Cliffs misses expectations with 52% Q4 profit fall

Diversified miner Cliffs Natural Resources on Wednesday reported a 52% drop in fourth-quarter earnings to $185-million, or $1.30 a share, well shy of analyst expectations. For the full year, North America’s biggest iron-ore pellet producer said...

Cliffs CEO keeping his cool as iron-ore prices tumble

After iron-ore spot prices capitulated by nearly 20% this week to their lowest levels since more than a year ago, US producer Cliffs Natural Resources said on Friday it didn’t expect any further big declines. Speaking on the company’s...

Barrick seizes 'rare' chance to scoop up Equinox, positive on copper

Gold giant Barrick Gold has agreed to buy Equinox Minerals, a copper miner, in a C$7,3-billion cash deal that will at least double the group's production of the industrial metal, but CEO Aaron Regent said on Monday that the news did not suggest...

S&P raises Freeport to 'hold'

Standard & Poor's Equity Research metals and mining analyst Leo Larkin has raised his recommendation on Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold's shares to 'hold' from 'sell'. Shares in Freeport, the biggest publicly traded copper producer, have fallen...

Cliffs rises on earnings, upbeat outlook

US coal and iron-ore producer Cliffs Natural Resources rose 7,1% on Thursday, after the company posted strong fourth-quarter earnings and said it expects to ship more iron-ore from North American mines this year. Shares in the company rose $6,64...

S&P raises Randgold to 'strong buy'

Standard & Poor's has raised its opinion on shares of Randgold Resources to 'strong buy', from an earlier 'buy' opinion. The opinion change is based on valuation, analyst Leo Larkin said.

Barrick hikes offering to as much as $4bn on investor appetite

Barrick Gold has decided to increase its huge $3-billion bought-deal equity offering, announced on Tuesday evening, to about $3,5-billion because of strong investor demand, the gold giant said on Wednesday. Barrick's shares slid 4,8% by 10:33 in...

Barrick profit rises with output

The world's biggest gold-miner, Barrick Gold, earned $492-million in the second quarter, compared with net income of $485-million a year ago, after production beat expectations and gold prices rose. Barrick produced 1,87-million ounces of gold in...