AngloGold Ashanti Inks Deal to Sell MSG Mine, Stock Hits 52-Week High

Shares of AngloGold Ashanti plc AU scaled a new 52-week high of $47.77 on Monday as the company announced that it inked a deal to sell its interest in Mineração Serra Grande mine (“MSG”) to  Aura Minerals Inc. This sale will help AngloGold Ashanti optimize its portfolio.Financial Details of AU’s DealAngloGold Ashanti will sell Mineração Serra Grande S.A., the owner of the MSG mine, to Aura for a cash consideration of $76 million . This is subject to working capital adjustments as of the closing date. AngloGold Ashanti will also receive deferred consideration payments equivalent to a 3% net smelter returns royalty on MSG mine's current mineral resource, including the mineral reserve.Aura will make these payments quarterly in cash.AngloGold Ashanti’s Strategic Decision to Sell MSGLocated in the northwest of the state of Goiás, the MSG mine operation includes three mechanized underground mines and an open pit. The mine also has one dedicated metallurgical plant with an annual capacity of 1.5 Mt. Recent priorities at the MSG mine include stabilizing operations and completing the decommissioning of the legacy tailings storage facility, which is almost finished.The MSG mine produced gold of 80 thousand ounces in 2024 and 86 thousand ounces in 2023.However, the mine remains one of AngloGold Ashanti's higher-cost and lower-production operations. The mine sale will enable AU to enhance its capital allocation focus and drive operating efficiencies.The transaction excludes subsidiaries of Mineração Serra Grande S.A. that hold non-core assets, including properties. These assets will be retained by AngloGold Ashanti and transferred out of Mineração Serra Grande S.A. through a spin-off before closing.The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, subject to closing conditions.AU Stock’s Price PerformanceShares of the company have skyrocketed 100.6% in the past year compared with the industry’s 42.9% growth.  Image Source: Zacks Investment Research AngloGold Ashanti’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderAU currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Some other top-ranked stocks from the basic materials space are Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS, Royal Gold, Inc. RGLD and SSR Mining Inc. SSRM. Carpenter Technology and Royal Gold currently sport a Zacks Rank #1, whereas SSR Mining carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Carpenter Technology has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CRS’ 2025 earnings is pegged at $7.20 per share, which indicates year-over-year growth of 51.9%. Carpenter Technology shares have skyrocketed 111% in the last year.Royal Gold has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Royal Gold’s 2025 earnings is pegged at $7.11 per share, indicating year-over-year growth of 35.1%. RGLD  shares have jumped 40.2% in the last year.SSR Mining has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 58.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SSRM’s 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.14 per share, implying year-over-year growth of 307%. SSR Mining’s stock has surged 88.6% in the last year.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AngloGold Ashanti PLC (AU): Free Stock Analysis Report Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS): Free Stock Analysis Report Royal Gold, Inc. (RGLD): Free Stock Analysis Report Silver Standard Resources Inc. (SSRM): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks