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hi Rstevens, i was wondering about the amount of shares that Mr Viola and the rest own as well. i have an email into him and will relate any info i get. i was looking at the logistic web site and noticed the facility is located in ohio and couldnt really tell how big it was but it looked to be full service. anyhow if you find out anything please post it, gl2u, paydirt
this is a tricky one because it moves fast but right now i guess buy 3-5 sell 8-12 lol. all bets are off when we hear more news from Mr. Viola (ceo) gla, paydirt
im sitting here thinking about what i said with doubling the float and that old saying "be careful what you ask for" comes to mind :)~
yeah looks like 5-8 cents for now until we hear from ceo again. gl, paydirt
its moving because of the letter from the CEO talking about his ideas for the company to move foward and the amount of stock out there is very small. they really need to double the amount because if anyone bought 100k, this would be at 25 cents. anyhow read the letter and if you would like to send a email or call the company the info is in the ibox. gl2u, paydirt
Im sorry i dont understand the question...
"Buddy what makes that protection a reality?"
gm chaos, thanks, ive just sent a note to Mr. Viola to ask if he would like anything added or deleted so we are all on the same page. gl2u, paydirt
gm mike, i just get this feeling that alot is going on behind the scenes right now. i guess we will see, and the past sure doesnt reflect it. anyhow it also seems like phosphate and potash are turning around as well and folks have to eat no matter what happens so im keeping the faith. gl2a, paydirt
Lead prices will improve 'significantly' in H2 2015 – Citi
February 11, 2015 - 15:37 GMT Location: London
KEYWORDS: lead , LME , lead-acid batteries , zinc
Lead prices will improve “significantly” in the second half of 2015, as the metal is undervalued in the light of its fundamentals, analysts at Citi said.
Lead will average $1,880 per tonne in the first quarter of 2015, before improving in the latter half of the year, with prices averaging $2,060 per tonne in 2015, analysts David Wilson and Ivan Szpakowski said in a note to clients. Lead prices have been trading around a two-year low over the past few months, at a time of the year when the lead market is normally at its strongest driven by restocking from the battery industry. But although the fall in lead prices has "rung alarm bells", Citi said the anomaly suggests lead is currently..
Mosaic profit nearly triples on strong fertilizer demand
Posted on February 11, 2015 by Raj Shah
February 11, 2015 (Source: Reuters) — U.S. fertilizer company Mosaic Co’s fourth-quarter profit nearly tripled, helped by strong demand for phosphates and potash.
The company’s shares were up 1.9 percent at $51.74 before the bell on Wednesday.
Mosaic, the world’s largest producer of finished phosphate products, said it expects to sell 2.8-3.1 million tonnes of phosphates at $440-$465 per tonne in the current quarter.
The company sold 2.7 million tonnes of phosphate at an average price of $414 per tonne in the first quarter last year.
Mosaic, which is also North America’s second-biggest potash producer, said it expects to sell 2.0-2.3 million tonnes of potash at an average rate of $270-$295 per tonne.
The company sold 2.4 million tonnes of potash at an average price of $267 per tonne in the same quarter last year.
Net earnings attributable to Mosaic rose to $360.7 million, or 97 cents per share in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, from $128.9 million, or 30 cents per share a year earlier.
The Plymouth, Minnesota-based company had a gain of 10 cents per share, which includes tax benefits.
Net sales rose 9 percent to $2.38 billion.
The company sold 3.3 million tonnes of phosphate at an average price of $448 per tonne and 2.3 million tonnes of potash at an average price of $295 per tonne.
“… Demand exceeded our expectations as customers came to the market in force, seeking to replenish empty inventories ahead of an expected strong spring application season in North America,” Chief Executive Jim Prokopanko said in a statement.
The company said it expects capital expenses and investments in the range of $1.1 billion-$1.4 billion in 2015.
