Royal Gold, Inc. (RGLD, Financial) is a precious metals company with royalty claims on gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc at mines in over 20 countries. While gold performed better than other commodities during the period, the precious metal declined as U.S. monetary policy tightened and the dollar appreciated. Another setback for the company was the deferral of gold from a mine in Chile operated by Barrick Gold, which temporarily stopped construction at the mine. However, we believe Royal Gold has an exceptional business model and we view our investment in the company as a great way to get exposure to gold. The company essentially pays miners upfront for the right to buy their metals later at reduced prices. It has no operational risk because it owns no mines, is a beneficiary of ounces growth, has pricing power, and typically earns an 8% return on a flat price. We have decided to be patient with Royal Gold and maintained a position in the stock.
From the Meridian Equity Income Fund fourth quarter commentary.
