When a miner earns a profit, it is able to pay a percentage as a ‘dividend’ back to shareholders.

Right now, Aussie gold miners (and their shareholders) are enjoying incredible profits.

Newcrest’s (ASX:NCM) profit margin per ounce produced in the December half was $842 — up 48 per cent from the prior corresponding period.

That led to record high free cash flow of $439 million.

Newcrest’s new dividend policy targets 30-60 per cent payout of full year free cash flow to shareholders.

It announced an interim dividend of US15 cents per share — an increase of 100% from the HI FY20.

Northern Star (ASX:NST) made record underlying net profit $194.4m over the same period. Its interim dividend increased 27 per cent to 9.5c per share.

Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) – a favourite of expert stock picker Simon Popple –will distribute $119.6m in dividends –12 per cent of its total revenue — to be paid on 26 March.

That’s a strong yield of 3.5 per cent for shareholders.

And Regis Resources (ASX:RRL) is paying $34.3 million in cash dividends – that brings total dividends paid since 2013 to $509 million.

This week, spot gold was down 0.6 per cent — and 4 per cent for the month so far — to $US1768/oz ($2246.50/oz).

$US gold price over the past year.

Winners & Losers

Here’s how ASX-listed gold & silver stocks are performing:

Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort. Best viewed on a laptop

