Investors interested in stocks from the Mining – Miscellaneous sector have probably already heard of Billiton (BBL) and BHP (BHP). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Billiton and BHP are both sporting a Zacks Rank of # 1 (Strong Buy) right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that these stocks have improving earnings outlooks. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

The Value category of the Style Scores system identifies undervalued companies by looking at a number of key metrics. These include the long-favored P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that help us determine a company's fair value.

BBL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 8.98, while BHP has a forward P/E of 10.96. We also note that BBL has a PEG ratio of 2.17. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. BHP currently has a PEG ratio of 2.64.

Another notable valuation metric for BBL is its P/B ratio of 1.19. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, BHP has a P/B of 2.25.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to BBL's Value grade of A and BHP's Value grade of D.

Both BBL and BHP are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that BBL is the superior value option right now.

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We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.

So should Red Metal (ASX:RDM) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? 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. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

See our latest analysis for Red Metal

Does Red Metal Have A Long Cash Runway?

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. In December 2020, Red Metal had AU$3.5m in cash, and was debt-free. In the last year, its cash burn was AU$783k. That means it had a cash runway of about 4.5 years as of December 2020. There's no doubt that this is a reassuringly long runway. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Well Is Red Metal Growing?

It was fairly positive to see that Red Metal reduced its cash burn by 28% during the last year. But the operating revenue growth of 204% was even better. We think it is growing rather well, upon reflection. In reality, this article only makes a short study of the company's growth data. You can take a look at how Red Metal is growing revenue over time by checking this visualization of past revenue growth.

Can Red Metal Raise More Cash Easily?

We are certainly impressed with the progress Red Metal has made over the last year, but it is also worth considering how costly it would be if it wanted to raise more cash to fund faster growth. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$34m, Red Metal's AU$783k in cash burn equates to about 2.3% 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.

So, Should We Worry About Red Metal's Cash Burn?

As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Red Metal's cash burn. In particular, we think its revenue growth stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. And even though its cash burn reduction wasn't quite as impressive, it was still a positive. After taking into account the various metrics mentioned in this report, we're pretty comfortable with how the company is spending its cash. Its important for readers to be cognizant of the risks that can affect the company's operations, and we've picked out 3 warning signs for Red Metal that investors should know when investing in the stock.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, 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.

Symbol: AZM.TSX Venture

LONGUEUIL, QC, June 28, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ – Azimut Exploration Inc. ("Azimut" or the "Company") (TSXV: AZM) is pleased to report it has commenced an extensive exploration program on two wholly-owned properties, Elmer and Wapatik, covering 60 kilometres of favourable geological strike in the greenstone belt hosting the Patwon gold discovery. Azimut has a controlling position over this underexplored but highly prospective belt in the James Bay region of Quebec. Extensive favourable structures for gold mineralization have been identified on both properties (see Figures 1 to 3).

Azimut has recently disclosed significant drilling results in the expanding Patwon gold zone, including 24.0 g/t Au over 18 m (see press releases dated May 19, June 2 and June 22, 2021). Assay results are pending for the remaining 54 holes from the program (17 on Patwon and 37 on new targets).

Extensive Till Sampling and Prospecting Phase

On the 35-kilometre-long Elmer Property, the Company will conduct a systematic till sampling survey to extend the 2020 survey covering the 3- by 8-kilometre priority corridor surrounding the Patwon discovery. Nine (9) distinct gold-in-till clusters identified during the initial survey consisted mainly of pristine gold grains, helping define new drilling targets in the vicinity of the discovery (see press releases dated January 19 and March 18, 2021). Detailed prospecting work will follow the 2021 till sampling phase.

On the 25-kilometre-long Wapatik Property, located 13 km east of the Elmer Property along the same geological strike, the Company takes a similar approach, performing an initial systematic till sampling survey followed by detailed prospecting work. The Wapatik project is under option to Mont Royal Resources Limited ("Mont Royal") (ASX: MRZ). Mont Royal can acquire from Azimut a 50% interest over four (4) years by spending $4 million in exploration expenditures and a further 20% interest for an additional investment of $3 million (see press release dated September 22, 2020). The 2021 exploration program amounts to $600,000 and is fully funded by Mont Royal. Azimut is the operator.

Prospective Context for Gold Mineralization along Strike from Patwon

Over the past few months, Azimut has conducted a systematic geological and structural reinterpretation of both properties to define and rank exploration targets. The reinterpretation was supported by new magnetic, remote sensing and field data. High-resolution magnetic data was acquired in early 2021 when NOVATEM of Mont-Saint-Hilaire (Quebec) flew a heliborne survey (5,116 line-km on 25-m spaced lines) over the entire Wapatik Property.

The geological and structural reinterpretation covers a cumulative 60-kilometre strike along the Lower Eastmain greenstone belt in the Archean La Grande Subprovince, approximately 10 kilometres north of the boundary with the Opinaca Subprovince.

The Elmer Property comprises 515 claims (271.3 km²). The Wapatik Property comprises 220 claims (115 km²).

Dr. Jean-Marc Lulin, P.Geo., prepared this press release as Azimut's Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. François Bissonnette, P.Geo., Operations Manager, Simon Houle, P.Geo., Chief Geologist, and Mathieu Landry, P.Geo., VP Technology and Business Development, have also reviewed the content of this press release.

About Azimut

Azimut is a mineral exploration company whose core business centres on target generation and partnership development. The Company is actively advancing the Patwon gold discovery on its 100%-owned flagship Elmer Property in the James Bay region.

The Company uses a pioneering approach to big data analytics (the proprietary AZtechMine^TM expert system), enhanced by extensive exploration know-how. Azimut maintains rigorous financial discipline and has 69.2 million shares outstanding. The Company's competitive edge against exploration risk is founded on systematic regional-scale data analysis and multiple concurrently active projects.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events related to the drilling results at the Elmer Property. To the extent that any statements in this press release contain information that is not historical, the statements are essentially forward-looking and are often identified by words such as "consider", "anticipate", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "project", "plan", "potential", "suggest" and "believe". The forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause such differences, particularly volatility and sensitivity to market metal prices, the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, imprecision in reserve estimates, recoveries of gold and other metals, environmental risks including increased regulatory burdens, unexpected geological conditions, adverse mining conditions, community and non-governmental organization actions, changes in government regulations and policies, including laws and policies, global outbreaks of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities, as well as other development and operating risks. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this document. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required to do so by applicable securities laws. The reader is directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Report filed on SEDAR for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect the Company's business.

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

SOURCE Azimut Exploration Inc.

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/28/c2026.html

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. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

So, the natural question for Orezone Gold (CVE:ORE) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

View our latest analysis for Orezone Gold

When Might Orezone Gold Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. When Orezone Gold last reported its balance sheet in March 2021, it had zero debt and cash worth US$60m. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through US$16m. That means it had a cash runway of about 3.8 years as of March 2021. Importantly, though, the one analyst we see covering the stock thinks that Orezone Gold will reach cashflow breakeven before then. In that case, it may never reach the end of its cash runway. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Is Orezone Gold's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Because Orezone Gold isn't currently generating revenue, we consider it an early-stage business. So while we can't look to sales to understand growth, we can look at how the cash burn is changing to understand how expenditure is trending over time. Even though it doesn't get us excited, the 32% reduction in cash burn year on year does suggest the company can continue operating for quite some time. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

How Hard Would It Be For Orezone Gold To Raise More Cash For Growth?

While Orezone Gold is showing a solid reduction in its cash burn, it's still worth considering how easily it could raise more cash, even just to fuel faster growth. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Orezone Gold's cash burn of US$16m is about 4.4% of its US$363m market capitalisation. 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.

Is Orezone Gold's Cash Burn A Worry?

It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way Orezone Gold is burning through its cash. For example, we think its cash runway suggests that the company is on a good path. Its cash burn reduction wasn't quite as good, but was still rather encouraging! There's no doubt that shareholders can take a lot of heart from the fact that at least one analyst is forecasting it will reach breakeven before too long. Taking all the factors in this report into account, we're not at all worried about its cash burn, as the business appears well capitalized to spend as needs be. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 4 warning signs for Orezone Gold (2 are a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -A Rio Tinto Ltd forerunner failed to protect 18,000-year-old artefacts showing how people lived during the last Ice Age, part of destruction that the mining giant kept secret for decades, an Australian Aboriginal group alleged on Friday.

The group said that Rio, despite pledges to improve how it protects Indigenous heritage after its destruction of sacred sites last year, did not come clean about the 1990s destruction of heritage at an iron ore mine that local Aboriginal people still do not have access to.

Australian mining "is an industry that hasn’t behaved responsibly and an industry that needs far greater oversight in heritage protection and agreement making," the Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation (WGAC) said in a statement.

The troubled relationship between mining, a core industry for Australia's economy, and the nation's Aboriginal heritage attracted global attention last year when Rio, with state approval, blew up two ancient rock shelters considered sacred to Indigenous people in Western Australia.

Outrage at the legal destruction featured in Black Lives Matter protests in a country where Aboriginal people have long suffered higher rates of imprisonment, unemployment and lower life expectancy.

The furore led Rio to replace top executives and promise to overhaul its heritage protection practices.

Friday's claims, in a submission to a government inquiry, concern different sites in the same region, around the Marandoo iron ore mine. The group said it had learned that material dating back at least 18,000 years and other artefacts had been thrown in a Darwin rubbish heap.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Simon Trott said in a statement: "We’re not proud of many parts of our history at Marandoo and we reiterate our apology to the Traditional Owners of the land, the Eastern Guruma People, for our past actions. We know we have a lot of work ahead to right some of these historical wrongs, which fell well short of the standards we expect today."

Trott's statement did not address the Indigenous group's specific allegations. Rio declined to comment beyond the statement.

The Aboriginal group's submission highlights an Australian legal structure that has long greenlighted mining development at the expense of historically important cultural sites.

"Any site dating from the last Ice Age is significant because people were using these sites as refuges, so we can get a sense of how they were reacting to glacial conditions," said Duncan Wright, a specialist in Indigenous archaeology at Australian National University.

"If you had sites of this significance in England, they would be protected – it's like destroying Stonehenge," said Wright, who has not seen the material. The sites could, in fact, have been significantly older, given the technology available in the 1990s, he said.

HERITAGE 'IN THE BIN'

Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd and the Western Australia state government knew by May 1992 "that rock shelter 'MG2' in Manganese Gorge contained Aboriginal cultural material dating back 18,000 years," the first evidence of Aboriginal habitation through the Ice Age, WGAC said in the submission. Rio acquired Hamersley in 2001.

Material from that rock shelter was accidentally dumped in landfill, and Hamersley later approved plans to discard unanalysed material from 20 of 28 sites that were salvaged, it said.

"It is a wound that has not healed – that so many cultural sites were lost, blasted into fragments, without even a record, note or photograph kept," the group said. "Nothing remains today beyond a deep hole in the ground."

The group said this contravened state regulations requiring the miner to safeguard salvaged material, part of an arrangement that exempts Rio from complying with state heritage laws.

Indigenous groups have mounted opposition to state government revisions of heritage protection laws that have legalised the destruction of ancient sites.

Trott said Rio also supports repealing the law that created the exemption, the Marandoo Act 1992, and that "discussions with Traditional Owner groups to better understand and reflect their wishes are ongoing."

The Aboriginal group said artefacts in early reports had included grinding material, hearths, marine shell, bone, stone and wooden items from an area that contained numerous rock shelters, a ceremonial area and a waterhole with engravings.

"So little was the respect for either the State’s conditions, or for the cultural heritage that was destroyed on a massive scale, hundreds of Eastern Guruma cultural artefacts ended up in the bin," it said.

The group noted reports of vandalism at the M2 rock shelter, including a drill rig putting a hole through its roof.

WGAC said they remain unable to assess the heritage at Marandoo that is not included in their legal native title claim, and that Rio does not pay royalties on the three oldest of its six mines on its ancestral land.

