An already soaring S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stock is shooting higher again today after reporting record quarterly gold production.
Shares in the ASX 200 gold miner closed yesterday, trading at $1.81. In early morning trade on Wednesday, shares are swapping hands for $2.03 apiece, up 12.2%.
For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.5% at this same time.
And to better compare golden apples with golden apples, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) – which also contains some smaller miners outside of ASX 200 gold stocks – is up 1.0% amid another uptick in the gold price to US$2,282 per ounce.
With today's big intraday gain factored in, this sees the gold miner's shares up a whopping 48.2% since the recent lows on 23 February.
Any guesses?
If you said Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS), go to the head of the virtual class.
Here's what's spurring ASX investor interest today.
ASX 200 gold stock achieves record production
Investors are bidding up the Ramelius Resources share price today after the miner announced it achieved an all-time high gold production of 86,928 ounces in the March quarter.
This tops the implied gold production guidance Ramelius gave for the quarter of 70,000 to 77,500 ounces. And it handily exceeds the prior record quarterly production of 86,516 ounces of gold, achieved in the June 2020 quarter.
The miner's Mt Magnet (including Penny) project produced 45,927 ounces of gold over the quarter, while Edna May (including Tampia, Marda & Symes) produced 41,001 ounces.
Ramelius Resources' current H2 FY2024 production guidance stands at 140,000 ounces to 155,000 ounces at an all-in-sustaining cost (AISC) of AU$1,700 per ounce to AU$1,800 per ounce.
The ASX 200 gold stock is also likely grabbing investor attention today after reporting its balance sheet "strengthened considerably" over the period.
Following record free cash flow of $125.3 million (exceeding the previous record free cash flow of $69.4 million in the June 2020 quarter), Ramelius Resources held net cash and gold of $407.1 million.
The company said that as a result, its AISC for the quarter is expected to be "well below" guidance for H2 FY 2024 of AU$1,700 to AU1,800 per ounce. The miner now expects AISC to fall in the range of AU$1,375 to AU$1,475 per ounce.
The company noted that it would provide additional details in its quarterly report, out later this month. That will include a review of how the March quarter's outperformance will "positively impact" its full-year FY 2024 gold production and AISC guidance.
