Etikett: Gold miners

Gold Sets a High Bar for Bitcoin

VanEck Joe Foster Gold Sets a High Bar for BitcoinGold Sets a High Bar for Bitcoin

Gold Sets a High Bar for Bitcoin, a Gold Commentary July by Joe Foster, Portfolio Manager/Strategist

Key Takeaway

  • Gold bullion rallied 2.25% in July despite heavy gold bullion ETP redemptions, while gold stocks moved slightly higher.
  • We see $1,200 as a resilient floor for gold, with prices yet to trend through $1,300. The most obvious catalyst is likely to be U.S. economic weakness, which might persuade the Fed to turn cautious.
  • Investors are eager to understand digital currencies like bitcoin. We evaluate this ”fad” in the context of time-tested gold investing.
    The most significant development that has come out of the digital currency craze is validation of distributed ledger technology.

Gold Bullion Rallies in July

The monthly low for gold came on July 10 at $1,204 per ounce. Gold then rallied to finish July at $1,269.44 per ounce, a gain of $27.89 (2.25%; YTD gold bullion has gained 10.17%). This was the third time this year that gold has successfully tested the $1,200 level. Although the U.S. dollar had a precipitous fall in July, it was not the primary driver for gold. Thus far in 2017 gold has been responding more to changes in real interest rates. Gold has an inverse correlation to real interest rates, which moved higher early in the month (coinciding with gold lows) before trending lower. The change in direction for gold and interest rates was driven by somewhat dovish Congressional testimony by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, which the market interpreted as an indication that another Fed rate increase this year is less likely.

July Gains Impressive Given ETP Redemptions

July saw heavy redemptions in the gold bullion exchange traded products. Physical demand from Asia is typically low during the summer and there were not any significant moves in futures positioning. Normally this would contribute to price weakness, so July’s modest gains for gold are somewhat impressive. It is possible that July’s gains were driven by buying in the over-the-counter market (OTC), however there is no published data for OTC transactions. We do expect that more transparency for the OTC market will be available soon. The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the London Precious Metals Clearing Limited (LPMCL) recently began releasing aggregate data on gold inventories in London vaults with a three month lag. Vaulting statistics are a first step and are likely to be followed by trade reporting at a later date.

Gold stocks moved slightly higher with the gold price. For July, the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR) gained 3.6% while the MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR) advanced 0.20%. Gold stocks advanced despite heavy redemptions in gold stock ETFs, a situation that parallels the curious July relationship between the rising gold price and the gold bullion ETP redemptions. Markets don’t always do what is expected of them.

Recent Momentum Suggests that $1,300 is Likely to be Tested

While $1,200 has proven to be a resilient floor for gold, the price has yet to trend through the $1,300 per ounce level. Twice this year gold turned down as it approached $1,300. The recent upward price trend suggests $1,300 may soon be tested for a third time. Gold prices typically trend higher in the fall as seasonal physical demand improves. In terms of identifying catalysts that might enable gold to break through $1,300, the most obvious candidate is economic weakness that might persuade the Fed to take a more cautious stance. The Fed is expected to announce plans in September to reduce its massive crisis-era balance sheet and there could also be significant risks surrounding these plans.

Gold is Physical, Bitcoin is Digital

Recently, we have received many questions about digital currencies and in particular, bitcoin (defined as the world’s first decentralized digital currency). The queries range from our general opinion to concerns that bitcoin might displace gold demand. While we have no digital currency experts on our gold team, we follow the development of these new currencies with interest. It is clear that those who promote bitcoin are using gold’s image to help validate their product. Press articles are often accompanied by a picture of stacks of shiny gold colored bitcoins. Bitcoins are created by “miners”. This is aimed at creating the illusion of a solid currency. In reality, digital currencies are strings of 0s and 1s stored in a computer in some unknown location and cannot be touched or seen.

There are, however, several important similarities between gold and bitcoin. Both are outside of the mainstream financial establishment. Both are not issued or controlled by governments, and both are traded around the globe across borders. Supply of both gold and bitcoin is limited, so they are sound forms of currency. For most transactions to be used in an economy, they must be converted into paper currency.

