logo
Largo Announces $6 Million Secured Loan to Support Working Capital

Largo Announces $6 Million Secured Loan to Support Working Capital

Business Wirea day ago
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Largo Inc. (" Largo" or the " Company") (TSX: LGO) (NASDAQ: LGO) today announces that it has entered into a secured loan by way of a promissory note with ARG International AG for a principal amount of $6 million (CAD$8.25 million) (the ' Note '). The Note is expected to provide near-term working capital support as the Company transitions from turnaround execution to steady-state operations amidst continued pressure from low vanadium prices.
The Note is secured against the Company's equity interest in Largo Physical Vanadium Corp. (TSX.V:VAND, OTCQX: VANAF), in which the Company holds a 65.7% majority stake. The Note has a term of six months, bears interest at an annualized rate of 15%, and includes a 1% arrangement fee. Proceeds from the Note are intended to strengthen the Company's liquidity position and provide flexibility to continue execution on its plan to improve operations during a sustained weakness in vanadium prices.
Daniel Tellechea, Interim CEO of Largo stated: "This loan strengthens our working capital position at a time when our operations have stabilized but market pricing conditions remain challenging. We've made meaningful progress on production and cost efficiencies, and this facility is expected to provide some flexibility to manage through current price pressures while continuing to focus on meeting our set targets for the year.'
An early warning report will be electronically filed on and made available under the Company's respective profiles at www.sedarplus.com and www.sec.gov. A copy of the early warning report can also be obtained by contacting the Company's Investor Relations contact at the information provided below.
About Largo
Largo is a globally recognized supplier of high-quality vanadium and ilmenite products, sourced from its world-class Maracás Menchen Mine in Brazil. As one of the world's largest primary vanadium producers, Largo produces critical materials that empower global industries, including steel, aerospace, defense, chemical, and energy storage sectors. The Company is committed to operational excellence and sustainability, leveraging its vertical integration to ensure reliable supply and quality for its customers.
Largo is also strategically invested in the long-duration energy storage sector through its 50% ownership of Storion Energy, a joint venture with Stryten Energy focused on scalable domestic electrolyte production for utility-scale vanadium flow battery long-duration energy storage solutions in the U.S.
Largo's common shares trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "LGO". For more information on the Company, please visit www.largoinc.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-looking Information:
This press release contains 'forward-looking information' and 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. Forward‐looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the timing and amount of estimated future production and sales; the future price of commodities; the effect of tariffs or trade restrictions on the Company's sales and other business; costs of future activities and operations; the expected use of proceeds of the Facility and their expected impact on the Company's liquidity position and ability to improve its operations; the Company's transition from turnaround execution to steady-state operations; the Company's ability to meet its set targets for the year; and the extent of capital and operating expenditures.
The following are some of the assumptions upon which forward-looking information is based: that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; demand for, and stable prices of V2O5 and other vanadium products, ilmenite and titanium dioxide pigment; receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, permits and renewals in a timely manner; that the Company will not experience any material accident, labour dispute or failure of plant or equipment or other material disruption in the Company's operations at the Maracás Menchen Mine or relating to Largo Clean Energy, especially in respect of the installation and commissioning of the EGPE project; the availability of financing for operations and development; the availability of funding for future capital expenditures; the ability to replace current funding on terms satisfactory to the Company; the ability to mitigate the impact of heavy rainfall; the reliability of production, including, without limitation, access to massive ore, the Company's ability to procure equipment, services and operating supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; that the estimates of the resources and reserves at the Maracás Menchen Mine are within reasonable bounds of accuracy (including with respect to size, grade and recovery and the operational and price assumptions on which such estimates are based); the accuracy of the Company's mine plan at the Maracás Menchen Mine; that the Company's current plans for ilmenite can be achieved; the Company's ability to protect and develop its technology; the Company's ability to maintain its IP; the competitiveness of the Company's product in an evolving market; the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and directors; the ability of management to execute strategic goals; that the Company will enter into agreements for the sales of vanadium, ilmenite and TiO2 products on favourable terms and for the sale of substantially all of its annual production capacity; and receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, permits and renewals in a timely manner.
Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'plans', 'expects' or 'does not expect', 'is expected', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'estimates', 'forecasts', 'intends', 'anticipates' or 'does not anticipate', or 'believes', or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will be taken', 'occur' or 'be achieved', although not all forward-looking statements include those words or phrases. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections, guidance, potential or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts nor assurances of future performance but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances. Forward-looking statements are based on our opinions, estimates and assumptions that we considered appropriate and reasonable as of the date such information is stated, subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Largo to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to those risks described in the annual information form of Largo and in its public documents filed on www.sedarplus.ca and available on www.sec.gov from time to time. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Although management of Largo has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Largo does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Readers should also review the risks and uncertainties sections of Largo's annual and interim MD&A which also apply.
Trademarks are owned by Largo Inc.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

