v3.26.1
Note 9 - Derivative Instruments
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]  
Derivative Instruments

Note 9. Derivative Instruments

 

General

 

Our current risk management policy provides that up to 75% of the next five years of our foreign currency, lead and zinc metals prices and silver and gold price exposure may be covered under a derivatives program with certain other limitations. Within this period we can hedge up to 100% of a specific exposure, provided the derivative allows us to participate 100% in the upside. Our program also utilizes derivatives to manage price risk exposure created from when revenue is recognized from a shipment of concentrate until final settlement.

 

These instruments expose us to (i) credit risk in the form of non-performance by counterparties for contracts in which the contract price exceeds the spot price of the hedged commodity or foreign currency and (ii) price risk to the extent that the spot price or currency exchange rate exceeds the contract price for quantities of our production and/or forecasted costs covered under contract positions.

 

Foreign Currency

 

Our wholly-owned non-US subsidiaries owning the Keno Hill operation are USD-functional currency entities which routinely incur expenses denominated in CAD. Such expenses expose us to exchange rate fluctuations, for which we have a program to manage our exposure to fluctuations of these subsidiaries' future operating and capital costs denominated in CAD. The program utilizes forward contracts to buy CAD, and are not designated as cash flow hedges.

 

During the quarter, realized losses of $0.9 million related to derivatives designated our previously held Casa Berardi operation, were transferred from accumulated other comprehensive (loss) into discontinued operations (2025: $1.8 million loss).

 

As of March 31, 2026, we have a total of 132 forward contracts outstanding to buy a total of CAD $76.6 million having a notional amount of USD $55.3 million to provide economic hedges to the following exposures for 2026:

Forecasted cash operating expenditures at Keno Hill of CAD $42.9 million at an average CAD-to-USD exchange rate of 1.3797.
Forecasted capital expenditures at Keno Hill of CAD $30.2 million at an average CAD-to-USD exchange rate of 1.3948.
Forecasted exploration expenditures at Keno Hill of CAD $2.7 million at an average CAD-to-USD exchange rate of 1.3845.
Forecasted Corporate expenditures of CAD $0.9 million at an average CAD-to-USD exchange rate of 1.3528.

 

As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, we recorded the following balances for the fair value of the foreign currency forward contracts (in millions):

 

 

 

March 31,

 

December 31,

Balance sheet line item:

 

2026

 

2025

Other current assets

 

$0.4

 

$1.1

Other current liabilities

 

(1.3)

 

(0.8)

 

Net gains of $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 (2025: nil), were related to contracts not designated as hedges.

 

Metals Prices

 

We currently a combination of derivatives including financially-settled forward contracts, commodity price collars ("Collars") and commodity price put options to manage the exposure to:

changes in prices of silver, gold, zinc and lead contained in our concentrate shipments between the time of shipment and final settlement; and
changes in prices of zinc, lead and silver contained in our forecasted future concentrate shipments.

 

The following tables summarize the quantities of metals committed under forward metals contracts at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 and designated and accounted for as cash flow hedges:

March 31, 2026

 

Pounds under contract (in 000's)

 

 

Average price per pound

 

 

 

Zinc

 

 

Lead

 

 

Zinc

 

 

Lead

 

 

 

(pounds)

 

 

(pounds)

 

 

(pounds)

 

 

(pounds)

 

Contracts on provisional sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 settlements

 

 

13,173

 

 

 

15,653

 

 

$

1.33

 

 

$

1.04

 

Contracts on forecasted sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 settlements

 

 

40,234

 

 

 

24,912

 

 

$

1.32

 

 

$

1.00

 

2027 settlements

 

 

45,636

 

 

 

 

 

$

1.40

 

 

$

 

 

December 31, 2025

 

Pounds under contract (in 000's)

 

 

Average price per ounce/pound

 

 

 

Zinc

 

 

Lead

 

 

Zinc

 

 

Lead

 

 

 

(pounds)

 

 

(pounds)

 

 

(pounds)

 

 

(pounds)

 

Contracts on provisional sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 settlements

 

 

18,850

 

 

