RG
ROYAL GOLD INC (RGLD)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Record quarter: Revenue $209.6M, Diluted EPS $2.01, Operating cash flow $152.8M; adjusted EPS $1.81 and adjusted EBITDA margin 84% driven by strong gold prices and portfolio leverage .
- Versus estimates: adjusted EPS beat Wall Street consensus ($1.81 vs $1.678*) while revenue was a slight miss ($209.6M vs $213.7M*); consensus based on 5 EPS and 2 revenue estimates (S&P Global) .
- Guidance maintained: management reiterated FY 2025 sales, DD&A, and tax-rate guidance ranges issued in March; no changes this quarter .
- Strategic catalysts: announced agreements to acquire Sandstorm Gold and Horizon Copper, and closed Kansanshi gold stream ($1.0B advance; revolver amended to $1.4B with $825M draw), positioning for greater scale and diversification .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- “Another quarter of excellent financial results, with record revenue, earnings and operating cash flow,” reflecting leverage to strong precious metals prices .
- Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 84%, with gold contributing ~78% of revenue; cash G&A remained low and stable .
- Stream advance at Pueblo Viejo fully offset; expected contributions continue into mid‑2040s as mine-life extension advances .
What Went Wrong
- Centerra lowered 2025 Mount Milligan gold production guidance to 145–165koz due to lower-than-anticipated grades; Royal Gold maintained FY guidance but acknowledged risk-adjusted offsetting across assets .
- Xavantina guidance cut to 40–50koz for 2025 as transition to mechanized mining proceeds; cash price under the stream increased from 25% to 40% after threshold reached .
- Continued silver delivery deferrals at Pueblo Viejo (~2.1Moz deferred at quarter end), limiting reported silver sales despite gold strength .
Financial Results
Quarterly trend and YoY comparison
Versus Wall Street Consensus (S&P Global)
Values marked with * retrieved from S&P Global.
Segment breakdown (Stream vs Royalty)
KPIs
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “Royal Gold produced another quarter of excellent financial results, with record revenue, earnings and operating cash flow, demonstrating again the leverage in our business to strong precious metal prices.”
- CEO on strategy: “The acquisitions of Sandstorm Gold and Horizon Copper will bring scale, growth and diversification… and make us the most diversified and gold-focused company in our sector.”
- CFO: Tax expense included discrete benefits ($9.3M withholding refund; $4.3M valuation allowance release); adjusted EPS $1.81; OCF a record $153M .
- Operations: Mount Milligan grade issues and guidance cut; Andacollo SAG mill restart; Rainy River production ramp; Xavantina guidance reduced and cash price increase to 40% post-threshold .
Q&A Highlights
- Deleveraging path post-transactions: Excess cash flow prioritized to repay revolver over “a couple years,” balanced with business development opportunities .
- Guidance resilience amid asset variability: Royal Gold uses rigorous, risk-adjusted budgeting with timing lags and historical performance to maintain FY sales guidance despite Mount Milligan/Xavantina headwinds .
- Africa exposure: Country-by-country approach; comfortable with Zambia and Botswana, continued openness to investments given portfolio diversification benefits .
- Capital returns: Share buybacks not prioritized; focus on debt repayment and selective investments .
- Sandstorm/Horizon process: Preliminary proxy filing expected shortly; targeting Q4 close subject to customary approvals .
- Deferred gold ounces (Mount Milligan Cost Support Agreement): First 11,111oz tranche expected in Q3/Q4 timing window; mark-to-market treatment upon receipt and sale; not included in 2025 sales/GEO guidance .
Estimates Context
- Adjusted EPS beat: $1.81 vs $1.678*; driven by higher metals prices, lower DD&A rates, and discrete tax benefits (underlying effective tax rate ~17.9% ex-discretes) .
- Revenue miss: $209.6M vs $213.7M*; headwinds from Xavantina and silver deferrals at Pueblo Viejo partly offset by stronger contributions from Mount Milligan and Peñasquito .
- Estimate breadth: 5 EPS and 2 revenue estimates for Q2 (S&P Global). Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- High-quality beat on earnings with sustained 80%+ adjusted EBITDA margin underscores the defensive, price-levered nature of the stream/royalty model .
- Near-term asset variability (Mount Milligan grades, Xavantina transition, silver deferrals) is being offset by portfolio diversification; FY 2025 guidance affirmed .
- Strategic moves (Kansanshi stream; Sandstorm/Horizon acquisitions) expand scale and optionality; expect pro-forma diversification and passive fund interest to improve capital access and valuation support .
- Liquidity remains robust ($1.25B at Q2; revolver capacity $1.4B); management targeting disciplined deleveraging post-deals—watch Q4 close and subsequent paydown cadence .
- Trading lens: EPS beat vs modest revenue miss plus M&A pipeline can drive narrative; catalysts include Sandstorm/Horizon proxy filings/approvals, Mount Milligan PFS, Pueblo Viejo silver recovery project progress, and first deferred gold deliveries .
- Dividend continuity (24th annual increase into 2025; $0.45/share quarterly) supports income profile while pursuing growth .
- Monitor asset-level updates (Rainy River ramp, Andacollo stability, Khoemacau expansion feasibility) for incremental uplift or risk mitigation .