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Progress Report for Buccaneer Diamond Drilling
Prodigy Gold NL (ASX: PRX) ('Prodigy Gold' or the 'Company')'Company') is pleased to announce progress results from diamond drilling on its projects in the Northern Territory.
KEY POINTS
- Buccaneer Resource is 10Mt @ 1.8g/t Au for 585koz above a 1g/t cut off
- Scoping study geotechnical and metallurgical diamond drilling completed to further evaluate a potential low-cost, heap leach processing scenario for the Buccaneer Resource
- Program of 8 holes for 1,419m of diamond drilling completed
- Results returned for the first hole include:
- 7m @ 1.3g/t Au from 36.5m
- 4m @ 3.4g/t Au from 48m
- 13.35m @ 3.9g/t Au from 79.7m including 3.3m @ 13.5g/t Au from 79.7m
- 12m @ 0.9g/t Au from 97.05m
- 43m of a 120m hole mineralised
- Aircore drilling recently demonstrated potential for resource extension with mineralisation intersected 150m to the south of the resource.
- Unsampled historic diamond core containing visible gold at Golden Hind has been sampled and submitted for assay
- Delays in the laboratory screen fire assays are resulting in delays in reporting of Tregony, Golden Hind, and Buccaneerresults.
- Results are reported for Reward and PHD diamond drilling
Studies undertaken over the last year have evaluated a heap leach processing scenario for the Buccaneer Deposit. When the type of mineralisation is appropriate, heap leaching is a simple, low- cost process that can result in significant savings in capital expenditure and operating cost, which can significantly improve a project's economics. Deep weathering in the Tanami results in softer weathered rocks, and sulphide is often completely oxidised up to 100m below surface.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Prodigy Gold, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Lahontan Gold Announces Positive Preliminary Economic Assessment for Santa Fe
Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV:LG)(OTCQB:LGCXF)(the "Company" or "Lahontan") is pleased to announce results from a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment(" PEA") on its flagship Santa Fe Mine gold-silver project located in Nevada's prolific Walker Lane Trend. The PEA was prepared by Kappes, Cassiday & Associates ("KCA") of Reno, Nevada with mine planning and production scheduling contributions from RESPEC Company LLC ("Respec"), Reno, Nevada and mineral resource estimation by Equity Exploration Consultants Ltd. ("Equity"), of Vancouver, British Columbia, in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").
PEA Highlights:
- Pre-tax Net Present Value at a 5% discount rate ("NPV5") of US$265.1 M with a 41.0% IRRwith an After-tax NPV5 of US$200.0 M with a 34.2% IRR utilizing a $2,705/oz gold price and a $32.60/oz silver price ("spot metal prices") (see spot metal price to base case metal price comparison in Table 1).
- Total Life-of-Mine ("LOM") Pre-tax net cash flow of US$373.3 M and After-tax net cash flow of US$288.9 M over a nine-year project life using spot metal prices.
- Total projected LOM revenue of US$930.8 M over a nine-year project life using spot metal prices.
- LOM strip ratio of only 1.54 (waste to mineralized material ratio).
- Estimated pre-production capital costs of US$135.1 M including a 20% contingency, with a payback of 2.9 years using spot metal prices.
Kimberly Ann, Lahontan Gold Corp Executive Chair, CEO, President, and Founder commented: "Lahontan is very excited about the results of the PEA: a low-capex, highly profitable mining project with a quick payback certainly bodes well for the future of Lahontan and all stakeholders. There is considerable potential to expand gold and silver resources, therefore this is just the first step in restarting mining operations at Santa Fe. With mine permitting well under-way, targeting a 2026 mine ground-breaking, the potential for the Company to realize the economic outcomes outlined in the PEA is very real, especially given current trends in gold and silver prices. Continued optimization of the mine plan, resource expansion drilling, and refining the metallurgical flow sheet are planned for 2025, in parallel with our permitting activities."
The PEA is preliminary in nature, includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Company has not defined any Mineral Reserves at the Santa Fe Mine project.
Economic Sensitivities
Sensitivity of the project economics to metals prices is shown in Table 1, showing the base case metal prices used for the PEA, as well as a low case, a high case and the spot case.
