VGZ Vista Gold Corp

 

 Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)

Registration No. 333-282706

Prospectus

 

 

VISTA GOLD CORP.

$50,000,000 Common Shares Warrants Subscription Receipts Units

 

Vista Gold Corp. (the “Company”) may offer and sell, from time to time, up to $50,000,000 aggregate initial offering price of common shares in the capital of the Company, without par value (which we refer to herein as “Common Shares”), warrants to purchase Common Shares (which we refer to herein as “Warrants”), subscription receipts for Common Shares, Warrants or any combination thereof (which we refer to herein as “Subscription Receipts”), or any combination thereof (which we refer to herein as “Units”) (collectively, the Common Shares, Warrants, Subscription Receipts, and Units are referred to herein as the “Securities”) in one or more transactions under this base prospectus (which we refer to herein as the “Prospectus”). This Prospectus also covers (i) Common Shares that may be issued upon exercise of warrants and (ii) such indeterminate amount of securities as may be issued in exchange for, or upon conversion of, as the case may be, the securities registered hereunder, including, in each case, an indeterminate number of Common Shares that may be issued pursuant to anti-dilution or adjustment provisions in Warrants or Subscription Receipts issuable hereunder.

 

This Prospectus provides you with a general description of the Securities that the Company may offer. Each time the Company offers Securities, it will provide you with a prospectus supplement (which we refer to herein as the “Prospectus Supplement”) that describes specific information about the particular Securities being offered and may add, update or change information contained in this Prospectus. You should read both this Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, together with any additional information which is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. This Prospectus may not be used to offer or sell securities without the Prospectus Supplement which includes a description of the method and terms of that offering.

 

The Company may sell the Securities on a continuous or delayed basis to or through underwriters, dealers or agents or directly to purchasers. The Prospectus Supplement, which the Company will provide to you each time it offers Securities, will set forth the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents involved in the sale of the Securities, and any applicable fee, commission or discount arrangements with them. For additional information on the methods of sale, you should refer to the section entitled “Plan of Distribution” in this Prospectus.

 

The Common Shares are traded on the NYSE American (which we refer to as the “NYSE American”) and on the Toronto Stock Exchange (which we refer to as the “TSX”) under the symbol “VGZ”. On October 15, 2024, the last reported sale price of the Common Shares on the NYSE American was $0.72 per Common Share and on the TSX was C$0.99 per Common Share. There is currently no market through which the Securities, other than the Common Shares, may be sold and purchasers may not be able to resell the Securities purchased under this Prospectus. This may affect the pricing of the Securities, other than the Common Shares, in the secondary market, the transparency and availability of trading prices, the liquidity of these Securities and the extent of issuer regulation. See “Risk Factors”.

 

Investing in the Securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” on page 4.

 

These Securities have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or any state securities commission nor has the SEC or any state securities commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

THE DATE OF THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOVEMBER 8, 2024

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS		i
CAUTIONARY NOTE TO U.S. INVESTORS REGARDING ESTIMATES OF MEASURED, INDICATED AND INFERRED RESOURCES AND PROVEN AND PROBABLE RESERVES		ii
CURRENCY		iii
METRIC CONVERSION TABLE		iii
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS		iv
SUMMARY		1
RISK FACTORS		4
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE		12
USE OF PROCEEDS		14
MARKET FOR COMMON SHARES		14
CERTAIN INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS		14
DESCRIPTION OF COMMON SHARES		14
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS		15
DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RECEIPTS		17
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS		19
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION		21
AUDITORS, TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR		22
EXPERTS		22
LEGAL MATTERS		23
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION		23

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

This Prospectus is a part of a registration statement that the Company filed with the SEC utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the Company may sell any combination of the Securities described in this Prospectus in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of initial aggregate offering price of $50,000,000. This Prospectus provides you with a general description of the Securities that we may offer. The specific terms of the Securities in respect of which this Prospectus is being delivered will be set forth in a Prospectus Supplement and may include, where applicable: (i) in the case of Common Shares, the number of Common Shares offered, the offering price and any other specific terms of the offering; (ii) in the case of Warrants, the designation, number and terms of the Common Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Warrants, any procedures that will result in the adjustment of those numbers, the exercise price, dates and periods of exercise, and the currency or the currency unit in which the exercise price must be paid and any other specific terms; (iii) in the case of Subscription Receipts, the designation, number and terms of the Common Shares or Warrants receivable upon satisfaction of certain release conditions, any procedures that will result in the adjustment of those numbers, any additional payments to be made to holders of Subscription Receipts upon satisfaction of the release conditions, the terms of the release conditions, terms governing the escrow of all or a portion of the gross proceeds from the sale of the Subscription Receipts, terms for the refund of all or a portion of the purchase price for Subscription Receipts in the event the release conditions are not met and any other specific terms; and (iv) in the case of Units, the designation, number and terms of the Common Shares, Warrants, or Subscription Receipts comprising the Units. A Prospectus Supplement may include specific variable terms pertaining to the Securities that are not within the alternatives and parameters set forth in this Prospectus.

 

In connection with any offering of the Securities (unless otherwise specified in a Prospectus Supplement), the underwriters or agents may over-allot or effect transactions which stabilize or maintain the market price of the Securities offered at a higher level than that which might exist in the open market. Such transactions, if commenced, may be interrupted or discontinued at any time. See “Plan of Distribution”.

 

Please carefully read both this Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement together with the documents incorporated herein by reference under “Documents Incorporated by Reference” and the additional information described below under “Where You Can Find More Information”.

 

Owning securities may subject you to tax consequences both in Canada and the United States. This Prospectus or any applicable Prospectus Supplement may not describe these tax consequences fully. You should read the tax discussion in any Prospectus Supplement with respect to a particular offering and consult your own tax advisor with respect to your own particular circumstances.

 

References in this Prospectus to “$” are to United States dollars. Canadian dollars are indicated by the symbol “C$”.

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this Prospectus. The Company has not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this Prospectus. The distribution or possession of this Prospectus in or from certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell these Securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these Securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted or where the person making the offer or sale is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is not permitted to make such offer or sale. The information contained in this Prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this Prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this Prospectus or of any sale of the Securities. The Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

In this Prospectus and in any Prospectus Supplement, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “Vista”, “Vista Gold” and the “Company” refer to Vista Gold Corp., either alone or together with its subsidiaries.

 

 

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO U.S. INVESTORS REGARDING ESTIMATES OF MEASURED, INDICATED AND INFERRED RESOURCES AND PROVEN AND PROBABLE RESERVES

 

We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and applicable Canadian securities laws, and as a result we report our mineral reserves and mineral resources according to two different standards. For U.S. purposes, mineral property disclosures are reported in accordance with Item 1300 of Regulation S-K (“S-K 1300”) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), while Canadian disclosures are reported in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). Both sets of reporting standards have similar goals in terms of conveying an appropriate level of confidence in the disclosures being reported, but the standards embody slightly different approaches and definitions.

 

In our public filings in the U.S. and Canada and in certain other announcements not filed with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”), we disclose proven and probable reserves and measured, indicated, and inferred resources, each as defined in S-K 1300 and NI 43-101. As currently reported, there are no material differences in our disclosed proven and probable reserves and measured, indicated, and inferred resource under each of S-K 1300 and NI 43-101. The estimation of measured resources and indicated resources involve greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic feasibility than the estimation of proven and probable reserves; therefore, investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated resources will ever be converted into S-K 1300-compliant or NI 43-101-compliant reserves. Estimations of inferred resources involve far greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic viability than the estimations of other categories of resources; therefore, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of inferred resources will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be mined legally or economically.

 

 

CURRENCY

 

References to C$ refer to Canadian currency, A$ to Australian currency and $ to United States currency. All dollar amounts are expressed in thousands of dollars except references to per ounce and per share amounts.

 

METRIC CONVERSION TABLE

 

To Convert Metric Measurement Units		To Imperial Measurement Units		Multiply by
Hectares		Acres		2.4710
Meters		Feet		3.2808
Kilometers		Miles		0.6214
Tonnes		Tons (short)		1.1023
Liters		Gallons		0.2642
Grams		Ounces (troy)		0.0322
Grams per tonne		Ounces (troy) per ton (short)		0.0292

 

 

NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This Prospectus, including all exhibits hereto and any documents that are incorporated by reference as set forth under “Documents Incorporated by Reference”, contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information under Canadian securities laws that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this Prospectus, our other filings with the SEC and Canadian securities commissions and in press releases and public statements by our officers or representatives that address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, those listed below. Dollar amounts in U.S. dollars and in thousands.

