Shares in Gulf Keystone Petroleum (LSE: GKP) have surged 31% higher today after the company’s restructuring deal lifted investor sentiment in the northern Iraq-based oil producer. The deal will see investors’ stake in the business fall to just 14% in return for a reduction in Gulf Keystone’s debt to just $100m. This is a reduction in debt of $500m, with lenders having their debt converted into equity in the company.
Alongside this, Gulf Keystone will have around $95m of cash, with an equity raising of up to $25m helping to boost its balance sheet strength. And with Gulf Keystone having a lucrative asset base that’s already producing around 40,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), it could be argued that its future is now relatively bright.
However, Gulf Keystone is still at risk from a falling oil price. And the potential for disruption in production due to the conflict taking place close to its asset base, as well as the squeeze on equity holders in the restructuring, mean it may be prudent to wait for further news before buying a slice of the business.
Change ahead
Also rising today is stamp collector Stanley Gibbons (LSE: SGI). Its shares are up by 23% following news released last week regarding a restructuring. Encouragingly, Stanley Gibbons has already exceeded its planned £5m in targeted cost savings from its rationalisation and repositioning strategy. Furthermore, since much of its business is concentrated in the UK, it’s considering whether to end its offshore status.
In addition, Stanley Gibbons has changed its management team, with the CEO and CFO stepping down. All of these changes appear to have been well-received by the market judging by today’s share price rise.
Looking ahead, Stanley Gibbons acknowledges that there will be a challenging period as it seeks to fundamentally change its business model. As such, it may be prudent for investors to await further news before buying-in, as it’s clearly a fluid and rapidly changing period for the company.
Closer look?
Meanwhile, shares in Aureus Mining (LSE: AUE) are up by 19% today after it announced on Friday the closure of Tranche 2 of the equity financing with MNG Gold Jersey. This has raised gross proceeds of $15m, which takes the total raised in the recent period to $30m.
Clearly, Aureus Mining has benefitted from a rising price for gold, with the company’s share price increasing by 28% in the last month. With investors being nervous about the prospects for the global economy following Brexit, it seems likely that the price of gold will continue to rise over the short-to-medium term. While there are larger and more financially sound gold-focused stocks than Aureus Mining, it may nevertheless be worth a closer look for less risk-averse investors.