Gold versus Bitcoin

However, there are a range of significant differences:

  • Gold has been established as a store of wealth throughout human history. Gold’s market capitalization is roughly $8 trillion, of which $3 trillion is in coin and bar form. Approximately $50 billion worth of gold trades each day. Bitcoin is microscopic in comparison with a market capitalization of approximately $45 billion and $1.5 billion in daily trading volume.
  • Gold can be stored anywhere. If stored at home, it can be used for barter the next time a hacker or solar flare takes down the grid. Digital currencies are worthless without electricity. Taking delivery will always be impossible with digital currency.
  • Bitcoin mining is a difficult concept to fathom. Bitcoin miners use computer programs to solve complex math problems and receive in exchange new bitcoins. What does this activity have to do with creating a store of wealth?
  • Most bitcoin markets are lightly regulated and are located outside of the U.S. A major potential drawback to digital currency is their use for money laundering, illegal trading, computer ransom attacks, tax avoidance, and to subvert exchange controls. Expect governments to intervene heavily if any of these activities become significant. Over the past year the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) forced the three biggest bitcoin exchanges to adhere to anti-money laundering rules, implement trading fees, and then forced them to halt bitcoin withdrawals.
  • Distributed ledgers are promoted as unhackable. However, police were recently able to find the digital keys to an online criminal’s accounts and seize approximately $8 million in digital currencies.
  • Digital currency has yet to stand the test of time. We do not know if a digital currency that is secure today will be secure under new technology. Distributed ledger passwords could be relatively easily broken if quantum computing becomes a reality.

Distributed Ledger Technology is Game Changing

The most significant development that has come out of the digital currency craze is validation of distributed ledger technology. This technology has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of the financial system, trade, and essentially anything where records are maintained. A secure system that eliminates middle men has obvious advantages. Imagine trading stocks without brokers, transfer agents, and custodians ― a scenario where fees are likely to disappear.

Source: Capco.com.
Equally as significant, digital currencies have caused many to question what exactly a currency should be and whether there is a better alternative to fiat currency. The monetary system is broken. Central banks seem powerless to prevent the economy from going through busts that destroy wealth and create hardship. Currency volatility under the fiat system has been extreme. Politics, corruption, and mismanagement are a constant concern.

Technology Likely to Improve Gold Ownership Efficiency

Combining distributed ledger technology with an established sound and solid currency may provide the best alternative. To this end, later in 2017 the Royal Mint in the U.K. is set to launch Royal Mint Gold (RMG). RMG will be a digital record of ownership for gold stored at its vault, while CME Group will operate the product’s distributed ledger platform. It will carry the option to convert to physical gold. It is not clear whether this product will enable consumer purchases with some type of RMG credit card. Regardless, technology is accelerating towards the day when gold can be used both as a store of wealth and an efficient medium of exchange.

Digital Currencies Are Not Likely to Replicate Gold’s Unique Role

Bitcoin and other digital currencies are a fad that has attracted the attention of programmers, speculators, and early adaptors. Given the fundamental characteristics of gold and digital currencies, we do not believe digital currencies will ever replicate or replace gold’s unique role as a form of portfolio insurance and as a hedge against tail risk. It is my opinion that governments will not allow digital currencies to reach the critical mass needed to challenge the utility of fiat currencies. At best, digital currencies may eventually occupy some middle ground as a niche product. At worst, they become a failed experiment that ends in tears. For now, the only thing we can forecast with confidence in the digital currency space is more volatility.

by Joe Foster, Portfolio Manager and Strategist

With more than 30 years of gold industry experience, Foster began his gold career as a boots on the ground geologist, evaluating mining exploration and development projects. Foster is Portfolio Manager and Strategist for the Gold and Precious Metals strategy.

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time.