 

Operations

 

·	the results of the Mt Todd FS and its related estimates and projections, including projected free cash flow, future exchange rates and commodity prices;

 

·	estimates of future operating and financial performance;

 

·	future exploration plans;

 

·	our expectation of Mt Todd’s impact, including environmental and economic impacts;

 

·	estimates of mineral reserves and mineral resources;

 

·	our belief that using contract mining and power generation, and construction practices commonly used in Australia, creates an opportunity to maintain high capital efficiency at a smaller initial project scale;

 

·	Our belief that Mt Todd offers strategic optionality through development as a large-scale project or a smaller-scale start-up with subsequent staged expansion;

 

·	our belief that the feasibility study updated in 2024 demonstrates strong economics for development of a 50,000 tonnes per day (“tpd”) operation;

 

·	our belief that Mt Todd benefits from its location in a leading mining jurisdiction and offers opportunities to add value through growth of mineral reserves, alternative development strategies, and other de-risking activities;

 

·	our belief that there is an opportunity to add gold mineral resources beyond presently defined mineral reserves through further exploration;

 

·	our belief that the Project has high capital efficiency;

 

·	our belief that interested parties continue to maintain a cautious approach to large-scale development projects;

 

·	our expectation that using a higher cutoff grade at the start of mine operations will help maintain competitive cash costs;

 

·	our belief that the scoping study demonstrated the merits of a smaller scale initial project but limited the mine life to a period similar to the mine life shown in the Mt Todd FS;

 

·	our belief that additional evaluation is needed to incorporate staged development scenarios that should improve resource utilization, mine life, and economic returns;

 

·	our belief that exploration at Mt Todd has identified additional growth targets immediately outside the Batman deposit;

 

·	our estimates of future operating and financial performance;

 

·

our belief that the 3.5% ad valorem royalty regime applied to gold production from Mt Todd represents a nearly 50% reduction in payable royalties and results in improved project economics and shareholder returns when compared to our 2024 updated Mt Todd FS, which included NT royalties equivalent to nearly a 7%, or $765 million, ad valorum rate. Our belief that under the previous net profits royalty regime, our base case economic analysis at an $1,800 gold price over the life of the mine;

 

·	our belief that the 6,000-7,000 meter Mt Todd drilling program is expected to have an all-in cost of approximately $2,000 and to be completed by year end;

 

 

·

our belief our working capital as of June 30, 2024, together with other potential future sources of financing and sales of non-core assets, will be sufficient to fund our currently planned corporate expenses, Mt Todd holding costs, and anticipated discretionary programs for at least one year from the date of issuance of our quarterly report on Form 10-Q;

 

·	our estimate that the outcome of the Mexico tax matter cannot be reasonably estimated at this time, and our estimate that the effect of the court ruling creates a potential income tax liability of up to approximately $2,000 plus assessable interest and penalties of up to an additional $1,500;

 

·	our belief that Vista’s long-term viability depends upon our ability to realize value from our principal asset, Mt Todd;

 

·	our objective to maintain adequate liquidity and minimize dilution as we advance our primary objective to maximize returns to our shareholders by preserving, enhancing, and realizing value from Mt Todd;

 

·	our estimate that recurring costs will be approximately $6,400 in the ensuing twelve months following June 30, 2024;

 

·	our belief that our plans to follow our drilling program with technical studies to evaluate an initially smaller-scale, staged development strategy would result in lower initial capital costs;

 

·	our expectation that Vista will incur approximately $2,500 for its Mt Todd site management and environmental stewardship activities and $4,200 for discretionary programs for the ensuing 12 months following June 30, 2024;

 

·	our belief that Mt Todd’s attributes and advanced stage of technical evaluation and permitting provide a solid foundation as we seek to maximize shareholder value;

 

Business and Industry

 

·	planned or potential expenditures, funding requirements and sources of capital, including near-term sources of additional cash;

 

·	our expectation that the Company will continue to incur losses and will not pay dividends for the foreseeable future;

 

·	our belief that we maintain reasonable amounts of insurance;

 

·	our expectations related to potential changes in regulations or taxation initiatives;

 

·	the potential that we may grant options and/or other stock-based awards to our directors, officers, employees and consultants;

 

·	our belief that it is possible the Company may be classified as PFIC for U.S. Federal tax purposes;

 

·	the potential that we may grant stock-based compensation to our directors, officers, employees and consultants; and

 

·	the potential that future expenditures may be required for compliance with various laws and regulations governing the protection of the environment.

 

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information have been based upon a number of estimates and assumptions including material estimates and assumptions related to our current business and operating plans, as approved by the Company’s Board of Directors; our cash and other funding requirements and timing and sources thereof; results of pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, mineral resource and reserve estimates, preliminary economic assessments and exploration activities; advancements of the Company’s required permitting processes; our experience working with our regulators; current market conditions and project development plans. The words “estimate,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “believe,” “will,” “may” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. These factors include risks such as:

 

 

Operating Risks

 

·	feasibility study results and the accuracy of estimates and assumptions on which they are based;

 

·	mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, the accuracy of such estimates and the accuracy of sampling and subsequent assays and geologic interpretations on which they are based;

 

·	technical and operational feasibility and the economic viability of deposits;

 

·	our ability to raise sufficient capital on favorable terms or at all to meet the substantial capital investment at Mt Todd;

 

·	our ability to obtain, renew or maintain the necessary licenses, authorizations and permits for Mt Todd, including its development plans and operating activities;

 

·	market conditions supporting a decision to develop Mt Todd;

 

·	delays in commencement of construction at Mt Todd;

 

·	our reliance on third-party power generation for the construction and operation of Mt Todd;

 

·	increased costs that affect our operations or our financial condition;

 

·	delays or disruptions in supply chains;

 

·	our reliance on third parties to fulfill their obligations under agreements with us;

 

·	whether projects not managed by us will comply with our standards or meet our objectives;

 

·	whether our acquisition, exploration and development activities, as well as the realization of the market value of our assets, will be commercially successful and whether any transactions we enter into will maximize the realization of the market value of our assets;

 

·	the success of any future joint ventures, partnerships and other arrangements relating to our properties;

 

·	perception of the potential environmental impact of Mt Todd;

 

·	known and unknown environmental and reclamation liabilities, including reclamation requirements at Mt Todd;

 

·	impacts of noncompliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards for operating;

 

·	potential challenges to the title to our mineral properties;

 

·	opposition to construction or operation of Mt Todd;

 

·	future water supply issues at Mt Todd;

 

·	litigation or other legal claims;

 

·	environmental lawsuits;

 

 

Financial and Business Risks

 

·	fluctuations in the price of gold;

 

·	inflation and cost escalation;

 

·	lack of adequate insurance to cover potential liabilities;

 

·	the lack of cash dividend payments by us;

 

·	our history of losses from operations;

 

·	our ability to attract, retain and hire key personnel;

 

·	volatility in our stock price and gold equities generally;

 

·	our ability to obtain a development partner or other means of financing for Mt Todd on favorable terms, if at all;

·	our ability to raise additional capital or raise funds from the sale of non-core assets on favorable terms, if at all;

 

·	general economic conditions adverse to Mt Todd development or operation;

 

·	the potential acquisition of a control position in the Company for less than fair value as a result of industry consolidation or otherwise;

 

·	lack of success in our efforts to find an acceptable partner, external financing or other acceptable alternatives to move forward with development of Mt Todd;

 

·	evolving corporate governance and public disclosure regulations;

 

·	intense competition in the mining industry;

 

·	tax legislation, rulings, assessments, initiatives, or changes resulting therefrom on domestic and international levels;

 

·	fluctuation in foreign currency values;

 

·	our possible status as a PFIC for U.S. federal tax purposes;

 

·	cybersecurity breaches that threaten or disrupt our information technology systems;

 

·	anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws;

 

·	potential conflicts of interest arising from certain of our directors and officers serving as directors and officers of other companies in the natural resources sector;

 

Industry Risks

 

·	inherent hazards of mining exploration, development, and operating activities;

 

·	a shortage of skilled labor, equipment, and supplies;

 

·	the accuracy of calculations of mineral reserves and mineral resources and mineralized material and fluctuations therein based on metal prices, estimated costs, and inherent vulnerability of the ore and recoverability of metal in the mining process;

 

·	changes in environmental regulations to which our exploration and development operations are subject could result in increased operating costs or our ability to operate at all; and

 

·	changes in greenhouse gas emissions regulations and standards could result in increased operating costs or our ability to operate at all.

 

For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, please see “Risk Factors” below in this Prospectus. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that these statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in the statements. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

 

 

RISK FACTORS

 

Investing in the Securities involves a high degree of risk. Prospective investors in a particular offering of Securities should carefully consider the following risks as well as the other information contained in this Prospectus, any applicable Prospectus Supplement, and the documents incorporated by reference herein before investing in the Securities. If any of the following risks actually occurs, the Company’s business could be materially harmed. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones the Company faces. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those of which the Company is currently unaware or that the Company deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business.

 

Operating Risks

 

We cannot be assured that the Mt Todd FS has, or future studies will, accurately forecast economic results.

 

Mt Todd is our principal asset. Our ability to arrange financing to develop Mt Todd and our future profitability depend on the economic and technical feasibility of the Project as established through formal feasibility studies, such as the Mt Todd FS. There can be no assurance that the mining, comminution, gold recovery processes, gold production rates, revenue, and capital and operating costs including taxes and royalties will not vary unfavorably from the estimates and assumptions included in the Mt Todd FS, or any future studies.

 

Mt Todd requires substantial capital investment, and we may be unable to raise sufficient capital on favorable terms or at all.

