Aya Gold & Silver's Zgounder mine in Morocco produced 1.68 million silver-equivalent ounces in Q2 2026, up 61% year-over-year, pushing revenue to $97 million and cutting cash costs to $17.69 an ounce.
At a glance
- Zgounder mine production reached 1.68 million silver-equivalent ounces in Q2 2026, up 61% year-over-year and 12% quarter-over-quarter.
- Revenue climbed to $97 million, up 151% year-over-year, on a 90% jump in the average net realized price to $64.22 an ounce.
- Zgounder's cash cost fell to $17.69 an ounce, below the company's full-year guidance of $21.50, as the mill processed 353,888 tonnes at 3,889 tonnes a day, above its 2,700-tonne design capacity.
- The Boumadine tailings-retreatment operation added 187,000 silver-equivalent ounces at a $10.58-an-ounce cash cost, generating roughly $3.6 million of free cash flow.
What happened
Aya Gold & Silver Inc. reported second-quarter 2026 results on August 13, 2026, showing consolidated production of 1.68 million silver-equivalent ounces at its Zgounder mine in Morocco, a 61% increase from the same quarter last year and 12% above the first quarter. Revenue reached $97 million, up 151% year-over-year, as the average net realized price climbed 90% to $64.22 an ounce and ounces sold rose 32% to 1.5 million. Zgounder's cash cost fell to $17.69 an ounce in the quarter, down from $18.64 in the first quarter, while the company's Boumadine tailings-retreatment operation added a further 187,000 silver-equivalent ounces at a cash cost of $10.58 an ounce.
The details
Aya Gold & Silver Inc. reported second-quarter 2026 results on August 13, 2026, and the numbers describe a mine running well ahead of its original design. Zgounder, the company's silver-only operation in Morocco's High Atlas region, produced 1.68 million silver-equivalent ounces on a consolidated basis, a 61% jump from the same quarter a year earlier and 12% above the first quarter. The mill processed 353,888 tonnes of ore during the quarter, an average of 3,889 tonnes a day — well above the plant's original 2,700-tonne-per-day design capacity — while feed grade averaged 141 grams of silver per tonne and recoveries held above 91%.
That throughput growth showed up directly in the financials. Revenue reached $97 million, up 151% year-over-year, as ounces sold climbed 32% to 1.5 million and the average net realized price rose 90% to $64.22 an ounce. Net income hit $35 million for the quarter and $84 million for the first half, while operating cash flow reached $48 million in the quarter alone. Costs moved the other way: Zgounder's cash cost fell to $17.69 an ounce in the second quarter from $18.64 in the first, comfortably inside the company's full-year guidance of $21.50.
Boumadine, Aya's second Moroccan asset, is still in an early tailings-retreatment phase rather than full production, but it already contributed 187,000 silver-equivalent ounces at a cash cost of just $10.58 an ounce, generating roughly $3.6 million of free cash flow for the quarter. An updated preliminary economic assessment for the site is due in early September, which should give a clearer read on what a fuller build-out could look like. Exploration spending is running at $60 million for the year, with 200,000 metres of drilling planned at Boumadine and 30,000 metres at Zgounder; one recent intercept at Zgounder returned 890 grams per tonne silver equivalent over 51 metres, extending the known mineralization along the Main/TZ structure by 5.4 kilometres.
The balance sheet backs up the operating momentum. Aya ended the quarter with $183 million in cash, after repaying $33 million of debt in the first half, and management reaffirmed full-year guidance of 5.2 million to 5.8 million silver-equivalent ounces from Zgounder. A tertiary crusher due to be commissioned this fall and running by early 2027 is the next lever for throughput, targeting roughly 3,850 tonnes a day. Aya also completed a Nasdaq listing in the quarter, adding a second exchange alongside its existing Toronto Stock Exchange listing and widening the pool of investors who can trade the stock directly. For a market where silver has already been trading near multi-decade highs, a primary producer growing output at these rates while lowering unit costs is the kind of operating leverage that tends to draw attention from both mining-focused and generalist funds.
Why it matters
Morocco is not currently a major supplier of India's silver imports, which mostly flow through London-linked bullion refiners and Chinese and South Korean cathode plants, but Zgounder's expansion still matters to Indian buyers indirectly. India imports the overwhelming majority of the silver it consumes for jewellery, silverware and a fast-growing solar-panel industry, so any meaningful increase in mine supply from a primary producer like Aya has a bearing on how tight the global market stays even as demand keeps climbing. A company delivering more ounces at a lower cost per ounce, while silver trades near record levels, also offers a useful read for Indian investors weighing silver-mining equities against physical bullion: rising mine supply from cost-efficient producers is one of the few forces that can eventually cap a rally driven mostly by demand.
