focusIR May 2024 Investor Webinar: Blue Whale, Kavango, Taseko Mines & CQS Natural Resources. Catch up with the webinar here.
Yes PaulD - Political uncertainty is certainly spooking things but it's rather more than Serbia and Kosovo., even. thoughhstan though the Serbs have strong ties to Russia. Kazakhstan is something else - rather like Azerbaijan it has had a history of corruption. Probably the same goes for all the "Stans" and I prefer to keep well away from investing in any of them.. You may remember the current boss of WRES Resources was invested (as Caspian Oil) in Kazakhstan and shareholders (including me) suffered. From the history of WES it doesn't look as if they've fared better in Spain or Portugal either!
Methinks today's downturn has an element of panic introduced and don't be surprised if the likes of Goldman Sucks don't have a full trough to lap on by say Friday....unless Putin messes us all up. ' cos I think today's fall is deliberate and somewhat "overdone". There's been a lot of big buyers over-active imho.
Finally, I don't think civil war is likely in Canada or Oz but we are in a dangerous position over my side of the pond unless and until " The Big Lie" is extremely well illuminated - ideally with sufficient indictments and even jail terms to push a few Republican Senators and Congressionals back into the realms of genuine Conservatives (even if they have to perhaps temporarily support the current Administration..
I always thought it was the Irish capital.
Interesting point, PaulD. Maybe she soaks them in vintage Bollinger.
Yep...You're right about the politics of both Carolinas...but then they were losers Meanwhile "Battle born" Nevada received its Statehood for loyalty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvjOG5gboFU
Paul D - Well, Jerry Lee Lewis at 22 was considered a "baby snatcher" when he married his 13 year old cousin and it caused controversy over here. Macron has gone 25 years the other direction but not without some problems when he attempted to seek a " First Lady" approval status from the electorate.
I've been to Weymouth...once dubbed "The Naples of England" .. If they'd got it wrong here at Winfrith it could have been Pompeii. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-38075798
Some nasty tides off Portland though. I kept about 10 miles offshore. Never got to Lyme Regis but it looks interesting on Google Maps.
Had some nice dinners in Lichfield, Paul D and a charming date in Dorset who loudly remarked..."This zider be as ruff as a badger's arze" lol.
Someone certainly ain't smiling... https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/melania-and-trudeau-cheek-kiss-gets-meme-treatment-1.4565590
Paul D - Did you notice the sly smirk on your "emperor's" wife's face when she met up with Dear Justin ? ....and before you call out Brummie, bear in mind " The Great Wen" .... a disparaging nickname for London. The term was coined in the 1820s by William Cobbett, the radical pamphleteer and champion of rural England . Incidentally I don't believe you have mentioned where you got dropped on this planet. No offence, old bean, just curious.
Mexico is officially classified as being in North America. Not much is said on chat boards about NAFTA (or its new version USMCA) and you may be surprised by...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States–Mexico–Canada_Agreement
My thinking is that Mexico can offer a hard-working large population, Canada can offer vast natural resources and the USA can offer logistical and business knowledge plus, of course military clout if necessary. Put that together and (without sounding nasty) the EU, the CIS and possibly the trading aims of China & India need to be somewhat cautious in their attitude and relations with we North Americans.
A Caterham 7, John? See yourself as Patrick McGoohan do you? I never got round to driving a (properly) Lotus 7 although I did occasionally enjoy the fun of driving a Lotus X1. As a youth I briefly owned a (Jag) SS 100 until my mother ordered me to " get rid" .cos it scared her and guzzled a lot of gas.
Hi John - No, I never lived in Texas. My wife ( Michigan born) always pointed out that she prefers " things with at least 4 stars!" ( lmao). I previously lived in the southern extremity of Nevada which, effectively, is within the Mohave Desert (or Mojave if you're Californian or hispanic.. In parts of rural Nevada you can legally drive at 80 mph. Outside of the two bigger cities (Las Vegas & Reno) traffic is light. I have now moved to the Atlantic side of the US in South Carolina which is a total contrast to Nevada. Traffic is very heavy (nose to tail even on dual carriageways) and often rural roads and even motorways are limited to 40-55 mph. I didn't particularly want to move but climate changes were creating 126F summers and rivers and reservoirs are drying up.
