RE: Copper Price $623 May 2026 21:20
Fortissimo,
In my book, the chances ACG does not come back with a knockout price before the AGM are still fairly high: roughly 70–80%.
But the chance of some corporate action / defensive move / strategic partnership / renewed approach after the Rule 2.8 period is meaningfully higher than normal.
The timeline matters:
ACG’s 11 December 2025 Rule 2.8 statement means it said it did not intend to make an offer for AAZ, and that restricts it for six months unless exceptions apply, such as a board agreement, a third-party offer, a Rule 9 waiver/reverse takeover, or a material change of circumstances accepted by the Panel.
That means the practical “free to move again” date is around 11 June 2026. AAZ’s AGM is on 24 June 2026, so the timing is interesting, but not conclusive. AAZ announced the AGM date on 26 March 2026.
The bullish argument is this:
ACG took a look, walked away, and may now be watching the AAZ story improve rapidly. AAZ’s Q1 2026 numbers showed 3,711 tonnes of copper, 6,062 oz gold, and net cash rising to $17.7m, up $15.4m in the quarter. That is the kind of operating inflexion that makes a bidder’s earlier valuation work look stale very quickly.
The Peel Hunt appointment also looks significant. AAZ appointed Peel Hunt as corporate broker on 13 March 2026, with SP Angel continuing as NOMAD. That could simply be an institutional/capital-markets upgrade, but after an ACG approach, it also looks like the company is putting heavier guns on deck.
My read:
A cheap second bid is unlikely.
A knockout bid is possible, but not yet the base case.
A strategic defensive move before or around the AGM is very plausible.
In the captain’s words:
ACG fired the first cannon, realised the cargo was not going cheap, and sailed off under Rule 2.8 colours. But AAZ has since loaded the hold with copper, cleaned up the cash position, and brought Peel Hunt onto the quarterdeck. That does not guarantee a knockout bid > but it does mean anyone coming back now had better bring a proper purse, not a fishing net.
So I’d frame it like this:
No knockout bid before AGM: 70–80%.
Some corporate move/strategic defence around AGM window: 35–45%.
ACG eventually returns later in 2026: 25–35%.
ACG returns with a genuinely knockout price: 10–20% unless another bidder appears.
The real trigger is not the AGM date alone. The trigger would be AAZ publishing a stronger quarterly cash flow, greater resource clarity, government/AzerGold alignment, or a strategic structure that forces ACG to move before the prize becomes more expensive.