"It is not surprising that this sort of behaviour occurred in Western Australia, some 28 years before Juukan Gorge," the area of last year's destruction, the WGAC board in a statement.

(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by William Mallard)

Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One company value investors might notice is Billiton (BBL). BBL is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 6.73, which compares to its industry's average of 7.35. BBL's Forward P/E has been as high as 14.06 and as low as 6.45, with a median of 10.47, all within the past year.

Investors should also recognize that BBL has a P/B ratio of 1.16. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. BBL's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 3.16. Within the past 52 weeks, BBL's P/B has been as high as 1.32 and as low as 0.78, with a median of 1.07.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in Billiton's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that BBL is an impressive value stock right now.

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Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – June 25, 2021) – Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: PEX) (OTC Pink: PEXZF) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the following directors were elected at its Annual General Meeting held June 24, 2021: Gerald Carlson, Blaine Monaghan, Bruce Youngman (an independent director), Borden Putnam III (an independent director), and Gary Baschuk (an independent director). In addition, the shareholders re-appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chartered Accountants, as auditor of the Company and approved the Company's rolling incentive stock option plan pursuant to which a maximum of 10% of the issued shares will be reserved for issuance under the plan. The plan is subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance.

The following officers were appointed after the Annual General Meeting: Gerald Carlson as Executive Chairman, Blaine Monaghan as President & CEO, Danette Schwab as Vice President Exploration, Salvador Miranda as Chief Financial Officer, and Arie Page as Corporate Secretary.

"I'm very pleased to welcome Gary Baschuk as our newest director," said Blaine Monaghan, President and CEO of Pacific Ridge. "The Company has built a strong team to advance the Kliyul copper-gold project and we look forward to the fully funded drill program starting next month. Pacific Ridge believes that there is excellent potential to find additional copper-gold mineralization along strike and at depth at Kliyul main zone, which is just one target area along a 4-km long mineralized trend."

Pacific Ridge also announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire certain data related to the RDP copper-gold project by issuing 100,000 common shares to the vendor. The agreement is subject to regulatory approval.

About Pacific Ridge

Our goal is to become one of the leading copper-gold exploration companies in British Columbia. Pacific Ridge's flagship project is the advanced-stage Kliyul copper-gold project, located in the Quesnel Trough, British Columbia, approximately 50 km southeast of Centerra Gold's Kemess project. Historic drilling at Kliyul encountered significant copper-gold porphyry mineralization, drill hole KLI-15-34 returned 245 metres of 0.75% CuEQ¹ (see Pacific Ridge press release dated December 2, 2020). The Company plans to launch a drill program at Kliyul next month.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Blaine Monaghan"

Blaine Monaghan
President & CEO
Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd.

Corporate Contact:
Blaine Monaghan
President & CEO
Tel: (604) 687-4951
www.pacificridgeexploration.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-ridge-exploration-ltd-pex-
https://twitter.com/PacRidge_PEX

Investor Contact:
G2 Consultants Corp.
Telephone: +1 778-678-9050
Email: ir@pacificridgeexploration.com

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.

The technical information contained within this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Gerald G. Carlson, Ph.D., P.Eng., Executive Chairman of Pacific Ridge and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy.

Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling and other activities and events or developments that Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. ("Pacific Ridge") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding certain data related to the RDP copper-gold project and drill program at the Kliyul copper-gold project this summer. Although Pacific Ridge believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, that one of the options will be exercised, the ability of Pacific Ridge and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Pacific Ridge's proposed programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Pacific Ridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

¹ Copper equivalent (CuEQ) is equal to ((Cu (per cent) multiplied by $2.25 multiplied by 22.0642) plus (Au (g/t) multiplied by $1,650 multiplied by 0.032151)) divided by ($2.25 multiplied by 22.0642).

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/88639

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – June 24, 2021 – Zacks Equity Research Shares of PulteGroup, Inc. PHM as the Bull of the Day, Panasonic Corporation PCRFY as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Caterpillar Inc. CAT and Rio Tinto Group RIO.

Here is a synopsis of all four stocks:

Bull of the Day:

The pandemic and the subsequent low interest rates brought about a banner year for the U.S. housing market. Though sales have slowed, prices have continued to climb in 2021 and homebuilders are poised to grow amid a nationwide housing shortage.

Pulte’s Pitch

PulteGroup is one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., with operations in over 40 major markets across 23 states. The company operates under multiple brands, including its namesake Pulte, as well Centex, Del Webb, John Wieland Home, and others.

PulteGroup builds homes in popular areas from California and Texas to the Midwest, Florida, and beyond. The list of major markets includes Austin, Dallas, San Diego, Chicago, Miami, and many others. PHM also reaches a diversified set of customers, which helps it grow and gain exposure to different buying trends.

The Atlanta-based company claims that 29% of its homes are sold to first-time buyers, while 45% come from “move up” clients and 26% from “active adults.” And PHM has exposure to various levels of the housing market, from the under $250K group to $500K and above. In 2019, 30% of its homes closed between $300K to $399K, with another 45% coming at $400K or higher.

Growth & Outlook

PulteGroup has posted sales growth for nearly a decade straight, including some impressive years of top-line expansion. The company’s revenue climbed 8% in 2020 and it surged 19% in the first quarter of 2021. The recent pop was driven by a 12% increase in the number of homes closed, alongside a 4% increase in average sales price that saw it hit $430K, which reflected “price increases realized across all buyer groups.”

More importantly, PHM ended the first quarter with a backlog of 18,966 homes valued at $8.8 billion, up 50%. Meanwhile, its adjusted earnings surged 60%. And its CEO Ryan Marshall nicely summarized the broader industry trends that provide solid tailwinds for PulteGroup and other homemakers, on top of “favorable demographics, low interest rates and improving consumer.”

“The need for almost 4 million additional homes as recently estimated by Freddie Mac to meet buyer demand, and expectations for an acceleration in economic growth as the pandemic continues to recede, keep us optimistic about future housing conditions and the opportunity to drive additional gains in our business results.”

The booming housing market pushed U.S. home sales to their highest levels since 2006 in 2020. And a tight market saw U.S. existing-home prices hit a record high in May. Like PulteGroup’s chief executive pointed out, there is a huge need for more homes, with one recent report stating the country was 5.5 million units below necessary levels.

With this positive backdrop in mind, Zacks estimates call for PHM’s fiscal 2021 revenue to soar 35% to reach $14.9 billion and mark its strongest top-line growth in roughly 20 years. The company is then expected to follow up this growth with another 9% sales expansion in 2022.

At the bottom-end, its adjusted earnings are expected to climb by 48% and 11%, respectively over this stretch. PulteGroup also boasts a long history of quarterly earnings beats and its consensus bottom-line estimates have surged since its last report, with its FY21 figure up 26% and FY22 30% higher.

Other Fundamentals

In a sign of strength, PulteGroup in December raised its quarterly dividend by 17%, with its current 1% yield roughly matching peers such as Lennar and Toll Brothers. And PHM executives last quarter announced the firm increased its share repurchase authorization by $1 billion.

PHM shares have crushed their industry over the last five years, up 210% vs. 135%. This includes a 60% jump in the last 12 months, which once again helped it outpace the Home Builders space and the benchmark S&P 500 index’s 45%. The stock has pulled back since hitting records in May, closing regular hours Wednesday nearly 15% below its highs at $53.49 a share.

PulteGroup is currently trading under its 50-day moving average, but well above its 200-day. The stock also sits well below neutral RSI levels (50) at 40. Plus, PHM is trading at an 18% discount to its own year-long median and nearly 50% under its highs at 6.7X forward earnings, marking solid value compared to its industry’s 7.9X average. All of this provides PulteGroup stock plenty of possible runway.

Bottom Line

PulteGroup’s positive earnings revisions help it land a Ranks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at the moment. On top of that, seven of the 11 brokerage recommendations Zacks has for PHM come in at “Strong Buys,” with one more “Buy” and none below a “Hold.”

In the end, millennials continue to reach their prime homebuying years and a shortage of homes could help PulteGroup and other homebuilders continue to grow. And let’s remember that mortgage rates are still extremely low despite climbing off their early 2021 bottoms. Plus, PHM’s Building Products-Home Builders industry sits in the top 8% of our over 250 Zacks industries.

Bear of the Day:

Panasonic is a historic technology firm that has seen its earnings revisions trend in the wrong direction recently. The stock has also fallen around 20% since February and PCRFY shares have yet to mount a real recovery, while lagging its industry over the past several years.

The Short Story

Panasonic is a tech titan that operates multiple units: appliances, life solutions, connected solutions, automotive, and industrial solutions. The company is currently working to expand its battery business far beyond Tesla as the electric vehicle age begins.

Panasonic also made a splash when it announced in April its plans to buy U.S. supply-chain software provider Blue Yonder Holding Inc. The deal is valued at roughly $7 billion and is projected to help bolster the firm’s software business in the SaaS age. Wall Street has, however, not reacted too kindly to the deal, with PCRFY down around 8% since the end of April.

The recent pullback is part of a larger downturn since February for a stock that has struggled to keep up with the booming tech sector. The nearby chart shows PCRFY shares are up just roughly 20% in the last five years. When it comes to the technical side, Panasonic is currently trading below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The rough stretch in 2021 comes as the Nasdaq has rebounded to reach new highs.

Bottom Line

Panasonic has seen some downward earnings revisions activity recently to help it land a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) at the moment. And its Audio Video Production industry sits in the bottom third of over 250 Zacks industries.

All that said, investors might want to hold off on Panasonic stock until it flashes signs of a possible comeback before considering the consumer electronics standout.

Additional content:

Caterpillar (CAT) Designing Zero-Emission Machines

Caterpillar recently entered into a collaboration agreement with Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. to develop, test and produce zero-emission machines for the latter’s Matawinie graphite mine. Caterpillar expects to become the exclusive supplier of an all-electric mining fleet for the mine by 2028.

The Matawinie project, which will provide high-purity graphite concentrate for electric vehicles, is planned to be the first open pit operation in the world that will exclusively use electric equipment. This is an important milestone in the mining industry as it can be used as a launch pad for other miners focused on cutting down their emissions utilizing Caterpillar’s cutting-edge technologies.

Fully owned by Nouveau Monde, Matawinie is a high-purity flake graphite deposit located in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, 150 km north of Montréal, Québec. The project is estimated to contain probable reserves of 59.8 Mt (million tons) grading 4.35% graphitic carbon.

The mine is expected to produce 100,000 tons of graphite concentrate annually for the battery electric vehicle and energy storage markets. Also, the combination of high-quality infrastructure, skilled workforce and a dynamic regional business ecosystem make it a worthy investment.  Nouveau Monde is targeting commercial operations by 2023.

Dedicated to stringent sustainable development standards, Nouveau Monde is committed to having both its equipment used for mining operations and its ore concentration and processing activities become fully electric within the first five years of production. This operating model, which is the world’s first for an open-pit mine, represents a potential reduction of over 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions over the mine’s lifespan. Notably, Caterpillar has been helping its customers decrease their carbon footprints through machinery and power solutions that minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

This news comes on the heels of Rio Tinto announcement that it will deploy the world’s first fully autonomous water truck in partnership with Caterpillar at its $2.6 billion Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Water spraying is a vital part of mining operations and this new technology will enhance productivity by enabling digital tracking of water consumption, while cutting down water wastage. Rio Tinto intends to make Gudai-Darri one of the world’s most technologically advanced mines.

Cutting down the mining sector’s carbon emissions is the need of the hour. Day by day, more and more mining companies are exploring options to electrify their mines. The switch from diesel to electricity will also cut costs and boost their license to operate.

Electrified mines will require less maintenance and human intervention. The use of automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) will increase as drones, autonomous vehicles and remote-controlled operational systems are rolled out more widely across mining operations.

