CEY is a gold mining company operating in Egypt. It was ordered by the Egyptian Government to stop drilling pending a legal dispute brought against the company by a government minister.

Since then, the whole Government cabinet was replaced a few months ago and the minister now in charge of Mining is believed to be positive on Western investment in the country. CEY are pushing for this minister to allow them to continue drilling ASAP; investers are waiting....patiently.

As soon as the company gets the go-ahead to continue drilling, the share price will move north; CEY has plenty of gold in this mine and it is (apparantly) the case of "raking" it out rather than drilling for it!

Check them out...worthy of a punt.

From yesterday - Nomura Buy 58.68 45.00 85.00 Upgrades

2013 Annual Results

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR (1) (2)

Centamin remains in a robust position to continue delivering on its track record of production growth and solid cash flow generation during 2014 and beyond, as demonstrated by the following highlights:

· Full year production was 356,943, a 36% increase on 2012 and above guidance of 320,000 ounces.

· Cash costs of production of US$663 per ounce (2012: $669 per ounce).

· Record EBITDA of US$234.2 million, up 1% on the prior year.

· Basic earnings per share 16.87 cents, down 8% on prior year.

· Stage 4 plant expansion (to nameplate capacity of 10Mtpa) expenditure at the year end was US$327.8 million of the reforecast cost of US$331.2 million, including contingency.

· Centamin remains debt-free and un-hedged with cash, bullion on hand, gold sales receivable and available-for-sale financial assets of US$142.5 million as at 31 December 2013.

Looks like good results.

just for general info, my client in egypt tells me things remain very unsettled there, which is having a generally negative effect on all business as all companies are fearful of making any medium/long term decisions

It needs to break 58p.

Q1 Preliminary Production Results

Centamin is pleased to announce preliminary production results from its Sukari Gold Mine ("Sukari") in Egypt for the quarter ended 31 March 2014. Total gold production for the quarter was 74,241 ounces, a 14% decrease on the corresponding quarter in 2013 and 19% lower than Q4 2013. Although gold production was affected by a temporary reduction in the underground average grade, the first quarter demonstrated record levels of material movement from the underground mine and process plant throughput and all areas of the operation have provided a solid foundation for the year ahead. Production guidance for 2014 remains unchanged at 420,000 ounces gold.

Open pit total material movement continued well from the previous quarter with a small increase of 1% to 9,749kt. A decrease in open pit ore production of 26% on Q4 2013 to 2,325kt reflected a focus on waste stripping activities in line with the mine plan. The run of mine ore stockpile balance decreased by 216kt to 1,540kt at the end of the period.

Record quarterly throughput at the process plant was 1,486kt, a 6% increase on the prior year period and a 6% increase on Q4 2013, exceeding the nameplate annualised rate of 5 million tonnes for the fifth successive quarter with continued high levels of productivity and availability. The Stage 4 commissioning process will progressively lift overall plant throughput and hence gold production levels through the remainder of the year.

The primary challenge faced during the quarter was from poor mining fleet availability within the high grade stoping areas of the underground mine. Whilst the operation delivered a record 206kt of ore, up 18% on Q4 2013, this limited ability to remotely mine the high-grade stopes reduced the average mined grade to below planned levels and thus restricted the contribution to overall production. These problems with equipment availability were rectified late in the quarter.

Market Update


Market Update - Concession Agreement Court Case - New Investment Law

Centamin notes that a new law, numbered 32 of 2014, came into effect in Egypt yesterday. The Company understands, based on legal advice, that the new law will restrict the capacity for third parties to challenge any contractual agreement between the Egyptian government and an investor. Furthermore, the new law appears to cover all currently pending lawsuits and challenges.

Centamin continues to discuss with its advisers the process by which the original claim in relation to the Sukari Concession Agreement, which was brought by a third party and is subject to an ongoing court appeal, may be dismissed under the provisions of this new law.

Market seems to like that. CEY don't seem over confident though that it applies to them. Just hope it doesn't turn out that there is a lot of small print!

Well this lot aren't so sure :-

Westhouse Securities Neutral 58.15 55.95 55.00 55.00 Reiterates

Peel Hunt note:
New Egyptian legislation – New legislation enacted in Egypt on 23 April prohibits the rights of third parties to challenge contracts between the Egyptian Government and investors. This is positive for Centamin in terms of its current ongoing legal dispute regarding the Sukari operating licence. The law, which was released in draft form in February, was previously thought not to apply to currently pending cases, and now appears to include all current challenges before the courts.
Implications for current court case – The current court case is adjourned until 7 October; our previous assessment was that the legal dispute was unlikely to be resolved in 2014. While investors would be wise to be cautious in their expectations of the Egyptian legal system, particularly with regard to timing, the new legislation now in force provides Centamin with an opportunity to bring court applications filing for dismissal of the case, and provides a very strong argument that the challenge is without substance. Our opinion is that Centamin’s chance of success in the court case is now very likely indeed."

