Why battery metal M&A is more frothy

While big deals in the gold space are getting done, the battery metal space is seeing more aggressive mergers and acquisitions, noted panelist Mining Audiences Manager Michael McCrae.

On Friday McCrae recorded Kitco Roundtable with Kitco correspondent Paul Harris.

For much of 2021 Wyloo Metals and BHP Billiton were in a bidding war for Noront Resources, which is advancing its Eagle’s Nest nickel, copper, platinum and palladium deposit located in Ontario. In October Sibanye-Stillwater beat several bidders and paid $1.0 billion for both the Santa Rita nickel mine and the Serrote copper mine in Brazil.

The gold space has seen less competition. The year's biggest deal, Agnico Eagle-Kirkland Lake Gold, lacked a premium or other suitors.

The overhang of expensive deals from the last decade weighs on gold miners. McCrae also said battery metal producers are paying more since they clearly see a lack of supply in EV space.