CODE COMPANY 1 WEEK RETURN % 1 MONTH RETURN % 6 MONTH RETURN % 1 YEAR RETURN % PRICE MARKET CAP
LEX Lefroy Exploration 202 195 107 226 0.62 $ 88,807,153.58
PUR Pursuit Minerals 81 81 349 799 0.067 $ 47,812,285.50
CWX Carawine Resources 47 40 50 35 0.33 $ 34,844,768.64
TMX Terrain Minerals 43 -9 -38 150 0.01 $ 5,886,088.07
ENR Encounter Resources 36 6 6 48 0.17 $ 50,490,192.48
TNR Torian Resources 35 100 314 763 0.058 $ 45,223,936.32
HMX Hammer Metals 32 35 150 471 0.12 $ 86,259,981.08
TRM Truscott Mining Corp 26 61 81 263 0.029 $ 3,710,304.78
RDS Redstone Resources 25 7 -12 88 0.015 $ 7,941,235.95
MLS Metals Australia 25 -17 -17 150 0.0025 $ 10,477,258.94
NES Nelson Resources. 22 29 47 234 0.11 $ 15,890,358.88
ANX Anax Metals 21 46 211 755 0.076 $ 21,295,688.38
DTR Dateline Resources 20 0 50 50 0.003 $ 24,630,234.23
KAU Kaiser Reef 18 10 43 0.45 $ 44,047,801.07
TSC Twenty Seven Co. 17 0 17 -13 0.007 $ 14,884,246.16
EMU EMU NL 13 11 114 50 0.06 $ 27,320,412.55
AAU Antilles Gold 13 25 144 289 0.105 $ 22,441,289.64
AXE Archer Materials 13 9 114 422 0.94 $ 224,806,863.27
MML Medusa Mining 12 12 -2 29 0.925 $ 180,849,771.87
CST Castile Resources 12 -8 -38 -3 0.185 $ 37,944,922.99
GBR Greatbould Resources 12 -4 0 22 0.047 $ 8,462,689.65
HXG Hexagon Energy 11 -17 72 104 0.1 $ 29,518,122.05
RVR Red River Resources 11 -2 82 187 0.255 $ 134,621,335.42
CAZ Cazaly Resources 10 -2 7 76 0.044 $ 16,952,583.55
DDD 3D Resources Limited 10 10 0 83 0.055 $ 19,912,046.51
AGC AGC 10 -15 0.17 $ 12,190,911.12
MSR Manas Res 9 -14 20 200 0.006 $ 16,561,641.59
G88 Golden Mile Res 9 4 -12 19 0.05 $ 6,150,916.40
AQI Alicanto Min 9 9 -22 33 0.125 $ 40,864,682.63
ZNC Zenith Minerals 8 -16 33 145 0.13 $ 35,323,203.60
STN Saturn Metals 8 -29 -56 -30 0.39 $ 44,470,449.10
BRV Big River Gold 8 -2 -30 39 0.4 $ 82,246,149.38
STK Strickland Metals 8 -33 -51 35 0.027 $ 11,371,091.07
CHN Chalice Mining 8 -3 205 1546 4.61 $ 1,562,136,132.43
KTA Krakatoa Resources 8 -9 -9 106 0.068 $ 19,247,550.00
PNR Pantoro Limited 8 -16 -16 131 0.21 $ 302,805,619.02
EMR Emerald Res NL 7 1 27 78 0.8 $ 417,471,737.67
RGL Riversgold 7 -13 -29 246 0.045 $ 17,842,393.85
PUA Peak Minerals 7 11 11 136 0.03 $ 20,285,187.52
KRM Kingsrose Mining 6 6 55 59 0.051 $ 36,500,367.60
SVY Stavely Minerals 6 1 28 1 0.77 $ 208,769,161.60
NXM Nexus Minerals 5 -20 30 122 0.1 $ 25,635,925.46
E2M E2 Metals 5 -28 82 167 0.4 $ 58,404,803.34
YRL Yandal Resources 5 -6 67 103 0.41 $ 41,113,013.48
BYH Bryah Resources 5 -6 27 48 0.062 $ 9,673,052.00
ADN Andromeda Metals 5 13 560 656 0.31 $ 678,424,265.51
PRX Prodigy Gold NL 5 -7 -41 -32 0.042 $ 24,386,359.45
DEG De Grey Mining 5 -8 -2 383 0.87 $ 1,140,917,273.99
MEI Meteoric Resources 5 -9 34 158 0.067 $ 89,405,824.65
AMI Aurelia Metals 5 -6 -26 -11 0.4 $ 493,730,610.00
OAU Ora Gold Limited 4 4 39 0 0.025 $ 21,021,130.55
MAU Magnetic Resources 4 8 -7 125 1.51 $ 322,095,351.73
FFR Firefly Resources 4 -13 34 320 0.13 $ 40,471,586.82
NML Navarre Minerals 4 -26 7 32 0.145 $ 79,045,611.90
WRM White Rock Min 3 15 -12 100 0.6 $ 43,984,729.97
GOR Gold Road Res 3 -3 -24 -30 1.22 $ 1,038,311,202.64