Add to that Californians by the thousands trying to get out of their State for a variety of reasons aren't too welcome" fitting in" the adjoining States and there is going to be one helluva future problem competing for natural and social resources therein.. All our relatives are in the east anyway and we aren't getting any younger so last Christmas was time to move when home prices in Nevada had rocketed. .
Anyway I was most surprised to learn you still have a large holding in AAU and I think it is a good bet that our sp will increase considerably when Salisbas starts to produce. I am also invested in Sandstorm (whose shares have dived around 35% this last year) but they possibly have a headstart in the same Hod Maden area so I can wait. Might be a fair gamble for folk though at their present level, bearing in mind they are a Royalty setup too.
I suppose that Australia is particularly attractive for investing Brits and there are a lot of embryo miners looking for help or investments there ...but for my money, Canada is of prime interest. Bear in mind that many of the mines in the United States (which has a huge and varied mining industry) are owned or controlled by Canadian Companies. Places imho to keep away from are Central America where there is instability in government and extreme left influences. Costa Rica might be an exception because of the numbers and influence of US ex-Pats and big fruit corporates.
" That belongs to DJ now, a man who used to be so sunny :" . Well, John , imho it's you who reversed course. In my case I've lost my faith in the " established" mines and many of them are down on the world's stock exchanges We have friends on here who still anticipate gold going through the roof imminently. No chance! It's fallen below $1800 ounce yet again.
Daylight dawned for me when I quickly learned (the hard way) that Africa and Eastern Asia had autocratic governments who were skilled at kinda stealing major parts of foreign owned companies one way or another. It's still going on which is why I've stayed with (and made some good money) in the American Trade Area (NAFTA). AAU is now my sole " British" interest (albeit Turk related) and is mostly the only board here in LSE where I post I had a fling in lithium recently but I think the peak is coming and I have something (and somewhere else) in mind if the indigenous population doesn't screw things u politically. The sun indeed was shining today but 40F cooled things down for me. Cheers, DJ.
Sounds about right, John....but the next payout will be half the last so if nothing exciting happens either in AAU or in the world gold price, the dividend might be nearer the possibly increased bank interest rate by then (especially if our sp slowly drifts down in the meantime.) Imho we have to be seeing an sp of at least 6p by this time next year as well as some sort of regular annual dividend as well to be worthwhile " hanging in there" until Hod Maden comes on stream and is earning money for the JV.
Would I growl at you, John, for charts? Perhaps I might have a few doubts about using witchcraft if you were really rattling on about " Chartism" . What kinda gets to me are quotes that certain " apparent celebrities in the stock game " are hotly suggesting particular shares to invest in. When I first " played the stocks" I believed them but First I got "Fooled" (their name is appropriate!) and then I got " British BS" (if you get my drift). I just don't relate any more to these gurus . They are mostly just spinners and the best choice is to DYOR. I reserve my (generally under my breath growling) when dear VAnVan mentions certain names . Anyway I think we may all have had enough of 2021 one way or another and in a few hours I'll lift my glass to ya'all here and Cheer In what I sincerely hope will turn out to be a Happy & Prosperous 2022. All the Best, Folks! Regards, DJ
Chartists, gold speculation, wishful thinking....it's all a load of " rollocks" . We are on an undulating path for at least the next two years and I've already said why that is on several occasions. The guys who seem to have got it reasonably right are Goldman Sucks, Soros & Warren Buffett. Other than that Her Majesty has it pretty well sorted financially.
So take note and start the New Year with a burger and Cola then follow up with some Pepto Bismol and you're all set to go!
Hi VanVan and I reckon your Oregon college quote is fair comment generally. However my comparison is between " over here" and " over there". I am now an octogenarian and much travelled in Europe. I have also lived (and worked) in UK....Manchester, The Cotswolds, Southampton, Portsmouth, London, Coventry, Norwich, Ipswich, Cardiff to name some and yes....even Clacton-on Sea so I can reasonably claim to know my way around.
