Tag: Gold

Release – Labrador Gold Intersects 23.44g/t Au over 1.27 Metres at Big Vein Southwest

Posted on by aweinsoff@channelchek.com

Research, News, and Market Data on NKOSF

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

TORONTO, Nov. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Labrador Gold Corp. (TSX.V:LAB | OTCQX:NKOSF | FNR: 2N6) (“LabGold” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce results from recent drilling targeting the prospective Appleton Fault Zone over a 12km strike length. The drilling is part of the Company’s ongoing 100,000 metre diamond drilling program at its 100% owned Kingsway Project.

Highlights of the drilling include an intersection of 8.60g/t Au over 4.41 metres from 326.89 metres that included 53.52g/t Au over 0.31 metres in Hole K-22-211 that contains visible gold, and 1.31g/t Au over 7 metres from 270 metres including 8.49g/t Au over 0.91 metres in Hole K-22-207 from Big Vein Southwest. Hole K-22-202, drilled at the northeast end of Big Vein, intersected 5.68g/t Au over 2.65 metres from 189.7 metres that included 18.27g/t Au over 0.78 metres.

Hole K-22-211 was collared 40 metres southwest of Hole K-22-174 that intersected 284.1 g/t Au over 0.58 metres and 15.05g/t Au over 1.11 metres (see News Release dated July 7, 2022) and extends the mineralized zone further to the Southwest.

“We continue to have drilling success at both ends of Big Vein which has now been drilled over a strike length of approximately 520 metres and remains open in both directions. In particular, the high grade zone containing visible gold at Big Vein Southwest continues to expand,” said Roger Moss, President and CEO. “Two drill rigs continue drilling at Big Vein to test for extensions of the mineralization in both directions. Drilling will continue through the winter.”

Table 1. Summary of assay results. All intersections are downhole length as there is insufficient Information to calculate true width.

Figure 1. Visible gold in Hole K-22-211.
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/03572774-0511-4519-bf5e-5b6043993756

Figure 2. Big Vein plan map.
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/902bb7b2-45ed-49bb-b988-35872c854fbe


A total of 61,404 metres have been drilled to date out of the planned 100,000 metre program. Assays are pending for samples from approximately 4,263 metres of core (11.4% of the total submitted).

The Company has $20 million in cash and is well funded to carry out the remaining 39,000 metres of the planned drill program as well as further exploration to add to the pipeline of drill targets on the property.

Table 2. Drill hole collar details

QA/QC

True widths of the reported intersections have yet to be calculated. Assays are uncut. Samples of HQ split core are securely stored prior to shipping to Eastern Analytical Laboratory in Springdale, Newfoundland for assay. Eastern Analytical is an ISO/IEC17025 accredited laboratory. Samples are routinely analyzed for gold by standard 30g fire assay with atomic absorption finish as well as by ICP-OES for an additional 34 elements. Samples containing visible gold are assayed by metallic screen/fire assay, as are any samples with fire assay results greater than 1g/t Au. The company submits blanks and certified reference standards at a rate of approximately 5% of the total samples in each batch.

Qualified Person

Roger Moss, PhD., P.Geo., President and CEO of LabGold, a Qualified Person in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in NI 43-101, has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this release.

The Company gratefully acknowledges the Newfoundland and Labrador Ministry of Natural Resources’ Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) Program for its financial support for exploration of the Kingsway property.

About Labrador Gold
Labrador Gold is a Canadian based mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of prospective gold projects in Eastern Canada.

Labrador Gold’s flagship property is the 100% owned Kingsway project in the Gander area of Newfoundland. The three licenses comprising the Kingsway project cover approximately 12km of the Appleton Fault Zone which is associated with gold occurrences in the region, including those of New Found Gold immediately to the south of Kingsway. Infrastructure in the area is excellent located just 18km from the town of Gander with road access to the project, nearby electricity and abundant local water. LabGold is drilling a projected 100,000 metres targeting high-grade epizonal gold mineralization along the Appleton Fault Zone with encouraging results. The Company has approximately $20 million in working capital and is well funded to carry out the planned program.

The Hopedale property covers much of the Florence Lake greenstone belt that stretches over 60 km. The belt is typical of greenstone belts around the world but has been underexplored by comparison. Work to date by Labrador Gold show gold anomalies in rocks, soils and lake sediments over a 3 kilometre section of the northern portion of the Florence Lake greenstone belt in the vicinity of the known Thurber Dog gold showing where grab samples assayed up to 7.8g/t gold. In addition, anomalous gold in soil and lake sediment samples occur over approximately 40 km along the southern section of the greenstone belt (see news release dated January 25 th 2018 for more details). Labrador Gold now controls approximately 40km strike length of the Florence Lake Greenstone Belt.

The Company has 169,189,979 common shares issued and outstanding and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LAB.

For more information please contact:
Roger Moss, President and CEO      Tel: 416-704-8291

Or visit our website at: www.labradorgold.com

Twitter @LabGoldCorp

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release .

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. When used in this document, the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including those factors discussed in filings made by us with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties, such as actual results of current exploration programs, the general risks associated with the mining industry, the price of gold and other metals, currency and interest rate fluctuations, increased competition and general economic and market factors, occur or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, or expected. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Michael Burry Appears Negative on Cryptocurrency and Positive on Gold Investments

Posted on by phoffman@channelchek.com
Image Credit: Michael Steinberg (Pexels)

If Cryptocurrency is not the Safe Haven it was Expected to Be, Will Assets Move Into Gold Investments?

In addition to any information discovered from Michael Burry’s 13F filing earlier this week, he’s been coming out in support of gold. He seems to expect that those that were seeking a “safe harbor investment” in various crypto-related investments are now having a change of mind. Despite his long positions held on September 30 and made public on November 14, he has teased that he could be extremely short the market; presumably, this could include any tradeable asset when you’re an investment analyst of this caliber.

Will Investors Rediscover Gold?

“Long thought that the time for gold would be when crypto scandals merge into contagion,” Burry wrote in a tweet this week.

@michaeljburry

The financial pressures spreading across the crypto industry that have helped destroy the crypto exchange FTX and exposed characters like Sam Bankman-Fried that may have been given too much trust, are causing reduced trust in digital assets.

Supporters and believers in the benefit of crypto had been using bitcoin and other tokens as a means of storage outside of securities. Their expectation has been that crypto is superior as a store of value during periods of inflation, currency depreciation, and economic turmoil.

Crypto prices have not offered much protection against plunging stock, bond, and real estate values. In fact, relative to the strong US dollar, crypto’s value has fallen off a cliff, offering no protection. The overall outstanding crypto worth has gone from $2.2 trillion to around $830 billion. Gold has not been rising during this period, but relative to US dollars, it is down only 3%. 

Burry’s likely message is that the escalating cryptocurrency negatives will reduce demand for coins, yet demand for a safe haven asset would not be reduced. This could make gold again one of the only games in town for investors looking to protect against asset erosion.

Is Burry Short?

“You have no idea how short I am,” Burry said in a tweet this week.

