Thanks,
George
Gold stocks, on average, have been hit with a combination of high inflation and low grades. Production at many has declined. So, essentially, they are less profitable. Wage and environmental costs have really ramped up higher over the past few years. Diesel, construction and other costs have also risen faster than the price of gold. In addition, many companies have mined the 'easy' sites on their properties, and grades on average have declined, leading to less gold recovered per tonne of ore recovered. ABX has seen investor sentiment shift over the years with insider dealing, too-high compensation and the addition of base metal production, which gold investors did not like. Estimated EPS this year is less than the level of 2013. The share count has also gone up about 60% in the past ten years. We consider it 'OK' for gold exposure today. In a sector rally, it is still one of the largest and global investors will still buy it.