Spinning off Barrick Mining’s (TSX: ABX) (NYSE: B) US assets into a new company or exploring a merger with Newmont (NYSE: NEM) are some of the key options that the Canadian miner’s next chief executive officer will need to weigh, analysts said.
After more than six years in charge, Mark Bristow stepped down as Barrick boss on Sept. 29 without an explanation. His interim replacement, 20-year company veteran Mark Hill, will stay on until the board names a permanent successor.
Bristow’s surprise exit spurred some analysts and investors to speculate that the company might be poised to sell some of its underperforming assets. A breakup of the company could even be envisaged under the right circumstances, according to former Newmont president Pierre Lassonde.
“Is there value in at least looking at some scenarios? I would say yes,” Lassonde told MINING.COM‘s sister publication The Northern Miner in…
