Westgold Resources Ltd

Westgold Resources Ltd

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Feb 16Next Earn

Q4 FY2026 · Earnings Call TranscriptJuly 22, 2026

Kasun Liyanaarachchi

Welcome to today's webinar. I'll now hand you over to Wayne.

Wayne Bramwell

Welcome and thank you for joining Westgold's June 2026 quarterly results call. Today Aaron Rankine, our Chief Operating Officer, Tommy Heng, our Chief Financial Officer, and Kasun Liyanaarachchi, our Group Manager of Investor Relations and Communications, joins me on the call.

We will review today's quarterly report and presentation before opening up for your questions. I'll start with safety, which remains our priority.

In Q4, we reported no lost time injuries. We also saw continued improvement across key lead and lag safety indicators.

This result is supported by sustained frontline engagement, critical control verification, and leadership field presence, and reflects our ongoing focus on fatality prevention, critical risk management, and injury reduction across the group. To our business performance, FY '26 was a defining year for Westgold.

We exceeded production guidance at 387,000 ounces, delivered costs within guidance, with an all-in sustaining cost of $2,841 per ounce. Critically, we increased treasury to $939 million.

In Q4 alone, we produced just shy of 100,000 ounces and generated $233 million underlying cash. Our strategy is delivering what we designed it to: stronger production driving stronger cash generation.

These two factors combined enable stronger returns to our shareholders. We hit our targets in FY '26.

We exceeded the top end of production guidance and delivered all-in sustaining costs within our guided range. We continue to advance our growth projects.

Bluebird South Junction and Great Fingall developments are progressing, and the Murchison open-pit program commenced early. We are investing pragmatically in projects and infrastructure required to support future production growth.

These investments are reflected in our capital. However, they are designed to bring value forward and underpin the next stages of our current three-year outlook.

We look forward to sharing our FY '27 guidance and updated three-year outlook next month. With that, I'll hand over to Aaron to speak to our operational results.

Aaron Rankine

Thank you, Wayne, and good morning all. Our operational performance continued to build in Q4, delivering circa 99,000 ounces.

Importantly, we are well positioned for a strong FY '27. Our multi-hub operational structure remains a key advantage, absorbing normal operational variability at the asset level, but delivering consistent group performance.

We have built inherent flexibility in our business, and a down day at one asset can be picked up elsewhere across the group. The Murchison delivered stronger output, with record mining rates at Bluebird South Junction, which hit a 1 million tonne per annum exit rate, along with record mining rates at Big Bell.

Fortnum produced its highest full-year production in ounces ever. Excluding the toll treatment at Lakewood, which was not scheduled for Q4, production in the Southern Goldfields was steady.

Overall, higher production drove lower unit costs and delivered a strong operating margin. We remain focused on our strategy.

Simply put, we are safely increasing mining and processing productivity with improving head grades, fully optimizing our core operations to deliver more gold and create value. Mine production increased materially in Q4.

The continued expansion of Bluebird South Junction, completion of vent upgrades at Big Bell, operational improvement efforts across the business being driven by our site teams all contributed to increasing mine outputs. With these increased mining rates, our stockpiles continue to grow, improving the risk profile of the business.

Beta Hunt achieved its strongest mining rate of FY '26 despite ventilation constraints, which remain manageable and are being addressed through an independent alternative solution, which is already underway. Importantly, our mills remain fully utilized, with higher grade feeds from our core mines.

Across the hubs, Meekatharra, Cue, and Fortnum all performed strongly, helping deliver record annual production in the Murchison. The Higginsville mill delivered steady gold production on increased throughput delivered from ongoing optimization works.

The lower quarter-on-quarter gold production at Southern Goldfields reflected the fact that we did not process a parcel at Lakewood in Q4 as we did in Q3. Tolling resumes this quarter.

In summary, we enter FY '27 in a position of strength. After delivering a shade below 100,000 ounces for Q4, we are carrying momentum into FY '27.

With that, I'll hand over to Tommy to speak to our financials. Tommy.

