Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – June 15, 2021) – Millennial Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ML) (FSE: A3N2) (OTCQX: MLNLF) ("Millennial" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has been successful in a recent Mining Court lottery hearing and was awarded priority rights over the areas covered by PPG 01 (formerly La Union), and PPG 03 (formerly Aguamarga 19) mining licenses ("minas"). The company has exercised those rights and the title transfer is in process. The two new minas are 968.7 hectares (ha) and 394.8 hectares respectively and increase the Company's landholdings at the Pastos Grandes Salar to approximately 14,091 hectares. The PPG 01 license is just north of the Pastos Grandes Salar and is of strategic importance to the Company for project infrastructure and as a potential supplemental source of fresh water.

Farhad Abasov, President and CEO, commented, "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to expand our land position at the Pastos Grandes Salar which now totals just over 14,000 hectares. The acquisition of these licenses, particularly PPG 01, allows Millennial to continue to develop and plan our Project infrastructure and it also provides the Project with the potential to expand significantly the sources of fresh water for our processing facility. Millennial is fully engaged at Pastos Grandes with pilot plant operations continuing and discussions progressing with a number of off-takers and strategic investors."

The PPG 01 mina is strategically located, contiguous with Company's Papadopolus LXXIV mina to the west and the Company's Taba PG mina to the south. While subsequent optimization of the evaporation pond design and infrastructure system as detailed in the Company's Feasibility Study (see news release dated July 29, 2019) has moved the locations of ponds positioned over part of the PPG 01 license area, nonetheless to retain multiple development options, in 2019 the Company applied for an easement for the area. The awarding of these rights to Millennial negates the need for an easement, with potential delays, and development could proceed as necessary upon acquiring project financing and the decision to commence detailed engineering and construction. Topographically PPG 01 is relatively flat and underlain by alluvial fan material consisting primarily of sand and gravel. Geophysical studies and water-well drilling of this same fan on the adjacent Papadopolus LXXIV mina encountered significant fresh water indicating there is strong potential to encounter in PPG 01 similar water quantities and of similar quality.

The PPG 03 license is located southwest of the Pastos Grandes Salar and just north of the Pozuelos Salar. Reconnaissance investigations will begin to determine if the strategically located license warrants additional exploration.

This news release has been reviewed by Iain Scarr, AIPG CPG., Chief Operating Officer of the Company and a Qualified Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101.

To find out more about Millennial Lithium Corp. please contact Investor Relations at (604) 662-8184 or email info@millenniallithium.com.

MILLENNIAL LITHIUM CORP.

"Farhad Abasov"

President, CEO and Director

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.

This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals including approvals of title and mining rights or licenses, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, changes in laws, rules and regulations in Argentina which may impact upon the Company or its properties or the commercial exploitation of those properties, currency risks including the exchange rate of USD$ for Cdn$, fluctuations in the market for lithium, changes in exploration costs and government royalties, export policies or taxes in Argentina and other factors or information. The Company's current plans, expectations and intentions with respect to development of its business and of the Pastos Grandes Project may be impacted by economic uncertainties arising out of Covid-19 pandemic or by the impact of current financial and other market conditions on its ability to secure further financing or funding of the Pastos Grandes Project. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/87486

$68 million¹ exploration campaign is largest in Company history following up on last year’s record level;

Programs generating meaningful new discoveries and high-return future growth opportunities

CHICAGO, Jun 15, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Coeur Mining, Inc. ("Coeur" or the "Company") (NYSE: CDE) today provided an update on 2021 exploration programs at its Silvertip mine in British Columbia and Crown exploration property in Nevada. The Company highlighted new drilling results at the recently discovered Southern Silver Zone at Silvertip and at the four mineralized zones within the Crown Block – Daisy, Secret Pass, SNA and C-Horst. Through the first four months of 2021, Coeur drilled approximately 340,300 feet (103,750 meters) at six different locations – a 66% increase compared to the same period in 2020. Coeur anticipates investing $68 million¹ in exploration this year, which would make this the largest exploration campaign in Coeur’s history and over 30% higher than last year’s exploration investment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210615005189/en/

Silvertip – Plan View (Photo: Business Wire)

Key Highlights^2,3

• New Silvertip zone represents significant near-mine, high-grade resource growth potential – Underground drilling at Silvertip has discovered a new mineralized zone called the Southern Silver Zone, located adjacent to and enveloping the historic 65 Zone manto mineralization. The grade and orientation of the Southern Silver Zone suggest the opportunity for bulk mining, which has the potential to lead to improved project economics. Notable assay results include:

• Hole 65Z21-485-360-002 returned 21.0 feet (6.4 meters) of 14.4 ounces per ton ("oz/t") (493.7 grams per tonne ("g/t")) silver, 23.7% zinc and 8.7% lead

• Hole 65Z21-485-360-020 returned 19.0 feet (5.8 meters) of 6.5 oz/t (222.9 g/t) silver, 21.0% zinc and 2.8% lead

• Hole 65Z21-485-360-026 returned 21.0 feet (6.4 meters) of 18.4 oz/t (630.9 g/t) silver, 14.8% zinc and 10.5% lead, and 23.6 feet (7.2 meters) of 10.0 oz/t (342.9 g/t) silver, 11.7% zinc and 5.1% lead

• Hole 65Z21-485-DDS1-003 returned 19.0 feet (5.8 meters) of 7.8 oz/t (267.4 g/t) silver, 21.3% zinc and 3.9% lead

• Continued oxide-gold resource growth potential across all zones at Crown – New drill results at Crown demonstrate meaningful resource growth potential at the Daisy, Secret Pass, SNA and C-Horst zones. Notable assay results, from west to northeast across the zone, include:

Daisy

• Hole D20-C004 returned 135.0 feet (41.1 meters) of 0.08 oz/t (2.6 g/t) gold

• Hole D20-C006 returned 71.0 feet (21.6 meters) of 0.10 oz/t (3.5 g/t) gold, 50.0 feet (15.2 meters) of 0.05 oz/t (1.8 g/t) gold and 22.0 feet (6.7 meters) of 0.07 oz/t (2.5 g/t) gold

Secret Pass

• Hole SP20-C003 returned 275.7 feet (84.0 meters) of 0.03 oz/t (1.1 g/t) gold

• Hole SP20-C004 returned 55.0 feet (16.8 meters) of 0.13 oz/t (4.4 g/t) gold

• Hole SP20-C002 returned 139.0 feet (42.4 meters) of 0.04 oz/t (1.2 g/t) gold and 129.0 feet (39.3 meters) of 0.03 oz/t (0.9 g/t) gold

SNA

• Hole SNA20-C004 returned 32.0 feet (9.8 meters) of 0.03 oz/t (1.0 g/t) gold

C-Horst

• Hole CH21-055 returned 245.0 feet (74.7 meters) of 0.05 oz/t (1.6 g/t) gold, 65.0 feet (19.8 meters) of 0.01 oz/t (0.4 g/t) gold and 30.0 feet (9.1 meters) of 0.02 oz/t (0.6 g/t) gold

• Hole CH20-051 returned 335.0 feet (102.1 meters) of 0.03 oz/t (0.9 g/t) gold, 85.0 feet (25.9 meters) of 0.02 oz/t (0.8 g/t) gold and 100.0 feet (30.5 meters) of 0.02 oz/t (0.6 g/t) gold

"We are carrying out our most active exploration campaign in Coeur’s history with up to 22 drill rigs deployed across six sites, with positive results rolling in on a regular basis," said Hans J. Rasmussen, Coeur’s Senior Vice President of Exploration. "This update emphasizes the opportunity for growth at Silvertip and Crown, two of our most recent asset additions in top jurisdictions in-line with our strategy, both of which continue to demonstrate significant upside potential. Drilling at Silvertip continues to show promising results as demonstrated by the most recent assays from Hole 65Z21-485-360-026 at the Southern Silver Zone, which cut roughly 51 feet of massive sulfide mineralization hosted in vertically oriented breccia material. Successful results like these continue to reinforce Silvertip’s status as one of the world’s highest-grade silver-zinc-lead deposits and provide valuable data points as we work towards our goal of ending the year with a compelling business case to justify moving forward with an expansion and restart."

Mr. Rasmussen continued, "At Crown, we are just now beginning to test the true potential of most of the immense district, following the receipt of a 300-acre disturbance permit in late 2020. Importantly, we expect to receive an amended permit during the third quarter to allow us to begin step out drilling to test the growth potential of C-Horst, which was a new discovery in April of last year. We plan to complete an optimized resource and financial model for the entire district by the end of the year, which will lay the foundation for an initial economic assessment that we expect to release around mid-2022, highlighting the potential to combine and optimize a series of open pit, heap leach operations that incorporate all four of the mineralized zones within the Crown Block. Our dominant land position of approximately 35,500 net acres in southern Nevada represents a substantial organic growth opportunity for Coeur, and we are excited to continue working on a plan to develop the district."

For a complete table of all drill results, please refer to the following link: https://www.coeur.com/_resources/pdfs/2021-06-15_Exploration_Update_Appendix_-_Final.pdf. Please see the "Cautionary Statements" section for additional information regarding drill results.

Silvertip^2,3

Building on its exploration success in late 2020, Coeur began the year drilling Silvertip with five surface rigs and one underground core rig focusing on resource expansion, while also conducting infill drilling on select areas of the deposit focused on converting existing resources to reserves. Through the first four months of 2021, Coeur drilled approximately 104,400 feet (31,825 meters) compared to roughly 16,700 feet (5,100 meters) during the same period in 2020.

The Company completed an underground development drift in late 2020 to access the 65 Zone, which is located south-southeast of the original Silver Creek mine area. Shortly after drilling from the drift began, Coeur discovered the new Southern Silver Zone which has a different geometry and completely envelops the historic 65 Zone. The Southern Silver Zone represents a new style of mineralization at Silvertip – breccia-type, karst controlled, which are vertically oriented and high grade, in contrast to the horizontal manto-style mineralization in the historic 65 Zone. Intercepts from the deepest holes in the Southern Silver Zone suggest it continues to depths beyond the current drilling, which has identified roughly 1,000 vertical feet (300 meters) of mineralization. As the Company is approaching the source of mineralization, it believes that the Southern Silver Zone may be a feeder structure and other, similar structures may exist as Coeur continues to drill horizontal holes from underground.

Based on encouraging initial results, Coeur mobilized a second underground rig as well as a surface core rig to focus on expanding the Southern Silver Zone. The exploration team on site also began re-evaluating historical core logs and photos with the goal of identifying similar karst-controlled structures and testing for vertically oriented mineralization in other parts of the mine. Three-dimensional modeling of all the geological and geophysical data suggests that the Southern Silver Zone connects the Silver Creek Zone with the Discovery South Zone, representing potential for significant resource growth.

To assist in new drill targeting and gain a better understanding of the regional exploration potential around Silvertip, an airborne Sky Time-Domain Electromagnetic ("SkyTEM") geophysical survey was completed in late March. The new SkyTEM data has the ability to map resistivity features to about 1,000 feet (300 meters) below surface. Based on preliminary review of the SkyTEM data, there appear to be several features that have potential to extend the Discovery, Camp Creek, Tour Ridge and Southern Silver zones as well as the Tiger Terrace target area.

Additionally, the Company recently repurchased an existing net smelter returns royalty ("NSR") at Silvertip for $7.0 million in cash. The terms of the NSR required payment of 1.429% (plus gross up for applicable withholding taxes) of net smelter returns on the first 1,434,000 metric tonnes of mineralized material mined, and 1.00% (plus gross up for applicable withholding taxes) thereafter, from the mining lease that covers the current Silvertip mine resource base and exploration targets described in this press release.