At Bernstein 37th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference earlier this month, Caterpillar’s CEO Jim Umpleby pointed toward a “long healthy cycle” in mining and strong commodity prices. Umpleby also highlighted that the energy transition has immense potential for Caterpillar in the long haul.

The intensifying global focus on shifting from fossil fuels to zero emissions will require huge amounts of commodities. This will lead to higher demand for mining equipment. Caterpillar given its focus on energy and emissions reduction will have a competitive edge.

Per a Research and Markets report, the global market for mining equipment, which was estimated at $119 billion in 2020, is projected to witness a CAGR of 6.1% and hit $179.8 billion by 2027. Metal mining is projected to record a 7.6% CAGR and attain $83.5 billion by 2027.

Price Performance

Shares of Caterpillar have surged 68.8% over the past year compared with the industry’s rally of 45.1%.

Zacks Rank & Other Stocks to Consider

The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential

The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $775 billion by 2024 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases.

Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Our recent biotech recommendations have produced gains of +50%, +83% and +164% in as little as 2 months. The stocks in this report could perform even better.

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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.

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VANCOUVER, BC, June 24, 2021 /CNW/ – NexGen Energy Ltd. ("NexGen" or the "Company") (TSX: NXE) (NYSE: NXE) is pleased to announce that it has filed a prospectus with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission ("ASIC") in connection with NexGen's application for admission to the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") as a Foreign Exempt Listing and quotation of its shares as Chess Depositary Instruments ("CDIs") on July 2, 2021 under the code "NXG".

Leigh Curyer, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "NexGen has grown a substantial investor following in Australia and the Asia Pacific region since its founding in 2011. At present, approximately 30% of the NexGen's outstanding share capital is held by investors in the region. Given the stage of the Company's development, the exceptional economic strength of the Rook I Project, and the accelerating demand for the responsible production of clean energy worldwide, it is time to broaden the exposure of NexGen through a dual listing onto the ASX. The ASX is a significant resource bourse and has substantial capital pools which are limited or restricted to only ASX-listed issuers. The ASX dual listing is complimentary to NexGen's current TSX and NYSE listings and the Company's highly strategic positioning within the resource space will translate well onto the ASX providing additional investor interest and liquidity. NexGen is well financed with over $200 million in cash in the treasury enabling the Company to fund its planned activities through this exciting stage of final permitting and towards construction.

Further, NexGen is in the final stages of preparing for a 2021 exploration program at Rook I. This program will focus on known highly prospective targets incorporating extensive geological data sets and surveys accumulated over the last 10 years. The Patterson Corridor alone on the Rook I Property that hosts the Arrow Deposit, has over 90% yet to be explored. In addition, the Rook I property hosts an additional 8 known corridors running parallel to the east of the Patterson which are all yet to be drilled. The proposed exploration program is scheduled to commence in the coming months incorporating and subject to the exploration, health and safety protocols administered by the Provincial Government and Health Authority."

Max Cunningham – Executive General Manager, Listings, Issuer Services & Investment Products, Australian Securities Exchange commented: "We look forward to welcoming NexGen to ASX, where it will join some of the world's largest resource companies and benefit from direct access to Australia's deep capital pool. The listing comes at a time of heightened interest and activity in the sector and will be our largest listing (by market capitalisation) in the resources space since 2018."

NexGen is issuing 400,000 shares to be broadly distributed to Australian investors as part of the ASX listing in order to provide for orderly trading.

ASX uses an uncertificated electronic system called CHESS for the clearance and settlement of trades on ASX. NexGen is incorporated in British Columbia and the requirements of British Columbian laws that registered shareholders have the right to receive a stock certificate do not permit the CHESS system of holding uncertificated securities. Accordingly, to enable NexGen to have its securities cleared and settled electronically through CHESS, depositary instruments called CDIs are issued. CDIs represent the beneficial interest in the underlying common share in NexGen and are traded in a manner similar to shares in an Australian company listed on ASX. Each CDI will be equivalent to one Share.

The ASX Listing remains subject to ASX approval and NexGen satisfying ASX's admission requirements.

A copy of the prospectus in respect of the Listing is available on NexGen's website at http://www.nexgenenergy.ca.

About NexGen

NexGen is a British Columbia corporation with a focus on developing the Rook I Project located in the southwestern Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada into production. Rook I hosts the Arrow Deposit that hosts Measured Mineral Resources of 209.6 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 2.18 M tonnes grading 4.35% U3O8, Indicated Mineral Resources of 47.1 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 1.57 M tonnes grading 1.36% U3O8, and Inferred Mineral Resources of 80.7 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 4.40 M tonnes grading 0.83% U3O8. Arrow's development is supported by a NI 43-101 compliant Feasibility Study which outlines industry leading 'next generation' designs implementing elite environmental performance as well as industry leading strong economics.

NexGen has a highly experienced team of uranium industry professionals with a successful track record in the discovery of uranium deposits and in developing projects through discovery to production. The Company is the recipient of the 2018 PDAC Bill Dennis Award for Canadian mineral discovery and the 2019 PDAC Enviornmental and Social Responsibility Award.

Technical Disclosure

The technical information in this news release with respect to the FS has been reviewed and approved by Mark Hatton, P.Eng. of Stantec, Paul O'Hara, P.Eng. of Wood, and Mark B. Mathisen, C.P.G. of RPA, each of whom is an independent "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI-43-101").

All technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Anthony (Tony) George, P.Eng, NexGen's Chief Project Officer, who is a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101.

A technical report in respect of the FS will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and EDGAR (www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml) shortly.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors

This news release includes Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources classification terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada and the Mineral Reserves, and the Mineral Resources estimates are made in accordance with NI 43-101. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. These standards differ from the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") set the SEC's rules that are applicable to domestic United States reporting companies. Consequently, Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources information included in this news release is not comparable to similar information that would generally be disclosed by domestic U.S. reporting companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.

Forward-Looking Information

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws and regulations and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, the 2021 Arrow Deposit, Rook I Project and estimates of uranium production, grade and long-term average uranium prices, anticipated effects of completed drill results on the Rook I Project, planned work programs, completion of further site investigations and engineering work to support basic engineering of the project and expected outcomes. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Statements relating to "mineral resources" are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment that, based on certain estimates and assumptions, the mineral resources described can be profitably produced in the future.

Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about NexGen's business and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions, including among others, that the mineral reserve and resources estimates and the key assumptions and parameters on which such estimates are based are as set out in this news release and the technical report for the property , the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price and market supply of uranium, the cost of planned exploration activities, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment, supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct NexGen's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward looking information or making forward looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate in the future.

Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performances and achievements of NexGen to differ materially from any projections of results, performances and achievements of NexGen expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others, the existence of negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of the availability of additional financing, the risk that pending assay results will not confirm previously announced preliminary results, conclusions of economic valuations, the risk that actual results of exploration activities will be different than anticipated, the cost of labour, equipment or materials will increase more than expected, that the future price of uranium will decline or otherwise not rise to an economic level, the appeal of alternate sources of energy to uranium-produced energy, that the Canadian dollar will strengthen against the U.S. dollar, that mineral resources and reserves are not as estimated, that actual costs or actual results of reclamation activities are greater than expected, that changes in project parameters and plans continue to be refined and may result in increased costs, of unexpected variations in mineral resources and reserves, grade or recovery rates or other risks generally associated with mining, unanticipated delays in obtaining governmental, regulatory or First Nations approvals, risks related to First Nations title and consultation, reliance upon key management and other personnel, deficiencies in the Company's title to its properties, uninsurable risks, failure to manage conflicts of interest, failure to obtain or maintain required permits and licences, risks related to changes in laws, regulations, policy and public perception, as well as those factors or other risks as more fully described in NexGen's Annual Information Form dated March 11, 2020 filed with the securities commissions of all of the provinces of Canada except Quebec and in NexGen's 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and Edgar at www.sec.gov.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or statements or implied by forward-looking information or statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nexgen-to-list-on-the-australian-securities-exchange-301319153.html

SOURCE NexGen Energy Ltd.

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/24/c3583.html

TORONTO, June 24, 2021 /CNW/ – Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) ("Purepoint" or the "Company") today announced the commencement of a drill program at the 100%-owned Umfreville uranium project which lies on the northeastern edge of the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan Canada.

"We have performed airborne geophysical surveys followed by geochemical surveys over select areas at Umfreville and feel we have identified a high priority target for potential uranium deposition" said Scott Frostad, Purepoint's VP Exploration. "As this is the first drill program on this project, we will be starting with an exploratory diamond drill hole designed to gain a better understanding of the underlying geology and to further evaluate and prioritize the project's potential for discovery."

Highlights

• The 100%-owned Umfreville project consists of 7 claims totaling 18,273 hectares on the northeastern edge of Canada's Athabasca Basin

• The Company is planning an initial hole of diamond drilling totaling 400 metres followed by a second hole of equal length if time allows

• The primary target zone appears to be a splay of the Fond du Lac Fault as evidenced by coincident magnetic and gravity low responses

• Regional soil samples returned high level uranium anomalies associated with the primary target zone

• A Technical Report on the Umfreville project can be obtained from the Company's web site

• A video tour of the Umfreville project can be viewed at https://youtu.be/Af6mNL5sQZg

Umfreville Project

The 100%-owned Umfreville project consists of 7 claims totaling 18,273 hectares on the northeastern edge of Canada's Athabasca Basin. Exploration conducted by Purepoint on the Umfreville project has included an airborne Megatem electromagnetic (EM) and magnetics survey, an airborne Very Low Frequency (VLF) EM survey, an airborne gravity gradiometry survey, and soil geochemical sampling.

Airborne MEGATEM data covering the Umfreville project was processed using a layered-earth inversion (LEI) program and identified what is now believed to be a conductive layer within the Athabasca sandstone. The thin conductive layer within the sandstone is thought to be preventing the EM survey from properly reaching the basement rocks and identifying graphitic conductors. Reconstruction of the conductivity depth sections highlighted deep narrow conductors that are considered to show areas where the conductive layer is absent from the sandstone, the sandstone has been structurally disrupted, or the presence of very strong basement conductors.

The airborne gravity survey provided a response considered to reflect basement geology. The results also indicated the presence of fault systems not previously seen and supported fault systems that were interpreted from magnetic features. Our primary exploration target is a strong elongate gravity low response within the central portion of the survey area that is coincident with a magnetic low and the interpreted source area of a Geological Survey of Canada (1979) lake bottom sediment sample that returned anomalous uranium.

Soil geochemical surveys that collected a total of 383 organic A1 soil horizon samples covered the prospective gravity low / magnetic low response of the primary target zone. Assay results for vanadium, and to a lesser degree boron, showed anomalous trends similar to the uranium anomalies but the trends are parallel rather than coincident. The results for nickel, molybdenum and cobalt appear to have anomalous north-south trends that may be influenced by an underlying crosscutting structure as suggested by the airborne magnetic results.

About Purepoint

Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) actively operates an exploration pipeline of 12 advanced projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin, the world's richest uranium region. Purepoint's flagship project is the Hook Lake Project, a joint venture with two of the largest uranium suppliers in the world, Cameco Corporation and Orano Canada Inc. The Hook Lake JV Project is on trend with recent high-grade uranium discoveries including Fission Uranium's Triple R Deposit and NexGen's Arrow Deposit and encompasses its own Spitfire discovery (53.3% U3O8 over 1.3m including 10m interval of 10.3% U3O8). Together with its flagship project, the Company's projects stretch across approximately 185,000 hectares of claims throughout the Athabasca Basin. These claims host over 20 distinct and well-defined drill target areas with advanced geophysical surveys completed, and in some cases, have had first pass drilling performed.

Scott Frostad BSc, MASc, PGeo, Purepoint's Vice President, Exploration, is the Qualified Person responsible for technical content of this release.

