New Gold(US:NGD)2025-07-28 13:30Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported second quarter revenue of $308 million, an increase compared to the prior year quarter due to higher gold prices and sales, slightly offset by lower copper prices and sales [20] - Cash generated from operations before working capital adjustments was $161 million or $0.20 per share for the quarter, higher than the prior year period [20] - The company achieved a record quarterly free cash flow of $63 million, driven by higher revenue [20] - Net earnings for the second quarter were approximately $68 million or $0.09 per share, with adjusted net earnings of $90 million or $0.11 per share [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Gold production totaled approximately 78,600 ounces and copper production was 13.5 million pounds, with all-in sustaining costs at $13.93 per gold ounce [6][12] - New Afton achieved an all-in sustaining cost of negative $537 per ounce after considering copper credits, while Rainy River had all-in sustaining costs of $16.96 per ounce [13][15] - Rainy River produced 61,600 ounces of gold in the second quarter, with a significant increase in production in June [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Gold production for the first half of the year was about 38% of the midpoint of the consolidated production guidance range of 325,000 to 365,000 ounces [7] - The company generated over $163 million in cash flow from operations in the first half of the year [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on generating meaningful value for shareholders and achieving production growth over the next three years [10][25] - Significant investments in exploration efforts are planned, with a combined $30 million targeted for 2025 [27] - The company aims to ramp up production at both New Afton and Rainy River while maintaining a strong focus on health and safety [26] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving production and cost guidance for 2025, with expectations of significant free cash flow generation [25][26] - The company is actively evaluating shareholder returns and potential M&A opportunities while prioritizing organic growth [38][46] Other Important Information - The company completed undercutting at New Afton, unlocking remaining extraction drives for development and construction [8] - The C Zone cave construction is approximately 65% complete, with plans to ramp up processing rates to 16,000 tons per day by early 2026 [7][16] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide additional color on the split in production between Q3 and Q4 of 2025? - Management indicated that production is expected to be consistent across both quarters, with Rainy River generating the majority of cash [31] Question: Do you expect to replace reserves in 2025? - The company aims to increase end-skidded resources and convert inferred resources to reserves, particularly at the Northwest trend [33] Question: What are the capital allocation priorities regarding buybacks and dividends? - Management stated that shareholder returns are a focus, but the current priority is on internal and organic growth [38] Question: Can you clarify the transition to primary C zone mining at New Afton? - Management confirmed that the transition will not delay C zone mining and that production guidance remains intact [43] Question: Is there an expectation to recover the high-grade material delayed in the open pit at Rainy River? - Management confirmed that guidance remains unchanged and the expectation is to recover the material in the second half of the year [50]