including 23.82 g/t AuEq (23.47 g/t Au and 30.54 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters.

      • 8.59 g/t AuEq (8.35 g/t Au and 20.74 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 14.26 g/t AuEq (13.87 g/t Au and 34.10 g/t Ag) over 3.00 meters.

    Roger Rosmus, Founder and CEO of Goliath Resources, states: “We are excited to see such high-grade gold mineralization in the RIRG feeder dykes as well as the consistent continuity and predictability of the high-grade gold mineralization in multiple stacked veins similar to those seen in the world-class >10 Moz high-grade underground Pogo gold mine. Based on 100% hit rate in 243 widespread holes with 300 intercepts drilled to date within the 1.8 km2 area of Surebet we look forward to moving into a low-risk expansion and infill drilling phase in 2025. We look forward to reporting additional assays from 83 holes remaining once compiled, interpreted and modelled with a planned updated model before the end of the month confirming the scale and geometry of this world-class gold discovery that remains wide open. Based on the extensive dataset and understanding we are certainly on track to expand this bonanza grade discovery both laterally and to depth targeting the existing and new high-grade layers and ultimately the source of the extensive gold system. The serious interest already garnered from multiple miners and institutions alike clearly demonstrates a world-class discovery like Surebet is an extremely rare opportunity. We look forward to unlocking its full value for all of our stakeholders.”

    Gold-rich RIRG mineralization in multiple mineralized porphyritic dykes has been previously reported in drill holes GD-24-237 which intercepted 10.50 g/t AuEq (10.41 f/t Au and 7.15 g/t Ag) over 7.00 meters, GD-23-180 which intercepted 3.46 g/t AuEq (3.43 g/t Au and 2.68 g/t Ag) over 7.00 meters, and GD-23-226 which intercepted 1.85 g/t AuEq (1.85 g/t Au and 0.00 g/t Ag) over 8 meters (released on December 12, 2024).

    Strong mineralization has been confirmed in 243 drill holes containing 300 intercepts that intersected the 8 known stacked mineralized gold veins as well as the reduced intrusion feeder dykes within the 1.8 km2 area and over 1.2 km deep that remains open laterally and to depth, clearly showing the exceptional continuity of widths and grades at Surebet. Continued confirmation of high gold grades in this newly discovered RIRG system characterized by considerable amounts of visible gold, bismuth, and molybdenum mineralization in the felsic to intermediate porphyritic dykes on Surebet as well as in the intrusions surrounding Surebet could greatly increase the resource potential of the Surebet discovery.

    Drilling in 2025 will focus on expanding the mineralization in all directions, including to depth vectoring in on the reduced intrusion indicated source for the extensive high-grade gold mineralization on the world-class Surebet discovery.

    With only 15 months of boots on the ground, the strong mineralization consistently observed in 100% of all 243 drill holes with 300 intercepts collared within a 1.8 km2 area to date clearly demonstrates the continuity and predictability of this extensive mineralizing system that remains open in all directions providing for excellent additional discovery and expansion potential. All 64 holes drilled in 2024 have intercepted significant mineralization with 92% of the holes (or 59 out of 64 holes) containing occurrences of visible gold, demonstrating the excellent continuity of this extensive high-grade gold system that remains wide open in all directions.

    • GD-24-250 intercepted multiple stacked intervals of strong gold mineralization consisting of quartz-sulphide veining and breccias with visible gold, sphalerite and galena from the Whopper vein, Surebet Zone and Bonanza shear that remain open:

      • Whopper Vein: 6.55 g/t AuEq (6.45 g/t Au and 4.08 g/t Ag) over 6.69 meters, including 9.48 g/t AuEq (9.34 g/t Au and 5.33 g/t Ag) over 4.61 meters.

      • Surebet Zone: 4.49 g/t AuEq (3.88 g/t Au and 14.44 g/t Ag) over 4.90 meters, including 5.48 g/t AuEq (4.72 g/t Au and 29.92 g/t Ag) over 3.75 meters.

      • Bonanza Shear: 11.66 g/t AuEq (11.13 g/t Au and 17.82 g/t Ag) over 5.97 meters, including 17.48 g/t AuEq (16.71 g/t Au and 26.24 g/t Ag) over 3.97 meters.

    • GD-24-291 intercepted substantial gold mineralization consisting of stacked quartz-sulphide veins and breccia intervals with visible gold, galena, sphalerite and minor chalcopyrite in several intervals corresponding to the Bonanza Shear and the Golden Gate zone that remain open:

      • Bonanza Shear: 6.14 g/t AuEq (6.10 g/t Au and 1.50 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 16.15 g/t AuEq (16.12 g/t Au and 1.24 g/t Ag) over 1.00 meter.

      • Bonanza Shear: 2.86 g/t AuEq (2.74 g/t Au and 5.37 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters, including 8.35 g/t AuEq (8.23 g/t Au and 6.34 g/t Ag) over 1 meter.

      • Golden Gate: 6.32 g/t AuEq (6.29 g/t Au and 1.51 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters, including 9.45 g/t AuEq (9.41 g/t Au and 2.07 g/t Ag) over 4.00 meters.

    • GD-24-263 intercepted 3 stacked gold mineralized zones with quartz-sulphide vein stockwork and breccias with sections of semi-massive to massive sphalerite and galena, as well as visible gold in an interval corresponding to the Bonanza Shear that remain open:

      • New Stacked Gold Vein: 2.06 g/t AuEq (1.92 g/t Au and 4.01 g/t Ag) over 6.17 meters, including 2.43 g/t AuEq (2.27 g/t Au and 4.57 g/t Ag) over 5.13 meters.

      • New Stacked Gold Vein: 2.08 g/t AuEq (1.93 g/t Au and 5.76 g/t Ag) over 10.32 meters, including 2.24 g/t AuEq (2.06 g/t Au and 6.78 g/t Ag) over 5.19 meters.

      • Bonanza Shear: 8.56 g/t AuEq (8.37 g/t Au and 12.71 g/t Ag) over 6.00 meters, including 10.27 g/t AuEq (10.05 g/t Au and 15.25 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 12.84 g/t AuEq (12.56 g/t Au and 19.02 g/t Ag) over 4.00 meters.

    • GD-24-290 intercepted exceptional intervals of stacked quartz-sulphide gold veining and breccias in 4 mineralized horizons containing pyrrhotite, sphalerite and galena the deepest of which corresponds to the Bonanza Shear that remains open:

      • New Stacked Gold Vein: 7.96 g/t AuEq (7.88 g/t Au and 5.52 g/t Ag) over 4.85 meters, including 13.49 g/t AuEq (13.38 g/t Au and 8.87 g/t Ag) over 2.85 meters.

      • New Stacked Gold Vein: 3.42 g/t AuEq (3.40 g/t Au and 1.44 g/t Ag) over 5.00 meters, including 8.41 g/t AuEq (8.38 g/t Au and 2.88 g/t Ag) over 2.00 meters.

      • New Stacked Gold Vein: 4.50 g/t AuEq (4.49 g/t Au and 0.84 g/t Ag) over 5.15 meters.

      • Bonanza Shear: 4.24 g/t AuEq (4.18 g/t Au and 2.71 g/t Ag) over 4.98 meters.

    • GD-24-241 intercepted an excellent interval of quartz-sulphide veining containing visible gold, sphalerite and galena corresponding to the Bonanza Shear that remains open:

      • Bonanza Shear: 3.00 g/t AuEq (2.72 g/t Au and 7.67 g/t Ag) over 15.00 meters, including 3.65 g/t AuEq (3.27 g/t Au and 10.20 g/t Ag) over 11.00 meters, including 4.22 g/t AuEq (3.83 g/t Au and 11.46 g/t Ag) over 8.00 meters.

    Table 1: Highlights for drill holes reported in this news release.

    Hole ID

    Zone

     

    From (m)

    To (m)

    Interval (m)

    Au (g/t)

    Ag (g/t)

    Cu (%)

    Pb (%)

    Zn (%)

    AuEq (g/t)