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

Disclosure regarding forward-looking statements

This press release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/purepoint-uranium-initiates-drilling-at-their-umfreville-project-301319128.html

SOURCE Purepoint Uranium Group Inc.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/24/c5142.html

Here are four stocks with buy rank and strong income characteristics for investors to consider today, June 24th:

Rio Tinto Group (RIO): This company that engages in finding, mining, and processing mineral resources has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 16% over the last 60 days.

Rio Tinto Group Price and Consensus

Rio Tinto Group price-consensus-chart | Rio Tinto Group Quote

This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company has a dividend yield of 7.38%, compared with the industry average of 0.00%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 6.06%.

Rio Tinto Group Dividend Yield (TTM)

Rio Tinto Group dividend-yield-ttm | Rio Tinto Group Quote

Seagate Technology Holdings plc (STX): This data storage technology and solutions provider has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 2.5% over the last 60 days.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc Price and Consensus

Seagate Technology Holdings plc price-consensus-chart | Seagate Technology Holdings plc Quote

This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 3.16%, compared with the industry average of 0.00%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 5.77%.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc Dividend Yield (TTM)

Seagate Technology Holdings plc dividend-yield-ttm | Seagate Technology Holdings plc Quote

TowneBank (TOWN): This retail and commercial banking services provider has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 18.7% over the last 60 days.

TowneBank Price and Consensus

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This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 2.33%, compared with the industry average of 1.93%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 2.44%.

TowneBank Dividend Yield (TTM)

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Avient Corporation (AVNT): This specialized polymer materials, services, and solutions provider has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 18.3% over the last 60 days.

Avient Corporation Price and Consensus

Avient Corporation price-consensus-chart | Avient Corporation Quote

This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 1.73%, compared with the industry average of 1.46%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 2.07%.

Avient Corporation Dividend Yield (TTM)

Avient Corporation dividend-yield-ttm | Avient Corporation Quote

See the full list of top ranked stocks here.

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More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 77 billion devices by 2025, creating a $1.3 trillion market.

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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Here are five stocks added to the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) List today:

Rio Tinto Group (RIO): This mining company has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 16% over the last 60 days.

Rio Tinto PLC Price and Consensus

Rio Tinto PLC price-consensus-chart | Rio Tinto PLC Quote

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (AIT): This distributor of industrial products in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 12.8% over the last 60 days.

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. Price and Consensus

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. Quote

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD): This provider of global logistics solutions has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 21.1% over the last 60 days.

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. Price and Consensus

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USA Truck, Inc. (USAK): This company that operates as a truckload carrier in the United States, Mexico, and Canada has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 27.2% over the last 60 days.

USA Truck, Inc. Price and Consensus

USA Truck, Inc. price-consensus-chart | USA Truck, Inc. Quote

Seagate Technology Holdings plc (STX): This provider of data storage technology and solutions has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 2.5% over the last 60 days.

Seagate Technology Holdings PLC Price and Consensus

Seagate Technology Holdings PLC price-consensus-chart | Seagate Technology Holdings PLC Quote

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 77 billion devices by 2025, creating a $1.3 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 4 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2022.

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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

ROUYN-NORANDA, Québec, June 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GLOBEX MINING ENTERPRISES INC. (GMX – Toronto Stock Exchange, G1MN – Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, Munich, Tradegate, Lang & Schwarz, L&S Exchange, TTM Zone, Stock Exchanges and GLBXF – OTCQX International in the USA) is pleased to announce that all five nominees listed in its 2021 management information circular were re-elected as directors at Globex’s annual and special meeting of shareholders held today in Rouyn-Noranda, Québec.

At the meeting, the following individuals were re-elected as directors of Globex on a vote by ballot, with the following results:

Director biographies are available in the Management section of Globex’s website at www.globexmining.com.

At the meeting, Globex’s shareholders also appointed MNP LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as Globex’s auditor.

In addition, Globex’s shareholders adopted a resolution in the form annexed as Schedule A to the 2021 management information circular approving an extension of five years to the term of stock options held by four insiders of the Corporation on a vote by ballot, excluding for purposes of the vote shares held by the four insiders and their respective associates and affiliates, as follows:

This press release was written by Jack Stoch, Geo., President and CEO of Globex.

By Jeff Lewis

TORONTO (Reuters) – BHP Group plans to almost double exploration spending for base metals within five years, its Chief Technical Officer Laura Tyler said on Wednesday, after shifting its exploration headquarters to Canada.

The world's biggest listed miner is expected to log bumper profits in August on booming prices for iron ore, but the pipeline for new projects is thin.

BHP's board is expected to make a call on its Jansen potash project in Canada as the miner looks to raise its exposure to new economy minerals including copper and nickel, seen as cornerstones of the world’s transition towards cleaner energy.

"Over the years we believe we have spent less than we should be spending on exploration," Tyler told Reuters in an interview.

Global exploration spending for base metals will nearly double within five years from the current annual $70 million to $80 million, she said, excluding outlays for early-entry joint ventures.

"So we are significantly increasing the amount we're spending just as our base load," she said.

BHP in March said it would move its head office for global exploration to Toronto from Santiago, Chile.

"That allows us almost to be closer to the action," she said.

The miner has partnered with junior Midland Exploration to explore for nickel in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec.

It also has a joint venture on copper concessions in Ecuador with Vancouver-based Luminex Resources Corp and holds a 12.3% stake in London-listed Solgold, whose Cascabel-Alpala copper-gold project in Ecuador is expected to start production in 2025.

(Reporting by Jeff Lewis; editing by Richard Pullin)

Copper Up

Copper Up

TORONTO, June 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSXV: TVC) Three Valley Copper, formerly SRHI Inc. (“Three Valley” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it will participate in PI Financial’s “Copper Up” Virtual Conference on June 24^th. Michael Staresinic, CEO, will present at 1:20pm ET on Thursday, June 24^th during the session entitled “Focus on Navigating Geopolitical Risks in South America”. The conference will feature leading copper developers and explorers advancing projects in North and South America. Expect the conference to address typical political and technical risks facing today’s copper-focused developers/explorers, rather than your average investor pitch. Those wishing to participate in the conference can register here.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/261f0415-b43e-46d8-9046-29c6f6130005

About PI Financial

PI Financial Corp. (PI) is a leading, independent investment dealer which provides a full range of investment products and services for individual, corporate and institutional investors.

Founded in 1982, PI has become one of Canada’s largest independent dealers with over 300 employees from Toronto west to its headquarters in Vancouver, BC.

About Three Valley Copper

Three Valley Copper, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is focused on growing copper production from, and further exploration of, its primary asset, Minera Tres Valles. Located in Salamanca, Chile, MTV is 90.3% owned by the Company and MTV's main assets are the Minera Tres Valles mining complex and its 46,000 hectares of exploratory lands. For more information about the Company, please visit www.threevalleycopper.com.

For further information:

Michael Staresinic
Chief Executive Officer
T: (416) 943-7107
E: mstaresinic@threevalleycopper.com

Renmark Financial Communications Inc.
Joshua Lavers: jlavers@renmarkfinancial.com
T: (416) 644-2020 or (212) 812-7680
www.renmarkfinancial.com

Source: Three Valley Copper.

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 news release.

LONDON, June 23, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rio Tinto, a leading global mining and metals company, and Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a first of its kind collaboration to develop a circular and sustainable market ecosystem for both companies and their customers.

This multi-product partnership will see Schneider Electric use responsibly sourced materials produced by Rio Tinto. These include low-carbon aluminium and copper produced with renewable power, iron ore, and borates. Rio Tinto will utilise energy and industrial services from Schneider Electric, as the companies work together to develop digital platforms, technologies and solutions to be deployed across the metals and mining supply chain to drive further decarbonisation.

Rio Tinto Chief Commercial Officer Alf Barrios said: "This unique partnership will help accelerate decarbonisation and renewable energy solutions by combining low-carbon materials with cutting-edge digital technology. Working together will allow Rio Tinto and Schneider Electric to pursue opportunities beyond what is possible for either company on its own. This collaboration also opens doors to consider strategic initiatives such as expanding the use of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to reduce downtime in our plants, digitization of our supply chains, and a host of other transformative technologies."

Schneider Electric Executive Vice-President Industrial Automation, Barbara Frei said: "We are excited to work with Rio Tinto to develop clean and pioneering solutions to meet industrial decarbonisation challenges. As the world’s most sustainable corporation and a manufacturer with a global network of smart factories and smart distribution centres, Schneider Electric is on a mission to make industries of the future eco-efficient, agile, and resilient through open, software-centric industrial automation and sustainable energy solutions. This new partnership demonstrates that Rio Tinto is as passionate as we are about bridging progress and sustainability for all."

The partnership will draw on Schneider Electric’s Energy as a Service expertise to evaluate the use of innovative solutions, including microgrids, to supply energy from low-carbon sources, and artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to help meet sustainability goals at Rio Tinto sites and throughout its supply chain.

Rio Tinto’s START traceability and transparency initiative, the first sustainability label for aluminium using blockchain technology, will be deployed with Schneider Electric to unlock value for customers, suppliers and partners. The companies will work to expand this transparency, offering START in combination with Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ platform, an IoT system architecture that connects everything in an enterprise, from the shop floor to the top floor, to deliver enhanced safety, reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.

The companies will also partner to evaluate emerging innovation opportunities, such as the efficient production of critical materials for renewable technologies and advances in low-carbon, green steel manufacturing, both of which will play a significant long-term role in industrial decarbonisation.

Notes to editors

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto produces high-quality iron ore, copper, aluminium, and minerals that have an essential role in enabling the low-carbon transition.

We have publicly acknowledged the reality of climate change for over two decades and have reduced our emissions footprint by over 30 percent in the decade to 2020.

We have set 2030 targets to reduce our absolute emissions by 15% and our emissions intensity by 30% relative to our 2018 baseline. These targets are consistent with a 45% reduction in absolute emissions, relative to 2010 levels, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) pathways to 1.5°C. They are supported by our commitment to spend approximately $1 billion on emissions reduction initiatives over the first five years of the ten-year target period. In 2020, we set new Scope 3 emissions reduction goals to guide our partnership approach across our value chain.

Read more about our approach to climate change: www.riotinto.com/invest/reports/climate-change-report

About Schneider Electric

Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, endpoint to cloud connecting products, controls, software, and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centres, infrastructure, and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.

www.se.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210623005156/en/

Contacts

Rio Tinto
media.enquiries@riotinto.com

Media Relations
Matthew Klar
+1 514-608-4429
matthew.klar@riotinto.com

Schneider Electric
global.pr@se.com

Rio Tinto plc
6 St James’s Square
London SW1Y 4AD
United Kingdom

T +44 20 7781 2000
Registered in England
No. 719885

Rio Tinto Limited
Level 7, 360 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
Australia

T +61 3 9283 3333
Registered in Australia
ABN 96 004 458 404

riotinto.com

Category: General

The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) rose on Wednesday, outperforming European peers despite data pointing to bumper economic growth in the eurozone.

The FTSE was up 0.2% just before mid-morning in London, powered by mining and oil stocks. Shell (RDSB.L) topped the index with a gain of 2% and BP (BP.L) rallied 1.6%. Anglo American (AAL.L) registered a gain of 1.6%, while BHP (BHP.L) wasn't far behind. 

“The markets seem to be in consolidation mode on Wednesday after their see-saw start to the week,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

Investors were focused on central banks and private-sector PMI data. In Britain, Wednesday marked the fifth anniversary of the Brexit vote, although this was more symbolic than market-moving.

IHS Markit published "flash" PMI data for Europe and the UK that showed continued strong momentum for the COVID recovery.

June marked one of the best months on record for the UK economy and the eurozone enjoyed its fastest expansion in 15 years.

"Firms reported a further rise in new orders, lifting them to their highest level since June 2006," said Claus Vistesen, chief eurozone economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. "Moreover confidence in the outlook was at a record high, suggesting the firms now believe Europe the virus is in the past. This sentiment carried over into hiring, with the employment index rising for a fifth month in a row."