TMZ Thomson Res 3 28 300 648 0.16 $ 54,693,956.96
CY5 Cygnus Gold Limited 3 -3 -20 327 0.175 $ 18,912,267.15
WWI West Wits Mining 3 3 245 533 0.076 $ 86,758,902.20
MEG Megado 3 0 0.19 $ 7,704,271.62
HAW Hawthorn Resources 3 -27 -19 30 0.08 $ 28,015,311.49
WGX Westgold Resources. 3 -15 -3 -17 2.04 $ 841,352,710.95
BCN Beacon Minerals 3 8 14 21 0.041 $ 127,001,920.08
REZ Resourc & En Grp 2 -7 95 187 0.043 $ 18,562,273.93
ZAG Zuleika Gold 2 -18 32 96 0.045 $ 18,454,201.79
IVR Investigator Res 2 30 90 352 0.095 $ 132,394,660.70
CLA Celsius Resource 2 -11 200 500 0.048 $ 44,891,122.13
NCM Newcrest Mining 2 -7 -24 -16 24.58 $ 20,152,615,259.12
SLR Silver Lake Resource 2 -16 -35 -17 1.42 $ 1,194,534,551.83
MOH Moho Resources 1 -14 -42 -24 0.076 $ 8,244,612.16
GIB Gibb River Diamonds 1 -1 36 69 0.076 $ 17,343,774.49
TLM Talisman Mining 1 -1 -32 22 0.095 $ 18,662,838.50
MKG Mako Gold 1 -18 -14 36 0.099 $ 28,296,576.22
XTC Xantippe Res 0 -20 -50 0 0.002 $ 8,149,128.80
WCN White Cliff Min 0 -30 36 375 0.019 $ 9,826,731.58
VKA Viking Mines 0 18 317 503 0.047 $ 40,956,629.40
VMC Venus Metals Cor 0 -13 -13 0 0.2 $ 30,215,736.60
SAU Southern Gold 0 -17 -32 -41 0.095 $ 20,906,218.09
SAR Saracen Mineral 0 -2 -16 14 4.69 $ 5,265,564,163.30
SFM Santa Fe Minerals 0 22 60 80 0.115 $ 8,374,160.74
SBR Sabre Resources 0 -13 17 250 0.007 $ 13,464,509.19
RSG Resolute Mining 0 -9 -43 -46 0.635 $ 712,010,795.37
RMX Red Mount Min 0 -24 44 160 0.013 $ 16,267,192.36
RDN Raiden Resources 0 -17 200 300 0.024 $ 30,307,579.53
PDI Predictive Disc 0 -8 -19 553 0.058 $ 58,987,269.16
PKO Peako Limited 0 -19 -16 86 0.026 $ 4,993,408.60
PNM Pacific Nickel Mines 0 -2 30 -43 0.057 $ 8,537,151.52
PNX PNX Metals Limited 0 14 -33 33 0.008 $ 29,217,548.09
OKR Okapi Resources 0 -14 -12 138 0.19 $ 8,544,314.25
NPM Newpeak Metals 0 0 20 50 0.003 $ 14,612,933.98
NAE New Age Exploration 0 -14 50 300 0.012 $ 16,618,425.74
NAG Nagambie Resources 0 16 7 32 0.058 $ 28,996,076.07
MTH Mithril Resources 0 -2 -51 110 0.021 $ 49,354,893.86
MCT Metalicity Limited 0 -28 -54 275 0.013 $ 21,203,931.06
MHC Manhattan Corp 0 -36 -45 157 0.018 $ 23,873,016.47
LCL Los Cerros Limited 0 -24 97 268 0.14 $ 68,269,194.79
KWR Kingwest Resources 0 -3 9 0 0.17 $ 26,896,425.15
KGM Kalnorth Gold 0 0 0 333 0.013 $ 11,625,120.78
HWK Hawkstone Mng 0 48 82 700 0.04 $ 66,764,841.69
GNM Great Northern 0 -27 -50 120 0.011 $ 11,802,954.85
GMR Golden Rim Resources 0 -18 -36 -10 0.009 $ 22,763,647.22
GED Golden Deeps 0 9 -25 -20 0.012 $ 10,073,068.72
GMN Gold Mountain 0 -9 -9 -32 0.041 $ 30,494,259.38
GML Gateway Mining 0 -15 12 81 0.029 $ 57,109,068.00
DGO DGO Gold Limited 0 -8 -9 48 2.65 $ 205,944,894.40
CTO Citigold Corp 0 -14 0 140 0.012 $ 35,368,751.72
CHZ Chesser Resources 0 -12 -3 89 0.18 $ 83,405,515.63
BRB Breaker Res NL 0 3 -18 -17 0.2 $ 65,168,185.80
BAR Barra Resources 0 -4 -8 14 0.024 $ 16,262,594.42
AVW Avira Resources 0 -17 -29 150 0.005 $ 6,875,200.00
AQX Alice Queen 0 -9 -32 7 0.032 $ 33,993,470.64
ALY Alchemy Resource 0 6 -11 34 0.017 $ 11,428,138.70
SBM St Barbara Limited 0 -8 -38 -23 2.08 $ 1,431,876,971.42
