5 Top Weekly TSX Stocks: Nautilus Up on New Exploration License

The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) fell sharply last week, sinking 4.27 percent to close the five-day period at 14,804.11 points.

The index was volatile in early trade on Friday (February 9) as the financial and industrial groups rose, offsetting a decline in gold–mining shares.

On Friday, gold and silver prices fell on the back of a stronger US dollar and fears of higher global interest rates. Base metals were also down for the week, with LME copper trading down at $6,750 per tonne.

Despite those factors, a number of TSX-listed stocks in the mining sector saw significant share price increases last week. The five top gainers are as follows:

• Lithium Americas (TSX:LAC)
• Sierra Metals (TSX:SMT)
• Nautilus Minerals (TSX:NUS)
• Teranga Gold (TSX:TGZ)
• Amerigo Resources (TSX:ARG)

Here’s a look at those companies and the factors that moved their share prices last week.

1. Lithium Americas

Lithium Americas, together with SQM (NYSE:SQM), is developing the Argentina-based Cauchari-Olaroz lithium project through its 50-percent interest in Minera Exar. In addition, Lithium Americas owns 100 percent of the Lithium Nevada project, along with RheoMinerals, a supplier of rheology modifiers for oil-based drilling fluids, coatings and specialty chemicals.

The company did not release any news last week, but over the five-day period its share price gained 5.09 percent to reach $8.26.

2. Sierra Metals

Sierra Metals is a growing polymetallic metals miner that produces copper at its Yauricocha mine in Peru and its Bolivar mine in Mexico. Last Wednesday (February 7), the company released drill results that demonstrate new limestone replacement mineralization at the Cuye zone extension, located within the central mine at Yauricocha.

Over the five-day period, Sierra Metals saw a share price rise of 3.86 percent to close at $3.23.

3. Nautilus Minerals

Middle of the pack last week was Nautilus Minerals, the first company to commercially explore the seafloor for massive sulfide systems, a potential source of high-grade copper, gold, zinc and silver. Nautilus is developing a production system to commercially extract these systems using existing technologies adapted from the offshore oil and gas industry, and from the dredging and mining industries.

Last Friday, the company announced that the government of Papua New Guinea has granted it a two-year exploration license that will allow it to conduct exploration activities at an area within the Bismarck Sea. Nautilus saw a share price uptick of 2.86 percent to close the period at $0.18.

4. Teranga Gold

Teranga Gold owns and operates the Sabodala gold mine, the only gold mine and mill in Senegal, West Africa. It did not release any news last week, but its share price increased 2.19 percent to close the five-day period at $3.27.

5. Amerigo Resources

Last but not least is Amerigo Resources, which bills itself as a long-term copper producer in Chile. The company produces copper concentrate at its MVC operation in the country, and it put out 57 million pounds of copper in 2016.

The company also did not put out any news last week. Its share price rose 1.98 percent to close at $1.03.

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Data for 5 Top TSX Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 10:30 a.m. PST using The Globe and Mail’s market data filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $50 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the mining and precious metals sectors are considered.

Securities Disclosure: I, Priscila Barrera, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.