However, the German DAX (^GDAXI) and the French CAC (^FCHI) both lost ground in early trade despite opening higher. The DAX was down 0.4% by mid-morning and the CAC was a third of a percent lower.

PMI surveys in both the UK and eurozone warned businesses were facing increased supply chain issues, which are pushing up costs and threaten to slow recovery.

The Federal Reserve continues to dominate the conversation within market. The US central bank last week surprised investors by suggesting it could hike US interest rate twice in 2023. It sparked a sell-off of stocks and a rally for the dollar, as investors rejigged portfolios to reflect a sooner-than-expected end to the era of ultra-cheap money.

In testimony and speeches on Tuesday, Fed chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues sought to reassure investors that rate hikes are still a way off. The public comments helped stocks rally and cooled the dollar after a recent price surge. 

The Nasdaq (^IXIC) touched a new high on Tuesday and looked set to continue to climb on Wednesday. Futures (NQ=F) were up 0.1% in early trade. Elsewhere, Dow futures (YM=F) were up 0.2% and S&P 500 futures (ES=F) were 0.1% higher.

The pound was up 0.2% against the dollar (GBPUSD=X) in early trade on Wednesday. Cable reached $1.3975, its highest level since last Thursday when the Fed-driven rally for the dollar was gathering pace.

Fed board member Michelle Bowman and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston president Eric Rosengren are both due to give speeches later this afternoon.

Asian markets were mixed overnight, with tech stocks powering the Hong Kong Hang Seng (^HSI) 1.8% higher but gains muted elsewhere. Japan's Nikkei (^N225) closed flat after minutes from the Bank of Japan showed policymakers believed the global economy recovery could be faster than previously expected. It raises the prospect of the removal of stimulus and support measures, which will likely make capital more expensive.

Watch: Will interest rates stay low forever?

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

Symbol: AZM.TSX Venture

LONGUEUIL, QC, June 23, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ – Azimut Exploration Inc. ("Azimut" or the "Company") (TSXV: AZM), is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Paradigm Capital Inc. on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters"), in connection with a bought deal private placement financing (the "Offering") for total proceeds of approximately $25 million, consisting of 3,463,900 common shares of the Company that qualify as "flow-through shares" (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and section 359.1 of the Taxation Act (Québec)) (the "FT Shares") at a price of $3.32 per FT Share (the "FT Issue Price") and 7,105,300 common shares of the Company ("Hard Dollar Shares") at a price of $1.90 per Hard Dollar Share (the "Hard Dollar Issue Price").

In addition, the Company will grant the Underwriters an option (the "Underwriters' Option") to sell that number of additional Hard Dollar Shares at the Hard Dollar Issue Price for additional aggregate gross proceeds of up to $3,750,033, exercisable 48 hours prior to the Closing Date. The terms "Offering" and "Offered Securities" includes the additional Hard Dollar Shares that may be issued on the exercise of the Underwriters' Option, if any.

The strategic investor who participated in the February 2020 private placement will also participate in the Offering for 3,416,312 shares, resulting in a pro-forma ownership of 9.8%.

The Company will use an amount equal to the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the FT Shares, pursuant to the provisions in the Income Tax Act (Canada) and the Taxation Act (Québec), to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" as both terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Qualifying Expenditures") on or before December 31, 2022, and to renounce all the Qualifying Expenditures in favour of the subscribers of the FT Shares effective December 31, 2021. In addition, with respect to Québec resident subscribers of the FT Shares who are eligible individuals under the Taxation Act (Québec), the Canadian exploration expenses will also qualify for inclusion in the "exploration base relating to certain Québec exploration expenses" within the meaning of section 726.4.10 of the Taxation Act (Québec) and for inclusion in the "exploration base relating to certain Québec surface mining expenses or oil and gas exploration expenses" within the meaning of section 726.4.17.2 of the Taxation Act (Québec). The proceeds from the sale of the Hard Dollar Shares will be used for exploration and for general corporate purposes.

Closing is expected to occur on or about July 14, 2021, or other such dates as the Company and the Underwriters may agree (the "Closing Date"). The Offering is subject to regulatory approval and all securities issued pursuant to the Offering will have a hold period of four months and one day.

The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the Unites States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state security laws, and may not be offered or sold in the Unites States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws or compliance with requirements of an applicable exemption therefrom. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the Unites States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Azimut

Azimut is a mineral exploration company whose core business centres on target generation and partnership development. The Company is actively advancing the Patwon gold discovery on its 100%-owned flagship Elmer Property in the James Bay region.

The Company uses a pioneering approach to big data analytics (the proprietary AZtechMine^TM expert system), enhanced by extensive exploration know-how. Azimut maintains rigorous financial discipline and has 69.2 million shares outstanding. Azimut's competitive edge against exploration risk is founded on systematic regional-scale data analysis and multiple concurrently active projects.

Cautionary Statement

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

This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company's objectives, goals or future plans, completion of the Offering, use of proceeds of the Offering, renunciation and tax treatment of the FT Shares and the Closing Date. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to the inability to complete the Private Placement on the terms as announced or at all, changes in equity markets, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

SOURCE Azimut Exploration Inc.

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/23/c3390.html

The world is undergoing green energy revolution and the automobile industry is leaving no stone unturned to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) development, which is the driving force toward this clean energy revolution. As consumers get more environment conscious with each passing day, EV industry prospects are only expected to blossom in the coming years. While lithium seems to be the metal that is grabbing most eyeballs amid this e-mobility push, one should not underestimate the role of copper in sustainable energy-efficient transportation.

Copper’s Critical Role in EV Tech

The red metal is an essential component in EVs, and is used in electric motors, batteries, inverters and wiring. Also, the EV charging infrastructure is largely based on copper-based technologies. Copper is a key component of charging infrastructure and is found in cables, transformers and wiring to the electric panel.

Importantly, usage of copper in EVs is up to 4 times more than in the conventional cars. Per the Copper Development Association Inc., traditional cars have 18-49 pounds of copper, hybrid EVs contain approximately 85 pounds and plug-in hybrid EVs use 132 pounds. While battery BEVs contain 183 pounds, a hybrid electric bus and a battery electric bus contain 196 and 814 pounds of copper, respectively.

EV Industry on Fire, Copper Prospects Rosy

With rising awareness about greenhouse gases and their effect on global climate, several companies are aiming to reach carbon neutrality in the near term and the number of EV model launches is rapidly increasing. China, Europe, United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States and other countries are laying out ambitious targets to phase out gas-powered vehicles. Per Deloitte projections, worldwide EV sales are set to see a CAGR of 29% over the next decade. Market Research Future expects the global EV market to reach $893.5 billion by 2027, representing a CAGR of 21.6% over 2021-2027 timeframe. The Boston Consulting Group projects EVs to more or less account for a third of the global auto industry by 2025, and more than 50% by 2030, indicating a massive jump from 2.6% in 2019.

Amid rising popularity of EVs, the demand for copper is likely to jump. Per the International Energy Agency, clean energy technologies will account for around 45% of copper demand in 2040, higher than 24% in 2020. Per Fastmarkets MB, adoption of EV vehicles will see global refined copper demand rise by 21% per year until 2030, reaching around 2.5 million tons in 2030. The International Copper Association estimates the EV boom to lift copper demand in green vehicles from 185,000 tons in 2017 to 1.74 million tons by 2027. Wood Mackenzie estimates that the growth in EV charging portals will result in the consumption of more than 250% more copper than the 2019 levels.

Stocks to Keep a Tab On

With copper being a key component powering EVs, here are some copper stocks that should be on your watchlist.

FreeportMcMoRan Inc. FCX: This Phoenix-based miner is expected to gain from progress in exploration activities that will boost production capacity. The company will benefit from the ongoing large-scale concentrator expansion project at Cerro Verde that will provide incremental annual production of around 600 million pounds of copper and 15 million pounds of molybdenum. It recently completed the Lone Star copper leach project and is on track to produce around 200 million pounds of copper annually. Efforts to cut costs and debt levels appear encouraging. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and has a long-term expected EPS growth rate of 28.7%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Southern Copper Corporation SCCO: This Mexico-based mining company has the largest copper reserves in the industry and operates high-quality, world-class assets in investment grade countries, such as Mexico and Peru. It has growth projects on track that will help achieve its target of producing 1.9 million tons of copper production by 2028.Backed by its commitment to increase low-cost production and growth investments, the company is well poised to continue delivering enhanced performance. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 and has a long-term expected EPS growth rate of 18.7%.

BHP Group BHP: Headquartered in Melbourne, this natural resources firm is engaged in the production of petroleum, copper, iron, and coal. The firm owns a copper mine in Chile and South Australia.  In 2020, BHP produced around 1.7 million tons of copper. The company is expanding its mine at Spence in Chile, extending its life for another 50 years. It has also boosted exploration spending for more copper from all over the world.  Efforts to make operations more efficient through smart technology adoption across the entire value chain will continue to aid in reducing costs, thereby bolstering the company’s margins. It currently has a Zacks Rank #1 and a long-term expected EPS growth rate of 4.1%.

Teck Resources TECK: Vancouver-based Teck is a significant copper producer in the Americas, with four operating mines in Canada, Chile and Peru, and copper development projects in North and South America. The firm’s Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 (QB2) copper project surpassed the half-way point in April. Once completed, QB2 will transform the company’s copper business, making it a major global copper producer. The company anticipates to produce 275,000-290,000 tons of copper in 2021, higher than 257,500 tons in 2020. Carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), the company has a long-term expected EPS growth rate of 20.2%.

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In this article, we discuss the 10 best nickel stocks to buy now. If you want to skip our detailed analysis of these stocks, go directly to the 5 Best Nickel Stocks to Buy Now.

The demand for nickel has been rising in the past few years as it becomes important to the electric vehicle industry. Nickel, previously used as a corrosion resistant material by the steel industry, has exploded in value with the mass production of cheap electronic devices, most of which make use of the metal in manufacturing. According to Research and Markets, the global production of the metal is expected to cross 2.76 million tons within the next two years. This represents a compound annual growth rate of close to 3% for the nickel industry.

A few mining companies poised to use the high demand for the precious metal to their advantage in the near future include Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), the Brazilian mining firm, BHP Group (NYSE: BHP), the Australian global resources company, and Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO), the United Kingdom-based multinational metals corporation. On April 26, Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE) posted earnings per share of $1.09 for the first quarter of 2021, beating market predictions by $0.06. The company is also considering a spinoff of its base metals division.

Meanwhile, BHP Group (NYSE: BHP) has also been enjoying a stellar start to the new year. On May 18, CEO Mike Henry spoke at a mining conference and said that the future outlook for commodities was compelling as the COVID-19 stimulus packages of the government helped lift the demand for raw materials for an extended period of time. Henry also outlined that the industry was evolving to the advantage of BHP, which had close to 25% of its mining portfolio in futuristic commodities like nickel and copper.

Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO), the second-largest mining firm in the world, has also been adapting to changes in the mining sector by engaging in projects that make the firm more environmentally stable in the long-term. As one of the largest nickel producers, the company feels it has a responsibility to the clean energy industry to develop a sustainable market ecosystem. In this regard, the firm has recently pledged to stop using hydrogen in aluminum refining in order to cut down on emissions.

The demand for nickel has been a source of disruption in the mining industry that is usually reliant on other precious metals for revenue. Larger market forces have been reshaping entire industries in the past few years. The entire hedge fund industry is feeling the reverberations of the changing financial landscape. Its reputation has been tarnished in the last decade, during which its hedged returns couldn’t keep up with the unhedged returns of the market indices. On the other hand, Insider Monkey’s research was able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 124 percentage points since March 2017. Between March 2017 and February 26th 2021 our monthly newsletter’s stock picks returned 197.2%, vs. 72.4% for the SPY. Our stock picks outperformed the market by more than 124 percentage points (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that significantly underperformed the market. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 and they lost 13% through November 16th. That’s why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. You can subscribe to our free newsletter on our homepage to receive our stories in your inbox.