For the remainder of 2021, Coeur expects to focus on:

• Drilling the southern and northern extensions of the Southern Silver Zone (both from underground and surface), possibly adding a third underground drill rig

• Expanding the multiple stacked massive sulfide manto horizons at the Discovery North and East zones

• Testing the extensions of the Camp Creek Zone to the north and south. To the south, the Camp Creek Zone may connect with the Tour Ridge Zone, located just over half a mile (roughly one kilometer) south and where all seven holes cut manto-style mineralization

• Drilling the first holes at Tiger Terrace where coincident geochemical and geophysical anomalies, as well as geologic setting, suggest the presence of Silvertip-style mineralization

Crown Block^2,3

The primary goal of Coeur’s 2021 exploration program at Crown is to build on the success from last year by continuing to focus on resource growth from known mineralization as well as prospective drilling on nearby targets and increasing the footprint of C-Horst, which was discovered in April 2020. Following the receipt of a 300-acre disturbance permit in late 2020, Coeur has begun drilling various targets identified over the past two years. The Company expects to receive an amendment to this permit during the third quarter to allow for drilling of mineralized extensions south of the first C-Horst drill platforms.

Three reverse circulation rigs and one core rig were active at Crown spread among the four mineralized zones (Daisy, Secret Pass, SNA and C-Horst).

Through the first four months of 2021, Coeur drilled approximately 49,400 feet (15,075 meters) at Crown compared to roughly 29,700 feet (9,050 meters) during the same period in 2020. C-Horst was the highest priority target early in the first quarter with up to three reverse circulation rigs drilling from seven permitted platforms. As the quarter progressed, the rigs were moved to other high-priority resource growth targets at Daisy, Secret Pass and SNA. The target mineralization style at Crown is disseminated, oxide-gold hosted in Cambrian to Tertiary rocks, located near the Fluorspar Canyon Fault.

Core drilling during the beginning of the year focused on Secret Pass and C-Horst, which has been useful to identify clay alteration, mineralization textures and fault zones associated with gold mineralization – all of which are not easily visible in the reverse circulation chips. The Company is now studying core samples from all four mineralized zones for metallurgy.

At SNA, step out drilling has discovered a new mineralized zone to the southeast of the original resource. Mineralization was exposed on surface during initial drill pad preparation. Five new drill holes were completed to test the zone, with assays currently pending.

Since SNA is located approximately five miles (eight kilometers) north of the permitted Sterling mine, the geologic team is mapping and sampling the area between SNA and Sterling where there are thought to be multiple drill targets, including historic mines (e.g., Diamond Queen, Goldspar and Mary).

Internal resource and mine modeling have begun focusing on a phased approach to mine the entire district, starting with the shallow resources at SNA and Secret Pass, followed by Daisy and C-Horst.

The Company plans to create an optimized resource and financial model for Crown by the end of the year, which is expected to be the basis for an initial economic assessment that Coeur plans to release around mid-2022.

Coeur expects to have three to four drill rigs focused on Crown for the remainder of 2021, conducting metallurgical core and resource expansion drilling in and around all four of the mineralized zones. Once Coeur receives its amended permit, the Company plans to transition its focus on continuing to grow C-Horst to the south toward SNA.

About Coeur

Coeur Mining, Inc. is a U.S.-based, well-diversified, growing precious metals producer with five wholly-owned operations: the Palmarejo gold-silver complex in Mexico, the Rochester silver-gold mine in Nevada, the Kensington gold mine in Alaska, the Wharf gold mine in South Dakota, and the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine in British Columbia. In addition, the Company has interests in several precious metals exploration projects throughout North America.

Cautionary Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation in the United States and Canada, including statements regarding exploration efforts and plans, exploration expenditures, timing of permitting, drill results, growth, extended mine lives, grade, thickness, investments, mine expansion and development plans, expectations regarding Silvertip and the Crown project and resource delineation, expansion, and upgrade or conversion. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Coeur’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the risk that anticipated additions or upgrades to reserves and resources are not attained, the risk that planned drilling programs may be curtailed or canceled due to budget constraints or other reasons, the risks and hazards inherent in the mining business (including risks inherent in developing large-scale mining projects, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, weather or geologically related conditions), changes in the market prices of gold, silver, zinc and lead and a sustained lower price environment, the uncertainties inherent in Coeur’s production, exploratory and developmental activities, including risks relating to permitting and regulatory delays (including the impact of government shutdowns), ground conditions, grade variability, any future labor disputes or work stoppages, the uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts to the availability of our workforce, continued access to financing sources, government orders that may require temporary suspension of operations at one or more of our sites and effects on our suppliers or the refiners and smelters to whom the Company markets its production, changes that could result from Coeur’s future acquisition of new mining properties or businesses, the loss of any third-party smelter to which Coeur markets its production, the effects of environmental and other governmental regulations, the risks inherent in the ownership or operation of or investment in mining properties or businesses in foreign countries, Coeur’s ability to raise additional financing necessary to conduct its business, make payments or refinance its debt, as well as other uncertainties and risk factors set out in filings made from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Canadian securities regulators, including, without limitation, Coeur’s most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Actual results, developments and timetables could vary significantly from the estimates presented. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Coeur disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, Coeur undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of Coeur, its financial or operating results or its securities.

Christopher Pascoe, Coeur’s Director, Technical Services and a qualified person under Canadian National Instrument 43-101, approved the scientific and technical information concerning Coeur’s mineral projects in this news release. For a description of the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate mineral reserves and resources, as well as data verification procedures and a general discussion of the extent to which the estimates may be affected by any known environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant factors, Canadian investors should refer to the Technical Reports for each of Coeur’s properties as filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Notes

The potential quantity and grade for the deposits described herein are conceptual in nature. There is insufficient exploratory work to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the applicable target being delineated as a mineral resource.

1. Reflects midpoint of guidance as published by Coeur on April 28, 2021.

2. For a complete table of all drill results included in this release, please refer to the following link:
   https://www.coeur.com/_resources/pdfs/2021-06-15_Exploration_Update_Appendix_-_Final.pdf.

3. Rounding of grades, to significant figures, may result in apparent differences.

Conversion Table

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210615005189/en/

Contacts

Coeur Mining, Inc.
104 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Attention: Paul DePartout, Director, Investor Relations
Phone: (312) 489-5800
www.coeur.com

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – June 15, 2021) – Contact Gold Corp. (TSXV: C) (OTCQB: CGOLF) (the "Company" or "Contact Gold") is pleased to announce the drilling of a new gold discovery at its Green Springs gold project in White Pine County, Nevada.

Drill Highlights:

• 0.55 g/t oxide Au over 54.86 m in drill hole GS21-31, from a depth of 19.81 metres, including 1.34 g/t Au over 3.05 m

• 1.01 g/t oxide Au over 13.72 m in drill hole GS21-32 from a depth of 24.38 metres, including 2.71 g/t Au over 3.05 m

• 0.87 g/t oxide Au over 13.72 m in drill hole GS21-27 from a depth of 15.24 metres, including 1.5 g/t Au over 4.57 m

Key Points:

• New gold discovery made at the Tango Target in the northern portion of Green Springs

• Tango represents a step out of over 500 metres from the next closest drill holes at the Alpha Zone (see news release dated April 14, 2021), and remains open for expansion, particularly to the south and west

• An additional 15 drill holes drilled at the Tango Target all intercepted intervals of near surface, oxidized gold mineralization over an area of 250 x 500 metres

• Tango was identified by soil and rock geochemical sampling and was never before drilled; all holes drilled by Contact Gold at Tango intersected significant gold mineralization

• Road cut sampling and additional detailed mapping are underway to refine targeting ahead of the next phase of drilling

• Contact Gold has staked an additional 18 claims to the north of the Tango discovery, covering 15.5 Hectares or 36 Acres of prospective ground

"We are ecstatic to have discovered a large new zone of oxidized gold mineralization at Green Springs. Opportunities to generate and drill shallow, new targets that result in new discoveries are becoming increasingly rare in Nevada, especially on the major gold trends," said Matt Lennox-King, President & CEO of Contact Gold. "The Tango discovery, with its large surface footprint, strong oxide grades and thicknesses is a testament to the quality of targets that Vance Spalding, Contact Gold's Vice President of Exploration and his team have generated at Green Springs. We are excited to get back on the ground at Tango and continue growing this exciting new discovery. In the meantime, we are excited to receive results from the newly drilled connector zone, which are the first ever holes into a 500-metre gap between the Mine Trend and Alpha Zone."

The Tango Discovery:

Tango is located 500 metres to the NE of the Alpha Zone, and represents an entirely new gold zone.

• Tango is hosted at the Devonian limestone/shale contact, host to Kinross's 1.5 Moz Alligator Ridge/Vantage and Saga deposits at the Bald Mountain mine 40 km to the north

• The Devonian limestone/shale host at Tango and Alpha is underexplored at Green Springs where it underlies the Mississippian limestone/shale contact that was previously exploited along the mine trend

• Gold mineralization at Tango is mostly hosted within decalcified and variably oxidized and silicified Pilot Shale with minor mineralization in collapse breccia of the underlying Guilmette limestone

• Northwest and North-South striking, high angle faults control the gold mineralization at Tango

• Tango is open for expansion, particularly to the south and west

• Road cut sampling and detailed mapping of the Tango drill road are underway to collect the necessary data to plan the 2^nd phase drill program

Contact Gold began the 2021 Green Springs drill program in late February and completed 58 drill holes totalling 7,511 meters. Assays are pending for 36 drill holes, including from the Mine Trend and Connector Target between the Mine Trend and Alpha Zone.

Figure 1 – Plan map of the new Tango discovery, northeast of the Alpha Zone and Mine Trend

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5350/87554_Tango%20Plan%20Map.jpg

Figure 2 – Plan map of the Tango Target showing discovery drill holes

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5350/87554_Tango%20Detailed%20Map.jpg

2021 Green Springs drill hole results from this news release:

Figure 3 – Drone photo of the Tango discovery and holes 31 and 32

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5350/87554_Tango%20Drone%20Shot.jpg

Figure 4 – Cross section through Green Springs holes 31 and 32

To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5350/87554_Tango%20Section%2031%2032.jpg

About the Green Springs Project:

Green Springs is located near the southern end of the Cortez Trend of Carlin-type gold deposits in White Pine County, Nevada, east of Fiore Gold's Pan Mine and Gold Rock Project and south of Waterton's Mount Hamilton deposit. The Green Springs property is 18.65 km² encompassing 3 shallow past producing open pits and numerous targets that were not mined.

Contact Gold signed a purchase option agreement with Ely Gold Royalties ("Ely Gold") to acquire an undivided 100% interest in Green Springs in July 2019. Green Springs is an early-stage exploration property and does not contain any mineral resource estimates as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource estimate at Green Springs. Additional information about Green Springs is summarized in the NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Green Springs Project, White Pine County, Nevada, USA" prepared for Contact Gold, with an effective date of June 12, 2020, and dated August 5, 2020, as prepared by John J. Read, C.P.G; an independent consultant and qualified person under NI 43-101, and can be viewed under Contact Gold's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Vance Spalding, CPG, VP Exploration, Contact Gold, who is a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101. Drill intercepts were calculated using a minimum thickness of 3.05 metres averaging 0.14 ppm gold and allowing inclusion of up to 4.57 metres of material averaging less than 0.14 ppm gold for low grade intervals and higher-grade intervals were calculated using a minimum thickness of 3.05 metres averaging 1.00 ppm gold and allowing inclusion of up to 4.57 metres of assays averaging less than 1.00 ppm gold. Gravimetric assays are used for all Fire Assays above 4.00 ppm gold. Cyanide solubility assays are completed on all Fire Assays greater than 0.1 g/t. True width of drilled mineralization is unknown, but owing to the apparent flat lying nature of mineralization, is estimated to generally be at least 70% of drilled thickness in most cases. The Cyanide recovery percentages are equally averaged by interval, and are not weighted by gold content per interval. Quality Assurance / Quality Control consists of regular insertion of certified reference standards, blanks, and duplicates. All failures are followed up and resolved whenever possible with additional investigation whenever such an event occurs. All assays are completed at Paragon; an ISO 17025:2005 accredited lab. Check assays are completed at a second, reputable assay lab after the program is complete.

About Contact Gold Corp.

Contact Gold is an exploration company focused on making district scale gold discoveries in Nevada. Contact Gold's extensive land holdings are on the prolific Carlin and Cortez gold trends which host numerous gold deposits and mines. Contact Gold's land position comprises approximately 140 km² of target rich mineral tenure hosting numerous known gold occurrences, ranging from early- to advanced-exploration and resource definition stage.

