Thesis

Street consensus, scenarios, merits, risks, and invalidation triggers

AI-assisted
Thesis Summary

Barrick's operating trajectory improved materially in Q2 2026: attributable gold production exceeded quarterly guidance, copper output increased sequentially, and full-year production guidance was maintained. The Newmont agreement removes disputes around Nevada Gold Mines, adds excluded properties to a nearly 100-million-ounce complex, provides Barrick with a USD 1.95 billion cash payment and clears an important condition for the proposed North American IPO. These positives are balanced by gold AISC of USD 1,866 per ounce, substantial project-execution requirements and uncertainty over the timing and valuation outcome of the IPO.

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This section is the 12-month view: analyst targets and the probability-weighted scenarios built from them. The intrinsic value at the top of this page answers a different question: what the business is worth today.
Street view · analyst 12-month targets15 analysts · as of 18 Aug 2026
Low · most bearish analyst$29.00
Mean target$52.29
High · most bullish analyst$63.00
Our research · scenarios, merits, risks, and invalidation triggersResearch as of 2 Sep 2026
Scenarios · 12-month scenario targetsAnchored at research date
Bear CaseDownside scenario
$29.0024%

Annual gold production falls below 2.9 million ounces, gold AISC exceeds USD 1,950 per ounce, or the North American IPO is delayed beyond 2026. Weaker commodity prices, project slippage or renewed operating disruptions would reduce cash generation and undermine the expected portfolio-rerating catalyst.

Base CaseCentral scenario
$52.2956%
Matches the consensus mean

Barrick delivers production and costs within its unchanged 2026 ranges, advances Lumwana and Fourmile broadly on schedule, and completes or substantially advances the North American IPO. Strong commodity prices support cash generation, but elevated unit costs and execution risk limit the appropriate recommendation to Hold.

Bull CaseUpside scenario
$63.0020%

Gold and copper prices remain supportive, annual production reaches the upper half of guidance, and costs remain within guidance. The North American IPO completes by year-end 2026 and achieves a favorable valuation, while the expanded Nevada Gold Mines portfolio and Fourmile development improve the market's assessment of Barrick's long-duration North American assets.

Scenarios are anchored to street consensus at the research date, with our probabilities and rationale.

Key Investment Merits
  • Q2 attributable gold production of 796,000 ounces exceeded Barrick's 730,000-770,000-ounce quarterly guidance, supported by Loulo-Gounkoto, Pueblo Viejo and Cortez.
  • The Newmont agreement resolves Nevada Gold Mines disputes, expands the joint venture's asset base, provides a USD 1.95 billion cash payment and supplies consent for the North American IPO.
  • Barrick reported USD 5.927 billion of cash against USD 4.682 billion of debt at June 30, 2026 and returned substantial capital through dividends and share repurchases.
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Key Investment Risks
  • Q2 gold AISC was USD 1,866 per ounce, near the upper half of the USD 1,760-1,950 full-year guidance range and 11% above Q2 2025.
  • Results remain highly sensitive to gold, copper, fuel and currency assumptions; Barrick quantified material EBITDA and unit-cost sensitivities to commodity and oil-price movements.
  • The North American IPO, Lumwana expansion, Fourmile development and Pueblo Viejo works remain subject to execution, market, approval, permitting and construction risks.
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All scenarios are estimates and subject to change. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

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AI-assisted, source-linked narrative; figures from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market data. Dates shown per section. Not investment advice. Terms of Use.