The AOCE and WB have moderate overall forecasts for the metals in 2025 inline with IMF forecasts for a decline in economic growth and inflation, although we see the probability of a stagflationary scenario as still reasonably high.Read More

The past year was a difficult one overall for the metals, with the main standouts to the upside being a geopolitical risk-driven gain in gold, a China-driven rise in iron ore and a surge in uranium on broadening global support for nuclear power (Figure 1). A jump in global interest rates to near two-decade highs saw recession fears persist all year, and while one still did not actually eru...Read More

This year the post-global health crisis boom was brought to an end by a surge in inflation to forty-year highs, a major rise in global interest rates in an attempt to curb the rising prices and surging geopolitical risk after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While precious metals held up reasonably well as markets turned to them as a risk hedge, by Q2/22 the higher interest rates put an end t...Read More

Chile is the world leader in copper production, at 28.5% of the total in 2020, and this looks set to continue, with the country having the largest global reserves, at 23.0% of total. It is also the global leader for molybdenum, which is often found along with copper, and is a major lithium player, holding 51.1% of global reserves. Read More

Newfoundland has become a gold exploration hotspot over the past few years, with the sector seeing some of its strongest activity ever. While the province remains a small contributor to Canadian gold production, it has a substantial mineral industry well supported by the government, focused on iron ore, copper and nickel, and the surge in exploration suggests that gold output from the...Read More

Nevada is the core of the U.S. gold output, accounting for by far the majority, at 75.4% on average for the past year. The state looks set to remain a dominant player in U.S. gold, as it accounts for 49% of total U.S. reserves, with Alaska slightly ahead with 51% of reserves, but just 8.6% of current production. The U.S. accounts for 6.1% of global gold output, making Nevada one of the largest gol...Read More

The Golden Triangle in northwestern British Columbia has historically been a major site of Canadian gold production, beginning as early as the mid 1800s. There was a wave of production in the 1990s which cooled as the gold price declined, but larger scale production resumed in 2017, and the area has seen surging exploration interest over the past year, given that the region has some of the largest...Read More

In this report we outline the Quebec gold mining industry, including its major producers, and a survey of many of the junior miners focused on the province. Quebec accounts for 34% of Canadian gold production (second to Ontario, with 44%) and remains a major focus for both producers and junior miners.Read More

Red Lake has been one of the most prolific gold mining districts in Canada and the world, with exploration having started in the 1920s, and production, which began in the 1930s, continuing to the present day. The district is known for the high grade of its gold, its infrastructure, and strong institutional support, given the long history of mining in the area.Read More

Talks between Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) and striking workers at its Cerro Verde copper mine in Peru broke down Thursday with miners announcing their plan to start an indefinite stoppage beginning March 24.Around 1,300 unionized miners downed tools on March 10, demanding better working conditions as well as a larger share of profits.Around 1,300 unionized miners will start an indefinite stoppage...Read More

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), the world's No.1 heavy machinery maker, is bringing in former US attorney general William P. Barr to help it sort out tax issues surrounding its Swiss subsidiary, which sparked a federal raid on its Peoria headquarters earlier this month.Barr, who served as US Attorney General under President George Bush from 1991 to 1993, will help the company review and address issues rel...Read More

Canada's British Columbia, the country's most western province, is famous for its natural beauty, but it can not longer brag about how attractive it is to mining investors as perception grows that it may no longer a be welcoming place for mineral exploration.Recent reports offer the mining and exploration sectors some optimism that a four-year-long bear market has ended, although projections ar...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices edged lower on Friday, but still remained close to two-week highs thanks to a weaker U.S. dollar and the Federal Reserve's dovish stance at its latest policy meeting.On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for April delivery were down 0.09% at $1,226.05, just off the previous session's two-week high of $1.231,40.The April contract ended T...Read More

(Adds company news items, futures)March 17 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 futures FFIc1 were down 0.1 percent ahead of the cash market open on Friday.* The UK blue chip FTSE 100 .FTSE index closed 0.6 percent higher at 7,415.95 points on Thursday, helped by a surge in commodities-related stocks, but pared some gains after a Bank of England policymaker voted for a rate hike. BERKELEY: London-focuss...Read More

March 17 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up 1 point at 7,416 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.* BP: BP Plc BP.L on Friday said it had sold around half its roughly 20-percent stake in New Zealand Refining Company Limited NZR.NZ for NZ$80.4 million ($56.2 million) as part of a global portfolio review. BHP BILLITON: The striking union at BHP Billiton's BLT.L E...Read More

