Barrick Ends Mali Dispute as Couche-Tard Profits Climb

Barrick Mining reaches deal to settle dispute with government in Mali

Barrick Mining Corp. announced it has reached an agreement with Mali’s government to resolve a prolonged dispute over the company’s Loulo and Gounkoto gold operations. The disagreement, which involved the country’s military rulers and accusations related to unpaid taxes and legacy contracts, prompted a June court order placing the Loulo-Gounkoto complex under provisional administration for six months.

Under the newly announced terms, all charges against Barrick, its affiliates and employees are to be dropped. The company also indicated that steps will be taken to secure the release of four detained employees and that the provisional administration of the Loulo-Gounkoto complex will end, with operational control returning to Barrick. In addition, Barrick plans to withdraw arbitration claims that had been filed with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

This development removes a significant source of legal and political uncertainty for Barrick’s operations in Mali. While the company has described the agreement as a step toward restoring normal operations, investors will likely watch for confirmation that detained staff are released and that operational handover proceeds smoothly.

Alimentation Couche-Tard posts US$740.6M in Q2, up from last year

Alimentation Couche-Tard reported net earnings attributable to shareholders of US$740.6 million for the second quarter, compared with US$708.8 million in the same quarter last year. That translates to earnings of US$0.79 per share, up from US$0.75 the prior year. Revenue for the period rose to US$17.9 billion, an increase of about 2.6% from US$17.4 billion a year earlier.

Merchandise and service revenue grew to US$4.7 billion in the quarter, up 6.6% year-over-year, and the company said same-store sales increased across all regions for the second consecutive quarter. The company also repurchased almost US$900 million of its shares during the quarter, a move its finance leadership says supports long-term shareholder value.

Blue Ant Media Group agrees to acquire Thunderbird Entertainment for $89 million

Blue Ant Media Corp. has signed a stock-and-cash purchase agreement valued at approximately $89 million to acquire Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. Blue Ant’s CEO Michael MacMillan said the acquisition will add scale and complementary production capabilities, strengthening Blue Ant’s studio business and helping to enhance earnings and cash flow.

Thunderbird, based in Vancouver, operates production units such as Atomic Cartoons and Great Pacific Media. Under the terms of the agreement, Thunderbird shareholders will be able to elect to receive 0.2165 of a Blue Ant subordinate voting share, US$1.77 in cash, or a combination of both for each Thunderbird share they hold. The maximum cash available under the offer is capped at US$40 million.

The transaction is subject to shareholder approval and customary closing conditions, including court and regulatory clearances. Management expects the deal to close in the first quarter of 2026, pending those approvals.

Brookfield and GIC submit offer for Australia’s National Storage REIT

Canadian asset manager Brookfield and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC have put forward a takeover proposal for National Storage REIT, valuing the self-storage operator at about A$4 billion (roughly C$3.7 billion). National Storage confirmed it has received an unsolicited, indicative and conditional proposal.

The company, which serves around 94,500 residential and commercial customers across more than 270 storage centres in Australia and New Zealand, said the offer would provide A$2.86 in cash per stapled security. The proposal assumes a possible dividend or distribution of six Australian cents; if that payment occurs, the cash per stapled security would be reduced by the same amount.

National Storage has given the consortium until Dec. 7 to complete due diligence and present a binding offer. The announcement will be of interest to investors watching cross-border transactions and valuations in the real assets sector.

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