Table 1: Santa Fe Project 2024 PEA Economics
Low Case | Base Case | High Case | Spot Case (1) | |
Gold Price (US$/oz) | 1,800 | 2,025 | 2,200 | 2,705 |
Silver Price (US$/oz) | 21.50 | 24.20 | 26.3 | 32.60 |
Net Revenue (US$) | 618.6 M | 696.2 M | 756.5 M | 930.8 M |
Pre-Tax NCF(2) (US$) | 65.0 M | 141.6 M | 201.2 M | 373.3 M |
Pre-Tax NPV5(3) (US$) | 21.7 M | 82.2 M | 129.2 M | 265.1 M |
Pre-Tax IRR(4) | 8.5% | 17.4% | 23.9% | 41.0% |
After-Tax NCF(2) (US$) | 47.8 M | 107.7 M | 154.1 M | 288.9 M |
After-Tax NPV5(3) (US$) | 8.7 M | 56.5 M | 93.3 M | 200.0 M |
After-Tax IRR(4) | 6.4% | 14.0% | 19.5% | 34.2% |
Payback Period(5) (years) | 5.1 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 2.9 |
(1) As of December 10, 2024
(2) NCF means net cash flow
(3) NPV5 refers to net present value at 5% discount rate
(4) IRR means internal rate of return
(5) Pre-production capital, excluding sustaining capital
Capital Costs
Capital costs for the project are summarized in Table 2. Capital costs associated with the mining operation were estimated by RESPEC and based on mining by contractor. Pre-stripping costs were based on the operating costs discussed below. Capital costs associated with processing such as crushing, heap leaching and metal recovery, along with support and infrastructure costs associated with laboratory, water and power distribution and general site services were estimated by KCA. Reclamation and closure costs of $12.5 M were estimated by KCA.
Table 2: Project Capital Costs
Pre-Production (US$ M) | LOM Sustaining (US$ M) | |
Mining | 2.5 | 0.8 |
Processing, Support & Infrastructure | 116.0 | 17.0 |
Owner's Costs | 5.3 | 0.0 |
Initial Fills | 0.5 | 0.0 |
Working Capital(1) | 10.7 | 0.0 |
TOTAL(2) | 135.1 | 17.8 |
- Working capital is credited in Year 9
- Values are rounded and may not sum perfectly
Operating Costs
Operating costs for the project are summarized in Table 3. Mining operating costs were estimated by RESPEC and based on estimated anticipated equipment hours and personnel requirements at a 25% markup for contractor rates. The off-road red-dye diesel fuel price in this estimate was assumed to be $0.74/L. All other operating costs were estimated by KCA and based on first principles on certain components where possible, such as reagent and power consumption, along with benchmarking with similar operations for other components, such as labor, maintenance and discretionary expenses
Table 3: Project Operating Costs
LOM Total (US$ M) | Per Tonne Processed ($/t) | |
Mining | 204.2 | 7.36 |
Processing | 138.7 | 5.00 |
Support & Infrastructure | 17.3 | 0.62 |
G&A | 35.8 | 1.29 |
TOTAL(1) | 402.5 | 14.28 |
(1) Values are rounded and may not sum perfectly
Mine Production Schedule
The PEA mine production schedule includes mining of leach material and waste for the Santa Fe, Calvada, Slab, and York deposits. Leach material was assumed to be sent to a centralized crushing plant and then stacked on a leach pad and the waste material was sent to designed waste rock storage facilities (WRSF) or used as partial backfill into the Calvada pit.
Because the Santa Fe Mine is a brown-field project, minimal pre-stripping is required to develop sufficient stockpiles to feed the crusher. The mine production schedule requires 2 months of preproduction which begins in the Santa Fe deposit. The Calvada deposit is started in year 2 and mined concurrently with Santa Fe. Calvada mining is followed by mining of Slab and York deposits.
The process schedule was developed with a ramp up of production from year 1 through year 3 to a full 4.56 million tonnes per year. Table 4 shows the process production schedule.