@michaeljburry

He does not say he is short at all in this tweet. However, against the backdrop of many previous tweets warning against a market he believes will become more bearish, coupled with a holding report released that has five long holdings, the hedge fund manager of The Big Short fame is likely warning investors not to read too much positive into his fund’s holdings report.  That report was released just before the tweet.

The value of long securities held in his roughly $292 million AUM was $41 million. As he demonstrated during the financial crisis, there are non-publicly reported ways to be short, even short beyond your AUM. Fund managers with assets over $100 million only have to disclose US-listed stocks in their 13F filings with the SEC each quarter. Excluded in the reporting are shares sold short, overseas-listed stocks, and other assets such as commodities.

In actuality, Burry’s increased positions in prison stocks and exposure to the company involved in making Artemis’ rocket boosters is more likely a sign that he likes the prospects of some companies while at the same time doesn’t like the broader market outlook.

Positive Tweets

In addition to his positive tweet on gold, Burry has suggested the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate hikes, which have weighed on market prices, could end in the spring. This was reflected in his October 24 tweet “Still think the Fed back off on QT early next year.”

Investing in Gold

Investors that look to gain exposure to gold, will typically buy gold bullion, gold funds, gold futures, and the stocks of gold mining companies. All have unique advantages. Investors looking to research junior miners of gold and other precious metals and natural resources, find Channelchek as an excellent resource to discover and research many different unique, actionable possibilities. Start here.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

Release – Element79 Gold Enters Letters of Intent to Sell Five Properties from Nevada Gold Portfolio

Posted on by aweinsoff@channelchek.com

Research, News, and Market Data on ELMGF

(TheNewswire)

Vancouver, BC – TheNewswire – November 17, 2022 – Element79 Gold Corp. ( CSE:ELEM) (OTC:ELMGF) (FSE:7YS) (” Element79 Gold “, the ” Company “) today announced it has entered non-binding letters of intent (the ” Centra LOI ” and ” Valdo LOI ” respectively) with Centra Mining Ltd. (” Centra “) and Valdo Minerals Ltd. (” Valdo “), whereby the Company intends to sell a total of five properties from its Battle Mountain Portfolio, which is comprised of fifteen properties located in the famous gold mining district of northeastern Nevada, USA.

The properties being considered for sale include:

  • The Long Peak Project: 34 unpatented claims in Lander County
  • The Stargo Project: 337 unpatented claims in Nye County
  • The Elder Creek Project: 23 unpatented claims in Lander County
  • The North Mill Creek Project: 6 unpatented claims in Lander County
  • The Elephant Project: 197 unpatented claims in Lander County

“The potential sale of these claim blocks would allow Element79 Gold to continue unlocking additional value from our vast portfolio of prospective properties while maintaining our established focus on the rapid pace of development at our primary high-grade gold assets,” stated James Tworek, President and CEO of Element79 Gold. “Overall, we believe the Battle Mountain Portfolio contains several additional targets which warrant extensive exploration and prospecting to further validate historic high-grade samples.  Selling some of the portfolio has been a corporate strategy point and this is a great opportunity that allows us both unlock value for our shareholders and to focus our energy on our core projects.”

The Long Peak Project

The Long Peak Project (” Long Peak “) is comprised of 34 unpatented claims located near Copper Basin and the Copper Canyon Mine in Lander County, Nevada. Long Peak hosts significant historic prospects, warranting further exploration at Long Peak.

The Stargo Project

The Stargo Project (” Stargo “) is comprised of 337 unpatented claims located south of the Battle Mountain Trend in Nye County, Nevada.The large claim block contains attractive host rocks, tertiary age intrusives, and appropriate aged structural preparation to represent an attractive area for exploration target development.

The North Mill Creek Project

The North Mill Creek Project (” North Mill Creek “) is comprised of 6 unpatented claims located at the margins of the Goat Window in Lander County, Nevada. The Goat Window is an exposure of lower plate rocks beneath the Roberts Mountains Thrust which are the preferred carbonate host of Carlin-type gold deposits. Previous drilling completed at North Mill Creek yielded encouraging results warranting follow-up exploration.

The Elder Creek Project

The Elder Creek Project (” Elder Creek “) is comprised of 23 unpatented claims which cover the historic Elder Creek open-pit mine in Lander County, Nevada. Elder Creek is hosted in upper plate rocks where the mine area is believed to represent leakage from the deeper lower plate of the Roberts Mountains Thrust, suggesting that deeper targets could host significant mineralization within faulted and anticline folded sedimentary beds.

The Elephant Project

The Elephant Project (” Elephant “) is comprised of 197 claims located at the foot of the mine dumps at Nevada Gold Mines’ Phoenix operation. Elephant hosts a covered pediment target with various depths of cover based on the displacement of fault blocks. Limited past drilling has confirmed the presence and mineralization of the Elephant target model.

Terms of The Centra LOI

Under the terms of the Centra LOI, it is anticipated that Centra would purchase all of Element79 Gold’s interests and obligations in relation to Long Peak, and Stargo in exchange for a total consideration of $1,000,000 CAD payable by the issuance of an aggregate of 2,500,000 common shares of Centra at a deemed price of $0.40 CAD per share. The Centra LOI is non-binding and is subject to a 180-day exclusivity period.

Terms of the Valdo LOI

Under the terms of the Valdo LOI, it is anticipated that Valdo would purchase all of Element79 Gold’s interests and obligations in relation to North Mill Creek, Elder Creek, and Elephant in exchange for a total consideration of $1,125,000 CAD payable by the issuance of an aggregate of 3,750,000 common shares of Centra at a deemed price of $0.30 CAD per share. The Valdo LOI is non-binding and is subject to a 180-day exclusivity period.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Director of Element79 Gold and a “qualified person” as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Element79 Gold

Element79 Gold is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mining properties for gold and associated metals. Element79 Gold has acquired its flagship Maverick Springs Project located in the famous gold mining district of northeastern Nevada, USA, between the Elko and White Pine Counties, where it has recently completed a 43-101-compliant, pit-constrained mineral resource estimate reflecting an Inferred resource of 3.71 million ounces of gold equivalent* “AuEq” at a grade of 0.92 g/t AuEq (0.34 g/t Au and 43.4 g/t Ag)) with an effective date of Oct. 7, 2021 (see news release January 31st, 2022, available on SEDAR). The acquisition of the Maverick Springs Project also included a portfolio of 15 properties along the Battle Mountain trend in Nevada, which the Company is analyzing for further merit of exploration, along with the potential for sale or spin-out. In British Columbia, Element79 Gold has executed a Letter of Intent to acquire a private company which holds the option to 100% interest of the Snowbird High-Grade Gold Project, which consists of 10 mineral claims located in Central British Columbia, approximately 20km west of Fort St. James. In Peru, Element79 Gold holds 100% interest in the past producing Lucero Mine, one of the highest-grade underground mines to be commercially mined in Peru’s history, as well as the past producing Machacala Mine. The Company also has an option to acquire 100% interest in the Dale Property which consists of 90 unpatented mining claims located approximately 100 km southwest of Timmins, Ontario, Canada in the Timmins Mining Division, Dale Township. For more information about the Company, please visit www.element79.gold or www.element79gold.com .

