“A lot of shareholders are starting to say ‘we get it,'” Griffith told reporters.
Mr Griffith said he did not plan to change the terms of the deal, after announcing cutbacks on Monday, including higher dividends and a listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
The current environment for gold stocks is very difficult and the market does not like premium deals, Griffith said, saying the timing of the announcement of the deal – just before a plunge in gold prices – contributed to the negative reaction.
Gold Fields has had “constructive” and “difficult” discussions with Redwheel, a shareholder who has publicly called on the miner to drop the deal, as part of its commitments to investors, Mr Griffith told reporters.