Americas Gold & Silver (TSX:USA) - Eric Sprott's Silver Camp Reboot

Interview with President & CEO, Paul Huet & Eric Sprott

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/americas-gold-silver-the-turnaround-team-6588

Recording date: 3rd April, 2025

Americas Gold & Silver is positioning itself as a compelling turnaround opportunity in the silver mining sector under new leadership. The company operates two primary assets - the Galena mine in Idaho's historic Silver Valley and the Cosala mine in Mexico - with a renewed focus on operational improvements and efficiency.

Led by CEO Paul Huet, who brings successful experience from previous turnarounds at Klondex and Karora Resources, the company is implementing a straightforward "mining 101" strategy. This approach focuses on strengthening management, updating equipment, introducing more efficient long-hole mining methods, installing a paste plant, improving shaft capacity, maximizing mill utilization, and recovering valuable byproduct metals.

The company faces significant operational inefficiencies that present clear improvement opportunities. At Galena, current mining methods yield only 80-100 tons per blast compared to neighbors' 10,000-ton stopes, while mill utilization is limited to just three days per week. Management has already increased shaft hoisting rates from 42 to 60 tons per hour and targets 110 tons per hour by year-end.

A major untapped opportunity involves recovering copper, antimony, and gold currently present in concentrate but not being monetized. By capturing these metals, the company believes it can potentially reduce silver production costs to below $10 per ounce.

Financially, Americas Gold & Silver recently raised $50 million and has eliminated approximately $43 million in liabilities. The company is seeking debt financing to fund 24 months of operational improvements without equity dilution. Capital allocation priorities include exploration ($3-5 million per asset), waste development, equipment upgrades ($7 million), a paste plant ($8 million), and shaft improvements ($7 million).

Eric Sprott, who owns 20% of the company, maintains a bullish outlook on silver prices. He cites a persistent 200 million ounce annual supply deficit and growing industrial demand. Sprott believes silver could reach $50-200 per ounce from its current $30 level, noting the current gold-to-silver ratio of 90:1 is far from the historical 15:1 ratio or natural mining ratio of 8:1.

Despite doubling since September, management considers the stock significantly undervalued at 0.4-0.5 times NAV compared to peer silver producers at 1-1.5 times NAV. With institutional ownership increasing from 8% to 60% in just 75 days and management holding significant positions, Americas Gold & Silver offers investors leverage to rising silver prices while operational improvements potentially drive substantial value creation.

Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/americas-gold-silver-corporation

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