Here are two questions from Rick Rule regarding the vetting process for a junior resource company. It seems to me Tyhee is lacking in the promotional department, although could be waiting for feasibility study. Maybe there is an element of ownership that doesn't want the attention just yet, i don't know. Enjoy, Pat.
Question 6. "Who owns this company? How much did they – or will they – pay for it, and when can they sell it?"
Make the company explain its capitalization history. If there were escrow or founders’ shares – shares issued for $0.01 to early insiders –
who got them for what service and when will they be free to trade them? Determine at what price every financing has taken place. Is the stock from those financings already free trading, or can it hit the market later to depress share
prices? How many options and warrants are outstanding? At what price can holders exercise them?
In other words, is the price asked now reasonable, given what others have paid? If the company recently issued shares at a price well
below current market, they made an unflattering public pronouncement about their opinion of the shares’ value. If insiders bought at prices well above current market that might tell a different story.
Make sure management owns LOTS of stock and stands to get rich if they make you money. Self-interest is the market’s sharpest spur. Successful speculators back owners, not employees.
What about promotion? Question 7. "Who else will you tell this story to, how will you tell them, and when?"
Promotion often makes the difference between success and failure. Promotion is crucial in capital-intensive businesses because it raises subsequent financing with less dilution and increases liquidity and share prices. Since exploration companies seldom pass out gold watches to 30-year shareholders, you want increasing share prices.
Make the company – preferably its promoter – detail its promotional plan. Who is the audience? What is the message? Who is the messenger? Do the three mix? What is the promotional budget? Is that sufficient? How will the promoter raise additional capital? At what price and from whom?
Companies must budget at least $150,000 annually for promotion – sad but true. At least two management road shows, through Toronto, New York and London should be scheduled annually and one yearly tour of the company’s focus properties organized for analysts. North American companies that don’t appear at the "gold shows" are almost automatic losers.
Institutional investors finance exploration but retail investors provide market liquidity. Promoting to only one constituency is a flawed strategy. Promoting to retail investors should take into account that Canada has 27 million people and the US has 260 million. Will they spend their money in markets that have the money?
Most Canadian companies know almost nothing about US securities regulations. Promoting in the US is against American regulations, which are getting rougher and tougher. Make sure that the promoter knows and complies with federal and state laws. If the promoters are not aware of these regulations and don’t have concrete plans for complying, forget about their
Pin down the promoter
Who is the audience?
What is the message?
Who is the messenger?
Do the three mix?
What is the promotional budget?
Is that sufficient?
How will the promoter raise additional capital?
At what price and from whom?
stocks. In fact, if they don’t have plans to list on NASDAQ or AMEX, greatly discount the rest of their promotional plans.
