Close menu




November 9th, 2022 | 12:25 CET

Barrick Gold, Desert Gold, K+S - Undervalued shares

  • Mining
  • Gold
  • fertilizer
Photo credits: pixabay.com

The stock market is not always rational. Depending on the market phase, private investors in particular often act irrationally. If all stocks are rising, the fear of missing something comes up and investors buy, although they would be better off waiting for a setback. If the indices go down, many investors sell near the lows, even though they have quality stocks in their portfolio. As a smart investor, one should be like Buffet and buy when others panic. The last few months have been difficult in the stock market, and there have been some downward exaggerations. So today, we look at three companies that have been sold off recently but have good assets.

time to read: 4 minutes | Author: Armin Schulz
ISIN: BARRICK GOLD CORP. | CA0679011084 , DESERT GOLD VENTURES | CA25039N4084 , K+S AG NA O.N. | DE000KSAG888

Table of contents:


    Barrick Gold - Weak quarterly figures but high dividend

    The gold market had to digest some negative news recently. Rising interest rates are hurting the gold price, the strong US dollar also slowed demand and, for a long time, it was said that bitcoin would replace gold as a crisis-proof investment. In the meantime, bitcoin has lost almost 70% in value since the end of last year. Gold, on the other hand, only around 10%. The gold price has recently shown strength at the support level of USD 1,620, where it has now formed a triple bottom. From there, the gold price has soared by more than USD 50. Gold producers such as Barrick Gold have been hit harder by rising energy costs.

    On November 3, the Company presented its quarterly figures for the third quarter. In addition to weaker gold production of 988,000 ounces, total costs, in particular, have climbed by over 22%. Last year, costs were USD 1,034, and this year they are USD 1,269. Copper production was stronger, but here, too, costs rose by a good 20%. Net profit was only USD 241 million. 2021 reported a profit of USD 347 million for the same period. Management's plan to increase production in H2 and thus lower overall costs on average has thus failed for the time being.

    Shareholders sold off the stock down to USD 13.01. Since then, however, the share has recovered to USD 14.57. The reasons for this are certainly the dividend, which is USD 0.15 this quarter. That brings the current share price to around 4.8% this year. At the same time, a share buyback program of 1 billion shares is underway. So far, only 322 million shares have been repurchased. This also increases the value of a share certificate for shareholders. Various factors would positively impact the share, such as a decline in energy prices or simply a rise in the price of gold.

    Desert Gold - Drilling program starts in December

    When one of the largest gold producers is hit hard, the explorers are usually hit even harder. Barrick Gold has lost about 30% since the beginning of the year, while Desert Gold has lost 58%. With the SMSZ project in Mali, the Company owns one of the largest properties in West Africa, with 440 sq km and a mineral resource of 1,079,000 ounces of gold. To date, 23 gold zones have been discovered, with gold occurrences up to 20.87 g/t. There are six gold mines in the area, including Barrick Gold, producing up to 600,000 ounces of gold per year.

    The next drill program is planned and expected to cover 30,000 meters of drilling. The new exploration work will start in December in the Gourbassi West North gold zone and then be extended to Mogoyafara South. It is intended to expand the two largest gold zones to date. With the drilling results, an updated resource estimate is expected to be presented in the fourth quarter of 2023. In parallel, work is already underway to optimize gold recovery rates. In some cases, the rates were already 86-88%, but other zones were weaker. Operationally, therefore, work is being done in all areas, and things are progressing step by step.

    Those interested in a company presentation can find a recording from the 4th International Investment Forum on YouTube. Even new gold discoveries have yet to help the share price. Currently, the share is quoted at CAD 0.07 and thus comes to a market capitalization of CAD 11.3 million. Assuming a value of only USD 50 per ounce of gold that the Company possesses, one arrives at a realistic valuation of a good CAD 72 million. The larger the gold deposits become, the more attractive takeovers become for the major players in the region.

    K+S - Quarterly figures on November 10 point the way

    At the beginning of 2021, K+S was at rock bottom. A mountain of debt threatened to crush the Company. But then, fertilizer prices shot through the roof and, at the latest, with the sale of the US salt business, the picture turned around. The share was the winner of the MDAX and climbed to EUR 36.45 in April of this year. It then fell by more than 50%. The reason is the combination of higher raw material and energy costs and falling potash prices. But despite all the bad news, 2022 will also be a good year for K+S if you look at the figures.

    In half-year figures, the Company almost doubled its revenues to EUR 2.7 billion. EBITDA was quintupled to EUR 1.2 billion. Despite higher gas prices, the Company expects EBITDA at the end of the year to be between EUR 2.3 and 2.6 billion. Among other things, K+S is investing money in modernizing its plant in Werra. During ongoing production, the renewal is expected to lead to higher and more stable production, an increase in energy efficiency and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.

    Most recently, the share was weighed down by weaker figures from competitor Nutrien. The world's largest fertilizer producer cut its profit forecast. The Kassel-based company will announce whether K+S has also experienced a weaker quarter on November 10, when the figures for the 3rd quarter will be presented. However, regardless of the upcoming figures, this year has already been a success for the Company. The share stands at EUR 21.77 and should already have priced in much negativity.