Yes there are huge regional differences within the US . Many of our States are larger than your entire country so at best I can only generalize. Probably our biggest advantage is our lower taxation . As just one example - State Purchase Tax 7-8% is a helluva lot less than your VAT. My own rule of thumb is that the numbers shown on your shop prices over there in pounds are generally about the same as over here....except ours are in US dollars so we are at least 25% better off with regards to our disposable money. But regional differences are more pronounced here. Right now you will pay something between 2 and 3 times the fuel price per gallon in California compared to South Carolina.. A wage of $8 per hour is not unusual in some rural areas (Arizona for instance). You are not forced to take the job...but if you need money? Our President is currently boasting that we have a record number of jobs available. But where and at what pay level? My understanding is that you may have a problem next summer getting cheap EU labor to work in your agriculture now Brexit has happened. Finally US pensions have a lot of clauses, mainly because they were written in " legalease" to the advantage of Big Corporate. They may well not turn out to be as valuable as you thought when you reach retirement age of if you are beneficiary.. In fact your employer of many years may not even give you a pension. Quite often the Company goal is to employ (or downgrade you) so you could be classified as a Part-Time worker. There are all kinds of Ways to get around things and we have no shortage of attorneys and judges over here! Again it seems to me that it is the top executives (that 1% !) who are at the trough and the UK seems it can't get enough " foreigners" to head up banks and big Corporations. Immigration at that level is no problem either.
Other than that ,Van I can only say that this is an entirely different sort of chat we have shared during the many years that we have been on this and other similar Chat sites and I have always enjoyed your opinions and advice on various company aims. As you say... "nice to see AAU tick up today" . I had began to remember that famous cartoon of Bismarck headed "Dropping the Pilot" and fearing that Dr K may now be more interested elsewhere than in steering AAU (and us) to greater prosperity. He has certainly collected some extra directorships. My mistake was not selling out at 6 pence and gambling to buy back right now..
All the Best to you and yours for the coming year and of course MERRY CHISTMAS !
Hi John and I trust you will enjoy a most pleasant Christmas. I sincerely hope that the New Year will be the start of increased prosperity for us all on here. Anyway I can understand where you are seeking to make a different case to mine in our latest exchange...but there are some serious differences. For many people over here life is vary different. . We don't have your Welfare State or in many cases support from trade unions. Over here many State laws incorporate " The Right to Work" .
Basically what this boils down to is that if you don't show up for work, you don't get paid. Home working can be equated to " part time working" and there are plenty out there who would replace you in a flash. We don't have your levels of paid holidays or sickness cover, Health costs and medications are already crippling, so much so that I know of many septuagenerians who are working two and even three jobs to keep their heads above the water. As for food - I guess we are paying at least 25% more than pre-Covid but the wages have not increased to cover that. Motor fuel has increased about 33% in 12 months .Only the mega rich (that infamous 1%) are in a position to dabble in classic cars or basically any collectables these days.. You are right about real estate but in many cases people are trying to escape from expensive places to cheaper houses and for many reasons. State actions, fires ,crime, climatic change and every chance of serious drought and diabolical commuting problems. Finally at least your people are mostly getting their vaccinations and boosters while we still have thousands running with the crazy advice of political idiots still. All in all, it's a time to be very frugal (especially with your savings) for many over here it can only get worse under Corporate Greed and one way or another that has to be brought under control..
And yes we are going to receive a couple of dividends from AAU fairly soon.....but where is their value. The shares have been dropping almost daily and there have been a lot of selling. It's going to be a race against time whether new ventures will come on stream and earn enough from production to make even our long term investments here worthwhile.
My apologies but I "lost" five essential words from the second para of my previous comments Please read these as " I generally take what is said by kinda regular promoters " with a pinch of salt" .