Table 4: Projected Production Summary
Year | Tonnes Processed (kt) | Gold Grade (g/t) | Silver Grade (g/t) | Gold Produced (koz) | Silver Produced (koz) | Gold Equivalent Produced(1) (koz) |
1 | 3,468 | 0.47 | 4.1 | 30.3 | 88.1 | 31.4 |
2 | 4,517 | 0.58 | 4.6 | 51.4 | 168.9 | 53.4 |
3 | 4,563 | 0.66 | 3.7 | 60.2 | 155.7 | 62.0 |
4 | 4,563 | 0.70 | 3.0 | 60.5 | 124.2 | 62.0 |
5 | 4,563 | 0.73 | 2.5 | 62.0 | 93.5 | 63.1 |
6 | 4,563 | 0.61 | 2.2 | 49.9 | 56.9 | 50.5 |
7 | 1,497 | 0.58 | 2.1 | 20.1 | 23.1 | 20.4 |
8(2) | 0 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 2.3 | ||
TOTAL(3) | 27,731 | 0.63 | 3.3 | 336.7 | 714.7 | 345.2 |
- Equivalent gold calculation is based on base case metal prices
- Residual leaching production only
- Values are rounded and may not sum perfectly
Table 5 shows the key production parameters for the mine and processing units used in the generation of the production and cash flow profiles.
Table 5: Key Mining and Processing Production Parameters
LOM | |
Mining | |
Total Waste Tonnes Mined (Mt) | 42.9 |
Total Processed Tonnes Mined (Mt) | 27.7 |
Total Tonnes Mined (Mt) | 70.6 |
Heap Recovery - Gold | |
Santa Fe Oxide | 71% |
Santa Fe Transition | 49% |
Calvada Oxide | 71% |
Calvada Transition | 45% |
Slab Oxide | 50% |
York Oxide | 60% |
York Transition | 45% |
Heap Recovery - Silver | |
Santa Fe Oxide | 30% |
Santa Fe Transition | 30% |
Calvada Oxide | 13% |
Calvada Transition | 0% |
Slab Oxide | 12% |
York Oxide | 0% |
York Transition | 0% |
Mining and Processing
The mineralized material will be mined by standard open-pit mining methods using a contractor-owned and operated mining fleet consisting of 92-tonne haul trucks and 11.5-m3 loading units and transported to the crushing circuit for processing.
Mineralized material from the Santa Fe, Calvada, Slab and York deposits will be processed by conventional heap leaching methods. The nominal processing rate will be 4.6 million tonnes per annum or 12,500 tonnes per day. Three-stage crushing of the material to 12.7 mm, will be followed by conveyor stacking on to a multi-lift heap leach pad. Dilute sodium cyanide solution will be applied to the heap, with the pregnant gold and silver-bearing solution effluent from the heap being processed in a carbon adsorption-desorption-recovery (ADR) plant. Gold and silver will be produced in the form of doré bars from the on-site smelting process.
Mineral Resource Estimation
The mineral resource estimate ("MRE") was prepared in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards and Canadian National Instrument NI-43-101. The effective date of the MRE prepared by Equity is October 9, 2024. The MRE is shown in Table 6.
Table 6: Project-wide Resources, Santa Fe Mine, Mineral County, Nevada
Notes to Table 6:
- Mineral Resources have an effective date of October 9, 2024. The Mineral Resource Estimate for the Santa Fe Mine was prepared by Trevor Rabb, P.Geo., of Equity Exploration Consultants Ltd., an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.
- Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred Resources are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be classified as Mineral Reserves. An Inferred Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that most of the Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration.
- Resources are reported in accordance with NI43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (BCSC, 2016) and the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (CIM, 2014).
- Mineral Resources were estimated for gold, silver, and gold equivalent (Au Eq) using a combination of ordinary kriging and inverse distance cubed within grade shell domains.
- Mineral resources are reported using a cut-off grade of 0.15 g/t Au Eq for oxide resources and 0.60 g/t Au Eq for non-oxide resources. Au Eq for the purpose of cut-off grade and reporting the Mineral Resources is based on the following assumptions gold price of US$1,950/oz gold, silver price of US$23.50/oz silver, and oxide gold recoveries ranging from 45% to 79%, oxide silver recoveries ranging from 10% to 30%, and non-oxide gold and silver recoveries of 71%, mining costs for resource and waste of US$2.50/t, processing cost (oxide) US$3.49/t, processing cost (non-oxide) US$25/t.
- An optimized open-pit shell was used to constrain the Mineral Resource and was generated using Lerchs-Grossman algorithm utilizing the following parameters: gold price of US$1,950/oz gold, silver price of US$23.50/oz silver, and selling costs of US$29.25/oz gold. Mining costs for resource and waste of US$2.50/t, processing cost (oxide) US$3.49/t, processing cost (non-oxide) US$25/t, G&A cost US$1.06/t. Royalties for the Slab, York and Calvada deposits are 1.25%, and maximum pit slope angles of 50 degrees.
- Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Estimation Approach: Lithology and gold and silver bearing domains were modelled using Leapfrog 2024. These domains are mainly defined by logged jasperoid and limestone-breccia lithologies and continuity of gold grades above 0.1 g/t gold. Metallurgical domains for oxide, transition and non-oxide were modelled based on ratio of cyanide leachable gold assay values to fire assay gold values in addition to drillhole logs recording abundance of pyrite and oxidation intensity. Transition material represents approximately 35% of oxide tonnes and comes almost entirely from the Santa Fe deposit. Transition domain material is included in the oxide resource. Domains representing lithology, weathering and mineralization models were assigned to a block model with a block size of 5 m x 5 m x 6 m. Average bulk densities representative of the mineralization and lithology models were assigned to the block model and vary from 2.4 t/m3 to 2.6 t/m3.
Grade capping and outlier restrictions were applied to gold and silver values and interpolation parameters respectively. Top cut values for gold and silver were evaluated for each domain independently prior to compositing to 1.52 m lengths that honor domain boundaries. Estimation was completed using Micromine Origin with Ordinary Kriging (OK) and Inverse Distance cubed (ID3) interpolants. Blocks were classified in accordance with the 2014 CIM Definition Standards. The nominal drillhole spacing for Indicated Mineral Resources is 50 m or less. The nominal drillhole spacing for Inferred Mineral Resources is 100 m or less.
Prospects for eventual economic extraction were evaluated by performing pit optimization using Lerchs-Grossman algorithm with the following parameters: gold price of US$1,950/oz gold, silver price of US$23.50/oz silver, selling costs of US$29.25/oz gold. Mining costs for resource and waste of US$2.50/t, processing cost (oxide) US$3.49/t, processing cost (non-oxide) US$25/t, G&A cost US$1.06/t. Royalties for the Slab, York and Calvada deposits are 1.25%. Maximum pit slope is 50 degrees. Processing recoveries range from 45% to 79% for oxide, silver recoveries range from 10% to 30% for oxide and non-oxide gold and silver recoveries are 71%.
More information regarding the Santa Fe Mine project's MRE update is included in the NI 43-101 Technical Report titled Santa Fe Project Technical Report with an effective date of October 9, 2024, Report Date: November 27, 2024*.
Qualified Persons
The qualified persons are Kenji Umeno, P.Eng. of Kappes, Cassiday & Associates; Thomas Dyer, P.E. of RESPEC; Trevor Rabb, P.Geo. and Darcy Baker, P.Geo. of Equity Exploration Consultants Ltd. each of whom is an independent "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101. A technical report supporting the results disclosed herein will be published within 45 days. The effective date of the technical report will be December 10, 2024.
About Lahontan Gold Corp.
Lahontan Gold Corp. is a Canadian mine development and mineral exploration company that holds, through its US subsidiaries, four top-tier gold and silver exploration properties in the Walker Lane of mining friendly Nevada. Lahontan's flagship property, the 26.4km2 Santa Fe Mine project, had past production of 356,000 ounces of gold and 784,000 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1995 from open pit mines utilizing heap-leach processing (Nevada Division of Minerals, www.ndomdata.com). The Santa Fe Mine has a Canadian National Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resource of 1,539,000 oz Au Eq(grading 0.99 g/t Au Eq) and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 411,000 oz Au Eq (grading 0.76 g/t Au Eq), all pit constrained (Au Eq is inclusive of recovery, please see Santa Fe Project Technical Report*). For more information, please visit our website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com
* Please see the Santa Fe Project Technical Report, Authors: Trevor Rabb, P. Geo, Darcy Baker, PhD, P. Geo., and Kenji Umeno, P. Eng., Effective Date: October 9, 2024, Report Date: November 27, 2024. The Technical Report is available on the Company's website and SEDAR+.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Kimberly Ann
Founder, CEO, President, and Director
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Lahontan Gold Corp.
