Major investment bank brokers say giving Mineral Resources managing director Chris Ellison up to 18 months to depart the business will hurt the miner’s share price, which they estimate is significantly undervalued.

The price discount could be so high, according to Bank of America’s Matt Chalmers, the company – the country’s largest crushing contractor and a major lithium and iron ore producer – is “possibly vulnerable to M&A or potentially a take private”.