For corporate matters, please contact:

James C. Tworek, Chief Executive Officer

Email: jt@element79gold.com

For investor relations inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations Department

Phone: +1 (604) 200-3608

Email: investors@element79gold.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press contains “forward‐looking information” and “forward-looking statements” under applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward‐looking statements”). These statements relate to future events or the Company’s future performance, business prospects or opportunities that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management made in light of management’s experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the Company’s plans for its portfolio of mining projects and properties; the Company’s business strategy; future planning processes; exploration activities; the timing and result of exploration activities; capital projects and exploration activities and the possible results thereof; any potential future cash flow and the timing thereof; acquisition opportunities; the impact of acquisitions, if any, on the Company. Assumptions may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Consequently, forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed. As such, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, assumptions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward‐looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “predict”, “forecast”, “potential”, “target”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe” and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward‐looking statements”.

Actual results may vary from forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the duration and effects of the coronavirus and COVID-19; risks related to the integration of acquisitions; actual results of exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; commodity prices; variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; actual performance of plant, equipment or processes relative to specifications and expectations; accidents; labour relations; relations with local communities; changes in national or local governments; changes in applicable legislation or application thereof; delays in obtaining approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; exchange rate fluctuations; requirements for additional capital; government regulation; environmental risks; reclamation expenses; outcomes of pending litigation; limitations on insurance coverage as well as those factors discussed in the Company’s other public disclosure documents, available on www.sedar.com . Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward‐looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward‐looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

Source: Element79 Gold

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Copyright (c) 2022 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.

Coeur Mining (CDE) – Getting the Rochester Expansion Past the Finish Line

Posted on by cpereira@noblefcm.com


Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst, Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Third quarter 2022 results. Coeur reported a third quarter adjusted net loss of $44.7 million or $(0.16) per share compared to a net loss of $2.9 million or $(0.01) per share during the prior year period. We had forecast a net loss of $3.0 million or $(0.01) per share. Sales were lower and costs applicable to sales were higher than our estimates. Free cash flow was $(115.7) million. For the nine months ended September 30, the company generated adjusted EBITDA in the amount of $103.1 million and free cash flow of $(242.2) million.

Updating estimates. We have lowered our 2022 EBITDA and EPS estimates to $136.3 million and $(0.31), respectively, from $151.8 million and $(0.12). Revisions to our 2022 estimates reflect third quarter results and lower commodity price assumptions in the fourth quarter. Our 2023 estimates remain unchanged.


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This Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Maple Gold Mines (MGMLF) – A Rising Star in the Abitibi Gold Belt

Posted on by cpereira@noblefcm.com


Monday, November 14, 2022

Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst, Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Maple Gold site visit. The company recently hosted a site visit for sell-side analysts and institutional investors. Mr. Matthew Hornor, CEO, and Mr. Fred Speidel, V.P. of Exploration provided a corporate update, including the company’s strategic priorities and an overview of the drilling program. The visit provided an opportunity to tour the property and core shack where participants were able to examine core samples and view technologies employed, including handheld/portable X-ray fluorescent (XRF) equipment.

Up to five rigs operating into 2023. Maple Gold recently secured a third drill rig to begin a 5,000-meter Phase III drill program at its 100%-controlled Eagle Mine property to follow up on the first two phases and test additional targets. Two rigs are deployed for the deep drilling program beneath and adjacent to historic underground mine workings in the Telbel area at the Joutel project, which is held in the company’s joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. A 10,000-meter deep drilling program at Douay will commence in November with the deployment of a fourth rig. Management indicated that a fifth rig could be deployed at Douay.


Get the Full Report

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

The New Effort to Re-Anchor the US Dollar to US Gold Stock

Posted on by phoffman@channelchek.com
US Sailors, Coastal Riverine Group, Restoring Command Anchor with Gold Paint, Credit: US Pacific Fleet (Flickr)

Can the Dollar Once Again Be Anchored by Gold? One Congressman Believes It Can

On October 7, 2022, US congressman Alex Mooney (a Republican from West Virginia) introduced a bill (the Gold Standard Restoration Act, H.R. 9157) that stipulates that the US dollar must be backed by physical gold owned by the US Treasury. The initiative clearly indicates that the increasingly inflationary US dollar is triggering efforts to get better money.

It should be noted that there have already been many legislative changes to make precious metals more attractive as a means of payment in recent years: in many US states, the value-added and capital gains taxes on gold and silver, but also on platinum and palladium, have been abolished. Mr. Mooney’s proposal is divided into three sections.

The first section of the bill establishes the need for a return to a gold-backed US dollar. For example, it is said that the US dollar—or more precisely, the bill refers to “Federal Reserve Notes”—that is, banknotes issued by the US Federal Reserve (Fed)—has lost its purchasing power on a massive scale in the past: Since 2000, it has dropped by 30 percent, and since 1913 by 97 percent. The bill also argues that with an inflation target of 2 percent, the Fed will not preserve the purchasing power of the US dollar but will have it halved after just thirty-five years. Moreover, the bill points out that it is in the interest of US citizens and firms to have a “stable US dollar.” The bill highlights that the inflationary US dollar has been eroding the industrial base of the US economy, enriching the owners of financial assets, while endangering workers’ jobs, wages, and savings.

The second section of the bill describes in more detail the technical process for re-anchoring the US dollar to the US official gold stock. It states that (1) the US secretary of the Treasury must define the US dollar banknotes using a fixed fine gold weight thirty days after the law goes into effect, based on the closing price of the gold on that day. The Fed must (2) ensure that the US banknotes are redeemable for physical gold at the designated rate at the Fed. (3) If the banks of the Fed system fail to comply with peoples’ exchange requests, the exchange must be made by the US Treasury, and in return, the Treasury takes the Fed’s bank assets as collateral.

The third section specifies how a “fair” gold price in US dollar can develop in an orderly manner within thirty days after the bill has taken effect. To this end, (1) the US Treasury and the Fed must publish all of their gold holdings, disclosing all purchases, sales, swaps, leases, and all other gold transactions that have taken place since the “temporary” suspension of the redeemability of the US dollar into gold on August 15, 1971, under the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944. In addition, (2) the US Treasury and the Fed must publicly disclose all gold redemptions and transfers in the 10 years preceding the “temporary” suspension of the US dollar’s gold redemption obligation on August 15, 1971.

What to Make of This?

The bill’s core is the idea of re-anchoring the US dollar to physical gold based on a fair gold price freely determined in the market. (By the way, this is an idea put forward by the economist Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973) in the early 1950s.) In this context, the bill refers to US banknotes. However, banknotes only comprise a (fractional) part of the total US dollar money supply. But since US bank deposits can be redeemed (at least in principle) in US banknotes, not only US dollar cash (coins and notes) could be exchanged for gold, but also the money supply M1 or M2 as fixed and savings deposits could be exchanged for sight deposits, and sight deposits, in turn, could be withdrawn in cash by customers, and the banknotes could then be exchanged for gold at the Fed.