Kimberly Ann
Founder, Chief Executive Officer, President, Director
Phone: 1-530-414-4400
Email: Kimberly.ann@lahontangoldcorp.com
Website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-Looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things: the Company's strategic plans; the results of the PEA; the economic potential and merits of the Project; the estimated amount and grade of mineral resources at the Project; precious metals prices; the PEA representing a viable development option for the Santa Fe Mine project ("the Project"); the timing and particulars of the development phases as identified in the PEA; estimates with respect to LOM, operating costs, sustaining capital costs, capex, AISC, cash costs, LOM production, processing plant throughput, NPV and after-tax IRR, payback period, production capacity and other metrics; the estimated economic returns from the Project; mining methods and extraction techniques; the exploration potential of the Project and its inclusion in future mining studies.
These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon several assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; tonnage to be mined and processed; grades and recoveries; prices for silver and gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; reclamation estimates; reliability of the updated MRE and the assumptions upon which it is based; future operating costs; prices for energy inputs, labor, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); the availability of skilled labor and no labor related disruptions at any of the Company's operations; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled production; performance of available laboratory and other related services; availability of funds; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals for operations are received in a timely manner; the ability to secure and maintain title and ownership to properties and the surface rights necessary for operations; and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com
Omar Ayales: Gold, Silver, Juniors Have Explosive Upside — Not Being in Trade is Top Risk
Speaking to the Investing News Network, Omar Ayales of Gold Charts R Us discussed the outlook for gold from a technical perspective, saying that he sees the metal's price potentially peaking in 2026.
Gold's past performance indicates that it could reach US$4,000 per ounce during this cycle. He sees US$2,600 as a bullish support level for gold, with deeper support existing in the US$2,200 to US$2,300 range.
However, Ayales said there's no guarantee that the yellow metal will fall that low at this point.
"I think that we're going to see higher highs — I think the risk of not being in the move as it reaches a high is a lot more than the risk to the downside that you could experience at this moment," he explained.
Watch the interview above for more of Ayales' thoughts on what's ahead for gold, as well as silver. You can also click here to view the Investing News Network's New Orleans Investment Conference playlist on YouTube.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: 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.
Newmont to Sell Cripple Creek & Victor Mine Amid Firm-wide Restructuring
Newmont (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) announced the sale of its Cripple Creek & Victor mine in Colorado, US, to SSR Mining (TSX:SSRM,NASDAQ:SSRM) for up to US$275 million, continuing its ongoing restructuring efforts.
Under the terms of the deal, Newmont will receive US$100 million in cash upon closing, with an additional US$175 million contingent on regulatory approvals and conditions related to the Carlton Tunnel.
Newmont has agreed to bear 90 percent of potential closure costs exceeding US$500 million under a future regulator-approved closure plan. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.
For the better part of the year, Newmont has prioritized divesting its non-core assets to focus on its Tier 1 gold and copper operations. It is aiming to achieve up to US$3.9 billion in proceeds through asset sales and other liquidations.
Recent sales include the Telfer operation and a majority stake in the Havieron project for up to $475 million, alongside divestitures of the Akyem, Musselwhite and Éléonore operations. The company has also raised US$527 million through sales of other investments, including its Lundin Gold (TSX:LUG,OTCQX:LUGDF) stream credit facility.
In tandem with these divestitures, Newmont is implementing widespread organizational changes, including layoffs and a consolidation of its global business units. The company recently announced the dismissal of several senior managers, including an executive, as part of efforts to align its operational structure with its strategic priorities.
In addition, five standalone business units are being merged into three, eliminating divisions overseeing operations in Australia and Africa and integrating them with those managing North America and East Asia.
These changes come after Newmont’s acquisition of Newcrest Mining in 2023, which added significant gold and copper assets to its portfolio. The restructuring aims to reduce redundancy and optimize the organization for long-term success.
The overhaul also responds to challenges highlighted in Newmont’s third quarter report, which reveals rising costs at the company's mines in Australia, Canada and Peru.
Despite a 30 percent increase in the gold price this year, Newmont’s share price performance has been modest, prompting internal reviews and discussions with investors about the company’s current approach.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Black Swans, White Swans and Trump’s Clash with the Fed
The Trump administration’s ability to reign in government spending, quash inflation and bolster the economy were the most prevalent topics during the popular economy panel at the New Orleans Investment Conference.