 

Ongoing site costs, construction, operation and reclamation of Mt Todd will require significant capital. Our ability to raise sufficient capital and/or secure a development partner or other form of transaction on satisfactory terms, if at all, will depend on several factors, including the Mt Todd FS or any future studies, applicable laws and regulations, acquisition of the requisite permits, macroeconomic conditions, and future gold prices. Uncontrollable factors or other factors such as lower gold prices, unanticipated operating or permitting challenges, inability to secure a development partner or other form of transaction, actual and perceived environmental impacts, or illiquidity in the debt or equity markets, including the cost of capital and other conditions of financing arrangements that impose restrictive covenants and security interests that may affect the Company’s ability to operate as intended and ultimately its ability to continue as a going concern, could impede our ability to finance ongoing and future activities at Mt Todd on acceptable terms, or at all.

 

If we decide to construct the mine at Mt Todd, we will assume substantial reclamation obligations resulting in a material financial obligation.

 

The Mt Todd site was not reclaimed when the original mine closed. Although we are not currently responsible for the reclamation of these historical disturbances, we will accept full responsibility for them if and when we make a decision to finance and construct the mine and provide notice to the NT Government of our intention to take over and assume the management, operation and rehabilitation of Mt Todd. At such time, we will be required to provide a bond or other surety in a form and amount satisfactory to the NT Government that would cover the prospective expense to reclaim the Mt Todd property. In addition, the regulatory authorities may increase reclamation and bonding requirements from time to time. The satisfaction of these bonding requirements and continuing or future reclamation obligations will require a significant amount of capital. There is no assurance that we will be able to provide an acceptable form of bond or other surety, or provide sufficient working capital to complete any required rehabilitation if and when such obligations are assumed by the Company.

 

There may be delays in the construction of Mt Todd.

 

Delays in commencing and completing construction could result from factors such as availability and performance of engineering and construction contractors, suppliers, consultants, and employees; availability of required equipment; delays in receiving any required approvals and authorizations; and availability of capital. Any delay in performance by any one or more of the contractors, suppliers, consultants, employees or other persons on which we depend, or lack of availability of required equipment, or delay or failure to receive required governmental approvals or financing could delay, prevent commencement of, or interrupt construction at Mt Todd. There can be no assurance of whether or when construction at Mt Todd will start, the duration of the construction period, or that the necessary personnel, equipment, supplies, or other resources will be available to the Company if and when construction is started.

 

 

Increased costs could impede our ability to become profitable.

 

Capital and operating costs at mining operations are subject to variation due to a number of factors, such as changing ore grade, changing metallurgy, and revisions to mine plans in response to changing commodity prices, additional drilling results and updated geologic interpretations. In addition, costs are affected by the cost of capital, tax and royalty regimes, trade tariffs, the global cost of mining and processing equipment, commodity prices, and foreign exchange rates, as well as the costs of fuel, electricity, operating supplies, and appropriately skilled labor. These costs are at times subject to volatile price movements, including increases that could make future development and production at Mt Todd less profitable or uneconomic. This could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

 

We cannot be assured that we will have an adequate water supply for mining operations at Mt Todd.

 

Water at Mt Todd is expected to be provided from a freshwater reservoir that is fed by seasonal rains. Insufficient rainfall, or drought-like conditions in the area feeding the reservoir could limit or extinguish this water supply. Sufficient water resources may not be available, resulting in curtailment or stoppage of operations until the water supply is replenished. This could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

 

We rely on third parties to fulfill their obligations under agreements.

 

Our business strategy includes entering into agreements with third parties (“Third Parties”). Such Third Parties may: (i) have economic or business interests or goals that are inconsistent with or opposed to ours; (ii) have rights in conflict with what we believe to be in our best interests; (iii) take action contrary to our policies or objectives; or (iv) as a result of financial or other reasons, be unable or unwilling to fulfill their obligations under the agreement(s). Any one or a combination of these could result in liabilities for us and/or could adversely affect the value of the related project(s) and, by association, damage our reputation and consequently our ability to acquire or advance other projects and/or attract future Third Parties.

 

Our exploration and development interests are subject to evolving environmental regulations.

 

Our property and royalty interest are subject to environmental regulations. Environmental legislation is becoming more restrictive, with stricter standards and enforcement, increased fines and penalties for non-compliance, more stringent environmental assessments of proposed projects, and a heightened degree of responsibility for companies and their officers, directors and employees. There is no assurance that future changes in environmental laws and regulations will not adversely affect our interests. Currently, our property and royalty interests are subject to environmental laws and regulations in Australia and the U.S.

 

We could be subject to environmental lawsuits.

 

Neighboring landowners and other third parties could file claims based on environmental statutes and common law for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by environmental nuisance, the release of hazardous substances or other waste material into the environment on or around our properties. There can be no assurance that our defense of such claims would be successful. This could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, results of operation, cash flows, financial condition, and corporate reputation.

 

We may have material undisclosed environmental liabilities of which we are not aware.

 

Vista has been engaged in gold exploration since 1983. Since inception, the Company has been involved in numerous exploration projects in many jurisdictions. There may be environmental liabilities associated with disturbances at these projects for which the Company may be identified as a responsible or potentially responsible party, regardless of its level of involvement in creating the related disturbance. We may not be aware of such claims against the Company until regulators provide notice thereof. Consequently, we may have material undisclosed environmental responsibilities which could negatively affect our business prospects, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition, and corporate reputation.

 

 

There may be challenges to our title to mineral properties.

 

There may be challenges to our title to our mineral properties. If there are title defects with respect to any of our properties, we may be required to compensate other persons or reduce or lose our interest in the affected property. In any such case, the investigation and resolution of title issues could divert Company resources from our core strategies.

 

Opposition to Mt Todd could have a material adverse effect.

 

There is generally an increasing level of public concern relating to extractive industries. Opposition to extractive industries, or our development and operating plans at Mt Todd specifically, could have adverse effects on our reputation and support from other stakeholders. As a result, we may be unable to secure adequate financing or complete other activities necessary to continue our planned activities. Any resulting delays or an inability to develop and operate Mt Todd as planned could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and corporate reputation.

 

Our exploration and development activities, strategic transactions, or any acquisition activities may not be commercially successful and could fail to lead to gold production or fail to add value.

 

Substantial expenditures are required to acquire gold properties, establish mineral reserves through drilling and analysis, develop metallurgical processes to extract metal from the ore and develop the mining and processing facilities and infrastructure at any site chosen for mining. We cannot be assured that any such activities will be commercially successful, lead to gold production, or add value.

 

Financial and Business Risks

 

We have a history of losses, and we do not expect to generate earnings from operations or pay dividends in the near term, if at all.

 

We are a development stage issuer, and we devote our efforts to our development stage property, Mt Todd. We do not currently produce gold and do not currently generate operating earnings from gold production. We finance our business activities principally by issuing equity.

 

We have incurred losses in all annual periods since 1998, except for the years ended December 31, 2011, during which we recorded non-cash net gains, December 31, 2015 during which we recorded gains related to research and development refunds, and December 31, 2020 during which we monetized certain mineral property interests. We expect to continue to incur losses. We have no history of paying cash dividends and we do not expect to be able to pay cash dividends or to make any similar distribution of cash or other assets in the foreseeable future, if at all.

 

A substantial or extended decline in gold prices would have a material adverse effect on the value of our assets and on our ability to raise capital and could result in lower than estimated economic returns.

 

The value of our assets, our ability to raise capital and our future economic returns are substantially dependent on the price of gold. The gold price is volatile and is affected by numerous factors beyond our control. Factors tending to influence gold prices include:

 

·

gold sales or leasing by governments and central banks or changes in their monetary policy, including gold inventory management and reallocation of reserves;

·

speculative short or long positions on futures markets;

·

the relative strength of the U.S. dollar;

·

current, or expectations of future, rates of inflation or interest rates;

·

changes to economic conditions in the United States, China, India and other industrialized or developing countries;

·

geopolitical conflicts;

·

changes in jewelry, investment or industrial demand;

·

changes in supply from production, disinvestment, and scrap; and

·

forward sales by producers in hedging or similar transactions.

 

 

A substantial or extended decline in the gold price could:

 

·

negatively impact our ability to raise capital on favorable terms, or at all;

·

negatively affect our ability to find a partner, investor or lender for the development of Mt Todd;

·

jeopardize the development of Mt Todd;

·

reduce our existing estimated mineral resources and reserves by removing material from these estimates that could not be economically processed at lower gold prices;

·

reduce the potential for future revenues from gold projects in which we have an interest;

·

reduce funds available to operate our business; and

·

reduce the market value of the Common Shares and our assets.

 

Industry consolidation could result in the acquisition of a control position in the Company for less than fair value.

 

Consolidation within the industry is a growing trend. As a result of the broad range of market and industry factors including the price of gold, we believe the current market value of the Common Shares does not reflect the fair value of the Company’s assets. These conditions could result in the acquisition of a control position, or attempted acquisition of a control position in the Company at what we believe to be less than fair value. This could result in substantial costs to us and divert our management’s attention and resources. A completed acquisition could result in realized losses for shareholders of the Company.

 

We may be unable to raise additional capital on favorable terms, or at all.

