Best Junior Copper Stocks of 2018 on the TSXV

The copper price has fallen from grace in 2018, dipping below the $3-per-pound mark, but some companies focused on the base metal have still enjoyed gains.

As the year comes to a close, the Investing News Network has rounded up the best junior copper stocks on the TSXV by share price performance so far this year. All have experienced positive momentum at their copper assets in 2018, with the biggest gainer being up over 300 percent year-to-date.

All year-to-date and share price information was obtained on December 6, 2018 from TradingView. All companies listed had market caps above C$10 million at that time.

1. Xiana Mining (TSXV:XIA)

Year-to-date gain: 344.44 percent; current share price: C$0.40

A base metals producer and developer, Xiana Mining is focused on copper and gold mining in Chile and Peru. Most recently, the Vancouver-based company acquired Minera Altos de Punitaqui (MAP) from Glencore (LSE:GLEN), a 3,600-tonne-per-day copper-gold mining camp in Chile.

The company had a fairly consistent year in terms of its share price after a significant spike at the end of January. Xiana’s year-long strength was supported by the May announcement of its plan to acquire MAP, along with the news that its subsidiary, Xiana Peru Mining, had entered a mining assignment agreement for the Santa Ines mine in Peru.

2. Oroco Resource (TSXV:OCO)

Year-to-date gain: 137.5 percent; current share price: C$0.19

Founded in 2006, Oroco Resource is a Canadian exploration company with two significant assets to its name: the Xochipala gold project and the Santo Tomas porphyry copper project, both of which are in Mexico. Its focus is on the mineral concessions that make up Santo Tomas.

Oroco’s share price saw notable spikes in both May and August this year, the first of which followed an announcement that the company had closed a private placement that raised $900,000. Meanwhile, the August increases followed updates from Santo Tomas, including the company’s purchase of historical data and technical information for the mineral deposit.

3. Yellowhead Mining (TSXV:YMI)

Year-to-date gain: 29.69 percent; current share price: C$0.83

A Canadian company based in Calgary, Yellowhead Mining’s primary focus is its wholly owned Harper Creek copper-gold-silver asset in BC, which the company says offers “exceptional potential” as one of Canada’s largest copper development projects.

Though Yellowhead had a strong first quarter this year, its share price began a steady tumble from late March through to November. However, in early December, the company got a boost when it entered into an arrangement agreement with Taseko Mines (TSX:TKO,NYSEAMERICAN:TGB) under which Taseko will acquire all issued and outstanding common shares of Yellowhead for $15.1 million.

4. Serengeti Resources (TSXV:SIR)

Year-to-date gain: 12.12 percent; current share price: C$0.20

Serengeti Resources is a junior mineral exploration company with a focus on developing its Kwanika copper-gold project and exploring for gold-copper porphyry deposits in BC’s Quesnel Trough and Stikine Arch. Kwanika is currently in the prefeasibility study stage, which is docketed for completion in Q2 2019.

The company spent most of the year laying low with its share price maintaining stability and making minimal movement. However, in mid-October, Serengeti skyrocketed from C$0.15 to C$0.40 within just two days after the company announced “outstanding” drill results from Kwanika.

5. Kintavar Exploration (TSXV:KTR)

Year-to-date gain: 10.71 percent; share price: C$0.155

Kintavar Exploration’s main focus rests on exploring and developing precious and base metals properties in Quebec. The company is especially involved with two particular areas — the Abitibi Gold District, home to its Anik and RAL properties, and the Grenville Province, where the company has its Mitchi property.

The company’s share price went soaring in late January/early February when it completed a drill program at Mitchi’s Sherlock and Watson sectors, and then discovered a new zone north of Sherlock with promising results. Kintavar’s share price subsequently simmered through the year, and experienced a bit of a drop off in October after assay results from a surface summer exploration program.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Olivia Da Silva, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.