5 Top Weekly TSXV Stocks: Gold and Silver Stocks Jump

The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) closed last week up 1.61 percent at 810.61 points.
Much of the week’s trading was predicated on a widely expected quarter-point interest rate hike delivered by the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday (March 15). Precious metals rallied, as the increase had already been widely priced into the market, and the US dollar slipped to a five-week low.
“Investors are moving from sector to sector dependent on where the US dollar is, comments from the White House on the health care act, and earnings,” said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in New Jersey.
That said, the increase in precious metals prices sent a number of stocks in the mining sector up last week. The five top-gaining stocks were:

• Atacama Pacific Gold (TSXV:ATM)
• Midnight Sun Mining (TSXV:MMA)
• Helio Resource (TSXV:HRC)
• Silver Spruce Resources (TSXV:SSE)
• Focus Graphite (TSXV:FMS)

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

Atacama Pacific Gold

Atacama Pacific Gold is a Chile-focused precious metals company that is developing the Cerro Maricunga oxide gold deposit, one of the largest undeveloped oxide gold deposits in the world. The company recently published a prefeasibility study that confirms the economic viability of Cerro Maricunga; it shows that average annual gold production will be 281,000 ounces over the first eight years that the deposit is mined. 
The company has not released any news since March 3, when it announced the end of a drill program at Cerro Maricunga. Even so, last week its share price spiked 41.94 percent to close the period at $0.44.

Midnight Sun Mining

Midnight Sun Mining is a mineral exploration company that is focused on Africa. It has a definitive agreement to option a 60-percent interest in the Solwezi licences in Zambia.
Like Atacama, Midnight Sun did not release any news last week. Nevertheless, its share price rose 36.51 percent to reach $0.43. Most recently, in February, the company announced that it is planning geophysical work to follow up on its recent discovery of ore shale type mineralization at its Solwezi properties.

Helio Resource

Helio Resource is a junior exploration company focused on advancing its SMP gold project in Tanzania to a production decision. The company has not released any news since last year, but last week its share price increased 33.33 percent to reach $0.04.

Silver Spruce Resources

Silver Spruce Resources is a junior exploration company developing the Pino De Plata epithermal silver–base metals-gold project in Mexico’s prolific Sierra Madre Occidental region. This concession contains a number of historic artisanal mine workings dating back to the Spanish Colonial era.
On March 13, the company closed a $459,000 non-brokered private placement. On the back of the news, Silver Spruce’s share price increased 26.67 percent to reach $0.09.

Focus Graphite

Last but not least is Focus Graphite, whose share price increased 26.67 percent last week to end at $0.09. The company’s goal is to become a low-cost producer of technology-grade graphite concentrate from its Lac Knife and Lac Tetepisca projects in Quebec. It did not put out any news last week.
Data for 5 Top Weekly TSXV Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday after market close using The Globe and Mail’s market data filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $10 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the mining and precious metals sectors are considered.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Priscila Barrera, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: Focus Graphite is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.

This article is updated each week. Please scroll to the top for the most recent information.

The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) closed last week slightly down at 799.19 points — a 2.38-percent decrease.
That said, Reuters reported that shares on Wall Street posted broad-based gains, supported by US jobs data. The data has raised expectations of an interest rate hike from the US Federal Reserve next week.
“There’s nothing here that’s going to keep the Fed from hiking interest rates next week,” said Heidi Learner, chief economist at Savills Studley, a unit of Savills in New York.
Despite that bumpiness, a number of TSXV-listed mining stocks saw share price increases last week. The top gainers include:

• Tinka Resources (TSXV:TK)
• EnGold Mines (TSXV:EGM)
• American CuMo Mining (TSXV:MLY)
• Emerita Resources (TSXV:EMO)
• Stakeholder Gold (TSXV:SRC)

Here’s a brief look at what moved the share prices of those companies last week.

Tinka Resources

Exploration company Tinka Resources is developing its Ayawilca project in Central Peru. The 150-square-kilometer project is located 40 kilometers northwest of Cerro de Pasco in a richly mineralized silver–lead-zinc belt.
On March 6, Tinka announced the discovery of a new high-grade zinc zone at Ayawilca. The news pushed the company’s share price up 57.58 percent, and it closed Friday at $0.52.

EnGold Mines

EnGold Mines is a gold, copper and silver exploration company focused exclusively on its 18,275-hectare Lac La Hache property in the Cariboo region of BC. The property covers a large porphyry copper-style mineralization system in a region known for world-class porphyry deposits.
On March 7, the company said that it will recommence drilling at a new discovery area at Lac La Hache by March 13. On the back of the news, EnGold’s share price rose 43.75 percent to reach $0.34.

