Owner Scorecard


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IAUX, i-80 Gold Corp.

Gold & Precious Metals capital-intensive UnprofitableDistress / turnaround

The Company is a Nevada-focused, growth-oriented gold and silver company engaged in the exploration and advancement of gold and silver mineral deposits.

Latest annual: FY2025 10-K
IAUX · i-80 Gold Corp.
I

The business

What it sells, where the money comes from, the kind of company it is.

Revenue · FY2025
$95M
+89.1% YoY
Vital signs · TTM, with 3-yr average
Revenue $134M 3-yr avg $67M
Operating margin −97.7% 3-yr avg −163.8%
ROIC −46% 3-yr avg −17%
Owner-earnings margin −82% 3-yr avg −140%
Free cash flow margin −95% 3-yr avg −146%

The business in brief

read the 10-K →

What this business is and what moves its needle, from its own SEC filings.

Situation
Unprofitable. No sustained operating profit across the record; an earnings multiple has nothing to rest on. What the record does show is revenue, the gross-margin trajectory, and the burn against the cash on hand. Distress / turnaround. Thin interest coverage, or operating cash burned against real debt, across the record. The balance sheet carries this situation; the debt schedule sets the clock.
What moves the needle
Operating margin has run around −177% through the cycle, the operating line deeply negative — so the lever is the path to a margin at all: revenue growth against the cost curve and the cash runway, not the level of a margin that isn't there yet. Inventory runs near 30% of sales, so how fast it turns back into cash — and the risk of writing it down when demand softens — sits alongside the margin. Read this kind of business on the commodity price and the cost position. On its own account, the filing leans hardest on pricing power & competition, set against the numbers in what the filing emphasizes, below.
Is it a good business?
Return on capital has rarely cleared the cost of capital (median −15%, above 15% in 0 of 3 years). Owner earnings, the cash-based check, have been thin too. This is price-taker territory, where the balance sheet and the cycle matter more than any multiple; the rest is in the 10-K.

Every line is arithmetic on the company's filings, shown in full in the sections below.

II

The record

Ten years of arithmetic, read across the cycle.

The record, 2023–2025

realized figures from each filing · older years to the left
2023’232024’242025’25TTMTTMMar 2026
Income statement
$55M$50M$95M$134MRevenueRevenue
39%41%31%24%SG&A / revenueSG&A/rev
($101M)($89M)($124M)($130M)Operating incomeOp. inc.
−183.9%−177.0%−130.7%−97.7%Operating marginOp. mgn
($90M)($122M)($199M)($236M)Net incomeNet inc.
Cash flow & returns
($77M)($83M)($84M)($106M)Operating cash flowOp. cash
$9M$3M$3MDepreciationDeprec.
$1M$35M$106M$116MWorking capital & otherWC & other
$17M$2M$10M$21MCapexCapex
31.7%4.0%10.1%15.8%Capex / revenueCapex/rev
($86M)($85M)($90M)($109M)Owner earningsOwner earn.
−156.9%−167.9%−94.2%−81.7%Owner earnings marginOE mgn
($95M)($85M)($93M)($127M)Free cash flowFCF
−172.8%−167.9%−97.9%−95.2%Free cash flow marginFCF mgn
$0$0$0AcquisitionsAcquis.
-15%-14%-21%-46%ROICROIC
-26%-36%-57%-79%Return on equityROE
−26%−36%−57%−79%Retained to equityRetained/eq
Balance sheet
$16M$19M$63M$514MCash & investmentsCash+inv
$4M$3M$2M$9MReceivablesReceiv.
$11M$15M$29M$25MInventoryInvent.
$27M$26M$41M$49MAccounts payablePayables
($11M)($8M)($10M)($15M)Operating working capitalOper. WC
$40M$42M$100M$552MCurrent assetsCur. assets
$65M$74M$138M$58MCurrent liabilitiesCur. liab.
0.6×0.6×0.7×9.5×Current ratioCurr. ratio
$654M$656M$703M$1.2BTotal assetsAssets
$194M$191M$175M$438MTotal debtDebt
$178M$172M$111M($76M)Net debt / (cash)Net debt
-3.7×-2.7×-4.2×-4.8×Interest coverageInt. cov.
$345M$341M$347M$299MShareholders’ equityEquity
4.2%1.1%9.6%8.2%Stock comp / revenueSBC/rev
Per share
274M359M672M837MShares out (diluted)Shares
$0.20$0.14$0.14$0.16Revenue / shareRev/sh
$-0.33$-0.34$-0.30$-0.28EPS (diluted)EPS
$-0.31$-0.24$-0.13$-0.13Owner earnings / shareOE/sh
$-0.35$-0.24$-0.14$-0.15Free cash flow / shareFCF/sh
$0.06$0.01$0.01$0.03Cap. spending / shareCapex/sh
$1.26$0.95$0.52$0.36Book value / shareBVPS