    GD-22-58

    Dyke

    Interval

    220.00

    230.00

    10.00

    11.84

    15.61

    0.00

    0.01

    0.02

    12.03

    Including

    224.00

    230.00

    6.00

    19.62

    25.61

    0.00

    0.01

    0.02

    19.91

    Including

    225.00

    230.00

    5.00

    23.47

    30.54

    0.00

    0.01

    0.02

    23.82

    Dyke

    Interval

    244.00

    249.00

    5.00

    8.35

    20.74

    0.00

    0.01

    0.02

    8.59

    Including

    245.00

    248.00

    3.00

    13.87

    34.10

    0.00

    0.01

    0.02

    14.26

    GD-24-241

    Bonanza

    Interval

    554.00

    569.00

    15.00

    2.72

    7.67

    0.01

    0.17

    0.49

    3.00

    Including

    558.00

    569.00

    11.00

    3.27

    10.20

    0.02

    0.23

    0.65

    3.65

    Including

    558.00

    566.00

    8.00

    3.83

    11.46

    0.02

    0.30

    0.59

    4.22

    GD-24-263

    NEW

    Interval

    342.06

    348.23

    6.17

    1.92

    4.01

    0.01

    0.05

    0.23

    2.06

    Including

    343.10

    348.23

    5.13

    2.27

    4.57

    0.01

    0.05

    0.28

    2.43

    NEW

    Interval

    520.25

    530.57

    10.32

    1.93

    5.76

    0.01

    0.04

    0.22

    2.08

    Including

    520.25

    525.44

    5.19

    2.06

    6.78

    0.01

    0.06

    0.27

    2.24

    Bonanza

    Interval

    634.00

    640.00

    6.00

    8.37

    12.71

    0.03

    0.03

    0.05

    8.56

    Including

    635.00

    640.00

    5.00

    10.05

    15.25

    0.03

    0.03

    0.06

    10.27

    Including

    636.00

    640.00

    4.00

    12.56

    19.02

    0.04

    0.04

    0.07

    12.84

    GD-24-250

    Whopper

    Interval

    287.85

    294.54

    6.69

    6.45

    4.08

    0.01

    0.04

    0.15

    6.55

    Including

    288.92

    293.53

    4.61

    9.34

    5.33

    0.01

    0.05

    0.21

    9.48

    Surebet

    Interval

    440.50

    445.40

    4.90

    3.88

    24.44

    0.04

    0.53

    0.60

    4.49

    Including

    440.50

    444.25

    3.75

    4.72

    29.92

    0.04

    0.68

    0.75

    5.48

    Bonanza

    Interval

    598.55

    604.52

    5.97

    11.13

    17.82

    0.06

    0.60

    0.42

    11.66

    Including

    599.58

    603.55

    3.97

    16.71

    26.24

    0.09

    0.90

    0.61

    17.48

    GD-24-290

    NEW

    Interval

    42.15

    47.00

    4.85

    7.88

    5.52

    0.01

    0.00

    0.01

    7.96

    Including

    42.15

    45.00

    2.85

    13.38

    8.87

    0.01

    0.00

    0.02

    13.49

    NEW

    Interval

    57.00

    62.00

    5.00

    3.40

    1.44

    0.00

    0.00

    0.01

    3.42

    Including

    58.00

    60.00

    2.00

    8.38

    2.88

    0.00

    0.00

    0.01

    8.41

    NEW

    Interval

    105.00

    110.15

    5.15

    4.49

    0.84

    0.00

    0.00

    0.01

    4.50

    Bonanza

    Interval

    235.37

    240.35

    4.98

    4.18

    2.71

    0.00

    0.02

    0.06

    4.24

    GD-24-291

    Bonanza

    Interval

    29.00

    34.00

    5.00

    6.10

    1.50

    0.01

    0.00

    0.05

    6.14

    Including

    29.00

    30.00

    1.00

    16.12

    1.24

    0.01

    0.00

    0.03

    16.15

    Bonanza

    Interval

    44.00

    50.00

    6.00

    2.74

    5.37

    0.01

    0.08

    0.13

    2.86

    Including

    49.00

    50.00

    1.00

    8.23

    6.34

    0.01

    0.04

    0.08

    8.35

    Golden Gate

    Interval

    181.00

    187.00

    6.00

    6.29

    1.51

    0.01

    0.01

    0.03

    6.32

    Including

    182.00

    186.00

    4.00

    9.41

    2.07

    0.01

    0.01

    0.03

    9.45

    The continuity and predictability of the newly expanded thick gold Bonanza High Grade Gold zone has previously been drill tested where GD-23-197 assayed 34.03 g/t AuEq (1.09 oz/t AuEq) over 9 meters (released October 17, 2023), GD-24-235 assayed 35.04 g/t AuEq (1.13 oz/t AuEq) over 5.25 meters (released July 30, 2024), GD-24-249 assayed 30.55 g/t AuEq (0.98 oz/t AuEq) over 8.95 meters (released December 12, 2024), and GD-24-260 assayed 132.93 g/t AuEq (4.27 oz/t AuEq) over 10.00 meters (released January 13, 2025). The new Bonanza High-Grade Zone outcrops on the surface 200 meters above the valley floor at an elevation of 900 meters above sea level.

    The Bonanza High-Grade Gold Zone remains open in all directions, including to depth, where the new Deep Zone was discovered at 1,239 meters downhole from the Bang On Pad and 480 meters below the valley floor level. This zone contains multiple quartz-sulphide veins and breccias with chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite demonstrating the tremendous additional untapped discovery potential of the Surebet system that remains wide open. The mineralized zones contain significant amounts of chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite and remains wide open. Assays for all holes that intersected the new Deep Zone are pending.

    The Company looks forward to continuing to expand the mineralization at Surebet and increase the understanding of the geometry and controls of the mineralization with additional modelling as results become available in the immediate future. The discovery of the RIRG mineralization clearly indicates proximity to the source of this extensive mineralizing system. Drilling in 2025 will focus on expanding the mineralization in all directions, including to depth towards the indicated source for the fluids responsible for the extensive high-grade gold-silver mineralization on the world-class Surebet discovery.

    Table 2: Collar information for drill holes reported in this news release.

    Hole ID

    CRS

    Easting (m)

    Northing (m)

    Elevation (m)

    Azimuth (deg)

    Dip (deg)

    Length (m)

    GD-24-241

    NAD83 / UTM zone 9N

    457446

    6162777

    1511

    140

    60

    738

    GD-24-250

    NAD83 / UTM zone 9N

    457365

    6162754

    1507

    178

    55

    638

    GD-24-263

    NAD83 / UTM zone 9N

    457060

    6163027

    1655

    155

    71

    758

    GD-24-290

    NAD83 / UTM zone 9N

    457881

    6162620

    1175

    228

    73

    312

    GD-24-291

    NAD83 / UTM zone 9N

    457702

    6162436

    1132

    120

    65

    378

    GD-22-58

    NAD83 / UTM zone 9N

    457512

    6163073

    1656

    120

    55

    399

    Golddigger Property

    The Golddigger Property is 100% controlled and covers an area of 91,518 hectares in the world class geological setting of the Eskay Rift, within 3 kilometers of the Red Line in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia. This area has hosted some of Canada’s greatest mines including Eskay Creek, Premier and Snip. Other significant and well-known deposits in the Golden Triangle include Brucejack, Copper Canyon, Galore Creek, Granduc, KSM, Red Chris, and Schaft Creek. Goliath controls 56 kilometers of the Red Line which is a geologic contact between Triassic age Stuhini rocks and Jurassic age Hazelton rocks used as key markers when exploring for gold-copper-silver mineralization.

    The Surebet discovery has exceptional continuity and excellent metallurgy with gold recoveries of 92.2% with 48.8% of it as free gold from gravity alone at a 327-micrometer crush (no cyanide required to recover the gold). The metallurgy completed to date shows NO deleterious elements are present such as mercury or arsenic.

    The Property is in an excellent location in close proximity to the communities of Alice Arm and Kitsault where there is a permitted mill site on private property. It is situated on tide water with direct barge access to Prince Rupert (190 kilometers via the Observatory inlet/Portland inlet). The town of Kitsault is accessible by road (190 kilometers from Terrace, 300 kilometers from Prince Rupert) and has a barge landing, dock, and infrastructure capable of housing at least 300 people, including high-tension power.

    Additional infrastructure in the area includes the Dolly Varden Silver Mine Road (only 7 kilometers to the East of the Surebet discovery) with direct road access to Alice Arm barge landing (18 kilometers to the south of the Surebet discovery) and high-tension power (25 kilometers to the east of Surebet discovery). The city of Terrace (population 16,000) provides access to railway, major highways, and airport with supplies (food, fuel, lumber, etc.), while the town of Prince Rupert (population 12,000) is located on the west coast and houses an international container seaport also with direct access to railway and an airport.

    About CASERM (Center To Advance The Science Of Exploration To Reclamation In Mining)

    Goliath is a paying member and active supporter of CASERM, an organization that represents a collaborative venture between Colorado School of Mines and Virginia Tech aimed at transforming the way that geoscience data is used in the mineral resource industry. Research focuses on the integration of diverse geoscience data to improve decision making across the mine life cycle, beginning with the exploration for subsurface resources continuing through mine operation as well as closure and environmental remediation. As a CASERM member, the Company requested a study and written report to be performed by Colorado School of Mines analysing Surebet’s origin of mineralization. The study confirmed an extensive porphyry feeder source at depth for the high-grade gold mineralising fluids at Surebet.

    Qualified Person

    Rein Turna P. Geo is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, for Goliath Resource Limited projects, and supervised the preparation of, and has reviewed and approved, the technical information in this release. Mr. Turna is also a director of the Company.

    About Goliath Resources Limited

    Goliath Resources is an explorer of precious metals projects in the prolific Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia. All of its projects are in world class geological settings and geopolitical safe jurisdictions amenable to mining in Canada. Goliath is a member and active supporter of CASERM which is an organization that represents a collaborative venture between Colorado School of Mines and Virginia Tech. Goliath’s key strategic cornerstone shareholders include Crescat Capital, Mr. Rob McEwen and Mr. Eric Sprott, Mr. Larry Childress and a Global Commodity Group based in Singapore.

    For more information please contact:

    Goliath Resources Limited Mr. Roger Rosmus Founder and CEO Tel: +1.416.488.2887roger@goliathresources.com www.goliathresourcesltd.com

    Other

    The reader is cautioned that grab samples are spot samples which are typically, but not exclusively, constrained to mineralization. Grab samples are selective in nature and collected to determine the presence or absence of mineralization and are not intended to be representative of the material sampled.

    Portable XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) readings are semi-quantitative measurements and calibrations of the equipment in the field not always allow to compare results to certified reference materials but are used as guideline to augment the understanding of the mineralization observed. These measurements are not intended to be representative of the geochemical composition of the material measured. XRF readings are carried out using a handheld device and could be influenced by external factors.

    Oriented HQ-diameter or NQ-diameter diamond drill core from the drill campaign is placed in core boxes by the drill crew contracted by the Company. Core boxes are transported by helicopter to the staging area and then transported by truck to the core shack. The core is then re-orientated, meterage blocks are checked, meter marks are labelled, Recovery and RQD measurements taken, and primary bedding and secondary structural features including veins, dykes, cleavage, and shears are noted and measured. The core is then described and transcribed in MX DepositTM. Drill holes were planned using Leapfrog GeoTM and QGISTM software and data from the 2017-2022 exploration campaigns. Drill core containing quartz breccia, stockwork, veining and/or sulphide(s), or notable alteration are sampled in lengths of 0.5 to 1.5 meters. Core samples are cut lengthwise in half, one-half remains in the box and the other half is inserted in a clean plastic bag with a sample tag. Standards, blanks and duplicates were added in the sample stream at a rate of 10%.

    Grab, channels, chip and talus samples were collected by foot with helicopter assistance. Prospective areas included, but were not limited to, proximity to MINFile locations, placer creek occurrences, regional soil anomalies, and potential gossans based on high-resolution satellite imagery. The rock grab and chip samples were extracted using a rock hammer, or hammer and chisel to expose fresh surfaces and to liberate a sample of anywhere between 0.5 to 5.0 kilograms. All sample sites were flagged with biodegradable flagging tape and marked with the sample number. All sample sites were recorded using hand-held GPS units (accuracy 3-10 meters) and sample ID, easting, northing, elevation, type of sample (outcrop, subcrop, float, talus, chip, grab, etc.) and a description of the rock were recorded on all-weather paper. Samples were then inserted in a clean plastic bag with a sample tag for transport and shipping to the geochemistry lab. QA/QC samples including blanks, standards, and duplicate samples were inserted regularly into the sample sequence at a rate of 10%.

    All samples are transported in rice bags sealed with numbered security tags. A transport company takes them from the core shack to the Paragon Geochemical labs facilities in Surrey, BC or ALS labs facilities in North Vancouver, BC. Paragon Geochemical is certified with both AC89-IAS and ISO/IEC Standard 17025:2017. Samples submitted to Paragon received gold and silver analysis by photon assay whereby the entire sample is crushed to approximately 70% passing 2 mm mesh. The entire crushed sample is riffle split and weighed into multiple (300-500g) jars that are submitted for photon assay. Photon assay uses high-energy X-rays (photons) to excite atomic nuclei within the jarred samples, causing them to emit secondary gamma rays, which are measured to identify and quantify the metals present. The assays from all jars are combined on a weight-averaged basis. ALS is either certified to ISO 9001:2008 or accredited to ISO 17025:2005 in all of its locations. At ALS samples were processed, dried, crushed, and pulverized before analysis using the ME-MS61 and Au-SCR21 methods. For the ME-MS61 method, a prepared sample is digested with perchloric, nitric, hydrofluoric, and hydrochloric acids. The residue is topped up with dilute hydrochloric acid and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Overlimits were re-analyzed using the ME-OG62 and Ag-GRA21 methods (gravimetric finish). For Au-SCR21 a large volume of sample is needed (typically 1-3kg). The sample is crushed and screened (usually to -106 micron) to separate coarse gold particles from fine material. After screening, two aliquots of the fine fraction are analysed using the traditional fire assay method. The fine fraction is expected to be reasonably homogenous and well represented by the duplicate analyses. The entire coarse fraction is assayed to determine the contribution of the coarse gold.

