Hedge funds slash bullish wagers on gold over Trump election win
Hedge funds and other large speculators boosted net-long positions by 11% to 197,362 as of Nov. 12, the lowest in 14 weeks.
Hudbay Minerals (TSX, NYSE: HBM) shares rose on Friday following the company’s announcement of record quarterly and annual revenue of $602.2 million and $1.69 billion, respectively.
Cash flow (before changes in non-cash working capital) also rose 35% to $246.5 million on a quarter-over-quarter basis, the Canadian miner said.
Hudbay also unveiled its operational results on Friday, including consolidated copper production of 45,450 tonnes and a record consolidated gold production of 112,776 oz. in the fourth quarter.
The production was attributed to sustained higher grades at the Pampacancha deposit in Peru and the Lalor mine in Manitoba, along with contributions from the newly acquired Copper Mountain mine in British Columbia.
In 2023, the company achieved consolidated production guidance for all metals. Copper production reached 131,691 tonnes, gold production totalled 310,429 oz. and silver production was 36 million oz. These figures represent increases of 26%, 41% and 13%, respectively, compared to 2022.
Hudbay’s Peru operations benefited from sustained higher grades at the Pampacancha satellite pit, resulting in 33,207 tonnes of copper production and 49,418 oz. of gold production in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, its Manitoba operations achieved a quarterly record of 59,863 oz. of gold, as higher-grade gold and copper zones were mined at Lalor, and the New Britannia mill processed significantly more gold ore. The British Columbia operations produced 8,508 tonnes of copper.
BMO mining analyst Jackie Przybylowski said in a note to clients that it was a “terrific” quarter for the company and singled out the performance of its Manitoba operations.
“Hudbay exceeded all expectations with strong production, notably including gold production from Manitoba, which contributed to adjusted EPS $0.20 — well ahead of our $0.07 and the consensus $0.12-0.14 estimates,” she wrote.
Shares of Hudbay Minerals rose 7% by 11:32 p.m. EDT in Toronto. The miner has a market capitalization of C$2.51 billion.