Take heed of The Hound’s warning, and let it free you. There is no guarantee of a job or safety net, there is no absolute security from evil doers, and there is only so much you can do to prevent accidents and illness. The silver lining is that recognizing this is the best way to cushion yourself from the vulnerabilities of an unpredictable world.Brienne of Tarth, in Game of Thrones, is nobl...Read More

Take heed of The Hound’s warning, and let it free you. There is no guarantee of a job or safety net, there is no absolute security from evil doers, and there is only so much you can do to prevent accidents and illness. The silver lining is that recognizing this is the best way to cushion yourself from the vulnerabilities of an unpredictable world.Brienne of Tarth, in Game of Thrones, is nobl...Read More

Former open-pit mine has $1 billion worth of existing mine infrastructure, including processing plantAn exhausted copper-gold mine 250 kilometres north of Smithers will be given a second life when the owners of the Kemess open-pit mine go underground, using a novel block cave mining approach.AuRico Metals (TSX:AMI) received an environmental certificate March 15 for its $684 million Kemess projec...Read More

Canada's Barrick Gold (TSX, NYSE: ABX), the world's No.1 producer of the precious metal, is said to be mulling either the sale of a stake in its Lagunas Norte mine in Peru or the addition of a partner in the venture.People familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Toronto-based miner would prefer to keep at least a 50% ownership of the mine, located in north-central Peru, 140 km east of the c...Read More

Please note: The Frank Talk articles listed below contain historical material. The data provided was current at the time of publication. For current information regarding any of the funds mentioned in these presentations, please visit the appropriate fund performance page.Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) releases its report card on the condition of America's infrast...Read More

Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal is trying to buy a stake of as much as 2 billion pounds ($2.4 billion in Anglo American (LON:AAL), representing about 12% of the firm, one of the main rivals to the tycoon's Vedanta Resources (LON:VED).Deal makes of Volcan Investments Ltd., Agarwal's family trust, the second-largest investor in Anglo American.The deal would make of Volcan Investments Ltd., Agarwal's...Read More

March 16 (Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a higher opening for Canada's main stock index on Thursday as commodities gained on the dollar's drop in the wake of the U.S. Federal Reserve's dovish tone for rate hikes this year.The Fed on Wednesday raised interest rates, as expected, but signaled only a gradual rate tightening. That sent the dollar to a one-month low, and gold and copper to one-wee...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices rallied to a more than one-week high during European morning hours on Thursday, after the Federal Reserve sounded more dovish than anticipated on future rate hikes.Comex gold futures jumped to a session peak of $1,228.65 a troy ounce, the highest since March 6. It was last at $1,225.55 by 4:10AM ET (08:10GMT), up $24.85, or around 2.1%.Meanwhile, spot gold was up $6.30...Read More

* Agarwal acting for family trust, not Vedanta- statement* Anglo American declines comment* Vedanta seen too small to take over Anglo in near term (Adds detail of previous interest in Anglo, share price, comment)By Barbara Lewis and Zandi ShabalalaLONDON, March 16 (Reuters) - Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal said he was buying a 2 billion pound ($2.45 billion) stake in Anglo American AAL.L , send...Read More

(Corrects currency to pounds not dollars in headline, paragraph 1)LONDON, March 15 (Reuters) - Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal said on Wednesday he would buy a stake of up to 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) in Anglo American AAL.L but had no intention of trying to take control of the global miner.Agarwal, who has majority control of Hindustan Zinc Ltd HZNC.NS through Vedanta Ltd VDAN.NS VED.L...Read More

Plans by Barrick Gold (TSX, NYSE:ABX) to revive its Pascua Lama gold, silver and copper project straddling the border between Chile and Argentina may once again be postponed after Chile's Supreme Court revoked this week a temporary closure permit granted by the country's mining regulator Sernageomin in 2015.Such decision sought to relax certain requirements for Barrick to obtain a new environme...Read More

World's largest miner BHP Billiton (ASX, NYSE:BHP) (LON:BLT) has lost about $712 million due to an already 35-day-long strike at its Escondida copper mine in Chile, based on the main union's estimates, but the company is about to put an end to the stoppage.According to the mine's president, Marcelo Castillo, the firm is currently analyzing its legal alternatives to resume work at the world's la...Read More

(Adds company news item)March 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up 13 points on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 up 0.1 percent ahead of the cash market open.* LLOYDS: The British government has reduced its stake in Lloyds Banking Group LLOY.L to just below 3 percent, putting the lender on track to be back in private ownership within the...Read More

March 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up 13 points on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.* ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca's AZN.L ovarian cancer drug Lynparza slashed the risk of disease progression in a closely watched clinical trial, boosting its profile against rivals within the novel PARP inhibitor drug class. BHP BILLITON: The Escondida copper mine in Chile p...Read More