Sprott-Stansberry Recap: Advice for a Bear Market

There was a lot to take in at the Sprott-Stansberry Vancouver Natural Resource Symposium this year. While the mining sector hasn’t fared well lately, there were still a number of interesting speakers and companies that took part in the four-day conference.
Most market watchers have given up on calling a bottom in the face of a continually falling gold price. Instead, many speakers shared their thoughts on the current bear market and what it could mean for investors.
Here’s a look at some of the Investing News Network’s notes from the conference:

Robert Friedland on Why The Chinese Stock Market Fall Isn’t as Bad as You Think

Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN) Chairman Robert Friedland scrapped plans for an hour-long keynote speech in favor of a Q&A with Sprott’s Rick Rule. As well as outlining his bullish thesis for copper, platinum-group metals and zinc, he spent a bit of time explaining why he thinks worries about the recent fall in the Chinese stock market are overdone. Read the full article here.

Doug Casey: Watch for ‘Super Bubble’ in Mining Stocks

Bucking the bear-market trend towards remaining staunchly positive, Doug Casey, founder and chairman of Casey Research, spoke about why mining is a “dying, stupid, 19th-century” business. Casey cited factors such as rising costs and government intervention as issues the mining industry is struggling to overcome. He also suggested that the industry will get more difficult in the future due to the advent of factors like space mining and nanotechnology. Read the full article here.

Rick Rule: ‘Get Ready — It’s Going to be a Good Few Years’

Not surprisingly, Rule was more positive on gold and the mining sector. While he admitted that a “special kind of courage” is needed to invest in a bear market, he provided some advice to help investors get over their fears. Overall, Rule argued that a bullish narrative for resources still exists, and summed up his thesis with the mantra “pay me now, or pay me later.” Read the full article here.

Louis James: Gold is Good, but Don’t Forget to Diversify

As always, Louis James of Casey Research was a fan of gold during his talk at the Sprott conference. He offered up a number of his favorite picks in the space, including Continental Gold (TSX:CNL), Dalradian Resources (TSX:DNA) and Dynacor Gold Mines (TSX:DNG). However, in light of the weak gold price, James is also looking to diversify his investments, and talked to attendees about investing in base metals and the energy sector. Read the full article here.

Franco-Nevada CEO David Harquail on Investing in the Gold Space

As CEO of the largest gold royalty and streaming company in the world, Franco-Nevada’s (TSX:FNV,NYSE:FNV) David Harquail is certainly someone investors and market watchers were interested in hearing from. While Harquail quipped that gold price charts currently look more like a “slinky toy” than the more commonly known “vomiting camel” pattern, he still sees value in gold, and provided a number of valuable thoughts for investors looking at the yellow metal. Read the full article here.
The Investing News Network was also able to catch up with speakers and industry executives at the conference, including Eira Thomas of Kaminak Gold (TSXV:KAM) and Joseph Grosso of Golden Arrow Resources (TSXV:GRG). Stay tuned for a round-up of video interviews from the conference.
 
Securities Disclosure: I, Teresa Matich, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.