    The rough times on the stock market also offer potential. Sometimes one has to look a little closer to find the exaggerations. Opportunities then present themselves. At Barrick Gold, the quarterly figures were weaker, but the group is still excellently positioned. Desert Gold's valuation is well below the discoveries that have already been made, meaning that gold can be acquired at a bargain price. K+S has achieved the turnaround and is earning decent money. The discount is too high.


    Conflict of interest

    Pursuant to §85 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG), we point out that Apaton Finance GmbH as well as partners, authors or employees of Apaton Finance GmbH (hereinafter referred to as "Relevant Persons") may hold shares or other financial instruments of the aforementioned companies in the future or may bet on rising or falling prices and thus a conflict of interest may arise in the future. The Relevant Persons reserve the right to buy or sell shares or other financial instruments of the Company at any time (hereinafter each a "Transaction"). Transactions may, under certain circumstances, influence the respective price of the shares or other financial instruments of the Company.

    In addition, Apaton Finance GmbH is active in the context of the preparation and publication of the reporting in paid contractual relationships.

    For this reason, there is a concrete conflict of interest.

    The above information on existing conflicts of interest applies to all types and forms of publication used by Apaton Finance GmbH for publications on companies.

    Risk notice

    Apaton Finance GmbH offers editors, agencies and companies the opportunity to publish commentaries, interviews, summaries, news and the like on news.financial. These contents are exclusively for the information of the readers and do not represent any call to action or recommendations, neither explicitly nor implicitly they are to be understood as an assurance of possible price developments. The contents do not replace individual expert investment advice and do not constitute an offer to sell the discussed share(s) or other financial instruments, nor an invitation to buy or sell such.

    The content is expressly not a financial analysis, but a journalistic or advertising text. Readers or users who make investment decisions or carry out transactions on the basis of the information provided here do so entirely at their own risk. No contractual relationship is established between Apaton Finance GmbH and its readers or the users of its offers, as our information only refers to the company and not to the investment decision of the reader or user.

    The acquisition of financial instruments involves high risks, which can lead to the total loss of the invested capital. The information published by Apaton Finance GmbH and its authors is based on careful research. Nevertheless, no liability is assumed for financial losses or a content-related guarantee for the topicality, correctness, appropriateness and completeness of the content provided here. Please also note our Terms of use.


    Der Autor

    Armin Schulz

    Born in Mönchengladbach, he studied business administration in the Netherlands. In the course of his studies he came into contact with the stock exchange for the first time. He has more than 25 years of experience in stock market business.

    About the author



    Related comments:

    Commented by André Will-Laudien on October 22nd, 2025 | 07:35 CEST

    Gold and silver – New record highs! Keep an eye on Barrick, Agnico Eagle, Desert Gold, and First Majestic!

    • Mining
    • Gold
    • Silver
    • Commodities

    Silver prices broke through the USD 53 mark for the first time at the beginning of the week, and gold is attempting to reach the USD 4,300 mark. Precious metal enthusiasts have been anticipating these moves for a long time, but traders on the futures exchanges clearly have not. In addition to extreme physical scarcity, the exploding prices are also attributed to heavy short squeezes. The physical silver market is under tremendous pressure as the availability of real metal to hedge the numerous futures transactions is severely limited. This imbalance is causing erratic market reactions and driving the spot price into an almost exponential sell-off. The current rally in precious metals is driven by geopolitical uncertainty, industrial demand factors, and the search for safe investments. In times of excessive government debt, the weakness of the US dollar is now also weighing on the market. Which companies should investors keep a close eye on now?

    Read

    Commented by Fabian Lorenz on October 22nd, 2025 | 07:30 CEST

    SHARE PRICE EXPLOSION for commodity gems!? Nordex, Aurubis, Salzgitter, and Power Metallic Mines!

    • Mining
    • Lithium
    • Copper
    • Commodities
    • Steel
    • Wind
    • renewableenergies

    Shares in the commodities and precious metals sector have been unstoppable in recent weeks. Power Metallic Mines could soon become an explosive latecomer to the rally. There are good reasons for this, as the CEO recently made clear. At Aurubis, the rally appears to be over for now. Analysts are skeptical, and the major shareholder is cashing in his shares - albeit in an unusual way. So should you sell now, too? The past few months have been unusually positive for Nordex. There is currently no sign of a slump in the wind business. What are analysts saying after the latest order intake?

    Read

    Commented by Carsten Mainitz on October 22nd, 2025 | 07:25 CEST

    The stock market success stories Almonty Industries, TKMS, and Steyr Motors are opening a new chapter - and it is still not too late to get in!

    • Mining
    • Tungsten
    • CriticalMetals
    • Automotive
    • hightech
    • Defense

    The trade conflict between the US and China is intensifying and reaching a new strategic dimension. Beijing is deliberately restricting exports of critical raw materials and rare earths that are indispensable for high-tech industries, defense, and the energy transition. Western industries are coming under pressure, security of supply is faltering, and prices are rising. Meanwhile, the beneficiaries of this situation, such as producers of critical raw materials, are experiencing a boom. What happens next, and what does the stock market newcomer TKMS have to do with it?

    Read