If You'd Invested $10,000 in Navitas Semiconductor Stock 2 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today
If You'd Invested $10,000 in Navitas Semiconductor Stock 2 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

If You'd Invested $10,000 in Navitas Semiconductor Stock 2 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

Key Points Its partnership with Nvidia is proof of the long-term potential for silicon carbide and gallium nitride chips. Investors are looking to 2027 and the launch of new data centers to spur Navitas' growth. 10 stocks we like better than Navitas Semiconductor › If you're wondering how much you'd have if you'd invested $10,000 in Navitas Semiconductor (NASDAQ: NVTS) stock two years ago -- and I'm sure you are since you're reading this -- the answer is about $7,500 as I write this on Aug. 10. While that might surprise investors in Navitas Semiconductor who've only been watching it in 2025, as it's up 85% so far this year, it does highlight some points about investing in growth stocks. Why Navitas Semiconductor's stock has gone up so much in 2025 The simple reason for this year's jump comes down to the mid-May announcement of a partnership with Nvidia to develop data center power architecture for the next generation of data centers, due to launch in 2027. The new more efficient, reliable, and lower-maintenance cost 800 V data centers need silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) chips (Navitas' specialty) in the power conversion process in the new data centers. Considerations for growth investors The fact that the stock is down over the last couple of years indicates that patience is key when investing in growth stocks, and it pays to avoid getting caught up in euphoria. For example, in the summer of 2023, Navitas offered 11.5 million shares at a price of $8, which the market eagerly took up. Unfortunately, some of its key end markets, like electric vehicles and consumer electronics (notably mobile phones), slowed markedly, and the stock declined. However, it makes sense to buy into weakness if you have data-backed belief in the long-term growth prospects of a company. This has happened as investors have jumped back into Navitas on the Nvidia news. Do the experts think Navitas Semiconductor is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did Navitas Semiconductor make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,060% vs. just 182% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 877.59%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,119,863!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 11, 2025 Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. If You'd Invested $10,000 in Navitas Semiconductor Stock 2 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Margins Are Falling, Yet Mercado Libre's Moat Keeps Growing
Margins Are Falling, Yet Mercado Libre's Moat Keeps Growing

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Margins Are Falling, Yet Mercado Libre's Moat Keeps Growing

