Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What is your view on Semafo? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Semafo, $3.35, symbol SMF on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 294.1 million; Market cap: $985.2 million, www.semafo.com), is a Canadian mining company that produces and explores for gold in western Africa. Semafo operates the Mana mine in Burkina Faso, which includes the high-grade Siou and Fofina deposits. To add growth prospects, the company completed its $138.2-million acquisition of Orbis Gold earlier this year. Orbis’s Natougou project, also in Burkina Faso, holds as much as 1.1 million ounces of gold. Semafo is now conducting a feasibility study on the economics of building a mine at the site. Orbis also owns the Nabaga project, 250 kilometres south of Natougou. In the three months ended March 31, 2015, Semafo’s revenue nearly doubled, to $74.0 million from $38.5 million a year earlier. Cash flow was $32.6 million, or $0.12 a share, up sharply from $2.1 million, or $0.01. The gains came from mining the Siou and Fofina deposits at the Mana mine; a year ago, the company only…