Tommy Heng

Thank you, Aaron, and good morning everyone. This slide highlights the strength of Westgold's operational cash generation.

We sold more than 110,000 ounces during the quarter at a realized gold price of $6,391 an ounce. With the higher production and healthy margins delivering lower unit costs, in Q4 our operations generated $159 million in net mine cash flows.

It is worth noting that this strong performance is net of the capital investments associated with bringing forward a number of our key growth projects, as Wayne touched on. The quarter saw us add $83 million in cash, bullion, and liquid investments, increasing Westgold's treasury to $939 million at year end.

Together with our $600 million credit facility, which remains undrawn, we have $1.5 billion of available liquidity to fund our organic growth plan. Q4 delivered an underlying cash build of $233 million before on-market share buybacks, growth expenditure, exploration, and proceeds from asset divestments.

We invested $142 million in non-sustaining capital and $11 million in exploration while continuing to strengthen the balance sheet. This level of cash generation enables us to fund growth internally and maintain shareholder returns.

Before handing back to Wayne, I would highlight that Westgold is in its best financial position yet: debt free, fully unhedged, and with a very healthy treasury. Our treasury strength provides flexibility to invest in growth, progress asset optimization projects, and continue returning capital to shareholders.

In FY '26, we bought back to the value of $27 million in shares and we look forward to providing a dividend update next month. I'll hand back to Wayne to cover off on some of our exploration and corporate highlights.

Wayne Bramwell

Thank you, Tommy. I love the story this picture tells.

Exploration remains central to our long-term growth strategy. While FY '26 exploration spend finished just below guidance due to modest timing and access constraints, investment will continue in FY '27.

We will keep drilling. Our current drilling focus is on resource growth and reserve conversion across our core assets, particularly Beta Hunt, where we are doing the work to define a maiden reserve for the emerging Fletcher Zone, and at another of our key growth assets, Bluebird South Junction.

You'll see the results of this effort in our next group reserves and resources update, likely in September. This disciplined focus on optimizing our core assets is further supported through a campaign to divest some of our smaller, non-producing assets that didn't feature in our three-to-five-year plan.

In Q3, we demerged and listed Valiant, and in Q4 we completed our non-core asset divestment program. Peak Hill and Challice were sold, simplifying the portfolio while sharpening our focus on core operating hubs.

Together with previous transactions in this campaign, these sales have brought forward almost $200 million in value for Westgold shareholders and, importantly, retained exposure to the upside of these projects through material equity stakes and other mechanisms. Focus on optimizing a streamlined portfolio of core assets supports disciplined capital allocation.

We're investing wisely and selectively in our bigger mines, and bigger mines need bigger mills, and bigger mills drive stronger economics. In the Southern Goldfields, the HXP tender process is in train and orders have been placed to secure long-lead items.

In the Murchison, we have two studies that are nearing completion: one at Cue, a low-capital option to increase milling capacity with the potential for a very short payback period, and a growing case for a larger mill at Meekatharra on the back of both the emerging Polar Star lode within Bluebird South Junction, as well as drilling at a near-mill open-pit project called Aladdin. We look forward to sharing these studies as they are finalized.

In closing, Westgold enters FY '27 in a position of strength. In FY '26, we exceeded production guidance, met cost guidance, substantially strengthened the balance sheet, and expedited disciplined investment in future growth.

With four operating hubs, long-life cornerstone assets now ramping up, and significant financial flexibility to implement our three-year outlook, Westgold is in its best position yet to create shareholder value. Thank you for your time and for your interest in Westgold.

I'm happy to take your questions and will hand over to our Group Investor Relations Manager, Kasun Liyanaarachchi, to open up the floor.

Kasun Liyanaarachchi

Thank you, Wayne. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for joining us on the call today.

If you haven't already, I invite you to submit any questions you may have via the chat function.

Wayne Bramwell

Thank you, Kasun. I'll start to take the questions.

First question from Kevin. Kevin's question is: "Will Big Bell mining rates achieved this quarter continue or increase following the ventilation upgrades?"

I'll pass this question to Aaron.