 

Our exploration and, if warranted, development activities and the construction and start-up of any mining operation require substantial amounts of capital. To develop Mt Todd, acquire attractive gold or other projects, and/or continue our business, we will have to secure a development partner or otherwise source sufficient equity, debt or other forms of capital, raise additional funds from the sale of non-core assets and / or seek additional sources of capital from other external sources. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in securing a development partner or otherwise raising additional capital on acceptable terms, including the cost of such capital and other conditions of financing arrangements that impose restrictive covenants and security interests that may affect the Company’s ability to operate as intended and ultimately its ability to continue as a going concern. If we cannot raise sufficient additional capital, we may be required to substantially reduce or cease operations, any of which may affect our ability to continue as a going concern.

 

We face intense competition in the mining industry.

 

The mining industry is intensely competitive in all its phases. Some of our competitors are much larger, established companies with greater financial and technical resources than ours. We compete with other companies for attractive mining properties, for capital, for equipment and supplies, for outside services and for qualified managerial and technical employees. Access to financing, equipment, supplies, skilled labor, and other resources may also be affected by competition from non-mining related commercial sectors. If we are unable to raise sufficient capital, we will be unable to execute exploration and development programs, or such programs may be reduced in scope. Competition for equipment and supplies could result in shortages of necessary supplies and/or increased costs. Competition for outside services could result in increased costs, reduced quality of service and/or delays in completing services. If we cannot successfully retain or attract qualified employees, our ability to advance the development of Mt Todd, to attract necessary financing, to meet all our environmental and regulatory responsibilities, or to take opportunities to improve our business, could be negatively affected. This could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

 

The occurrence of events for which we are not insured may affect our cash flow and overall profitability.

 

We maintain insurance policies that mitigate certain risks related to our assets and business activities. This insurance is maintained in amounts that we believe to be reasonable based on the circumstances surrounding each identified risk. However, we may elect to limit or not maintain insurance for certain risks because of the high premiums associated with insuring those risks in relation to potential perils or for various other reasons. In other cases, insurance may not be available for certain risks. We do not insure against political risk. The occurrence of events for which we are not insured adequately, or at all, could result in significant losses that could materially adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to fund our business.

 

 

Currency fluctuations may adversely affect our costs.

 

We have material property interests in Australia. Most costs in Australia are incurred in the local currency. Appreciation of the Australian dollar, if any, against the U.S. dollar effectively increases our cost of doing business. This could have the effect of increasing the amount of capital required to continue to maintain, explore and develop Mt Todd, reducing the pace at which it is explored and developed, and/or cause activities to be suspended either temporarily or permanently.

 

The Company is possibly a “passive foreign investment company,” which would likely have adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for U.S. shareholders.

 

U.S. shareholders of Common Shares should be aware that the Company believes it is possible that the Company may have been classified as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) within the meaning of Section 1297 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) for its most recently completed tax year, and based on current business plans and financial expectations, the Company believes there is a possibility that the Company may be classified as a PFIC for its current tax year and in one or more future tax years. If the Company is classified as a PFIC for any year during a U.S. shareholder’s holding period, then such U.S. shareholder generally will be required to treat any gain realized upon a disposition of Common Shares, or any so-called “excess distribution” received on its Common Shares, as ordinary income, and to pay an interest charge on a portion of such gain or distributions, unless the shareholder makes a timely and effective “qualified electing fund” election within the meaning of Section 1295 of the Code (a “QEF Election”) or a “mark-to-market” election within the meaning of Section 1296 of the Code (a “Mark-to-Market Election”) with respect to the Common Shares. In certain circumstances, the sum of the tax and the interest charge may exceed the total amount of proceeds realized on the disposition, or the amount of excess distribution received, by the U.S. shareholder. A U.S. shareholder who makes a QEF Election generally must report on a current basis its share of the net capital gain and ordinary earnings of the Company for any year in which the Company is PFIC, whether or not the Company distributes any amounts to its shareholders. U.S. shareholders should be aware that there can be no assurance that the Company will satisfy record keeping requirements that apply to a QEF Election, or that the Company will supply U.S. shareholders with information that such U.S. shareholders require to report under the QEF Election rules, in event that the Company is a PFIC and a U.S. shareholder wishes to make a QEF Election. Thus, U.S. shareholders may not be able to make a QEF Election with respect to their Common Shares. A U.S. shareholder who makes the Mark-to-Market Election generally must include as ordinary income each year the excess of the fair market value of the Common Shares over the shareholder’s basis therein. This paragraph is qualified in its entirety by the discussion below in “Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.” Each U.S. shareholder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal, U.S. state and local, and non-U.S. tax consequences of the PFIC rules and the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of Common Shares.

 

Certain directors and officers may serve as directors and officers of other companies in the natural resources sector.

 

While there are no known existing or potential conflicts of interest between Vista and any of its directors or officers, certain of the directors and officers do or may serve as directors and officers of other natural resource companies and therefore it is possible that a conflict may arise between their duties as a director or officer of Vista and their duties as a director or officer of such other companies. The directors and officers of Vista are aware of the existence of laws governing accountability of directors and officers for corporate opportunity and disclosure of conflicts of interest. Should any director or officer breach the duties imposed upon them by applicable laws, such actions or inactions could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, results of operations, cash flows, financial position, and corporate reputation.

 

Industry Risks

 

Calculations of mineral resources and mineral reserves are estimates only and subject to uncertainty.

 

Estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves is an imprecise process and the accuracy of such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, assumptions used, and judgments made in interpreting geological information and estimating future capital and operating costs. There is significant uncertainty in mineral resources and mineral reserves estimates, and the economic results of mining a mineral deposit may differ materially from the estimates as additional data develops, interpretations change, or actual economic conditions vary from the estimates used.

 

 

Estimated mineral resources and mineral reserves may be materially affected by other factors.

 

In addition to uncertainties inherent in estimating mineral resources and mineral reserves, other factors may adversely affect estimated mineral resources and mineral reserves. Such factors may include but are not limited to metallurgical, environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic, marketing, political, gold prices, and capital and operating costs. Any of these or other adverse factors may reduce or eliminate estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources and could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, results of operations, cash flows, financial position, and corporate reputation.

 

Feasibility studies and other technical studies are estimates only and subject to uncertainty.

 

Feasibility studies, such as our Mt Todd FS, and other technical studies are used to estimate the economic viability of an ore deposit, as are preliminary feasibility studies, preliminary economic assessments, and scoping studies. Feasibility studies are the most detailed studies and reflect higher levels of confidence in estimated production rates, and capital and operating costs. Accepted levels of confidence required to meet the standards set out in S-K 1300 are plus or minus 15% for feasibility studies, plus or minus 25-30% for preliminary feasibility studies and plus or minus 35-40% for preliminary economic assessments. Confidence levels for scoping studies may vary, but generally provide less confidence than preliminary economic assessments. These thresholds reflect the levels of confidence that exist at the time the study is completed. Subsequent changes to metal prices, foreign exchange rates (if applicable), reclamation requirements, operating and capital costs, and other variables may cause actual results of economic viability to differ materially from these estimates. Results of any subsequent Mt Todd feasibility study may be less favorable than the current Mt Todd FS.

 

Mining companies are increasingly required to consider and provide benefits to the communities, regions, and countries in which they operate, and are subject to extensive environmental, health and safety laws and regulations.

 

As a result of public concern about the real or perceived detrimental effects of economic globalization, global climate impacts, and other adverse environmental effects resulting from the operation of extractive industries, businesses in general and the mining industry in particular face increasing public scrutiny of their activities. These businesses are under pressure to demonstrate that as they seek to generate satisfactory returns on investment to shareholders, other stakeholders including employees, governments, Aboriginal peoples, communities surrounding operations, adjacent regions, and the countries in which they operate, such constituencies benefit and will continue to benefit from their commercial activities. The potential consequences of these pressures include reputational damage, delays, suspension of activities, legal claims, increased costs, increased social investment obligations, difficulty in acquiring permits, and increased taxes and royalties payable to governments and communities.

 

Mining exploration, development and operating activities are inherently hazardous.

 

Mineral exploration and development involve many risks that even a combination of experience, knowledge and careful evaluation may not be able to overcome. Projects and operations in which we have direct or indirect interests will be subject to all the hazards and risks normally incidental to exploration, development, and production of gold and other metals, any of which could result in work stoppages, damage to property, physical harm and possible environmental damage. The nature of these risks is such that liabilities might exceed any liability insurance policy limits. It is also possible that the liabilities and hazards might not be insurable, or, we could elect not to be insured against such liabilities due to high premium costs or other reasons, or our insurance for a particular event or circumstance might be insufficient, in which event we could incur significant costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, results of operations, cash flows, financial position, and corporate reputation.

 

Pending or future legislation and regulations or other standards intended to address climate change could result in increased operating costs.

 

Gold production is energy intensive, resulting in a significant carbon footprint. A number of governments, governmental bodies, the World Bank and/or other entities maintain, have introduced, or are contemplating laws, regulations and standards in response to potential impacts of climate change. This type of legislation and possible future legislation and increased regulation regarding climate change could impose significant costs related to increased energy requirements, capital equipment, environmental monitoring and reporting and other costs to comply with such regulations.

 

Pending or future initiatives involving taxation could result in increased taxes and operating costs.

 

There is growing attention from the media and the public to perceived international tax avoidance techniques which could result in escalating rates of poverty, inequality and unemployment in host countries. Initiatives like the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and specific country legislative measures, including Australia, aim to reform the system of international taxation to minimize international tax avoidance techniques. This initiative and possible future initiatives could result in increased tax expenses and related compliance costs for Mt Todd or other future mining operations.