Important Information

1 U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) indicates the general international value of the U.S. dollar. The DXY does this by averaging the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and six major world currencies: Euro, Japanese yen, Pound sterling, Canadian dollar, Swedish kroner, and Swiss franc.

2 The correlation coefficient is a measure that determines the degree to which two variables’ movements are associated and will vary from -1.0 to 1.0. -1.0 indicates perfect negative correlation, and 1.0 indicates perfect positive correlation.

3 NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR) is a modified market capitalization-weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in the mining for gold.

4 MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR) is a rules-based, modified market capitalization-weighted, float-adjusted index comprised of a global universe of publicly traded small- and medium-capitalization companies that generate at least 50% of their revenues from gold and/or silver mining, hold real property that has the potential to produce at least 50% of the company’s revenue from gold or silver mining when developed, or primarily invest in gold or silver.

5 Black swan is an event or occurrence that deviates beyond what is normally expected of a situation and is extremely difficult to predict.

6 VIX is the ticker symbol for the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Volatility Index, which shows the market’s expectation of 30-day volatility. It is constructed using the implied volatilities of a wide range of S&P 500 index options.

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Investors buying on weakness in oil & gold miners

Investors buying on weakness in oil & gold miners

ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis – Investors buying on weakness in oil & gold miners

  • The recent gold price weakness saw investors buy gold miners, with two week inflows of US$68mn.
  • Recent oil price weakness has prompted monthly inflows of US$165mn, representing 9% of AuM.
  • Cocoa inflows last week totalled US$9mn while inflows in coffee totalled US$7mn with recent weakness has been seen as a buying opportunity.

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Equity ETFs saw the highest inflows this week with US$42mn. The recent weakness in the gold price has prompted investors to reassess gold miners which has seen inflows of US$68mn over the last two weeks. Historically gold miners have a high beta of 2x relative to the gold price but in recent months they have underperformed and investors have been taking advantage of this disparity. We see an improved outlook for gold miners, while they currently trade at 46x price/earnings, in line with the long-term average, EBITDA has tripled over the last year as the gold price has recovered, highlighting that despite aggressive capital expenditure cuts their profitability is improving. Other thematics remain popular such as robotics and cyber security which saw inflows of US$9mn and US$12mn last week respectively, having had consistent inflows on a weekly basis since the beginning of the year.

Precious metals saw a modest inflow of US$5m after the outflows following the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike mid-June. Despite the threat of interest rate hikes this year investors continue to favour precious metals with year to date inflows of US$609mn. We believe this is due to investors continued concern for geopolitics and the consequences of unwinding record loose monetary policy. We see a close correlation to politically turbulent events in the US and inflows into Gold ETPs. Our gold fair value for the year end remains at US$1230 per ounce, assuming that no major geopolitical events surface this year.

Price strength in palladium this year has prompted investors to take profits since the beginning of the year although we saw no activity last week and a slowing over the last month. We believe there has been tight liquidity due increased demand from Hong Kong for the metal, suggesting that China maybe stockpiling the metal.

Crude oil inflows continued this week with inflows representing 9% of assets under management over the last month. We have witnessed a trading mentality amongst investors who typically buy on price weakness, this weeks’ fall of 4% was a continuation of the “buy on weakness” trend.

Cocoa inflows last week totalled a significant US$9mn while inflows in coffee totalled US$7mn for the week. It seems that investors continue to buy those soft commodities with the poorest performance: both cocoa and coffee were down 10% and 7.5% as of Thursday’s close respectively versus -4.2% for the broader basket of soft commodities before posting a modest rebound.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
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E info@etfsecurities.com

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Gold inflows intact as weak jobs report creates uncertainty on US rate trajectory

Gold inflows intact as weak jobs report creates uncertainty on US rate trajectory

ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis – Gold dominates inflows as risk appetite wanes

  • Gold’s safe haven status intact as inflows increase albeit moderately for the seventh week in a row.
  • Gold miners lose their allure as we see outflows for the first time in 10 weeks.
  • Investors turn bearish on German equities ahead of the ECB meeting.