 

13,117

 

 

$

1.37

 

 

$

1.05

 

Contracts on forecasted sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 settlements

 

 

53,407

 

 

 

42,108

 

 

 

1.33

 

 

 

1.02

 

2027 settlements

 

 

23,810

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.36

 

 

N/A

 

 

 

We utilize Collars to manage our exposure to changes in the price of precious metals in both our provisional concentrate sales and forecasted Keno Hill future concentrate shipments. These Collars provide us a contractual right to receive at least the minimum price if market prices fall below the minimum price level specified in the contracts, while limiting our potential gains to the maximum price level specified in the contracts, even if market prices rise higher. This strategy helps protect us from significant price drops while still allowing for some upside potential within the minimum and maximum price range. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, these collars had net losses of $22.3 million (2025: $0.6 million gain). The Collar trades are not designated as cash flow hedges.

 

The following table summarize the quantities of silver and gold ounces committed under collars at March 31, 2026.

 

Settlement Period

 

Ounces under contract (in 000's)

 

 

Average strike price per silver ounce

 

 

Average strike price per gold ounce

 

 

 

Silver (ounces)

 

 

Gold (ounces)

 

 

Minimum ($)

 

 

Maximum ($)

 

 

Minimum ($)

 

 

Maximum ($)

 

Contracts on provisional sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 settlements

 

 

400

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

48.67

 

 

 

75.71

 

 

 

5,125.00

 

 

 

5,425.00

 

Contracts on forecasted sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 settlements

 

 

350

 

 

 

 

 

 

35.33

 

 

 

58.25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In December 2025, we entered into financially-settled put option contracts to manage the exposure of future silver sales to potential declines in market prices of silver. These put options give us the option, but not the obligation, to realize established prices on quantities of silver to be sold in the future. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, we recognized a $1.2 million unrealized loss for the puts. The following table summarizes the quantities of metals for which we have entered into put contracts and the strike price as of March 31, 2026:

 

Settlement Period

 

 

 

Production Protected (in 000's)

 

 

Strike price per ounce

 

 

 

 

 

Silver (ounces)

 

 

($)

 

Contracts on forecasted sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 settlements

 

 

 

 

10,000

 

 

 

50.00

 

 

We recorded the following balances for the fair value of the forward metals, Collars and put contracts as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 (in millions):

 

 

March 31,

 

 

December 31,

 

Balance sheet line item:

 

2026

 

 

2025

 

Other current assets

 

$

16.2

 

 

$

8.6

 

Other non-current assets

 

 

0.2

 

 

 

7.2

 

Other current liabilities

 

 

(13.8

)

 

 

(36.4

)

Other non-current liabilities

 

 

(1.5

)

 

 

(1.9

)

 

Net realized and unrealized losses of $3.7 million related to the effective portion of the forward metals contracts designated as hedges were included in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) as of March 31, 2026. Unrealized gains and losses will be transferred from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to current earnings as the underlying forecasted sales are recognized. We estimate $3.4 million in net realized and unrealized gains included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of March 31, 2026 would be reclassified to current earnings in the next twelve months.

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2026, we recognized a net loss of $10.2 million (2025: $5.3 million loss), including a $2.3 million gain transferred from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (2025: $2.2 million gain transferred from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). These gains and losses were recognized on the contracts utilized to manage exposure to prices of metals in our concentrate shipments, which are included in sales. The net losses and gains recognized on the contracts offset gains and losses related to price adjustments on our provisional concentrate sales due to changes to silver, gold, lead and zinc prices between the time of sale and final settlement.

 

Credit-risk-related Contingent Features

 

Certain of our derivative contracts contain cross default provisions which provide that a default under our Credit Agreement would cause a default under the derivative contract. As of March 31, 2026, we have not posted any collateral related to these contracts. The fair value of derivatives in a net liability position related to these agreements was $10.5 million as of March 31, 2026, which includes

accrued interest but excludes any adjustment for nonperformance risk. If we were in breach of any of these provisions at March 31, 2026, we could have been required to settle our obligations under the agreements at their termination value of $10.5 million.