Moderated by Adrian Day, president Adrian Day Asset Management, this year’s discussion featured James Lavish, Jim Bianco, Dr. Mark Skousen, Brent Johnson and James Grant. The expert group began the discussion by debating the potential economic impact Donald Trump could have, highlighting contradictions in his policies.
Johnson, who is CEO of Santiago Capital, pointed out that Trump's anti-inflation stance conflicts with his push for a weak US dollar and tariffs, which Johnson likened to global rate hikes.
“I would say that Trump's policies in many ways contradict each other in some way,” he said.
“Sometimes he will say, 'I want to kill inflation,' but then he will also say he wants a weak dollar. And then the next sentence, he will say, 'The greatest word in the world is tariffs,'" Johnson explained.
“The reality is, even if he gets his rate cuts, tariffs are basically like a rate hike for the rest of the world, because it's going to mean less dollars circulating outside the US. And that has tremendous implications for the global economy.”
Skousen, an economist and author, countered Johnson’s stance, asserting that Trump favors a strong dollar.
“Trump is known for 'king dollar.' He wants a strong dollar. I don't know where he got the weak dollar business,” he said. “Make America Great Again is all about making the dollar strong.”
Skousen then took aim at Trump’s proposed 20 percent tariff on imports, saying it isn't likely pass in Congress.
“Economists across the board have done study after study showing that tariffs are bad long term and short term for the country. Donald Trump was asleep when he took econ at the Wharton School, because he should know better than to push that agenda,” he said.
DOGE Commission and Trump tariff talk
Next up, Grant, a financial journalist and historian, pointed to the redundancy in Trump’s appointments for the Department of Government Efficiency, also referred to as the DOGE Commission.
“If you want to bury an idea in Washington, form a commission,” Grant quipped. “The DOGE Commission, the directive on government efficiency, ladies and gentlemen, has two CEOs.”
He added, “To bring down government spending and to reduce the growth in public debt, President-elect Trump would not have said he would never touch entitlements — but he said that."
Ultimately Grant believes “the rhetoric is stronger than the intention.”
The panelists also explored potential friction between Trump and the Federal Reserve, speculating on whether Trump will clash with or attempt to dismiss Chair Jerome Powell.
“Let's talk about the president-elect, Donald Trump, and who is perceived to be the second most powerful person in Washington — that is the Federal Reserve chairman,” said Bianco, president and macro strategist at Bianco Research.
“Trump is not going to reappoint Powell, but Powell knew that he wasn’t going to get reappointed; even if Harris won, she was probably going to appoint (Lael) Brainard to replace him in May of '26," he went on to note.
While Trump is unlikely to reappoint Powell at the end of his term as Fed chair, Bianco does believe Trump is going to make it challenging for Powell to operate.
"Trump is not, I don't think, going to fire Powell. I don't think he wants to have the spectacle,” he said. “He'll just threaten to fire him every week, and blame everything, including male pattern baldness, on Powell.”
After the laughter from the audience dissipated, Bianco warned that Trump has previously said he would like to be both POTUS and Fed chair — something that has never been done in the country's history.
Trump’s relationship with the Fed is likely to start on bumpy terms as Powell works to reduce inflation.
“The Fed might be done cutting rates, and Trump wouldn't be wrong to say, 'Boy, did that look very political. You were cutting rates before the election like crazy, 50 basis points. Then I (get elected) and you stop?' That could wind up becoming a narrative early in the Trump administration, his stressed relationship with the Fed chairman."
Although Trump would like to wield more power over the Fed, during a November 8 press conference, Powell told reporters he won't resign if Trump asks, nor does the president-elect have the power to fire him.
Lavish, managing partner at the Bitcoin Opportunity Fund, also pointed to Trump’s double speak as a serious problem, heading into the next four years. “Trump speaks in contradictions,” he told the audience, explaining that while Trump talks tough on tariffs, they may be more rhetorical than actionable.
He also noted that Trump’s "drill, baby, drill" stance aims to reduce US energy costs, which would lower inflation — yet his push for a booming stock market and strong economy could fuel inflation instead.
Trump’s pressure on the Fed to maintain easy monetary policy reflects his desire for market highs, despite criticizing Powell. Cutting federal spending significantly seems unlikely, as trimming entitlements or laying off workers would barely dent the budget. Ultimately, Trump's policies may favor liquidity, potentially keeping inflation elevated.