As of August 2022, the stock of US cash (“currency in circulation”) amounted to $2,276.3 billion. Assuming that the official physical gold holdings of the US Treasury amount to 261.5 million troy ounces, and the market expected US cash to be backed by the official US gold stock, a gold price of about $8,700 per troy ounce would result. This would correspond to a 418 percent increase compared to the current gold price of $1,680. If, however, the market were to expect the entire US money supply M2 to be covered by the official US gold stock, then the price of gold would move toward $83,000 per troy ounce—an increase of 4.840 percent compared to the current gold price. Needless to say, such an appreciation of gold has far-reaching consequences.

All goods prices in US dollars can be expected to rise (perhaps to the extent that the price of gold has risen). After all, the purchasing power of the owners of gold has increased significantly. Therefore, they can be expected to use their increased purchasing power to buy other goods (such as consumer goods, but also stocks, houses, etc.). If this happens, the prices of these goods in US dollar terms will be pushed up—and thus, the initial purchasing power gain that the gold dollar holders have enjoyed by being tied to the increased gold price will melt away again. Moreover, if US banks were willing to accept additional gold from the public in exchange for issuing new US dollar, reanchoring the US dollar in gold would increase the upward price effect.

A re-anchoring of the US dollar in the US official gold stock will result in a far-reaching redistribution of income and wealth. In fact, it would be fatal for the outstanding US dollar debt: US dollar goods prices would rise, caused by a rise in the US dollar gold price at which the US dollar is redeemable for physical gold, thereby eroding the US dollar’s purchasing power. In the foreign exchange markets, the US dollar would probably appreciate drastically against those currencies that are not backed by gold and against currencies which are backed by gold, not as fine compared to the fineness of the gold backing of the US dollar. The purchasing power of the US dollar abroad would increase sharply, while the US export economy would suffer. US goods would become correspondingly expensive abroad, while foreign companies gain high price competitiveness in the US market.

Once the US dollar is re-anchored in gold, today’s chronic inflation will end; monetary policy–induced boom-and-bust cycles will come to an end; the world will become more peaceful because financing a war in a gold-backed monetary system will be very expensive, and the general public will most likely not want to bear its costs. However, there is still room for improvement. A “Gold Standard Restoration Act” will deserve unconditional support if and when it paves the way toward a truly “free market for money.” A free market in money means that you and I have the freedom to choose the kind of money we believe serves our purposes best; and that people are free to offer their fellow human beings a good that they voluntarily choose to use as money.

In a truly free market, people will choose the good they want to use as money. Most importantly, in a truly free market in money, the state (as we know it today) loses its influence on money and money production altogether. In fact, the state (and the special interest groups that exploit the state) no longer determine which kind of gold (coins and bars, cast or minted) can be used as money; the state is no longer active in the minting business and cannot monopolize it anymore; there is no longer a state-controlled central bank to intervene in the credit and money markets and influence market interest rates. That said, let us hope that the Gold Standard Restoration Act proposed by Mr. Mooney will pave the way to reforming the US dollar currency system—and that it will eventually move us toward a truly free market in money.

About the Author

Dr. Thorsten Polleit is the Chief Economist of Degussa and an Honorary Professor at the University of Bayreuth. He also acts as an investment advisor.

Labrador Gold Corp. (NKOSF) – Big Vein Target Continues to Deliver

Posted on by cpereira@noblefcm.com


Friday, October 21, 2022

Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst, Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Drilling continues at the Big Vein target. Labrador Gold released results from recent drilling associated with its 100,000-meter drill program at its 100%-owned Kingsway gold project targeting the Appleton Fault Zone over a 12-kilometer strike length. A total of 58,265 meters have been drilled to date with assays pending for samples from approximately 3,100 meters of core. Currently, one rig is drilling at the Golden Glove target while two rigs are drilling at Big Vein to test for extensions of mineralization in both directions. With drilling at the CSAMT target completed, a third rig is being deployed at Big Vein.

High grade assay results. Hole K-22-190 from the north end of Big Vein returned an intersection of 30.67 grams of gold per tonne over 1.1 meters from 208.85 meters depth that included 99.31 grams of gold over 0.3 meters. At Big Vein Southwest, Hole K-22-184 intersected 4.67 grams of gold per tonne over 1.64 meters from 336.25 meters depth that included 8.97 grams of gold per tonne over 0.75 meters. Drilling has returned several significant intercepts at the north end of Big Vein, including 6.07 grams of gold per tonne over 19 meters in Hole K-21-111. Results from Hole K-22-190 underscore the high-grade prospectivity of the area.


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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Ready or Not, Here Come CBDCs

Posted on by aweinsoff@channelchek.com
Image Source: usfunds.com

Central Bank Digital Currencies May Be Inevitable, And That’s a Problem

Readers of a certain age will remember Carnac the Magnificent, Johnny Carson’s recurring alter ego. As Carnac, the late-night host would list off three seemingly unrelated words, all of which answered a question that was sealed in an envelope that he held to his forehead.

Today we’re going to play the same game, with the answers being PayPal, Kanye (or Ye, as he’s now known) and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). And the question: What are the consequences of financial hyper-centralization?

Some of you will make the connections immediately. For everyone else, let me explain.

PayPal, the financial technology (fintech) firm cofounded over 20 years ago by Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and others, was roundly criticized last week after an update to its terms of service showed that the company would fine users $2,500 for, among other things, spreading “misinformation.” A PayPal spokesperson was quick to walk back the update, even claiming that the language “was never intended to be inserted in our policy,” but the damage was done. #DeletePayPal started trending on Twitter, and the company’s stock tanked nearly 12%.

As for Ye, he and his apparel brand Yeezy were reportedly dropped last week by JPMorgan Chase. In a letter widely shared on social media, JPMorgan says Ye has until November 21 to move his business finances elsewhere.

No reason was given by the bank to cut ties with the billionaire rapper, but it’s easy to surmise that Ye was targeted for his political beliefs and outspokenness. I don’t agree with everything he says, nor should you. He’s a controversial figure, and his comments are often erratic and designed to get a rise out of his critics. I’m not sure, though, that this should have anything to do with his access to banking services.

The two cases of PayPal and Ye represent what I believe are legitimate and mounting concerns surrounding centralized finance. Admittedly, Ye is an extreme example. He’s a multiplatinum recording artist with tens of millions of social media followers. But there’s a real fear among everyday people that they too can be fined or have their accounts frozen or canceled at any time for expressing nonconformist views.

This article was republished with permission from Frank Talk, a CEO Blog by Frank Holmes of U.S. Global Investors (GROW). Find more of Frank’s articles here – Originally published October 19, 2022

CBDCs Are Inevitable

That brings me to CBDCs. I was in Europe last week where I attended the Bitcoin Amsterdam conference, and I was honored to participate on a lively panel that was aptly titled “The Specter of CBDCs.”

