Topic: How To Invest

What is your view on Argonaut Gold? Is it a good buy for gold exposure?

Article Excerpt

Argonaut Gold, $7.30, symbol AR on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 97.4 million; Market cap: $711.0 million; www.argonautgoldinc.com), owns 100% of the El Castillo gold mine in Mexico, plus advanced-stage exploration properties, including La Fortuna, La Colorada and San Antonio, all in Mexico. The company also holds 11 exploration properties in the state of Sonora, Mexico. El Castillo is an open-pit mine located one hour north of the state capital, Durango. El Castillo contains as much as 2.9 million ounces of gold. The company’s shares are up 55% over the last year, but its strong balance sheet (it holds cash of $35.0 million, or $0.36 a share), and earnings from El Castillo (which totalled $6.0 million, or $0.07 a share, in the latest quarter) should let it keep developing its other properties. Earlier this year, Argonaut bought Pediment Gold Corp. (symbol PEZ on Toronto) for $137 million in shares. That added the former-producing La Colorada gold mine, which holds as much as 1.1 million ounces…