With metals from zinc to palladium trading at multi-year highs, four of the world’s top producers generated combined free cash flow last year of about $87 million a day.
Randgold boosted divvy to $2 a share, after a year of record production and soaring profits, but warned the good times may be over soon as it’s now facing demanding new regulations in Congo, one of its key jurisdictions.
The mining sector in the world's top platinum producer has in recent years been laid low by soaring wage and power costs, depressed prices, violent social and labour unrest as well as policy uncertainties.