As I told the audience, I believe CBDCs are inevitable, ready or not. There are too many perceived benefits. These currencies offer broad public access and instant settlements, streamline cross-border payments, preserve the dominance of a nation’s currency and reduce the operational costs of maintaining physical cash. Here in the U.S., millions upon millions of dollars’ worth of bills and coins are lost or accidentally thrown away every year. CBDCs would solve this problem. 

An estimated 90% of the world’s central banks currently have CBDC plans somewhere in the pipeline. As I write this, only two countries have officially launched their own digital currencies—the Bahamas with its Sand Dollar, and Nigeria with its eNaira—but expect many more to follow in the coming years. China, the world’s second largest economy, has been piloting its own CBDC for a couple of years now, and India, the seventh largest, released a report last week laying out the “planned features of the digital Rupee.” A pilot program of the currency is expected to begin “soon.” And speaking at an annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the U.S. should be “in a position where we could issue” a CBDC.

CBDCs Improve Bitcoin’s Use Case

Due to the centralized nature of CBDCs, however, there are a number of concerns that give many people pause. Unlike Bitcoin, which is decentralized and anonymous, CBDCs raise questions about privacy, government interference and manipulation.

In the White House’s own review of digital currencies, issued last month, policymakers write that a potential U.S. coin system should “promote compliance with” anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) laws. Such a system should also “prevent the use of CBDC in ways that violate civil or human rights.” Further, it should be sustainable; that is, it should “minimize energy use, resources use, greenhouse gas emissions, other pollution and environmental impacts on local communities.”

Nothing about this sounds inherently nefarious, but then, some of us may have said the same thing about PayPal’s “misinformation” policy (whether intended or not) and JPMorgan’s decision to end its relationship with a polarizing celebrity.

I believe this only improves Bitcoin’s use case, especially if we’re headed for a digital future.

Worst 60/40 Portfolio Returns In 100 Years

With only a little over 50 trading days left in 2022, it looks more and more likely that this will be among the very worst years in history for investing. Since World War II, there have been only three instances, in 1974, 2002 and 2008, when the S&P 500 ended the year down more than 20%. If 2022 ended today, it would mark only the fourth time.  

Here’s another way to visualize it. The scatter plot below shows annual returns for the S&P 500 (horizontal axis) and U.S. bonds (vertical axis). As you can see, 2022 falls in the most undesirable quadrant along with the years 1931, 1941 and 1969. Not only have stocks been knocked down, but so have bond prices as the Fed continues to hike rates at an historically fast pace.   

What this means is that the traditional “60/40” portfolio—composed of 60% stocks and 40% bonds—now faces its worst year in 100 years, according to Bank of America.

My takeaway is that diversification matters more now than perhaps in any other time in recent memory. Real assets like gold and silver look very attractive right now. Real estate is an option. And Bitcoin continues to trade at a discount. Diversification doesn’t ensure a positive return, but it could potentially spell the difference between losing a little and losing a lot.

You can watch the panel discussion at Bitcoin Amsterdam featuring Frank Holmes by clicking here!

All opinions expressed and data provided are subject to change without notice. Some of these opinions may not be appropriate to every investor. By clicking the link(s) above, you will be directed to a third-party website(s). U.S. Global Investors does not endorse all information supplied by this/these website(s) and is not responsible for its/their content.

The S&P 500 Stock Index is a widely recognized capitalization-weighted index of 500 common stock prices in U.S. companies. Diversification does not protect an investor from market risks and does not assure a profit.

Holdings may change daily. Holdings are reported as of the most recent quarter-end. None of the securities mentioned in the article were held by any accounts managed by U.S. Global Investors as of 9/30/2022.

Release – Maple Gold Secures Third Drill Rig to Commence Phase III Drilling at Eagle and Remains on Track to Complete 30,000 Metres Across Its Quebec Project Portfolio by Year-End

Posted on by aweinsoff@channelchek.com

Research, News, and Market Data on MGMLF

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – October 7, 2022) – Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: MGM) (OTCQB: MGMLF) (FSE: M3G) (“Maple Gold” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce that a third drill rig has been secured to commence a 5,000 metre (“m”) Phase III drill program at its 100%-controlled Eagle Mine Property (“Eagle”). The third rig is expected to arrive at site by mid-October, keeping the Company on track to complete approximately 30,000 m across its district-scale 400 km2 property package in Québec, Canada by year-end. Further to the Company’s news release on August 3, 2022, two (2) rigs are now turning on deep drill holes beneath and adjacent to the historical underground mine workings in the Telbel mine area (“Telbel”) at the Joutel Project (“Joutel”), which is held by a 50/50 joint venture (“JV”) between Maple Gold and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. In addition, the Company expects to secure a fourth drill rig in November to commence deep drilling at the JV’s Douay Project (“Douay”).

The Company is also pleased to announce that it has resolved the electrical issues at site that affected its core saws, effectively removing its core cutting backlog and enabling several large batches of samples from previously completed drilling to be sent to the assay labs.

“We are excited to commence Phase III drilling at Eagle that will follow up on the best results of the first two drilling phases and test additional targets while we are also ramping up the pace of our supplemental C$4.8M deep drilling program at Douay and Joutel,” stated Matthew Hornor, President and CEO of Maple Gold. “With normal site operations now restored, our backlog of core splitting and sample shipments has been effectively eliminated and we anticipate additional assay results throughout Q4 2022. The Company expects to be continuously drilling more aggressive step-out and deep drill holes at Douay, Joutel and Eagle with at least three rigs from mid-October through the end of Q1 2023.”

Deep Drilling Progress

Deep drilling at Telbel is progressing steadily with two (2) drill rigs actively testing the down-plunge continuity of gold mineralization in this area. Drill hole TB-22-001 (drilled from south to north) is approaching 1,500 m downhole and has encountered a broad near-surface zone of felsic-pyroclastic-hosted pyrite mineralization enroute to a planned total downhole depth of 2,000 m (see Figure 1 for all drill hole locations). Initial samples from TB-22-001 have already been shipped to the assay lab. Drill hole TB-22-002 (drilled from north to south) is collared 2.4 km to the east of TB-22-001 and is currently nearing 900 m downhole.

In addition, the Company anticipates commencing a ~10,000 m deep drilling program at Douay with a fourth drill rig in November. The JV has approved a combined ~16,000 m of deep drilling at Douay and Telbel under the previously announced C$4.8M increase to its Year Two exploration budget (see news from May 18, 2022).

New Exploration Drillhole Completed at Douay

The Company has also recently completed a new 534 m exploration drill hole at Douay (DO-22-330) collared approximately four (4) km south of the 531 Zone along the regional Casa Berardi South Fault, locally known as the Joutel Deformation Zone (“JDZ”) (see Figure 1). The JDZ has seen very limited drilling to-date in this area, with only a single historical drill hole over a nine (9) km segment of this structural corridor. The Company’s recently completed airborne magnetic and electromagnetic (“Mag-EM”) survey identified several conductive targets along trend to the southwest on the Joutel property (see news from July 19, 2022) providing further support for the JDZ as a favourable structural corridor for hosting gold mineralization. Initial drill core observations from DO-22-330 highlight the potential for Casa-Berardi style gold mineralization associated with brecciated and pyritic quartz veins in graphitic fault zones.