Gold ETP purchases of US$63.2mn mark seventh consecutive week of inflows, while silver ETPs resume inflows of US$1.4mn. After declining 3.05% in August, gold prices found some respite last week following the release of weaker than expected non-farm payrolls data. This further complicates the decision of the Federal Reserve that would need to weigh the impact of the weaker jobs data and ISM manufacturing figures ahead of its next interest rate meeting in September. According to the Fed funds futures, the probability of a rate hike in September has decreased considerably to 26% from 34%. We continue to hold onto our view that the Fed will raise rates this year. However, the latest data releases suggest this is more likely in December than this month. Elsewhere in the sector, platinum ETPs continued to record outflows for the tenth week in a row. The seasonally adjusted US vehicle sales in August came in short of expectations despite considerable discounts provided by dealers, weighing on future demand expectations for palladium.

Gold miner’s equity ETPs see first outflow worth US$9mn in 10 weeks. A marked change in sentiment triggered by the recent decline in gold prices, has led to profit taking. Gold mining stocks are currently worth twice their levels in 2015 are now being perceived as expensive.

Investors turn bearish on European equities as inflows into short German and Italian equity ETPs surge to their highest level in 11 and 15 weeks respectively. Outflows from long German equity ETPs rose in 4 of the last 5 weeks. We believe investors are positioning cautiously ahead of an eventful economic week. The European Central Bank meeting on Thursday remains top of the agenda with a new set of staff projections on inflation and GDP to be released. The market will be poised for any clues about an extension of the Asset Purchase Programme beyond March 2017 or any tweaks to eligibility criteria for government bond purchases in future policy meetings. Revisions to estimates of European GDP growth and German Industrial production are due at the start of the week.

In currencies investors unwind short EUR positions versus long USD ETPs for the second consecutive week by US$4.8mn. After the US dollar strengthened for 2 consecutive weeks, profit taking prompted investors to unwind the short EUR, long USD ETPs positions.

Wheat inflows rise to US$9.6mn marking its highest level in six weeks. Consensus remains for abundant global supply as forecasts for production in 2016/17 are raised. As prices reached a 10-year low on Monday, bargain-hunting investors bought wheat ETPs. They benefited from price-supporting news in the latter half of the week. The European Commission revised downward its forecast for the EU soft wheat crop by nearly 8%. Wheat imports into India are expected to rise as its wheat stock has declined to the lowest level in 10 years, which has also supported prices.

Video Presentation

Aneeka Gupta, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team ETF Securities (UK) Limited T +44 (0) 207 448 4336 E info@etfsecurities.com

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Austria: Investors should base their investment decision only on the relevant prospectus of the Company, the Key Investor Information Document, any supplements or addenda thereto, the latest annual reports and semi-annual reports and the memorandum of incorporation and the articles of association, which can be obtained free of charge upon request at the Paying and Information Agent in Austria, Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG, Graben 21, A1010 Wien, Österreich and on www.etfsecurities.com. France: Any subscription for shares of the Funds will be made on the basis of the terms of the prospectus, the simplified prospectus and any supplements or addenda thereto. The Company is a UCITS governed by Irish legislation and approved by the Financial Regulator as UCITS compliant with European regulations although may not have to comply with the same rules as those applicable to a similar product approved in France. Certain of the Funds have been registered for marketing in France by the Authority Financial Markets (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) and may be distributed to investors in France. Copies of all documents (i.e. the prospectus (including any supplements or addenda thereto, the Key Investor Information Document, the latest annual reports and the memorandum of incorporation and articles of association) are available in France, free of charge, at the French Centralizing Agent, Société Générale, Securities Services, at 1-5 rue du Débarcadère, 92700 Colombes – France. Germany: The offering of the Shares of the Fund has been notified to the German Financial Services Supervisory Authority (BaFin) in accordance with section 310 of the German Investment Code (KAGB). Copies of all documents (i.e. the Key Investor Information Document (in the German language), the prospectus, any supplements or addenda thereto, the latest annual reports and semi-annual reports and the memorandum of incorporation and the articles of association) can be obtained free of charge upon request at the Paying and Information Agent in Germany, HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG, Königsallee 21-23, 40212 Düsseldorf and on www.etfsecurities.com. The current offering and redemption prices as well as the net asset value and possible notifications of the investors can also be requested free of charge at the same address. In Germany the Shares will be settled as co-owner shares in a Global Bearer certificate issued by Clearstream Banking AG. This type of settlement only occurs in Germany because there is no direct link between the English and German clearing and settlement systems CREST and Clearstream. For this reason the ISIN used for trading of the Shares in Germany differs from the ISIN used in other countries. Netherlands: Each Fund has been registered with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets following the UCITS passport-procedure pursuant to section 2:72 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act. United Kingdom: Each Fund is a recognised scheme under section 264 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and so the prospectus may be distributed to investors in the United Kingdom. Copies of all documents (i.e. the Key Investor Information Document, the prospectus, any supplements or addenda thereto, the latest annual reports and semi-annual reports and the memorandum of incorporation and the articles of association) are available in the United Kingdom from www.etfsecurities.com. None of the index providers of the Funds referred to herein nor their licensors make any warranty or representation whatsoever either as to the results obtained from use of the relevant indices and/or the figures at which such indices stand at any particular day or otherwise. None of the index providers shall be liable to any person for any errors or significant delays in the relevant indices nor shall be under any obligation to advise any person of any error or significant delay therein.  