    Widths are reported in drill core lengths and the true widths are estimated to be 80-90% and AuEq metal values are calculated using: Au 2797.16 USD/oz, Ag 31.28 USD/oz, Cu 4.25 USD/lbs, Pb 1955.58 USD/ton and Zn 2750.50 USD/ton on January 31st, 2025. There is potential for economic recovery of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc from these occurrences based on other mining and exploration projects in the same Golden Triangle Mining Camp where Goliath’s project is located such as the Homestake Ridge Gold Project (Auryn Resources Technical Report, Updated Mineral Resource Estimate and Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Homestake Ridge Gold Project, prepared by Minefill Services Inc. Bothell, Washington, dated May 29, 2020). Here, AuEq values were calculated using 3-year running averages for metal price, and included provisions for metallurgical recoveries, treatment charges, refining costs, and transportation. Recoveries for Gold were 85.5%, Silver at 74.6%, Copper at 74.6% and Lead at 45.3%. It will be assumed that Zinc can be recovered with the Copper at the same recovery rate of 74.6%. The quoted reference of metallurgical recoveries is not from Goliath’s Golddigger Project, Surebet Zone mineralization, and there is no guarantee that such recoveries will ever be achieved, unless detailed metallurgical work such as in a Feasibility Study can be eventually completed on the Golddigger Project.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), nor the OTCQB Venture Market accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Goliath’s current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the ability of the Company to complete financings and its ability to build value for its shareholders as it develops its mining properties. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to Goliath. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the proposed transactions will occur, or that if the proposed transactions do occur, will be completed on the terms described above.

    The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and Goliath is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

    This announcement does not constitute an offer, invitation, or recommendation to subscribe for or purchase any securities and neither this announcement nor anything contained in it shall form the basis of any contract or commitment.  In particular, this announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer would be illegal.The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

    Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – February 10, 2025) – Reagan Glazier, President and CEO of Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: PBM) ("Pacific Bay" or the "Company") reports the appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer. Longtime CFO Leanora Brett has stepped down and is replaced by Philip Ellard, CPA. Ms. Brett remains Corporate Secretary of the Company.

    Philip Ellard is a designated CPA with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours from the University of British Columbia. His expertise includes providing financial reporting, go-public, taxation and regulatory support services. Philip is also CFO of public issuers Neotech Metals Corp, MiMedia Holdings and Newpath Resources Inc.

    "Lea Brett's service and dedication to Pacific Bay is greatly appreciated and I look forward to working with her as Corporate Secretary," said Reagan Glazier, President & CEO of Pacific Bay. "Philip Ellard is a skilled and talented accounting professional who will help the Company execute its aggressive growth strategy."

    Brazil Update

    The TSX Venture Exchange continues its review of the Company's proposed acquisition of an option to acquire a 100% interest in Pereira-Velho Gold Project, located in inland Alagoas state, Brazil, announced January 7th, 2025. Upon satisfactory review by the Exchange of technical information about the Project, the Company expects that trading in the Company's stock will resume. Prior to trading resumption, the Company will disclose additional technical information about the Project.

    "With gold prices climbing, it's a good time to be acquiring quality projects," said Reagan Glazier, President & CEO of Pacific Bay. "Our team is working hard to expedite the Pereira-Velho Gold transaction and is excited about the prospect of exploring a project we all believe in strongly."

    Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd. Per/

    Reagan Glazier, President & CEO

    Contact: Reagan Glazier, 403-815-6663, reagan@pacificbayminerals.com

    This news release contains "forward‐looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward‐looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the timing for payment of the option payments, timing regarding any future financings of the Company and timing for completion of future expenditures and plans relating to exploration of the Property, the magnitude and quality of the Property and spending commitments. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Pacific Bay will operate in the future. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward‐looking statements include, amongst others, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility and competition, results of exploration activities and development of the Atlin Goldfields Property, risks associated with the Agreement, including that the Agreement may be terminated or the option not exercised, risks relating to regulatory approvals, and the ability of the Company to complete a private placement financing. Although Pacific Bay has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward‐looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward‐looking statements. Pacific Bay does not undertake to update any forward‐looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/240325

    We recently compiled a list of the These 10 Firms Were Last Week's Worst Performers. In this article, we are going to take a look at where FMC Corp. (NYSE:FMC) stands against the other stocks.

    Volatile trading persisted on the stock market last week as investors scrambled to react to a flurry of positive and negative news that sparked both buying and selling positions.

    On Friday alone, all Wall Street main indices fell into the red territory, with trading dampened mainly by tariff threats and expectations of a higher inflation rate in the US.

    Ten companies under mixed sectors also mirrored the decline, with each booking double-digit slumps. This article details which 10 companies suffered the most last week and what specifically caused investor pessimism.

    To come up with last week’s worst performers, we considered only the stocks with at least $2 billion in market capitalization and $5 million in daily trading volume.

    A laboratory technician carefully mixing chemicals in a laboratory.

    FMC Corp. (NYSE:FMC)

    Shares of FMC Corp. fell by 38 percent week-on-week, ending Friday’s trading at $34.54 each from the $55.78 registered on January 31, as investors were disappointed by a plunge in its earnings performance in the fourth quarter and full year of 2024.

    In a statement last week, FMC Corp. said net profit for the full year 2024 plummeted by 74 percent to $342 million while revenues declined by 5 percent to $4.25 billion.

    In the fourth quarter alone, the company swung to a net loss of $16 million, reversing a net income in the same quarter in 2023.

    Revenues for the quarter, however, increased by 7 percent to $1.22 billion.

    For the full year 2025, the company also posted a conservative outlook, with revenues expected to settle between $4.15 billion and $4.35 billion, flat from 2024.

    Following the release, UBS downgraded its rating for the company to “neutral” from “buy” given ongoing pressure from declining crop chemical demand.

    It also slashed its price target by 42 percent to $38 apiece from $66 previously.

    Overall FMC ranks 1st on our list of last week's worst performers. While we acknowledge the potential of FMC as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as FMC but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

     

    READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap.

     

    Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

    Highlights include 39m at 2.34g/t PGM+Au, 34m at 2.24g/t PGM+Au, and 36m at 2.21g/t PGM+Au

    VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 10, 2025 /CNW/ – Bravo Mining Corp. (TSXV: BRVO) (OTCQX: BRVMF), ("Bravo" or the "Company") has received assay results from the final seven diamond drill holes ("DDH") in the Central Sector of its 100% owned Luanga palladium + platinum + rhodium + gold + nickel deposit ("Luanga deposit" or "Luanga PGM+Au+Ni deposit"), located in the Carajás Mineral Province, Pará State, Brazil.

    "Results from infill and extensional drilling in the Central Sector at the Luanga PGM+Au+Ni deposit continue to demonstrate Luanga's mineral resource upside potential. Drilling consistently intercepts substantial mineralized thicknesses and grades, often matching or exceeding results from earlier drill holes on the same section. Sections in this news release also demonstrate that grades frequently improve at depth, from hole to hole, across multiple intervals," said Luis Azevedo, Chairman and CEO. "We are extremely pleased with the outcomes of our 2024 drilling and trenching programs, which were completed under budget and have set a positive outlook for the forthcoming MRE update."

    Highlights Include:

    • The 2024 drill program is complete, and the results reported herein finalize the reporting of all assay data in readiness for the upcoming mineral resource estimate ("MRE") update.

    • Infill and extensional drilling, at depth in the Central Sector, continue to demonstrate improved mineralized thicknesses and grades as compared to previous shallower drilling on the same section.

    • Drilling has extended mineralization to depth in the Central Sector and demonstrates yet further potential for the addition of mineralization, potentially with increased grades and thicknesses, that are still considered to be within reach of a potential future open pit.

    • The 2024 drill program increased the depth extent and thickness of the mineralized zones, and improved grades within the mineralized envelope.

    • Exploration is progressing on EM targets and newly identified Cu-Au targets, with drilling scheduled to recommence at T5 in Q1'2025.

    HOLE-ID

    From

    To

    Thickness (m)

    Pd

    Pt

    Rh

    Au

    PGM + Au

    Ni* (%) Sulphide

    TYPE

    (m)

    (m)

    (g/t)

    (g/t)

    (g/t)

    (g/t)

    (g/t)

    DDH24LU286

    118.00

    157.0

    39.0

    1.70

    0.54

    0.06

    0.04

    2.34

    0.32

    FR

    DDH24LU287

    121.6

    155.6

    34.0

    1.45

    0.53

    0.08

    0.18

    2.24

    0.24

    FR

    DDH24LU288

    122.3

    178.3

    56.0

    1.39

    0.52

    0.05

    0.02

    1.97

    0.24

    FR

    DDH24LU289

    100.7

    136.7

    36.0

    1.59

    0.53

    0.09

    0.01

    2.21

    0.25

    FR

    DDH24LU290

    49.7

    53.7

    4.0

    1.80

    1.54

    0.03

    0.03

    3.39

    0.08

    FR

    Notes: 

    All 'From', 'To' depths, and 'Thicknesses' are downhole. 'NA' Not applicable for Oxide material.Given the orientation of drilling and mineralization, intercepts are estimated at 115% to 140% of true thickness.Type: Ox = Oxide. FR = Fresh Recovery methods and results will differ based on the type of mineralization.* Bravo's nickel grades are sulphide nickel, and do not include non-recoverable silicate nickel, unlike historical total nickel assays

    Luanga Drilling Update

    Results from seven diamond drill holes have been received, all from the Central Sector of the Luanga PGM+Au+Ni deposit. All the drill holes reported herein are angled holes (-60 degrees), towards an azimuth of 320 – 330°. Together, this set of drill holes comprise a total of 1,471.4 metres of diamond drilling.

    Section 1 (Figure 1) in the Central Sector shows a drill section where mineralization has been intersected at depth in drill hole DDH24LU286, and forms part of the recently completed 2024 drilling program. The 2024 drill program aimed to further define mineralization at greater depths than previous drilling as is the case in Section 1. Further drilling was aimed at infilling areas of wider spaced drill sections with the objective of upgrading the confidence levels of existing resources in the MRE. DDH24LU286 extends the mineralization approximately a further 75m to depth, now reaching approximately 175m from surface, with mineralized thicknesses and grades showing excellent consistency, equal or better to shallower drill holes. The mineralization remains open at depth with potential for further extension below 175 m depth.

    Figure 1: Central Sector (Section 1 on Figure 4). Mineralized Grades and thicknesses continue to impress, adding substantial depth extension. (CNW Group/Bravo Mining Corp.)

    Section 2 (Figure 2) shows extensional drill hole DDH24LU282 in the Central Sector, which also extends the depth of intersected mineralization a further 75m,  to approximately 250m from surface. Here, mineralized grades can be seen to consistently improve with depth, while the overall interpreted thickness of mineralization is also increasing with depth. As in Section 1 above, DDH24LU282 of the 2024 drill program has significantly extended the volume of mineralization at depth on this section. The potential remains to further extend mineralization at depth, potentially with increasing thickness and grades.

