Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi Pat: What is your take on Champion Iron Company (CIA)? Thank you in advance for good advice.

Article Excerpt

A: Champion Iron Company, $1.37, symbol CIA on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 412.1 million; Market cap: $571.1 million, www.championiron.com), is an iron development and exploration firm, focused on developing its iron resources in the province of Quebec. The company acquired its main asset, the past-producing Bloom Lake iron-ore mine, in April 2016 for $10.5 million. It also assumed $42.8 million in debt. In 2011, the previous owner, Cliffs Natural Resources (symbol CLF on New York), made a disastrous acquisition in paying $4.9 billion U.S. to buy the mine from Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines. That year, iron ore prices peaked at $190 U.S. per tonne, then gradually sank below $40 per tonne by December 2015. Altogether, past owners invested almost $3.0 billion U.S. on mine development and infrastructure. Bloom Lake is now owned 63.2% owned by Champion. Government-owned Ressources Quebec holds the remaining 36.8% stake in the site, plus a 10% interest in Champion. The partners have raised $350 million in financing to reopen the mine…