The Financial Post reports in its Friday edition that Barrick on Tuesday posted a fourth-quarter profit of $466-million, up from $368-million in the previous quarter (all figures U.S.). The Post's Naimul Karim writes that for the year, Barrick recorded earned $1.2-billion, up from $432-million in 2022. Net earnings per share increased to 27 cents compared with 21 cents in the previous quarter. Scotiabank analyst Tanya Jakusconek described the results as slightly negative due to the higher-than-expected gold costs Barrick forecasted for 2024. The company's share price fell to a 52-week low of $18.65 (Canadian) on Tuesday. Despite investors' reaction, chief executive officer Mark Bristow said the company's business model is the same as it was a year ago. "At the end of the day, we have done absolutely nothing to damage the embedded value of Barrick," he told analysts on a call Wednesday. "We haven't issued any shares; we have replaced all the gold that we mined." Mr. Bristow also said he did not want to link Barrick to any speculative debate in the market over First Quantum and its troubles in Panama. "It's a complicated situation and it's going to take a lot of time to understand exactly where this lies," he said.