    Figure 2: Central Sector (Section 2 on Figure 4). Extensional drilling defines significant future MRE growth potential, still open shallow depths. (CNW Group/Bravo Mining Corp.)

    HeliTEM (Helicopter borne EM) and Copper-Gold Exploration Update

    Exploration is progressing on both EM targets and new Cu-Au targets (Figure 3) within the Luanga licence.

    Drilling is expected to recommence, starting at T5, in Q1.

    Figure 3: Location (over magnetics) of priority Cu/Au targets outside the Luanga PGM+Au+Ni deposit, the focus of regional exploration. (CNW Group/Bravo Mining Corp.)

    Drill Results Status Update

    A total of 345 drill holes have been completed by Bravo to date, for 73,675.65 metres, including 8 metallurgical holes (not subject to routine assaying). Results have been reported for 311 Bravo drill holes to date. Assay results for 26 holes are currently outstanding (excluding the metallurgical holes). These 26 holes relate to exploration outside of the Luanga PGM+Au+Ni resource area. A total of 45 trenches have been completed to date (for 9,065.73 metres), with all results reported.

    Complete Table of Recent Intercepts.

    HOLE-ID

    From

    To

    Thickness (m)

    Pd

    Pt

    Rh

    Au

    PGM + Au

    Ni* (%) Sulphide

    TYPE

    (m)

    (m)

    (g/t)

    (g/t)

    (g/t)

    (g/t)

    (g/t)

    DDH24LU285

    0.0

    11.0

    11.0

    0.64

    0.32

    0.01

    0.01

    0.99

    NA

    Ox

    And

    30.5

    37.4

    6.9

    0.77

    0.68

    0.01

    0.05

    1.51

    NA

    Ox/FR

    DDH24LU286

    118.0

    157.0

    39.0

    1.70

    0.54

    0.06

    0.04

    2.34

    0.32

    FR

    And

    163.0

    193.0

    30.0

    0.27

    0.25

    <0.01

    <0.01

    0.52

    0.02

    FR

    DDH24LU287

    0.0

    12.9

    12.9

    0.58

    0.23

    0.01

    0.11

    0.93

    NA

    Ox

    And

    106.8

    114.8

    8.0

    0.63

    0.25

    0.02

    0.10

    1.00

    0.22

    FR

    And

    121.6

    155.6

    34.0

    1.45

    0.53

    0.08

    0.18

    2.24

    0.24

    FR

    And

    164.6

    200.6

    36.0

    0.29

    0.25

    <0.01

    0.03

    0.57

    0.02

    FR

    DDH24LU288

    122.3

    178.3

    56.0

    1.39

    0.52

    0.05

    0.02

    1.97

    0.24

    FR

    DDH24LU289

    57.7

    62.7

    5.0

    0.52

    0.15

    0.24

    0.01

    0.91

    0.34

    FR

    And

    75.7

    143.8

    68.0

    1.10

    0.38

    0.06

    0.01

    1.55

    0.19

    FR

    Including

    100.7

    136.7

    36.0

    1.59

    0.53

    0.09

    0.01

    2.21

    0.25

    FR

    DDH24LU290

    6.3

    34.7

    28.4

    0.70

    0.24

    0.02

    0.01

    0.97

    NA

    Ox/FR

    Including

    29.7

    34.7

    5.0

    1.37

    0.48

    0.05

    0.01

    1.91

    0.30

    FR

    And

    49.7

    53.7

    4.0

    1.80

    1.54

    0.03

    0.03

    3.39

    0.08

    FR

    DDH24LU291

    No Significant Result

    Notes: 

    All 'From', 'To' depths, and 'Thicknesses' are downhole. 'NA' Not applicable for Oxide material.Given the orientation of drilling and mineralization, intercepts are estimated at 115% to 140% of true thickness.Type: Ox = Oxide. FR = Fresh Rock. Recovery methods and results will differ based on the type of mineralization.* Bravo's nickel grades are sulphide nickel, and do not include non-recoverable silicate nickel, unlike historical total nickel assays

    Figure 4: Location of Bravo Drilling and Sections Reported in this News Release (CNW Group/Bravo Mining Corp.)

    About Bravo Mining Corp.

    Bravo is a Canadian and Brazil-based mineral exploration and development company focused on advancing its PGM+Au+Ni Luanga Project, as well as our Cu-Au exploration opportunities in the world-class Carajás Mineral Province, Para State, Brazil.

    Bravo is one of the most active explorers in Carajás. The team, comprising of local and international geologists, has a proven track record of PGM, nickel, and copper discoveries in the region. They have successfully taken a past IOCG greenfield project from discovery to development and production in the Carajás.

    The Luanga Project is situated on mature freehold farming land and benefits from being located close to operating mines and a mining-experienced workforce, with excellent access and proximity to existing infrastructure, including road, rail, ports, and hydroelectric grid power. A fully funded +70,000m infill, step out and exploration drilling and trenching program was completed in 2024. Bravo's current Environmental, Social and Governance activities includes planting more than 30,000 high-value trees in and around the project area, while hiring and contracting locally.

    Technical Disclosure

    Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Simon Mottram, F.AusIMM (Fellow Australia Institute of Mining and Metallurgy), President of Bravo Mining Corp. who serves as the Company's "qualified person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mr. Mottram has verified the technical data and opinions contained in this news release.

    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.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "continues", "significant", "potential", "substantial", "improved", "further extension",  "consistent increase", "better", "wide", "upside", "match", "exceed", "frequently",  variants of these words and other similar words, phrases, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. This news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the Company's 2024 drill program and the results thereof; comparisons to historical and/or prior Bravo drilling; the potential for extensions to mineralization at depth; the potential for greater thicknesses and/or higher grades at depth; the impact of current and future drilling on future mineral resource estimates, after taking into account other modifying factors; whether or not the mineralization is amenable to open pit mining and, if so, to what extent; potential economic outcomes, including strip ratios, in future economic studies; and the Company's plans in respect thereof. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, unexpected results from exploration programs, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, environmental risks, limitations on insurance coverage; and other risks and uncertainties involved in the mineral exploration and development industry. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including, but not limited to, the assumption that the assay results confirm that the interpreted mineralization contains significant values of nickel, PGMs and Au; that the mineralization remains open to depth, that PGM and/or Ni grades and mineralized thicknesses are improving to depth; that final drill and assay results will be in line with management's expectations; that activities will not be adversely disrupted or impeded by regulatory, political, community, economic, environmental and/or healthy and safety risks; that the Luanga Project will not be materially affected by potential supply chain disruptions; and general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

    Schedule 1: Drill Hole Collar Details

    HOLE-ID

    Company

    East (m)

    North (m)

    RL (m)

    Datum

    Depth (m)

    Azimuth

    Dip

    Sector

    DDH24LU285

    Bravo

    658439.86

    9340827.80

    246.41

    SIRGAS2000_UTM_22S

    110.55

    330.00

    -60.00

    Central

    DDH24LU286

    Bravo

    658431.29

    9340643.68

    276.80

    SIRGAS2000_UTM_22S

    244.70

    330.00

    -60.00

    Central

    DDH24LU287

    Bravo

    658500.82

    9340722.17

    269.40

    SIRGAS2000_UTM_22S

    240.25

    330.00

    -60.00

    Central

    DDH24LU288

    Bravo

    658378.87

    9340533.22

    283.91

    SIRGAS2000_UTM_22S

    285.40

    330.00

    -60.00

    Central

    DDH24LU289

    Bravo

    658296.91

    9340475.55

    273.69

    SIRGAS2000_UTM_22S

    300.60

    330.00

    -60.00

    Central

    DDH24LU290

    Bravo

    658166.89

    9340503.37

    256.91

    SIRGAS2000_UTM_22S

    180.45

    330.00

    -60.00

    Central

    DDH24LU291

    Bravo

    658352.08

    9340261.87

    253.23

    SIRGAS2000_UTM_22S

    109.45

    320.00

    -60.00

    Central

    Schedule 2: Assay Methodologies and QAQC

    Samples follow a chain of custody between collection, processing, and delivery to the SGS Geosol laboratory in Parauapebas, state of Pará, Brazil. The drill core is delivered to the core shack at Bravo's Luanga site facilities and processed by geologists who insert certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates into the sampling sequence. Drill core is half cut and placed in secured polyurethane bags, then in security-sealed sacks before being delivered directly from the Luanga site facilities to the Parauapebas SGS Geosol laboratory by Bravo staff. Additional information about the methodology can be found on the SGS Geosol website (SGS) in their analytical guides. Information regarding preparation and analysis of historic drill core is also presented in the table below, where the information is known.

    Quality Assurance and Quality Control ("QAQC") is maintained internally at the lab through rigorous use of internal certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates. An additional QAQC program is administered by Bravo using certified reference materials, duplicate samples and blank samples that are blindly inserted into the sample batch. If a QAQC sample returns an unacceptable value an investigation into the results is triggered and when deemed necessary, the samples that were tested in the batch with the failed QAQC sample are re-tested.

    Bravo SGS Geosol

    Preparation

    Method

    Method

    Method

    Method

    For All Elements

    Pt, Pd, Au

    Rh

    Sulphide Ni

    Trace Elements

    PRPCLI (85% at 200#)

    FAI515

    FAI30V

    AA04B

    ICP40B

    Bravo Mining Corp. Logo (CNW Group/Bravo Mining Corp.)

    SOURCE Bravo Mining Corp.

    Cision

    View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2025/10/c5562.html

    Compass Minerals (CMP) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.55 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.05. This compares to earnings of $0.05 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

    This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -1,000%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this minerals producer would post a loss of $0.46 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.77, delivering a surprise of -67.39%.

    Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once.

    Compass , which belongs to the Zacks Chemical – Diversified industry, posted revenues of $307.2 million for the quarter ended December 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.53%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $341.7 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.

    The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

    Compass shares have added about 7.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 2.5%.

    What's Next for Compass?

    While Compass has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

    There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

    Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

    Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Compass: mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

    It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.33 on $397 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $0.33 on $1.15 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

    Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Chemical – Diversified is currently in the bottom 7% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

    Another stock from the same industry, Stepan Co. (SCL), has yet to report results for the quarter ended December 2024. The results are expected to be released on February 19.

    This specialty chemicals company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.35 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +6.1%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 20% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

    Stepan Co.'s revenues are expected to be $512.55 million, down 3.7% from the year-ago quarter.

    Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

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    Zacks Investment Research

    OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Compass Minerals International Inc. (CMP) on Monday reported a loss of $23.6 million in its fiscal first quarter.

    The Overland Park, Kansas-based company said it had a loss of 57 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 55 cents per share.

    The minerals producer posted revenue of $307.2 million in the period.

    _____

    This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CMP at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CMP

    OVERLAND PARK, Kan., February 10, 2025–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP), a leading global provider of essential minerals, today reported fiscal 2025 first-quarter results.

    Unless otherwise noted, it should be assumed that time periods referenced below are on a fiscal-year basis.

    MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY

    "This quarter we began to see results from our back-to-basics strategy and initiatives to reduce inventory volumes, improve our cost structure, and enhance profitability. Our efforts are expected to further strengthen our future financial performance, leveraging our exceptional set of unique assets that are virtually irreplaceable, enjoy durable competitive advantages and have strong leadership positions in their respective marketplaces," said Edward C. Dowling Jr., president and CEO.

    "We made good progress on our goals of reducing our North American salt inventory volumes and improving the cost structure in our Plant Nutrition business. Despite a slow start to the winter deicing season, we saw salt inventory volumes decline 10% year over year through December and we still have a significant portion of the deicing season in front of us. We're well positioned to continue to reduce inventory levels in coming months, and our ability to toggle production at Goderich and Cote Blanche mines provides the flexibility to adjust production to meet increased demand next year if we see a stronger winter season. In Plant Nutrition, the efforts we are making to manage costs are taking root, which is enabling us to increase adjusted EBITDA guidance for the segment despite a decline in expected pricing due to softness in the MOP market. We will continue to focus on systems and processes where we can improve profitability and financial performance."

    "We have a number of cost reduction initiatives underway to continue to drive down operating, capital, and general and administrative costs. Through operational and financial discipline and a commitment to continuous improvement, I'm confident we will improve the cash generation capability and unlock the intrinsic value embedded in our business."

    QUARTERLY FINANCIAL RESULTS

    (in millions, except per share data)

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31, 2024

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31, 2023

    Revenue

     

    $

    307.2

     

     

    $

    341.7

     

    Operating earnings (loss)

     

     

    0.5

     

     

     

    (53.6

    )

    Adjusted operating earnings*

     

     

    1.4

     

     

     

    24.8

     

    Adjusted EBITDA*

     

     

    32.1

     

     

     

    62.2

     

    Net loss

     

     

    (23.6

    )

     

     

    (75.3

    )

    Net loss per diluted share

     

     

    (0.57

    )

     

     

    (1.83

    )

    Adjusted net (loss) earnings*

     

     

    (22.9

    )

     

     

    3.1

     

    Adjusted net (loss) earnings* per diluted share

     

     

    (0.55

    )

     

     

    0.07

     

    *Non-GAAP financial measure. Reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure are provided in tables at the end of this press release.

    SALT BUSINESS COMMENTARY

    Reducing North American highway deicing salt inventory volumes has been a focus for Compass Minerals, which led to the company's decision to curtail production at Goderich mine and to a lesser extent Cote Blanche mine in 2024. The company is gaining traction on this initiative with North American highway deicing inventory volumes down 10% year over year despite a delayed start to the winter deicing season. The curtailment of production at Goderich mine resulted in higher cost production per ton, due to lower fixed cost absorption, being inventoried throughout 2024. As the company begins to sell this higher cost 2024 inventory, there is an impact to cost per ton that is reflected in the results below. Compass Minerals' view is the benefits to the company from reducing excess inventory, including harvesting working capital tied up inventory and contributing to a rebalancing of supply across the market, outweigh the transient production cost per ton impacts from curtailing production.

    Winter weather was late in arriving in the first quarter, with minimal snow event activity occurring in the company's served markets in October and November. With customer inventories full following last year's exceptionally mild deicing season, the slow start to winter weather resulted in lower sales volumes during the first quarter of fiscal 2025 compared to prior year.

    The factors above contributed to operating earnings declining 42% year over year to $29.4 million and adjusted EBITDA decreasing to $47.8 million, down 28% from the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA per ton declined 17% to $19.17.

    Salt revenue totaled $242.2 million and was down 12% year over year, driven by a 13% year-over-year sales volume decline, partially offset by a 1% increase in average sales price. In the highway deicing business, the company's disciplined approach to pricing throughout the 2025 deicing bid season resulted in only a 1% decrease in average highway deicing selling price despite high inventory levels across the broader market following two mild winters, including one of the mildest winters in the company's served markets in nearly a quarter century. Sales volumes declined 12% due to a combination of low pre-fill activity and mild weather in October and November. Consumer and industrial (C&I) pricing rose 6% year over year to approximately $206 per ton, while sales volumes declined by 14%, primarily due to lower retail deicing demand reflecting the aforementioned mild weather across the company's served markets.

    Distribution costs per ton decreased 2% year over year, while all-in product costs (defined at the segment level as sales to external customers less distribution costs less operating earnings) per ton rose 16% from the comparable prior-year quarter due to the production cost dynamics for 2024-produced salt described above.

    PLANT NUTRITION BUSINESS COMMENTARY

    In Plant Nutrition, the company has been working predominantly on improving the cost structure of the segment. In particular, the ongoing restoration of the pond complex at Ogden is expected to allow for an improvement in the consistency and grade of sulfate of potash (SOP) raw materials going to the plant. Recent results from our pond restoration activities suggest that these initiatives are having a positive impact on the ponds, which is a critical step in improving the Plant Nutrition business. Additional opportunities to improve productivity and increase process efficiencies are also being evaluated and pursued. Results from these actions are beginning to take effect, which is reflected in the quarterly results below.

    Plant Nutrition revenue for the quarter totaled $61.4 million, up 24% year over year on strong sales volume. This was led by improved sales volumes, which grew by 27 thousand tons, a 36% improvement year over year. The average segment sales price for the quarter was down 9% year over year to approximately $603 per ton, reflecting supply conditions of potassium-based fertilizers globally. Per-unit distribution costs for the quarter decreased 2% year over year, largely due to increased sales rates absorbing fixed rail transport costs. All-in product costs per ton decreased 10% year over year.

    Operating loss per ton in the Plant Nutrition business improved by 1% year over year. This, combined with the increase in sales volumes between periods, resulted in a slight increase in operating loss to $3.1 million for the quarter, compared to operating loss of $2.3 million in the prior-year quarter. Absolute adjusted EBITDA declined to $4.4 million versus $7.2 million last year due to a decline in per-unit adjusted EBITDA attributable to a decrease in DD&A per sales ton.

    FORTRESS NORTH AMERICA COMMENTARY

    Compass Minerals continues to evaluate various alternatives regarding the path forward for Fortress North America (Fortress). Discussions are ongoing with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) regarding the evaluation and testing of the company's conditionally qualified technical grade orthophosphate-based aerial fire retardant, Qela.

    CASH FLOW AND FINANCIAL POSITION

    Net cash used in operating activities amounted to $4.1 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024, compared to $52.3 million in the prior year. Despite a weaker start to the winter deicing season, reduction to inventory levels contributed to an improvement in working capital year over year.

    Net cash used in investing activities was $22.2 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024, down $27.1 million year over year principally driven by lower capital spending. Total capital spending for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024 was $21.8 million.

    Net cash provided by financing activities was $53.1 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024, which included net borrowings of $57.5 million. In the prior year, net cash provided by financing activities reflected net borrowings of $108.1 million.

    The company ended the quarter with $126.3 million of liquidity, comprised of $45.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and $80.5 million of availability under its $325 million revolving credit facility.

    UPDATED FISCAL 2025 OUTLOOK

    Given the quickly evolving dynamics surrounding potential tariffs on products imported to the United States from the company's Canadian operations, the company has not included any potential impacts related to tariffs into the guidance below. For fiscal 2025, any impact to adjusted EBITDA is expected to be negligible for the North American highway deicing business as salt for the 2024/2025 season has already been imported and deployed across the company's depot network. Compass Minerals is evaluating the potential impact to the C&I and Plant Nutrition businesses resulting from any potential tariff actions.

    Salt Segment

     

    2025 Range1

    Highway deicing sales volumes (thousands of tons)

    7,600 – 8,500

    Consumer and industrial sales volumes (thousands of tons)

    1,800 – 1,950

    Total salt sales volumes (thousands of tons)

    9,400 – 10,450

     

     

    Revenue (in millions)

    $900 – $1,000

    Adj. EBITDA (in millions)

    $205 – $230

    (1)

    Range for fiscal 2025 reflects the company's committed book of business for the period and assumes an average historical sales-to-commitment outcomes.

    As described above, mild winter weather for the first two months of the quarter contributed to a softer quarter than had been assumed in the company's original forecast. January saw strong winter weather across portions of the company's served markets and preliminary results for the month suggest the company may be able to partially offset the weather-driven shortfall from the first quarter.

    Plant Nutrition Segment

     

    2025 Range

    Sales volumes (thousands of tons)

    295 – 315

    Revenue (in millions)

    $180 – $200

    Adj. EBITDA (in millions)

    $17 – $24

    Plant Nutrition guidance is being increased to reflect revised market and operational conditions and assumptions that could impact the business, with expected pressure in global potash pricing being more than offset by higher sales expectations and lower forecasted production costs for the year.

    Corporate

     

    2025 Range

     

    Total1

    Adj. EBITDA (in millions)

    ($70) – ($61)

    (1)

    Includes $3 to $5 million in cash expenses related to Fortress.

    Projected Corporate segment results in the table above, which are unchanged from the company's initial guidance provided in December of 2024, include corporate expenses in support of the company's core businesses, Fortress financial results, and the results of DeepStore, the company's records and management services business in the U.K.

    Total Compass Minerals

     

    2025 Adjusted EBITDA

     

    Salt

    Plant Nutrition

    Corporate1

    Total

    Adj. EBITDA (in millions)

    $205 – $230

    $17 – $24

    ($70) – ($61)

    $152 – $193

     

     

     

     

     

     

    2025 Capital Expenditures

     

     

     

     

    Total

    Capital expenditures (in millions)

     

     

     

    $75 – $85

    (1)

    Includes financial contribution from DeepStore and Fortress.

    Total planned capital expenditures for the company in fiscal 2025 have been reduced and are now expected to be within a range of $75 million to $85 million, down from a range of $100 million to $110 million provided in the company's original guidance. The company is committed to managing capital expenditures so that they align with the cash generation performance of the business.

    Other Assumptions

    ($ in millions)

    2025 Range

    Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    $105 – $115

    Interest expense, net

    $67 – $72

    Effective income tax rate (excl. valuation allowance)

    0% – 5%

    Guidance for the 2025 effective income tax rate reflects the income mix by country with income recognized in foreign jurisdictions offset by losses recognized in the U.S.

    CONFERENCE CALL

    Compass Minerals will discuss its results on a conference call tomorrow morning, Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 9:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. CT). To access the conference call, please visit the company’s website at investors.compassminerals.com or dial 800-715-9871. Callers must provide the conference ID number 7896827. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, callers may dial 646-307-1963. Replays of the call will be available on the company’s website.

    A supporting corporate presentation with 2025 first-quarter results is available at investors.compassminerals.com.

    About Compass Minerals

    Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP) is a leading global provider of essential minerals focused on safely delivering where and when it matters to help solve nature’s challenges for customers and communities. The company’s salt products help keep roadways safe during winter weather and are used in numerous other consumer, industrial, chemical and agricultural applications. Its plant nutrition products help improve the quality and yield of crops, while supporting sustainable agriculture. Additionally, it is working to develop a long-term fire-retardant business. Compass Minerals operates 12 production and packaging facilities with nearly 1,900 employees throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Visit compassminerals.com for more information about the company and its products.