American CuMo Mining

American CuMo Mining’s CuMo project in Idaho is one of the largest deposits of molybdenum, copper and silver in North America. The company is advancing CuMo towards feasibility, and also has plans to advance its newly acquired Calida gold project.
On March 2, the company purchased additional mining claims for CuMo and completed ore-sorting analysis. Though it did not release any news last week, American CuMo’s share price saw an increase of 41.94 percent to reach $0.44.

Emerita Resources

Emerita Resources is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties. It is focused primarily on Spain and Brazil, and is interested mainly in zinc, lithium and gold.
This year, the company has released little news. Its last press release came in January, when it provided an update on an appeal regarding its Aznalcollar project in Spain. Last week, Emerita’s share price increased 41.94 percent to reach $0.22.

Stakeholder Gold

Finally, Stakeholder Gold enjoyed a share price increase of 28.12 percent last week, ending at $0.41. Stakeholder is conducting exploration at its Ballarat gold property in the Yukon’s White Gold District.
On March 8, the company entered into a property option agreement with Mountain View Gold under which Mountain View has granted Stakeholder the option to earn up to a 100-percent interest in its Goldstorm property in Nevada.
Data for 5 Top Weekly TSXV Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday after market close using The Globe and Mail’s market data filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $10 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the mining and precious metals sectors are considered.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Priscila Barrera, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: American CuMo Mining and Stakeholder Gold are clients of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.

This article is updated each week. Please scroll to the top for the most recent information.

By Priscila Barrera, March 5, 2017
The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) closed the week slightly down at 818.46 points–a 2.23 percent decrease.
Last week, major Wall Street indexes ended flat after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen signaled the central bank is set to raise interest rates this month if employment and other economic data hold up.
Yellen, in prepared remarks to a business lunch in Chicago, also said rates are likely to rise faster this year, as the economy appears clear of any imminent hurdles at home or abroad for the first time in her tenure, Reuters reported.
As a result, many stocks were on the rise last week, with gains as high as over 114.29 percent over the five-day period.
The top five stocks for the week were:

• Saint Jean Carbon (TSXV:SJL)
• Noble Mineral Exploration (TSXV:NOB)
• Macdonald Mines (TSXV:BMK)
• Iberian Minerals (TSXV:IML)
• Karmin Exploration (TSXV:KAR)

Here’s a closer look at those companies:

Saint Jean Carbon

Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with holdings in graphite mining and lithium claims in the province of Quebec in Canada. Its graphite properties include Walker Lump, Clot Lump, St. Jovite Lump and Bell Project. On February 28, the company announced it had received a purchase order from Panasonic Corporation (TYO:6752) to supply graphite anode material to their manufacturing facility.

Over the five-day period, shares of Saint Jean Carbon saw an increase of over 114.29 percent to reach $0.15.

Noble Mineral Exploration

Noble Mineral Exploration holds in excess of 70,641 hectares of mineral rights in the Timmins-Cochrane area of Northern Ontario, upon which it plans to generate joint venture exploration programs. The company’s exploration focus is nickel-gold in Northern Ontario, gold in the Wawa area, and lithium in Northern Saskatchewan.
On February 22, the company announced that it completed the conversion of all debentures and that its operator MacDonald Mines has started work on the Wawa-Holdsworth project. Last week, shares of Noble Mineral Exploration saw a 77.78 percent increase to reach $0.08.

Macdonald Mines

MacDonald Mines Exploration is a mineral exploration company focused on gold and silica exploration in Canada. In December 2016, MacDonald Mines entered into an option and joint venture agreement with Noble Mineral Exploration to advance exploration on Noble’s Wawa-Holdsworth Gold and Silver Project.

Iberian Minerals

Iberian Minerals is a Canadian junior mining company focused on evaluating gold properties in the southwestern United States. Its properties include Caurio Gold Mining Project, Cehegin Magnetite Iron Ore Mining Project and Aroche Wollastonite Mining Project. The Company operates through its subsidiary, Mineworx USA Inc, which is a mineral development and processing company focused on the mining sector through its technologies: HM X-tract, HM X-leach and HM X-mill.
On January 9, the company announced that it had applied for an exploration permit to start a work program on its Cehegin Iron Ore project in Spain. Shares of Iberian Minerals closed the week out at $0.14–a 40 percent increase over the week.

Karmin Exploration

Karmin acquires, explores and develops resource properties in Brazil and Peru. Karmin owns 30% of the Aripuanã̃ Zinc Project, one of the largest undeveloped zinc projects in Brazil. The company also owns 100 percent interest in the Aripuanã̃ Gold-Silver Project in north-western Brazil and the 25-square-kilometre Cushuro Gold Project located in the world-class Alto Chicama gold-mining district of northern Peru.
The latest company news are from November, when Karmin announced developments at the Aripuanã Zinc Project. Last week, shares of the company increased 34.48 percent to reach $0.78.
Data for 5 Top Weekly TSXV Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday after market close using The Globe and Mail’s market data filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $10 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the mining and precious metals sectors are considered.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Priscila Barrera, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.