Our opinion on the current state of DRDGOLD(DRD)DRDGOLD (DRD) is the JSE's oldest listed company, having been listed in 1895. The company is now focused on gold surface treatment operations, which have an all-in sustaining cost of extraction of just over R627,247 per kilogram. This compares favorably to the average received gold price of R917,996. DRDGOLD's operations involve re-treating surface dumps that still contain traces of gold, which can be profitably extracted using modern methods.
One of the main benefits of this type of operation is that it is far less risky than traditional underground gold mining. It has significantly less union exposure and avoids the high costs and operational difficulties associated with underground mining. The life and grade of the operations, and thus their profitability, are precisely known. However, the share tends to be volatile as it is heavily influenced by the current price of gold. Despite this volatility, DRDGOLD has a debt-free balance sheet and generates strong free cash flows.
In a notable deal, Sibanye swapped out its surface dumps for an additional 265 million DRD shares, increasing its shareholding to 38%. On 10th January 2020, Sibanye further increased its stake to 50.1% at a cost of R1,086 million. The CEO of DRDGOLD, Niel Pretorius, has expressed interest in joining up with other tailings projects on the West Rand to create a massive unified re-processing operation. The company is also investing in renewable energy by building a 20MW solar and battery facility.
In its results for the year ending 30th June 2024, DRDGOLD reported revenue up 14% and headline earnings per share (HEPS) up 4%. However, gold production and sales were down 5%, while cash operating costs increased by 20% in rands. The company stated, "We are now positioning to bring on stream by the financial year ending 30 June 2028 ("FY2028") a combination of reclamation sites designed to lift tonnage throughput to 3 million tonnes per month, and gold production to just over 6 tonnes per annum."
Technically, the share reached a high of 2458c on 9th May 2023 before entering a downward trend. It broke up through its long-term downward trendline on 3rd July 2024 at 1673c, indicating a new upward trend. However, it remains a volatile commodity share subject to fluctuations in the international gold price.