Image by Tshekiso Tebalo from Pixabay

With this context in mind, here is our list of the 10 best nickel stocks to buy now. These were selected keeping in mind their relevance to the nickel industry, hedge fund sentiment, and the business fundamentals driving the earnings of each company.

Best Nickel Stocks to Buy Now

10. PolyMet Mining Corp. (NYSE: PLM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: N/A

PolyMet Mining Corp. (NYSE: PLM) is a mining company with interests in copper, nickel, cobalt, gold, silver, and platinum, among other metals. It is placed tenth on our list of 10 best nickel stocks to buy now. The stock has offered investors returns exceeding 29% over the course of the past four weeks. One of the top projects of the firm is the NorthMet, a polymetallic project located in Minnesota and covering an area of more than 4,000 hectares. Copper-nickel mines are part of the natural resource project.

In February, PolyMet Mining Corp. (NYSE: PLM) stock jumped to a six-month high, climbing 16% in a single day as the top court in Minnesota ruled in favor of the firm in a case involving a clean air permit issued to the firm by the pollution agency of the state.

Out of the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm Renaissance Technologies is a leading shareholder in PolyMet Mining Corp. (NYSE: PLM) with 304,746 shares worth more than $963,000.

Just like Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), BHP Group (NYSE: BHP), and Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO), PolyMet Mining Corp. (NYSE: PLM) is one of the best nickel stocks to buy now.

9. Haynes International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAYN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11

Haynes International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAYN) is a company that makes and sells nickel and cobalt-based alloys. These are corrosion resistant and are used in jet engines, gas turbines, and industrial heating equipment, among other places. The firm is ranked ninth on our list of 10 best nickel stocks to buy now. The company’s shares have returned 60% to investors over the course of the past year. Haynes has a market capitalization of just under $500 million and posted over $380 million in revenue last year.

Haynes International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAYN) is one of the best options on the market when it comes to dividend payments. On April 29, the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share, in line with previous. The forward yield was more than 3%.

At the end of the first quarter of 2021, 11 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $56 million in Haynes International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAYN), down from 13 the preceding quarter worth $42 million.

Just like Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), BHP Group (NYSE: BHP), and Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO), Haynes International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAYN) is one of the best nickel stocks to buy now.

8. Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE: SBSW)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 16

Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE: SBSW) is a South African mining company that focuses on precious metals. The company produces gold, nickel, copper, chrome, and other metals. The firm has mining interests in Africa and South America. The company has seen profits soar in recent weeks as the prices of basic materials rise and demand for nickel, used in premier electronic products, rises. It is placed eighth on our list of 10 best nickel stocks to buy now. The stock has returned 106% to investors over the past twelve months..

On June 1, Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE: SBSW) stock soared by close to 7% after the company announced a share buyback program to repurchase 5% of ordinary stock till April next year, affirming that the buyback would not impact dividend payments for shareholders.

Out of the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Connecticut-based investment firm AQR Capital Management is a leading shareholder in Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE: SBSW) with 5.2 million shares worth more than $93 million.

Just like Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), BHP Group (NYSE: BHP), and Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO), Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE: SBSW) is one of the best nickel stocks to buy now.

In its Q1 2021 investor letter, Desert Lion Capital, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE: SBSW) was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

7. Materion Corporation (NYSE: MTRN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17

Materion Corporation (NYSE: MTRN) is ranked seventh on our list of 10 best nickel stocks to buy now. The company’s shares have returned 36% to investors over the past year. The firm makes and sells advanced engineering materials. These are used in making semiconductors, as well as in products used by the aerospace and defense industries. The company is famous for the production of copper and nickel in a variety of forms, including plate, bar, wire, rod, and others.

On April 29, Materion Corporation (NYSE: MTRN) posted earnings for the first quarter of 2021, reporting earnings per share of $0.82, beating market predictions by $0.22. The revenue for the first three months of 2021 was $354 million, up more than 27% year-on-year.

Out of the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm Renaissance Technologies is a leading shareholder in Materion Corporation (NYSE: MTRN) with 421,511 shares worth more than $27 million.

Just like Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), BHP Group (NYSE: BHP), and Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO), Materion Corporation (NYSE: MTRN) is one of the best nickel stocks to buy now.

6. Mechel PAO (NYSE: MTL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 3

Mechel PAO (NYSE: MTL) is a Russian mining company that has stakes in the power and steel businesses as well. It is placed sixth on our list of 10 best nickel stocks to buy now. The stock has returned 20% to investors over the past twelve months. The company is one of the top suppliers of nickel to the Russian government through the Southern Urals Nickel Plant. This nickel is used for defense needs when countries in the West refuse to export nickel to the Russian Federation.

In quarterly earnings results, posted on May 20, Mechel PAO (NYSE: MTL) reported a revenue of RUB76 billion for the first quarter of 2021, up close to 13% compared to the revenue for the first three months of last year.

At the end of the first quarter of 2021, 3 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $3 million in Mechel PAO (NYSE: MTL), down from 4 in the previous quarter worth $2.8 million.

Just like Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), BHP Group (NYSE: BHP), and Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO), Mechel PAO (NYSE: MTL) is one of the best nickel stocks to buy now.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Nickel Stocks to Buy Now.

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Disclose. None. 10 Best Nickel Stocks to Buy Now is originally published on Insider Monkey.

Caterpillar Inc. CAT recently entered into a collaboration agreement with Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. to develop, test and produce zero-emission machines for the latter’s Matawinie graphite mine. Caterpillar expects to become the exclusive supplier of an all-electric mining fleet for the mine by 2028. The Matawinie project, which will provide high-purity graphite concentrate for electric vehicles, is planned to be the first open pit operation in the world that will exclusively use electric equipment. This is an important milestone in the mining industry as it can be used as a launch pad for other miners focused on cutting down their emissions utilizing Caterpillar’s cutting-edge technologies.

Fully owned by Nouveau Monde, Matawinie is a high-purity flake graphite deposit located in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, 150 km north of Montréal, Québec. The project is estimated to contain probable reserves of 59.8 Mt (million tons) grading 4.35% graphitic carbon. The mine is expected to produce 100,000 tons of graphite concentrate annually for the battery electric vehicle and energy storage markets. Also, the combination of high-quality infrastructure, skilled workforce and a dynamic regional business ecosystem make it a worthy investment. Nouveau Monde is targeting commercial operations by 2023.

Dedicated to stringent sustainable development standards, Nouveau Monde is committed to having both its equipment used for mining operations and its ore concentration and processing activities become fully electric within the first five years of production. This operating model, which is the world’s first for an open-pit mine, represents a potential reduction of over 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions over the mine’s lifespan. Notably, Caterpillar has been helping its customers decrease their carbon footprints through machinery and power solutions that minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

This news comes on the heels of Rio Tinto plc Plc’s RIO announcement that it will deploy the world’s first fully autonomous water truck in partnership with Caterpillar at its $2.6 billion Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Water spraying is a vital part of mining operations and this new technology will enhance productivity by enabling digital tracking of water consumption, while cutting down water wastage. Rio Tinto intends to make Gudai-Darri one of the world’s most technologically advanced mines.

Cutting down mining sector’s carbon emissions is the need of the hour. Day by day, more and more mining companies are exploring options to electrify their mines. The switch from diesel to electricity will also cut costs and boost their license to operate. Electrified mines will require less maintenance and human intervention. The use of automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) will increase as drones, autonomous vehicles and remote-controlled operational systems are rolled out more widely across mining operations.

At Bernstein 37th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference earlier this month, Caterpillar’s CEO Jim Umpleby pointed toward a “long healthy cycle” in mining and strong commodity prices. Umpleby also highlighted that the energy transition has immense potential for Caterpillar in the long haul. The intensifying global focus on shifting from fossil fuels to zero emissions will require huge amount of commodities. This will lead to higher demand for mining equipment. Caterpillar given its focus on energy and emissions reduction will have a competitive edge.

Per a Research and Markets report, the global market for mining equipment, which was estimated at $119 billion in 2020, is projected to witness a CAGR of 6.1% and hit $179.8 billion by 2027. Metal mining is projected to record a 7.6% CAGR and attain $83.5 billion by 2027.

Price Performance

Shares of Caterpillar have surged 68.8% over the past year compared with the industry’s rally of 45.1%.

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Zacks Rank & Other Stocks to Consider

The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Some other top-ranked stocks in the industrial products sector are Tennant Company (TNC) and Encore Wire Corp. (WIRE). Both of these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1, at present.

Tennant has an anticipated earnings growth rate of 49.5% for 2021. The company’s shares have gained around 18% year to date.

Encore Wire has an estimated earnings growth rate of 49.5% for the ongoing year. Year to date, the company’s shares have rallied nearly 36%.

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ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec, June 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GLOBEX MINING ENTERPRISES INC. (GMX – Toronto Stock Exchange, G1MN – Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, Munich, Tradegate, Lang & Schwarz, L&S Exchange, TTM Zone, Stock Exchanges and GLBXF – OTCQX International in the USA) is pleased to inform shareholders that it has completed its previously-announced sale to Yamana Gold Inc. (TSX:YRI; NYSE:AUY; LSE:AUY) of the Francoeur/Arntfield/Lac Fortune gold property in Abitibi, Québec as well as 30 claims in Beauchastel township and three claims in Malartic township, Québec. The Francoeur/Arntfield/Lac Fortune property adjoins Yamana’s Wasamac Gold Mine project.

At closing, Globex received an initial payment of $4,000,000 from Yamana, satisfied by Yamana issuing 706,714 shares to Globex at a deemed price of $5.66 per share. As previously announced, the Purchase Agreement provides that Yamana will make the following additional cash payments to Globex, which Globex may elect to receive in Yamana shares:

Globex retained a 2% Gross Metal Royalty on all mineral production from the properties, of which 0.5% may be purchased by Yamana for $1,500,000.

The 706,714 Yamana shares issued to Globex at closing are subject to restrictions on resale for a period of four months.

This press release was written by Jack Stoch, Geo., President and CEO of Globex in his capacity as a Qualified Person (Q.P.) under NI 43-101.

Forward Looking Statements: Except for historical information, this news release may contain certain “forward looking statements”. These statements may involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity and performance to be materially different from the expectations and projections of Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. (“Globex”). No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, including closing of the transaction with Yamana Gold Inc., or if any of them do so, what benefits Globex will derive therefrom. A more detailed discussion of the risks is available in the “Annual Information Form” filed by Globex on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

55,059,817 shares issued and outstanding

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company value investors might notice is Rio Tinto (RIO). RIO is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 5.90 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 7.38. Over the past year, RIO's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.65 and as low as 5.78, with a median of 8.47.

Another valuation metric that we should highlight is RIO's P/B ratio of 1.95. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. RIO's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 3.05. RIO's P/B has been as high as 2.28 and as low as 1.52, with a median of 1.88, over the past year.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Rio Tinto is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, RIO feels like a great value stock at the moment.

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Taking the next significant step toward mining automation, Rio Tinto plc Plc RIO in partnership with Caterpillar Inc. CAT will deploy the world’s first fully autonomous water truck at its $2.6 billion Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Water spraying is a vital part of mining operations and this new technology will enhance productivity by enabling digital tracking of water consumption, while cutting down water wastage. This marks a significant step in Rio Tinto’s mine automation and digitalization program, and Caterpillar’s efforts in developing autonomous solutions for customers.

The water trucks with 160,000-litre tank capacity have intelligent on-board system, which on detecting dry and dusty conditions on site will trigger the application of water. When a refill is required, the trucks are programed to self-drive to the water stand, park and top-up, and return to the field. Caterpillar’s three water trucks will join Gudai-Darri’s fleet of Caterpillar heavy mobile equipment including autonomous haul trucks and production drills. Rio Tinto intends to make Gudai-Darri one of the world’s most technologically advanced mines. Construction at Gudai-Darri continues to progress with production ramp-up on track for early 2022. Once completed, the mine will have an annual capacity of 43 million tons.