Additional information about the Company is available at www.contactgold.com.
For more information, please contact: +1 (604) 449-3361
John Glanville – Director Investor Relations
Chris Pennimpede – VP, Corporate Development
E-mail: info@ContactGold.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to the anticipated exploration activities of the Company on the Green Springs property.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: impacts arising from the global disruption by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/87554

The Mosaic Company MOS recently announced its sales volumes and revenues for May 2021 by business unit.

The Potash Segment recorded sales volume of 891,000 tons in May, up 10% from 810,000 tons in the year-ago period. Sales revenues were $246 million, up around 40% from $176 million in the prior-year period.

The Mosaic Fertilizantes segment witnessed a roughly 9% decline in sales volume to 790,000 tons from 870,000 tons last year. Sales revenues increased around 30% to $336 million from $259 million recorded last year.

The Phosphates segment recorded sales volume of 553,000 tons, down around 9% from 608,000 tons in 2020. Sales revenues in the segment were $327 million, up around 53% year over year.

Shares of Mosaic have gained 142.9% in the past year compared with 80.4% rise of the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company, in its last earnings call, noted that it expects strong fundamental trends witnessed in the last three quarters to continue through 2021. Strong crop demand, affordable inputs and favorable weather indicate strong grower economics.

Chinese phosphate exports are expected to remain low in 2021 due to high domestic demand and recent industry restructuring limit supplies available for export.

The company projects $80-$90 per ton improvement in realized prices in the Phosphates segment, sequentially, in the second quarter. In the Potash segment, $20-$30 per ton improvement in realized prices is expected in the second quarter.

The Mosaic Company Price and Consensus

The Mosaic Company price-consensus-chart | The Mosaic Company Quote

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Mosaic currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Nucor Corporation NUE, Olin Corporation OLN and Cabot Corporation CBT.

Nucor has a projected earnings growth rate of around 260% for the current year. The company’s shares have surged 130.3% in a year. It currently flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Olin has an expected earnings growth rate of around 506.7% for the current year. The company’s shares have skyrocketed 264% in the past year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

Cabot has an expected earnings growth rate of around 126% for the current fiscal. The company’s shares have surged 59.9% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.

Zacks Names “Single Best Pick to Double”

From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.

You know this company from its past glory days, but few would expect that it’s poised for a monster turnaround. Fresh from a successful repositioning and flush with A-list celeb endorsements, it could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in a little more than 9 months and Nvidia which boomed +175.9% in one year.

Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>

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

Nucor Corporation (NUE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Mosaic Company (MOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Cabot Corporation (CBT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Olin Corporation (OLN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

• Focus on delineating and extending the high-grade silver trend which produced several grab samples in excess of a kilogram per tonne of silver.

• Detailed review of geophysics, combined with mapping and additional sampling, to be conducted.

• Developing a better geological understanding of the potential of this well-mineralized area.

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – June 15, 2021) – Mountain Boy Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: MTB) (OTCQB: MBYMF) (FSE: M9UA) ("Mountain Boy" or the "Company") is pleased to report that the upcoming exploration program on the Theia project is intended to define drill targets in multiple areas on the property. The exploration program will include re-interpretation of previous geophysics, detailed mapping and sampling, as well as channel sampling.

The 9,028-hectare Theia property is located in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia, 30 km east-southeast of Stewart, BC and 15 km north of the historic Dolly Varden silver mine. There are logging roads within 10 km of the eastern boundary of the claims and the proposed Homestake Ridge Road is 12 km to the west.

Theia shares a southern claim boundary with Hecla Mining Company's ("Hecla") Kinskuch property, which according to Hecla's website (https://www.hecla-mining.com/kinskuch/) hosts potential for the discovery of epithermal silver-gold, gold-rich porphyry and volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. Teuton Resources Corp's Konkin Silver property shares a northern claim boundary, where two gold target areas have been defined (http://teuton.com/properties/konkin-silver-property).

Field work by Mountain Boy in 2020 followed up on the high-grade silver occurrences that were identified in the 1990's on the western part of the project as part of a reconnaissance program looking for gold. Since that time, extensive glacial retreat has opened up areas that have not previously been explored. The Mountain Boy geological team confirmed the historic occurrences and extended the mineralized trend to 500 meters. Recent grab samples include the following:

• 39 kg/t silver, 3.45 g/t gold, 45.8% lead,1.25% copper, 2.57% zinc.

• 1.68 kg/t silver, 3.46 % lead, and 2.7% zinc.

(The reader is cautioned that grab samples are selective by nature and may not represent the true mineralization on the property).

The area covered by the present Theia property was first explored in the 1960s by a unit of Kennecott as a copper and molybdenum porphyry prospect. Subsequent work by Bond Gold in the 1990's identified precious and base metal mineralization. The property hosts a variety of styles of mineralization, including several stages of quartz veining and associated vein style mineralization, local sulphide rich breccia zones, local disseminated sulphides associated with veins, dykes and intrusions, and shear hosted precious metals.

This year's program is intended to develop a more comprehensive geological understanding of the several styles and areas of mineralization through detailed mapping and sampling and to develop potential drill targets. The following table highlights some of the surface sample results from the 1994 and 2020 programs (see News Release March 8^th, 2021).

The technical disclosure in this release has been read and approved by Andrew Wilkins, B.Sc., P.Geo., a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

About Mountain Boy Minerals

Mountain Boy has six active projects spanning 604 square kilometres (60,398 hectares) in the prolific Golden Triangle of northern British Columbia.

1. The flagship American Creek project is centered on the historic Mountain Boy silver mine and is just north of the past producing Red Cliff gold and copper mine (in which the Company holds an interest). The American Creek project is road accessible and 20 km from the deep-water port of Stewart.

2. On the BA property, 178 drill holes have outlined a substantial zone of silver-lead-zinc mineralization located 4 km from the highway.

3. Surprise Creek is interpreted to be hosted by the same prospective stratigraphy as the BA property and hosts multiple occurrences of silver, gold and base metals.

4. On the Theia project, work by Mountain Boy and previous explorers has outlined a silver bearing mineralized trend 500 meters long, highlighted by a recent grab sample that returned 39 kg per tonne silver (1,100 ounces per ton).

5. Southmore is located in the midst of some of the largest deposits in the Golden Triangle. It was explored in the 1980s through the early 1990s, and largely overlooked until Mountain Boy consolidated the property and confirmed the presence of multiple occurrences of gold, copper, lead and zinc.

6. The Telegraph project, covering 23,600 hectares, has a similar geological setting to major gold and copper-gold deposits in the Golden Triangle.

Mountain Boy is funded for the coming field season and plans to advance these projects, including drilling on select targets.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

Lawrence Roulston
President & CEO

For further information, contact:

Nancy Curry
VP Corporate Development
(604) 220-2971

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.

This news release may contain certain "forward looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/87567

Silver futures for July 2021 delivery closed at $28.04 an ounce on Jun 14, gaining 5% so far this year. Annual inflation rate in the United States advanced to 5% in May 2021 from 4.2% in April — above market expectation of 4.7%. Notably, this marked the highest level since August 2008, reflecting the ongoing economic recovery and low base effects due to the pandemic last year.

So far this year, silver prices have averaged around $26.60 per ounce. According to the Silver Institute, silver prices will average around $27.30 this year, registering an impressive 33% year-over-year increase. It anticipates silver prices to reach $32 later in the year. Notably, earlier in February, the white metal had peaked to $31 an ounce — crossing the $30 threshold for the first time since 2013.

Factors Likely to Drive the Silver Rally

Silver’s performance will primarily be driven by demand and supply imbalance. The white metal is benefiting from its safe haven demand, varied industrial use and growing focus on silver-consuming green energy applications. The Silver Institute projects silver demand to grow 15% this year. Major part of the increase will be driven by investment demand, which is expected to go up 26% to 252.8 million ounces (Moz) — the highest level since 2015.

Industrial demand is expected to log year-over-year growth of 8% and hit a record high of 524 Moz, courtesy of reopening of economies and investment in green energy solutions. Surging sales of electric vehicles will also support silver demand. Jewelry fabrication is forecast to increase 24% in 2021 to 184.4 Moz driven by an economic recovery.

Meanwhile, total silver supply is expected to be up 8% this year to 1,056.3 Moz. After being severely impacted by coronavirus-related mine closures last year, mine production is expected to bounce back in 2021 with a projected year-over-year growth of 8.2% to 848.5 Moz with the biggest comebacks from Mexico, Peru and Bolivia. Mexico, particularly is expected to log strong numbers as new projects, such as Cerro Los Gatos, Juanicipio and Capela, ramp-up production rates. Recycling activity is anticipated to higher owing to higher silver prices. Thus, it is apparent that silver is headed for a deficit this year, which will prop up prices.

The long-term outlook for silver remains solid. Given numerous industrial applications for silver, particularly those pertaining to “green” technologies and 5G will continue to support demand for silver in years to come. Demand for silver in solar photovoltaic (PV) cells is surging as countries move toward adopting renewable energy sources. The Silver Institute estimates silver demanded from 5G to more than double to around 16Moz by 2025. By 2030, it will require around 23Moz — a 206% increase from current levels.

In the automobile industry, demand for silver will rise to 88 Moz in five years as the transition from traditional cars and trucks to EVs accelerates. Charging points and charging stations will also call for a massive amount of silver. Silver demand for “printed and flexible electronics” will grow 54% over the next nine years. Overall, with more countries now focusing on lowering carbon emissions, they will need more silver for electric vehicles, charging stations and 5G, and cables connecting new wind turbines and solar farms to the grid.
 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

In a year’s time, the Mining – Silver industry has rallied 59.4%, outperforming the S&P 500’s rally of 40.6%. The industry falls under the broader Basic Materials sector, which gained 54.8% in the same time frame.

4 Silver Stocks to Watch

Fresnillo plc FNLPF: The Mexico-based company primarily explores for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates. Its flagship project is Fresnillo silver mine located in the state of Zacatecas.

The company is investing in a number of projects to increase production and ensure steady growth in future years. Focus on improving operational performance and enhancing efficiency is expected to result in lower costs. Its high quality assets, ample mineral resources, competitive margins and disciplined approach to development will continue to drive growth.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 87.5%. The estimates have also moved up 3.7% in 90 days’ time. The company’s shares have gained 27.9% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Hecla Mining Company HL: This Coeur d'Alene, ID-based company, together with its subsidiaries discovers, acquires, develops, and produces precious and base metal properties in the United States and internationally.

The company has a diverse asset portfolio in mining friendly jurisdictions. It boasts two of the largest silver mines in the world and two highest-grade large silver mines. It is pursuing acquisition opportunities to complement existing portfolio. The company currently produces about one-third of the silver mined in the United States. This is expected to grow as Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho ramps up. The mine’s production is expected to double again in 2021 and 60% more within four years. The company is also one of the lowest-cost U.S. silver producers.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings for fiscal 2021 indicates year-over-year improvement of 375%. The estimate has been revised upward by 1.4% over the past 90 days. Shares of the company have soared 186.6% over the past year. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Buenaventura Mining Company Inc. BVN: Based in Lima, Peru, the company engages in exploration, mining, and processing of gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper metals in Peru, the United States, Europe, and Asia. It currently operates several mines in Peru — Orcopampa, Uchucchacua, Julcani, El Brocal, La Zanja and Coimolache, and is developing the Tambomayo project.

The company is well-poised for growth, backed by its solid capital structure with ample liquidity and a portfolio of base and precious metals. The company has embarked on a debottlenecking program to reduce costs at its direct operation mines. The program has driven impressive results in Tambomayo, where the company simplified the metallurgical process and optimized mine preparation. In Uchucchacua, it has improved efficiency in the underground mine. At El Brocal, it has increased production driven by operational improvements. Overall, the program has resulted in significant cost savings in each of its mines.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 244%. The estimates have gone up 1.4% over the past 90 days. The company’s shares have appreciated 21.4% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.

Alexco Resource Corp. AXU: Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Alexco Resource operates the majority of the historic Keno Hill Silver District, in Canada's Yukon Territory — one of the highest-grade silver deposits in the world. The company is currently advancing Keno Hill to production and started concentrate production and shipments in the first quarter of 2021. Keno Hill is expected to produce an average of approximately 4.4 million ounces of silver per year contained in high quality lead/silver and zinc concentrates at an average all-in sustaining cost of $11.59 per ounce. Keno Hill has significant potential to grow and Alexco Resource has a long history of expanding the operation's mineral resources through successful exploration.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s fiscal 2021 earnings suggests year-over-year improvement of 220%. The estimate has been revised upward by 33% over the past 90 days. Its shares have appreciated 35.3% in a year’s time. The stock has a Zacks Rank #3.

