Triumph Gold, Barrick Gold, Ballard Power - The Returners!

Triumph Gold - A real alternative

As expected, the European Central Bank continues its ultra-loose monetary policy unchanged. The total volume of the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program (PEPP), which runs until at least the end of March 2022, remains unchanged at EUR 1,850 billion. At the last meeting in March, the ECB decided to significantly accelerate purchases in the second quarter, which has now been reaffirmed. In June, the ECB intends to decide again on the pace of purchases. Purchases under the PEPP program are to continue, at least until the end of March 2022, or until the Governing Council of the ECB considers the Corona Crisis to be "over." Well then!

In such times of artificial money multiplication, investors often seek stability. A real asset is held by the Canadian exploration Company Triumph Gold Corp. in the Yukon. Starting with its major Freegold Mountain project in the Dawson Range gold belt, it has also been involved in a copper-gold site called Big Creek for several weeks. The Big Creek property consists of 258 contiguous quartz mining claims in Yukon's Whitehorse Mining District. Again, a prime location for the drill programs now scheduled to begin in late spring. The program also includes new targets in the Revenue, Nucleus and Melissa zones.

With the gold price just under USD 1,800, there is still a definite window of opportunity for an explorer to define the resource, but should the USD 2,000 mark fall, things will move quickly. Ounces in the ground will then be valued at high premiums. The copper yield is industrially much more expensive and can add value if the properties are sold due to its acute scarcity. This is what we should look for in Triumph.

Triumph Gold is, therefore, a real alternative to the negative interest rate cash holding in the account because over time, price premiums will be noticeable, but the account balance in cash shrinks daily. The TIG share shows the first upward signs in the chart at about CAD 0.18. Therefore, get in before the drill results make the rounds!

Barrick Gold - Important hurdles in Kibali have been cleared

The world's second-largest gold producer Barrick Gold gives an update on its Kibali mine in Congo. It produced exactly 191,612 ounces of gold in the first quarter of 2021 and is on track to meet its full-year production target. Despite Corona, Kibali is expected to produce between 800,000 and 850,000 ounces of gold this year, up from just 808,134 last year due to partial mine closures.

The mine's underground operations have been the main driver of production, while continued improvements in the plant's throughput and recovery rates have also helped Kibali deliver on schedule. However, it is the Company's turn to further optimize mine recovery as efficiency improvement projects initiated during the quarter, including an upgrade of the mining infrastructure, are nearing completion.

The average realized gold price in 2020 was USD 1,770 per ounce, up 27% from the average price of USD 1,393 in 2019 and also the highest ever annual average in the Company's history. After a brief consolidation low at EUR 15.5, the stock recently shot back up to EUR 18.8. With the next move in the gold price, we will likely see old highs above EUR 24 again. Accumulate!

Ballard Power - A comeback attempt

The hydrogen expert from Vancouver is attempting a new bull market run-up. After the strong correction we forecast in the period February-April 2021, the Company is now attempting a turnaround with good news. They announced yesterday that the Company is a member of the Hydra Consortium - together with Mining3, a leading research organization in the global mining industry, and ENGIE, a global player in low-carbon energy and services.

The Hydra Consortium is on a mission to power heavy mobile mining equipment with renewable hydrogen as a long-term substitute for diesel and to decarbonize the mining industry. To this end, Ballard will supply zero-emission fuel cell systems that run on hydrogen. The Hydra consortium is currently working diligently to validate the business case for a hydrogen-based fuel cell powertrain in heavy-duty mining mobility.

To achieve the goal of displacing diesel, several steps are being taken, including the development, fabrication and testing of a prototype 200-kilowatt fuel cell plus battery powertrain that will operate reliably under mining conditions (altitude, dust, temperature, etc.). In August 2020, the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO) was the first to support this project, awarding Mining3, in partnership with CSIRO Chile, a government grant equivalent to EUR 280,000.

Randy MacEwen, president and CEO of Ballard Power Systems, added, "We are pleased to partner with the Hydra Consortium on this groundbreaking pilot project for zero-emission fuel cell mining vehicles. The mining industry is responsible for significant emissions. To limit global warming to 2 degrees, this sector must reduce its direct emissions by 40% to 70% by 2050." Whether this project will help Ballard's stock turn the corner after its 50% crash remains questionable. However, it should be good for the image.