PDAC 2019, Day 1: Notes from the Floor

The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention kicked off on Sunday (March 3) morning at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.

The four-day event is the largest Canadian mining conference of the year, and is a key meeting place for mining companies, as well as potential and current investors.

The Investing News Network’s (INN) editorial team has been busy covering events and conducting interviews with analysts and company executives. If you were unable to make it to the convention or just want a recap of what happened, continue on for an overview of the day.

Sunday started off bright and early for the INN team, with filming kicking off on the 700 level of the convention center, just outside Room 714B.

It’s time! The @INN_Resource team is at #PDAC2019 and ready to shoot videos – come see us at stage 2 on the 700 level! #INNatPDAC pic.twitter.com/kKLl6rSqFR

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

Away from the booth, day one featured a full slate of presentations from key analysts and industry watchers, as well as plenty of activity on the show floor.

Brian Leni of Junior Stock Review was the first to take the stage to present — read our recap of his talk here, and stay tuned for our video interview with him.

Other morning presenters included Resource Maven Gwen Preston, who spoke about how the trade war could impact gold and base metals, and Brent Cook and Joe Mazumdar of Exploration Insights. Watch our video interview with with Cook and Mazumdar below:

The afternoon brought more newsletter writers to the stage, with key commentators including Adrian Day of Adrian Day Asset Management.

“QE was not only a failure but also had unintended consequences,” says Adrian Day at #PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

“QE has hurt people who saved money, encouraged debt and made abnormally slow among many others,” says Adrian Day at #PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

Unsurprisingly, recent M&A activity in the gold space also attracted attention from speakers, with opinions running the gamut from positive to negative.

“This mega merger train going on will not reward shareholders” – @mercenarygeo in response to @BarrickGold hostile takeover bid for @Newmont #PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

According to @RealRickRule, M&A is good for the #gold space and amalgamation is positive for capital. #PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

Gold price predictions were also in focus on day one of PDAC, with many speakers expressing optimism about the yellow metal’s prospects.

“Fear works for gold. We all know that but we are seeing it in the data right now” – Lobo Tiggre on why 2019 will probably be gold’s year.#PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

“Opportunity is great, because we (@agnico_eagle) believe #gold has bottomed.” – vice chair Sean Boyd #PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

“I feel better about #gold than anything else… with the exception of maybe #uranium” – @RealRickRule #PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

INN’s two live interviews also included commentary on gold, with Lobo Tiggre of Louis James LLC and Jeffrey Christian of CPM Group both sharing their outlook for this year and beyond:

In addition to gold, the base metals sector was in focus at PDAC, with much commentary focusing on copper. On the whole, sentiment surrounding supply and demand dynamics appears strong.

Will be very difficult for the rest of the world to meet Chinese #copper demand going forward, says @TeckResources‘ Schwartz. #PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

On #copper outlook: #EV adoption charging ahead= good for copper: @TeckResources‘ Michael Schwartz. “EVs will also potentially draw on the electric grid.” pic.twitter.com/DfAiZ8kmAy

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

Nickel, which like copper is seeing its applications in electric vehicles attract interest, was also in the spotlight, with multiple speakers pointing to potential opportunities in the space.

“I think there is a huge opportunity in nickel” – E.B. Tucker on buying a nickel royalty company (which will go public this year).#PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

In the long term, #battery demand will overtake stainless steel demand and create a supply gap for class 1 #nickel, says Alex Laugharne of @CRUGROUP #PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC pic.twitter.com/mYUFu1TlJ8

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

And of course, some discussions brought uranium to the fore. Many experts have long been calling for a rebound in the market, and some think the space is finally turning a corner.

“We are finally seeing #uranium move in ways it hasn’t before” – Lobo Tiggre#PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

Nick Carter of UcX: major suppliers starting to offload #uranium stockpiles, “starting to turn positive” for the metal. #PDAC2019 #INNatPDAC pic.twitter.com/4coGSHF9US

— Resource Investing (@INN_Resource) March 3, 2019

Finally, the evening brought even more events to take in outside the convention center. Notably, Glenn Mullan gave his last speech as PDAC president, and this year’s #DisruptMining winner was announced to much fanfare.

PDAC’s 36th President Glenn Mullan delivers his last speech to the Presidents Reception before his term comes to an end. Get ready for an emotional ride. Expect a cracking voice, he warned the crowd! #PDAC2019 pic.twitter.com/9trzUfjuF6

— The Official PDAC (@the_PDAC) March 3, 2019

Congratulations to @Andritz! Our #DisruptMining 2019 winner! Video by @cejaykim pic.twitter.com/DFtU2WEccP

— #DisruptMining (@Disrupt_Mining) March 4, 2019

Make sure to check back tomorrow when we recount day two of PDAC and conduct a live interview with Sprott’s (TSX:SII,OTC Pink:SPOXF) Rick Rule at 3:30 p.m. EST. You can also click here to view our PDAC playlist on YouTube.

Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!

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

Editorial Disclosure: Foran Mining (TSXV:FOM) is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.

The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.