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Investing.com -- Hochschild Mining PLC (LON:HOCM) shares tanked over 11% in London after the company reported that heavy rainfall during Brazil’s rainy season had a greater-than-anticipated impact on output at its Mara Rosa site.
First-quarter production totaled 79,941 gold equivalent ounces, coming in 8% below RBC Capital Markets’ forecast.
The weaker-than-expected production and sales volumes led to an estimated EBITDA of around $105 million for the quarter, which is 15% below RBC’s estimate. Net debt rose to $248 million, exceeding expectations by 14%.
CEO Eduardo Landin acknowledged that the first quarter is typically the lowest in terms of production, but highlighted strong results from the company’s flagship Inmaculada mine in southern Peru.
He also pointed to “encouraging developments” in Argentina, stating that “the easing of exchange controls and ensuing currency weakness are expected to improve San Jose’s cost position in the long-term.”
Landin further noted “operational challenges” tied to the local mining contractor, citing “an environment of increasing pressure on the availability of skilled labour, partly driven by elevated metal prices.”
Looking ahead, Hochschild reaffirmed its 2025 production forecast of 350,000 to 378,000 gold equivalent ounces.
At Mara Rosa, ongoing delays in waste stripping are expected to weigh on second-quarter output, with production likely to match the first quarter’s 16,000 ounces.
However, RBC notes that contractors have doubled waste removal capacity to 3 million tonnes per month, which is expected to provide access to higher-grade zones in the second half of the year and support full-year production guidance of 94,000 to 104,000 ounces.
"We believe HOC has time to recover the volumes lost while strong performance from Inmaculada could offset weakness at Mara Rosa leaving full year guidance achievable," RBC analysts led by Marina Calero said.
However, following the weaker-than-expected first-quarter results, they revised down their full-year forecasts and lowered the price target from 290p to 280p.
"We continue to see risk reward levels as attractive in the current gold price environment and reiterate our Outperform rating," the analysts added.