Traders Cafe with Zak Mir: Eurasia Mining's Triumphant Anniversary

Eurasia Mining: One Year On

July 9th 2020 may not immediately strike one as being an important day on the stock market. But as we approach the anniversary of this date, shareholders of PGM and battery metals group Eurasia Mining (EUA) may be able to look back at a year of progress since the stock came back from suspension. This is especially the case given that they have seen off the bears / shorters who assured us that Eurasia would not return to the market.

A Fundamental Play

Despite all their best efforts of the naysayers at distorting the fundamentals of the company and defaming the board and the management, we are now looking at a company with a market cap of nearly £600m backed up by strong fundamentals (Rosgeo JV adding over 100Moz PGM to Monchetundra, West Kytlim scaled up from 1 to 3 plants and strong ESG focus). There has also been large institutional buying at the market price including Blackrock, Fidelity and Goldman Sachs to name a few. But of course, the problem is that having invoked every possible negative regarding Eurasia, and attempted to scare ordinary private investors from the stock, it would be plain embarrassing to admit defeat.

Short Supply

That said, enough of the negatives which are increasingly becoming a characteristic of the stock market. Eurasia has been a winner since the pandemic struck, off the back of an appreciation of supply deficits in PGMs, its position in the battery metals space, as well as being an environmentally sustainable miner of green metals. Clearly, anything related to the EV revolution, as well hard assets in general, have been well supported in the past year, and this state of affairs looks set to continue.

A Structured Portfolio

Nevertheless, where Eurasia has been outstanding is not so much in riding the tide of macro factors in its favour, but structuring its portfolio in an optimal way. Indeed, it would appear like any sensible company would do, always ready to prepare itself for whatever eventuality it may face – pandemic or no pandemic, company takeover or asset sale.

M&A

While Eurasia fielded offers during its FSP and, will no doubt have further interest going forward, it has moved to consolidate its position as a major mining player. This has been achieved both through the weight provided by its market cap, which at one point exceeded the £1bn, but also by some savvy deal making.

The Rosgeo JV

The most significant of these has been the joint venture with Rosgeo, the largest geological holding in the Russian Federation operating globally with clients/partners such as BP and British Gas. This is something which one should take time to sink in. We are talking with former minnow Eurasia working alongside one of the major mining entities, and owning 75% of nine PGM and battery metal assets. Clearly, for the naysayers, a company doing business with the Russian state has implied validation and valuation, not only in terms of who it is, but also the assets it owns.  As for these additional assets, Vladimir Ivanchenko, the head of geology for Rosgeo North-West region in his recent interview after the JV was concluded this year put forward the number of over $100b in in-situ value.

West Kytlim

Speaking of the powers that be in Russia, developments at Eurasia’s West Kytlim Project, not only show off the company’s good relationship with the authorities, but also that it is not only the strategic side of the business which is it working on. As far as boots on the ground and the picks and shovels, the Technical Project at West Kytlim was approved with permission for three plants this year as opposed to just one in the previous years. This could be the kick starter for the 64,000 oz production target of the platinum, palladium, iridium and rhodium basket.

Transformational Change

It can be seen that the past year and a half have been transformational for Eurasia Mining. This is in terms of the market cap, the spread of its projects, their value and the prospect for a decent asset sale followed by a heft dividend payout. The big plus point of its strong cash position of $23m and zero debt is that should further projects appear, or existing ones need investment, the company has the financial firepower to execute. The only disappointment perhaps is that more in the market do not appreciate the achievements here. But perhaps without the doubters Eurasia would not be the world class player that it is now.