- See more at: http://investorintel.com/potash-phosphate-press/mosaic-profit-nearly-triples-strong-fertilizer-demand/#sthash.CPlFcNFr.dpuf
congrats MR MET, you are doing a great job in the new diggs. paydirt
hi chaos, yes 20+ cents real soon and beyond. just click on the message board part and tell me what you think about the ibox i built for this stock. if you want something else added let me know and i will do my best to put it there, paydirt
gm mike, those numbers came from 2190000 times todays price of $115 a tonne divided by number of shares outstanding. now even if we took away half that amount for cost, mining partner payout, fuel and whatever else. we still come up with $1.76 per share. you are correct about still not knowing for sure about permit, but as i said before, we can only go by what they say, and chris said there would be no problems with it. gl, paydirt
gm chaos, yes this is going to be a very tricky stock i think. i cant wait to see what the ceo does next. one thing is for sure, he plans to keep us updated and thats 99% of the battle. well as it turns out the buy out offer was just repricing of options and we read it wrong but its all good. what do you think of the new ibox stuff?? if there is anything you want me to add, let me know, paydirt
if we all agree on those figures i will put them in the ibox.
well i get 251 million dollars worth of phosphate at todays prices then and thats not to shabby. that works out to $3.51 a share going by those numbers you provided.
we can only go by what they tell us so i will go by their numbers when we get them.
with all due respect dtstx....
•The Gaoping phosphate rock deposit holds 58.1 million tons with a grade of 19.8% P2O5 according to the Hunan Chemical Geological Exploration Institute and are estimated to be worth $8.14 billion given a world price of $140 per ton in Oct. according to the World Bank.
OK thanks dtstx for helping me understand this. ive read it twice and it sure looked like what silver said it was and still kinda does...LOL i was counting my money already...WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO :)~
this is unreal, ive been out all day and came home to this and 1 of my others got a buyout offer....LOL all my good deeds must be paying off...hehehehehheeh
i will work on the ibox very soon on this gem :)
GOOD GOD are we talkin .80 to 1 buck a share ?????? please make sense out of this all.......
Section 8 – Other Events
ITEM 8.01. OTHER EVENTS
On February 10, 2015, the Board of Directors of Sterling Group Ventures Inc. ("the Company") approved the extension of 3,817,500 Series "A" Share Purchase Warrants (the "A" Warrants) to the earlier of February 17, 2017 or the close of business on the 30th day after a takeover bid for the Company's issued and outstanding share capital has been made by a third party and approved by the shareholders of the Company.
Upon exercise of the Series "A" Share Purchase Warrants at $0.50 each, the holder will receive one Common Share of the Company and a Series "B" Share Purchase Warrant exercisable at $1.00 for another year. The Series "A" Share Purchase Warrants were originally issued pursuant to a private placement commencing in February 2004.
The Board of Directors of the Company also approved the extension of the 20,752,500 Series "D" Share Purchase Warrants (the "D" Warrants) to the earlier of February 17, 2017 or the close of business on the 30th day after a takeover bid for the Company's issued and outstanding share capital has been made by a third party and approved by the shareholders of the Company. The exercise price of the "D" Warrants remains unchanged at $0.15 per share. The Series "D" Share Purchase Warrants were originally issued pursuant to a private placement commencing in December 2010.
The Board of Directors of the Company also approved the expiry date of the Series "A" and "D" Warrants to be accelerated at any time prior to the extended expiry date of the Warrants to the close of business on the 30th day after the day on which the closing price of the Company's shares exceeds 80 cents for a period of 20 consecutive trading days.
you are right, the 6 month chart shows 50 cents. anything can happen here, i think its a good one. paydirt
this must have very few shares in the float and also tightly held. if it get a high volume day there is no telling where it might go. gla, paydirt
hi chaos, this looks interesting to me after reading that letter and looking at the web page and checking into the past of the ceo, this looks good. the ibox needs some help, let me know if you would like me to work on it. gl, paydirt
Hi MR MET, nice place you got here i just bookmarked it. ive got 2 picks SGGV and IVWFF both are bottoming out but have great chances for large moves this year. i will stop in if i have any others to share, take care, paydirt
To think you can own shares in the worlds largest lead mine for just a penny, boggles the mind. gla, paydirt
it also seems that our partner there that processes the product has alot to do with what happens. i think we may get a some good news on this front soon and also find out about other ventures as well.
mike it seems to me they could mine it at the amounts they talked about before, i think it was 100k tons, and be profitable and start the process again right now. they stated in the main report that the extraction cost was $40 a ton.