Aaron Rankine

Thank you, Wayne. Look, following the ventilation upgrades at Big Bell, we do expect to see these lifted run rates continue.

Wayne Bramwell

Thank you, Aaron. Another one from Adam Baker.

Adam asks: "What can we expect for OPA material in FY '27?" I'll defer that question to Tommy.

Yep,

Tommy Heng

thank you, Wayne. We can expect at this stage to be about 380,000 tonnes for about 30,000 ounces.

That's our estimate at this stage, obviously. More information will obviously come with our guidance next month.

Wayne Bramwell

Thank you, Tommy. Another question pertaining to the expansion studies we're running from Kevin.

The question is: "When can we expect the expansion studies for Cue and Meekatharra?" Kevin, in regard to the Cue expansion, that study is close to complete and we will put some information to the market soon, and with the Meekatharra study, probably midway through FY '27.

A question from Al Harvey about ore purchase. "NMG ore purchase agreement indicated 30 to 50,000 tonnes per month.

Last three quarters have been above top end of that range. Is that a pull-forward of tonnes or mutually agreed higher volumes?

How do you trade off OPA versus treating your own ore?" I'll answer this collectively.

Yes, we are contracted to take between 30 and 50,000 tonnes per month from New Murchison. We do work together, and where there's been higher grade material available, we took it.

Q2 FY '26 was an example of higher grade material available, we took it. In terms of how do we look at OPA versus our own ore, this is flexibility we're building in the business now.

We always make higher margins on our own ore and lower margins on the OPA material, but people need to remember it's about risk and return. Our risk around the ore purchase agreement, or ore, is low.

Why? Because we don't mine it.

That's a third party taking that risk, and on that basis our return on ore we have no risk on should be lower. Another question from Adam Baker about the Southern Goldfields.

"Volumes and grade at Southern Goldfields drop slightly quarter-on-quarter. What were the drivers of this?

Can we expect mining grades to be around 2 grams per tonne moving forward?" I'll pass that question on to Aaron.

Aaron Rankine

Thank you, Wayne. I'll cover that in the two parts.

Firstly, the volumes were lower predominantly because of the Lakewood tolling parcel that was completed in Q3. We didn't have a parcel in Q4.

That does recommence this quarter. The actual Higginsville milling throughput itself was actually up and hit some of its best run rates we've seen.

In relation to the grade at Beta Hunt, we are expecting long term to see that at the lower 2 g range. The 2 g we've seen in the last two quarters is really related to the ventilation restrictions and we've updated our mine plan which is seeing us well and truly outperform the mill capacity.

The higher areas in the mine where we're mining at the moment do have a lower grade.

Wayne Bramwell

Thank you, Aaron. A question from Ganesh: "Does the current gold price scenario open options for acquisitions in addition to organic growth?"

A great question, Ganesh. The answer is yes, but let's be very clear: from a Westgold perspective, we are focused on organic growth from the portfolio we own.

We don't have to look outside our own portfolio to deliver our three-year outlook, and that is our focus. Another question from Kevin: "When can we expect the mill at" sorry, that question has been answered.

We're just sequencing. A question from Larry Hill.

Hi, Larry. "Hi, team.

Can we have some more detail, please, on the constraints on Beta Hunt ventilation? Whereas prior quarters had mechanical failures, these haven't been noted as a reason.

Is this the only constraint to achieving 2 million tonne per annum run rate as expected?" Larry, I'll hand this question off to Aaron.

Aaron Rankine

Thank you, Wayne. In short, yes, that is the only constraint on us delivering those run rates that we had telegraphed.

The details are as discussed, and we put it in the quarterly, we had been told to implement an engineering solution from the vendor. That hasn't worked.

We've taken action and put in an interim control that's enabling us to outperform the required mining rates to feed the mill, we're still building stockpiles and we have got on foot a plan to permanently rectify should that vendor not be able to fix their fans. We are in a comfortable position that we are continuing to outperform the required mill feed rates and we have two parallel solutions that will resolve this problem long term.