 

 

Securities Risks

 

Our share price may be volatile and your investment in our Common Shares could suffer a decline in value.

 

Broad market and industry factors may adversely affect the price of our Common Shares, regardless of our actual performance. Factors that could cause fluctuation in the price of our Common Shares may include, among other things:

 

·

changes in financial estimates by us or by any securities analysts who might cover our stock market performance;

·

stock market price and volume fluctuations of other publicly traded companies and, in particular, those that are in the mining industry;

·

speculation about our business in the press or the investment community;

·

conditions or trends in our industry or the economy generally;

·

decreases in the prices of gold;

·

announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships or divestitures;

·

inability to find a development partner, investor or lender on acceptable terms for the development of Mt Todd;

·

additions or departures of key personnel;

·

delisting of Common Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) or the NYSE American;

·

issuance of Common Shares by the Company; and

·

sales of our Common Shares, including sales by our directors, officers, or significant stockholders.

 

In the past, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in their stock price. This type of litigation or other securities claims could result in substantial costs to us and divert our management’s attention and resources.

 

Potential dilution.

 

Our constating documents allow us to issue an unlimited number of Common Shares for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as shall be established by the Board of Directors, in many cases, without the approval of shareholders. We may issue Common Shares in offerings from treasury (including through the sale of securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares) and on the exercise of stock options or other securities exercisable for Common Shares. We cannot predict the size of future issuances of Common Shares or the effect that future issuances and sales of Common Shares will have on the market price of the Common Shares. Issuances of a substantial number of additional Common Shares, or the perception that such issuances could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices for the Common Shares. With any additional issuance of Common Shares, investors will suffer dilution to their shareholder interest and voting power.

 

Holders of our Common Shares may not receive dividends.

 

We have not historically declared cash dividends on our Common Shares. Holders of our Common Shares are entitled to receive only such dividends as our Board of Directors may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. Our ability to pay dividends will be subject to our future earnings, capital requirements and financial condition, as well as our compliance with covenants related to any future indebtedness and would only be declared in the discretion of our Board of Directors.

 

We are subject to the continued listing criteria of the NYSE American and the TSX and our failure to satisfy these criteria may result in delisting of our Common Shares.

 

Our Common Shares are currently listed on the NYSE American and the TSX. In order to maintain the listing, we must maintain certain share prices, financial, and share distribution targets, including maintaining a minimum amount of shareholders’ equity and a minimum number of public shareholders. In addition to objective standards, the NYSE American and the TSX may delist the securities of any issuer if, in its opinion, the issuer’s financial condition and/or operating results appear unsatisfactory; if it appears that the extent of public distribution or the aggregate market value of the security has become so reduced as to make continued listing on the NYSE American or TSX inadvisable; if the issuer sells or disposes of principal operating assets or ceases to be an operating company; if an issuer fails to comply with the listing requirements of the NYSE American or TSX; if an issuer’s shares of common stock sell at what the NYSE American or the TSX considers a “low selling price” and the issuer fails to correct this via a reverse split of shares after notification by the NYSE American or TSX; or if any other event occurs or any condition exists which makes continued listing on the NYSE American or TSX, in their opinion, inadvisable.

 

 

General Risks

 

We may experience cybersecurity breaches which may result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption, disclosure of confidential business information, misdirected wire transfers, reputational harm, or financial loss.

 

Regular access to and security of information technology systems are critical to Vista’s operations. To Vista’s knowledge, it has not experienced any material losses relating to disruptions to its information technology systems. Vista has implemented policies, controls, and practices to manage and safeguard Vista and its stakeholders from internal and external cybersecurity threats and to comply with changing legal requirements and industry practice. Cyber risks cannot be fully mitigated, and these threats are continuing to evolve. Therefore, Vista cannot assure that its information technology systems are fully protected from cybercrime or that the systems will not be inadvertently compromised, or without failures or defects. Potential disruptions to Vista’s information technology systems, including, without limitation, security breaches, power loss, theft, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, natural disasters, and noncompliance by third party service providers and inadequate levels of cybersecurity expertise and safeguards of third party information technology service providers, may adversely affect the operations of Vista as well as present significant costs and risks including, without limitation, loss or disclosure of confidential, proprietary, personal or sensitive information and third party data, material adverse effect on its financial performance, compliance with its contractual obligations, compliance with applicable laws, damaged reputation, remediation costs, potential litigation, regulatory enforcement proceedings and heightened regulatory scrutiny.

 

We are subject to anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.

 

Our operations are governed by, and involve interactions with, many levels of government in several countries. We are required to comply with anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws in the countries in which we conduct our business. In recent years, there has been a general increase in both the frequency of enforcement and the severity of penalties under such laws, resulting in greater scrutiny and punishment of companies convicted of violating anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws. Furthermore, a company may be found liable for violations committed by not only its employees, but also by its contractors and third-party agents. Although we have adopted internal control policies to mitigate such risks, there can be no assurance that our internal control policies and procedures will always protect us from recklessness, fraudulent behavior, dishonesty or other inappropriate acts committed by our affiliates, employees or agents and such measures may not always be effective in ensuring that we, our employees, contractors or agents will comply strictly with such laws. If we find ourselves subject to an enforcement action or are found to be in violation of such laws, this could lead to civil and criminal fines and penalties, investigation and litigation, and loss of operating licenses or permits, resulting in a material adverse effect on our reputation and results of operations.

 

Our business is subject to evolving corporate governance and public disclosure regulations that have increased both our compliance costs and the risk of noncompliance.

 

We are subject to changing rules and regulations promulgated by numerous governmental and self-regulated organizations, including but not limited to the British Columbia Securities Commission, the SEC, the TSX, the NYSE American, and the Financial Accounting Standards Board. These rules and regulations continue to evolve in scope and complexity and many new requirements have been created in response to laws enacted by the United States Congress, making compliance increasingly more difficult and uncertain, which could have an adverse effect on our reputation and our stock price.

 

We are or may become subject to data privacy laws, regulations, litigation and directives relating to our processing of personal information.

 

The jurisdictions in which we operate (including the United States) have laws governing how we must respond to a cyber incident that results in the unauthorized access, disclosure, or loss of personal information. Additionally, new laws and regulations governing data privacy and unauthorized disclosure of personal information and imposing certain cybersecurity-related requirements may provide for a private right of action and imposition of significant fines, pose increasingly complex compliance challenges. Some or all of such legislation will elevate our compliance costs over time. Our business involves collection, use, and other processing of personal information and personally identifiable information of our employees, investors, contractors, suppliers, and customer contacts. As legislation continues to develop and cyber incidents continue to evolve, we will likely be required to expend significant resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures to comply with such legislation and to detect, investigate and remediate vulnerabilities to cyber incidents that relate to data privacy. Any failure by us, or a company we acquire, to comply with such laws and regulations could result in reputational harm, loss of goodwill, penalties, liabilities, remediation costs, or mandated changes in our business practices. Each has the potential to materially impact our financial condition.

 

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

The SEC allows the Company to “incorporate by reference” information it files with the SEC. This means that the Company can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Any information the Company references in this manner is considered part of this Prospectus. Information the Company files with the SEC after the date of this Prospectus will automatically update and, to the extent inconsistent, supersede the information contained in this Prospectus.

 

The following documents which have been filed by the Company with securities commissions or similar authorities in Canada and with the SEC, are specifically incorporated by reference into, and form an integral part of, this Prospectus.

 

(a)

the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company, for the year ended December 31, 2023, which report contains the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company and the notes thereto as at December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, together with the auditors’ reports thereon and the related management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, as filed with the SEC on March 14, 2024;

 

(b)

the Company’s Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, dated March 19, 2024, in connection with the Company’s April 30, 2024 annual general meeting of shareholders, including the information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the SEC on March 19, 2024;

 

(c)

the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company, for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, which report contains the unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company and the notes thereto as at March 31, 2024 and for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 and the related management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, as filed with the SEC on May 2, 2024;

 

(d)

the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, which report contains the unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company and the notes thereto as at June 30, 2024 and for three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 and the related management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the quarters ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, as filed with the SEC on July 29, 2024;

 

(e)

the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on January 5, 2024, January 18, 2024, February 15, 2024, February 28, 2024, March 4, 2024 and May 2, 2024;

 

(f)

the description of the Company’s common stock contained in its registration statement on Form 8-A filed on January 4, 1988, including any amendment or report filed for purposes of updating such description; and

 

(g)

all other documents filed by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (excluding, unless otherwise provided therein or herein, information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 and Item 7.01 on any Current Report on Form 8-K), after the date of this Prospectus but before the end of the offering of the securities made by this Prospectus.

 

We also hereby specifically incorporate by reference all filings filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the initial registration statement on Form S-3 to which this Prospectus relates and prior to effectiveness of such registration statement.

 

 

You may obtain copies of any of these documents by contacting us at the address and telephone number indicated below or by contacting the SEC as described below. You may request a copy of these documents, and any exhibits that have specifically been incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this prospectus supplement, at no cost, by writing or telephoning to:

 

Vista Gold Corp.

