Larvotto takes out Bulls N’ Bears Peak Performer award for 2024

Amid a grand celebration of ASX-listed small cap companies and the who’s who of the West Australian public company scene, Larvotto Resources carried away the coveted Bulls N’ Bears “Peak Performer of the Year” award after witnessing a massive peak share price hike of 993 per cent for the year. Kicking off the year at just 7c a share, the Ron Heeks led Larvotto achieved magical “10-bagger” status in October when its share price peaked at 76.5c a share.

Larvotto took out the key award on Friday night at the annual Bulls N' Bears Xmas bash attended by some 150 of Perth’s small-capped public company players. The event was held at the home of Bulls N' Bears founder and former State Liberal Leader Matt Birney in Coolbinia, Perth. 

Taking out the night’s other major award amongst the cohort of Bulls N’ Bears’ associated companies was Estrella Resources and Chris Daws who also achieved a podium finish with the “Runner of the Year” award. After sneaking into the mineral rich jurisdiction of Timor Leste (formerly East Timor) earlier this year, Estrella somehow managed to wrangle one of the first ever exploration licenses in that country, causing its stock to take off from 0.5c to 1.7c for a 240 per cent hike between the start of the year and mid-November.

Larvotto’s extraordinary performance can largely be attributed to what could only be described as the deal of the year 12 months ago, when it bought the 668,000-ounce gold and 67,000-tonne antimony Hillgrove mine from its administrator for the bargain basement price of $3 million and a further $5m in environmental bonds.

A recent prefeasibility study forecast a future production of 41,000 ounces of gold and 5400t of antimony annually for nine years to generate a yearly EBITDA of $93m using a modest capital outlay of $73m.

If that deal wasn’t already sweet enough, the share price was further propelled northwards in August after China banned the export of antimony, sending the metal’s price careering to all-time highs of US$37,500 (A$51,800) a tonne, which was more than 300 per cent higher than a few years ago.

Larvotto’s results may well have seen it stand up as a candidate in the Runner of the Year competition as well, however the long-standing competition’s rules prevent any company from winning both major categories.

Public company types swapped market war stories long into the night at the event and celebrated another busy year of drill holes, discoveries and deal making.

^{Caption - Chris Daws from Estrella Resources talks up next year as he receives the “Bulls N’ Bears Runner of the Year” trophy for 2024. Credit: Paul Kotsoglo Photography}

Birney further added to the upbeat mood at the shindig with a speech which highlighted the green shoots appearing in the small cap sector for the first time in more than a year.

He pointed to the impending collision of the international boom in critical minerals and what he says will be the third industrial revolution based on artificial intelligence (AI) as evidence that the small capped market will lead the way in public markets next year and beyond.

Bulls N’ Bears managing editor Matt Birney said: “The critical minerals boom has only just started and with governments around the world now getting feverish about developing supplies of critical minerals for the new energy revolution, Western Australia, with its extraordinary mineral riches will be in the box seat next year. Throw in what is looking like the third industrial revolution (driven by AI) and you have an almost nuclear collision of events that will make Western Australia feel like Texas in the 1950’s.”

Taking out second place on the Peak Performer podium for 2024 was Reach Resources and Managing Director Jeremy Bower. Reach rose from 0.7c a share to the dizzying height of 2.4c during the year for a 500 per cent price hike after a successful search for the source of high-grade niobium at its Wabli Creek project in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region.

Second spot on the Runner of the Year podium went to rainmaker and gold-miner Ora Banda Mining, led by former Northern Star executive Luke Creagh. Ora Banda saw its stock hike 208 per cent for the year from a 24c start in January to 74c on the cutoff date in mid-November – and its market cap was up a magnificent $932m.

Creagh, who was the former chief operating officer at Northern Star Resources until joining Ora Banda in 2022, turned the much-maligned Davyhurst mine north of Kalgoorlie into a star performer in just two years.

With a few dead bodies of previous Davyhurst managers on the hill in front of him, Creagh nonetheless managed a successful assault this year, securing 25,000 ounces of production in the September quarter and a burgeoning bank balance of $48.7m.

Other honourable mentions on the night went to Aguia Resources and Warwick Grigor, Infini Resources and Charles Armstrong, Singular Health and Denning Chong, Auric Mining and Mark English, Critica Ltd and Phillipa Leggett and Aurumin Ltd.

Rumour has it that at least one of the award winners hit the makeshift dance floor on the night with his trophy brimming with red wine and as it happens his dance moves were not quite as good as his boardroom moves. Another well-known Perth stockbroker who attended on his own was seen on the dance floor with a mop and it would seem the mop had the better moves.

Musicians and magicians regaled the crowd, a caricature artist made everyone look a lot better and two energetic characters dressed as a Bull and a Bear created as much mischief as they could while Perth’s public company scene danced and dealt long into the night – that is, until the Council Ranger appeared.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au