Wayne Bramwell

Thanks for that, Aaron. Next question from Hugo.

Hugo asks: "Hi, Wayne and team. Good to see the operational performance [call?]

. Are you seeing cost pressures in the industry impacting your operations, particularly at underground mines, which seem to be facing the largest escalations?"

Great question, Hugo. Look, in terms of cost inflation, amongst most of the Australian gold producers, you would have only have seen a glimpse of it in the Q4 Q4 numbers.

Fuel is a big driver for all of these businesses and we started to see that in sort of May, June. The impact will probably be seen more so in Q1, Q2 of FY '27, but certainly anything fuel-related or petrochemical-related, whether it be polypipe, explosives, even to some extent ground support, those things are being affected.

Most importantly, what are Westgold doing about dealing with cost inflation? Our focus is basically now we've got a group of assets which are becoming more productive, more efficient, to try and squeeze more out of these mines with less capital.

More ounces over our cost base sees our costs fall and we saw that during Q4. The focus going forward, very much is about productivity and efficiency, trying to offset the costs of cost inflation.

Another question from Al Harvey around portfolio. "Any further work on portfolio simplification to come?

Plenty of non-operating resources remain, and how do $210 million of listed investments fit in the portfolio in the longer term?" This is like a Keith Goode question, Al.

I'll unpack it for you. Portfolio simplification.

FY '26 saw us divest three three assets and do a spin-out. Basically we are done.

In the short term, we still have one underground mine on care and maintenance, Patty's Flat. We're actually drilling that now as a potential open-pit target, so that's a keeper.

Things like Spargos is another underground mine in the Southern Goldfields. We're looking at that again, but long story short, there's no plans in FY '27 for any more portfolio simplification.

On that basis, we've done. In terms of our listed investments, how do they fit in our portfolio?

Ultimately, those listed investments will be monetized to different levels. When we do monetize or reduce our equity positions in some of these assets, that cash is available very much for shareholder returns.

Our focus is very clear: we're miners, and it's about continuing to make this business more productive and more efficient, and our listed investments in some of the assets we've got we will maintain, but to levels which we're comfortable with. Another question from Ganesh: "When do you see the Southern Goldfields and Beta Hunt performing to its full potential?"

I'll hand this one to Aaron.

Aaron Rankine

Thank you, Wayne, and thank you, Ganesh. Look, great question and very interesting one.

The full potential of the Southern Goldfields we don't understand yet inside our business. As we continue to drill and grow Fletcher, the scale of the Beta Hunt asset for me is phenomenal.

It's very exciting. There is in the short term full potential out of the current mining areas of Beta Hunt.

We'll absolutely see those run rates hit in FY '27. I'm very confident of that.

The full potential unknown. It's a massive system and we're continuing to drill and study that to unlock the full potential and understand it.

Wayne Bramwell

Thanks for that, Aaron. Look, there doesn't appear to be any other questions, I'll just close today's presentation with this statement: FY '26 was a solid hit-out for Westgold.

We beat our production guidance, we brought our cost guidance within range, we are pragmatic about capital investment, and where it makes sense to bring capital forward, we do. It was a great year in terms of cleaning up the portfolio, and that puts us in a position of strength.

We hit FY '27, and we're starting that obviously now in July from a position of strength. We've got more productive mines, a clear focus on cost out and efficiencies, and this is probably the best the company has ever been.

The Murchison is hitting all its straps. We've got open-pit mining running in the Murchison again, which will help us iron out some bumps which always happen in these businesses.

The inherent flexibility we have within the business now with four productive processing hubs and multiple mines to feed it is a new thing for Westgold. The ability to continually deliver shareholder returns is now there.

We have an engine that can do it, and now we just have to prove that to the market. We look forward to delivering our full-year financials in August, a maiden reserve on Fletcher, we'll speak to our potential dividend post the board review at the end of the month, and most importantly, our new three-year outlook, which will bring FY '29 into the picture.

Thanks, everyone, for their time and taking the interest in the stock. We're always here to answer questions, please hit us up through all the normal channels if there's more information that you need.