The gold rush continues! 100% opportunity with Newmont, Barrick Mining, LAURION Mineral, and First Majestic

Newmont and Barrick – Titans in gold

The large mining companies Barrick Mining and Newmont Corp. are currently finding the best environment to finally generate decent cash flow. After a long period of regulatory uncertainty in Mali, Barrick Mining has achieved initial success in resuming operations at its Loulo underground mine. At the beginning of the year, regulatory intervention led to a production stoppage triggered by new legal requirements such as higher taxes and increased state participation. The provisional administration initially only allowed the processing and removal of existing ore, but since October, Barrick has also been allowed to resume blasting. Despite complex negotiations and ongoing arbitration proceedings with the government, Barrick remains one of the largest foreign investors in Mali and is sticking to its projects. The return to regular operations is expected to gradually increase production, even though open-pit mining is on hold for the time being. The granting of new licenses and an expansion of the state's share in the gold sector could ease the situation for all local mine operators. Barrick's share price has gained over 50% over the past 12 months, but has been consolidating nicely for a few days now. This should not distract from the fact that the 2025 P/E ratio has fallen to 13.3 due to the jump in profits and that shares are still being bought back.

In contrast, Newmont traditionally focuses on expanding existing mines in politically stable countries, avoids complex conflict regions, and focuses more on sustainable and socially responsible development. While Barrick shows a high risk tolerance and is also active in unstable environments such as Mali, Newmont pursues a more conservative expansion policy and is specifically expanding transparency and ESG goals. Newmont also took a beating yesterday. With a 7.7% daily loss, the titan led the field of major mining companies in terms of losses. In addition to a low 2025 P/E ratio of 12.8, the investment also yields a dividend of around 3%. The experts on the LSEG platform expect Barrick to have 27% potential over 12 months, while Newmont is expected to deliver as much as 35%. Both stocks are once again highly attractive for long-term investors in the precious metals sector.

LAURION Mineral Exploration – Focus on gold in the Ishkoday area

LAURION Mineral Exploration, based in Ontario, Canada, specializes in the exploration and development of gold and polymetallic deposits. The management team, led by CEO Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin, is particularly focused on the Ishkoday project, located 220 km northeast of Thunder Bay. The Ishkoday project spans 57.4 km² and is located in the Onaman-Tashota Greenstone Camp in northern Ontario. LAURION owns 100% of the neighboring Brenbar mining licenses, which are directly adjacent to the main project to the west. The Company also owns the 10.46 km² Twin Falls project, which is also located west of the Ishkoday project and has already yielded high-grade gold values such as 32.47 g/t over 1.90 m. LAURION is located in a definitive gold region, as over 4 million ounces had already been produced in the immediate vicinity by 1969. The licensed area also contains an estimated 280,000 tons of waste rock with mineralization of up to 1.2 g/t gold, representing a potential yield of approximately 10,000 ounces.

LAURION's strategic positioning allows for consolidated exploration along a larger mineralized corridor. The Company has been pursuing a systematic drilling and exploration program for some time to expand existing mineralization and identify new resources. In addition to a perfect infrastructure, 154 diamond drill holes totaling 44,026 meters of core drilling have been completed over more than a decade. In 2025, the drill program will cover approximately 7,000 meters, focusing on the high-grade vein systems of the Sturgeon River and Brenbar areas. Initial results encountered high-grade intervals such as 9.16 g/t gold over 0.80 m. LAURION completed an independent NI 43-101 technical report for the Ishkoday Project in February 2024, confirming further potential in the areas mentioned. To date, CAD 11.5 million has been invested in the exploration of the area.

The Company has approximately CAD 7 million in cash, of which CAD 1 million is flow-through funds for exploration until the end of the year. Over 73% of the outstanding shares are held by family and insiders, a strong sign of the founders' commitment. With a market capitalization of just under CAD 93 million, LAURION Minerals is far too cheap given its promising projects. In recent years, too little has been done to raise awareness, but that could change significantly in the coming months. Those who invest now are ahead of the curve. Collect!

First Majestic – Silver is also really fun

Finally, a correction, many uninvested investors will cry! Yesterday, the price of silver plummeted 7% below the USD 50 mark. Those who believe in the precious metal in the long term will continue to find solid prospects in profitable producers such as First Majestic Silver. With the acquisition of Gatos Silver in early 2025, the Company has strategically expanded its production base and secured a 70% stake in the high-margin Cerro Los Gatos complex. This strengthens First Majestic's existing core operations in San Dimas, Santa Elena, and La Encantada in Mexico. Production of 14.8 to 15.8 million ounces of silver is forecast for 2025, a potential record level following a 48% increase in production in the second quarter.

The focus is now on increasing productivity and reducing production costs (AISC). Around USD 170 million will be invested in exploration, modernization, and project development in 2025. Los Gatos is expected to make a significant contribution to margin improvement in the future. According to management, integration is proceeding as planned, with initial synergies in processing and logistics already visible. In addition, a USD 50 million share buyback program was launched in October. Despite doubling in price within a year, the stock remains strongly underpinned by its operations and attractive to long-term investors. Yesterday, the stock fell by 7%, so increased volatility should be expected.

Barrick Gold and Newmont are benefiting from a stable, high gold price and are focusing on efficiency, cost control, and sustainable projects. First Majestic Silver remains a dynamic, albeit volatile, lever on the silver price. For LAURION Mineral Exploration, the highly uncertain market environment creates an attractive opportunity. Despite advanced work on the Ishkoday project, the Company is trading well below its net asset value, with a market capitalization of only around CAD 93 million.