RE:RE:RE:Well, well, well....the long anticipated Consolidation The answer to your question is simple:
YES There is a refined zinc shortage due to power cuts/pricing affecting many smelters. Unfortunately most of the mines are still producing at capacity. This only means one thing: a concentrate glut that is building. This is no good for the miners since treatment charges will increase substantially, offsetting zinc price gains. The only hope for zinc is sustained demand increases. Zinc price spikes are also historically short-lived, unlike for other metals.
MetalRocker wrote: Management must be especially careful about the timing of a consolidation like this. Reverse splits most often go badly. Even when well timed, the market can be unkind to shareholders (consider the recent consolidation in shares of GE).
As Karma says, in terms of finances, the RS is absolutely neutral. My hope is that the earnings announcement is strong and will bring more buyers into the stock. Enough buyers, that is, to offset those seeing more apparent room for the stock to go down from its $2 handle.
Good riddance to Santander. The regulatory environment in Peru has become highly uncertain and the sale/pullout eliminates the risk of nationalization of foreign owned mines.
Overall, I remain optimistic with infrastructure spending certain to be strong over the next five years. The biggest downside risk would be on the supply side: will zinc miners flood the market with supply and collapse the profitable pricing we've recently enjoyed?