Gina Rinehart has made her financial intentions clear in recent weeks, with Hancock Prospecting making plays in Arafura Rare Earths’ $120 million capital raising and a handful of rare earths initial public offerings (IPOs).
It is understood that Hancock bid for up to half of Arafura’s $120 million, leading brokers Bell Potter and Canaccord Genuity to close the books early on Friday December 2.
Arafura is looking to issue 324.3 million new shares at $0.37 each, representing a 15.1 per cent discount at close on Thursday December 1.
The placement is split into two tranches, with $95.9 million in tranche one that was available under its existing placement capacity and another $24.1 million subject to shareholder approval.
Also in the works is a $12 million share purchase plan, which would take Arafura’s total raising to $132 million.
Rinehart is also understood to be participating in Brazilian Rare Earths’ IPO, with Hancock tipping into a $21 million private round in November.
The pre-IPO raise initially saw term sheets sent to investors with the hopes to raise $10 million before being upgraded.
Brazilian Rare Earths, which holds 461 square kilometres of tenements in Brazil with a maiden JORC resource of 169 million tonnes at 1526 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO), is aiming for an early-2023 ASX listing through an $20–$30 million IPO.
The other rare earths aspirant is VHM, which is also understood to have drawn Hancock’s interest, with the iron ore major keen on a toehold stake (up to 5 per cent interest) of the company.
VHM is aiming to raise $20 million at $1.35 per share in its IPO, with an early-2023 ASX listing on the cards.
The company is developing its Goschen project, which VHM believes has 413,107 tonnes of TREO in it alongside a mineral sands resource. Goschen is located in north-west Victoria.