The diluted share count moved ×1.87 into 2025 — shares issued, not a split the totals corroborate — and the per-share figures carry the counts as filed.

The record, charted

FY2023–2025

Each measure over its full record; the current point and the worst year marked.

Share count
672Mpeak FY2025
ROIC
−21%low FY2025

Owner earnings vs. net income

Owner earningsNet income

The accountant's number, and the cash an owner can take; the gap is the tell.

($90M)owner earningsvs.($199M)net incomelow FY2025

Net income is the accountant's number; owner earnings is the cash an owner could take out. The walk between them, off the cash-flow statement, and whether the gap is widening or holding.

In fiscal 2025 the business earned ($90M) of owner earnings, the operating cash left after the $6M it takes just to hold its position. It put $4M more into growth; free cash flow, after that spending, was ($93M).

FY2025FY2024FY2023
Reported net income($199M)($122M)($90M)
Depreciation & amortizationnon-cash charge added back+$3M+$9M
Stock-based compensationreal costnon-cash, but a real cost+$9M+$570K+$2M
Working capital & othertiming of cash in and out, other non-cash items+$106M+$35M+$1M
Cash from operations($84M)($83M)($77M)
Maintenance capital expenditurethe spending needed just to hold position and volume−$6M−$2M−$9M
Owner earnings($90M)($85M)($86M)
Growth capital expenditurediscretionary; spent to get bigger, not to stand still−$4M−$9M
Free cash flow($93M)($85M)($95M)
Owner-earnings marginowner earnings ÷ revenue-94%-168%-157%

Owner earnings is the cash an owner could pull out without starving the business: operating cash less the maintenance capital it must spend to hold its position (here about $6M, roughly its depreciation, the rate its assets wear out). The other $4M of its capital spending is growth it chose, not upkeep it owed; charged only with the maintenance it must do, the business earns well more than the year's free cash flow shows. The cash-flow statement also adds stock comp back as non-cash, but it is a real cost paid in shares; counted as the expense it is (less $9M), owner earnings is nearer ($99M).

Maintenance capex is estimated as depreciation where a growing business invests above it; free cash flow is the figure the scorecard's free-cash margin reads.

III

Quality & stewardship

Returns, the balance sheet, capital allocation, and pay.

Owner’s Scorecard

FY2025 10-K · source on SEC EDGAR →

Will it survive?

  • Does not cover its interest
    Operating income ($124M) ÷ interest expense $30M
    What this means

    A full year of operating profit didn't cover the interest bill. This is the zombie zone: the business depends on refinancing, asset sales, or forbearance to service its debt.

  • Net debt against an operating loss
    Cash $63M − debt $175M
    What this means

    Netting $63M of cash and short-term investments against $175M of debt leaves $111M owed, with no operating profit this year to measure it against — understand that combination before anything else about the company. Net debt is the leverage figure that matters: the cash is already set against the debt. Strategic or illiquid investments aren't counted here.

  • Not enough data
    What this means

    The filing data didn't include the inputs for this check.

Is it a good business?

