Yamana gives you an extra boost

Article Excerpt

YAMANA GOLD $5.11 is a precious metal buy. The gold miner (Toronto symbol YRI; Resources Sector; Shares outstanding: 950.4 million; Market cap: $4.9 billion; Dividend yield: 1.0%; Takeover Target Rating: Highest; www.yamana.com) lets you tap six gold mines, in Canada, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. It also holds 20.5% of Leagold Mining (symbol LMC on Toronto). That producer owns mines in Mexico and Brazil. Leagold is now the subject of a friendly takeover bid from Equinox Gold (Toronto symbol EQX). If the $700 million all-stock purchase goes through, the combined entity will operate six mines in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil. Meanwhile, the takeover looks like a good deal for Yamana and its investors. Its Leagold shares are now up 97% over the last year, partly due to the offer, and the outlook for the new Equinox Gold (in which it will hold a roughly 9.2% interest) is strong. Yamana’s positive cash flow and steady production already give it speculative appeal for investors. Its holding in Leagold…