What happened
It's neither a spike in the price of gold nor a glittering quarterly earnings report that has gold investors scooping up shares of gold-producer Pretium Resources (PVG) today. Instead, it's news that Newcrest Mining (NCMGY) will be acquiring Pretium, bringing some consolidation to the gold industry.
As of 11:39 a.m. EST, shares of Pretium Resources are up 17.1%.
Image source: Getty Images.
So what
Inking a binding agreement with the Pretium, the operator of the Brucejack Mine, Newcrest will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Pretium that it doesn't already own in a transaction valued at about 3.5 Canadian dollars. For each share of Pretium stock that they own, investors will have the option to receive $18.50 Canadian dollars in cash or 0.8084 Newcrest shares. Pretium's shareholders who do not specify which option they prefer to choose will receive a default consideration of CA$9.25 per Pretium share in cash and 0.4042 Newcrest shares per Pretium share.
Addressing the value that the Brucejack asset brings to Newcrest Mining, Jacques Perron, Pretium's CEO, said:
With this acquisition, Brucejack will join Newcrest's portfolio of tier one assets, mitigating the inherent risks associated with ownership of a single-asset mining company. Moreover, Newcrest has the financial means and the intention of maximizing the long-term potential of the Brucejack Mine and the district scale opportunities in the surrounding Brucejack property.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.
Now what
While gold-minded shareholders will have one less option once Newcrest Mining's acquisition of Pretium is completed, there are plenty of options that remain. From large operators like Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining to specialized financiers Royal Gold and Franco-Nevada, there's surely one or two tickers that will sparkle brightly in the eyes of precious-metals investors.
