Investing

Gold exploration companies carry more risk than typical mining companies, but they also carry more upside potential. I try to target gold explorers that have high-potential gold deposits with exploration upside, favorable mining jurisdictions, close proximity to producing mines, and strong insider ownership. Here are three gold explorers that recently released positive drilling results, and my thoughts on each stock.

We've all heard of big companies like Silver Wheaton, Royal Gold, and Franco-Nevada employing the concept of "streaming" but how does it work, exactly? Today's infographic explains the precious metals streaming model, and the arbitrage opportunity that creates value for both the streamer and the miner seeking to acquire capital.

Analysts expect earnings to improve dramatically (35+%) for the 4 Canadian small cap companies on our list today, hence the high target price estimates.

Natural resource stocks could make for a nice diversifier in a portfolio but I wonder how many investors have the intestinal fortitude to take advantage of that diversification. That’s the question investors need to answer before diving in.

This article reveals how gold, silver, PM mining stocks and the S&P 500 performed each year of the 4-year presidential election cycle, on average, and suggests how one should invest in the various assets in the years to come.

Growth, as calculated here by taking a 2-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR), has been tremendous for the stocks on our list today, hitting 40% and above. In addition, an appetizing dividend payout is a bonus.

A popular valuation multiple within the resource industry is to take a company’s market cap and divide it by its gold equivalent ounces in the ground. This ratio gives an indication as to how pricey one company’s gold is in comparison to another's. As a reference, Barrick Gold (TSE:ABX) trades a 145 times its gold equivalent ounces in the ground, while Goldcorp (TSE:G) trades at 181x. That being said, the 5 low indebted gold stocks on our list today are trading below 55x.

The 4 mining stocks on our list today have exposure to silver. In addition, they have the best free cash flow figures compared to their competitors during the last 12 months.

In the face of low commodity prices, investors should give more preference to miners with lean cost structures. With that in mind, the 4 companies on our list today exhibit a low (below 5%) SG&A Expense as a % of Revenues ratio compared to the industry average of 30%.

As earnings fall, and particularly as earnings expectations fall one would expect stock prices to fall but, as we see, earnings are falling and stock values are rising.