  • Below average through the cycle
    3-yr median, range -21%–-14%; -21% latest = NOPAT ($98M) ÷ invested capital $458M
    Industry peers: median -9%
    What this means

    The rate the business earns on the money tied up in it, Buffett's north star, because over time a stock tracks the ROIC beneath it. Above ~15% sustained hints at a moat; a return below the cost of capital (~8%) erodes value as a business grows rather than building it — the test Buffett weighs most. The headline is the median of the last 3 years (it ran -21% most recently), so one peak or trough year doesn't set the verdict. Asset-light businesses (R&D expensed, little capital) read artificially high, pair this with Owner Earnings.

  • Consumes cash through the cycle
    3-yr median margin, range -168%–-94%; latest ($87M) = operating cash ($84M) − maintenance capex $3M
    Industry peers: median -8%
    What this means

    What an owner could take out without starving the business: operating cash less the maintenance capital it must spend to hold its position — Buffett's owner earnings. That's -91% of revenue this year, a -157% median across 3 years. Treating stock comp as the real expense it is (less $9M of SBC) leaves ($96M).

  • Loss, and burning cash
    Net income ($199M) · cash from operations ($84M)
    What this means

    The company reported a net loss, so a conversion ratio isn't meaningful. What matters then is whether operations still threw off cash, here, they did not.

How is the cash used?

  • Not enough data
    What this means

    The filing data didn't include the inputs for this check.

  • Investing or harvesting? 3.01×
    Expanding
    Capex $10M ÷ depreciation $3M
    What this means

    Descriptive, not a grade. Above ~1× means investing faster than assets wear out (growth, or, sustained for years, today's earnings carrying less depreciation than tomorrow's will). Below means spending less than it's wearing out (efficiency, or a melting asset base). The ratio won't tell you which; the filings will.

Graham’s defensive tests · 0 of 3 met

Graham’s numerical criteria for the defensive investor (The Intelligent Investor, ch. 14), run on the filings. A floor of safety, not a buy signal; many fine modern businesses fail his strictest liquidity rules by design.

  • Adequate size Miss
    Revenue ≥ $2B · $95M
    What this means

    Big enough to weather a storm. Graham's 1972 floor was ~$100M of sales (≈ $700M today); we use a $2B revenue line as a conservative modern stand-in.

  • Strong liquidity Miss
    Current ratio ≥ 2× · 0.73×
    What this means

    Current assets at least twice current liabilities, near-term bills covered without touching the business. Strict by design: many cash-rich modern firms run leaner and miss it, holding their cushion in longer-dated securities.

  • Conservative debt Miss
    Debt ≤ working capital · $175M vs ($38M) WC
    What this means

    Graham's rule that borrowings not exceed net current assets. Capital-heavy and buyback-heavy firms routinely fail it, read it next to interest coverage, not alone.

  • Moderate price
    P/E ≤ 15 and P/E × P/B ≤ 22.5 · decided by the price
    What this means

    Graham's valuation gate, the wall he kept between a sound business and a sound investment. Three-year average earnings are $-0.16/share (latest year $-0.23), the averaged base the calculator's gate runs on, and book value is $0.40/share. Enter a price in “What the price implies” just below for the P/E, P/B, and whether it clears. But this is the rule Buffett outgrew: there's no hard P/E law, and a wonderful business can deserve a far richer multiple if the thesis holds, treat it as the bargain-hunter's floor, not a verdict on the price.

Does AI threaten the moat?

Low contestability

The moat is physical, regulated or balance-sheet-funded, the kind AI cuts costs within but does not contest.

AI is unlikely to contest a moat that is physical, regulated or balance-sheet-funded; here it reads more as a cost tool than a threat.

Read from the filing's own risk factors, paired with the industry's structure under its SIC code; the durability is read above, the price below.

All figures as filed; the source filing is linked above.

Current Position

as of the latest quarter, Mar 31, 2026

Can the business pay what it owes this year, off the freshest balance sheet: the quality of the assets, the debt actually coming due, and what a low ratio means here.

