New York, Feb 24, 2026, 06:43 EST — Premarket
- BTG down about 2% in premarket after a top leadership reshuffle outlined late Monday
- B2Gold said founder and CEO Clive Johnson will retire in June; CFO Mike Cinnamond to succeed him
- Gold prices retreated after a recent run, keeping pressure on miner sentiment
B2Gold Corp shares were indicated down about 1.9% at $5.63 in premarket trading on Tuesday, after the Canadian gold miner laid out a CEO succession plan that will hand the top job to its finance chief this summer. (Stockanalysis)
The timing matters because B2Gold is heading into a stretch where investors are parsing management’s next moves on costs, growth spending and project execution — at the same moment bullion is swinging hard day to day.
That can show up fast in the stock. Gold miners tend to trade as a leveraged bet on the metal, and leadership changes can amplify the market’s reaction when prices are already jumpy.
Late Monday, B2Gold said founder Clive Johnson will retire as president, chief executive and director at its annual general meeting scheduled for June 4, 2026. Chief financial officer Mike Cinnamond will succeed him, while board chair Kelvin Dushnisky moved into an executive chair role effective Feb. 23; the company also named Michael McDonald as the next CFO, effective June 4. Johnson said “now is the right time to pass the torch,” while Cinnamond said he was “honored” to lead the company. (B2Gold)
In the broader market, gold slipped more than 1% on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar firmed and investors booked profits after the metal touched a three-week high, a move that can weigh on mining shares before the bell. (Reuters)
B2Gold’s U.S.-listed shares closed up 6.5% in the prior session, leaving some traders looking for follow-through — or a reversal — once regular trading opens.
Beyond the leadership news, investors are still digesting B2Gold’s latest outlook on production and costs. The company said last week it expects 2026 gold production of 820,000 to 970,000 ounces, and declared a first-quarter dividend of 2 U.S. cents a share; the record date is March 6, with payment on March 19. It also flagged all-in sustaining costs — a widely used industry measure that includes sustaining capital and other ongoing mine costs — as a key focus for 2026. (B2Gold)
One near-term operational marker is permitting at Fekola Regional in Mali. B2Gold has said it expects the exploitation permit — a regulatory sign-off needed to mine — in the first quarter of 2026, with initial gold production expected in the second half of 2026, and a 2026 contribution of 60,000 to 80,000 ounces once approvals are in hand.
In Canada, the company has also been working through a ramp-up at its Goose mine and studies tied to potential throughput upgrades, with results expected in the first half of 2026.
There’s an obvious downside case. If gold prices pull back sharply, or if permitting and ramp-ups slip again, that can hit volumes and push unit costs higher — the kind of combo miners struggle to “explain away” on a call.
For Tuesday, traders will watch whether BTG holds its recent gains once the regular session opens, and whether the CEO handover plan draws fresh buyers or prompts profit-taking. The next hard dates are the March 6 dividend record date and the June 4 annual meeting that is set to trigger the leadership change, with any update on the expected first-quarter Fekola Regional permit also in focus.