8310 S Valley Hwy, Suite 300

Englewood, Colorado 80112

Attention: Douglas L. Tobler, Chief Financial Officer

(720) 981-1185

 

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities will be used by the Company for development of existing or acquired mineral properties and may also be used for acquisitions, working capital requirements, to repay indebtedness outstanding from time to time or for other general corporate purposes. The Company may, from time to time, issue Common Shares or other securities otherwise than through the offering of Securities pursuant to this Prospectus. Each Prospectus Supplement will contain specific information concerning the use of proceeds from that sale of securities.

 

MARKET FOR COMMON SHARES

 

Market and Trading Symbol of Common Shares

 

The Common Shares of Vista Gold are listed on the NYSE American and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “VGZ”. On October 15, 2024, the last reported sale price of the Common Shares of Vista on the NYSE American was $0.72 and on the Toronto Stock Exchange was C$0.99, there were 123,058,809 Common Shares issued and outstanding, and we had approximately 215 registered shareholders of record.

 

CERTAIN INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

 

The applicable Prospectus Supplement will describe certain Canadian federal income tax consequences to investors described therein of acquiring Securities including, in the case of investors who are not residents of Canada for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada), whether payment of any amount in respect of a security will be subject to Canadian non-resident withholding tax.

 

The applicable Prospectus Supplement will also describe certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of Securities by an initial investor who is a U.S. person (within the meaning of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code), if applicable, including, to the extent applicable, any such consequences relating to Securities payable in a currency other than the U.S. dollar, issued at an original issue discount for U.S. federal income tax purposes or containing early redemption provisions or other special terms.

 

DESCRIPTION OF COMMON SHARES

 

The Company is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Common Shares, without par value, of which 123,058,809 are issued and outstanding as at the date of this Prospectus.

 

Under our Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”), our Long-Term Equity Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”) and our Deferred Share Unit Plan (the “DSU Plan”), we may grant options, RSUs or restricted stock awards, and/or DSUs to our directors, officers, employees and consultants. The combined maximum number of our Common Shares that may be reserved for issuance under the Plan, the LTIP and the DSU Plan is a variable number equal to 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis. Options, RSUs and DSUs under the Plan, LTIP and DSU Plan, respectively, are granted from time to time at the discretion of the Board, with vesting periods and other terms as determined by the Board. There are options outstanding to purchase up to 50,000 Common Shares at a price of $0.51. There are 2,767,673 restricted stock units and 1,661,000 deferred share units outstanding. Upon the vesting conditions being met a holder of restricted stock units or deferred share units is entitled to receive one Common Share for each restricted stock unit held.

 

The Company may issue Common Shares independently or together with Warrants or Subscription Receipts, and the Common Shares may be attached to or separately from such securities.

 

Holders of Common Shares are entitled to receive notice of and to attend any meetings of shareholders of the Company and at any meetings of shareholders to one vote for each Common Share held, to receive dividends as and when declared by the directors of the Company and to receive a pro rata share of the assets of the Company available for distribution to the shareholders in the event of the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company. There are no pre-emptive, conversion or redemption rights attached to the Common Shares.

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

 

The following description, together with the additional information the Company may include in any applicable Prospectus Supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the Warrants that the Company may offer under this Prospectus, which will consist of Warrants to purchase Common Shares and may be issued in one or more series. Warrants may be offered independently or together with Common Shares or Subscription Receipts offered by any Prospectus Supplement, and may be attached to or separate from those Securities. While the terms the Company has summarized below will apply generally to any Warrants that it may offer under this Prospectus, the Company will describe the particular terms of any series of Warrants that it may offer in more detail in the applicable Prospectus Supplement. The terms of any Warrants offered under a Prospectus Supplement may differ from the terms described below.

 

General

 

Warrants will be issued under and governed by the terms of one or more warrant indentures (each a “Warrant Indenture”) between the Company and a warrant trustee (the “Warrant Trustee”) that the Company will name in the relevant Prospectus Supplement or the terms of a stand-alone warrant certificate (“Warrant Certificate”) if a Warrant Indenture is not used. Each Warrant Trustee will be a financial institution organized under the laws of Canada or any province thereof or in the United States, as may be permitted by law, and authorized to carry on business as a trustee.

 

This summary of some of the provisions of the Warrants is not complete. The statements made in this Prospectus relating to any Warrant Indenture, Warrant Certificate and Warrants to be issued under this Prospectus are summaries of certain anticipated provisions thereof and do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all provisions of the applicable Warrant Indenture or Warrant Certificate. Prospective investors should refer to the Warrant Indenture or Warrant Certificate relating to the specific Warrants being offered for the complete terms of the Warrants. The Company urges you to read the applicable Prospectus Supplement related to the applicable Warrants that the Company sells under this Prospectus, as well as the complete Warrant Indenture and/or Warrant Certificate. In the United States, the Company will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this Prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a current report on Form 8-K that the Company files with the SEC, any Warrant Indenture and/or Warrant Certificate describing the terms and conditions of Warrants the Company is offering before the issuance of such Warrants.

 

Warrants

 

The particular terms of each issue of Warrants will be described in the applicable Prospectus Supplement. This description will include, where applicable:

 

●

the designation and aggregate number of Warrants;

●

the price at which the Warrants will be offered;

●

the currency or currencies in which the Warrants will be offered;

●

the date on which the right to exercise the Warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire;

●

the number of Common Shares that may be purchased upon exercise of each Warrant and the price at which and currency or currencies in which the Common Shares may be purchased upon exercise of each Warrant;

●

the designation and terms of any Securities with which the Warrants will be offered, if any, and the number of the Warrants that will be offered with each Security;

●

the date or dates, if any, on or after which the Warrants and the other Securities with which the Warrants will be offered will be transferable separately;

●

whether the Warrants will be subject to redemption and, if so, the terms of such redemption provisions;

●

whether the Company will issue the Warrants as global securities and, if so, the identity of the depositary of the global securities;

●

whether the Warrants will be listed on any exchange;

●

material United States and Canadian federal income tax consequences of owning the Warrants; and

●

any other material terms or conditions of the Warrants.

 

 

Rights of Holders Prior to Exercise

 

Prior to the exercise of their Warrants, holders of Warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.

 

Exercise of Warrants

 

Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase the Common Shares that the Company specifies in the applicable Prospectus Supplement at the exercise price that the Company describes therein. Unless the Company otherwise specifies in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, holders of the Warrants may exercise the Warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that the Company sets forth in the applicable Prospectus Supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.

 

Holders of the Warrants may exercise the Warrants by delivering the Warrant Certificate representing the Warrants to be exercised together with specified information, and paying the required amount to the Warrant Trustee or the Company if there is no Warrant Trustee in immediately available funds, as provided in the applicable Prospectus Supplement. The Company will set forth on the Warrant Certificate and in the applicable Prospectus Supplement the information that the holder of the Warrant will be required to deliver to the Warrant Trustee or the Company if there is no Warrant Trustee.

 

Upon receipt of the required payment and the Warrant Certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the Warrant Trustee or the principal offices of the Company if there is no Warrant Trustee or any other office indicated in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the Company will issue and deliver the Common Shares purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the Warrants represented by the Warrant Certificate are exercised, then the Company will issue a new Warrant Certificate for the remaining amount of Warrants. If the Company so indicates in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, holders of the Warrants may surrender securities as all or part of the exercise price for Warrants.

 

Anti-Dilution

 

The Warrant Indenture and/or Warrant Certificate will specify that upon the subdivision, consolidation, reclassification or other material change of the Common Shares or any other reorganization, amalgamation, merger or sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, the Warrants will thereafter evidence the right of the holder to receive the securities, property or cash deliverable in exchange for, or on the conversion of, or in respect of, the Common Shares to which the holder of a Common Share would have been entitled immediately after such event. Similarly, any distribution to all or substantially all of the holders of Common Shares of rights, options, warrants, evidences of indebtedness or assets will result in an adjustment in the number of Common Shares to be issued to holders of Warrants.

 

Global Securities

 

The Company may issue Warrants in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities, which will be registered in the name of and be deposited with a depositary, or its nominee, each of which will be identified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement. The global securities may be in temporary or permanent form. The applicable Prospectus Supplement will describe the terms of any depositary arrangement and the rights and limitations of owners of beneficial interests in any global security. The applicable Prospectus Supplement will describe the exchange, registration and transfer rights relating to any global security.

 

Modifications

 

The Warrant Indenture and/or Warrant Certificate will provide for modifications and alterations to the Warrants issued thereunder by way of a resolution of holders of Warrants at a meeting of such holders or a consent in writing from such holders. The number of holders of Warrants required to pass such a resolution or execute such a written consent will be specified in the Warrant Indenture and/or Warrant Certificate.

 

The Company may amend any Warrant Indenture, Warrant Certificate and the Warrants, without the consent of the holders of the Warrants, to cure any ambiguity, to cure, correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision, or in any other manner that will not materially and adversely affect the interests of holders of outstanding Warrants.

