Shareholders will receive shares in project buyer Bellavista Resources Ltd, giving them ongoing exposure to the assets and their substantial exploration upside while FireFly targets ongoing growth at its Green Bay Copper-Gold Project
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1 A$86.1m is based on Bellavista’s closing share price on 30 January 2026 of A$0.79 and represents 60 million Upfront Consideration Shares (A$47.4m) plus the Contingent Consideration Value (defined in Footnote 2).
2 A$38.7m represents 30 million Milestone 1 Contingent Performance Rights, based on Bellavista’s closing share price on 30 January 2026 of A$0.79, plus A$15m contingent upon satisfaction of Milestones 2 and 3 (Contingent Consideration Value). This value is subject to change.
3 Based on the current shares on issue in FireFly at the date of this announcement.
4 Assumes all Upfront Consideration Shares are distributed to FireFly shareholders pursuant to the In-specie Distribution, Milestone 1 Contingent Consideration Performance Rights vest and are converted to Bellavista shares, and no further Bellavista shares are issued other than for the Bellavista Capital Raising.
5 Assumes no further Bellavista shares are issued other than for the Bellavista Capital Raising.
| FireFly Chief Executive Officer, Darren Cooke said, “This is a win-win deal for all parties. It unlocks the value of the Pickle Crow Project in a way that will not occur while it is under the FireFly umbrella, giving FireFly shareholders immediate benefit and longer-term exposure to the upside.
At the same time, it gives Bellavista an outstanding opportunity to create significant value by applying a fully dedicated exploration focus to the assets. This has the potential to deliver substantial growth potential to Bellavista shareholders, many of whom will be FireFly shareholders”. |
|
FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM) (TSX: FFM) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding share sale and purchase deed with Bellavista Resources Ltd (ASX: BVR) pursuant to which FireFly will, subject to and conditional upon the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions precedent (as summarized below):
for total upfront consideration of 60 million Bellavista shares and contingent consideration of 50 million Bellavista performance rights (the terms of which are detailed further below).
Auteco Minerals, via its wholly owned Canadian incorporated subsidiaries, holds:
Transaction Rationale
FireFly considers there to be strong strategic rationale for the Transaction, as it enables FireFly shareholders to retain exposure to the Ontario Gold Assets through their shareholding both in Bellavista and in FireFly (to the extent any Contingent Consideration Performance Rights are converted to Bellavista shares), while FireFly focuses its efforts on accelerating the development of the world class Green Bay Copper-Gold Project.
Bellavista is expected to have sufficient resources and a high quality, focused management team led by former De Grey Mining Ltd executives Glenn Jardine and Peter Canterbury. This will enable Bellavista to further explore and develop the Ontario Gold Assets and optimise their potential value, presenting a stronger prospect of delivering immediate value for FireFly shareholders. In particular, significant results from early-stage regional exploration targets at the Pickle Crow Gold Project demonstrate the immense potential to expand on its current high grade Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 11.9Mt at 7.2g/t for 2.8Moz gold (see BVR ASX release today).
Terms of the Transaction
Consideration
On satisfaction of the Conditions (defined below) and completion of the Transaction, Bellavista will issue FireFly the following securities:
(together, the Consideration Securities).
The total deemed aggregate value of the Consideration Securities is up to A$86.1 million6.
The Milestone 2 and Milestone 3 Contingent Consideration Performance Rights:
and, in either case, where a cash settlement is elected or required, it will be satisfied by the payment of:
Based on the current Bellavista capital structure as at the date of this announcement, the Transaction provides FireFly and its shareholders the potential to own up to approximately 40% of Bellavista7.
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6 Refer to footnote 1.
7 Refer to footnote 4.
Conditions
Completion of the Transaction is conditional on satisfaction (or, as applicable, waiver) of the following conditions precedent:
The Conditions must be satisfied or waived within 120 days of execution of the Deed (or such later date as is agreed between the parties).
In-specie Distribution
As soon as practicable following completion of the Transaction, FireFly will transfer to eligible FireFly shareholders (or, in the case of ineligible FireFly shareholders, a sale nominee appointed by FireFly), by way of a pro-rata in-specie distribution, all of the Upfront Consideration Shares. FireFly’s notice of meeting will contain further details regarding the In-specie Distribution and the sale facility for ineligible FireFly shareholders’ entitlement (including the record date for the determination of the In-specie Distribution).
FireFly shareholders will receive 1 In-specie Share for approximately every 12.8 FireFly shares held (subject to rounding adjustments)8.
FireFly intends to retain the Contingent Consideration Performance Rights and accordingly these will not be distributed to shareholders under the In-specie Distribution. Milestone 1 is expected to be satisfied by Bellavista within 12 months and upon conversion will increase FireFly’s relevant interest in Bellavista to no less than 9.9%9.