    Forward-Looking Statements and Other Disclaimers

    This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements about reduction of salt inventory volumes, improvement in Plant Nutrition costs, cash generation capability, the future of Fortress, including ongoing discussions with the USFS, the company's ability to meet or exceed its plan for January or the remainder of fiscal 2025, SOP prices, and the company's outlook for 2025, including its expectations regarding sales volumes, revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, depreciation, depletion, and amortization, interest expense, tax rates, and capital expenditures. Forward-looking statements are those that predict or describe future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. The company uses words such as "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "likely," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "plan," "forecast," "outlook," "project," "estimate" and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events to identify forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. These statements are based on the company’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the company’s actual results to differ materially. The differences could be caused by a number of factors, including without limitation (i) weather conditions, (ii) inflation, the cost and availability of transportation for the distribution of the company’s products and foreign exchange rates, (iii) pressure on prices and impact from competitive products, (iv) any inability by the company to successfully implement its strategic priorities or its cost-saving or enterprise optimization initiatives, and (v) the risk that the company may not realize the expected financial or other benefits from its ownership of Fortress North America. For further information on these and other risks and uncertainties that may affect the company’s business, see the "Risk Factors" and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of the company’s Amended Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended Sept. 30, 2024, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2024, filed or to be filed with the SEC, as well as the company's other SEC filings. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect future events or developments, except as required by law. Because it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors, this list cannot be considered a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.

    Non-GAAP Measures

    In addition to using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") financial measures, management uses a variety of non-GAAP financial measures described below to evaluate the company’s and its operating segments’ performance. While the consolidated financial statements provide an understanding of the company’s overall results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, management analyzes components of the consolidated financial statements to identify certain trends and evaluate specific performance areas.

    Management uses EBITDA, EBITDA adjusted for items which management believes are not indicative of the company’s ongoing operating performance ("Adjusted EBITDA") and EBITDA margin to evaluate the operating performance of the company’s core business operations because its resource allocation, financing methods and cost of capital, and income tax positions are managed at a corporate level, apart from the activities of the operating segments, and the operating facilities are located in different taxing jurisdictions, which can cause considerable variation in net earnings. Management also uses adjusted operating earnings, adjusted operating margin, adjusted net earnings, and adjusted net earnings per diluted share, which eliminate the impact of certain items that management does not consider indicative of underlying operating performance. The presentation of these measures should not be construed as an inference that future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide management and investors with additional information that is helpful when evaluating underlying performance. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA exclude interest expense, income taxes and depreciation, depletion and amortization, each of which are an essential element of the company’s cost structure and cannot be eliminated. In addition, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin exclude certain cash and non-cash items, including stock-based compensation, impairment charges and certain restructuring charges. Consequently, any measure that excludes these elements has material limitations. The non-GAAP financial measures used by management should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net earnings, operating earnings, cash flows or other financial data prepared in accordance with GAAP or as a measure of overall profitability or liquidity. These measures are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies due to potential inconsistencies in the method of calculation. The calculation of non-GAAP financial measures as used by management is set forth in the following tables. All margin numbers are defined as the relevant measure divided by sales. The company does not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and reported in accordance with GAAP, as the company is unable to estimate significant non-recurring, unusual items and/or distinct non-core initiatives without unreasonable effort. The amounts and timing of these items are uncertain and could be material to the company’s results.

    Adjusted operating earnings, adjusted operating earnings margin, adjusted net earnings (loss), and adjusted net earnings (loss) per diluted share are presented as supplemental measures of the company’s performance. Management believes these measures provide management and investors with additional information that is helpful when evaluating underlying performance and comparing results on a year-over-year normalized basis. These measures eliminate the impact of certain items that management does not consider indicative of underlying operating performance. These adjustments are itemized below. Adjusted net earnings (loss) per diluted share is adjusted net earnings (loss) divided by weighted average diluted shares outstanding. You are encouraged to evaluate the adjustments itemized above and the reasons management considers them appropriate for supplemental analysis. In evaluating these measures you should be aware that in the future the company may incur expenses that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments presented below.

    Special Items Impacting the Three Months Ended Dec. 31, 2024

    (unaudited, in millions, except per share data)

    Item Description

     

    Segment

     

    Line Item

     

    Amount

     

    Tax Effect(1)

     

    After Tax

     

    EPS Impact

    Product recall costs

     

    Salt

     

    Product cost and Other operating expense

     

    $

    0.9

     

    $

    (0.2

    )

     

    $

    0.7

     

    $

    0.02

    Total

     

     

     

     

     

    $

    0.9

     

    $

    (0.2

    )

     

    $

    0.7

     

    $

    0.02

    Special Items Impacting the Three Months Ended Dec. 31, 2023

    (unaudited, in millions, except per share data)

    Item Description

     

    Segment

     

    Line Item

     

    Amount

     

    Tax Effect(1)

     

    After Tax

     

    EPS Impact

    Restructuring charges(2)

     

    Corporate and Other

     

    Other operating expense

     

    $

    2.5

     

    $

     

    $

    2.5

     

    $

    0.06

    Restructuring charges(2)

     

    Plant Nutrition

     

    Other operating expense

     

     

    1.1

     

     

     

     

    1.1

     

     

    0.02

    Impairments

     

    Corporate and Other

     

    Loss on impairments

     

     

    74.8

     

     

     

     

    74.8

     

     

    1.82

    Total

     

     

     

     

     

    $

    78.4

     

    $

     

    $

    78.4

     

    $

    1.90

    (1)

    There were no substantial income tax benefits related to these items given the U.S. valuation allowances on deferred tax assets. Applicable product recall costs reflect an impact from Canadian taxes.

    (2)

    Restructuring charges do not include certain reductions in stock-based compensation associated with forfeitures stemming from the restructuring activities.

    Reconciliation for Adjusted Operating Earnings

    (unaudited, in millions)

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Operating earnings (loss)

    $

    0.5

     

     

    $

    (53.6

    )

    Product recall costs(1)

     

    0.9

     

     

     

     

    Restructuring charges(2)

     

     

     

     

    3.6

     

    Loss on impairments(2)

     

     

     

     

    74.8

     

    Adjusted operating earnings

    $

    1.4

     

     

    $

    24.8

     

    Sales

     

    307.2

     

     

     

    341.7

     

    Operating margin

     

    0.2

    %

     

     

    (15.7

    )%

    Adjusted operating margin

     

    0.5

    %

     

     

    7.3

    %

    (1)

    The company recognized costs related to a recall related to food-grade salt produced at its Goderich Plant.

    (2)

    In connection with the termination of the company's lithium development project, the company incurred severance and related charges for a reduction in workforce and a loss on impairment of long-lived assets, which were determined to be no longer probable of recovery.

    Reconciliation for Adjusted Net (Loss) Earnings

    (unaudited, in millions)

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Net loss

    $

    (23.6

    )

     

    $

    (75.3

    )

    Product recall costs(1)

     

    0.9

     

     

     

     

    Restructuring charges(2)

     

     

     

     

    3.6

     

    Loss on impairments(2)

     

     

     

     

    74.8

     

    Income tax effect

     

    (0.2

    )

     

     

     

    Adjusted net (loss) earnings

    $

    (22.9

    )

     

    $

    3.1

     

     

     

     

     

    Net loss per diluted share

    $

    (0.57

    )

     

    $

    (1.83

    )

    Adjusted net (loss) earnings per diluted share

    $

    (0.55

    )

     

    $

    0.07

     

    Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in thousands):

     

     

     

    Diluted

     

    41,441

     

     

     

    41,205

     

    (1)

    The company recognized costs related to a recall related to food-grade salt produced at its Goderich Plant. Charges for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024 were $0.9 million ($0.7 million net of tax).

    (2)

    In connection with the termination of the company's lithium development project, the company incurred severance and related charges for a reduction in workforce and a loss on impairment of long-lived assets, which were determined to be no longer probable of recovery.

    Reconciliation for EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

    (unaudited, in millions)

     

    Three Months Ended

    Dec. 31,

     

     

    2024

     

     

     

    2023

     

    Net loss

    $

    (23.6

    )

     

    $

    (75.3

    )

    Interest expense

     

    16.9

     

     

     

    15.9

     

    Income tax expense

     

    9.7

     

     

     

    3.6

     

    Depreciation, depletion and amortization

     

    26.8

     

     

     

    25.5

     

    EBITDA

     

    29.8

     

     

     

    (30.3

    )

    Adjustments to EBITDA:

     

     

     

    Stock-based compensation – non-cash

     

    3.9

     

     

     

    11.9

     

    Interest income

     

    (0.4

    )

     

     

    (0.4

    )

    (Gain) loss on foreign exchange

     

    (5.2

    )

     

     

    1.9

     

    Product recall costs(1)

     

    0.9

     

     

     

     

    Restructuring charges(2)

     

     

     

     

    3.6

     

    Loss on impairments(2)

     

     

     

     

    74.8

     

    Other expense, net

     

    3.1

     

     

     

    0.7

     

    Adjusted EBITDA

    $

    32.1

     

     

    $

    62.2

     

    (1)

    The company recognized costs related to a recall related to food-grade salt produced at its Goderich Plant.

    (2)

    In connection with the termination of the company's lithium development project, the company incurred severance and related charges for a reduction in workforce and a loss on impairment of long-lived assets, which were determined to be no longer probable of recovery.

    Salt Segment Performance

    (unaudited, in millions, except for sales volumes and prices per short ton)

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Sales

    $

    242.2

     

     

    $

    274.3

     

    Operating earnings

    $

    29.4

     

     

    $

    50.9

     

    Operating margin

     

    12.1

    %

     

     

    18.6

    %

    Adjusted operating earnings(1)

    $

    30.3

     

     

    $

    50.9

     

    Adjusted operating margin(1)

     

    12.5

    %

     

     

    18.6

    %

    EBITDA(1)

    $

    46.9

     

     

    $

    66.1

     

    EBITDA(1) margin

     

    19.4

    %

     

     

    24.1

    %

    Adjusted EBITDA(1)

    $

    47.8

     

     

    $

    66.1

     

    Adjusted EBITDA(1) margin

     

    19.7

    %

     

     

    24.1

    %

    Sales volumes (in thousands of tons):

     

     

     

    Highway deicing

     

    1,987

     

     

     

    2,266

     

    Consumer and industrial

     

    506

     

     

     

    589

     

    Total Salt.

     

    2,493

     

     

     

    2,855

     

    Average prices (per ton):

     

     

     

    Highway deicing

    $

    69.50

     

     

    $

    70.36

     

    Consumer and industrial

    $

    205.74

     

     

    $

    194.94

     

    Total Salt.

    $

    97.16

     

     

    $

    96.08

     

    (1)

    Non-GAAP financial measure. Reconciliations follow in these tables.