Gold to outshine gold miners

ETF Securities Equities Research: Gold to outshine gold miners

Summary

  • Stronger Q1 2016 earnings coupled with the rising price of gold helped improve sentiment towards gold miners, driving the rally so far.
  • Lower all-in sustaining costs are reflective of declining capital expenditure. While it boosts current profitability it is detrimental to sustaining the long term growth of gold miners.
  • For the gold miners rally to continue, the current pace of margin expansion will require gold prices to be at $1510 by Q2 2016.
  • Gold will likely reflect deterioration in economic or political uncertainty quicker than gold miners and hence we favour the metal versus the equity.

Gold miners tighten their belts too much too fast

Gold miners have skyrocketed since the start of the year, staging a 81.6% rally. That is the strongest 6-month rally we have seen in the sector. We believe stronger Q1 2016 earnings results coupled with the rising gold price improved sentiment, helping drive inflows towards this beleaguered sector. However, we believe the rally has run out of steam. For the purpose of this report gold miners refer to the constituents of the DAXglobal Gold Miner’s Total Return index.

The greatest success in gold miners’ financial restructuring has been a reduction of excessive debt loads. Gold miners’ debts became hard to service when gold prices were trading at a lower price. They have achieved the debt reduction by selling non-performing assets, rejecting future capital expenditure, reducing their workforce and cutting dividends. The chart below illustrates how record high debt levels dragged the performance of gold miners lower.

While reducing their debt has improved current operating margins and cash flow, it will come at the expense of future profitability. Gold miners’ production has been in decline since 2007. We believe there will come a point, when the aggressive debt reduction via postponement of future exploration projects and sale of non-performing assets will dent future growth prospects.

Lower Capex detrimental to future profitability

In 2013 the World Gold Council (WGC) established a new cost disclosure framework by introducing “all-in sustaining costs” (AISCs) as an extension to cash costs. As the term implies, AISC focuses on all costs incurred in sustaining production for the complete mining lifecycle, from exploration to closure. AISC is currently at $857, well below its 5-year average of US$1019 and has been trending lower over the past four quarters. In response to declining gold prices over past years, capital expenditure has been curtailed extensively – 21% drop over the prior year. We believe the curtailment of capital expenditure is the chief reason behind the consistent decline in AISC. A stronger gold price environment in 2016 has widened the gulf between gold mining costs on an AISC basis and gold prices, boosting gold miner’s profitability by 80% on average over the prior quarter in Q1 2016. While declining capital expenditures translate into lower AISC, improving short term profitability, it comes at a cost to longer term growth.

