Two gold mining buys for long-term gains

Article Excerpt

YAMANA GOLD $5.43 (Toronto symbol YRI; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (416-815-0220; www. yamana.com; Shares outstanding: 947.2 million; Market cap: $5.3 billion; Dividend yield: 0.5%) owns and operates 10 gold mines in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. It also holds a 12.5% stake in the Alumbrera copper/ gold mine in Argentina and has a number of other properties in advanced stages of development. In the three months ended December 31, 2015, the company’s gold production fell 1.9%, to 345,788 ounces from 352,572 a year earlier. The decline was the result of lower output at some of Yamana’s smaller mines. Gold prices fell 8.2% in the latest quarter. That, plus the lower production, cut Yamana’s cash flow by 14.8%, to $150.5 million from $176.7 million. (All figures except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.) Cash flow per share declined 20.0%, to $0.16 from $0.20, on more shares outstanding. Yamana held cash of $137.8 million, or $0.15 a share, on December…