Black swans vs. white swans
At the end of the discussion Day, gave each panelist 45 seconds to describe what they believe are the potential economic black and white swan events on the horizon.
Skousen said it could be positive or negative if Trump imitates Argentinian President Javier Milei’s economic policies.
“(Milei) is doing a lot of really good things with really trying to reduce government and reduce the national debt, which is a problem and is headed for a crisis," he said.
Trump and Milei share a populist, anti-establishment outlook, but their economic policies reflect different approaches. Trump's strategy emphasizes protectionism, tariffs and "America First" nationalism, contrasting with Milei's free-market libertarianism, which includes proposals like dollarizing Argentina's economy and drastically reducing state involvement.
Building on Skousen's stance, Johnson stressed the importance of Trump being steadfast.
“I think the potential white swan is that most of the success that is attributed to Milei in Argentina is because he has hit the ground running. He hasn't slowed down," he commented.
"He's done exactly what he said he would do, and he keeps charging 100 miles an hour. If Trump does something similar, he has a better chance than is currently expected. But if he slows down, then they'll eat him alive."
Bianco underscored that the economy is currently at its full potential, driven by fiscal stimulus.
He then cautioned that if the Fed continues to cut interest rates, it could push long-term yields even higher instead of curbing inflation. This might trigger a sudden bond market collapse, reminiscent of the 2019 repo market spike.
“If the Fed wants to continue to cut rates, they're just going to continue to drive long-term yields higher and higher and higher, because they're not fighting inflation,” said Bianco.
“And that could very well turn into a black swan event. A white swan event would be the opposite.”
Lavish also warned of potential trouble in the bond market.
“(If) we have some sort of event like you saw in the fall of 2019, where you saw the repo market spike up, whether that happens because of policy error by the Fed or for some other reason, that's a black swan event,” he said. “The white swan event would be — I don't know how this would ever happen — but these guys balance the budget.”
For Grant, the black swan would be inflation rising while the Fed cuts rates due to "dysfunction in the government bond market." That would "crystallize fiscal error and underlying inflation, and the Fed's too-big balance sheet.”
On the other hand, he joked, Powell buying “his first ounce of gold” would be a white swan event.
Keep an eye out for the rest of INN’s coverage from the New Orleans Investment Conference, including exclusive video interviews and full panel overviews.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Gold Price 2024 Year-End Review
Gold saw incredible price gains in 2024, rising from US$2,000 per ounce to close to US$2,800.
Various factors have lent support, including 75 basis points worth of interest rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve, geopolitical instability in Eastern Europe and the Middle East and uncertainty in global financial markets.
Of course, it wasn't all an upward climb for gold — following the US presidential election, Donald Trump emerged victorious, and the gold price experienced volatility as investors flocked to Bitcoin.
Read on for more on what factors moved the gold price in Q4, followed by a look back at the entire year.
Gold price in Q4
The gold price began Q4 at US$2,660.30, but quickly saw a retraction to US$2,608.40 on October 9. However, the decline didn't last, and gold again rose, setting a new record high of US$2,785.40 on October 30.
The surge upward was fueled by a weaker-than-expected September US consumer price index report, which showed annual inflation of 2.4 percent and monthly inflation of 0.2 percent. These numbers were higher than analysts' forecasts of 2.3 and 0.1 percent, raising expectations that the Fed would cut rates at its November meeting.
Gold was in retreat to start November, dropping to US$2,664 on November 6 after Trump’s victory. The next day, it briefly surged above the US$2,700 mark as the Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points on November 7.
By November 15, the price of gold had fallen to its quarterly low of US$2,562.50.
The end of the month saw gold leap to US$2,715.80 on November 22. Following this peak, gold entered December below the US$2,700 mark, closing at US$2,660.50 on December 9.
Gold price, Q4 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
Geopolitical impacts have been important to gold in Q4.
In addition to Trump's re-election, which has caused turmoil in various forms, on November 17 the US authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range missiles to attack targets deeper into Russian territory. The UK and France mirrored this move, giving Ukraine the green light to use long-range missiles in the ongoing conflict.
Tensions continued to ratchet up in the days following as Russia announced it was lowering the threshold for nuclear retaliation to include conventional attacks from countries backed by nuclear nations. In a demonstration of its capabilities, Russia launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile for the first time on November 21. While the missile appeared only to carry inert warheads, it is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear armaments.