Figure 1:Douay and Telbel drill collars on geologic base map. Note close association of broad gold targets with Casa Berardi North Fault in the Douay resource area; gold targets in the Eagle-Telbel area are similarly associated with the Joutel and Harricana Deformation Zones.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3077/139814_fae1e3fa647dcb27_001full.jpg

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Fred Speidel, M. Sc., P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration of Maple Gold. Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this press release through his direct participation in the work.

About Maple Gold

Maple Gold Mines Ltd. is a Canadian advanced exploration company in a 50/50 joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited to jointly advance the district-scale Douay and Joutel gold projects located in Québec’s prolific Abitibi Greenstone Gold Belt. The projects benefit from exceptional infrastructure access and boast ~400 km2 of highly prospective ground including an established gold resource at Douay (SLR 2022) that holds significant expansion potential as well as the past-producing Eagle, Telbel and Eagle West mines at Joutel. In addition, the Company holds an exclusive option to acquire 100% of the Eagle Mine Property.

The district-scale property package also hosts a significant number of regional exploration targets along a 55 km strike length of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone that have yet to be tested through drilling, making the project ripe for new gold and polymetallic discoveries. The Company is well capitalized and is currently focused on carrying out exploration and drill programs to grow resources and make new discoveries to establish an exciting new gold district in the heart of the Abitibi. For more information, please visit www.maplegoldmines.com.

ON BEHALF OF MAPLE GOLD MINES LTD.

“Matthew Hornor”

B. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO

For Further Information Please Contact:

Mr. Joness Lang
Executive Vice-President
Cell: 778.686.6836
Email: jlang@maplegoldmines.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.

Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively referred to as “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada, including statements about exploration work and results from current and future work programs. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management’s best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company’s expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.’s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company’s website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139814

Will the Rally in Silver and Gold Stay in High Gear?

Posted on by cpatches
Image Credit: Pixabay (Pexels)

The Fundamental Reasons the Strength in Precious Metals May Continue

What’s happening with precious metals? Silver has been outshining gold the past few days as the rally in both precious metals (PM) has grabbed the attention of investors and perhaps caught those that were short silver off guard. Why are the metals rising, can the strength last, and what is the longer-term outlook for PM?

Silver reached a six-week high in the first week of October, and gold is at its highest level in three weeks. As financial markets are becoming more uncertain, the two metals are showing they never really lost their safe-haven status. The concerns have just not been high enough for many to rotate out of the investments they were in. The move to what has always been viewed as the highest level of safe, gold and silver. This rotation follows months of movement to $ U.S. dollar-denominated securities. The heightened level of safety was inspired by the media being focused on a potential financial crisis in Europe and discussions of Russia unleashing a nuclear weapon in Putin’s attempt to annex Ukraine.

Silver, Gold and Copper performance since September 1. Source: Koyfin

As if the words “nuclear bomb” aren’t enough to send some investors taking a larger allocation in safe-haven assets, there are rumors circulating that the global investment bank Credit Suisse may be in serious financial trouble. For many market participants, the rumblings about an investment bank having problems are reminiscent of 2007, the rumors of Bear Stearns, and the market troubles that followed. Revisiting the activity of the precious metals market that followed in 2008, silver outperformed copper, which outperformed gold.

As silver and gold rise, many speculators that were comfortable with short positions are finding themselves forced with the decision to decide to purchase to close out their short positions. Active hedge funds and other money managers will often play precious metals against the U.S. dollar. With the dollar at a 20-year high, the sentiment around metals was negative. If this is the beginning of a longer rotation into PM, the rotation could build into a strong short squeeze. Short covering serves to strengthen prices.

Other Fundamentals

Prior to Monday’s 7% increase in the price of silver and the 3% increase in gold, both with strong follow-up on Tuesday, some analysts were becoming more positive on the metals and miners category. In his quarterly Metals & Mining Review and Outlook, released on Channelchek pre-market Monday, Mark Reichmann, Sr. Research Analyst, wrote, “While higher rates and a strong U.S. dollar pose significant headwinds for gold, an inflection point may be reached as investors seek to preserve value amid deteriorating economic conditions, increasing geopolitical uncertainty, and market volatility.”

Reichmann seems to be long-term positive on metals, thinking gold and silver may turn first; he wrote, “Precious metals prices may strengthen in advance of industrial metals. Therefore, investors may desire to lean into precious metals mining names to benefit from a positive shift in investor sentiment.” He continued, “While it may take longer for industrial metals to recover, an eventual return to economic growth could result in strong prices due to potential supply and demand imbalances.”

For a complete list and the most current research reports of producers of precious and industrial metals companies covered by Mark Reichmann,  visit his analyst webpage here.

Take Away

The move earlier this year toward U.S. dollar denominated assets, to capture higher yields and low sovereign risk has been an ongoing investment trend since at least March. With the newly recognized potential of additional turmoil entering the market psyche, including Russia and whether they would use the bomb, and whether the recent about-face for England’s monetary policy indicates deep trouble beneath the financial world’s surface has created further allocations to precious metals.

The suddenness of the move may have caught some large investors who have been bearish on silver and gold to make unexpected decisions on short positions they had been carrying. This short-squeeze is likely contributing to the strength of both gold and silver as it plays out.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

Sources

https://www.kitco.com/commentaries/2022-10-04/Where-are-the-stops-Tuesday-October-4-gold-and-silver.html

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/gold-adds-to-gains-from-last-week-as-treasury-yields-pull-back-11664801679?mod=search_headline

https://schiffgold.com/key-gold-news/central-banks-add-gold-for-fifth-straight-month/

https://www.kitco.com/news/2022-10-03/Safe-haven-buying-boosts-gold-silver-prices-sharply-higher.html

How Do Gold Royalty Companies Work?

Posted on by cpatches
Image Credit: Strep72 (Flickr)

Taking the Mystery Out of Gold Royalty Companies

Investors have many options to gain exposure to gold. They may purchase gold bullion, gold coins, gold exchange-traded funds (ETF) and mutual funds, gold mining companies, or gold futures and options. Publicly traded equities of gold producers and royalty companies may offer an attractive way to invest given the disproportionate percentage impact higher commodity prices may have on a company’s bottom line and valuation for a given percentage increase in the commodity itself. While most investors are likely familiar with mining companies and how they operate, royalty companies may be less familiar.

What is a Gold Royalty?

A gold royalty is a contract that gives the owner the right to a percentage of gold production or revenue. Since royalties typically cover the life of a mine, gold royalty companies benefit from the exploration upside that may extend the life of a mine and thus increase the amount of gold or revenue they receive from the mining company at no additional cost.

There are several ways to generate royalties. First, royalty businesses may help finance a development project in exchange for a royalty. Second, a royalty business may purchase existing royalties from third parties, and 3) a royalty company may take a property that they already own, sell it to a mining company, and retain a royalty on the property. 