Despite the tough macroeconomic environment in Latin America, Mercado Libre (NASDAQ:MELI) has outperformed the market, rising roughly 40% year to date. The company delivered a strong top-line performance, with revenue surpassing analyst expectations, although its earnings per share fell short of consensus estimates. It also announced that after 26 years as founder and CEO, Marcos Galperin will transition to the role of Executive Chairman on January 1, 2026, with Ariel Szarfsztejn, President of Commerce, set to become CEO. In my previous article, I made a deep dive into Mercado Libre's different segments and its full ecosystem, outlining the company's unique position in Latin America. In this article, I will break down the company's latest earnings report, its moat and competitive position, and analyze its valuation to deliver my take on the stock. Mercado Libre has created a fully vertically integrated ecosystem. The company offers an integrated network of e-commerce and digital financial services, including the Mercado Libre Marketplace, the Mercado Pago fintech platform, the Mercado Envios logistics service, Mercado Ads, Mercado Libre Classifieds, Mercado Shops, Mercado Play, Mercado Credito, and Meli AIR. Source: Mercado Libre Its Commerce segment includes the Mercado Libre marketplace (third-party sellers) and its first-party retail operations, as well as related services like Mercado Envios (logistics and shipping fulfillment) and Mercado Ads (advertising platform). Its Fintech segment, via Mercado Pago, provides digital payments, online checkout for merchants, mobile wallets, credit offerings, and even asset management and insurance products. This model is particularly effective in a region like Latin America, where fragmented logistics and low financial inclusion present significant barriers to traditional e-commerce players. With these early investments, Mercado Libre has addressed these challenges head-on. Today, Mercado Libre is the market leader in e-commerce across its core markets. Mercado Libre Marketplace, the core service, attracts millions of buyers and sellers, generating Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV). This high volume of transactions flows directly through its payment platform, Mercado Pago. It now has 68 million active users using digital wallets, peer-to-peer transfers, bill pay, credit cards, investments, and more. In many Latin American countries, large portions of the population are unbanked or underserved by traditional banks. The transaction data generated by these segments feeds into Mercado Credito, the company's credit arm, which uses proprietary risk models to offer loans to unbanked and underbanked consumers, as well as to sellers on Mercado Libre's platform, integrating them more deeply into the ecosystem. This makes the company's moat not a single barrier but a combination of strategic assets. The logistics network, Mercado Envios, is another supplement to the system. Mercado Envios complements the company's operations, handling nearly 95% of products and ensuring a delivery speed and reliability that competitors struggle to match. In Q2 2025, more than 75% of orders in Mexico were delivered this way, thanks to the opening of new centers. Another example of Mercado Libre's competitive advantage was the announcement that, for those who are subscribing to their Mercado Plus package, they can now obtain free shipping in Brazil for orders above R$19 ($3.50). The strategy to lower its free shipping threshold in Brazil directly responds to global e-commerce entrants like Shopee and Shein. Despite the company deliberately compressing its margins, it will capture long-term market share and widen its competitive moat. Currently, this offer only applies in Brazil, but I wouldn't be surprised if it expanded into Argentina and Mexico soon. Despite the pressures mentioned before and the ongoing local currency deflation, Mercado Libre has been executing well, particularly in the fintech segment, where it has been focusing on credit cards. Source: Mercado Libre Earnings Presentation Revenue grew FX-neutral 53% year-over-year (YoY) to $6.79 billion, beating the consensus estimate of $6.68 billion. This growth was driven by both core segments, with Commerce revenue climbing 45% to $3.8 billion and the Fintech segment accelerating even faster at 63% to $3 billion. A breakdown of revenue by geography highlights the company's exceptional performance across its key markets. Brazil, its largest market, generated $3.47 billion in revenue, while Mexico brought in $1.51 billion, with both markets growing by around 25%. However, Argentina soared 77% to $1.53 billion, underscoring the platform's strength in a country with stabilizing macroeconomic conditions and returning consumer confidence. Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) rose 37% to $15.3 billion, signalling that the commerce arm is still firing on all cylinders. Total Payment Volume (TPV) surged 61% to $64.6 billion, reflecting the strong momentum on the fintech side, while unique active buyers grew 25%, reaching 71 million. More impressive is the fintech side of the platform, which Mercado Libre has been focusing on. Asset under management grew 109% to $14 billion, the largest nominal quarter-over-quarter gain to date, and the credit portfolio grew 91% to $9.4 billion. Asset-backed lending grew 219%, although it remains a very small part of the portfolio. Credit cards, a more meaningful segment, grew 118% to $4 billion. The company expanded this cohort aggressively, which now makes up 43% of the loan book. However, this comes with strings attached. Net interest margin after losses (NIMAL), a profitability metric that factors in losses from customers not repaying credit cards or loans, fell significantly to 23% from a year ago. This is driven by the higher adoption of credit cards. Credit cards naturally have lower NIMAL than loan portfolios, which has pulled the overall figure down as management pursues a strategy to encourage greater adoption. Encouragingly, the entire 2023 Brazil credit cohort turned positive on a NIMAL basis. While revenue and operational metrics were strong, profitability was under pressure. The operating margin compressed by 210 basis points to 12.2%, while net income margin contracted to 7.7%. Management has explained that this is a direct result of increased investments in logistics, marketing, and customer growth. Even with these costs, the company continues to demonstrate its financial health. It maintains strong liquidity with approximately $12 billion in cash and short-term investments. The company's net debt did increase to $3.83 billion, but this was a deliberate move to fund fulfillment capacity projects and its fast-growing fintech and credit businesses. The company reported $454 million in adjusted free cash flow, showing its ability to generate cash even while investing heavily for the future. Valuing Mercado Libre is a complex exercise that requires more than a simple analysis. It is difficult to find competitors as broad as Mercado Libre. In my opinion, a sum-of-the-parts analysis, which breaks down each segment and compares it to Mercado Libre's peers, is a more accurate way to value the company. Source: Author Comparing Mercado Libre to Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) as a whole, Mercado Libre trades at a 3.8x forward price to sales (P/S) and a 43x forward price to earnings (P/E). Amazon trades at slightly cheaper multiples. It is worth highlighting that Mercado Libre is expected to grow 3x faster in the next two years, which could justify the higher multiple. Looking at the PEG ratio, Mercado Libre trades at a lower ratio, suggesting despite the higher P/E, when factoring in growth rates, Mercado Libre is cheaper. When it comes to price to free cash flow (P/FCF), Mercado Libre trades at 16x compared to Amazon's 176x, underscoring how powerful Mercado Libre's FCF is relative to other e-commerce giants. However, it's important to note that Amazon has been heavily investing in AI, which has impacted its FCF. From a sum-of-the-parts perspective, and compared to its peers in each category, Mercado Libre appears to be slightly undervalued. Based on my approach, I arrived at a price target of $2,354, representing an 18% upside from the current price. Even so, I wouldn't be surprised if Mercado Libre commands a higher premium due to its dominant position in Latin America. While the region carries geopolitical risks, it also creates significant barriers to entry, making it difficult for competitors to penetrate the market, thereby reinforcing Mercado Libre's dominance. Source: Author Lastly, some gurus have slightly reduced their exposure to Mercado Libre, which I believe reflects a profit-taking strategy. Jerome Dodson (Trades, Portfolio) cut his position by 26%, while Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio), the largest guru investor, trimmed by just 7%. Source: Gurufocus While the Q2 report was strong, there are several material risks that demand attention. The company will no longer be a founder-led business once a new CEO takes the helm. The announced transition of leadership to Ariel Szarfsztejn (current Commerce president) on January 1, 2026, introduces some uncertainty. While Szarfsztejn is an insider and the transition seems well-planned, investors will be watching to ensure the company doesn't lose a step after founder Marcos Galperin steps back. Operating in Latin America exposes Mercado Libre to significant macroeconomic and geopolitical instability. A tangible example is the $117 million loss incurred in Q2 due to the devaluation of the Argentine peso, a risk that is inherent to the region. Another risk is the company's aggressively expanding credit portfolio, as mentioned earlier. The provision for doubtful accounts grew to $690 million in Q2 2025, reflecting the expanded lending operations. Although management stated that its non-performing loan (NPL) ratio improved, a downturn in the region's economy could quickly cause a reversal of this trend, impacting profitability and asset quality. MercadoLibre remains an exceptional company with a wide moat and a long runway. The business is sacrificing short-term margins to widen its ecosystem, drawing revenue from various streams. While each individual segment has worthy competitors, it is the ecosystem that enhances Mercado Libre's moat. Combined with the massive expected growth in the Latin American e-commerce market, from $507 billion in 2023 to over $1 trillion by 2027, I remain optimistic about Mercado Libre's long-term prospects and believe it will continue to outperform the market. For now, I will continue to hold my position and am willing to add at any pullback. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio

