The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, Jan. 6, edition that Desjardins Securities analyst Amanda Lewis believes that Champion Iron's planned acquisition of Norwegian iron ore producer Rana Gruber, valued at $289-million (U.S.), will lead to increased production in a top-tier jurisdiction. The Globe's David Leeder writes in the Eye On Equities column that this move aligns with Champion Iron's focus on high-quality iron ore production, aimed at decarbonizing the steel-making process. Ms. Lewis has reiterated her "buy" call on Champion Iron. She jacked her share target up a loonie to $7. Analysts on average target the shares at $5.97. Ms. Lewis says in a note: "The acquisition is well-timed to provide near-term growth and an opportunity for another DR-quality upgrade project at Rana Gruber as the Bloom Lake DRPF project wraps up and Kami progresses through studies and permitting requiring minimal investment. Rana Gruber has been producing iron ore since the 1960s and supplying iron ore to European steel mills. We expect Champion to benefit from Rana Gruber's established customer relationships as Champion looks to increase its sales volume in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East -- all high-growth jurisdictions for the DRI/EAF market."