Johannesburg - DRDGOLD [JSE:DRD], South Africa's
fourth-largest gold producer, said on Tuesday that second-quarter earnings
climbed 65% as it continued to cash in on the higher gold price.
Headline earnings totalled 33 cents per share in the
October-December second quarter, compared with 20c in the first quarter.
Total gold production was virtually unchanged quarter on
quarter at 63 659 ounces, but lower than the 69 446 oz produced in the
second quarter last year, with declining grades the chief culprit.
The company, which plans to exit underground mining, aims to
increase its production by as much as 20% through the construction of a R250m
milling circuit at its Ergo's Brakpan plant.
Profit was buoyed by an 11% increase in the average rand
gold price received to R437 316/kg.
Gold shot to an all-time high of $1 920.30 an ounce in early
September and while US dollar gold prices have declined since then, the
rand-per-kilogram price of gold has soared on the back of a weaker rand.
Spot gold stood at $1 716/oz by 06:17 GMT.
DRDGold on Monday concluded a binding agreement to sell its
74% stake in the Blyvoor gold mine to another junior gold producer, Village
Main Reef Gold Mining Company [JSE:VIL], for about R192m in cash and shares.
The transaction, which was announced in November, will help
DRDGold exit underground mining and concentrate solely on processing surface
material.
Blyvoor produced 29 676 oz in the second quarter and while
this figure will be cut from DRDGold's future production once the Village deal
is sealed, the company expects these ounces to be replaced by further expansion
of its Ergo operations.
Shares of DRDGold are up about 24% so far this year, outperforming a 2.5% rise in Johannesburg's index of gold miners.