Newmont’s a Gold Leader

Article Excerpt

NEWMONT MINING $46.28 (New York symbol NEM; SI Rating: Average) is one of the largest gold producers in the world with major operations in the United States, Canada, Peru, Australia, Indonesia and Ghana. Newmont expects to produce 5.3 million ounces of gold this year. Late last year, Newmont completed the sale of 290 mining and oil and gas royalty interests to Franco-Nevada Corp. This gave Newmont $1.2 billion in cash to pay for its $1.5 billion purchase of TSX-listed Miramar Mining. It also lets it focus on its core gold mining business. Newmont’s earnings in 2008 should grow to $2.12 a share, which implies a p/e of 21.0. It also trades at 13.4 times its projected cash flow of $3.45 a share. That’s high, but golds always trade at a premium to the market. The $0.40 dividend yields 0.9%. Like most producers, Newmont has moved down lately as gold prices have dropped below their peak of over $1000 per ounce. For aggressive investors who…