Notably, Rio Tinto’s existing Autonomous Haulage System has improved safety by reducing the risks associated with operators working around heavy machinery. Rio Tinto and other miners are increasingly relying on autonomous systems for haulage and drilling. With the help of technology and automation, miners are bringing radical changes to mining operations to increase productivity, reduce cost and improve frontline safety. The companies are investing in digital initiatives like AI, cloud computing and advanced analytics.

Brazilian miner, Vale S.A VALE has been increasingly embracing the use of robotics and automation. For instance, at its Brucutu Mine, the entire fleet is autonomous, and recently it reached a record of physical use of that fleet. The autonomous operation test for trucks at the Carajás mine in Pará has already begun and implementation is planned for the second quarter of 2021. The company has expanded the use of 25 to 40 autonomous trucks at major underground mines in Sudbury. It is also preparing the infrastructure to enable autonomous underground operation in the Voisey’s Bay and Thompson expansion. Vale recently announced that it will be able to resume operations at its Timbopeba iron ore dry processing plant in the coming months thanks to the use of an unmanned train.

BHP Group BHP has been operating a fully-autonomous truck fleet at its Western Australian Jimblebar mine since 2017. The site is now one of the safest operations in its portfolio, with significant events involving trucks at Jimblebar having dropped by more than 90% since the introduction of autonomous haulage. Following its success, BHP announced it would implement an autonomous fleet at its Goonyella Riverside coal mine in Queensland in late 2019. The transition to an autonomous fleet of up to 86 trucks over the next two years is underway and will involve more than 40,000 hours of training delivered to the Goonyella team to develop the competencies required for autonomous operations. Separately, BHP has announced that it will introduce 20 autonomous trucks at its Newman East (Eastern Ridge) mine in Western Australia by the end of this year.

Capitalizing on this increasing demand, the largest global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, Caterpillar is enhancing its autonomous capabilities and bringing innovative products into markets that provide it with a competitive edge in mining. Recently speaking at Bernstein 37th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, Caterpillar’s CEO Jim Umpleby pointed toward a “long healthy cycle” in mining and strong commodity prices. Umpleby also highlighted that the energy transition has immense potential for Caterpillar in the long haul. The intensifying global focus on shifting from fossil fuels to zero emissions will require huge amount of commodities. This is a win-win situation for both miners and mining equipment makers.

BHP currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while VALE, Rio Tinto and Caterpillar carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BHP’s fiscal 2021 earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 84%. The stock has gained 43% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Rio Tinto’s fiscal 2021 earnings indicates year-over-year improvement of 41%. The stock has surged 46% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Vale’s fiscal 2021 earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 138%. The stock has soared 110% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Caterpillar’s fiscal 2021 earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 46%. The stock has appreciated 69.5% in the past year.

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5 Stocks Set to Double

Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth.

Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

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Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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

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By Rod Nickel

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, June 22 (Reuters) – Canadian potash producer Nutrien is not focused on any potential collaboration with miner BHP Group, a senior Nutrien executive said on Tuesday in the company's first public comments about reports of possible cooperation.

BHP has for years been constructing a potash mine at Jansen, Saskatchewan, near Nutrien's six mines in the Canadian province. BHP expects to present its board with a decision in a few months on whether to complete the project.

Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported in May that BHP and Nutrien were negotiating a joint venture that would see Nutrien take control of the Jansen mine, while Bloomberg reported the companies discussed various partnership options. Both cited unnamed sources.

"Today it's not our focus," said Nutrien Executive Vice-President of Potash Ken Seitz, in an interview, asked about potential for cooperation with BHP.

"I'll just say that everything you've seen is speculative and inaccurate."

BHP, the world's biggest miner, has estimated Jansen would cost up to $5.7 billion in its first phase. Potash offers BHP diversification from copper and iron ore into agricultural markets. Farmers spread the crop nutrient to boost yields.

Potash prices are surging, due to rising demand and recent European Union (EU) sanctions on Belarus, a major producer. Nutrien on Monday said it would boost potash output this year to take advantage.

Seitz said sanctions could hamper seaborne exports by Belaruskali, Belarus' state-owned potash company, as it depends on the Klapeida port in EU member Lithuania.

"That would be the big one, waiting to see whether as part of the sanctions, that trade route would be closed off," he said.

Nutrien could also benefit if sales by Russian potash producer Uralkali replace Belaruskali shipments to some markets and short others, like Brazil, Seitz said. (Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg Editing by Marguerita Choy)

VANCOUVER, BC, June 22, 2021 /CNW/ – The following issues have been halted by IIROC:

Company: Azimut Exploration Inc.

TSX-Venture Symbol: AZM

All Issues: Yes

Reason: At the Request of the Company Pending News

Halt Time (ET): 8:14 AM

IIROC can make a decision to impose a temporary suspension (halt) of trading in a security of a publicly-listed company. Trading halts are implemented to ensure a fair and orderly market. IIROC is the national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada.

SOURCE Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) – Halts/Resumptions

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/22/c2324.html

Symbol: AZM.TSX Venture

LONGUEUIL, QC, June 22, 2021 /CNW/ – Azimut Exploration Inc. ("Azimut" or the "Company") (TSXV: AZM) is pleased to report that it continues to intersect wide, high-grade gold intervals at the Patwon discovery on the Company's 100% owned Elmer Property (the "Property") in the James Bay region of Quebec.

Azimut's current diamond drilling program is now complete with 15,135.5 metres drilled (67 holes). Three (3) new holes totalling 1,393 metres are reported in this press release. Ten (10) holes totalling 2,463.5 metres were previously reported (see press release dated May 19, 2021). Assay results are pending for the remaining 54 holes from the program (17 on Patwon and 37 on new targets) (see press release dated June 2, 2021).

The significant results of this release are:

• Hole ELM21-086 24.04 g/t Au over 18.0 m (from 254 m to 272 m), incl. 38.7 g/t Au over 9.0 m, and 44.4 g/t Au over 1.0 m (from 307.7 m to 308.8 m)

• Hole ELM21-073 1.44 g/t Au over 66.0 m (from 407.3 m to 473.3 m), incl. 3.09 g/t Au over 10.5 m

HIGHLIGHTS (Figures 1 to 6, Photo 1, Tables 1 to 4)

• These new results further confirm the robustness and strong growth potential of the Patwon gold zone. Patwon remains wide open below 450 metres, with a possible gold grade increase with depth.

• Azimut's management considers Patwon to be one of the largest gold discoveries in the James Bay region since the discovery of the Éléonore deposit in 2004.

• The delineation drilling at Patwon on systematic 50-metre centres is designed to expand the zone. No infill drilling is being conducted at this stage.

• The mineralized body is currently defined over a strike length of 500 metres and a minimum depth of 450 metres, where the mineralized system remains robust and open. The average estimated true width is about 35 metres based on previously released results from 44 drill holes. True widths can reach up to 80 metres.

• The gold zone shows an impressive central core (Figure 4) extending from surface to a minimum depth of 450 metres, with an estimated true width of 50 metres and a grade x thickness factor ranging from 50 to 412 (based on true widths). This core zone is spatially correlated with a vertically dipping felsic intrusion, indicating an excellent possibility for a kilometre-scale vertical extent of the Patwon gold zone.

The Elmer Property comprises 515 claims covering 271.3 km² over a 35-kilometre strike length. The Property is 285 kilometres north of the town of Matagami, 60 kilometres east of the village of Eastmain, and 5 kilometres west of the paved James Bay Road, a major all-season highway. The region benefits from quality infrastructure, including significant road access, a hydroelectric power grid and airports.

Drilling Contract and Analytical Protocols

The drilling contract was awarded to RJLL Drilling Inc. of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. The core diameter is NQ. Core samples are sent to AGAT Laboratories of Mississauga, Ontario. Gold is analyzed by fire assay, with atomic absorption and gravimetric finish for grades above 3.0 g/t Au. Samples are also analyzed for a 48-element suite using ICP. Azimut applies industry-standard QA/QC procedures to the program. Certified reference materials, blanks and field duplicates are included in all drill core batches sent to the laboratory.

Dr. Jean-Marc Lulin, P.Geo., prepared this press release as Azimut's Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. The program is managed by François Bissonnette, P.Geo., Operations Manager and Simon Houle, P.Geo., Chief Geologist. Both have reviewed the content of this press release.

About Azimut

Azimut is a mineral exploration company whose core business centres on target generation and partnership development. The Company is actively advancing the Patwon gold discovery on its 100%-owned flagship Elmer Property in the James Bay region.

The Company uses a pioneering approach to big data analytics (the proprietary AZtechMine^TM expert system), enhanced by extensive exploration know-how. Azimut maintains rigorous financial discipline and has 69.2 million shares outstanding. Azimut's competitive edge against exploration risk is founded on systematic regional-scale data analysis and multiple concurrently active projects.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events related to the drilling results at the Elmer Property. To the extent that any statements in this press release contain information that is not historical, the statements are essentially forward-looking and are often identified by words such as "consider", "anticipate", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "project", "plan", "potential", "suggest" and "believe". The forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There are many factors that could cause such differences, particularly volatility and sensitivity to market metal prices, impact of change in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, imprecision in reserve estimates, recoveries of gold and other metals, environmental risks including increased regulatory burdens, unexpected geological conditions, adverse mining conditions, community and non-governmental organization actions, changes in government regulations and policies, including laws and policies, global outbreaks of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities, as well as other development and operating risks. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this document. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required to do so by applicable securities laws. The reader is directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Report filed on SEDAR for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect the Company's business.

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

Table 1 – Key Data on the Patwon Gold Zone, Elmer Property

Eeyou-Istchee James Bay region, Quebec

1) Discovery Milestones

• 2018: Acquisition of the Property through map designation, initial field visit and preliminary assessment (October)

• 2019: Prospecting, channel sampling, maiden drilling program (996 m, 7 holes)

• 2020: Second drilling program (10,515 m, 55 holes)

• 2021: Third drilling program (15,135.5 m, 67 holes)

2) Geological Context

• Archean La Grande Subprovince

• Patwon gold zone, 10 km north of Opinaca Subprovince boundary

• Lower Eastmain greenstone belt with extensive shear zones

• 3-km-thick sequence of felsic volcanics

• Porphyritic intrusions, mafic volcanics, gabbroic sills, polymictic conglomerates

3) Mineralization

• Three mineralized quartz vein networks: subparallel to schistosity, subhorizontal and extensional veins

• Adjacent wall rocks to the quartz veins usually mineralized

• Pyrite: fine to coarse, disseminated, stringers, semi-massive to massive lenses

• Frequent visible gold grains

• Gold-bearing intervals generally show well-distributed values along core

4) Alteration

• Pervasive silica

• Sericite, carbonate, chlorite, feldspar, tourmaline

5) Geometry

• NW-SE mineralized envelope subparallel to schistosity, dipping 70° to 75° to the north

• Strike length of 500 metres

• Minimum depth of 450 metres

• Average estimated true width of 35 metres; true widths can reach up to 80 metres.

• Consistent, predictable, wide mineralized zone (no internal complexity due to isoclinal folding or crosscutting barren dykes potentially creating internal dilution)

6) Metallurgy

• Initial tests indicate excellent potential gold recoveries through gravity and cyanide leaching

• Gold-only system with no deleterious elements like arsenic or bismuth

• Additional tests in progress

7) Deposit Type and Controls

• Shear-related orogenic gold-bearing system

• Intensity of quartz veining may be partly controlled by rheologic contrasts between host lithologies (felsic intrusives, felsic volcanics and mafic rocks) within an extensive shear zone

8) Drilling Strategy and Next Step

• Patwon gold zone situated on firm ground (no lakes in the vicinity), drillable year-round

• Delineation drilling to expand the gold zone using systematic 50-metre to 100-metre centres

• Preliminary design of the next drilling phase comprises 20,000 metres expected to start in fall 2021:

9) Additional Data

• Elmer Drilling Data (locations and composites)

• Virtual Core Shack

SOURCE Azimut Exploration Inc.

