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Trailing twelve-month data shows us that Adamera Minerals Corp.'s (CVE:ADZ) earnings loss has accumulated to -CA$651.5k. Although some investors expected this, their belief in the path to profitability for Adamera Minerals may be wavering. The single most important question to ask when you’re investing in a loss-making company is – will it need to raise cash again, and if so, when? This is because new equity from additional capital raising can thin out the value of current shareholders’ stake in the company. Given that Adamera Minerals is spending more money than it earns, it will need to fund its expenses via external sources of capital. Adamera Minerals may need to come to market again, but the question is, when? Below, I’ve analysed the most recent financial data to help answer this question.
View our latest analysis for Adamera Minerals
What is cash burn?
Adamera Minerals currently has CA$84k in the bank, with negative free cash flow of -CA$983.9k. Companies with high cash burn rates can eventually turn into ashes, which makes it the biggest risk an investor in loss-making companies face. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to find loss-makers in an industry such as metals and mining. The activities of these companies tend to be project-driven, which generates lumpy cash flows, meaning the business can be loss-making for a period of time while it invests heavily in a new project.
When will Adamera Minerals need to raise more cash?
One way to measure the cost to Adamera Minerals of keeping the business running, is by using free cash flow (which I define as cash flow from operations minus fixed capital investment).
In Adamera Minerals’s case, its cash outflows fell by 18% last year, which may signal the company moving towards a more sustainable level of expenses. However, the current level of cash is not enough to sustain Adamera Minerals’s operations and the company may need to raise more capital within the year. Even though this is analysis is fairly basic, and Adamera Minerals still can cut its overhead further, or open a new line of credit instead of issuing new shares, the outcome of this analysis still helps us understand how sustainable the Adamera Minerals operation is, and when things may have to change.
Next Steps:
The risks involved in investing in loss-making Adamera Minerals means you should think twice before diving into the stock. However, this should not prevent you from further researching it as an investment potential. The outcome of my analysis suggests that even if the company maintains this rate of cash burn growth, it will run out of cash within the year. The potential equity raising resulting from this means you might be able to get shares at a lower price if the company raises capital next. Keep in mind I haven't considered other factors such as how ADZ is expected to perform in the future. You should continue to research Adamera Minerals to get a better picture of the company by looking at: