Best Gold Stocks of 2018 on the TSX

The gold price tumbled significantly in the second quarter of the year. While it managed to hit a high of US$1,352.80 on April 11, it closed down almost 6 percent in Q2.

As investors watch interest rate hikes, political uncertainty and a surging US dollar, they are surprisingly steering away from holding the yellow metal as a safe-haven. Despite gold’s low position during Q2, many industry insiders believe that this is simply a seasonally weak period for the yellow metal and it will return to value within the next few months.

Here’s a look at the best gold stocks of 2018 on the TSX. The list below was generated on July 4, 2018 using the Globe and Mail’s market data filter, and it shows the TSX-listed gold companies that have seen the biggest share price gains year-to-date. Only companies with market caps above US$50 million as of that date are included.

1. Asanko Gold (TSX:AKG)

Current price: C$1.46; year-to-date gain: 64.04 percent

With the potential to become one of the largest gold miners in Ghana, Asanko Gold produced 205,047 ounces of gold in 2017, after only beginning commercial production in mid-2016.

At the beginning of April, Asanko completed a private placement with Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI, JSE:GFI), in which Gold Fields acquired a 9.9 percent shareholding in Asanko for total aggregate proceeds of US$17.6 million. This was the first step in a series of transactions allowing Asanko and Gold Fields to form an incorporated 50/50 joint venture in the Asanko gold mine.

On June 22, the company received approval from the government of Ghana on the closing of Asanko’s joint venture transaction with Gold Fields for a 50 percent interest in the company’s 90 percent interest in the Asanko Gold mine in Ghana, West Africa.

2. Corvus Gold (TSX:KOR, OTCQX:CORVF)

Current price: C$2.71; year-to-date gain: 63.25 percent

Corvus Gold joins our best gold stocks list for the fourth time since last year. Throughout Q2 2018, the exploration and development company was focused heavily on its Mother Lode project in Nevada. Corvus also controls a number of royalties on North American gold, silver and copper exploration projects.

On April 25, the company announced that it continued to expand its Mother Lode deposit, drilling 33.5 meters at 2.2 grams per tonne gold, including 19.8 meters at 3.3 grams per tonne gold.

“This thickening oxide zone to the west is consistent with mineralization found in other holes to the north and could define a fundamental change in the system as drilling progresses west,” the company said in a press release.

By the beginning of June, Corvus announced that it had closed a US$4.5-million financing deal in order to advance its Mother Lode project through 2019.

3. Wesdome Gold Mines (TSX:WDO)

Current price: C$3.32; year-to-date gain: 57.35 percent

Wesdome Gold Mines is 100 percent Canadian-focused with a pipeline of projects in various stages of development. The Eagle River complex in Wawa, Ontario, is currently producing gold from two mines, the Eagle River underground mine and the Mishi open pit, from a central mill.

On May 17, the company revealed drilling results at the Kiena Deep A Zone, including 39.6 grams per tonne gold over 18.2 meters core length. Wesdome noted, “drilling is ongoing and to date a total of twenty holes totaling approximately 6,850 metres have been completed into the A Zone.”

More recently, on June 26, Wesdome provided additional results from the ongoing underground drilling of the Kiena Deep A Zone.

“Recent drilling from the exploration ramp intersected multiple high grade lenses, including 77.4 grams per tonne gold over 14.4 meter core length,” the company noted in a press release.

4. Teranga Gold (TSX:TGZ,OTCQX:TGCDF)

Current price: C$4.72; year-to-date gain: 54.75 percent

Teranga Gold is an emerging mid-tier Canadian-based multi-jurisdictional West African gold company focused on production and development as well as the exploration of more than 5,000 km2 of land situated on prospective gold belts.

In mid-April, the company announced that its phase 2 diamond drill program at the C-zone prospect on the Golden Hill property in Burkina Faso, West Africa, returned near surface and deeper high-grade gold intersections.

“These results substantiate the continuity of gold mineralization in all dimensions with room to expand mineralization laterally and to depth. This second phase of results from C-zone strengthen our confidence that Golden Hill will play a key role in helping us achieve our vision of becoming the next multi-asset, mid-tier gold producer in West Africa,” said Richard Young, president and CEO.

On the back of impressive recoveries at the company’s Golden Hill, on June 7, Teranga updated its combined measured and indicated mineral resource to 50.5 million tonnes at a grade of 1.51 grams per tonne for 2.4 million contained ounces of gold.

5. Gran Colombia Gold (TSX:GCM)

Current price: C$2.93; year-to-date gain: 42.93 percent

Gran Colombia is a Canadian-based gold and silver exploration, development and production company with its primary focus in Colombia. Gran Colombia is currently the largest underground gold and silver producer in Colombia with several underground mines and two processing plants in operation at its Segovia and Marmato Operations.

On June 11, the company announced it had produced a total of 18,675 ounces of gold in May, bringing the total for the first five months of 2018 to 87,465 ounces, up 27 percent compared to the first five months of 2017.

“This brings the company’s trailing 12-months’ total gold production to 192,461 ounces, up 11 percent from 2017’s annual production of 173,821 ounces and near the top end of the company’s production guidance for 2018 of between 182,000 and 193,000 ounces,” the company said in a statement.

Gran Colombia also announced that it was trending toward a total of 200,000 ounces of gold for 2018.

On June 18, Gran Colombia reported that it identified a new structure at its El Silencio mine and announced that it had drilled approximately 7,000 meters of its planned 20,000 meters to be drilled in 2018 at the company’s Segovia operations.

What do you think were the best gold stocks of Q2 2018? Let us know in the comments

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The data for this article was retrieved on July 4, 2018 using The Globe and Mail’s market data filter. Only TSX-listed gold companies with market capitalizations greater than US$50 million are included.

Securities Disclosure: I, Nicole Rashotte, currently hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.