Where does gold need to be to extend the miners current rally

Despite gold’s stellar performance, returning 19.3% so far in 2016, gold miners’ have clearly outperformed, returning 81.6% over the same time frame. Gold miners’ outperformance reflects the sectors’ inherent profit leverage on gold prices. Based on historic observations, the 55% y-o-y gain in the gold miners’ index implies that Q2 2016 profit margins will rise to 19%, up from 10% in Q1 2016. We are doubtful that profit margins have improved that much because, once again based on historic relationships, it would indicate a gold price of over US$1510/oz by the end of Q2 2016. We believe that gold miners’ prices look over-extended and we expect a pull-back based on fundamentals.

Gold miner’s valuations unfavourable

With a correlation of 0.72, rising gold prices have clearly been a catalyst for the rally in gold miners. Gold miners beta varies across the cycle with the beta at 1.44x (in a rising gold price environment), which is considerably lower than the beta when gold prices are falling.

The price to earnings ratio over Q4 2015 and Q1 2016 were at 60x and 51x respectively and has currently declined to 38x as earnings recovered more than prices rose. We believe more attention needs to be paid to other valuation metrics in this capital intensive industry. The price-to-book ratio (P/B) is a valuable metric as it incorporates the value of assets. P/B has risen in the past quarter as a 53% surge in asset write-downs and impairments have reduced the book value, without a commensurate reduction in the price. The price-to-book ratio increased to 2.4x in Q1 2016 from 1.4x in Q4 2015, which is above the 10-year average at 2.2x, highlighting that gold miners have become more expensive.

Gold miners have cut dividends on average by 38% over the prior year reducing their dividend yield to 0.83%, which is close the sector’s 10-year average of 0.87%. Taking into consideration gold miner’s annualised volatility of 84% is twice that of gold of 42%, we believe gold offers a much better risk adjusted return profile in comparison to gold miners. After posting the sharpest 6-month rally in history, we are of the opinion that the current rate of acceleration in the gold mining sector cannot continue indefinitely.

Mounting risks support gold

We believe that gold will likely reflect deterioration in economic or political uncertainty quicker than gold miners and hence we favour the metal versus the equity. Economic and political uncertainty is elevated with the vote on the EU referendum, the Spanish and US elections and slowing global growth, weighing on investors’ minds. Gold miners are exposed to a number of unknown risks such labour disputes, power outages, political upheavals and adverse currency movements that cannot be discounted. While gold miners have been prudent to reduce their debt, we believe the priority to clean up their balance sheets will come at the cost of future growth opportunity. While rising gold prices and falling AISC have provided the dual benefit of improving gold miner’s profitability. We caution against being too optimistic over falling AISC as it is more reflective of declining capex which will likely to impact future profitability. From a valuation perspective, we believe gold miners are moderately valued and don’t favour a compelling reason to buy at this point in time.

Important Information

General

This communication has been issued and approved for the purpose of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”).

The information contained in this communication is for your general information only and is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investments may go down in value. This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares or securities in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. Although ETFS UK endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the content in this communication, ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee its accuracy or correctness. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data. Where ETFS UK has expressed its own opinions related to product or market activity, these views may change. Neither ETFS UK, nor any affiliate, nor any of their respective officers, directors, partners, or employees accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this publication or its contents.

ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

Gold miners caught in a value trap

Gold miners caught in a value trap

ETF Securities Equity Research – Gold miners caught in a value trap

Summary

  • Gold miners are historically very cheap but at this juncture are likely to be a value trap due to profitability concerns.
  • Gold miners are facing deteriorating ore grades despite the CAPEX splurges from 2007 to 2013 and recent mine closures haven’t improved margins.
  • The recent slide in energy prices and the depreciation of currencies in jurisdictions where local miners operate, has had minimal positive impact on cash costs.
  • We prefer gold relative to gold miners until the fundamentals improve.

