Newmont Surges 0.8% on Moody's A3 Upgrade as 199th Trading Volume Rank Highlights Market Activity Gap

Newmont Corporation (NEM) closed 0.80% higher on August 28, 2025, with a trading volume of $500 million, a 23.77% decline from the previous day, ranking 199th in market activity. The stock’s performance coincided with a strategic credit rating upgrade from Moody’s to A3, reflecting the miner’s improved financial position and disciplined capital management.

Moody’s cited Newmont’s $3.9 billion reduction in gross debt and $10.2 billion in total liquidity—including $4 billion in undrawn credit—as pivotal factors in the upgrade. The company’s deleveraging efforts, including a $2 billion debt tender in Q3 2025, brought its Debt/EBITDA ratio to 0.7x as of June 30, 2025, significantly below the industry average of 1.5x. This financial flexibility, combined with $6.2 billion in cash reserves, positions Newmont to navigate commodity price volatility while maintaining investment-grade leverage ratios.

Strategic capital allocation further strengthened the upgrade rationale. Newmont returned $1.7 billion in shareholder value through dividends and buybacks in Q2 2025, including $2.8 billion executed under a $6 billion repurchase program. Simultaneously, the company invested in growth projects such as the Red Chris copper expansion, aligning with energy transition trends. Moody’s highlighted the balance between shareholder returns and strategic reinvestment as a model for long-term value creation.

Operational efficiency and gold price gains also bolstered the upgrade. 2025 EBITDA projections of $9.6–9.7 billion, with margins rising to 42% from 33% in 2024, underscore Newmont’s cost discipline and pricing power. The A3 rating is expected to enhance access to favorable financing, supporting copper investments and sustaining its 1.8% dividend yield, a key draw for income-focused investors.

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