" •Estimated extraction cost of less than $40/tonne "
Looking for production cuts? Try lead not copper:
(Reuters) - As the dust settles after last week's copper capitulation, attention is inevitably turning to the implications for producers, particularly those perched precariously at the top end of the cost curve.
While many have already seen their share prices hammered, the copper market itself is now looking for production cuts.
With London benchmark copper trading below the $6,000-per tonne level for the first time since 2009, the potential exit of higher-cost mines is viewed as providing a fundamental support to counter the technical pressures still bearing down on the price.
And the very first casualties are starting to appear. Don't worry if you haven't noticed them yet. These are the market's minnows, as often as not already struggling with operational problems.
The first really significant production cutback in the base metals world has actually just been announced not in the copper market but in the lead market.
That says much about how long it can take before low prices generate a meaningful supply response.
FIRST COPPER CASUALTIES
Aura Minerals' Aranzazu mine in Mexico was struggling even before last week's brutal copper sell-off.
Cash costs in the third quarter of last year were $3.06 per pound, equivalent to just under $6,750 per tonne.
Aranzazu needed to be expanded to bring those costs down but Aura, which recorded operating income of just $776 in the quarter, was struggling to raise the finance.
The announcement that the mine was being put onto care and maintenance came on Jan. 15, one day after copper collapsed. It was probably just a matter of time but a price now starting with a "5" may well have been the final straw.
The production loss will be negligible. Aranzazu produced just over 6,600 tonnes of copper in concentrate last year.
Revett Mining's Troy mine in Montana is even smaller. Production in 2012 was around 3,400 tonnes. All operations were suspended in December that year due to instability in the mine and milling operations were only resumed in November last year.
The loss of production and associated rehabilitation costs meant Revett has been operating in the red with a net loss of $2.1 million in the third quarter and of $4.5 million in the first nine months of 2014.
As with Aura's Aranzazu, it's easy to see why Revett has been so quick to announce a move to care and maintenance at Troy.
And expect more of the same in the coming weeks. The first casualties of lower prices are always the "halt and the lame", small-scale operators with high costs, limited cash reserves and existing operational negatives.
If you're looking for a really significant casualty of lower prices, take a look at the lead market.
IVERNIA CLOSES (AGAIN)
Ivernia Inc last week announced it was placing its Paroo Station lead mine in Australia on care and maintenance.
Now, what was once called the Magellan mine has not been without its own operational problems since first coming into production in 2005.
A public outcry over lead contamination along the shipping route to and at the port of Esperance led to operations being suspended for much of the 2007-2010 period.
A first attempt to restart was stymied by low prices and the mine spent 2011-2012 on care and maintenance before being reactivated in 2013 under its new name.
It produced 44,000 tonnes of contained lead in concentrate that year and, production wise at least, was operating well all through last year and on course to hit comfortably its guidance of 80,000-85,000 tonnes of contained lead.
The only problem was the lead price. The market has been out of favor for many, many months and the benchmark three-month price on the London Metal Exchange started heading south again towards the end of the third quarter last year.
A break down through the $2,000 per tonne level in mid-December took it back to 2012 levels and that was even before last week's copper-inspired drop to $1,743 per tonne.
Ivernia has cut costs, switching its power supply from diesel to natural gas, and postponed its debt repayment schedule. All to no avail.
The mine remained cash-flow negative in the third quarter and Ivernia reported a net loss of $3.9 million for the period. Things can only have become more difficult since then, given the further decline in price.
Paroo Station is an important component of global lead mine supply, accounting for around 2 percent of world production, according to Gayle Berry, analyst at Jefferies.
Its suspension is therefore meaningful in terms of a market that was widely expected to be in small supply-demand surplus this year.
"If closed for the whole year it would be big enough to wipe out our forecast 31,000-tonne refined surplus for 2015," Berry writes ("Base Metal Insights - Lead prices bottoming", Jan. 20, 2015).
Paroo Station is something of an anomaly, though.
It is a "pure" lead producer. Most lead is mined in tandem with zinc and other minerals, silver being the most common. That complicates any assessment of where lead's own cost curve support may lie.
As Berry and other analysts warn, therefore, it may not be indicative of any broader trend in the lead mine sector.
But it does offer a useful reminder that mine closures in response to price declines can often be a slow-fuse affair.
The first casualties are often operators so small that even their combined loss of production makes only a marginal impact on the bigger picture.
It takes a prolonged attritional period of low and then falling prices to impact the bigger players.
A useful lesson for those looking for a major reconfiguration of copper's supply side after last week's events.
(Editing by Susan Thomas)
Lead price outperforms after mine shuts, more closures possible
BY ERIC ONSTAD
LONDON Mon Jan 19, 2015 12:05pm EST
Jan 19 (Reuters) - Lead prices have bounced following a mine closure, which one analyst said could herald similar moves in other metals as sharp market falls threaten the profitability of high cost mines.
Three-month lead on the London Metal Exchange was the only metal in positive territory on Monday, closing 0.4 percent higher at $1,857 a tonne after surging 3.9 percent on Friday.
Prices jumped on expectations of lower supplies after Toronto-listed Invernia Inc. said on Friday it would suspend operations at its Paroo Station Mine in Western Australia, the world's largest lead carbonate mine.
"The current LME lead price has dropped well below sustainable levels and cannot support profitable ongoing operations," Chief Executive Wayne Richardson said in a statement. (bit.ly/1Bu2Y4s)
Lead prices tumbled by a quarter from late July last year until hitting a 30-month low of $1,743 a tonne last week.
The mine, which was forecast to produce about 80,000 tonnes of lead in concentrate last year, is unusual because it only produces lead, unlike most other lead operations which also produce sister metal zinc.
"That (80,000 tonnes) is approximately how much you're going to lose and that's substantial in the lead market," said Stephen Briggs, metals strategist at BNP Paribas in London.
"It's a very special type of lead concentrate so it's not that easy to replace with other stuff. That's why the lead price is substantially outperforming the other metals."
Although the closure has no direct impact on other metals, it could provide a signal of how last week's sharp declines in metals prices may force other closures, Briggs added.
"It makes the market aware that we're in the mode now that we're looking for mine closures in response to these price declines."
Copper slid to 5-1/2 year lows last week while other metals hit the weakest levels in many months -- 11 months for nickel, nine months for zinc and eight months for aluminium. (Reporting by Eric Onstad, editing by David Evans)
Ivernia Announces Move to Care & Maintenance Amid Difficult Market Conditions
Ivernia Inc.
January 16, 2015 7:46 AM
GlobeNewswire
TORONTO, Jan. 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ivernia Inc.("Ivernia" or, collectively with its subsidiaries, the "Company") (IVW.TO) today provided an operations update for the Paroo Station Mine (the "Mine"). After review with the Finance Committee and support of the Board of Directors, management today authorized the wind-down of the Mine's operations to care and maintenance until further notice in light of weak LME lead prices that have seen a significant decline in recent weeks.
Key points:
The LME cash settlement price of lead has fallen sharply over the fourth quarter of 2014 and is trading at 30 month lows.
The Company's cost saving measures and mine optimization plan have not been enough to offset the impact of the decline in lead metal prices.
The Company will initiate a safe and orderly scaling back of operations as soon as possible and revert the operation to care and maintenance.
This action has been taken in order to preserve and protect shareholder value.
The operation remains in compliance with all operating permits and will be poised to return to full production once price conditions improve.
After reaching a high of $2269 per tonne on July 28th 2014 the LME lead price has since deteriorated 23% trading at levels not seen since June 2012. The Mine was not in operation during 2012.