 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Zacks Names “Single Best Pick to Double”

From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.

You know this company from its past glory days, but few would expect that it’s poised for a monster turnaround. Fresh from a successful repositioning and flush with A-list celeb endorsements, it could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in a little more than 9 months and Nvidia which boomed +175.9% in one year.

Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>

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

Fresnillo PLC (FNLPF) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Hecla Mining Company (HL) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Buenaventura Mining Company Inc. (BVN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Alexco Resource Corp (AXU) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

Cabot Corporation’s CBT shares have shot up 45% over the past six months. The company has also outperformed its industry’s rise of 20% over the same time frame. Moreover, it has topped the S&P 500’s 16.5% rise over the same period.

Let’s take a look into the factors behind this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock’s price appreciation.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

What’s Favoring CBT?

Strong earnings performance in the second quarter of fiscal 2021 and upbeat prospects have contributed to the rally in the company's shares. Cabot’s adjusted earnings and sales for the fiscal second quarter rose year over year and also surpassed the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate.

The company gained from strength in volumes in all regions and favorable pricing in the Reinforcement Materials segment in the fiscal second quarter. Its Performance Chemicals segment also benefited from higher volumes and improved product mix, courtesy of higher sales in automotive applications.

Cabot, in its second-quarter call, stated that it expects continued demand strength across all its segments in the second half of the fiscal. The company envisions volumes to remain strong through the second half.

Cabot should gain from a recovery in demand from its automotive and tire customers from the pandemic-led slowdown, its disciplined execution of operations and targeted growth initiatives. The company saw strong volumes in the tire and automotive markets in the fiscal second quarter on the back of continued global recovery. Passenger car miles driven and automotive builds have improved while strong truck miles driven is driving the replacement tire market. The company is also benefiting from strength in infrastructure, packaging and consumer-driven applications.

Earnings estimates for Cabot have also been going up over the past two months. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2021 has increased around 17.2% while the same for third-quarter fiscal 2021 has gone up 14.9%. The favorable estimate revisions instill investor confidence in the stock.

Cabot Corporation Price and Consensus

Cabot Corporation price-consensus-chart | Cabot Corporation Quote

Stocks to Consider

Other top-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include Univar Solutions Inc. UNVR, Nucor Corporation NUE and Impala Platinum Holdings Limited IMPUY.

Univar has a projected earnings growth rate of roughly 35.2% for the current year. The company’s shares have rallied around 53% in a year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Nucor has a projected earnings growth rate of 259.9% for the current year. The company’s shares have surged around 130% in a year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

Impala Platinum has an expected earnings growth rate of 225.2% for the current fiscal. The company’s shares have surged around 162% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Zacks Names “Single Best Pick to Double”

From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.

You know this company from its past glory days, but few would expect that it’s poised for a monster turnaround. Fresh from a successful repositioning and flush with A-list celeb endorsements, it could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in a little more than 9 months and Nvidia which boomed +175.9% in one year.

Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>

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

Nucor Corporation (NUE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Cabot Corporation (CBT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (IMPUY) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Univar Solutions Inc. (UNVR) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – June 15, 2021 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc. BRG, J & J Snack Foods Corp. JJSF, US Foods Holding Corp. USFD, Archer-Daniels-Midland Company ADM and Comstock Mining Inc. LODE.

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

Hot US Inflation a Boon for These 5 Stocks

Consumer prices are back in the news, with the pace of inflation touching a 13-year high last month as the U.S. economy recoups from the coronavirus-led drubbing it took last year. Per the Labor Department, as cited in a CNBC article, the consumer price index (CPI) that generally includes groceries, energy and housing costs, to name a few, jumped 5% in May from the same period a year ago. As surveyed by Dow Jones, economists had expected inflation to climb 4.7%, added the CNBC article.

Consumer prices, in fact, notched the biggest gain since the 5.3% jump in August 2008, which was just before the financial crisis that pushed the U.S. economy into a recession, the CNBC article further stated. Nonetheless, a record increase in prices of used vehicles including cars and trucks was primarily responsible for pushing the inflation rate higher last month.

The cost of food and groceries has picked up and most likely, the increase in cost will be passed on to consumers. Energy prices, by the way, have been bumping up inflation for quite some time but now, rent prices have also gone up. Rent prices, in particular, increased 0.2% last month, the largest uptick in more than a year, as mentioned in a MarketWatch article.

Prices actually increased across all sectors, thanks to the reopening of the U.S. economy and a considerable increase in the pace of vaccination. Notably, the government's massive stimulus measures and checks to millions of Americans pepped up the coronavirus-marred economy. Meanwhile, household furnishing cost, hotel cost and airline tickets continued to rise.

Thus, with the cost of living going up, returns get affected, something that doesn't bode well for investors. Another risk is that the Fed may hike rates in an inflationary environment, which tends to drag equities down.

In particular, growth stocks tend to get affected the most as inflation does have an impact on future cash flows. However, from an investment perspective, there are stocks that in reality benefit from a rise in inflation, which at present should be enticing enough for investors to watch out for.

Real estate, in particular, gains from a rise in inflation. Property prices tend to increase with rising inflation. Additionally, as property prices rise, rent increases, thereby resulting in higher rental income. In fact, as earlier mentioned, rent prices have already increased in May. Now, the best way to invest in real estate is through real estate investment trust (REIT).

Similarly, companies that are part of the consumer staples sector have pricing power or in other words, they can raise their prices with inflation, unlike other sectors. So, they comparatively stand to benefit from a rise in inflation.

Last but not least, gold doesn't lose value at times of higher inflation. In fact, demand for gold increases when inflation rises. By the way, gold can be invested by buying gold mining stocks. We have, hence, highlighted five noteworthy stocks from the aforesaid areas that stand to gain from a rise in inflation. These stocks currently flaunt a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy).

Bluerock Residential Growth REIT operates as a real estate investment trust. It acquires apartment properties in demographically attractive growth markets throughout the United States. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the next quarter and year is 6.3% and 17.9%, respectively.

J & J Snack Foods is an American manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of branded niche snack foods and frozen beverages for the food service and retail supermarket industries. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #1. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 113.5%. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

US Foods Holding is a foodservice distributor. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #1. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 1,677.8%.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. is one of the leading producers of food and beverage ingredients as well as goods made from various agricultural products. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 25.9%.

Comstock Mining, formerly known as GoldSpring, Inc., is a North American precious metals mining company, focused in Nevada, with property in the Comstock Lode District. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 1,050%.

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Zacks Investment Research

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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
 
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc. (BRG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
J & J Snack Foods Corp. (JJSF) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Comstock Mining, Inc. (LODE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

ENDEAVOUR ANNOUNCES CONTINUATION OF SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAMME UNDER NEW PARENT COMPANY

London, 15 June 2021 – Endeavour Mining plc (TSX: EDV, LSE: EDV, OTCQX: EDVMF) (“Endeavour”) announces that it will continue the share repurchase programme announced by Endeavour Mining Corporation (“EMC”) on 18 March 2021 for up to 5% of its total issued and outstanding shares (the "Programme").

The Programme is a continuation of the Normal Course Issuer Bid (“NCIB”) programme of EMC, pursuant to which 2,246,503 shares of EMC have been repurchased and cancelled to date, equivalent to CAD 64 million (approximately US$53 million). The continuation of the Programme from June 15, 2021 will be effected in accordance with the terms of the authority granted by the pre-Scheme shareholder of the Company, as described in Endeavour’s prospectus dated 9 June 2021.

The maximum number of shares that may be repurchased by the Company under the Programme is 9,926,368, being the remaining capacity under the NCIB programme after deducting the 2,246,503 shares of EMC purchased prior to the Scheme becoming effective. The Programme will cease on 21 March 2022. Endeavour intends that shares purchased under the Programme will subsequently be cancelled. Any share repurchases will be effected in accordance with Chapter 12 of the Listing Rules and the EU Market Abuse Regulation 596/2014. The market will be notified in accordance with those rules if and when purchases are made.

Endeavour has entered into an agreement with Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (“Stifel”) to conduct purchases of shares pursuant to the Programme. Stifel intends to instruct Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc. as its agent to conduct purchases of shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Endeavour may expand the Programme to repurchase shares on the London Stock Exchange in the future or enter into further agreements with Stifel to conduct the Programme on its behalf, and to make trading decisions concerning the timing of purchases under the Programme, independently of Endeavour, to allow for share repurchases at times when Endeavour is subject to regulatory restrictions or self-imposed trading blackouts.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

CONTACT INFORMATION

ABOUT ENDEAVOUR MINING PLC

Endeavour is one of the world’s senior gold producers and the largest in West Africa, with operating assets across Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso and a strong portfolio of advanced development projects and exploration assets in the highly prospective Birimian Greenstone Belt across West Africa.

A member of the World Gold Council, Endeavour is committed to the principles of responsible mining and delivering sustainable value to its employees, stakeholders and the communities where it operates. Endeavour is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, under the symbol EDV.

For more information, please visit www.endeavourmining.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This press release contains statements which constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including but not limited to statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of Endeavour with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect” or similar expressions and includes information regarding Endeavour’s expectations regarding the benefits of a premium listing in the UK with shares traded on the LSE including deeper access to a diverse investor pool with strong understanding of its key operating jurisdictions across West Africa and increased demand for its shares on the assumption that it will qualify for inclusion in the FTSE UK Index Series as well as the MSCI Europe Index, Endeavour’s ability to create sustainable shareholder value over the long term, the potential for continued or future dividends, the approval of the proposed Admission by the FCA and the LSE and the expected timing of the FCA’s approval of Admission; and admission to listing and posting for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect Endeavour management’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Endeavour believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of Endeavour. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Endeavour and market conditions.

This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by Endeavour with the Canadian securities regulators, including Endeavour’s annual information form for the financial year ended December 31, 2020 and financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although Endeavour has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Endeavour does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Attachment

• 210615 – NR – LSE Buyback

Conference call to be held on Aug. 5, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced today that it will release its second-quarter 2021 earnings after the NYSE closes on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021.

The company will hold its conference call to discuss second-quarter 2021 results on Thursday, Aug. 5, at 9:00 a.m. ET. This call will be webcast and can be accessed through Albemarle Corporation's website at https://investors.albemarle.com/, via the webcast link below or by phone at the following number:

To avoid registration wait times, participants are encouraged to use the webcast link as the primary listening source. If a caller anticipates asking a question, please dial in 15 minutes before the start of the call to be placed in the queue early.

An online replay of this call will be available on Albemarle Corporation's website (for 12 months) and by phone at the following number (for 7 days):

About Albemarle Corporation
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. We think beyond business-as-usual to power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, such as energy, electronics, and transportation. We actively pursue a sustainable approach to managing our diverse global footprint of world-class resources. In conjunction with our highly experienced and talented global teams, our deep-seated values, and our collaborative customer relationships, we create value-added and performance-based solutions that enable a safer and more sustainable future.

We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Albemarle Corporation's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/albemarle-corporation-to-release-second-quarter-2021-earnings-results-on-wednesday-aug-4-2021-301313058.html

SOURCE Albemarle Corporation

OTTAWA, ON, June 15, 2021 /CNW/ – Northern Shield Resources Inc. ("Northern Shield" or the "Company") (TSXV: NRN) is pleased to provide an update on the third phase of drilling at its Shot Rock Gold Project ("Shot Rock") in Nova Scotia and progress on the geophysical survey at Root & Cellar ("Root & Cellar" or the "Property") in Newfoundland.

Update on Shot Rock

To date, eight diamond drill holes, 20SR-17 through 20SR-24, have been completed in the Phase 3 drilling program (see Figure 1), totalling just over 3,400 metres. The first four drill-holes were located at the base of the hill in the Highway Zone and although visually prospective quartz veins were intersected (Figure 2a), these were only weakly anomalous in gold. The four drill-holes drilled from the top of the hill intersected abundant crustiform-colloform banded quartz-adularia-pyrite veins (Figure 2b-2c) but were only moderately anomalous in gold with a high of 1.8 g/t Au over 0.8 metres in hole 21SR-21. Twenty-three other samples from these four drill-holes assayed greater than 0.1 g/t Au. A table of assays can be found on the Companies website.