Our read
Outlook: bullish. Aya beat its own cost guidance while growing production 61% year-over-year and reaffirmed full-year output targets, a combination that typically supports the stock and the broader read on primary silver-mining economics, tempered only by the near-term strip-ratio increase and Boumadine's PEA still being finalized.
What to watch
- Boumadine's updated preliminary economic assessment, due in early September 2026.
- Commissioning progress on Zgounder's tertiary crusher, targeted for fall 2026 with full operation by early 2027.
- Zgounder's open-pit strip ratio as it moves through its expected mid-year peak near 16.
- Results from the 2026 exploration program — 200,000 metres planned at Boumadine and 30,000 metres at Zgounder.
For information only, not investment advice.
Silver price in India
metalscost.com India reference price as of 2026-10-03.
Detailed analysis
Timeline
- 2026-05-04: Aya Gold & Silver's shares begin trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker AYA, alongside its existing Toronto Stock Exchange listing.
- 2026-08-13: Aya Gold & Silver reports second-quarter 2026 results, including 1.68 million silver-equivalent ounces of production, up 61% year-over-year, and revenue of $97 million, up 151%.
Mining Production
Zgounder milled 353,888 tonnes in Q2 2026 at an average 3,889 tonnes a day, well above its 2,700-tonne-per-day original design capacity, with feed grade averaging 141 grams of silver per tonne and recoveries above 91%. Mining itself ran even faster, at roughly 4,900 tonnes a day, building the ore stockpile to 374,000 tonnes and giving the plant flexibility to hold grade and throughput steady as the open-pit strip ratio rises through the second half of the year.
What could lift prices
- Q2 2026 revenue rose 151% year-over-year to $97 million on a 32% increase in ounces sold and a 90% jump in the average realized silver price to $64.22 an ounce.
- Zgounder's cash cost fell to $17.69 an ounce in Q2, comfortably inside full-year guidance of $21.50, even as the mill ran above its original design capacity.
- Boumadine's early tailings-retreatment phase already generated about $3.6 million of free cash flow at a $10.58-an-ounce cash cost, ahead of its updated PEA due in early September.
- Aya ended the quarter with $183 million in cash after repaying $33 million of debt, and completed a Nasdaq listing that widens its investor base.
What could weigh on prices
- Zgounder's open-pit strip ratio is expected to climb toward roughly 16 by mid-year from about 10 year-to-date before easing to near 13, a near-term cost pressure even with cash costs currently running below guidance.
- Boumadine's contribution still depends on tailings retreatment rather than a fully developed mine; its updated PEA, due in early September, has not yet been published.
Country impact
| Country | Impact | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco | High | Zgounder and Boumadine are both located in Morocco, and continued mill expansion, exploration spending and a new exploration-licence acquisition directly grow the country's mining sector. |
| Canada | Medium | Aya is headquartered in Montreal and remains listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, so its operating results and cash position flow directly into Canadian mining-sector capital markets. |
| India | Low | India imports most of the silver it consumes for jewellery, silverware and solar-panel manufacturing, so incremental mine-supply growth from producers like Aya has a marginal bearing on how tight the global silver market stays. |
Industry impact
| Industry | Effect | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Mining | Positive | Record throughput, lower unit costs and reaffirmed guidance at Zgounder show a mid-tier silver producer scaling production faster than its own original mine design anticipated. |
Who gains, who loses
- Aya Gold & Silver shareholders: Rising production, falling unit costs and a reaffirmed guidance range give the stock direct operating leverage to both silver prices and the company's own throughput growth.
- Higher-cost silver producers: A peer delivering cash costs of $17.69 an ounce, well below many primary silver miners' all-in costs, sets a tougher cost benchmark for competitors without Zgounder's grade and throughput advantages.
Other ways this could play out
- If silver prices retreat from current highs, Aya's realized-price gains could narrow even as production keeps growing, compressing margins currently being lifted by both higher output and a higher price.
- If Boumadine's updated PEA in September points to materially higher capital costs than the current tailings-only phase implies, the market could reassess the project's near-term contribution to group cash flow.
Price risks
- A pullback in silver prices from current highs would reduce realized revenue per ounce even if production keeps growing at its current pace.
- A rising strip ratio at Zgounder's open pit through the second half of 2026 could push mining costs higher before easing back toward guidance levels.
Historical comparison
- Q1 2026: Zgounder milled at 3,600 tonnes a day with a cash cost of $18.64 an ounce, versus 3,889 tonnes a day and $17.69 an ounce in Q2 2026.
- Q2 2025: Consolidated production a year earlier was well below Q2 2026's 1.68 million silver-equivalent ounces, which represented a 61% year-over-year increase.
Technical view
Price is trading below both its 20-period and 50-period moving averages, a bearish alignment.
Computed from metalscost.com's own stored price history.
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