RE: Takeover nonsense....more like long term development partner30 Oct 2025 08:06
MF2017,
Respectfully, the takeover of Kefi Group wouldn't be particularly complicated as far as takeovers go.
The debt finance, the licenses, the procurement, the contractors, the equity subscription, the community resettlement etc. are all occurring at subsidiary level.
The Ethiopian Government would probably want to rubber stamp it, but there wouldn't be an issue if it was Major. The Banks won't have an issue as their funding will be secured against the license held by the subsidiary and if anything, it reduces their risk.
As I have said previously, producers have more cash than they know what to do with. Even after reducing any debt and paying shareholder dividends, they still have huge amounts of cash that they need to find a home for.
The market that our shares trade on is pretty irrelevant and aside from no two transactions being alike, back in 2022, the average AISC was about $1,300 v. a gold price of about $1,750. There was not as much cash flowing around and majors were not particularly aquisition orientated as they are starting to be now.
For reference, below are 3 of 5 of AngloGolds strategic focuses for you to consider how a project such as Tulu Kapi and the regions such as Ethiopia / Saudi would fit into their profile.
- Maintain financial flexibility : Financial flexibility facilitates access to funding to weather periods of low gold prices, to reward shareholders and to act on strategic opportunities throughout the economic cycle.
- Improve portfolio quality : We actively manage our asset portfolio to improve the overall mix of our production base as we strive for a competitive business valuation. This is key to unlocking the full underlying value of the portfolio. We continue to invest in upgrading the overall quality and longevity of our portfolio.
- Maintain long-term optionality : Continually replenishing and increasing our Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve pipeline helps to sustain the business over time. By discovering, acquiring, developing and exploiting viable orebodies sustainably and efficiently, AngloGold Ashanti positions itself to create long-term value.
I think you'll agree with me that Kefi is massively undervalued and would represent a excellent opportunity for an acquirer.
Whether it is negotiated takeover or predatory, in the current climate there is a very real chance of a company like Kefi being taken over and so warrants discussion here.