"Despite record production and sales in 2014 and the progress we have made to reduce costs and improve efficiencies at the Mine, the current LME lead price has dropped well below sustainable levels and cannot support profitable ongoing operations. In order to protect shareholder value and conserve the viable deposits of our ore body, the decision has been made to place the Mine on care and maintenance until further notice," said Wayne Richardson, President and CEO.
Management has commenced discussions with its lenders, employees, customers, mining contractor, suppliers and other key stakeholders in regards to the change in operations. Management and the Board will re-evaluate the status of the Mine as market conditions warrant. Management is awaiting the outcomes from its new independent technical report on its deposits to help it assess at which lead price it could sustainably resume operations. As a result of market conditions, the Company will not be providing guidance on its expected remaining production and sales of lead contained in concentrate prior to completing a scale back of operations to care & maintenance.
Further updates will be provided as warranted.
About Ivernia
Ivernia is an international base metal mining company and the owner of the Paroo Station Mine, located in Western Australia. Ivernia trades under the symbol "IVW" on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Ivernia and the Mine operate under a management services arrangement with Enirgi Group Corporation, Ivernia's majority shareholder.
Additional information on Ivernia is available on the Company's website at www.ivernia.com and at SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
This one looks interesting. Stay tuned.......
I wish they would list us on the Hong Kong exchange.....
5:57 PM PST
January 15, 2015
PBOC Adds to Selective Loan Quotas as Targeted Approach Now Seen
(Bloomberg) -- China’s central bank has allocated money for farm and small company lending as it sticks to a targeted approach to monetary easing after its November interest-rate reduction spurred a speculation-fueled stock market rally.
The People’s Bank of China gave a 20 billion yuan ($3.2 billion) re-loan loan quota to banks to support agriculture and 30 billion yuan to boost smaller companies, according to a statement on its website. The move aims at lowering financing costs, it said.
Credit data Thursday underscored challenges for a central bank trying to revive growth without exacerbating risks, as new loans missed economists’ estimates in December even as equity investors and local governments contributed to a surge in shadow banking. The main stock index has jumped more than 30 percent since the rate cut was announced on Nov. 21.
“We believe the government will delay interest-rate and RRR cuts and instead revert to targeted measures to inject liquidity,” Shen Jianguang, Hong Kong-based chief Asia economist at Mizuho Securities Asia Ltd., wrote in a note to clients released Friday. “Additional monetary easing is necessary, as economic conditions in China remain difficult, and overall lending rates remain high. However, we also believe the government must be more particular with its policy choices.”
China central bank’s outstanding re-lending, which aims at supporting agriculture and smaller companies, reached 267.8 billion yuan at the end of 2014, an increase of 99.4 billion yuan compared to the beginning of 2014, according to a statement on the PBOC’s website.
‘Targeted Control’
The re-loan decision came a day after the central bank’s annual meeting on credit policy where it reiterated plans to guide stable growth in credit and create a “neutral and appropriate” financial environment for growth. The PBOC will “enhance targeted control” to “promote optimization of the credit structure,” according to a PBOC statement Thursday.
Money supply will slow this year on a deceleration of bank deposits and yuan positions, according to an article published in the China Securities Journal’s front page. China needs to cut interest rates and bank’s required reserve ratios in 2015 amid deflation and downward pressure on the economy, it said.
To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Xin Zhou in Beijing at xzhou68@bloomberg.net
ok thank you skichic, cant wait to hear what you find out. these guys dont want anyone to know what they are up to. if in fact the 10q is correct and the numbers are not pulled out of their thin air, then i would think they would want the world to know about it. hopefully this is some sort of larger plan they have as far as blowing us all away with good news all at once. gl, paydirt
ps. if the numbers are bogus, then how can they file them with the SEC and stay listed?
hi skichic, i was wondering if you have had a chance to call the number on the PR yet for more info? thanks, paydirt
Weekly Fertilizer Review
Fertilizer prices calm in sea of volatile markets
Published on: Jan 20, 2015
While international markets from currencies to crude oil and other commodities continue to see extreme price movements, volatility so far has not spilled over into the fertilizer complex. Prices remained mostly steady this week, though sellers are nervous about maintaining costs at present levels. Despite the break in crop futures the cost of fertilizing an acre of corn is 12% higher than a year ago. Still, average retail markets are fairly priced, given expenses suppliers must pay on wholesale market.