"The complexity of the Highway Zone is proving challenging and I think the next phase of drilling at Shot Rock will likely focus on the Middle Zone, which appears to be more linear and where the higher surface grades are found. However, our priority now is to implement a diamond drill program at Root & Cellar in Newfoundland as soon as possible: the ground IP and resistivity geophysical survey at Root & Cellar is nearly complete and preliminary results from the field look very promising. The raw results suggest that the Conquest Zone continues down-dip to the south and along strike to the east. A parallel chargeability anomaly 200 meters north of Conquest coincides with the location of boulders uncovered by the prospector which assayed up to 26 g/t Au."

– Northern Shield President and CEO, Ian Bliss

Update on Root and Cellar

Approximately three-quarters of the Spectral IP (Induced Polarization) and Resistivity survey has been completed at Root & Cellar. The survey covers the Conquest Zone and the recently discovered Windfall Zone. The results will be used to guide drill-testing of these two zones later this summer. The Company can earn a 100% interest in the Property which is being explored for epithermal gold-silver mineralization and porphyry copper deposits.

Preliminary review of the raw sections shows several IP targets of interest (Figure 3). This includes a chargeability anomaly that is observed on six lines for a strike-length of over 500 meters and coincides with the location of the Conquest trench where channel samples have assayed up to 45 g/t Au. The eastern end of this linear IP target intersects a broad zone of moderately strong chargeability at depth on the last line of the grid at may suggest the accumulation of disseminated sulphides at a geologic contact at this location. Of significance too is a 300 meter long IP anomaly, located 200 meters north of Conquest, that coincides with multiple strong gold in soil anomalies and several gold-bearing boulders with up to 26 g/t Au.

The drilling program at Shot Rock was contracted to Logan Drilling Group based in Stewiacke, Nova Scotia, and is overseen by Christine Vaillancourt, P. Geo., the Company's Chief Geologist and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Samples were analyzed by ALS Global in Vancouver, BC, for Au by Fire Assay and multi-elements by four acid digestion and ICP-AES. All standards and duplicates by ALS Global meet targeted values.

The geophysical survey program at Root & Cellar was contracted to Clearview Geophysics of Brampton, Ontario, and is being overseen by Joe Mihelcic, P. Geo. and a qualified person under NI 43-101. This press release has also been reviewed by Christine Vaillancourt, P. Geo., the Company's Chief Geologist.

Northern Shield Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based company focused on generating high-quality exploration programs with experience in many geological terranes. It is known as a leader in executing grass roots exploration programs using a model driven approach. Seabourne Resources Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northern Shield focussing on epithermal gold and related deposits in Atlantic Canada.

Forward-Looking Statements Advisory

This news release contains statements concerning the exploration plans, results and potential for epithermal gold deposits, and other mineralization at the Company's Shot Rock and Root & Cellar properties in Atlantic Canada, geological, and geometrical analyses of the properties and comparisons of the properties to known epithermal gold deposits and other expectations, plans, goals, objectives, assumptions, information or statements about future, conditions, results of exploration or performance that may constitute forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect.

Although Northern Shield believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward–looking statements because Northern Shield can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements or information are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by Northern Shield and described in the forward–looking statements or information. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with geological, geometrical and geophysical interpretation and analysis, the ability of Northern Shield to obtain financing, equipment, supplies and qualified personnel necessary to carry on exploration and the general risks and uncertainties involved in mineral exploration and analysis.

The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and Northern Shield undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward–looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

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.

SOURCE Northern Shield Resources Inc.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/15/c4078.html

Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about… and every practical investor I know worries about.' So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. As with many other companies Lundin Mining Corporation (TSE:LUN) makes use of debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well – and to its own advantage. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Lundin Mining

How Much Debt Does Lundin Mining Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Lundin Mining had US$155.9m of debt in March 2021, down from US$442.2m, one year before. However, its balance sheet shows it holds US$181.3m in cash, so it actually has US$25.5m net cash.

How Healthy Is Lundin Mining's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Lundin Mining had liabilities of US$602.6m due within a year, and liabilities of US$1.91b falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had US$181.3m in cash and US$503.4m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total US$1.83b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

While this might seem like a lot, it is not so bad since Lundin Mining has a market capitalization of US$7.76b, and so it could probably strengthen its balance sheet by raising capital if it needed to. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Lundin Mining also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.

Even more impressive was the fact that Lundin Mining grew its EBIT by 349% over twelve months. If maintained that growth will make the debt even more manageable in the years ahead. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Lundin Mining can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. Lundin Mining may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Considering the last three years, Lundin Mining actually recorded a cash outflow, overall. Debt is far more risky for companies with unreliable free cash flow, so shareholders should be hoping that the past expenditure will produce free cash flow in the future.

Summing up

Although Lundin Mining's balance sheet isn't particularly strong, due to the total liabilities, it is clearly positive to see that it has net cash of US$25.5m. And it impressed us with its EBIT growth of 349% over the last year. So we don't have any problem with Lundin Mining's use of debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example – Lundin Mining has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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

Investors might want an inflation hedge, and these three companies have additional reasons to own them.

Investors focused on the Basic Materials space have likely heard of Impala Platinum Holdings (IMPUY), but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Basic Materials sector should help us answer this question.

Impala Platinum Holdings is one of 245 individual stocks in the Basic Materials sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.

The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. IMPUY is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for IMPUY's full-year earnings has moved 9.29% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the latest available data, IMPUY has gained about 26.64% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Basic Materials sector has returned an average of 24.27% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Impala Platinum Holdings is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Looking more specifically, IMPUY belongs to the Mining – Miscellaneous industry, which includes 46 individual stocks and currently sits at #181 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 37.27% so far this year, so IMPUY is slightly underperforming its industry in this area.

Going forward, investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should continue to pay close attention to IMPUY as it looks to continue its solid performance.

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
 
Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (IMPUY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Candente Copper Corp. (TSX:DNT, BVL:DNT) ("Candente Copper”, “Company”) is pleased to announce that the Desk Top Conceptual Study (“Study”) on the Cañariaco Norte Project has been completed by Ausenco Engineering Inc. (“Ausenco”). Ausenco’s work has identified several opportunities with the potential to lower initial capital expenditures (“CapEx”) and operating expenses (“OpEx”) while also enhancing our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices.

Summary of Significant Developments:

1. Mitigation of the need for a roaster, both for a smaller and a larger project, which could significantly reduce both CapEx and OpEx costs and improve ESG practices;

2. The potential viability of the project at various concentrator throughputs including 40,000; 50,000; and 60,000 tonnes per day (“tpd”);

3. Evaluation of a staged expansion with a smaller throughput for a lower initial CapEx, then expanding after payback using mine cash flow indicates this could be an attractive development strategy;

4. The application of the best available technology (“BAT”) for tailings that considers both wet and dry stack tailings storage methodologies which could improve ESG practices and appears viable. This should be assessed in more detail.

“The potential mitigation of a roaster is a game changer, offering an opportunity to significantly reduce both CapEx and OpEx and enabling an operation less complicated both for permitting and day-to-day operations. This opportunity was identified as a result of new geometallurgical modelling of the deposit and updated smelting costs,” stated Joanne Freeze, President and CEO. “Now we can focus on parameters to be included in an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) to evaluate the most attractive potential development strategy.”

Signficant historical engineering work has been completed for the Cañariaco Norte Project, which has provided much of the basis for the conceptual desktop study; however, the new development concepts will require additional technical and economic assessment and development in an updated PEA.

For more details about the Desk Top Study, please see News Release No. 129 (dated April 19^th, 2021): https://www.candentecopper.com/news-releases/news-releases/2021/ausenco-update-for-conceptual-desk-top-study-on-canariaco-norte-1/

Ausenco has a 30-year track record and is recognised as specialists in end-to-end solutions which are proven to lower capital and operating costs, reduce construction time and improve plant efficiencies. They perform consulting studies, project delivery, and asset operations to the international mining sector including high performance copper processing and infrastructure projects. Project experience ranges from small conceptual studies for new developments through to the construction of large scale minerals processing facilities.

About Candente Copper
Candente Copper is a mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. The Company is currently focused on its 100% owned Cañariaco project, which includes the Cañariaco Norte deposit as well as the Cañariaco Sur deposit and Quebrada Verde prospect, located within the western Cordillera of the Peruvian Andes in the Department of Lambayeque in Northern Peru.

Please see https://www.candentecopper.com/investors/presentations, the Cañariaco Norte Copper Project Pre-Feasibility Study Progress Report and the NI 43-101 Technical Report both of which are available at https://www.candentecopper.com/site/assets/files/5389/canariaco-pfs.pdf and https://www.candentecopper.com/site/assets/files/5390/ni43-101_canariaco.pdf (* published January and March 2011) for details from previous resource and engineering studies which delineated 9B lbs copper, 2M oz gold and 54M oz silver in: Measured and Indicated Resources of 752.4 million tonnes grading 0.45% copper, 0.07 grams per tonne (“g/t”) gold and 1.9 g/t silver (0.52% Cu equivalent) containing 7.533 B lb Cu, 1.67 M oz Au and 45.24 M oz Ag and Inferred Resources of 157.7 million tonnes grading 0.44% copper, 0.06 g/t gold and 1.8 g/t silver containing 1.434 B lb Cu, 0.3M oz Au and 8.932 M oz Ag.

The Technical Reports, referred to above, are based on a throughput rate of 95,000 tpd producing 260M lb Cu/year which resulted in post-tax NPVs and IRRs of $1.985B and 24.8% at $3.25/lb Cu; and $2.865B and 31.2% at $4.00/lb Cu. The Incentive Price ($2.50/lb Cu) for Cañariaco Norte is in the lowest quartile of top 84 copper projects worldwide named by Goldman Sachs. Cash costs are also in lowest quartile of the copper industry.

For detailed information about assay methods and data verification measures used to support the scientific and technical information, and for details on the key parameters and assumptions relating to the Mineral Resource estimates, please refer to the Company’s technical report filed on SEDAR under the Company’s profile, and also available on the Company’s website.

Joanne C. Freeze, P.Geo., CEO, Candente Copper, and Jay Melnyk, P.Eng., AGP Mining Consultants Inc., are the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the projects discussed above and they have reviewed and approved the contents of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Candente Copper relies upon litigation protection for forward-looking statements.

On behalf of the Board of Candente Copper Corp.

“Joanne C. Freeze” P.Geo.
President, CEO and Director
___________________________________
For further information please contact:

info@candentecopper.com
www.candentecopper.com

NR-132

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SLL) (OTCQX: STLHF) (FRA: S5L), an innovative technology and lithium project development company, announced today that LANXESS Corporation (the “Lender”) has elected for the early conversion in full of its loan facility (the “Loan”) previously advanced to the Company.

Conversion of the Loan will allow the Company to strengthen its balance sheet with the elimination of long-term debt and conserve capital for ongoing project development work. The early conversion of the Loan will also reduce interest expense and positions the Lender as a key shareholder.

The Company has issued 6,251,250 common shares, and 3,125,625 share purchase warrants (each, a “Warrant”), to the Lender in connection with the conversion of the outstanding Loan and has retired the principal of the Loan in the amount of US$3,750,000. Each warrant is exercisable to acquire an additional common share of the Company at a price of C$1.20 until June 10, 2024. For further information regarding the terms of the Loan, readers are encouraged to review the news release issued by the Company on October 30, 2019.

About Standard Lithium Ltd.

Standard Lithium is an innovative technology and lithium development company. The company's flagship project is located in southern Arkansas, where it is engaged in the testing and proving of the commercial viability of lithium extraction from over 150,000 acres of permitted brine operations. The company has commissioned its first-of-a-kind industrial-scale direct lithium extraction demonstration plant at Lanxess's south plant facility in southern Arkansas. The demonstration plant utilizes the company's proprietary LiSTR technology to selectively extract lithium from Lanxess's tail brine. The demonstration plant is being used for proof-of-concept and commercial feasibility studies. The scalable, environmentally friendly process eliminates the use of evaporation ponds, reduces processing time from months to hours and greatly increases the effective recovery of lithium. The company is also pursuing the resource development of over 30,000 acres of separate brine leases located in southwestern Arkansas and approximately 45,000 acres of mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino county, California.