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RECEIPTS

 

The Company may issue Subscription Receipts, which will entitle holders to receive upon satisfaction of certain release conditions and for no additional consideration, Common Shares, Warrants or a combination thereof. Subscription Receipts will be issued pursuant to one or more subscription receipt agreements (each, a “Subscription Receipt Agreement”), each to be entered into between the Company and an escrow agent (the “Escrow Agent”), which will establish the terms and conditions of the Subscription Receipts. Each Escrow Agent will be a financial institution organized under the laws of Canada or a province thereof or in the United States, as may be permitted by law, and authorized to carry on business as a trustee. In the United States, the Company will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this Prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a current report on Form 8-K that the Company files with the SEC, any Subscription Receipt Agreement describing the terms and conditions of Subscription Receipts the Company is offering before the issuance of such Subscription Receipts.

 

The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of Subscription Receipts and is not intended to be complete. The statements made in this Prospectus relating to any Subscription Receipt Agreement and Subscription Receipts to be issued thereunder are summaries of certain anticipated provisions thereof and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all provisions of the applicable Subscription Receipt Agreement and the Prospectus Supplement describing such Subscription Receipt Agreement. The Company urges you to read the applicable Prospectus Supplement related to the particular Subscription Receipts that the Company sells under this Prospectus, as well as the complete Subscription Receipt Agreement.

 

The Prospectus Supplement relating to any Subscription Receipts the Company offers will describe the Subscription Receipts and include specific terms relating to their offering. All such terms will comply with the requirements of applicable securities exchanges relating to Subscription Receipts. If underwriters or agents are used in the sale of Subscription Receipts, one or more of such underwriters or agents may also be parties to the Subscription Receipt Agreement governing the Subscription Receipts sold to or through such underwriters or agents.

 

General

 

The Prospectus Supplement and the Subscription Receipt Agreement for any Subscription Receipts the Company offers will describe the specific terms of the Subscription Receipts and may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

 

●

the designation and aggregate number of Subscription Receipts offered;

●

the price at which the Subscription Receipts will be offered;

●

the currency or currencies in which the Subscription Receipts will be offered;

●

the designation, number and terms of the Common Shares, Warrants or combination thereof to be received by holders of Subscription Receipts upon satisfaction of the release conditions, and the procedures that will result in the adjustment of those numbers;

●

the conditions (the “Release Conditions”) that must be met in order for holders of Subscription Receipts to receive for no additional consideration Common Shares, Warrants or a combination thereof;

●

the procedures for the issuance and delivery of Common Shares, Warrants or a combination thereof to holders of Subscription Receipts upon satisfaction of the Release Conditions;

●

whether any payments will be made to holders of Subscription Receipts upon delivery of the Common Shares, Warrants or a combination thereof upon satisfaction of the Release Conditions (e.g., an amount equal to dividends declared on Common Shares by the Company to holders of record during the period from the date of issuance of the Subscription Receipts to the date of issuance of any Common Shares pursuant to the terms of the Subscription Receipt Agreement);

●

the terms and conditions under which the Escrow Agent will hold all or a portion of the gross proceeds from the sale of Subscription Receipts, together with interest and income earned thereon (collectively, the “Escrowed Funds”), pending satisfaction of the Release Conditions;

●

the terms and conditions pursuant to which the Escrow Agent will hold Common Shares, Warrants or a combination thereof pending satisfaction of the Release Conditions;

●

the terms and conditions under which the Escrow Agent will release all or a portion of the Escrowed Funds to the Company upon satisfaction of the Release Conditions;

●

if the Subscription Receipts are sold to or through underwriters or agents, the terms and conditions under which the Escrow Agent will release a portion of the Escrowed Funds to such underwriters or agents in payment of all or a portion of their fees or commission in connection with the sale of the Subscription Receipts;

 

 

	●	procedures for the refund by the Escrow Agent to holders of Subscription Receipts of all or a portion of the subscription price for their Subscription Receipts, plus any pro rata entitlement to interest earned or income generated on such amount, if the Release Conditions are not satisfied;
	●	any contractual right of rescission to be granted to initial purchasers of Subscription Receipts in the event this Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement under which Subscription Receipts are issued or any amendment hereto or thereto contains a misrepresentation;
	●	any entitlement of the Company to purchase the Subscription Receipts in the open market by private agreement or otherwise;
	●	whether the Company will issue the Subscription Receipts as global securities and, if so, the identity of the depositary for the global securities;
	●	whether the Company will issue the Subscription Receipts as bearer securities, registered securities or both;
	●	provisions as to modification, amendment or variation of the Subscription Receipt Agreement or any rights or terms attaching to the Subscription Receipts;
	●	the identity of the Escrow Agent;
	●	whether the Subscription Receipts will be listed on any exchange;
	●	material United States and Canadian federal tax consequences of owning the Subscription Receipts; and
	●	any other terms of the Subscription Receipts.

 

The holders of Subscription Receipts will not be shareholders of the Company. Holders of Subscription Receipts are entitled only to receive Common Shares, Warrants or a combination thereof on exchange of their Subscription Receipts, plus any cash payments provided for under the Subscription Receipt Agreement, if the Release Conditions are satisfied. If the Release Conditions are not satisfied, the holders of Subscription Receipts shall be entitled to a refund of all or a portion of the subscription price therefor and all or a portion of the pro rata share of interest earned or income generated thereon, as provided in the Subscription Receipt Agreement.

 

Escrow

 

The Escrowed Funds will be held in escrow by the Escrow Agent, and such Escrowed Funds will be released to the Company (and, if the Subscription Receipts are sold to or through underwriters or agents, a portion of the Escrowed Funds may be released to such underwriters or agents in payment of all or a portion of their fees in connection with the sale of the Subscription Receipts) at the time and under the terms specified by the Subscription Receipt Agreement. If the Release Conditions are not satisfied, holders of Subscription Receipts will receive a refund of all or a portion of the subscription price for their Subscription Receipts plus their pro rata entitlement to interest earned or income generated on such amount, in accordance with the terms of the Subscription Receipt Agreement. Common Shares or Warrants may be held in escrow by the Escrow Agent, and will be released to the holders of Subscription Receipts following satisfaction of the Release Conditions at the time and under the terms specified in the Subscription Receipt Agreement.

 

Anti-Dilution

 

The Subscription Receipt Agreement will specify that upon the subdivision, consolidation, reclassification or other material change of the Common Shares or Warrants or any other reorganization, amalgamation, merger or sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, the Subscription Receipts will thereafter evidence the right of the holder to receive the securities, property or cash deliverable in exchange for, or on the conversion of, or in respect of, the Common Shares or Warrants to which the holder of a Common Share or Warrant would have been entitled immediately after such event. Similarly, any distribution to all or substantially all of the holders of Common Shares of rights, options, warrants, evidences of indebtedness or assets will result in an adjustment in the number of Common Shares to be issued to holders of Subscription Receipts whose Subscription Receipts entitle the holders thereof to receive Common Shares. Alternatively, such securities, evidences of indebtedness or assets may, at the option of the Company, be issued to the Escrow Agent and delivered to holders of Subscription Receipts on exercise thereof. The Subscription Receipt Agreement will also provide that if other actions of the Company affect the Common Shares or Warrants, which, in the reasonable opinion of the directors of the Company, would materially affect the rights of the holders of Subscription Receipts and/or the rights attached to the Subscription Receipts, the number of Common Shares or Warrants which are to be received pursuant to the Subscription Receipts shall be adjusted in such manner, if any, and at such time as the directors of the Company may in their discretion reasonably determine to be equitable to the holders of Subscription Receipts in such circumstances.

 

 

Rescission

 

The Subscription Receipt Agreement will also provide that any misrepresentation in this Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement under which the Subscription Receipts are offered, or any amendment thereto, will entitle each initial purchaser of Subscription Receipts to a contractual right of rescission following the issuance of the Common Shares or Warrants to such purchaser entitling such purchaser to receive the amount paid for the Subscription Receipts upon surrender of the Common Shares or Warrants, provided that such remedy for rescission is exercised in the time stipulated in the Subscription Receipt Agreement. This right of rescission does not extend to holders of Subscription Receipts who acquire such Subscription Receipts from an initial purchaser, on the open market or otherwise, or to initial purchasers who acquire Subscription Receipts in the United States.

 

Global Securities

 

The Company may issue Subscription Receipts in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities, which will be registered in the name of and be deposited with a depositary, or its nominee, each of which will be identified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement. The global securities may be in temporary or permanent form. The applicable Prospectus Supplement will describe the terms of any depositary arrangement and the rights and limitations of owners of beneficial interests in any global security. The applicable Prospectus Supplement also will describe the exchange, registration and transfer rights relating to any global security.

 

Modifications

 

The Subscription Receipt Agreement will provide for modifications and alterations to the Subscription Receipts issued thereunder by way of a resolution of holders of Subscription Receipts at a meeting of such holders or a consent in writing from such holders. The number of holders of Subscriptions Receipts required to pass such a resolution or execute such a written consent will be specified in the Subscription Receipt Agreement.

 

The Company may amend the Subscription Receipt Agreement, without the consent of the holders of the Subscription Receipts, to cure any ambiguity, to cure, correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision, or in any other manner that will not materially and adversely affect the interests of holders of outstanding Subscription Receipts.

 

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

 

The following description, together with the additional information the Company may include in any applicable Prospectus Supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the Units that the Company may offer under this Prospectus. While the terms the Company has summarized below will apply generally to any Units that the Company may offer under this Prospectus, the Company will describe the particular terms of any series of Units in more detail in the applicable Prospectus Supplement. The terms of any Units offered under a Prospectus Supplement may differ from the terms described below.