Ammonia prices at the retail level eased $1 a ton last week, with the average running $685 a ton. That’s spot on with fair value considering wholesale costs and traditional mark-ups. With corn acres expected to fall in the U.S. and international demand weak, benchmark prices in at the Gulf and Black Sea could see further reductions this winter. But getting any of that cheaper supply into position for farmers may be difficult for those who wait, gambling on lower prices. The drop in U.S. corn acres has potential in theory to lower April retail costs all the way to $600 or less, according to one of our models. But there’s also risk of a $100 run up if the supply chain breaks down, after farmers slashed applications last fall.
Urea prices were steady at the retail level for farmers last week, with the average remaining at its lowest point in a year. International costs moved higher on seasonal demand at the start of winter, but fell this week on world markets. The benchmark price at the Gulf dropped $9 to $332, with upriver terminals down about half that much. With urea priced in U.S. dollars, countries using crumbling currencies like the Euro face higher costs that may hurt demand. China is also expected to export more under its new tax program, helped by lower production costs because it uses cheaper coal, not ammonia. India reportedly is stepping back into the market to buy more, which could soak up some of that supply. While swaps point to lower prices into February, the current average retail price around $465 is within $15 of fair value, given current wholesale costs and traditional mark-ups. That means retail prices may not get much cheaper this winter.
UAN still looks like the most firm segment of the nitrogen complex, with good demand so far after lower fall nitrogen applications and increased farmer interest in shifting nitrogen methods. The benchmark price at the Gulf was steady at $267.50 for 32%, though the average retail cost for 28% fell a buck to $319. Retail prices likely reflect deals done when wholesale costs were cheaper; dealers restocking now may bump offers $15 with swaps firm through March. Spring offers could run around $345, based on the current contract market.
Phosphates were unchanged on U.S. retail and wholesale markets last week, with good international demand keeping supplies in check. Costs at the Gulf rose around $50 into winter; they’re at $442.50 now, while average retail prices eased about half that much. That has the average retail price of $558 within $10 of fair value, given wholesale costs and traditional markups. Gulf swaps are firm through March, suggesting price cuts may be hard to come by unless farmers close their wallets and dealers have leftover tons to sell.
Potash prices were steady last week across the board with retail average of $485 still running $80 higher than the terminal cost. China signed a three-year deal with the Canadian exporting consortium, but is still negotiating the price of its first 2015 purchase. With those talks dragging on longer than anticipated, the rest of the market is on hold. Costs could have a little downside potential if farmers cut back applications, with maybe $10 upside risk into spring.
Download the complete report, which includes detailed charts and forecasts for ammonia, urea, UAN, phosphates and potash, using the link below.
Senior Editor Bryce Knorr first joined Farm Futures Magazine in 1987. In addition to analyzing and writing about the commodity markets, he is a former futures introducing broker and is a registered Commodity Trading Advisor. He conducts Farm Futures exclusive surveys on acreage, production and farm management issues and is one of the analysts regularly contracted by business wire services before major USDA crop reports. Besides the Morning Call on www.FarmFutures.com he writes weekly reviews for corn, soybeans, and wheat that include selling price targets, charts and seasonal trends. His other weekly reviews on basis, energy, fertilizer and financial markets and feature price forecasts for key farm crop inputs. A journalist with 38 years of experience, he received the Master Writers Award from the American Agricultural Editors Association.
Download file: WFertR012015.pdf
Refill you are my hero....
gm silver, those pics will look great in the ibox and im happy you will be a mod, paydirt
hey silver, flat said he liked the pics and info and would add them to the box. so thanks for thinking about it and you should be a mod there too, paydirt
ok thanks flat.... cant wait for next PR, TC...paydirt