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/22/c3924.html

VANCOUVER, BC, June 22, 2021 /CNW/ – Trading resumes in:

Company: Azimut Exploration Inc.

TSX-Venture Symbol: AZM

All Issues: Yes

Resumption (ET): 11:00 AM

IIROC can make a decision to impose a temporary suspension (halt) of trading in a security of a publicly-listed company. Trading halts are implemented to ensure a fair and orderly market. IIROC is the national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada.

SOURCE Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) – Halts/Resumptions

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/22/c5386.html

TORONTO, June 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ – Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) ("Purepoint" or the "Company") today provided an update on its drill program at the 100%-owned Red Willow project within the eastern uranium mine district of the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan Canada. The 2021 Red Willow drill program has conducted follow-up testing of the "Geneva Shear" within the Geneva Zone, a target zone where previous operators have identified uranium mineralization associated with a hydrothermally altered, graphitic shear zone that returned up to 0.22% U3O8 over 1.0 metre at a shallow depth of 130 metres.

"The Geneva Zone uranium mineralization, identified by Eldorado Resources in 1984, represents an exceptional starting point to trace a known prospective structure along strike to previously untested areas." stated Scott Frostad, VP Exploration at Purepoint. "All three 2021 Geneva drill holes successfully intersected the Geneva Shear at various depths with hole GEN21-05 returning an average of 1,420 counts per second over 7.3 metres from our downhole gamma probe."

The radioactive Geneva Shear is now determined as having a strike of 155 degrees and a dip towards the northwest at -70 degrees. The projection of the shear towards the northeast suggests that previous vertical drillholes completed by Eldorado in 1984, searching for Unconformity-Style mineralization, would not have tested this basement-hosted structure. Towards the southwest, the shear projection remains untested for 1.8 kilometres towards drill hole RAD08-09 while crossing dense swamps and known conductors. Purepoint's drill hole RAD08-09 was a highlight of the 2008 drill program within the Radon Lake area, returning 283 ppm U over 1.1 metres from sandstone just above the unconformity, and was recommended for follow-up drilling.

Geneva Zone 2021 Drill Results

The 2021 Red Willow program has completed follow-up drilling within the Osprey Zone with three holes collared SW of Eldorado Resources' 1984 hole RAD-27 that intersected 0.22% U3O8 over 1.0 metres. The RAD-27 intercept was associated with strong hydrothermal alteration and graphitic shearing at a depth of 100 metres below surface. Highly anomalous radon-in-water results, discovered by Gulf Minerals Canada in 1971, are located 1.0 kilometre east-northeast of the 2021 drilling and the source remains unknown.

The three 2021 holes that targeted the Geneva Shear averaged 245 metres in length with a total of 729 metres being completed from the same drill pad. The holes targeted the shear zone at various depths and all successfully intersected the mineralized structure. The Athabasca Sandstone in this area is typically found to be 80 metres thick and the paleoweathering of the basement rocks extends a further 50 metres below the unconformity.

The initial hole, GEN21-03, intersected the Geneva Shear within the zone of paleoweathering, and returned an average of 520 counts per second (cps) over 6.1 metres from the downhole gamma probe starting at a downhole depth of 131.8 metres. The downhole survey returned a maximum of 1,160 cps. Graphite is considered to have been originally present but since destroyed by paleoweathering. The follow-up hole, GEN21-04, intersected the shear much deeper at 278 metres and returned an average of 515 cps over 1.6 metres from the downhole survey. Since the handheld scintillometer indicates that a percentage of the radioactivity is attributed to thorium, an eU3O8 result has not been attempted.

The third hole, GEN21-05, intersected the Geneva shear just below the basement paleoweathering zone starting at a depth of 155 metres. Radioactivity was associated with Pelitic Gneiss that displayed strong hydrothermal alteration, including hematite and local silicification, and was situated near the upper contact of a graphitic/pyritic shear zone. The downhole gamma survey returned an average of 1,420 cps over 7.3 metres with a maximum count of 5,175 cps.

Assay results for the 2021 Geneva Zone drill program will be released once they have been received. Note that the true thickness of the reported intercepts is currently unknown.

Next Steps

The next exploration priority at the Geneva Zone will be to follow the radioactive shear further to the SW. The extensive swamp present in the area dictated where the drill was setup this year and further drilling will need to wait until the winter months.

The drill is currently being moved to the Umfreville project to begin its inaugural drill program. To learn more about the Umfreville Project, view the project tour video at: https://youtu.be/Af6mNL5sQZg.

Red Willow Project

The 100% owned Red Willow property is situated on the eastern edge of the Athabasca Basin in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada and consists of 17 mineral claims having a total area of 40,116 hectares. The property is located close to several uranium deposits including Orano Resources Canada Inc.'s JEB mine, approximately 10 kilometres to the southwest, and Cameco's Eagle Point mine that is approximately 10 kilometres due south.

Geophysical surveys conducted by Purepoint at Red Willow have included airborne magnetic and electromagnetic (VTEM) surveys, an airborne radiometric survey, ground gradient array IP, pole-dipole array IP, fixed-loop and moving-loop transient electromagnetics, and gravity. The detailed airborne VTEM survey provided magnetic results that are an excellent base on which to interpret structures while the EM results outlined over 70 kilometres of conductors that in most instances represent favourable graphitic lithology.

About Purepoint

Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) actively operates an exploration pipeline of 12 advanced projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin, the world's richest uranium region. Purepoint's flagship project is the Hook Lake Project, a joint venture with two of the largest uranium suppliers in the world, Cameco Corporation and Orano Canada Inc. The Hook Lake JV Project is on trend with recent high-grade uranium discoveries including Fission Uranium's Triple R Deposit and NexGen's Arrow Deposit and encompasses its own Spitfire discovery (53.3% U3O8 over 1.3m including 10m interval of 10.3% U3O8). Together with its flagship project, the Company's projects stretch across approximately 185,000 hectares of claims throughout the Athabasca Basin. These claims host over 20 distinct and well-defined drill target areas with advanced geophysical surveys completed, and in some cases, have had first pass drilling performed.

Scott Frostad BSc, MASc, PGeo, Purepoint's Vice President, Exploration, is the Qualified Person responsible for technical content of this release.

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

Disclosure regarding forward-looking statements

This press release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice.

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SOURCE Purepoint Uranium Group Inc.

Copper futures for July delivery fell 0.5% on Jun 18, touching $4.16 per pound — levels last seen in April. The metal has been under pressure of late and ended up losing 8% of its value in the past week following China’s announcement to sell reserves to rein in the commodity price rally. Further, copper prices were impacted by a firm dollar buoyed by the prospect of U.S. interest rate hikes. This is the worst decline seen so far since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic affected demand due to the disruption of industrial activity.

Notwithstanding the current dip, copper prices are up around 18% year to date. Copper prices have been on an uptrend owing to accelerating demand on account of pick up in manufacturing activity, particularly in China. Meanwhile, inventories were low due to the pandemic induced slowdown in production. Notably, copper reached an all-time high of $4.90 per pound in May.

Last week, China announced plans to sell its reserves of copper, aluminium, and zinc in batches in the near future to boost supply, in a bid to bring commodity prices back to normal. China is the world’s top metals consumer and a major release of reserves could significantly change global supply and demand balances. Also, last week, the Fed indicated it may have to hike rates earlier than anticipated, which led to investors scurrying to the greenback. This, in turn, dealt a blow to metal prices.

However, growing demand for the metal, which has varied industrial uses amid supply constraints suggest that run-up isn’t over yet. Sustained growth in copper demand is expected to continue as the metal is essential to economic activity. Infrastructure development in major countries such as China and India, and the increasing global trend toward cleaner energy and electric cars will continue to support copper demand in the long term. Per the International Energy Agency, clean energy technologies will account for around 45% of copper demand in 2040, higher than 24% in 2020.

Meanwhile, grade decline, rising input costs, water constraints and scarcity of high-quality future development opportunities continue to weigh on the industry’s supply. Notably, miners are now committed to cost-reduction strategies and digital innovation to drive operating efficiencies, which will aid margins in the long haul.

Copper miners fall under the Zacks Mining – Non Ferrous industry, which has gained 116.9% in a year compared with the S&P 500’s rally of 35.7%. The industry falls under the broader Basic Materials sector, which surged 42.4%. The industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #89, which places it at the top 35% of 256 Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

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4 Copper Stocks to Watch

We suggest investors to keep an eye on these four copper-mining stocks that have been handpicked by us. Each of these stocks have a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold), and a VGM Score of A or B. We believe this combination offer the best investment opportunities. These stocks have also outperformed the S&P in the past year. This is shown in the chart below. These stocks are anticipated to carry the momentum forward backed by their earnings growth projections.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Southern Copper Corporation SCCO: This company based in Phoenix, AZ engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals.

The company has the largest copper reserves in the industry and operates high-quality, world-class assets in investment grade countries, such as Mexico and Peru. Its constant focus on increasing low-cost production is commendable. It has growth projects on track that will help achieve its target of producing 1.9 million tons of copper production by 2028.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s earnings in 2021 suggests year-over-year growth of 117%. The estimate has moved north by 47% in 90 days’ time. It has a long-term estimated earnings growth rate of 18.7%. The company’s shares have surged 58.9% in the past year. It currently has a Zacks Rank #1 and a VGM Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

BHP Group BHP: Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, BHP Group engages in exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties; and mining of copper, silver, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, gold, iron ore, and metallurgical and energy coal.

In 2020, BHP produced around 1.7 million tons of copper in 2020. The company is expanding its mine at Spence in Chile, extending its life for another 50 years. It has also boosted exploration spending for more copper from all over the world. The company has four major projects under development in petroleum, copper, iron ore and potash with a combined budget of $8.5 billion over the life of the projects, which will drive growth in the long run. Efforts to make operations more efficient through smart technology adoption across the entire value chain will continue to aid in reducing costs, thereby bolstering the company’s margins. Its focus on lowering debt will also contribute to growth.

The company has a long-term estimated earnings growth rate of 4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s fiscal 2021 earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 84%. The estimate has been revised upward by 4% over the past 90 days. The stock has a Zacks Rank #3 and a VGM Score of B. Its shares have appreciated 39.6% in the past year.

Rio Tinto plc RIO: Headquartered in London, the U.K., Rio Tinto engages in mining of aluminum, silver, molybdenum, copper, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, iron ore, and uranium.

The company’s world-class portfolio of high-quality assets and strong balance sheet positions it well to navigate through these turbulent times. Rio Tinto’s disciplined capital allocation supports its ability to sustain production and increase investment in development projects (in high-return iron ore and copper), while delivering superior returns to shareholders. Notably, its copper projects at Resolution (Arizona) and Winu (Western Australia) offer significant growth prospects.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2021 earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 41%. The estimate has been revised upward by 11% over the past 90 days. In a year’s time, the company’s shares have gained 44.4%. The company has a Zacks Rank #3 and a VGM Score of A.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. FCX: This Phoenix, AZ-based company is engaged in mineral exploration and development; mining and milling of copper, gold, molybdenum and silver; and smelting and refining of copper concentrates.

Freeport is conducting exploration activities near existing mines with focus on opportunities to expand reserves. The company will benefit from ongoing large-scale concentrator expansion project at Cerro Verde that will provide incremental annual production of around 600 million pounds of copper and 15 million pounds of molybdenum. It recently completed the Lone Star copper leach project and is on track to produce around 200 million pounds of copper annually. Efforts to cut costs and debt levels appear encouraging.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings for fiscal 2021 suggests year-over-year improvement of 480%. The estimate has been revised upward by 22% over the past 90 days. Shares of the company have soared 224% over the past year. It has a Zacks Rank #3 and a VGM Score of A. It has a long-term estimated earnings growth rate of 28.7%.

Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America

A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.

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