Shaw & Partners resource analyst Peter O’Connor departs

A leading resources analyst is joining one of the top gold miners at a time that the sector is booming. Picture NCA Newswire, Gaye Gerard.

Highly regarded resources research analyst Peter O’Connor is departing the firm to join a large gold mining business, say sources.

Mr O’Connor, known by ‘Rocky’ by his colleagues at Shaws, has covered 16 of the largest resources companies on the Australian Securities Exchange.

His departure from Shaw & Partners was announced on Thursday and it is thought that he may be joining Evolution Mining.

Before working at Shaw & Partners he was a Managing Director and Global Team Co-head at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

He also worked as Managing Director and Australia team head at Deutsche Bank.

Before that time he was a director and global team head at Credit Suisse.

Mr O’Connor holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining and Minerals with first class honours from the University of NSW.

In an internal memo, Shaw & Partners said the team had all benefitted from his vast experience in the resource sector, having covered the sector through numerous cycles and with an incredible network of contacts across the Australia resource industry.

Colleagues describe him as “one of the best resource stock-pickers in the Australian market”.

Evolution has been active in the mergers and acquisitions space, selling non-core gold mining assets while also being tipped as a potential acquirer of other companies.

Mr O’Connor’s move comes as corporate activity is expected to ramp up in the gold mining space.

This week, St Barbara and Genesis Minerals embarked on a merger of equals in a move creating consolidation in the Leonora gold mining space in Western Australia.

Other deals are expected to follow.