Standard Lithium is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol “SLL”; quoted on the OTC – Nasdaq Intl Designation under the symbol “STLHF”; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “S5L”. Please visit the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com.

On behalf of the Board of Standard Lithium Ltd.

Robert Mintak, CEO & Director

For further information, contact Anthony Alvaro at (604) 240 4793

Twitter @standardlithium

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-lithium/

Neither the 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. This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

Hedge funds and large money managers usually invest with a focus on the long-term horizon and, therefore, short-lived dips or bumps on the charts usually don't make them change their opinion towards a company. This time it may be different. The coronavirus pandemic destroyed the high correlations among major industries and asset classes. We are now in a stock pickers market where fundamentals of a stock have more effect on the price than the overall direction of the market. As a result we observe sudden and large changes in hedge fund positions depending on the news flow. Let’s take a look at the hedge fund sentiment towards Chemung Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CHMG) to find out whether there were any major changes in hedge funds' views.

Hedge fund interest in Chemung Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CHMG) shares was flat at the end of last quarter. This is usually a negative indicator. Our calculations also showed that CHMG isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings). The level and the change in hedge fund popularity aren't the only variables you need to analyze to decipher hedge funds' perspectives. A stock may witness a boost in popularity but it may still be less popular than similarly priced stocks. That's why at the end of this article we will examine companies such as Quad/Graphics, Inc. (NYSE:QUAD), OptiNose, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPTN), and Comstock Mining, Inc. (NYSE:LODE) to gather more data points.

In the financial world there are a large number of tools investors have at their disposal to grade stocks. A pair of the most under-the-radar tools are hedge fund and insider trading indicators. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the best fund managers can outperform the broader indices by a solid amount. Insider Monkey's monthly stock picks returned 206.8% since March 2017 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 115 percentage points (see the details here). That's why we believe hedge fund sentiment is a useful indicator that investors should pay attention to.

Matthew Lindenbaum of Basswood Capital

At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, an activist hedge fund wants to buy this $26 biotech stock for $50. So, we recommended a long position to our monthly premium newsletter subscribers. We go through lists like the 10 best battery stocks to pick the next Tesla that will deliver a 10x return. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our homepage. With all of this in mind we're going to review the fresh hedge fund action encompassing Chemung Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CHMG).

Do Hedge Funds Think CHMG Is A Good Stock To Buy Now?

Heading into the second quarter of 2021, a total of 3 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held long positions in this stock, a change of 0% from the previous quarter. By comparison, 3 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in CHMG a year ago. With the smart money's capital changing hands, there exists a select group of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were adding to their stakes meaningfully (or already accumulated large positions).

When looking at the institutional investors followed by Insider Monkey, Matthew Lindenbaum's Basswood Capital has the biggest position in Chemung Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CHMG), worth close to $4.2 million, accounting for 0.2% of its total 13F portfolio. The second most bullish fund manager is Renaissance Technologies, which holds a $3.1 million position; the fund has less than 0.1%% of its 13F portfolio invested in the stock. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Basswood Capital allocated the biggest weight to Chemung Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CHMG), around 0.19% of its 13F portfolio. Royce & Associates is also relatively very bullish on the stock, designating 0.01 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to CHMG.

Earlier we told you that the aggregate hedge fund interest in the stock was unchanged and we view this as a negative development. Even though there weren't any hedge funds dumping their holdings during the third quarter, there weren't any hedge funds initiating brand new positions. This indicates that hedge funds, at the very best, perceive this stock as dead money and they haven't identified any viable catalysts that can attract investor attention.

Let's also examine hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Chemung Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CHMG). These stocks are Quad/Graphics, Inc. (NYSE:QUAD), OptiNose, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPTN), Comstock Mining, Inc. (NYSE:LODE), Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE:ANVS), Spark Networks SE (NYSE:LOV), Select Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLCT), and Five Star Senior Living Inc. (NASDAQ:FVE). This group of stocks' market values resemble CHMG's market value.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position QUAD,10,9438,2 OPTN,10,6714,0 LODE,4,1097,0 ANVS,6,10079,5 LOV,6,44401,-3 SLCT,5,11115,0 FVE,11,27833,0 Average,7.4,15811,0.6 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 7.4 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $16 million. That figure was $9 million in CHMG's case. Five Star Senior Living Inc. (NASDAQ:FVE) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Comstock Mining, Inc. (NYSE:LODE) is the least popular one with only 4 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Chemung Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CHMG) is even less popular than LODE. Our overall hedge fund sentiment score for CHMG is 23. Stocks with higher number of hedge fund positions relative to other stocks as well as relative to their historical range receive a higher sentiment score. Hedge funds dodged a bullet by taking a bearish stance towards CHMG. Our calculations showed that the top 10 most popular hedge fund stocks returned 95.8% in 2019 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 40 percentage points. These stocks gained 17.2% in 2021 through June 11th but managed to beat the market again by 3.3 percentage points. Unfortunately CHMG wasn't nearly as popular as these 5 stocks (hedge fund sentiment was very bearish); CHMG investors were disappointed as the stock returned 2.8% since the end of the first quarter (through 6/11) and underperformed the market. If you are interested in investing in large cap stocks with huge upside potential, you should check out the top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds as most of these stocks already outperformed the market since 2019.

Get real-time email alerts: Follow Chemung Financial Corp (NASDAQ:CHMG)

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

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Is Alexco Resource Corp. (NYSE:AXU) a good place to invest some of your money right now? We can gain invaluable insight to help us answer that question by studying the investment trends of top investors, who employ world-class Ivy League graduates, who are given immense resources and industry contacts to put their financial expertise to work. The top picks of these firms have historically outperformed the market when we account for known risk factors, making them very valuable investment ideas.

Hedge fund interest in Alexco Resource Corp. (NYSE:AXU) shares was flat at the end of last quarter. This is usually a negative indicator. Our calculations also showed that AXU isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings). The level and the change in hedge fund popularity aren't the only variables you need to analyze to decipher hedge funds' perspectives. A stock may witness a boost in popularity but it may still be less popular than similarly priced stocks. That's why at the end of this article we will examine companies such as Summit Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMMF), DSP Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:DSPG), and Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation (NASDAQ:BGFV) to gather more data points.

Today there are many metrics stock market investors put to use to size up stocks. A pair of the less known metrics are hedge fund and insider trading activity. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the top investment managers can outclass their index-focused peers by a healthy margin (see the details here). Also, our monthly newsletter's portfolio of long stock picks returned 206.8% since March 2017 (through May 2021) and beat the S&P 500 Index by more than 115 percentage points. You can download a sample issue of this newsletter on our website .

Eric Sprott of Sprott Asset Management

At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, an activist hedge fund wants to buy this $26 biotech stock for $50. So, we recommended a long position to our monthly premium newsletter subscribers. We go through lists like the 10 best battery stocks to pick the next Tesla that will deliver a 10x return. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our homepage. Keeping this in mind we're going to view the key hedge fund action encompassing Alexco Resource Corp. (NYSE:AXU).

Do Hedge Funds Think AXU Is A Good Stock To Buy Now?

At Q1's end, a total of 3 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held long positions in this stock, a change of 0% from one quarter earlier. The graph below displays the number of hedge funds with bullish position in AXU over the last 23 quarters. So, let's check out which hedge funds were among the top holders of the stock and which hedge funds were making big moves.

The largest stake in Alexco Resource Corp. (NYSE:AXU) was held by Sprott Asset Management, which reported holding $0.2 million worth of stock at the end of December. It was followed by Citadel Investment Group with a $0.1 million position. The only other hedge fund that is bullish on the company was Millennium Management.

Earlier we told you that the aggregate hedge fund interest in the stock was unchanged and we view this as a negative development. Even though there weren't any hedge funds dumping their holdings during the third quarter, there weren't any hedge funds initiating brand new positions. This indicates that hedge funds, at the very best, perceive this stock as dead money and they haven't identified any viable catalysts that can attract investor attention.

Let's now review hedge fund activity in other stocks – not necessarily in the same industry as Alexco Resource Corp. (NYSE:AXU) but similarly valued. We will take a look at Summit Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMMF), DSP Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:DSPG), Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation (NASDAQ:BGFV), Farmland Partners Inc (NYSE:FPI), Kaleido BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLDO), Uxin Limited (NASDAQ:UXIN), and Village Super Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:VLGEA). This group of stocks' market valuations are closest to AXU's market valuation.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position SMMF,4,10966,0 DSPG,13,54197,0 BGFV,14,27074,-3 FPI,5,1965,-3 KLDO,6,7960,4 UXIN,3,5133,0 VLGEA,7,30340,-3 Average,7.4,19662,-0.7 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 7.4 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $20 million. That figure was $0 million in AXU's case. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation (NASDAQ:BGFV) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Uxin Limited (NASDAQ:UXIN) is the least popular one with only 3 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Alexco Resource Corp. (NYSE:AXU) is even less popular than UXIN. Our overall hedge fund sentiment score for AXU is 23. Stocks with higher number of hedge fund positions relative to other stocks as well as relative to their historical range receive a higher sentiment score. Hedge funds clearly dropped the ball on AXU as the stock delivered strong returns, though hedge funds' consensus picks still generated respectable returns. Our calculations showed that top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 95.8% in 2019 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 40 percentage points. These stocks gained 17.2% in 2021 through June 11th and still beat the market by 3.3 percentage points. A small number of hedge funds were also right about betting on AXU as the stock returned 17.1% since Q1 (through June 11th) and outperformed the market by an even larger margin.

Get real-time email alerts: Follow Alexco Resource Corp (NYSE:AXU)

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

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The pandemic is helping to soften the reputation of mining companies, often cast as villains.

Most readers would already know that First Quantum Minerals' (TSE:FM) stock increased by 4.4% over the past three months. Given that the stock prices usually follow long-term business performance, we wonder if the company's mixed financials could have any adverse effect on its current price price movement Particularly, we will be paying attention to First Quantum Minerals' ROE today.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

Check out our latest analysis for First Quantum Minerals

How Is ROE Calculated?

ROE can be calculated by using the formula:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for First Quantum Minerals is:

0.6% = US$65m ÷ US$10b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2021).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. One way to conceptualize this is that for each CA$1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made CA$0.01 in profit.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?

Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features.

First Quantum Minerals' Earnings Growth And 0.6% ROE

It is quite clear that First Quantum Minerals' ROE is rather low. Even when compared to the industry average of 15%, the ROE figure is pretty disappointing. Given the circumstances, the significant decline in net income by 3.2% seen by First Quantum Minerals over the last five years is not surprising. We believe that there also might be other aspects that are negatively influencing the company's earnings prospects. For example, the business has allocated capital poorly, or that the company has a very high payout ratio.

So, as a next step, we compared First Quantum Minerals' performance against the industry and were disappointed to discover that while the company has been shrinking its earnings, the industry has been growing its earnings at a rate of 29% in the same period.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is First Quantum Minerals fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is First Quantum Minerals Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

When we piece together First Quantum Minerals' low three-year median payout ratio of 1.1% (where it is retaining 99% of its profits), calculated for the last three-year period, we are puzzled by the lack of growth. This typically shouldn't be the case when a company is retaining most of its earnings. It looks like there might be some other reasons to explain the lack in that respect. For example, the business could be in decline.

Moreover, First Quantum Minerals has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more suggesting that management must have perceived that the shareholders prefer dividends over earnings growth. Based on the latest analysts' estimates, we found that the company's future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to hold steady at 1.2%. Regardless, the future ROE for First Quantum Minerals is predicted to rise to 11% despite there being not much change expected in its payout ratio.

Conclusion

On the whole, we feel that the performance shown by First Quantum Minerals can be open to many interpretations. While the company does have a high rate of reinvestment, the low ROE means that all that reinvestment is not reaping any benefit to its investors, and moreover, its having a negative impact on the earnings growth. That being so, the latest industry analyst forecasts show that the analysts are expecting to see a huge improvement in the company's earnings growth rate. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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

We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Artemis Resources Limited (ASX:ARV).