PRU Perseus Mining -1 -11 -19 -11 1.13 $ 1,367,499,410.05
CAI Calidus Resources -1 -7 -29 30 0.041 $ 147,214,952.22
BNR Bulletin Res -1 -15 -3 161 0.073 $ 12,550,515.18
MGV Musgrave Minerals -2 -20 -49 200 0.3 $ 170,631,343.68
EVN Evolution Mining -2 -10 -25 -6 4.16 $ 7,090,968,402.75
TBR Tribune Res -2 -18 -38 -9 5 $ 275,457,404.25
AUT Auteco Minerals -2 -27 -50 145 0.098 $ 155,150,714.66
AAR Anglo Australian -2 -31 -48 -8 0.097 $ 57,722,821.63
SLZ Sultan Resources -3 0 3 150 0.19 $ 13,211,533.91
AOP Apollo Consolidated -3 22 6 44 0.36 $ 103,903,412.40
FML Focus Minerals -3 -9 -18 42 0.34 $ 62,134,512.10
S2R S2 Resources -3 -18 -8 57 0.165 $ 51,957,044.54
AMG Ausmex Mining Gp -3 -2 35 35 0.065 $ 35,740,913.39
THR Thor Mining PLC -3 -14 55 158 0.0155 $ 6,781,154.70
PRS Prospech Limited -3 -23 0 0.155 $ 10,078,191.30
CYL Catalyst Metals -3 -21 -27 -34 1.85 $ 188,727,788.16
SMI Santana Minerals -3 -21 -29 -46 0.15 $ 17,104,895.40
NVA Nova Minerals -3 -26 215 169 0.145 $ 250,491,997.05
GSM Golden State Mining -3 -15 -44 75 0.14 $ 7,989,570.12
NWM Norwest Minerals -3 -11 -28 -51 0.083 $ 9,033,734.86
ARL Ardea Resources -4 6 0 28 0.55 $ 71,495,525.92
TAM Tanami Gold NL -4 -4 21 55 0.082 $ 98,708,151.86
ADT Adriatic Metals -4 5 -8 40 2.18 $ 407,121,419.25
TRY Troy Resources -4 -10 -38 -17 0.08 $ 60,605,101.44
RMS Ramelius Resources -4 -18 -36 -10 1.26 $ 1,009,381,409.84
CBY Canterbury Resources -4 14 35 -33 0.12 $ 10,561,799.40
TAR Taruga Minerals -4 -4 -31 292 0.047 $ 22,402,873.79
WMX Wiluna Mining Corp -4 -15 -6 -10 1.17 $ 138,338,686.91
AAJ Aruma Resources -4 -23 -22 56 0.07 $ 7,523,225.82
PAK Pacific American Hld -4 -4 35 0 0.023 $ 7,646,037.60
OKU Oklo Resources -4 -16 -38 -24 0.17 $ 85,685,068.04
DEX Duke Exploration -4 5 0.33 $ 20,816,268.80
AWV Anova Metals -4 -8 -37 150 0.022 $ 31,528,072.40
SSR SSR Mining Inc. -4 -16 19 $ 332,734,415.00
MEU Marmota Limited -4 -10 -14 5 0.043 $ 44,552,549.74
GTR Gti Resources -5 -25 -30 250 0.021 $ 13,534,877.96
BGL Bellevue Gold -5 -31 -29 18 0.72 $ 617,118,167.93
HRZ Horizon -5 -9 -26 3 0.1 $ 59,637,396.00
ALK Alkane Resources -5 -18 -37 -30 0.685 $ 419,749,104.00
WAF West African Res -5 -20 -15 22 0.78 $ 686,318,929.14
NST Northern Star -5 -24 -26 -30 10.08 $ 11,692,597,315.95
GWR GWR Group -5 -28 287 287 0.29 $ 89,322,000.69
BBX BBX Minerals -5 -9 26 71 0.29 $ 125,877,649.11
RRL Regis Resources -5 -15 -44 -31 3.09 $ 1,561,682,590.95
MAT Matsa Resources -5 -18 -43 -37 0.094 $ 25,758,937.36
GSN Great Southern -5 -5 -42 34 0.075 $ 35,036,572.34
DCN Dacian Gold -5 -28 10 -56 0.37 $ 205,908,164.98
AME Alto Metals Limited -5 -30 -17 12 0.073 $ 31,099,220.39
MKR Manuka Resources. -5 14 -31 0.45 $ 42,532,695.72
AGS Alliance Resources -5 0 -23 62 0.18 $ 36,402,998.45
RXL Rox Resources -5 -3 -35 25 0.035 $ 69,694,167.74
KCN Kingsgate Consolid. -5 -7 66 91 0.955 $ 218,308,032.10
GUL Gullewa Limited -6 -8 -15 70 0.085 $ 14,589,848.00
FAU First Au -6 -6 -11 55 0.017 $ 10,427,438.82
DRE Drednought Resources -6 -23 42 240 0.017 $ 36,189,559.06
MVL Marvel Gold Limited -6 2 -8 -9 0.049 $ 24,414,914.78
SKY SKY Metals -6 -16 28 -38 0.16 $ 39,463,972.48