Current assets$552M
  • Cash & short-term investments$514M
  • Receivables$9M
  • Inventory$25M
  • Other current assets$5M
Current liabilities$58M
  • Debt due within a year$307K
  • Accounts payable$49M
  • Other current liabilities$9M
Current ratio9.46×all current assets ÷ what's due · Graham looked for 2×
Quick ratio9.02×stricter: inventory excluded
Cash ratio8.80×strictest: cash alone against what's due
Working capital$494Mthe cushion left after near-term bills
Debt due this year vs. cash$307K due · $514M cash covered by cash on hand, no refinancing forced · both figures from the Mar 31, 2026 balance sheet
Cash runway4.0 yrsthe business is consuming cash; this is how long the cash on hand lasts at that rate
Revenue, latest quarter vs. a year ago+272.9%the freshest read on whether the business is still growing
Current ratio, recent quarters0.6× → 9.5×
Deeper floors
Tangible book value$299Mequity stripped of goodwill & intangibles
Net current asset value($325M)Graham's net-net: current assets less all liabilities
Debt incl. operating leases$438Mno operating-lease liability tagged this quarter, so debt alone

From the company's latest filing.

Management, ownership & pay

From the proxy: how much of the business the people running it own, and how they are paid.

  • Stock-based compensation$9M

    The slice of the business handed to employees in shares this year, 10% of revenue. Buffett's oldest accounting fight: this is compensation, compensation is an expense, real whether or not the headline earnings admit it. One trap: the cash-flow statement adds SBC back, so the operating cash, and the owner earnings drawn from it, are flattered by exactly this amount; counted as the cost it is, what an owner keeps is lower.

Peers, Gold & Precious Metals

The same industry, side by side on owner economics. Each figure is a through-cycle median, so a peak or trough year can’t distort it; the group median at the foot is the line to read each against.

CompanyRevenueGross marginOp. marginROICOwner earn. margin
CDECoeur Mining Inc.$2.1B79%4.3%2%2%
MPMP Materials$224M-10.4%-4%-3%
MUXMcEwen Inc.$198M77%-43.0%-9%-7%
IAUXi-80 Gold Corp.$95M-177.0%-15%-157%
UECUranium Energy Corp.$67M31%-103.9%-12%-168%
EUenCore Energy Corp.$43M17%-168.1%-16%-106%
IDRIdaho Strategic Resources Inc.$42M6%-2.6%-9%-8%
URGUr Energy Inc Common Shares (Canada)$27M-9%-167.4%-32%-105%
Group median-73.4%-11%-56%
IV

The price

What a price has to assume.

What the price implies

reverse-DCF

i-80 Gold Corp. is profitable, but owner earnings are negative this year because capital spending currently outruns operating cash, a build-out, so the owner-earnings reverse-DCF has no positive base to grow. We read the price from both ends instead: type a price to see the steady-state profitability it demands, then set the mature margin you would believe and weigh the two against each other. Nothing leaves your browser unless you enter it in your notebook.

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The assumptions

Enter a price to run it.

Owner earnings it must reach
Margin the price demands
Owner-earnings margin today−95%

Two reads of one future. From your price: the owner earnings the company must reach, valued at a mature multiple and discounted back at your rate, expressed as the margin it implies on revenue grown at your rate. From your belief: the mature margin you would credit, set on the dial above. When the margin the price demands runs above the one you would believe, you are paying for a future taken on faith. For a deep cyclical at a trough, normalized through-cycle earnings are the better lens; this mode is for the genuinely unprofitable, and for the profitable business whose capital spending currently outruns its cash.

Cite: Owner Scorecard, "i-80 Gold Corp. (IAUX), the owner's record," https://ownerscorecard.com/c/IAUX, data as of 2026-07-09.

Manual order: ← IART its page in the Manual IBCP →

Industry order: ← IAG the Gold & Precious Metals chapter IDR →