preview

Resesarch

Decent Essays

CASE: American Barrick Resources Corporation : Managing Gold Price Risk
1. In the absence of a hedging program using financial instruments, how sensitive would Barrick stock be to gold price changes? For every 1% change in gold prices, how might its stock be affected? How could the firm manage its gold price exposure without the use of financial contracts?

Particulars for yr 1992($ million) | | Pretax earnings (Exhibit 2) | 223 | Reductions in earning of gold sold at spot (1280mn oz x (422-345) (Exhibit 12) | (99) | Proforma Pretax Earnings | 124 | Taxes @ 21% (Exhibit 2) | (26) | After Tax Earnings | 98 |

Thus in absence of risk management program the American Barrick stock would be more sensitive to gold price …show more content…

In 1992, American Barrick produced and sold over 1.28 Million Ounces of gold at a price of $422 instead of $345 market rate, as a result of the risk management program. Such benefits would lead to higher revenues, and thus higher profits and in turn render higher value for the shareholders. The organisation guidelines clearly specifed that the risk managemnt system should be such that they are fully protected against price declines for 3yrs and 20-25% for a decade.

Thus such a mechanism helped create value for the shareholders as the profits of a Gold mine are dependent on fluctuation in gold prices and the difference between revenue and costs. Thus locking future prices, provided financial stability, enabling the organisation to avoids dips, and plan cash flows in a confident way, and in combination with the rising production, offered investors and shareholders a predictable , rising earnings profile in the future

1. How would you characterize the evolution of Barrick’s price risk management activities? Are they consistent with the stated policy goals?

As a producer of commodity products, gold mining firms had virtually no marketing or distribution costs. There was always a ready market for their products, at market prices, once extracted from the earth & refined. Therefore a gold mine’s profits were a function of the quantity of its production

Get Access