Statistics Canada released its January consumer price index (CPI) figures on Tuesday (February 18). The data showed that inflation ticked up on a yearly basis to 1.9 percent from the 1.8 percent recorded in December. On a monthly basis, CPI rose 0.1 percent in January following a 0.4 percent decline in December.
The rise in inflation was owed to a 5.3 percent increase in energy prices on an annualized basis, primarily gasoline and natural gas, after recording a more modest 1 percent gain the previous month. Headlining the gains was an 8.6 percent jump in gasoline prices versus the same period last year and a 3.5 percent increase over December.
The agency also released its December mineral production survey on Thursday (February 20). The report showed overall increases in copper, gold and silver production and shipments compared to November’s totals.
Copper production increased by over 5 million kilograms to 38.93 million kilograms in December, up from 33.23 million kilograms the prior month. Shipments saw a similar increase, with 49.17 million kilograms shipped compared to 44.6 million kilograms shipped in November.
Gold production increased to 17,325 kilograms from 16,573 kilograms in November. Meanwhile, shipments of the precious metal increased even more, coming in at 23,217 kilograms compared to 14,332 kilograms in November.
As for silver, December saw the highest production and shipment levels for silver in 2024. Silver production increased to 33,074 kilograms, up significantly month-over-month from 24,959 kilograms. Silver shipments jumped even more at 36,984 kilograms, a considerable uptick from November’s 23,709 kilograms.
In mining news, Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF) announced that its 50.1 percent owned subsidiary Anglo American Sur and Chilean state mining company Codelco signed a memorandum of understanding to create a framework for implementing a joint mining plan for the companies’ adjacent Los Bronces and Andina mines in Chile.
Anglo American says the new operating company will optimize the use of processing capacity between the two mines. The companies expect that the mines will produce an additional 2.7 million metric tons of copper over a 21-year period starting in 2030, and generate an additional US$5 billion in pre-tax value. The companies will retain full ownership of their respective properties.
Markets and commodities react
US equity markets were broadly down this week, with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) losing 1.67 percent to end Friday (February 21) at 6,013.12 and the Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) falling 1.93 percent to 21,614.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) sank the furthest, down 2.89 percent to 43.428.03.
In Canada, markets were also in decline. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) fell 2.48 percent on the week to close at 634.69 on Friday, the S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) posted a 2.15 percent loss to hit 25,147.03 and the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) dropped 2.59 percent to 132.46.
After hitting new all-time highs on Wednesday, the gold price remained in record territory on Friday, seeing a 1.78 percent increase on the week to close at US$2,934.24 per ounce at 4:00 p.m. EST. Silver also saw gains this week, moving up 1.22 percent to US$32.52.
In base metals, the copper price was in decline this week, shedding 2.13 percent throughout the week to close at US$4.59 per pound on the COMEX. Meanwhile, the S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) was flat, shedding 0.08 percent to close at 569.41.
Top Canadian mining stocks this week
So how did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?
We break down this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.
Data for this article was retrieved at 3:00 p.m. EST on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Companies within the non-energy minerals and energy minerals sectors were considered.
1. Minsud Resources (TSXV:MSR)
Weekly gain: 47.06 percent
Market cap: C$156.7 million
Share price: C$1
Minsud Resources is a copper exploration company focused on advancing its operations in Argentina.
Its flagship project, Chita Valley, is located in San Juan and covers 19,883 hectares. The area hosts widespread porphyry copper-molybdenum-silver-gold mineralization and includes three core properties: the Chita, Brechas Vacas and the Minas de Pinto mineral concessions. Minsud’s primary target is its Chinchillones deposit.
Shares in Minsud saw recent gains following the release of a technical report for Chita Valley on February 14 reporting its January maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) for the Chinchillones deposit. The deposit’s total indicated resource is 188 million metric tons (MT) of ore containing 466,000 MT of copper, 674,000 ounces of gold, 63.5 million ounces of silver, 6,800 MT of molybdenum and 291,000 MT of zinc.
The deposit also hosts an inferred resource of 573 million MT of ore containing 1.24 million MT of copper, 1.65 million ounces of gold, 166.6 million ounces of silver, 53,200 MT of molybdenum and 616,000 MT of zinc.
2. Kapa Gold (TSXV:KAPA)
Weekly gain: 32 percent
Market cap: C$11.58 million
Share price: C$0.165
Kapa gold is an exploration company focused on advancing the past-producing Blackhawk mine in San Bernardino County, California.
The project site is composed of seven patented and 178 contiguous federal lode claims covering 1,496.2 hectares. The property hosts multiple mineralized zones with previous exploration work revealing deposits with high grade gold, silver, lead and zinc. Historic production has seen grading from ramps and underground mines averaging 10 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold.