What Is Insider Selling?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year'.

View our latest analysis for Artemis Resources

Artemis Resources Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Executive Director Alastair Clayton bought AU$120k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.12 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$0.059. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Alastair Clayton.

Alastair Clayton bought a total of 2.00m shares over the year at an average price of AU$0.10. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Does Artemis Resources Boast High Insider Ownership?

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data indicates that Artemis Resources insiders own about AU$4.4m worth of shares (which is 5.9% of the company). But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Artemis Resources Tell Us?

Our data shows a little insider buying, but no selling, in the last three months. That said, the purchases were not large. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think Artemis Resources insiders are doubting the company. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Artemis Resources. Our analysis shows 6 warning signs for Artemis Resources (2 are concerning!) and we strongly recommend you look at them before investing.

But note: Artemis Resources may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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

QUÉBEC CITY, June 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stelmine Canada (STH-TSXV) (“Stelmine” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has closed its recently announced non-brokered private placement (the “Offering”). A total of 5,384,614 units of Stelmine (the "Units") were issued at a price of $0.13 per unit for gross proceeds of $700,000. Each Unit comprised one common share of Stelmine and one-half of a common share purchase warrant. Each full warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share of the Company at $0.20 for a period of 36 months from issuance. The warrants are callable from Stelmine should the common shares of the company exceed $0.30 for a period of 20 consecutive trading days following the four-month hold.

Three (3) insiders of the Company participated in the private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $16,750. These insiders purchased Units under the same terms as the other investors. The participation of these insiders is exempt from the formal valuation and shareholder approval requirements pursuant to Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions, on the basis that the fair market value of such participation or the consideration paid by such insiders does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company.

All securities issued in connection with this Offering are subject to a hold period of four months and one day. The private placement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Stelmine has not filed a material change report in the 21 days preceding the placement other than in relation to the placement.

Stelmine has now raised total gross proceeds of $1.4 million this month in two separate financings with strategic investors. The funds will be used for exploration on the Courcy and Mercator Projects in the Caniapiscau region and for general working capital purposes. In connection with this placement, the Company will pay finder’s fees of $23,244.

About Stelmine Canada

Stelmine is a junior mining exploration company pioneering a new gold district (Caniapiscau) east of James Bay in the under-explored eastern part of the Opinaca metasedimentary basin where the geological context has similarities to the Eleonore mine. Stelmine has 100% ownership of 1,574 claims or 815 km² in this part of northern Quebec, highlighted by the Courcy and Mercator Projects.

Forward-looking statements

Certain information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding the expected closing of and the anticipated use of the proceeds from the Offering, acquisition and expansion plans, availability of quality acquisition opportunities, and growth of the Company. This information is based on current expectations and assumptions (including assumptions in connection with obtaining all necessary approvals for the Offering and general economic and market conditions) that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Risks that could cause results to differ from those stated in the forward-looking statements in this release include those relating to the ability to complete the Offering on the terms described above. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company’s filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

Cautionary statement

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.

NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN

For further information, contact:

Isabelle Proulx, President and CEO
Email: iproulx@stelmine.com
Tel: 418-626-6333

Follow us on:

Website : https://stelmine.com/en/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Stelmine1
LinkedIn : http://www.linkedin.com/company/stelmine-canada-ltd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StelmineCanada/

Resource stocks were driving the FTSE 100 to gains on Friday, lifting the index back toward levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

TORONTO, June 11, 2021 /CNW/ – Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSXV: LME) (OTCPINK: LMEFF) ("LAURION" or the "Corporation") will host its annual and special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern time). Out of an abundance of caution, to proactively address potential issues arising from the ongoing public health impact of COVID-19 while enabling greater participation of LAURION's shareholders, the Meeting will take place in a virtual-only format.

The Meeting will allow shareholders to listen to the proceedings and submit votes through the web-based platform. Details for shareholders and interested parties in attending the virtual meeting are found below. Participants are encouraged to login in approximately 15 minutes prior to the start time.

Date: Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Meeting ID: 1164
URL: https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en
Password: laurion2021 (case sensitive)

Instructions for joining the Meeting:

1. Type in https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1164 on your browser at least 15 minutes before the Meeting starts. Please do not do a Google search. Do not use Internet Explorer.

2. Click on "I am a Guest" if you are an interested party or a shareholder not intending to vote.

In order to streamline the virtual meeting process, the Corporation strongly encourages shareholders to vote in advance of the Meeting using the Voting Instruction Form ("VIF") and Form of Proxy for the Meeting, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and also at https://docs.tsxtrust.com/2025. Proxies must be deposited with the Corporation's transfer agent and registrar, TSX Trust Company ("TSX Trust"), on or before 11:00 a.m. (Eastern time) on July 2, 2021.

Registered shareholders entitled to vote at the Meeting may attend and vote at the Meeting virtually by following the steps set out below:

1. Type in https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1164 on your browser at least 15 minutes before the Meeting starts.

2. Click on "I have a control number".

3. Enter your 12-digit control number (on your proxy form).

4. Enter the password: laurion2021 (case sensitive).

5. When the ballot is opened, click on the "Voting" icon. To vote, simply select your voting direction from the options shown on screen and click "Submit". A confirmation message will appear to show your vote has been received.

Beneficial Shareholders entitled to vote at the Meeting may vote at the Meeting virtually by following the steps set out below:

1. Appoint yourself as proxyholder by writing your name in the space provided on the form of proxy or VIF.

2. Sign and send it to your intermediary, following the voting deadline and submission instructions on the VIF.

3. Obtain a control number by contacting TSX Trust by emailing tsxtrustproxyvoting@tmx.com the "Request for Control Number" form, which can be found here https://tsxtrust.com/resource/en/75.

4. Type in https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1164 on your browser at least 15 minutes before the Meeting starts.

5. Click on "I have a control number".

6. Enter the control number provided by tsxtrustproxyvoting@tmx.com

7. Enter the password: laurion2021 (case sensitive).

8. When the ballot is opened, click on the "Voting" icon. To vote, simply select your voting direction from the options shown on screen and click Submit. A confirmation message will appear to show your vote has been received.

If you are a registered shareholder and you want to appoint someone else (other than the management nominees) to vote online at the Meeting, you must first submit your proxy indicating who you are appointing. You or your appointee must then register with TSX Trust in advance of the Meeting by emailing tsxtrustproxyvoting@tmx.com the "Request for Control Number" form, which can be found at https://tsxtrust.com/resource/en/75.

If you are a non-registered shareholder and want to vote online at the Meeting, you must appoint yourself as proxyholder and register with TSX Trust in advance of the Meeting by emailing tsxtrustproxyvoting@tmx.com the "Request for Control Number" form, which can be found at https://tsxtrust.com/resource/en/75.

Shareholders who have any questions or require further information with regard to voting their shares or attending the Meeting should contact TSX Trust, toll-free in North America at 1-866-600-5869 or by email at tmxeinvestorservices@tmx.com.

Further information related to the Meeting, including the matters to be voted on and how to attend the Meeting and vote, is set forth in the Corporation's management information circular dated May 27, 2021, which is available under LAURION's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

About LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.

The Corporation is a junior mineral exploration and development company listed on the TSXV under the symbol LME and on the OTCPINK under the symbol LMEFF. LAURION now has 228,052,731 outstanding shares of which approximately 79% are owned and controlled by Insiders who are eligible investors under the "Friends and Family" categories.

LAURION's emphasis is on the development of its flagship project, the 100% owned mid-stage 47 km² Ishkoday Project, and its gold-silver and gold-rich polymetallic mineralization with a significant upside potential. The mineralization on Ishkoday is open at depth beyond the current core-drilling limit of -200 m from surface, based on the historical mining to a -685 m depth, in the past producing Sturgeon River Mine. The recently acquired Brenbar Property, which is contiguous with the Ishkoday Property, hosts the historic Brenbar Mine and LAURION believes the mineralization to be a direct extension of mineralization from the Ishkoday Property.

Follow us on Twitter: @LAURION_LME

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Corporation's current expectations regarding future events, including with respect to management's anticipated timing, format and conduct of the Meeting, LAURION's business, operations and condition, and management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements could differ materially from those projected herein including as a result of the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of gold and/or other metals, possible variations in grade or recovery rates, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, the failure of contracted parties to perform, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the Corporation's publicly filed documents. Investors should consult the Corporation's ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Corporation's public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable law, the Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICE PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

SOURCE Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc.

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/11/c4189.html

Under the guidance of CEO Diana Hu, Eastern Platinum Limited (TSE:ELR) has performed reasonably well recently. In light of this performance, CEO compensation will probably not be the main focus for shareholders as they go into the AGM on 17 June 2021. However, some shareholders will still be cautious of paying the CEO excessively.

Check out our latest analysis for Eastern Platinum

Comparing Eastern Platinum Limited's CEO Compensation With the industry

According to our data, Eastern Platinum Limited has a market capitalization of CA$49m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth US$393k over the year to December 2020. We note that's an increase of 26% above last year. In particular, the salary of US$288.4k, makes up a huge portion of the total compensation being paid to the CEO.

For comparison, other companies in the industry with market capitalizations below CA$242m, reported a median total CEO compensation of US$124k. This suggests that Diana Hu is paid more than the median for the industry.

Speaking on an industry level, nearly 93% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 7% is other remuneration. In Eastern Platinum's case, non-salary compensation represents a greater slice of total remuneration, in comparison to the broader industry. If total compensation veers towards salary, it suggests that the variable portion – which is generally tied to performance, is lower.

A Look at Eastern Platinum Limited's Growth Numbers

Eastern Platinum Limited has seen its earnings per share (EPS) increase by 24% a year over the past three years. It achieved revenue growth of 22% over the last year.

Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. It's also good to see decent revenue growth in the last year, suggesting the business is healthy and growing. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Has Eastern Platinum Limited Been A Good Investment?

With a total shareholder return of 13% over three years, Eastern Platinum Limited shareholders would, in general, be reasonably content. But they would probably prefer not to see CEO compensation far in excess of the median.

To Conclude…

Given that the company's overall performance has been reasonable, the CEO remuneration policy might not be shareholders' central point of focus in the upcoming AGM. However, any decision to raise CEO pay might be met with some objections from the shareholders given that the CEO is already paid higher than the industry average.

CEO pay is simply one of the many factors that need to be considered while examining business performance. That's why we did our research, and identified 3 warning signs for Eastern Platinum (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) that you should know about in order to have a holistic understanding of the stock.

Switching gears from Eastern Platinum, if you're hunting for a pristine balance sheet and premium returns, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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

(Bloomberg) — BHP Group averted a strike at its second-largest copper mine in Chile after workers at the Spence operation accepted a final wage offer on the last day of mediated talks.

The deal will ease concerns over a potential stoppage that would have further tightened global supplies of the metal. It comes after staff at a BHP operations center in Santiago ended a strike and returned to work this week. Attention will now shift to wage talks at BHP’s giant Escondida mine.

About 92% of the 1,079 Spence operations and maintenance staff who voted accepted terms of the new three-year contract, according to a document provided by the union. Workers had rejected a previous proposal and BHP sought mediation that was extended through Thursday.

“In these times, the deal we reached is an important signal of how we should face Spence’s current and future challenges,” said Ana Zuniga, a spokesperson for BHP’s Pampa Norte, which comprises Spence and the Cerro Colorado mines.

Workers are “calm and glad” with a package that includes a 2% wage increase and a 15.5 million-peso ($21,600) bonus, as well as new benefits and other adjustments, Union President Ronald Salcedo said.

Surging copper prices and company profits are emboldening unions whose members have continued to work through the pandemic. On the other side, producers are looking to contain labor costs as inflation picks up, ore quality deteriorates and and host nations look for a bigger share of the windfall.

Still, the wage deal at Spence may bode well for collective bargaining that just kicked off at Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine that endured a 44-day strike in 2017. Wage talks in the top copper-producing nation add to supply risks at a time when recovering demand is tightening the global market.

BHP recently invested about $2.5 billion in upgrades at Spence, including a new concentrator, with the Pampa Norte division expected to produce 240,000-270,000 tons in fiscal year 2021, compared with 243,000 tons last year.