ERM Emmerson Resources -6 -9 -35 -18 0.064 $ 31,385,501.81
ARV Artemis Resources -6 -39 -4 139 0.079 $ 92,077,909.68
AL8 Alderan Resource -6 -15 -43 453 0.094 $ 28,900,285.92
DTM Dart Mining NL -6 -16 -26 129 0.155 $ 16,491,003.54
BNZ Benzmining -6 -30 0.91 $ 18,714,228.26
CMM Capricorn Metals -6 -12 -24 6 1.5 $ 514,242,336.47
GRL Godolphin Resources -7 -19 2 -2 0.215 $ 18,923,499.68
HRN Horizon Gold -7 -20 -12 68 0.41 $ 35,997,486.27
AGG AngloGold Ashanti -7 -13 -33 -23 5.3 $ 479,045,698.05
TSO Tesoro Resources -7 -33 9 671 0.19 $ 97,407,182.93
KZR Kalamazoo Resources -7 -24 -36 -26 0.435 $ 58,923,645.30
SPQ Superior Resources -8 -37 50 156 0.012 $ 16,524,882.70
A1G African Gold . -8 -27 20 54 0.18 $ 17,300,990.36
TTM Titan Minerals -8 0 -12 -4 0.115 $ 131,037,029.91
M2R Miramar -8 -22 0.23 $ 10,240,173.60
GBZ GBM Rsources -8 -15 -28 107 0.115 $ 51,962,167.20
TIE Tietto Minerals -8 -23 -39 26 0.34 $ 159,227,409.60
SI6 SI6 Metals Limited -8 5 100 633 0.022 $ 31,993,016.10
LNY Laneway Res -8 -27 -31 -8 0.0055 $ 22,650,395.60
MTC Metalstech -9 -23 -30 96 0.155 $ 22,717,983.89
NSM Northstaw -9 -5 0.45 $ 18,200,000.00
BAT Battery Minerals -9 7 200 329 0.03 $ 65,320,753.31
RND Rand Mining -9 -16 -23 -27 1.59 $ 95,636,075.25
BC8 Black Cat Syndicate -9 -17 -15 68 0.67 $ 73,942,986.89
AUC Ausgold Limited -10 -6 15 194 0.047 $ 63,717,127.51
KAI Kairos Minerals -10 -15 -22 233 0.028 $ 50,284,959.51
CDT Castle Minerals -10 0 -31 13 0.009 $ 6,592,507.36
BDC Bardoc Gold -10 -22 -7 -11 0.071 $ 124,931,331.07
NUS Nusantara Resources -10 -7 -13 -9 0.26 $ 60,757,346.86
CXU Cauldron Energy -11 -36 21 127 0.034 $ 16,271,982.43
ADV Ardiden -11 -37 0 325 0.017 $ 38,575,113.91
SVL Silver Mines Limited -11 1 -3 112 0.22 $ 266,495,232.15
OBM Ora Banda Mining -11 -25 -25 28 0.235 $ 202,133,269.68
MDI Middle Island Res -12 -27 -47 -13 0.22 $ 27,987,330.58
SRN Surefire Rescs NL -12 6 113 750 0.0255 $ 26,355,768.53
SNG Siren Gold -12 -42 0.395 $ 26,639,660.96
ONX Orminex -13 -24 -26 -44 0.035 $ 20,012,732.98
MZZ Matador Mining -13 0 -27 54 0.315 $ 55,162,818.88
DCX Discovex Res -13 -22 -13 40 0.007 $ 8,373,148.53
AZS Azure Minerals -13 -46 88 182 0.31 $ 98,587,430.72
VAN Vango Mining -13 -27 -51 -46 0.054 $ 55,798,621.25
FFX Firefinch -15 18 70 191 0.23 $ 179,855,833.55
MRZ Mont Royal Resources -15 -15 9 24 0.255 $ 8,468,771.85
CEL Challenger Exp -15 3 29 114 0.31 $ 185,063,104.97
SIH Sihayo Gold Limited -15 -42 -63 -37 0.011 $ 44,225,536.96
CGN Crater Gold Min -16 -5 110 91 0.021 $ 28,232,404.94
KSN Kingston Resources -16 -21 -29 11 0.205 $ 63,801,437.85
ARN Aldoro Resources -18 -2 119 28 0.23 $ 16,532,796.74
LCY Legacy Iron Ore -19 -36 320 950 0.021 $ 143,686,485.89
RED Red 5 Limited -18 -20 -38 -49 0.18 $ 354,763,504.26
VRC Volt Resources -21 -21 -17 25 0.015 $ 34,605,249.62
RML Resolution Minerals -21 -26 -61 -62 0.026 $ 7,604,283.91
PF1 Pathfinder Resources -25 -32 0.23 $ 12,431,047.50
AYM Australia United Min -25 29 200 350 0.009 $ 18,425,774.85
ANL Amani Gold -50 0 -50 -50 0.001 $ 10,786,996.75
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LEFROY EXPLORATION (ASX:LEX) +202%