I'll continue being a (hopeful) long term holder then!

We form part of an small but elite band of speculators who seem have no chioce but to hold if we want to get back into profit! Some kind of political stability in Egypt would help our cause somewhat, imo, but the Muslim Brotherhood don't seem aware of our plight!!! ;o)...or maybe they are aware and just don't give a t*ss!

RESULTS FOR THE QUARTER ENDED 31 MARCH 2014

Centamin plc ("Centamin" or "the Company") (LSE: CEY, TSX: CEE) is pleased to announce its results for the three months ended 31 March 2014.

HIGHLIGHTS (1) (2) (3) (4)

Production

· Gold production 74,241 ounces, 19% lower quarter-on-quarter and 15% lower on the prior year period.
· Production guidance for 2014 remains unchanged at 420,000 ounces at a cash cost of production of US$700 per ounce.
· Cash cost of production of US$744 per ounce.
· Commissioning of the Stage 4 plant expansion to 10 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) continues with first ore fed through the new circuit.

Financials

· Basic earnings per share 1.87 cents, down 33% on Q4 2013 and down 72% on the prior year period and EBITDA US$34.3 million; 25% on Q4 2013 and 58% on the prior year period.
· Centamin remains debt-free and un-hedged with cash, bullion on hand, gold sales receivables and available-for-sale financial assets of US$137.8 million as at 31 March 2014.

Exploration

· Exploration drilling commenced in Burkina Faso and Cote D'Ivoire following the takeover of ASX-listed Ampella Mining Ltd.
· Exploration results at Sukari and in Ethiopia continue to justify further drilling.

Legal developments in Egypt

· The Supreme Administrative Court appeal and Diesel Fuel Court Case are both ongoing. Operations continue as normal and any enforcement of the Administrative Court decision has been suspended pending the appeal ruling.
· New investment law (32 of 2014) came into force in April 2014 restricting the capacity for third parties to challenge any contractual agreement between the Egyptian government and an investor. Centamin understands, based on legal advice, that it is likely to benefit from this new law.

Dividend Policy Update

Centamin is pleased to announce that with the completion of construction of Stage 4 it intends to commence dividend payments to its shareholders during the current financial year. The maiden interim dividend will be announced at the time of the Company's forthcoming interim results, with the amount to be determined at the discretion of the Board.

The dividend policy will be based on the financial condition of, and outlook for, the Company and its cash flow and financing needs. When determining the amount to be paid the Board will take into consideration the underlying profitability of the Company. Specifically, the Board will aim to approve an annual dividend within the range of 15-30% of the Company's net cash flow after sustaining capital costs and following the payment of Profit Share due to the Government of Egypt.

May 16: Numis reiterates : Buy - TP held @ 70p.

Investec Hold 60.03 57.00 62.00 Reiterates

(Reuters) - "Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who toppled Egypt's first freely elected leader, swept to victory in a presidential election, provisional results showed on Thursday, joining a long line of leaders drawn from the military.

But a lower than expected turnout figure raised questions about Sisi's credibility after his supporters had idolised him as a hero who can deliver political and economic stability.

Sisi captured 93.3 percent of votes cast as counting nearly came to a close, judicial sources said. His only rival, leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, gained 3.0 percent while 3.7 percent of votes were declared void.

Sisi is the latest in a line of Egyptian rulers from the military that was only briefly broken during Islamist President Mohamed Mursi's year in office.

Sisi, who ousted Mursi last year after mass protests against his rule, is seen by supporters as a strong figure who can end the turmoil that has convulsed Egypt since the revolution that ended Mubarak's 30 years in power.

But critics fear he will become another autocrat who will preserve the army's interests, and quash hopes of democracy and reform aroused by the protests that swept Mubarak. Sisi enjoys the backing of the powerful armed forces and the Interior Ministry, as well many politicians and former Mubarak officials now making a comeback.

"We are joyful because Sisi got so many votes, the results will come after an hour, we are here to celebrate," said Kawther Mohamed, who went to Tahrir with her daughters.

TOUGH MEASURES
But the former military intelligence chief may not have the popular mandate to take the tough measures needed to restore healthy economic growth, ease poverty and unemployment, and end costly energy subsidies in the most populous Arab nation.

