AEM's Higher Unit Costs Warrant Caution: Can It Protect Margins?

Agnico Eagle Mines Limited’s AEM second-quarter 2025 results show concerning increases in unit costs. Its all-in sustaining cost (AISC) — the most important cost metric of miners — was $1,289 per ounce, marking a 9% increase from the prior quarter and a 10% year-over-year rise. AISC increased due to higher total cash costs and an uptick in sustaining capital expenditures and general and administrative expenses. Total cash costs per ounce for gold were $933, up 7% from $870 a year ago and increased from $903 in the prior quarter.

Higher production costs warrant caution, as they will likely weigh on AEM’s profitability. This calls for prudent cost management to maintain competitiveness and sustain margins. AEM forecasts AISC per ounce between $1,250 and $1,300 for 2025, suggesting a year-over-year increase at the midpoint. AISC is likely to rise in the latter part of 2025 as deferred expenditures are realized. Maintaining its cost discipline will be crucial for the company to sustain its margin expansion.

Among AEM’s peers, Newmont Corporation NEM reduced its second-quarter AISC to $1,593 per ounce, marking a 4% decrease from the prior quarter. This improvement was primarily due to a decline in costs applicable to sales resulting from lower direct operating costs and lower sustaining capital spending during the quarter. However, Newmont expects AISC from its core portfolio to be modestly higher than the full-year guidance in the third quarter due to an uptick in sustaining capital spending. Newmont expects gold AISC for the total portfolio to be $1,630 per ounce in 2025, reflecting a rise from $1,516 per ounce in 2024.

Barrick Mining Corporation B saw a 22% sequential increase in AISC in the first quarter of 2025, reaching $1,775 per ounce. This upside was influenced by operational challenges, higher total cash costs per ounce and an uptick in minesite sustaining capital expenditures. Lower production, partly due to the suspension of operations at Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto mine, also contributed to the rise. For 2025, Barrick projects AISC in the range of $1,460-$1,560 per ounce, indicating a year-over-year increase at the midpoint.

The Zacks Rundown for AEM

Shares of Agnico Eagle have shot up 68% year to date against the Zacks Mining – Gold industry’s rise of 55.6%, largely driven by the gold price rally.

From a valuation standpoint, AEM is currently trading at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 19.06, a roughly 55.5% premium to the industry average of 12.26X. It carries a Value Score of C.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEM’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year rise of 62.2% and 0.9%, respectively. The EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been trending higher over the past 60 days.

AEM stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). 

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research