Kapa has not released news since January 7, when it announced that it was advancing baseline studies and surface exploration at Blackhawk. The company said the work was being conducted in preparation for a 2025 drill program, with data gathered being used to identify drill targets.
3. Power Metals (TSXV:PWM)
Weekly gain: 31.03 percent
Market cap: C$160.67 million
Share price: C$1.14
Power Metals is a lithium and cesium exploration company focused on its Case Lake project.
Located in Northeastern Ontario, the site is 10 kilometers by 9.5 kilometers in size and comprises 585 cell claims. Exploration at the site between 2017 and 2024 led to the discovery of pegmatite dykes bearing lithium, cesium and tantalum (LCT). Case Lake now consists of six spodumene dykes that form a mineralization trend of about 10 kilometers.
Assays from the site released on February 14 included a highlight of 8.07 meters grading 2.19 percent lithium oxide, 5.19 percent cesium oxide and 1,438 parts per million (ppm) tantalum. The results also included a 1 meter intersection bearing 1.85 percent lithium oxide, 11.7 percent cesium oxide and 208 ppm tantalum.
In addition to its most recent exploration news, Power Metals announced on February 10 that it had brought on DRA Global to begin work on a maiden mineral resource estimate and preliminary economic assessment for the Case Lake project. It expects to have the former completed by the end of Q1 2025, with the latter to follow in Q2.
Adding to Power Metals’ recent share gains was a release on February 5 in which the company reported that it had been awarded a new exploration permit for Case Lake. The new permit will remain valid for the next three years and will be used to target newly identified cesium targets uncovered in late 2024.
While the company did not release news this week, it continued its upward trend from recent weeks.
4. Minco Silver (TSXV:MSV)
Weekly gain: 29.73 percent
Market cap: C$12.82 million
Share price: C$0.24
Minco Silver is a development company working to advance its Fuwan silver project in China’s Guangdong province.
The property consists of three exploration permits covering a total of 125.74 square kilometers. Exploration to date has largely been focused on an area hosting 2.8 kilometers by 10 kilometers of strike.
A 2009 feasibility study for the property included a total probable reserve estimate of 55.3 million ounces of silver across 9.12 million metric tons of ore with an average grade of 189 g/t.
Shares in Minco have seen gains this past week but the company has not released news.
5. K2 Gold (TSXV:KTO)
Weekly gain: 29.03 percent
Market cap: C$24.65 million
Share price: C$0.18
K2 Gold is a gold exploration and development company with a portfolio of three assets located in Canada and the United States.
The company’s Wels project in Canada is composed of 351 contiguous quartz claims covering 7,200 hectares near Beaver Creek, Yukon. According to the project page, K2 says the deposit is similar to Newmont’s (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) nearby 4 million ounce Coffee gold deposit.
In the US, K2 owns its flagship Mojave gold project in Inyo County, California, which covers 5,830 hectares with 12 exploration targets. In addition to gold, Mojave also contains mineralization of copper, silver, lead and zinc.
The company’s final asset is the Si2 gold project in Esmeralda County, Nevada, US. The site consists of 118 Bureau of Land Management lode claims covering 986 hectares in the Walker Land trend. Exploration has indicated gold-bearing mineralization, with concentrated veins hosted by fault structures at depth.
On January 17, K2 announced that it signed an agreement with Orogen Royalties (TSXV:OGN) to accelerate its acquisition of a 100 percent stake in the Si2 project.
The new deal will see K2 pay Orogen C$250,000 in cash or common shares and a 2 percent net smelter return royalty to immediately acquire the property, replacing a January 2022 deal in which K2 had to make US$200,000 in cash payments and C$2.3 million in exploration expenditures.
The release also included results from an alteration study on Si2 drill core that determined the presence of an intact, low-sulfidation epithermal gold system.
K2 said the acquisition “allows us the flexibility to advance the project at our own pace as we approach the final steps in permitting at K2’s flagship Mojave project.
The Company’s most recent news came on February 21, when it said it had increased its previously announced non-brokered private placement to C$3 million in capital through the sale of 20 million units at a price of C$0.15 per share. The funds will be used for exploration and permitting at the Mojave gold project.
FAQs for Canadian mining stocks
What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?
The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.
How many companies are listed on the TSXV?
As of June 2024, there were 1,630 companies listed on the TSXV, 925 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,806 companies, with 188 of those being mining companies.
Together the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.
How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?
There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.
The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.
These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.
How do you trade on the TSXV?
Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.
Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.