" Good old Van, you've been telling me that gold is going into orbit for the last 4 years" .... My sentiments entirely, John and I've been giving ya'all my alternative views about the usage of gold for a similar number of years. Quite frankly, imho, gold ain't going anywhere in the present or near future for four basic reasons. Firstly the current world politics as dominated by China, Russia and my own United States. Secondly Covid. Thirdly it is the large Corporates which deem how much and what sort of precious metals are currently required and, finally, Joe Public these days ain't got the money to splash out on "fancy additions like gold" to his or her lifestyle. There are other home/family priorities to pay out for fist.
I do pay serious attention to Van's personal appraisals and views regarding Ariana (and other shares mentioned on these boards) but as I have often said, I generally take what is said by kinda regular " promoters" (and I put Soloway in this category)) . I believe to some extent the same could be said of most of the firms recommending the best shares to buy at any given time. Either way they hope to gain fame and followers ...l they make their living by doing this. To a similar extent, professional " presentations" and podcasts are in a similar category and most likely follow suitable scripts even if they appear to be " ad hoc" at the time. More obvious are tipsters at the courses or even some market traders. Either way the goal is to get your attention and buy their wares (or pass on your recommendation to your pals)..
Nice one Strangerstill but You shouldn't be having cigarette packets to hand.. Don't ever come through the Arrivals gate at an American airport and ask a local where you can buy a fag. (lolol). Seriously though I much appreciate your simple calculations which give a far more accurate (and likely) valuation of AAU that that of our favored PG. With respect they had already been "blown" by our SP once which had climbed above 6p. All of which strengthens the oft-quoted DYOR (especially for " Newbies") because the " professionals" fall down so many times with their targets and frequently their tips. Regards DJ.
Well, Peano Deano, you seem to know an awful lot about about " dribbling" . Maybe your tank is carrying too much beer as you age. . Frankly I don't have trouble on that score . Did you know that vintners in California have developed a rather tasty special white wine for Seniors which they've named Pinot More? Finally, since Harry Potter is currently very prominent through so many venues around the world, I should have thought that even a most unpleasant zit like yourself would have learned how to spell wizard correctly.. So just pee off!
Keep the faith, John? When Panmure Gordon have just dropped us in the fertilizer! Yet another reason why I don't take UK critics and tipsters seriously.
So what have we now got 100% of, 50% of and 23.5% of.. What happens to possible dividends if it takes years to get around to actually producing and earning at Salinbas.. In a parallel universe Sandstorm bought Mariana and shareholders should now be smiling over Hod Maden. The simple fact is Sandstorm shares have dived about 35% in the last 12 months.
Sure...we were tempted somewhat by a special dividend but I didn't realize it was going to be spread over 3 years...I thought it would be " on the nose" . Let's face it...we should have forgot about dividend (and perhaps reduction of our SP thereto) and got out when the shares reached 6 pence. At that point it was over my best target anyway. But I didn't and I guess I'm somewhat bitter.
Other than that it's all about " keeping the faith" which is not easy at the moment with all the world disturbances. China, Russia and political instability in USA. Lots of jobs...no workers and now Omicron and the media milking it all. Like I've said - this year was a roller coaster and I guess it could be Christman 2023 at least and even 2024 before all Dr K's new interests start to bring in some bacon our way. " Nuff said and I'll stop my rant (right now with only one share in my portfolio...a lithid....with a plus sign ijust three weeks before Christmas.
Nice to see ya both back here, LoB and C & B. Soccer ain't my National Sport (although our American Gals have done well as I am sure you have noted. I think it was around 1948 that I personally viewed the FA Cup being held high through the roof panel of a chartered coach while the sidewalks were lined with cheering crowds. ( I had just flown in from Brussels to stay with my aunt in Stretford.). However - for this season - my money's on Liverpool! (lol).
John - It's obviously got to you like it's got to me. There's a helluva lot of red figures on our AAU share trades listings today (and I'm in there too with a chunk). Do you realize that VanVan has not posted here for over a month? He's always been very supportive of this firm and leadership. I hope he's okay though.