 

The Company may enter into a form of unit agreement (“Unit Agreement”) between the Company and a unit agent (“Unit Agent”) that describes the terms and conditions of the series of Units the Company is offering, and any supplemental agreements, before the issuance of the related series of Units. In the United States, the Company will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this Prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a current report on Form 8-K that the Company files with the SEC, the form of Unit Agreement, if any, that describes the terms and conditions of the series of Units the Company is offering, and any supplemental agreements, before the issuance of the related series of Units.

 

The following summary of material terms and provisions of the Units are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the Unit Agreement, if any, and any supplemental agreements applicable to a particular series of Units. The Company urges you to read the applicable Prospectus Supplements related to the particular series of Units that the Company sells under this Prospectus, as well as the complete Unit Agreement and any supplemental agreements that contain the terms of the Units.

 

General

 

The Company may issue units comprising two or more of Common Shares, Warrants and Subscription Receipts in any combination. Each Unit will be issued so that the holder of the Unit is also the holder of each security included in the Unit. Thus, the holder of a Unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security.

 

 

The Unit Agreement under which a Unit is issued may provide that the Securities included in the Unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date.

 

The Company will describe in the applicable Prospectus Supplement the terms of the series of Units, including:

 

●

the designation and terms of the Units and of the securities comprising the Units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;

●

any provisions of the governing Unit Agreement that differ from those described below; and

●

any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the Units or of the securities comprising the Units.

 

The provisions described in this section, as well as those described under “Description of Common Shares”, “Description of Warrants” and “Description of Subscription Receipts” will apply to each Unit and to any Common Share, Warrant or Subscription Receipt included in each Unit, respectively.

 

Issuance in Series

 

The Company may issue Units in such amounts and in numerous distinct series as the Company determines.

 

Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Units

 

Each Unit Agent will act solely as the Company’s agent under the applicable Unit Agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any Unit. A single bank or trust company may act as Unit Agent for more than one series of Units. A Unit Agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by the Company under the applicable Unit Agreement or Unit, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon the Company. Any holder of a Unit may, without the consent of the related Unit Agent or the holder of any other Unit, enforce by appropriate legal action its rights as holder under any security included in the Unit.

 

The Company, the Unit Agents and any of their agents may treat the registered holder of any Unit Certificate as an absolute owner of the Units evidenced by that certificate for any purpose and as the person entitled to exercise the rights attaching to the Units so requested, despite any notice to the contrary.

 

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

General

 

The Company may offer and sell the Securities on a continuous or delayed basis, separately or together: (a) to one or more underwriters or dealers; (b) through one or more agents; or (c) directly to one or more other purchasers. The Securities offered pursuant to any Prospectus Supplement may be sold from time to time in one or more transactions at: (i) a fixed price or prices, which may be changed from time to time; (ii) market prices prevailing at the time of sale; (iii) prices related to such prevailing market prices and at-the-market offerings or (iv) other negotiated prices. The Company may only offer and sell the Securities pursuant to a Prospectus Supplement during the 36-month period that this Prospectus, including any amendments hereto, remains effective. The Prospectus Supplement for any of the Securities being offered thereby will set forth the terms of the offering of such Securities, including the type of Security being offered, the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents, the purchase price of such Securities, the proceeds to the Company from such sale, any underwriting commissions or discounts and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers. Only underwriters so named in the Prospectus Supplement are deemed to be underwriters in connection with the Securities offered thereby.

 

By Underwriters

 

If underwriters are used in the sale, the Securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Unless otherwise set forth in the Prospectus Supplement relating thereto, the obligations of underwriters to purchase the Securities will be subject to certain conditions, but the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the Securities offered by the Prospectus Supplement if any of such Securities are purchased. The Company may agree to pay the underwriters a fee or commission for various services relating to the offering of any Securities. Any such fee or commission will be paid out of the proceeds of the offering or the general corporate funds of the Company.

 

By Dealers

 

If dealers are used, and if so specified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the Company will sell such Securities to the dealers as principals. The dealers may then resell such Securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealers at the time of resale. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.

 

By Agents

 

The Securities may also be sold through agents designated by the Company. Any agent involved will be named, and any fees or commissions payable by the Company to such agent will be set forth, in the applicable Prospectus Supplement. Any such fees or commissions will be paid out of the proceeds of the offering or the general corporate funds of the Company. Unless otherwise indicated in the Prospectus Supplement, any agent will be acting on a best-efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

 

Direct Sales

 

Securities may also be sold directly by the Company at such prices and upon such terms as agreed to by the Company and the purchaser. In this case, no underwriters, dealers or agents would be involved in the offering.

 

General Information

 

Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the Securities offered by this Prospectus may be deemed underwriters under the U.S. Securities Act, and any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the U.S. Securities Act.

 

 

Underwriters, dealers or agents who participate in the distribution of Securities may be entitled under agreements to be entered into with the Company to indemnification by the Company against certain liabilities, including liabilities under Canadian provincial and territorial and United States securities legislation, or to contribution with respect to payments which such underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make in respect thereof. Such underwriters, dealers or agents may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for, the Company in the ordinary course of business.

 

The Company may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this Prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable Prospectus Supplement indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this Prospectus and the applicable Prospectus Supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third parties may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third parties in such sale transactions will be identified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement.

 

One or more firms, referred to as “remarketing firms,” may also offer or sell the Securities, if the Prospectus Supplement so indicates, in connection with a remarketing arrangement upon their purchase. Remarketing firms will act as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. These remarketing firms will offer or sell the Securities in accordance with the terms of the Securities. The Prospectus Supplement will identify any remarketing firm and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and will describe the remarketing firm’s compensation. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the Securities they remarket.

 

In connection with any offering of Securities (unless otherwise specified in the Prospectus Supplement), underwriters may over-allot or effect transactions which stabilize or maintain the market price of the Securities offered at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Such transactions may be commenced, interrupted or discontinued at any time.

 

AUDITORS, TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR

 

The consolidated financial statements of the Company, at December 31, 2023, have been audited by Davidson & Company LLP (“Davidson”), of Vancouver Canada, an Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and the consolidated financial statements of the Company at December 31, 2022 have been audited by Plant & Moran, PLLC (“Plant Moran”), of Denver, Colorado, an Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Such financial statements have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance on the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

The transfer agent and registrar for Common Shares is Computershare Investor Services Inc. at the principal offices in Vancouver and Toronto.

 

EXPERTS

 

Information relating to the Company’s mineral properties in this Prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein has been derived from reports, statements or opinions prepared or certified by Tetra Tech, Inc., Rex Clair Bryan, Thomas L. Dyer, Amy L. Hudson, April Hussey, Chris Johns, Max Johnson, Deepak Malhotra, Maurie Marks, Zvonimir Ponos, Vicki Scharnhorst, Keith Thompson, and John W. Rozelle, and this information has been included in reliance on such companies and persons’ expertise. Each of Tetra Tech, Inc., Rex Clair Bryan, Thomas L. Dyer, Amy L. Hudson, April Hussey, Chris Johns, Max Johnson, Deepak Malhotra, Maurie Marks, Zvonimir Ponos, Vicki Scharnhorst, Keith Thompson, and John W. Rozelle is a qualified person as such term is defined S-K 1300.

 

None of Tetra Tech, Inc., Rex Clair Bryan, Thomas L. Dyer, Amy L. Hudson, April Hussey, Chris Johns, Max Johnson, Deepak Malhotra, Maurie Marks, Zvonimir Ponos, Vicki Scharnhorst, Keith Thompson, and John W. Rozelle each being companies and persons who have prepared or certified the preparation of reports, statements or opinions relating to the Company’s mineral properties, or any director, officer, employee or partner thereof, as applicable, received or has received a direct or indirect interest in the property of the Company or of any associate or affiliate of the Company. As at the date hereof, the aforementioned persons, companies and persons at the companies specified above who participated in the preparation of such reports, statements or opinions, as a group, beneficially own, directly or indirectly, less than 1% of the Company’s outstanding Common Shares.

 

 

The current auditors of the Company are Davidson. Davidson reports that they are independent of the Company in accordance with the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia and in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. Davidson is registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The audited consolidated financial statements of the Company as at December 31, 2023 and for the year ended December 31, 2023 have been audited by Davidson and are incorporated by reference herein in reliance on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting. The audited consolidated financial statements of the Company as at December 31, 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 have been audited by a prior auditor, Plante & Moran, PLLC and are incorporated by reference herein in reliance on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

Certain legal matters related to the Securities offered by this Prospectus will be passed upon on the Company’s behalf by Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, with respect to matters of Canadian law, and Dorsey & Whitney LLP, with respect to matters of United States law.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

The Company files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov.

 

This Prospectus is part of a registration statement and, as permitted by SEC rules, does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this Prospectus to any of our contracts or other documents, the reference may not be complete and, for a copy of the contract or document, you should refer to the exhibits that are part of the registration statement. You may call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information on the public reference rooms and their copy charges. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at the SEC’s public reference rooms at:

 

100 F Street, N.E.
Room 1580
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

 

VISTA GOLD CORP.

 

$50,000,000
Common Shares
Warrants
Subscription Receipts
Units

 

November 8, 2024

 

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