The threat of a significant escalation has bolstered gold’s appeal as a safe-haven asset and store of value.
How did gold perform for the rest of the year?
Gold price in Q1
Gold set its first record price of the year at US$2,251.37 on March 31.
Central bank buying, notably China's purchase of 22 metric tons of gold in the first two months of the year, supported the price. Turkey, Kazakhstan and India also significantly increased their holdings at the start of the year.
Further momentum came from Chinese wholesale demand, which jumped to 271 metric tons in January, the strongest ever recorded. Investors were turning to the yellow metal as a defense against falling real estate and stock prices. At that time, the country's stocks had lost nearly US$5 trillion in value over the past three years.
Gold price, Q1 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
“As central banks continue to be significant buyers and geopolitical risks and global uncertainties drive investors towards the perceived safety of gold, the current environment underscores gold’s importance as a strategic asset for portfolio diversification and risk mitigation. Therefore, while there may have been a perception of western disinterest in gold, recent developments indicate a sustained and broad-based demand for the precious metal,” Joe Cavatoni, market strategist, Americas, told the Investing News Network (INN) in an email at the time.
Gold price in Q2
The gold price saw increasing momentum in Q2, setting a new all-time of US$2,450.05 on May 20.
Gains through the quarter were influenced by strong central bank demand. Investor sentiment toward the yellow metal also shifted, with outflows from western exchange-traded funds starting to slow.
Although European funds still saw significant declines, it wasn’t all bad news — the US-based SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:GLD), the Sprott Physical Gold Trust (NYSE:PHYS), Ireland’s Royal Mint Responsibly Sourced Physical Gold ETC (LSE:RMAU) and Switzerland’s UBS ETF Gold (SWX:AUUSI) all saw increases.
Gold price, Q2 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
In a May interview with INN, Jeff Clark, editor of Paydirt Prospector, noted several other market dynamics that caused the price of gold to rise dramatically. He said the real starting point for the precious metal's gains was the end of February, when the Fed indicated it was expecting three or four rate cuts in 2024.
“All of a sudden, gold was off to the races. It jumped so high that suddenly, you had some short covering that needed to happen then as well. So you had short covering, which means they’re buying. And then you had momentum chasers and traders jumping all in. That was a pretty good spike ... that's what kind of started all of this,” he said.
Gold price in Q3
Gold set another record price during the third quarter, reaching US$2,672.51 on September 26.
The high came just a week after the conclusion of the Fed's September meeting, when it announced a jumbo 50 basis point cut to the federal funds rate. While the People’s Bank of China maintained its pause on gold purchases in the third quarter, it granted several regional banks new import quotas in August.
Gold price, Q3 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
David Barrett, CEO of the UK division of global brokerage firm EBC Financial Group, suggested at the time that Fed rate cuts were less of a factor for gold than central bank buying. “I still see the global central bank buying as the main driver — as it has been over the last 15 years. This demand removes supply from the market. They are the ultimate buy-and-hold participants and have been buying massive amounts,” he told INN via email.
The quarter also saw significant merger and acquisition activity, with South Africa-based Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI,JSE:GFI) announcing plans to acquire Canada’s Osisko Mining (TSX:OSK) for C$2.16 billion, and South African gold miner AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) agreeing to purchase UK-based Centamin (TSX:CEE,LSE:CEY) for US$2.5 billion.
Investor takeaway
Overall, uncertainty has been a key driver for gold in 2024.
Central banks have continued to increase their physical holdings against an increasingly polarized political landscape. The most recent data from the World Gold Council shows that they added 186 metric tons of gold to their coffers during the third quarter, with the National Bank of Poland leading the way with 42 metric tons.
The World Gold Council notes that on a rolling four-quarter basis, central bank buying has slowed to 909 metric tons — that's compared to 1,215 metric tons one year ago.
Investors also began returning to the precious metal throughout 2024 as geopolitical tensions and fragile economies pushed them toward gold as a safe haven to help shield their portfolios from volatility.
With the world’s largest economy set to welcome Trump back to the White House in 2025, there are many unknowns. His economic policies could cause inflation to begin creeping up. In contrast, his foreign policies could create new ripples through global trade and financial markets given that he campaigned on more protectionist policies.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: 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.
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