Equinox unveils $130 million sale of Versamet Royalties shares
Equinox Gold Corp. [EQX-TSXV, EQX-NYSE] said it has sold 8.7 million shares of Versamet Royalties Corp. [VMET-TSX] for $130 million. Immediately prior to the deposition, Equinox had beneficial ownership of 11.6 million Versamet shares, representing a 10.7% interest on an undiluted basis. As a result of the disposition, Equinox will have beneficial ownership of 2.9 million Versament shares, representing approximately 2.7% of the outstanding shares on an undiluted basis.
Following the disposition, Versamet’s right of first offer to acquire any royalty or stream held by Equinox Gold will be terminated. Also, the investor rights agreement between Equinox and Versamet will also automatically terminate on the date that Equinox Gold’s beneficial ownership in Versamet ceases to be at least 10% for a continuous period of at least 30 days.
On Tuesday, Versamet moved lower on the news, easing 14% or $2.31 to $14.03. The shares trade in a 52-week range of $43 and $7.00. Equinox eased 0.96% or 14 cents to $14.47.
Versamet is an emerging mid-tier precious metals royalty and streaming company which had recently made $400 million in acquisitions since it was launched in June, 2022.
Back in November, 2025, Versamet welcomed Tether Investments and the Lundin Family Trusts as new cornerstone shareholders. It said Tether and the Lundins each acquired 11.8 million common shares representing approximately 12.7% of the company’s issued and outstanding shares. Tether and the Lundins acted independently in their respective acquisitions.
Versamet was in the news earlier this year, when the company said it had struck a definitive deal with fund entities managed by Orion Resource Partners LP and affiliates of Blackstone Inc. to acquire a 3.52% gold stream on the Eskay Creek gold-silver project in British Columbia. The project is owned by Skeena Resources Ltd. [SKE-TSX, SKE-NYSE, RXFB-FRA] and is located in the Golden Triangle region of B.C.
Under the agreement, Versamet pledged to pay $360 million, consisting of $340 million in cash and $20 million in common shares. In return, Versamet is entitled to 3.52% of the payable gold production for the life of the mine, provided the mine achieves certain completion tests on or before September 30, 2027. The gold stream is uncapped and has no step-downs or buydown provisions and includes an area of interest.
Eskay is expected to produce an average of over 300,000 ounces of gold annually in its first five years and an average of approximately 230,000 ounces of gold annually over its initial 12-year life.