Gold Fields' Q3 Production Jumps 22% on Strong Salares Norte Ramp-Up

Gold Fields Limited GFI delivered an exceptional performance in its last reported quarter, with a 22% year-over-year increase in attributable gold production to roughly 621,000 ounces from 510,000 ounces a year ago. This sharp rise in output represents a significant operational achievement, highlighting strong mining throughput and disciplined execution across the company’s asset base. 

A major contributor to this surge in production was the continued ramp-up of the Salares Norte mine in Chile, which produced 112,000 ounces equivalent in the third quarter, up 53% quarter over quarter, highlighting its strengthening output as a key driver of the overall increase. As one of Gold Fields’ newer assets, the strong performance at Salares Norte indicates that the company is successfully bringing fresh capacity online rather than relying solely on its older operations. 

Gold Fields also reported improved stability across the rest of its portfolio, demonstrating that the rise in production is both sustainable and well-supported by consistent performance across multiple sites. This combination of growing output from a new mine and steadier operations elsewhere is providing the company with meaningful operational leverage. 

Gold Fields’ Output Growth Boosts Investment Outlook

The 22% year-over-year jump in Gold Fields’ third-quarter production is a meaningful indicator of the company’s strengthening operational trajectory rather than a short-lived improvement. This level of growth positions the miner to potentially reach the higher end of its annual output targets, reinforcing the momentum seen across its assets. The increased production also enhances margin leverage, as greater volumes help absorb fixed costs more effectively, especially at a time when Gold Fields is successfully reducing its cost base.  

The strong ramp-up at Salares Norte serves as clear validation of the company’s capital investment strategy, showing that newly added capacity is contributing materially to total output. Combined with the robust 621,000 ounces delivered in the quarter, this performance boosts investor confidence by demonstrating that Gold Fields’ operational plans and long-term growth initiatives are converting into tangible, value-accretive results. 

Among peers, AngloGold Ashanti Plc. (AU) reported a total gold production of 768,000 ounces in the third quarter, a notable increase from 657,000 ounces in the same period last year, representing a 17% year-on-year surge. This growth was supported by managed operations contributing 682,000 ounces, reflecting solid execution across the company’s core assets.  

AngloGold’s key operations, such as Obuasi, Kibali, Geita and Cuiabá, all recorded meaningful output gains, with Obuasi alone posting a 30% increase. The strong uplift in production highlights AngloGold’s operational momentum and underscores the effectiveness of its ongoing optimization and expansion initiatives. 

DRDGOLD Limited DRD reported gold production of 1,191 kg (approximately 38,291 ounces) in the third quarter of 2025, implying a 2% improvement from the prior quarter. This gain came despite a 3% reduction in ore milled to 6.48 million tonnes, demonstrating that the company was able to lift output even with lower throughput. DRDGOLD achieved this by significantly enhancing its processing performance, raising its yield to 0.184 g/t from 0.176 g/t in the previous quarter.  

The primary driver behind this upside was improved metallurgical recovery across its circuits, supported by better plant stability, optimized material flow and more consistent feed quality. These operational refinements allowed DRDGOLD to extract more gold from each ton processed, reinforcing the company’s ability to generate production growth through efficiency rather than volume alone. 

The Zacks Rundown for GFI

Shares of GFI have popped 207.3% year to date compared with its industry’s 122% rise. 

From a valuation perspective, GFI is currently trading at a 6.98 price-to-sales ratio, a premium of about 42.4% to the industry’s average of 4.9. It carries a Value Score of C. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GFI for fiscal 2025 earnings is pegged at $3.12, implying year-over-year growth of 136.4%. 

The consensus estimates for fiscal 2026 have been trending lower over the past 60 days. GFI currently carries a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

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

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