If You'd Invested $1,000 in Viking Therapeutics 3 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today
If You'd Invested $1,000 in Viking Therapeutics 3 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

If You'd Invested $1,000 in Viking Therapeutics 3 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

Key Points Weight loss drugs are big news, and Viking has one in development in both injectable and oral form. Investors are eagerly awaiting trial results later this year. 10 stocks we like better than Viking Therapeutics › Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) investors have seen a handsome return over the past three years, and this demonstrates that the real battle over biopharmaceutical stocks is won in the lab and clinical trials. Viking Therapeutics doesn't have a commercial product on the market yet and has never generated a dollar in revenue. Yet, it's made many investors wealthy. One thousand dollars invested three years ago is now worth an incredible $10,640 as of Aug. 11. Viking Therapeutics: The best may be yet to come The excitement around the stock centers on its lead development compound, VK2735. It's a GLP-1/GIP dual agonist for the treatment of obesity. Vikings VK2735 is following in the footsteps of Eli Lilly's GLP-1/GIP dual agonist tirzepatide (branded as Zepbound), and investors are hoping VK2735 can achieve similar levels of success. Where is this promising drug now VK2735 is in phase 3 trials in subcutaneous (injection) form, with results probably not due until 2027, and, arguably more excitingly, it's in phase 2 trials in an oral form. The latter has obvious benefits of convenience and comfort for patients, and management expects to report on the phase 2 trial this year. Investors have high hopes, as the phase 2 subcutaneous trial resulted in up to 88% of patients experiencing more than 10% weight loss. The phase 1 trials in oral form were also impressive (remember that phase 1 trials are fundamentally exploratory and often aim to understand safety and tolerability), with a mean weight loss of 8.2% after 28 days of dosing. These results are enough to encourage Viking investors that VK2735 could prove to be a hugely successful compound, and the results of the latest tests of the oral form are eagerly anticipated, not least by potential larger pharmaceutical companies that may try to buy the company and take VK2735 (oral) through phase 3. Should you invest $1,000 in Viking Therapeutics right now? Before you buy stock in Viking Therapeutics, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Viking Therapeutics wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,119,863!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 11, 2025 Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Viking Therapeutics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. If You'd Invested $1,000 in Viking Therapeutics 3 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today was originally published by The Motley Fool

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store