    Reconciliation for Salt Segment Adjusted Operating Earnings

    (unaudited, in millions)

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Reported GAAP segment operating earnings

    $

    29.4

     

     

    $

    50.9

     

    Product recall costs(1)

     

    0.9

     

     

     

     

    Segment adjusted operating earnings

    $

    30.3

     

     

    $

    50.9

     

    Segment sales

     

    242.2

     

     

     

    274.3

     

    Segment operating margin

     

    12.1

    %

     

     

    18.6

    %

    Segment adjusted operating margin

     

    12.5

    %

     

     

    18.6

    %

    (1) The company incurred costs related to a product recall.

    Reconciliation for Salt Segment EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

    (unaudited, in millions)

     

    Three Months Ended Dec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Reported GAAP segment operating earnings

    $

    29.4

     

     

    $

    50.9

     

    Depreciation, depletion and amortization

     

    17.5

     

     

     

    15.2

     

    Segment EBITDA

    $

    46.9

     

     

    $

    66.1

     

    Product recall costs(1)

     

    0.9

     

     

     

     

    Segment adjusted EBITDA

    $

    47.8

     

     

    $

    66.1

     

    Segment sales

     

    242.2

     

     

     

    274.3

     

    Segment EBITDA margin

     

    19.4

    %

     

     

    24.1

    %

    Segment adjusted EBITDA margin

     

    19.7

    %

     

     

    24.1

    %

    (1)

    The company incurred costs related to a product recall.

    Plant Nutrition Segment Performance

    (unaudited, dollars in millions, except for sales volumes and prices per short ton)

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Sales

    $

    61.4

     

     

    $

    49.7

     

    Operating loss

    $

    (3.1

    )

     

    $

    (2.3

    )

    Operating margin

     

    (5.0

    )%

     

     

    (4.6

    )%

    Adjusted operating loss(1)

    $

    (3.1

    )

     

    $

    (1.2

    )

    Adjusted operating margin(1)

     

    (5.0

    )%

     

     

    (2.4

    )%

    EBITDA(1)

    $

    4.4

     

     

    $

    6.1

     

    EBITDA(1) margin

     

    7.2

    %

     

     

    12.3

    %

    Adjusted EBITDA(1)

    $

    4.4

     

     

    $

    7.2

     

    Adjusted EBITDA(1) margin

     

    7.2

    %

     

     

    14.5

    %

    Sales volumes (in thousands of tons)

     

    102

     

     

     

    75

     

    Average price (per ton)

    $

    602.86

     

     

    $

    660.41

     

    (1)

    Non-GAAP financial measure. Reconciliations follow in these tables.

    Reconciliation for Plant Nutrition Segment Adjusted Operating Loss

    (unaudited, in millions)

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Reported GAAP segment operating loss

    $

    (3.1

    )

     

    $

    (2.3

    )

    Restructuring charges(1)

     

     

     

     

    1.1

     

    Segment adjusted operating loss

    $

    (3.1

    )

     

    $

    (1.2

    )

    Segment sales

     

    61.4

     

     

     

    49.7

     

    Segment operating margin

     

    (5.0

    )%

     

     

    (4.6

    )%

    Segment adjusted operating margin

     

    (5.0

    )%

     

     

    (2.4

    )%

    (1)

    The company incurred severance and related charges related to a reduction of its workforce.

    Reconciliation for Plant Nutrition Segment EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

    (unaudited, in millions)

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Reported GAAP segment operating loss

    $

    (3.1

    )

     

    $

    (2.3

    )

    Depreciation, depletion and amortization

     

    7.5

     

     

     

    8.4

     

    Segment EBITDA

    $

    4.4

     

     

    $

    6.1

     

    Restructuring charges(1)

     

     

     

     

    1.1

     

    Segment adjusted EBITDA

    $

    4.4

     

     

    $

    7.2

     

    Segment sales

     

    61.4

     

     

     

    49.7

     

    Segment EBITDA margin

     

    7.2

    %

     

     

    12.3

    %

    Segment adjusted EBITDA margin

     

    7.2

    %

     

     

    14.5

    %

    (1)

    The company incurred severance and related charges related to a reduction of its workforce.

    COMPASS MINERALS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

    (unaudited, in millions, except share and per-share data)

     

    Three Months EndedDec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Sales

    $

    307.2

     

     

    $

    341.7

     

    Shipping and handling cost

     

    80.6

     

     

     

    91.3

     

    Product cost

     

    192.3

     

     

     

    179.3

     

    Gross profit.

     

    34.3

     

     

     

    71.1

     

    Selling, general and administrative expenses

     

    33.3

     

     

     

    45.7

     

    Loss on impairments

     

     

     

     

    74.8

     

    Other operating expense

     

    0.5

     

     

     

    4.2

     

    Operating earnings (loss)

     

    0.5

     

     

     

    (53.6

    )

    Other (income) expense:

     

     

     

    Interest income

     

    (0.4

    )

     

     

    (0.4

    )

    Interest expense

     

    16.9

     

     

     

    15.9

     

    (Gain) loss on foreign exchange

     

    (5.2

    )

     

     

    1.9

     

    Other expense, net

     

    3.1

     

     

     

    0.7

     

    Loss before income taxes

     

    (13.9

    )

     

     

    (71.7

    )

    Income tax expense

     

    9.7

     

     

     

    3.6

     

    Net loss

    $

    (23.6

    )

     

    $

    (75.3

    )

     

     

     

     

    Basic net loss per common share

    $

    (0.57

    )

     

    $

    (1.83

    )

    Diluted net loss per common share

    $

    (0.57

    )

     

    $

    (1.83

    )

    Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in thousands):(1)

     

     

     

    Basic

     

    41,441

     

     

     

    41,205

     

    Diluted

     

    41,441

     

     

     

    41,205

     

    (1)

    Weighted participating securities include RSUs and PSUs that receive non-forfeitable dividends and consist of 1,116,000 weighted participating securities for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024, and 777,000 weighted participating securities for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2023.

    COMPASS MINERALS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

    (unaudited, in millions)

     

    Dec. 31,

     

    Sept. 30,

     

    2024

     

    2024

    ASSETS

    Cash and cash equivalents

    $

    45.8

     

    $

    20.2

    Receivables, net

     

    261.7

     

     

    126.1

    Inventories, net

     

    367.1

     

     

    414.1

    Other current assets

     

    23.0

     

     

    26.9

    Property, plant and equipment, net

     

    778.6

     

     

    806.5

    Intangible and other noncurrent assets

     

    244.7

     

     

    246.3

    Total assets

    $

    1,720.9

     

    $

    1,640.1

     

     

     

     

    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

    Current portion of long-term debt

    $

    8.7

     

    $

    7.5

    Other current liabilities

     

    286.1

     

     

    209.5

    Long-term debt, net of current portion

     

    965.7

     

     

    910.0

    Deferred income taxes and other noncurrent liabilities

     

    197.4

     

     

    196.5

    Total stockholders' equity

     

    263.0

     

     

    316.6

    Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

    $

    1,720.9

     

    $

    1,640.1

    COMPASS MINERALS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

    (unaudited, in millions)

     

    Three Months Ended Dec. 31,

     

    2024

     

    2023

    Net cash used in operating activities

    $

    (4.1

    )

     

    $

    (52.3

    )

     

     

     

     

    Cash flows from investing activities:

     

     

     

    Capital expenditures

     

    (21.8

    )

     

     

    (48.6

    )

    Other, net

     

    (0.4

    )

     

     

    (0.7

    )

     

     

     

     

    Net cash used in investing activities

     

    (22.2

    )

     

     

    (49.3

    )

     

     

     

     

    Cash flows from financing activities:

     

     

     

    Proceeds from revolving credit facility borrowings

     

    140.3

     

     

     

    102.4

     

    Principal payments on revolving credit facility borrowings

     

    (100.8

    )

     

     

    (31.5

    )

    Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt

     

    19.6

     

     

     

    38.4

     

    Principal payments on long-term debt

     

    (1.6

    )

     

     

    (1.2

    )

    Dividends paid

     

     

     

     

    (6.4

    )

    Deferred financing costs

     

    (2.4

    )

     

     

     

    Shares withheld to satisfy employee tax obligations

     

    (0.4

    )

     

     

    (0.8

    )

    Other, net

     

    (1.6

    )

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Net cash provided by financing activities

     

    53.1

     

     

     

    100.9

     

    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

     

    (1.2

    )

     

     

    0.3

     

    Net change in cash and cash equivalents

     

    25.6

     

     

     

    (0.4

    )

    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the year

     

    20.2

     

     

     

    38.7

     

     

     

     

     

    Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

    $

    45.8

     

     

    $

    38.3

     

    COMPASS MINERALS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

    SEGMENT INFORMATION

    (unaudited, in millions)

    Three Months Ended Dec. 31, 2024

     

    Salt

     

    Plant

    Nutrition

     

    Corporate& Other(1)

     

    Total

    Sales to external customers

     

    $

    242.2

     

    $

    61.4

     

     

    $

    3.6

     

     

    $

    307.2

    Intersegment sales

     

     

     

     

    3.2

     

     

     

    (3.2

    )

     

     

    Shipping and handling cost

     

     

    71.3

     

     

    9.3

     

     

     

     

     

     

    80.6

    Operating earnings (loss)(2)

     

     

    29.4

     

     

    (3.1

    )

     

     

    (25.8

    )

     

     

    0.5

    Depreciation, depletion and amortization

     

     

    17.5

     

     

    7.5

     

     

     

    1.8

     

     

     

    26.8

    Total assets (as of end of period)

     

     

    1,092.4

     

     

    388.1

     

     

     

    240.4

     

     

     

    1,720.9

    Three Months Ended Dec. 31, 2023

     

    Salt

     

    Plant

    Nutrition

     

    Corporate& Other(1)

     

    Total

    Sales to external customers

     

    $

    274.3

     

    $

    49.7

     

     

    $

    17.7

     

     

    $

    341.7

     

    Intersegment sales

     

     

     

     

    3.1

     

     

     

    (3.1

    )

     

     

     

    Shipping and handling cost

     

     

    83.7

     

     

    7.0

     

     

     

    0.6

     

     

     

    91.3

     

    Operating earnings (loss)(2)(3)

     

     

    50.9

     

     

    (2.3

    )

     

     

    (102.2

    )

     

     

    (53.6

    )

    Depreciation, depletion and amortization

     

     

    15.2

     

     

    8.4

     

     

     

    1.9

     

     

     

    25.5

     

    Total assets (as of end of period)

     

     

    1,056.6

     

     

    469.7

     

     

     

    278.9

     

     

     

    1,805.2

     

    (1)

    Corporate and other includes corporate entities, records management operations, the Fortress fire retardant business, equity method investments and other incidental operations and eliminations. Operating earnings (loss) for corporate and other includes indirect corporate overhead, including costs for general corporate governance and oversight, as well as costs for the human resources, information technology, legal and finance functions.

    (2)

    Corporate operating results include costs related to a product recall of $0.9 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024. Corporate operating results were also impacted by a net loss of $1.6 million related to an increase in the valuation of the Fortress contingent consideration for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2023.

    (3)

    As a result of the company’s decision to cease the pursuit of the lithium development, the company recognized an impairment of long-lived assets of $74.8 million. The company also recognized restructuring costs of $3.6 million, which impacted operating results for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2023.

