Mining Monthly: March Edition
What you need to know:• Precious metals pulled back sharply in March amid a liquidity-driven risk-off rotation, with gold down 12.1% and silver down 15.7%.
• Mining equities declined alongside metals, with GDX down 20.8%, GDXJ down 23.2%, SILJ down 23.9%, and COPX down 20.4%, while the TSX fell 4.6% and the S&P 500 dropped 5.1%.
• The Iran War drove elevated volatility and cautious sentiment across the space in the near-term, while Canada announced 30 new critical minerals partnerships unlocking $12.1B in project capital, as long-term fundamentals remain intact.
March proved to be a month of consolidation and profit-taking, as the massive gains accumulated across precious metals and mining equities over the past year finally invited a meaningful liquidity-driven risk-off rotation. Gold and silver finished the month at $4,677/oz and $75/oz, respectively, as investors who had ridden the historic rally chose to reduce exposure amid an uncertain geopolitical backdrop. Despite this month’s pullback, we emphasize that on a 12-month basis, the sector remains among the strongest-performing by a wide margin.
The ongoing Iran War dominated sentiment throughout the month, contributing to elevated volatility and a broadly cautious tone across the space. That said, the market demonstrated real resilience on days when positive headlines around potential resolutions emerged, with gold and other mining equities staging sharp recoveries that reinforced the degree to which the war, rather than any fundamental deterioration, has been the primary driver of near-term weakness.
On the critical minerals front, Canada announced 30 new partnerships under the Critical Minerals Production Alliance, unlocking $12.1B in project capital, while the FORGE forum advanced discussions around a formal allied "Critical Minerals NATO" framework with enforceable price floors. A near-500% surge in tungsten prices and a scramble for cobalt inventories served as a further reminder that supply stress in the sector is intensifying, with geopolitical competition increasingly dictating price action over fundamentals.
Amerigo Resources is engaged in the production of copper and molybdenum concentrates with operations in Chile. Through its subsidiary, Minera Valle Central S.A., Co. has a contract with Chile's state-owned copper producer National Copper Corporation to process the tailings from El Teniente underground copper mine.
Anglo Pacific Group is a global natural resources royalty company. Co. secures natural resources royalties and streams by creating new royalties directly with operators or by acquiring existing royalties. Co. has royalties and investments in mining and exploration interests primarily in Australia, North and South America and Europe, with an exposure to commodities represented by coal, uranium, gold and iron ore.
Copper Fox Metals is engaged in the exploration for and development of mining properties in Western Canada.
Endurance Gold is engaged in the exploration and development of mineral properties in North America and has not yet determined whether its properties contain ore reserves that are economically recoverable. The recoverability of the amounts expended on mineral interests by Co. is dependent upon the existence of economically recoverable reserves, the ability of Co. to obtain necessary financing to complete exploration and development of its mineral properties and upon future profitable production or proceeds from disposition of its mineral interests.
GIGA Metals is an exploration stage mineral resources company engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties, primarily in northern British Columbia. Co. has not yet identified any mineral resource on any of its properties that is of a commercially exploitable quantity.
Lion One Metals is in the business of mineral exploration and development and is focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resources in Fiji, Australia and Argentina. Co. is in the process of exploring and evaluating its resource properties and has not yet determined whether the properties contain mineral reserves that are economically recoverable. The recoverability of the amounts shown for exploration and evaluation assets are dependent upon the existence of economically recoverable reserves, the ability of Co. to obtain necessary financing to complete the development of those reserves and upon future profitable production.
Mineros is primarily engaged in the mining of gold, as well as in related activities pertaining to the mining industry in general, including the mining of precious metals, metallic or non-metallic mineral substances or hydrocarbons.
Regulus Resources is an exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resources.
Rio2 is in the process of exploring its interests in resource properties and has not yet determined whether these properties contain reserves that are economically recoverable. The recoverability of amounts shown for resource properties and related deferred costs is dependent upon the existence of economically recoverable reserves, confirmation of Co.'s interest in the underlying claims, the ability of Co. to obtain necessary financing to complete the development, and upon future profitable production or proceeds from the disposition thereof.
Santacruz Silver Mining is engaged in the operation, acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Mexico, with a primary focus on silver, but also including gold, zinc and lead. Co. is focused on meeting and maintaining its primary production objective of producing approximately 1.5 million silver equivalent ounces on a yearly basis at its producing property, the Rosario Mine. In addition, Co. is exploring three other mineral properties, being the San Felipe Project (an advanced stage project), the Gavilanes Project (an exploration project), and the El Gachi Property (an early stage exploration project).
Spanish Mountain Gold is an exploration stage company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties.
Stellus Capital Investment is an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The company's investment objective is to maximize the total return to its stockholders in the form of current income and capital appreciation through debt and related equity investments in middle-market companies.
Wabi Exploration is engaged in the exploration of minerals.
White Metal Resources is engaged in the acquisition and exploration of resource properties.
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