(Adds company comment and details on Spence.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Mining stocks steamed ahead on Friday, helping the FTSE 100 (^FTSE) to push to its highest level in a month.

Glencore (GLEN.L) rose more than 3%, Antofagasta (ANTO.L) climbed 2.5% higher and Evraz (EVR.L) was up 2.7% in noon trade, lifting London’s benchmark index to its highest since 10 May, when it touched a new record level since the pandemic began.

Newly-listed Thungela Resources (TGA.L), a spin-off from Anglo American (AAL.L) also pushed 2.4% higher on the day, while healthcare stocks also joined the precious metal and base metal miners on the rally.

It came as metal prices and oil prices rose on Friday as the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday oil demand is set to rise above pre-COVID levels by the end of 2022, but that oil producers will need to boost production.

The Paris-based body expects consumption to rebound by 5.4 million barrels per day (bd) this year as vaccines are rolled out and economies reopen. Consumption declined by a record 8.6 million bd in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took a hold.

It expects a further 3.1 million bd increase in 2022, to average 99.5 million bd with an increase at the end of the year that will surpass the level of demand before the COVID pandemic.

Countries outside the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) group are expected to boost output by 1.6 million bd next year, to exceed 2019 levels.

While, OPEC+ countries will have 6.9 million bd of spare capacity even after lifting production by 2 million bd over the May-July period.

Read more: Oil demand will exceed pre-COVID levels by end of 2022

London miners were also boosted by reports that the UK economy grew 2.3% in April, the fastest rise since July 2020.

The figure, which follows strong growth of 2.1% in March, was slightly above Reuters poll consensus for a 2.2% increase as non-essential shops and outdoor hospitality reopened to the public after months of lockdown.

The services sector provided the biggest boost to the British economy, with output growing 3.4% during the month. 

However overall output remains 3.7% below the pre-pandemic levels seen in February last year. Output in the production sector fell by 1.3% in April 2021, the first fall since January 2021 as three of the four sectors contracted.

Watch: Could mining make a comeback in Cornwall?

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – June 11, 2021) – Pure Energy Minerals (TSXV: PE) (OTCQB: PEMIF) (the "Company" or "Pure Energy") is pleased to provide an important release by Schlumberger, the Company's strategic investor at Pure Energy's Clayton Valley Project in Esmeralda County, Nevada, where Schlumberger's plans are underway to construct a pilot plant for innovative lithium brine extraction. The following news was released by Schlumberger on June 10, 2021.

"HOUSTON, June 10, 2021- Schlumberger New Energy, and Panasonic Energy of North America, a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, have announced a collaboration agreement for the validation and optimization of the innovative and sustainable lithium extraction and production process to be used by Schlumberger New Energy at its NeoLith Energy pilot plant in Nevada. This collaboration paves the way for improved lithium production solutions that will help meet the expected surge in demand for lithium as the electric vehicle (EV) market takes off worldwide.

NeoLith Energy's sustainable approach uses a differentiated direct lithium extraction (DLE) process to produce high-purity, battery-grade lithium material while reducing the production time from over a year to weeks. The unique process is in sharp contrast to conventional evaporative methods of extracting lithium, with a significantly reduced groundwater and physical footprint. Panasonic will provide their guidance to validate and optimize the lithium material for battery-grade consumption. Situated in Clayton Valley, Nevada, the pilot plant is just 200 miles from Panasonic's large-scale advanced battery manufacturing operation, Panasonic Energy of North America, in Sparks, Nevada.

As a global technology company and leader in lithium-ion batteries, Panasonic has a proven track record in innovation and advanced products and solutions that power the automotive industry. Demand for battery-grade lithium is projected to grow exponentially over the next decade. As EVs greatly depend on lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, sustainable and efficient lithium production has become an important topic for regions, industries and technology companies, as well as battery and large automotive manufacturers. While the lithium industry is expected to attract large investments, the time-to-first-lithium-production for new development projects and regions will be critical for the industry to meet the surge in demand.

"Panasonic has a longstanding commitment to contributing to society and increasing sustainability in the supply chain as we work to produce the world's safest, highest quality and most affordable batteries is a critical priority," said Allan Swan, president of Panasonic Energy of North America. "We look forward to working with Schlumberger New Energy to help achieve our vision of advancing the lithium-ion battery space and accelerating to a clean energy society."

"Panasonic is a pioneer in electric vehicle battery technology, and we are excited to collaborate with them in developing our differentiated direct lithium extraction and production process," said Ashok Belani, executive vice president Schlumberger New Energy. "We are committed to expanding the global supply chain for advanced lithium compounds to support the forecasted surge in demand and enable new opportunities for lithium production globally."

NeoLith Energy's objective will be to pump brine from the subsurface, extract greater than 90% of the dissolved lithium, and pump more than 85% of the brine back to the subsurface in an environmentally safe manner. In addition to maximizing the reinjection of the brine, the ultimate goal is to eliminate the need for any fresh water from an external source and reduce the environmental impact.

Together, Panasonic and Schlumberger New Energy aim to accelerate the development and implementation of an innovative lithium production process, with a commitment to economical, environmental and responsible extraction to empower the world's transition to new energy sources.

About Schlumberger New Energy

Schlumberger is the world's leading provider of technology to the global energy industry. Schlumberger New Energy explores new avenues of growth by leveraging Schlumberger's intellectual and business capital in emerging new energy markets, with a focus on low-carbon and carbon-neutral energy technologies. Its activities include ventures in the domains of hydrogen, lithium, carbon capture and sequestration, geothermal power and geoenergy for heating and cooling buildings.

Learn more about Schlumberger New Energy: newenergy.slb.com

About Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is a global leader developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B sectors. The company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018, operates 522 subsidiaries and 69 associated companies worldwide and reported consolidated net sales of 6,698.8 billion yen for the year ended March 31, 2021. Committed to pursuing new value through collaborative innovation, the company uses its technologies to create a better life and a better world for customers.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws – that is, statements about the future, not about past events. Such statements often contain words such as "expect," "may," "believe," "plan," "can," "estimate," "intend," "anticipate," "should," "could," "will," "likely," "goal," "objective," "potential," "projected" and other similar words. Forward-looking statements address matters that are, to varying degrees, uncertain, such as projected demand growth for battery-grade lithium and EVs; forecasts or expectations regarding the development of, or anticipated benefits of, NeoLith Energy's process and other Schlumberger New Energy initiatives; and other forecasts or expectations regarding the energy transition and global climate change. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the inability to recognize intended benefits from Schlumberger New Energy strategies, initiatives or partnerships; legislative and regulatory initiatives addressing environmental concerns, including initiatives addressing the impact of global climate change; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the companies' public filings, including Schlumberger's most recent Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize (or the consequences of such a development changes), or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those reflected in our forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, the parties disclaim any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. "

About Pure Energy Minerals

Pure Energy Minerals is a lithium resource developer that is driven to become a low-cost supplier for the growing lithium battery industry. Pure Energy has consolidated a pre-eminent land position at its Clayton Valley ("CV") Project in the Clayton Valley of central Nevada for the exploration and development of lithium resources, comprising 950 claims over 23,360 acres (9,450 hectares), representing the largest mineral land holdings in the valley. Pure Energy's Clayton Valley Project adjoins and surrounds on three sides the Silver Peak lithium brine mine operated by Albemarle Corporation. Drilling of bore holes CV-01 through CV-08 were completed together with a revised mineral resource and a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Clayton Valley Project (news releases of June 26, 2017 and April 5, 2018).

Pure Energy's strategic investor, Schlumberger Technology Corp. ("SLB"), is the operator of the Clayton Valley Project. On May 29, 2019, Pure Energy and SLB signed an Earn-In agreement over the CV Project which requires significant investment by SLB at the Project, to include the design and construction of a pilot plant capable of processing lithium-bearing brines for high-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate ("lithium hydroxide" or "LiOH∙H2O") and/or lithium carbonate products at a specified rate. SLB plans to utilize both in-house and commercially available technology in the design of the CV pilot plant. SLB's costs, technical parameters and ultimate technology are anticipated to differ from the published PEA. For further details regarding SLB's earn-in, please refer to Pure Energy's Annual General and Special Meeting Management Information Circular dated April 4, 2019, available on SEDAR.com.

On January 3, 2019, the Nevada Division of Water Resources ("NDWR") approved and granted a Finite Term Water Right to Pure Energy, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Esmeralda Minerals LLC, for the extraction of up to 50 acre-feet of water during a 5-year period from the CV properties. This water right is deemed sufficient for brine testing requirements and SLB's future pilot plant facility. In July of 2020, the CV-09 well was completed and results were published by Pure Energy on October 14, 2020.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Mary L. Little"
Director, Pure Energy Minerals Ltd.

CONTACT:

Pure Energy Minerals Limited (www.pureenergyminerals.com)
Email: info@pureenergyminerals.com
Telephone – 604 608 6611

Cautionary Statements and Forward-Looking Information

The information in this news release contains forward looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Forward-looking statements in this release may include future exploration and development on the CV Project. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of 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/87286

Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. Indeed, Foran Mining (CVE:FOM) stock is up 1,700% in the last year, providing strong gains for shareholders. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

So notwithstanding the buoyant share price, we think it's well worth asking whether Foran Mining's cash burn is too risky. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway.

View our latest analysis for Foran Mining

When Might Foran Mining Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. As at March 2021, Foran Mining had cash of CA$21m and such minimal debt that we can ignore it for the purposes of this analysis. Importantly, its cash burn was CA$4.7m over the trailing twelve months. So it had a cash runway of about 4.4 years from March 2021. Importantly, analysts think that Foran Mining will reach cashflow breakeven in 4 years. That means it doesn't have a great deal of breathing room, but it shouldn't really need more cash, considering that cash burn should be continually reducing. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Is Foran Mining's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Foran Mining didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 39%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. However, the company's true cash runway will therefore be shorter than suggested above, if spending continues to increase. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

Can Foran Mining Raise More Cash Easily?

Given its cash burn trajectory, Foran Mining shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Since it has a market capitalisation of CA$423m, Foran Mining's CA$4.7m in cash burn equates to about 1.1% of its market value. That means it could easily issue a few shares to fund more growth, and might well be in a position to borrow cheaply.

How Risky Is Foran Mining's Cash Burn Situation?

It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way Foran Mining is burning through its cash. For example, we think its cash runway suggests that the company is on a good path. While its increasing cash burn wasn't great, the other factors mentioned in this article more than make up for weakness on that measure. Shareholders can take heart from the fact that analysts are forecasting it will reach breakeven. Looking at all the measures in this article, together, we're not worried about its rate of cash burn; the company seems well on top of its medium-term spending needs. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 3 warning signs for Foran Mining that you should be aware of before investing.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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

We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. By way of example, DevEx Resources (ASX:DEV) has seen its share price rise 343% over the last year, delighting many shareholders. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.

Given its strong share price performance, we think it's worthwhile for DevEx Resources shareholders to consider whether its cash burn is concerning. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves.

See our latest analysis for DevEx Resources

Does DevEx Resources Have A Long Cash Runway?

A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. In December 2020, DevEx Resources had AU$12m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$4.6m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 2.6 years as of December 2020. That's decent, giving the company a couple years to develop its business. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

How Is DevEx Resources' Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

DevEx Resources didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by a very significant 55%. Oftentimes, increased cash burn simply means a company is accelerating its business development, but one should always be mindful that this causes the cash runway to shrink. DevEx Resources makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow.

How Hard Would It Be For DevEx Resources To Raise More Cash For Growth?

While DevEx Resources does have a solid cash runway, its cash burn trajectory may have some shareholders thinking ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$143m, DevEx Resources' AU$4.6m in cash burn equates to about 3.2% of its market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.

So, Should We Worry About DevEx Resources' Cash Burn?

As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about DevEx Resources' cash burn. In particular, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. While its increasing cash burn wasn't great, the other factors mentioned in this article more than make up for weakness on that measure. After taking into account the various metrics mentioned in this report, we're pretty comfortable with how the company is spending its cash, as it seems on track to meet its needs over the medium term. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 3 warning signs for DevEx Resources you should be aware of, and 2 of them can't be ignored.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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