FireFly is currently engaging with the Australian Taxation Office with the intention of obtaining a Class Ruling to confirm certain income tax implications associated with the In-specie Distribution for FireFly’s shareholders.
Shareholder Meeting and Indicative Transaction Timetable
As noted above, the proposed Transaction and In-specie Distribution are conditional on, amongst other things, obtaining certain approvals from the shareholders of each of FireFly and Bellavista.
To the extent that a FireFly Director holds or controls FireFly shares, he or she intends to vote all of those shares in favour of the Transaction10.
FireFly is in the process of preparing an explanatory statement and notice of meeting setting out the Directors’ reasoning and containing important information about the Transaction and In-specie Distribution, which will be despatched to FireFly shareholders and released to the ASX in due course.
FireFly and Bellavista are working towards the release of shareholder documentation in relation to the Transaction as soon as practicable, with a view to the respective shareholder meetings occurring around late-March 2026. Bellavista’s shareholder materials will include an independent expert’s report in relation to the distribution of In-specie Shares to Stephen Parsons (or his associates) pursuant to the In-specie Distribution for the purposes of ASX Listing Rule 10.1.
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8 Refer to footnote 3.
9 Refer to footnote 5.
10 Stephen Parsons and Michael Naylor will abstain from voting on the resolution to approve the In-specie Distribution at FireFly’s General Meeting due to their personal interests in relation to the Transaction as substantial shareholders of Bellavista, current engagement by Bellavista as corporate consultants and Mr Naylor’s prior role as a director of Bellavista until 28 August 2024.
Indicative Transaction Timetable
| Key Event | Date |
| Announcement of Transaction and Bellavista Capital Raising | 2 February 2026 |
| Issue of Tranche 1 shares under the Bellavista Capital Raising | 12 February 2026 |
| Despatch of notice of meeting to FireFly shareholders | Mid-February 2026 |
| Despatch of notice of meeting to Bellavista shareholders | Mid-February 2026 |
| FireFly General Meeting to approve In-specie Distribution | Late-March 2026 |
| Bellavista General Meeting to approve issue of Consideration Securities and the Tranche 2 shares under the Bellavista Capital Raising | Late-March 2026 |
| Completion of Transaction | Early-April 2026 |
| Issue of Consideration Securities to FireFly | Early-April 2026 |
| Record date for In-specie Distribution | Early-April 2026 |
| Completion of In-specie Distribution | Early-April 2026 |
The above timetable is indicative only and subject to change. The Company reserves the right to amend any or all of these dates and times without notice, subject to the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and other applicable laws.
Advisers
BMO Capital Markets and Canaccord Genuity acted as financial advisers to FireFly, Hamilton Locke as Australian legal adviser and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP as Canadian legal adviser in relation to the Transaction.
ABOUT FIREFLY METALS
FireFly Metals Ltd is an emerging copper-gold company focused on advancing the high-grade Green Bay Copper-Gold Project in Newfoundland, Canada. The Green Bay Copper-Gold Project currently hosts a Mineral Resource prepared and disclosed in accordance with the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and Canadian National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of 50.4Mt of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources at 2.0% for 1,016Kt copper equivalent and 29.3Mt of Inferred Mineral Resources at 2.5% for 722Kt CuEq. The Company has a clear strategy to rapidly grow the copper-gold Mineral Resource to demonstrate a globally significant copper-gold asset.
FireFly holds a 70% interest in the high-grade Pickle Crow Gold Project in Ontario (which is proposed to be sold pursuant to the Transaction). The current Inferred Mineral Resource stands at 11.9Mt at 7.2g/t for 2.8Moz gold, with exceptional discovery potential on the 500km2 tenement holding.
The Company also holds a 90% interest in the Limestone Well Vanadium-Titanium Project in Western Australia.
Further information regarding FireFly Metals Ltd is available on the ASX platform (ASX: FFM) or the Company’s website www.fireflymetals.com.au or SEDAR+ www.sedarplus.ca.
ABOUT BELLAVISTA RESOURCES LTD
Bellavista Resources Ltd (ASX: BVR) is an emerging mineral exploration company focused on finding and acquiring world-class precious and base metal deposits in Tier 1 jurisdictions. The Company 100% owns the Brumby Base metal Project which is a large scale and highly prospective mineral province in Western Australia capable of hosting giant to super-giant base metal deposits, and battery mineral deposits.
Bellavista is led by mining industry veterans Mr Glenn Jardine and Mr Peter Canterbury who also led the highly successful WA gold company De Grey Mining post discovery of the Hemi Gold deposit until De Grey’s $6 billion takeover by Northern Star Resources Ltd.
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