AngloGold Ashanti PLC AU is slated to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 31, before market open. AU is expected to deliver a year-over-year improvement in earnings in the quarter, aided by upbeat gold prices and higher production numbers.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AU’s second-quarter 2026 earnings has moved down 4.2% over the past 60 days to $2.04 per share. However, the consensus mark indicates a 63% upsurge from the year-ago actual.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AU’s sales is pegged at $3.07 billion, indicating a 27.6% rise from the year-ago reported figure.
AngloGold Ashanti’s Earnings Surprise History
The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 2%, on average.
What the Zacks Model Unveils for AU Stock
Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for AngloGold Ashanti this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, but that is not the case here.
Earnings ESP: AU has an Earnings ESP of +0.74%. You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: The company currently has a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell).
Factors Likely to Have Shaped AngloGold Ashanti’s Q2 Performance
AU is likely to have delivered a strong performance in the second quarter of 2026, building on the robust momentum seen in the prior quarter. AngloGold Ashanti reported a 1% year-over-year increase in gold production to 724,000 ounces in the first quarter of 2025. The upside was driven by 10% year-over-year growth in the Geita mine’s gold production. Strong performances at Cuiabá, Obuasi, Iduapriem, Cerro Vanguardia and Tropicana also aided the upside.
Obuasi delivered a strong year-over-year increase of 15%, driven by improved underground operational conditions and equipment availability. Cuiabá saw a 16% rise in production on higher tons mined. Cerro Vanguardia saw a 6% improvement while Tropicana’s production increased 3% year over year. This momentum is expected to have continued in the second quarter and led to year-over-year higher production numbers.
Moreover, AU has been facing headwinds from higher operating costs for the last few quarters. The upside was due to inflationary cost pressures from increased labor and mining contractor costs. Nonetheless, the impacts of these elevated costs on its earnings were offset by higher sales volumes and prices.
Even though gold prices have dropped since peaking in January 2026, they have remained supportive. This momentum in the prices of gold is likely to have improved AU’s performance in the to-be-reported quarter.
AU Stock’s Price Performance
Shares of the company have surged 66.8% in the past year compared with the industry’s 40.9% rally.
Stocks to Consider
Here are some Basic Materials stocks, which, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in their upcoming releases.
The Chemours Company CC, scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 4, has an Earnings ESP of +27.17% and currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Chemours’ quarterly earnings are pegged at 43 cents per share, indicating a year-over-year dip of 25%. The company delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 69%.
Avient Corporation AVNT, scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 6, has an Earnings ESP of +0.87% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings for Avient for the second quarter of 2026 is 89 cents per share, indicating an 11.2% year-over-year increase. Avient has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 2.1%.
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. WPM, slated to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 6, currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.16% and a Zacks Rank of 3.
Wheaton Precious Metals’ quarterly earnings are pegged at $1.13 per share, indicating a year-over-year jump of 79%. The company delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 14%.
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AngloGold Ashanti PLC (AU): Free Stock Analysis Report
The Chemours Company (CC): Free Stock Analysis Report
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (WPM): Free Stock Analysis Report
Avient Corporation (AVNT): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).