Turnout was 44.4 percent of Egypt's 54 million voters, according to the judicial sources. That would be less than the 40 million votes, or 80 percent of the electorate, that Sisi had called for last week.

It would also suggest that he had failed to rally the overwhelming support he hoped for after toppling Mursi.

A tour of Cairo polling stations on Wednesday saw only a trickle of voters. The same pattern emerged in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, Reuters reporters said.

In a country polarised since the revolt against Mubarak, many Egyptians said voters had stayed at home due to political apathy, opposition to another military man becoming president, discontent at suppression of freedoms among liberal youth, and calls for a boycott by Islamists.

The two-day vote was originally due to conclude on Tuesday but was extended until Wednesday evening to allow the "greatest number possible" to vote, state media reported.

Hossam Moanes, Sabahi's campaign manager, questioned the legitimacy of the vote, saying there had been violations.

"Until yesterday turnout was much lower than what was announced today. Did the percentage suddenly reach 46 percent?"

ARMY INTERESTS
New York-based Human Rights Watch said a crackdown launched after Mursi's ouster had created a repressive environment that undermined the fairness of the election.

“The mass arrests of thousands of political dissidents, whether Islamist or secular, has all but shut down the political arena and stripped these elections of real meaning,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

Some Egyptians, exhausted after three years of upheaval, have concluded that Sisi is the man who can bring calm, even though past leaders from the military mismanaged the country.

Earlier, a 45-year-old shopkeeper, who gave her name as Samaa, said at a polling station in downtown Cairo that she was supporting Sisi. "Our country can now only be handled by a military man, we need order."

Despite an official campaign to bring out more voters, Egyptians, many opposed to Sisi, gave various reasons for their lack of enthusiasm.

The Muslim Brotherhood, believed to have one million members, has rejected the election, describing it as an extension of the army takeover. The group, loyal to Mursi, was outlawed by the military as a terrorist group and saw around 1,000 members killed in a security crackdown.

Young secular activists, including those who backed Mursi's ouster, had become disillusioned with Sisi after many were rounded up in the security crackdown that also restricted protests.

Since he gave a series of television interviews, many Egyptians feel Sisi has not spelled out a clear vision of how he would tackle Egypt's challenges, instead making a general call for people to work hard and be patient.

He has presented vague plans to remedy the economy, suffering from corruption, high unemployment, and a widening budget deficit aggravated by fuel subsidies that could cost nearly $19 billion in the next fiscal year.

Sisi also faces the formidable challenge of crushing an Islamist armed insurgency and eliminating any threat from the Brotherhood, which as the country's best-organised political force, had won every national vote held after Mubarak's fall.

The Brotherhood has been devastated by one of the toughest crackdowns in its history. Its top leaders, including Mursi, are on trial and could face the death penalty. The movement seemed inspired by the low turnout in this week's poll."

Q2 Preliminary Production Results

Centamin is pleased to announce preliminary production results from its Sukari Gold Mine ("Sukari") in Egypt for the quarter ended 30 June 2014. Total gold production for the quarter was 81,281 ounces, a 9% increase on Q1 2014 and 13% lower than the corresponding quarter in 2013. Stage 4 commissioning is on-going and the expanded plant is set to deliver a steady lift in throughput during the second half of the year and, with underground average grades also set to improve, gold production levels are expected to progressively increase in the third and fourth quarters. Centamin therefore maintains its full year forecast of 420,000 ounces gold.

Open pit total material movement increased 1% on the previous quarter, to 9,861kt. Open pit ore production decreased by 23% on Q1 2014 to 1,795kt. The run of mine ore stockpile balance decreased by 400kt to 1,141kt at the end of the period. Discussions continue with government departments in relation to increasing the daily usage of ammonium nitrate in order to increase open pit mining rates to the required level to feed the expanded plant. Centamin believes government approval is in its final stages.

Record quarterly throughput at the process plant was 1,957kt, a 32% increase on Q1 2014, reflecting the commencement of ore treatment through the new Stage 4 plant circuit. Commissioning activities have proceeded well and continue to support a ramp-up to the expanded 10 million tonne per annum nameplate capacity during the second half of the year.

The underground operation delivered a record 230kt of ore, up 12% on Q1 2014 and in line with planned mining rates. Whilst grades realised from development ore were lower than the forecast annual average, good progress has been made accessing additional higher grade stoping blocks, and hence the average grade from the underground mine is expected to increase during the coming months.


more....

12 month high @69.50p just touched.