Our opinion on the current state of DRDGOLD(DRD)DRDGOLD (DRD) is the JSE's oldest listed company, having been listed in 1895. It has evolved into a gold surface treatment operation, focusing on re-treating surface dumps with traces of gold that can be profitably extracted using modern methods. DRDGOLD's all-in sustaining cost of extraction is just over R627,247 per kilogram, compared to an average received gold price of R917,996. The nature of surface treatment operations presents lower risk than traditional underground gold mining, as it has less union exposure and avoids the costs and challenges associated with underground mining. The company's profitability is more predictable, given the known life and grade of its operations.
The share is known for its volatility, largely tied to fluctuations in the international gold price. However, DRDGOLD has a debt-free balance sheet and generates strong free cash flows. A significant development occurred when Sibanye swapped its surface dumps for an additional 265 million DRD shares, increasing its stake to 38%. On 10th January 2020, Sibanye further exercised its option to increase its shareholding to 50.1% at a cost of R1.086 billion.
DRDGOLD’s CEO, Niel Pretorius, aims to join other tailings projects on the West Rand to create a massive unified reprocessing operation. The company is also building a 20MW solar and battery facility to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability.
In its results for the year ending 30th June 2024, DRDGOLD reported revenue up 14%, with headline earnings per share (HEPS) up 4%. However, gold production and sales were down 5%, and cash operating costs increased by 20% in rands. The company announced plans to lift tonnage throughput to 3 million tonnes per month and gold production to over 6 tonnes per annum by FY2028.
For the three months to 30th September 2024, DRDGOLD reported a 7% increase in production and a 4% increase in sales. All-in sustaining costs dropped 5% to R933,686 per kilogram. Cash operating costs per kilogram of gold sold decreased by 4% to R856,723/kg, despite winter tariffs from Eskom during June to August driving up total cash operating costs.
Technically, DRDGOLD's share price reached a high of 2,458c on 9th May 2023, before entering a downward trend. However, it broke through its long-term downward trendline on 3rd July 2024 at 1,673c, signaling a new upward trend. While the stock remains volatile, given its sensitivity to international gold prices, DRDGOLD’s debt-free position and stable operations make it an attractive, albeit risky, commodity investment.