     

    View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250210528573/en/

    Contacts

    Investor Contact Brent CollinsVice President, Treasurer & Investor Relations+1.913.344.9111InvestorRelations@compassminerals.com

    Media Contact Rick AxthelmChief Public Affairs and Sustainability Officer+1.913.344.9198MediaRelations@compassminerals.com

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    A 2024 survey by a leading consultancy firm has revealed a growing trend among farmers for technology adoption, with a 3 percent increase since 2022 in farmers who are using or are willing to adopt digital technology to improve operations. North America continues to lead agricultural technology adoption, while Latin America experienced the fastest rate of growth – 10% – between 2022 and 2024.

    The United States has the highest rate of technology adoption, with 61% of the farmers using or willing to adopt digital agronomy, and 51% for precision agriculture hardware, while the adoption rate for remote-sensing technologies among American farmers stood at 38%. More than two-thirds of farmers were using or willing to adapt to farm management software. The study also highlighted that large farms were 45% more likely to adopt agriculture technology than smaller farms, citing scale factors to generate positive ROI.

    The growing focus on sustainable practices and innovative technologies among farmers to enhance their productivity not only bodes well for the future of the agriculture industry but also presents an opportunity for organizations that provide these technologies to cater to farmers’ diverse needs across different regions.

    Methodology

    For this article, we sifted through screeners to get a pool of stocks in the agricultural inputs and farm products industries. We also referred to our previous articles on the industry to further enrich our list of stocks. From there, we picked the top 15 companies with the highest market cap, as of the close of the day on Friday, January 31, 2025. The 15 biggest agriculture stocks are ranked in ascending order of market cap.

    Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

    A laboratory technician pouring a specialty blend of industrial chemicals into a beaker.

    Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM)

    Market Cap: $11.03 billion

    Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) is a Chilean chemical company that produces a wide range of products, such as specialty plant nutrients, iodine, lithium, potassium chloride, and other chemicals. For the last five decades, the company has been committed to the agriculture sector and has provided nutritional solutions for high-value crops worldwide.

    During its Q3 2024 earnings call on November 19, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) reported a net income of $131.4 million, or 46 cents per share. This was down 72.6% from last year. The company’s revenue came in at $1.08 billion, which was also 41.5% lower compared to Q3 2023. SQM’s financial performance was pressured during the quarter by weaker year-over-year pricing.

    However, in an encouraging trend, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) experienced positive volume growth in most business segments compared to last year. The fertilizer markets are showing great recovery. The Specialty Plant Nutrition business line saw a 21% year-over-year increase in volume and a revenue growth of 12%. The company is also seeing strong demand for iodine, resulting in an increase in both volume and revenue from last year. In lithium, SQM had a sales volume of over 51,000 metric tons, which was up 18% year-over-year. This demonstrated strong demand, mainly driven by EV sales growth in China.

    While demand remains robust, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) conceded the challenges associated with a 24% drop in average realized lithium prices from Q2 2024 due to oversupply in the market. However, it is confident that it enjoys a strong competitive edge in the lithium market and will continue to work on its ongoing projects, which will position the company to harvest benefits as the world transitions to clean energy.

    Wall Street analysts anticipate a 21% uptick, on average, in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM)’s share price. Investor sentiment continues to improve as well. According to Insider Monkey’s database for Q3 2024, 12 hedge funds held a stake in the company, up from 9 at the end of Q2.

    Overall SQM ranks 8th on our list of the biggest agriculture stocks in 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of SQM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SQM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

     

    READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap

     

    Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

    We recently compiled a list of the 15 Biggest Agriculture Stocks in 2025. In this article, we are going to take a look at where FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) stands against the other agriculture stocks. We also discuss the increase in technology adoption in the industry to improve operations in agriculture and farming.

    The agriculture sector is crucial for food security and economic stability. It extends beyond farm businesses to include other farm-related industries in the United States. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, agriculture, food, and related industries contributed over $1.5 trillion to the American economy in 2023, representing 5.5% of the GDP.

    The output of farm businesses stood at $222.3 billion, or 0.8% of the GDP. However, economists believe agriculture's overall contribution is much higher than this figure because numerous players in various sectors rely on agricultural inputs and contribute added value to the economy.

    READ ALSO: 13 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks To Invest In According to Hedge Funds and 8 Best Fertilizer Stocks To Buy Now.

    According to McKinsey, the global food and agribusiness industry is valued at over $5 trillion, and given current trends, this number is expected to rise further. By 2050, caloric demand is projected to grow by 70%, while crop demand for human consumption and animal feed is forecast to soar by at least 100%.

    The surge in population worldwide continues to lead to an increased demand for food, necessitating innovative agricultural practices. Recent trends have highlighted a shift toward the adoption of technology in agriculture and farming, which aims to enhance sustainable production.

    A 2024 survey by a leading consultancy firm has revealed a growing trend among farmers for technology adoption, with a 3 percent increase since 2022 in farmers who are using or are willing to adopt digital technology to improve operations. North America continues to lead agricultural technology adoption, while Latin America experienced the fastest rate of growth – 10% – between 2022 and 2024.

    The United States has the highest rate of technology adoption, with 61% of the farmers using or willing to adopt digital agronomy, and 51% for precision agriculture hardware, while the adoption rate for remote-sensing technologies among American farmers stood at 38%. More than two-thirds of farmers were using or willing to adapt to farm management software. The study also highlighted that large farms were 45% more likely to adopt agriculture technology than smaller farms, citing scale factors to generate positive ROI.

    The growing focus on sustainable practices and innovative technologies among farmers to enhance their productivity not only bodes well for the future of the agriculture industry but also presents an opportunity for organizations that provide these technologies to cater to farmers’ diverse needs across different regions.

    Methodology

    For this article, we sifted through screeners to get a pool of stocks in the agricultural inputs and farm products industries. We also referred to our previous articles on the industry to further enrich our list of stocks. From there, we picked the top 15 companies with the highest market cap, as of the close of the day on Friday, January 31, 2025. The 15 biggest agriculture stocks are ranked in ascending order of market cap.

    Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

    A laboratory technician carefully mixing chemicals in a laboratory.

    FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC)

    Market Cap: $6.96 billion

    FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) is a leading agricultural sciences company providing solutions for crop protection and crop enhancement. It produces and sells crop protection chemicals like insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides; crop nutrition; biologicals; and seed treatment products.

    On November 1, the company announced the sale of its Global Specialty Solutions (GSS) business to Envu. The divestiture includes a line of products serving non-crop markets and is a key step in FMC Corporation's (NYSE:FMC) plans to focus solely on its core crop protection business. Analysts believe the strategic move will also enhance the company’s operational efficiency.

    On December 13, FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) declared a quarterly dividend of 58 cents, reflecting its commitment to shareholder returns. During its Q4 2024 earnings call on February 5, the company reported a revenue of $1.22 billion, growing 7% year-over-year. Adjusted diluted EPS stood at $1.79, improving 67% compared to Q4 2023.

    FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) is one of the best agriculture stocks to buy in 2025, with Wall Street analysts anticipating an average share price upside potential of nearly 16%. Investor sentiment around the stock continues to improve as well. According to Insider Monkey’s database for Q3 2024, 41 hedge funds held a stake in the company, an improvement from 35 at the end of the second quarter.

    Overall FMC ranks 14th on our list of the biggest agriculture stocks in 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of FMC as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than FMC but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

     

    READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap

     

    Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

    Written by Amy Legate-Wolfe at The Motley Fool Canada

    The global trade landscape is shifting once again, and Canada’s resource-heavy economy is feeling the impact. With U.S. President Donald Trump back in the headlines over his proposed trade policies, speculation is mounting about the potential imposition of tariffs on Canadian exports. While tariffs generally spell trouble for industries that rely heavily on trade with the United States, Canada’s mining sector may have a different story to tell.

    In particular, two mining giants, First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM) and Teck Resources (TSX:TECK.B) are poised to benefit from the changes. If tariffs disrupt traditional supply chains, these Canadian stocks could find new opportunities to expand their market share, increase production, and capitalize on shifting global demand.

    First Quantum Minerals

    First Quantum Minerals is a leading Canadian mining company specializing in copper, a metal that remains in high demand due to its essential role in everything from construction to electric vehicles. Despite facing significant headwinds in 2024, including production challenges and fluctuating commodity prices, First Quantum has remained resilient. In its third-quarter earnings report for 2024, the company posted a gross profit of $456 million. Meanwhile, net earnings attributable to shareholders came in at $0.13 per share. While revenue saw some decline due to weaker copper prices earlier in the year, the Canadian stock has taken proactive steps to enhance efficiency and streamline costs.

    One of First Quantum’s key advantages is its global diversification. The company operates large-scale mines in Zambia, Panama, and Turkey. This means it is not entirely dependent on U.S. trade policies. In fact, a shift in global trade dynamics could push First Quantum to expand its market presence in Asia and Europe, regions with growing demand for copper. China remains a major importer of raw materials, and Europe is ramping up renewable energy initiatives that require vast amounts of copper. Therefore, First Quantum is well-positioned to benefit from a changing market landscape.

    The Canadian stock has been volatile over the past year, but analysts remain optimistic about its long-term prospects. With copper demand expected to surge as the global push for electrification continues, First Quantum stands to gain significantly from both higher prices and increased production. Investors looking for exposure to the commodities sector should keep an eye on this stock, as it could be primed for substantial upside in 2025.

    Teck Resources

    Teck Resources is another Canadian mining leader that could see significant upside in 2025, especially if trade tensions push global buyers to seek alternative suppliers. Unlike First Quantum, which focuses primarily on copper, Teck Resources is a diversified mining company with exposure to multiple commodities, including steelmaking coal, zinc, and copper. This diversification provides Teck with a buffer against volatility in any single commodity market, making it an attractive investment in uncertain times.

    Teck’s recent earnings report showcased impressive numbers, reinforcing its status as a financial powerhouse in the mining sector. As of writing, the company reported a market capitalization of $31.5 billion, with total cash reserves of $7.2 billion and a debt-to-equity ratio of 36.3%. More notably, Teck’s Quebrada Blanca mine in Chile has ramped up production, contributing to a 43.7% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue growth. This strong performance is a testament to Teck’s ability to scale operations and navigate shifting market dynamics.

    Looking ahead, Teck Resources could benefit from higher infrastructure spending worldwide. If Trump’s tariffs lead to increased infrastructure projects within the U.S., demand for steelmaking coal and base metals could rise. Given Teck’s strong foothold in these commodities, the Canadian stocks could see a boost in sales and profitability. Furthermore, as the world transitions to cleaner energy solutions, Teck’s copper assets will become increasingly valuable, reinforcing its long-term growth potential.

    Foolish takeaway

    As we head into 2025, investors looking for commodity-driven growth should keep these two stocks on their radar. With the potential for higher commodity prices, increased global demand, and a weaker Canadian dollar playing to their advantage, First Quantum and Teck Resources could explode in value, making them standout picks in an uncertain market.

    The post Trump’s Tariffs: 2 Canadian Stocks That Could Explode in 2025 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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    More reading

    Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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