There are several types of royalties. The two most common are NSR and NPI royalties. A net smelter returns (NSR) royalty is an agreement where the mining company agrees to pay the royalty owner a percentage of the revenue, less refining and smelting costs. A net profit interest (NPI) royalty entitles the royalty owner to a percentage of the profit from a mine.

A stream is a purchase agreement that provides the owner of the stream, in exchange for an upfront payment, the right to purchase all or a portion of one or more metals produced from a mine at a negotiated price for the life of the agreement. The negotiated price is generally at a significant discount to the spot price.

Advantages of Owning Equity Shares of a Gold Royalty Company

Compared with investing in gold production companies, royalty businesses generally benefit from low overhead costs, geographically diversified asset portfolios, and exposure to multiple operators. Additionally, they avoid costly exploration expense which is borne by operators while sharing the benefit and upside of exploration investment in properties where they retain a royalty interest.  Like mining companies, royalty businesses offer greater leverage to changes in gold prices than investing in bullion.  Lastly, royalty businesses generally seek to build portfolios of producing royalties that support dividend payments to shareholders.  It is important to keep in mind that revenues increase with rising gold prices, increasing production on its royalty properties, and a growing royalty portfolio, while costs remain relatively fixed and stable. This scenario positions royalty companies to thrive in good markets and weather more challenging sets of circumstances.

As a royalty company grows, it offers the potential for multiple expansion, dividend payments, and the ability to execute larger transactions which could accelerate its growth. Junior royalty companies generally perform well in their early years since they can grow rapidly based on an increasing capacity to transact larger deals. Additionally, junior royalty companies may become attractive acquisition candidates for a larger royalty company seeking to enlarge its royalty portfolio.    

Investor Considerations:

It is important for investors to keep several factors in mind when conducting due diligence on prospective royalty company investments. These include: 1) management, 2) asset portfolio, 3) asset quality, 4) jurisdiction, and 5) valuation. 

Management

Should you bet on the horse or the jockey? It is important to evaluate management’s history and track record of creating value for shareholders. Does the management team reflect a balance of technical, financial, legal, and capital markets expertise? Is the board of directors comprised mostly of independent directors who provide a diversity of relevant experience and perspectives? Do they articulate clear objectives, and is their business model sound? Most importantly, do they focus on areas they know and employ a disciplined growth strategy, or are they seeking growth at any price?

Asset Portfolio

How is the company’s asset portfolio balanced between royalties that are producing cash flow streams versus royalties that are expected to produce cash flow within five years and/or longer? 

Asset Quality

Because royalty companies have little control over the decisions of the mining companies that control the properties on which the royalty interest is held, it is important for investors to evaluate the operators associated with the properties in the royalty portfolio. Are they well-capitalized major mining companies or small start-ups? Additionally, it is helpful to evaluate mineral resource estimates associated with properties in the portfolio and the operators’ plans for development.      

Jurisdiction

While geographic diversity is a selling point for most royalty companies, it is often helpful to consult the Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies to check if royalty interests are in favorable mining jurisdictions versus high-risk areas.

Valuation

Royalty companies are often valued based on price to net asset value. Net asset value is the net present value (NPV) or discounted cash flow (DCF) of all future cash flow of a mining asset, less any debt plus cash. Price to net asset value is the company’s market capitalization divided by the net present value of all mining assets minus net debt. For those that pay a dividend, investors may also compare dividend growth rates and yield. Larger companies generally trade at higher valuation multiples which generally increase with scale due to lower perceived risk due to greater asset diversification and a proven track record of growth. As royalty companies grow, they may be able to establish and grow dividends to shareholders, offer greater liquidity due to listings on major exchanges, and benefit from broader research. Some may also benefit from their inclusion in stock indices. For those that pay a dividend, it is important to know whether the dividend is paid from operating cash flow or whether the company is borrowing to pay the dividend.

Take Away

Investors have many options to gain exposure to gold. Royalty companies may be worth considering as a vehicle for exposure to gold. However, it is important for investors to understand their risk tolerance and return objective. The universe of royalty and streaming companies represents a broad range of market capitalizations, and many differences exist among their asset portfolios. Channelchek offers a starting point for investors to conduct due diligence and dig deeper.

For questions or comments, contact Channelchek.

Sources:

4 Reasons Why We Believe in Royalty Companies

How Precious Metals Royalty and Streaming Companies Create Value

Streaming & Royalty Companies: Mutually Beneficial Arrangements for Everyone, including Investors

Did Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt Cause Ethereum’s Merge?

Posted on by cpatches
Image Credit: US Funds

Decision To Switch Ethereum To Proof-Of-Stake May Have Been Based On Misleading Energy FUD

After countless delays, the Ethereum “Merge” finally took place last week, switching the blockchain protocol from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS).

What this means, in brief, is that Ethereum’s native coin, Ether (ETH)—the world’s second largest digital asset following Bitcoin (BTC)—can no longer be mined using a graphics processing unit (GPU). Instead, participants can choose to “stake” their ETH on the network. The Ethereum network then selects which of these participants, known as “validators,” gets to validate transactions, and if such validations are found to be accurate and legitimate, participants are rewarded with new ETH blocks.

This article was republished with permission from Frank Talk, a CEO Blog by Frank Holmes of U.S. Global Investors (GROW). Find more of Frank’s articles here – Originally published September 21, 2022

So what’s the catch? Well, there are a couple of big ones:

1) To become a validator, participants must stake at least 32 ETH, the equivalent of $43,000 at today’s prices, and

2) They must stake them for years.

You can see, then, how the Merge has transformed ETH from a decentralized asset, available to any young gamer with access to a decent GPU, to more of a centralized, oligarchic asset, controlled by a relatively few participants who already own tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of ETH.

In fact, as CoinDesk reported last week, two large validators were responsible for over 40% of the new ETH blocks that were added in the hours post-Merge. Those validators are crypto exchange platform Coinbase and crypto staking service Lido Finance.

PoS Puts Ether in Regulators’ Crosshairs

But wait, there’s more. By converting to PoS, Ether risks being seen by U.S. regulators as a proof-of-security asset. Last Friday, the White House published its first-ever crypto regulatory framework, just a day after the merge was completed.

Gary Gensler, head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has said on numerous occasions that PoW assets such as BTC are commodities, not securities, and should therefore not be regulated as securities.

That’s not the case with PoS, according to Gensler. Last week, the SEC chief commented that digital assets that allow investors to stake their holdings in exchange for new coins may qualify them as securities. The implication, of course, is that oversight of these coins may end up being just as rigorous as that of stocks, bonds, ETFs and other highly regulated assets. Besides ETH, other popular PoS cryptocurrencies include Cardano, Polkadot and Avalanche.

The May crash of Terra’s Luna coin, which triggered the collapse of overleveraged crypto lenders such as Celsius, Voyager and Three Arrows Capital, was a major driver of this year’s crypto winter. Lenders’ promises of high returns on investment have landed them in financial and legal hot water. It’s very important that the Ethereum Foundation not make the same mistakes and invite the same level of scrutiny.

