Explorer Quarterly Cash Update: September 2024 quarter
Explorer Quarterly Cash Update: September 2024 quarter
Since 2014, BDO’s Natural Resources team has compiled a quarterly report that delivers insights on the cash position of ASX-listed exploration companies.
Key findings
Our latest report reveals financial pressures are mounting for the exploration sector. This quarter saw a reduction of eight exploration companies lodging an Appendix 5B report, the largest decline since December 2019.
Despite this, total exploration expenditure for the September 2024 quarter remained stable at $795 million, reflecting only a modest four per cent decrease from the previous quarter.
This downturn is attributed to market volatility, funding challenges, and shifting investor priorities. However, the stability seen in exploration expenditure highlights the sector's ongoing commitment to advancing projects, even as net operating cash outflows rose by 11 per cent to $1.21 billion this quarter.
Cash preservation strategies emerge amid funding challenges
Investor caution has tightened equity markets, limiting funding for explorers. Only 57 per cent of Fund Finders (explorers who raise more than $10 million in a quarter) now turn to equity as opposed to debt, down from the two-year average of 73 per cent. This shift suggests most Fund Finders are advanced exploration companies with debt market access, unlike smaller explorers. Consequently, companies are adopting cash preservation strategies, leading to an 11 per cent drop in average exploration expenditure per company.
The number of Fund Finders for the quarter has also reached its lowest level since the COVID-19 disruptions, raising concerns about capital raising challenges in the sector. Despite these difficulties, gold remains a safe haven asset, attracting significant capital due to a surge in gold prices.
Lithium remains a top priority, even as market prices fall, accounting for 50 per cent of the top ten explorer investments by number this quarter. This focus on lithium highlights the sector's resilience and adaptability in prioritising critical resources.