The S&P/ASX 200 has been spooked by news US President Donald Trump sacked his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, with the index down almost 48 points at the time of writing.
Global political unrest often sees investors seek out safe-haven stocks, such as gold, and these three S&P/ASX 200 gold miners are the ones to watch today as the sacking of Tillerson weighs heavily on the rest of the market.
Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)
Shares in the owner and operator of five gold and silver mines in Australia, Evolution Mining, are on the up today, at $2.91 at the time of writing.
Evolution reported a half-year statutory net profit of $122.5 million on February 15 for the six months to December 31, 2017.
The result was driven by strong performance across all of Evolution's sites, with EBITDA up 16% from the previous corresponding period to $399.1 million and a fully-franked 3.5c per share dividend announced for payment on March 30.
Evolution Mining has also been in the news this week for its push to close the gender pay gap, with the recent appointment of non-executive director Andrea Hall after starting the financial year with no female board representation.
Resolute Mining Limited (ASX: RSG)
Shares in gold mining and exploration company Resolute Mining Limited are up 2.1% to $1.20 at the time of writing – a welcome boost for the stock after dropping from a share price of $1.35 at this time last year after a volatile 12-months in between.
Resolute Mining operates three mines in Africa and Australia with a portfolio of gold development and exploration projects in Mali and Cote d'Ivoire also.
Resolute reported a NPAT of $38 million for the six months to December 31 2017, with revenue for the period up 20% from the previous corresponding half-year to $203 million.
With a market cap of just $874.9 million Resolute is among the smaller players in the gold bunch, but the company is asserting itself as a serious contender with strong production performance and a robust balance sheet.
Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL)
Shares in gold producer Regis Resources Limited are up 1.6% to $4.52 at the time of writing – in line with a positive 12-months of share price movement out of the company, known for its main projects in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.
News out of Regis Resources this week included a milestone at its Rosemount project in Western Australia and the company's recent half-year results were also positive.
Regis reported an NPAT of $84.6 million, up 39% from the previous corresponding period, for the six months to December 31, 2017, with an EPS increase of 42% and an 8c per share fully-franked dividend to be payable on March 21.
On the contrary, shares in gold mining brothers Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) and Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) were both in the red at the time of writing, with Northern Star dropping to $6.56 and Newcrest down about half a percent to $20.12.
