B2Gold Corp
’s
BTG
shares have gained 3.6% since the company reported first-quarter 2021 results. Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter came in at 9 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 7 cents. The bottom line remained flat year over year.
Including one-time items, the company reported earnings of 9 cents per share compared with the prior-year quarter’s 7 cents per share.
B2Gold generated revenues of $362 million in first-quarter 2021, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 5%. This downside resulted from the 16% reduction in gold ounces sold, partly offset by an 11% increase in the average realized gold price. The top-line figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $368 million.
During the March-end quarter, B2Gold recorded consolidated gold production of 205,643 ounces, down 17% year over year due to planned significant waste stripping campaigns at the Fekola and Otjikoto mines. Total gold production in the quarter was 220,644 ounces, which is 9% above budget.
The company reported consolidated cash operating costs of $609 per ounce in the reported quarter, up 56.6% from the year-ago period. Consolidated all-in sustaining costs (AISC) of $932 per ounce came in 29.2% higher than the prior-year quarter.
In January-March quarter, total cost of sales was $205 million, up 9% year over year.
Gross profit declined 18.2% year over year to $157 million. Gross margin was 43.3% in the reported quarter compared with the prior-year quarter’s 49.4%.
Operating income in the reported quarter was $150 million, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 16%. Operating margin was 41.4% compared with the year-ago quarter’s 47.1%.
B2Gold Corp Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
B2Gold Corp price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart
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B2Gold Corp Quote
Financial Position
B2Gold’s cash and cash equivalents were $513 million at the end of first-quarter 2021 compared with $480 million at the end of 2020. Operating cash flow was $146 million in the first quarter compared with the prior-year quarter’s $216 million. The company’s long-term debt was $67 million as of Mar 31, 2021, down from $76 million as of Dec 31, 2020.
Outlook
B2Gold expects total production in 2021 to be 970,000-1,030,000 ounces. Cash operating costs are projected between $500 per ounce and $540 per ounce. Meanwhile, AISC is anticipated to be within $870 per ounce to $910 per ounce.
Share Price Performance
Over the past year, B2Gold has declined 4.9% compared with the
industry
’s loss of 6.4%.
Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
B2Gold currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include
ArcelorMittal
MT
,
Celanese Corp.
CE
and
Dow Inc.
DOW
. All of these stocks flaunt a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) currently. You can see
the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
ArcelorMittal has a projected earnings growth rate of 984.7% for the current fiscal year. The company’s shares have soared nearly 179% in the past year.
Celanese has an expected earnings growth rate of 68.3% for the current fiscal year. The company’s shares have rallied around 90% over the past year.
Dow has a projected earnings growth rate of 261.6% for the current fiscal year. The company’s shares have gained roughly 75% in a year’s time.
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