As we like to say at U.S. Global Investors, government policy is a precursor to change. But the change, in this case, may not turn out to be favorable. Regulatory pronouncements could add to volatility within the nascent cryptocurrency industry.

In the table below, you can see that ETH was one of the most volatile assets for the one-day and 10-day trading periods as of August 31—more volatile, in fact, than BTC and shares of Tesla. I can’t help believing that’s due to investors’ apprehension of the merge and the regulatory uncertainty that surrounds it.

The DNA of Volatility

Standard Deviation For One-Year, As of August 30, 2022

ONE-DAYTEN-DAY
Gold Bullion±1%±3%
S&P 500±1%±4%
Bitcoin±4%±11%
Tesla±4%±13%
Ethereum±5%±15%
MicroStrategy±6%±19%

Energy FUD Contributed to Decision to Transition to PoS

If everything I’ve said up until this point is the case, why did Ethereum decision-makers choose to switch to PoS in the first place? Simply put, they folded under pressure from misleading charges that crypto mining, particularly BTC mining, consumes too much energy and is bad for the environment.

This is FUD, or fear, uncertainty and doubt. Yes, BTC mining requires electricity, but compared to nearly every other major industry—including finance and insurance, household appliances and gold mining—energy consumption is incredibly negligible, according to the Bitcoin Mining Council (BMC). What’s more, the BMC found that global BTC miners collectively use a higher sustainable energy mix than every major economy on the planet.

Supporters of the ETH Merge say that the move to PoS could cut the network’s energy usage by as much as 99.5%. None other than the World Economic Forum (WEF) praised the success of the merge last week, writing that crypto “has been waiting for a recalibration towards sustainability… for Web3 climate innovators, the new generation of environmental advocates, as well as U.S. climate efforts more broadly.”

But as many PoW proponents have rightfully pointed out, the GPUs that were previously used to mine ETH will likely now be used for other purposes post-merge, including mining other coins, high-performance computing and gaming. In reality, little to no energy will have been offset.

The question is: Who is funding the FUD about PoW and energy usage? It’s a complicated question.

Last week, a group of environmental activists, including Greenpeace and the Environment Working Group (EWG), announced that it plans to spend $1 million on a new campaign to encourage Bitcoin to follow ETH’s lead and move to PoS. The campaign, titled “Change the Code, Not the Climate,” falsely claims that BTC “fuels” the climate crisis.

This is the same covert tactic used by Russian president Vladimir Putin, who over the years has funded environmental groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the West in an effort to discredit and undermine the U.S. fracking industry.

Surprise! Gold Is Still One of the Best Performing Assets of 2022

Switching gears, I want to say a few words on gold. BTC’s analogue cousin hit its lowest price since 2020 last week even as inflation remains near 40-year highs and recession fears persist. As I write this, the yellow metal is trading at around $1,666 an ounce, approximately 19% off its peak in March this year.

Some investors may read this and jump to the conclusion that gold is no longer a valuable asset during times of economic and financial uncertainty, but they would be mistaken. Although gold is down for the year, it’s nevertheless outperforming most major asset classes including Treasury bonds, U.S. corporate bonds, the S&P 500 and tech stocks. The precious metal has therefore helped investors mitigate losses in other areas of their portfolio.

The latest report by the World Gold Council (WGC) also makes the case that gold could be a powerful investment in the face of a potential economic recession. The London-based group compared the performance of a number of asset classes during the past seven U.S. recessions going back to 1971, and it found that gold performed the best on average aside from government and corporate bonds.

That said, I still recommend a 10% weighting in gold, with 5% in bullion (bars, coins, jewelry) and 5% in high-quality gold mining stocks and funds. Remember to rebalance on a regular basis.

US Global Investors Disclaimer

The Bloomberg US Treasury Index measures US dollar-denominated, fixed-rate, nominal debt issued by the US Treasury. Treasury bills are excluded by the maturity constraint but are part of a separate Short Treasury Index. The Bloomberg US Corporate Bond Index measures the investment grade, fixed-rate, taxable corporate bond market. It includes USD denominated securities publicly issued by US and non-US industrial, utility and financial issuers. The NASDAQ-100 Index is a modified capitalization-weighted index of the 100 largest and most active non-financial domestic and international issues listed on the NASDAQ. The MSCI Japan Index is a free-float weighted equity JPY index. It was developed with a base value of 100 as of December 31, 1969. The MSCI Europe Index in EUR is a free-float weighted equity index measuring the performance of Europe Developed Markets. It was developed with a base value of 100 as of December 31, 1998. The MSCI USA Index is a free-float weighted equity index. It was developed with a base value of 100 as of December 31, 1969. Bloomberg Commodity Index is calculated on an excess return basis and reflects commodity futures price movements. The index rebalances annually weighted 2/3 by trading volume and 1/3 by world production and weight-caps are applied at the commodity, sector and group level for diversification. The S&P 500 is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities and serves as the foundation for a wide range of investment products. The index includes 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization.

Standard deviation is a quantity calculated to indicate the extent of deviation r a group as a whole.

Holdings may change daily. Holdings are reported as of the most recent quarter-end. The following securities mentioned in the article were held by one or more accounts managed by U.S. Global Investors as of (06/30/22): Tesla Inc.

Allegiant Gold (AUXXF) – East Pediment Drilling Highlights Eastside’s Discovery Potential

Posted on by cpatches


Thursday, September 22, 2022

Allegiant owns 100% of 10 highly-prospective gold projects in the United States, seven of which are located in the mining-friendly jurisdiction of Nevada. Three of Allegiant’s projects are farmed-out, providing for cost reductions and cash-flow. Allegiant’s flagship, district-scale Eastside project hosts a large and expanding gold resource and is located in an area of excellent infrastructure. Preliminary metallurgical testing indicates that both oxide and sulphide gold mineralization at Eastside is amenable to heap leaching.

Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst, Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling program. Allegiant completed a 32-hole RC drill program focusing on two areas outside the Original Pit Zone, including the East Pediment and Western Anomaly. Twenty-one holes were drilled on the East Pediment at an average depth of 203 meters and 11 holes were drilled on the Western Anomaly at an average depth of 223 meters. The company will conduct a follow-up RC drill program consisting of approximately 20 holes for a total of 5,000 additional meters of drilling. The rig is expected to arrive on site around October 20.

East Pediment discovery. Drilling on the East Pediment encountered mineralized rhyolite with assays returning values above 0.1 gram of gold per tonne over 51.5 meters of the 242-meter length of Hole ES-258. Intercepts include 86.4 to 93.9 meters averaging 1.3 grams of gold per tonne, including 86.4 to 87.9 meters averaging 4.4 grams of gold per tonne, along with 197 to 229 meters averaging 0.28 grams of gold per tonne. Allegiant intends to drill a grid pattern of offset holes in all directions around Hole ES-258 in late October 2022. The best intercepts associated with the West Anomaly were 34.8 to 45.4 meters averaging 0.93 grams of gold per tonne in Hole ES-268 and 76.7 to 83.8 meters averaging 1.4 grams of gold in Hole ES-264.


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*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.