Best Junior Gold Stocks on the TSXV

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Riding the momentum of 2020, gold displayed strength at the start of 2021, peaking at US$1,950 per ounce in January before downward pressure set in.

A recovering global economy mixed with high US 10 year treasury yields and a strengthening US dollar added headwinds for gold, peeling away at the safe haven asset's value in the first quarter.

In Q2, the price of gold managed to rally from the US$1,730 level in April to a quarterly peak of US$1,908.20 on June 2. However, those same headwinds experienced in the first quarter once again pushed prices down to a June close of just above US$1,760.

Heading into the final stretch of the year, the price of gold has struggled to break past the US$1,800 level.

The muted tone displayed by gold has prompted some to buy the dip, as lower values make a better entry point. But while discounts may be enticing for investors, they are not for explorers and miners.

The junior space prefers a higher gold price, which makes projects more economical and profitable. That said, it's worth noting that gold is still holding at historically high levels, not far off 2020's all-time high.

Now that 2021 is coming to a close, the Investing News Network has rounded up the five best junior gold stocks on the TSXV with the biggest share price gains year-to-date.

The best junior gold stocks list below was generated on November 1, 2021, using TradingView’s stock screener, and all companies listed had market caps above C$10 million at that time.

1. Arizona Metals (TSXV:AMC)

Year-to-date gain: 321.57 percent; current share price: C$4.35

As its name suggests, exploration company Arizona Metals has 100 percent ownership of two key projects in the Grand Canyon state: the Kay mine project and the Sugarloaf Peak gold project.

In May, the company discovered a new gold-zinc zone at Kay, describing it as open ended and located in an area previously untested by historic drilling or exploration. Drilling at Kay also intersected massive sulfide mineralization. Arizona Metals kicked off June with an announcement that metallurgical testing at its Sugarloaf Peak project had demonstrated gold recoveries averaging 76 percent from surface to approximately 111 meters, with oxidized zones reaching recoveries up to 95 percent.

Company shares rose from the C$1 level in January to peak at C$5.55 on June 23.

2. Cerrado Gold (TSXV:CERT)

Year-to-date gain: 294.71 percent; current share price: C$1.61

Cerrado Gold is not only a gold exploration company, but also a gold producer. The company’s Minera Don Nicolás mine is located in Argentina's Santa Cruz province; its exploration assets include Minera Mariana in the same area, along with the Monte do Carmo project in Brazil.

In August, Cerrado had plenty of positive news. At the start of the month, the company reported a new mineral resource for the Serra Alto deposit at Monte do Carmo. Later in the month, Cerrado announced an updated preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for Monte do Carmo. The PEA highlights an after-tax net present value of US$617 million at a 5 percent discount, with an internal rate of return of 94.8 percent. The company closed out the month by reporting significantly increased grades and throughput for Q2 production at Minera Don Nicolás, resulting in the highest gold production levels at the operation since its acquisition. Shares of Cerrado hit a high of C$1.78 on August 30.

3. Laurion Mineral Exploration (TSXV:LME)

Year-to-date gain: 205 percent; current share price: C$0.62

Gold explorer and developer Laurion Mineral Exploration’s flagship asset is the brownfield Ishkoday gold-polymetallic project located in Ontario. It hosts the past-producing Sturgeon River and Brenbar mines.

Shares of the company hit a peak of C$0.75 on April 28. Laurion’s most recent work on the property has centered on the strike continuity between the A-Zone and McLeod mineralized areas. In September, the company shared highlighted assay results, including 0.71 grams per tonne gold, 13.29 grams per tonne silver, 0.17 percent copper and 2.22 percent zinc over 13.5 meters.

4. Gossan Resources (TSXV:GSS)

Year-to-date gain: 200 percent; current share price: C$0.24

Gossan Resources has a portfolio of projects in Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland across a broad range of metals, including gold, silver, platinum-group metals, a variety of base metals and a number of battery metals. Its focus is the Glitter volcanogenic massive sulfide zinc-copper-silver project in Ontario’s Sturgeon Lake greenstone belt. Gossan also holds the Gander gold property in Newfoundland.

The company's share price reached a peak of C$0.35 on May 10. Gossan gave an update on both its Glitter and Gander projects in September. At Glitter, the company is conducting an additional gravity survey and finalizing plans for an up to 4,000 meter diamond drilling program. The ongoing field program at Gander consists of geophysical work in preparation for a targeted sampling program.

5. Solstice Gold (TSXV:SGC)

Year-to-date gain: 145 percent; current share price: C$0.18

Gold-focused explorer Solstice Gold has a pipeline of projects in Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut.

The company’s Red Lake Extension, Taillon, Moreau and Berens projects are located on the north end of Ontario’s prolific Red Lake gold district. Its district-scale Qaiqtuq project in Nunavut is located only 26 kilometers from Rankin Inlet and approximately 15 kilometers from the Meliadine gold mine owned by Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM).

In mid-September, the company announced the acquisition of a portfolio of royalty and property interests in Ontario and Quebec from vendors including prospector Perry English.

Company shares reached a peak of C$0.18 on November 1.

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

Editorial Disclosure: Laurion Mineral Exploration is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.