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In 2020, zinc become one of the year’s best-performing metals, creating positive future expectations. The zinc price has now extended that rally into the first half of 2021.

The base metal started January out at US$2,799 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange. As global economies begin to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic, zinc metal prices held onto gains made in 2020, hitting a high point for the year of US$3,063.50 in mid-May.

Upward price action in the zinc market has also been good for junior zinc-mining stocks. Here’s a look at the five top junior zinc stocks on the TSXV that have seen share price gains year-to-date.

All data for this article was gathered on July 8, 2021, using TradingView’s stock screener. Only junior zinc stocks with market caps greater than C$10 million at that time were considered.

1. Emerita Resources (TSXV:EMO)

Current share price: C$1.36; year-to-date gain: 515.91 percent

Emerita Resources is exploring and developing the Plaza Norte zinc project in the Reocin mining district in Northern Spain along with its 50/50 joint venture partner Grupo Aldesa, a major Spanish construction and infrastructure firm with international operations. Emerita holds additional exploration properties in Spain, including the West Iberian Belt gold–silver–copper-zinc-lead project.

At the start of the summer, Emerita announced and increased a bought-deal private placement. Prior to that, the company announced results from surface sampling at the West Iberian Belt project.

Emerita’s share price has been on a tear in the recent weeks, hitting a year high of C$2 on July 5.

2. Gossan Resources (TSXV:GSS)

Current share price: C$0.23; year-to-date gain: 181.25 percent

Gossan Resources has a diverse portfolio of exploration and development projects in Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland. Its flagship project is the Sturgeon Lake property, located in Northwestern Ontario’s polymetallic Sturgeon Lake greenstone belt, which is rich in zinc, copper and silver.

In May, Gossan raised nearly $2 million through a private placements of flow-through units. The company’s share price hit a 2021 high of C$0.35 on May 10.

3. Callinex Mines (TSXV:CNX)

Current share price: C$4.07; year-to-date gain: 81.74 percent

Callinex Mines has a portfolio of base- and precious metals-rich deposits located in Manitoba, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. The company is rapidly expanding on its high-grade copper-zinc-gold-silver Rainbow discovery at the Pine Bay project, located in the established Flin Flon mining district.

Callinex raised nearly C$9 million in a February private placement. The company kicked off the summer by announcing strong drill results from a campaign targeting the expansion of the Rainbow discovery, including drill hole PBM-131, which intersected 20.53 meters of 3.21 percent copper equivalent, consisting of 2.58 percent copper, 0.22 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, 6.63 g/t silver and 1.11 percent zinc.

Callinex’s share price reached a year-to-date high of $6.50 on February 1.

4. Starr Peak Mining (TSXV:STE)

Current share price: C$3.21; year-to-date gain: 77.9 percent

Starr Peak Mining’s main objective may be exploring and developing gold projects in the Americas, but the company’s portfolio also includes the NewMétal property in the Abitibi greenstone belt of Quebec. The project also includes the past-producing Normétal mine, from which approximately 10.1 million tonnes of 2.15 percent copper, 5.12 percent zinc, 0.549 g/t gold and 45.25 g/t silver were produced.

In early July, Starr Peak announced assays from its ongoing 2021 drill campaign on NewMétal, reporting the highest-grade results to date with up to 18.07 percent zinc equivalent over 6.65 meters. Soon after, the company doubled the size of its exploration program at NewMétal to 40,000 meters of drilling.

Starr Peak’s stock price rose to C$4.05, its highest point this year, on May 28.

5. Constantine Metal Resource (TSXV:CEM)

Current share price: $0.245; year-to-date gain: 44.12 percent

Constantine Metal Resource’s main focus is the Palmer volcanogenic massive sulfide copper-zinc-silver-gold project in Southeast Alaska. It is a joint venture between Constantine (50.04 percent) and Dowa Metals & Mining (49.96 percent), with Constantine as operator.

In late March, the company announced a US$8.8 million exploration program at Palmer; it includes a planned 6,000 meters of drilling. Constantine raised nearly $2 million in a private placement in June.

Constantine shares hit a high for the year of C$0.35 on April 1.

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

Editorial Disclosure: Emerita Resources is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.