The industrious gold explorer has been methodically working its suite of Kalgoorlie projects for a few years now.

This week, the payoff arrived.

Lefroy’s 22-hole drilling program, designed to test both strike and depth extensions to the ‘Burns’ system, now appears to have hit the motherlode.

The highlight intercept was:

60m at 5.22g/t gold and 0.38 per cent copper from 112m down-hole, including

20m at 12.2g/t gold, 0.87 per cent copper and 1.7g/t silver from 144m.

Huge. The hole also ended in mineralisation, which remains ‘open’ on all sides.

 

CARAWINE RESOURCES (ASX:CWX) +47%

Carawine soared after recording multiple drilling intersections above 20g/t gold at ‘Hercules’, part of its Tropicana North project in WA.

“These exceptional first results from our maiden drilling program at Tropicana North are highly significant,” Carawine managing director David Boyd said.

“This gives us high confidence that Hercules could develop into a major new gold deposit.”

 

ENCOUNTER RESOURCES (ASX:ENR) +36%

(Up on no news)

Paterson province explorer Encounter finds promising early stage projects, then attracts cashed-up joint venture partners to fund later stage exploration and development costs.

It is called ‘prospect generation’, a company model renowned resources investor Rick Rule passionately advocates for.

The copper-gold play currently has lucrative joint ventures with IGO (ASX:IGO) and BHP (ASX:BHP), worth $15m and $22m respectively, plus a bunch of wholly owned projects.

 

DATELINE RESOURCES (ASX:DTR) +20%

(Up on no news)

The quiet US based gold explorer is planning an underground development and drilling program at the flagship ‘Gold Links’ project in Colorado.

The planned program includes up to 1000 metres of underground development (digging tunnels), a power upgrade and over 4,000 metres of underground drilling.

“More details will be made available once discussions are finalised and funding is secured,” the company said in January.