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Gold miners are a value trap for now

We find ourselves starting 2016 with heightened market volatility. A global sell off in financial markets has pushed up gold prices by 2%, while gold miners have fallen by 7%. This has piqued our interest in the rationality of the historical parity between gold and its miners. While the case for gold remains intact we scrutinize the current valuation of gold miners. For the purpose of this report, gold miners refer to the constituents of the DAXglobal Gold Miners USD (TR) Index.

At first glance, offering a 59% discount to the gold price since 2009, gold miners seem attractive. Coupled with a price to book value of 1.0x and an average dividend yield of 2.8% make them a compelling investment from a valuation perspective. But when comparing with the mining sector in general, which trades at a price to book of 0.69 and an average dividend yield of 5.5%, gold miners do not offer the best value in the sector.

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Furthermore, the decline in median cash dividend cover to 1.4x suggests sustainability of dividend payments remains questionable.

Elevated production costs dent margins

The recent slide in energy prices, (which has historically been positive for miners), and depreciation of currencies in jurisdictions where the local miners operate, has had minimal beneficial impact on cash costs. Cash costs continue to rise and consequently narrow profit margins. Given the decline in exploration of new projects and construction of new mines we have used ”cash costs” as our metric for calculating the mining cost of production as opposed to ”all in sustaining costs” which includes the full costs of producing gold including exploration and bringing new mines online.

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Declining ore grades raise production costs

A significant factor contributing to the rising cash costs is the decline in average ore grades of existing mines that have witnessed a staggering 51% decline since 2000. Either the gold is too dispersed (low grade) or buried too deep underground (high grade) making the task of gold mining quite expensive given its capital intensive nature. The average ore grades of producing mines stand at 1.18g/ton, while that of undeveloped deposits is 0.89g/ton according to Visual Capitalist. These undeveloped mines represent a staggering 66% of all deposits on earth, leaving gold miners faced with deteriorating efficiency and higher costs as current reserves are depleted.

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Discovery drought weighs on profitability

In addition, the future profitability of miners has come into question as they face the brunt of aggressive reductions in capital expenditure in the form of closures of uneconomical mines and curtailed exploration budgets. The golden era that lasted from 2001 to 2011 rewarded gold miners for aggressive growth over cash flow generation, eroding company valuations over the long run as they were funded by record amount of debt.

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Today, long term risks to supply remain at the forefront of the debate after capital expenditures have declined to the lowest level in 12 years.

Gold miners are much higher risk

The financial credibility of the gold miners is low. The credit default swap spreads (CDS) for gold mining companies have risen 712% on average since 2003 to 220 basis points, well above the 66bp average for the S&P500. While it is unlikely to prompt a wave of impending defaults, as the net debt to EBITDA is low at 0.5, it reflects the increased risk of owning gold miners particularly when compared to the relative safe haven of physical gold. Furthermore, it highlights gold miners’ ability to raise debt while debt costs are typically rising, is becoming more difficult.

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We continue to prefer gold over gold miners

We believe that gold prices will be constrained by rising nominal interest rates and some strengthening of the US Dollar in the short-term. However, we believe the US Federal Reserve (Fed) is potentially behind the curve with risks of inflation rising by more than their expectations and the markets in the longer-term. Furthermore, we believe the US Dollar strength is likely to wane, taking some of the gold-negative pressure away.

Contrary to popular belief, historically gold tends to rise in the first year of rate hikes, having only faltered when real interest rates rose aggressively in 1994. We believe a repeat of 1994 is unlikely in light of dovish leadership at the Fed.

Despite the low valuation of gold miners, on a risk adjusted basis we prefer physical gold and other areas of the mining sector which offer much better value.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

Important Information

This communication has been issued and approved for the purpose of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”).

The information contained in this communication is for your general information only and is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investments may go down in value.

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares or securities in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. Although ETFS UK endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the content in this communication, ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee its accuracy or correctness. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data. Where ETFS UK has expressed its own opinions related to product or market activity, these views may change. Neither ETFS UK, nor any affiliate, nor any of their respective officers, directors, partners, or employees accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this publication or its contents.

ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.