Mining Stocks
While sometimes risky, mining stocks can also be strong performers when commodity prices move up. However, due to the volatility of these stocks, Pat McKeough recommends that they only form a modest part of a well-balanced portfolio.
Canadian penny mining stocks are some of the riskiest stocks you can buy. These companies are trying to find mineral deposits that mine at a profit and such a find are exceedingly rare. Because of this, it’s even more important to look for investment quality in penny mines.
For example, we automatically rule out investing in penny mines that promote themselves too aggressively or do so misleadingly. The mine-finding effort is more likely to succeed if the managers focus on finding a mine rather than hyping their stock.
Junior mining stocks are usually smaller companies that typically take on riskier mining projects. However, if a junior mining stock is successful at finding and mining, it can mean huge returns for investors.
No matter what type of mining stocks, or other stocks you invest in, TSI Network recommends following our three-part Successful Investor strategy:
- Invest mainly in well-established, mostly dividend-paying companies;
- Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; Consumer; Finance; and Utilities);
- Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.
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Today, many investors worry about a “W” shaped recession. That is, they worry that we are on the brink of a second recession that follows shortly after the first. Others are concerned that inflation will rise as the economy recovers. This explains the recent run-up in gold prices, for example, and the popularity of certain resource stocks (including crude oil stocks), which many investors see as a hedge against inflation. (See below for a full analysis of a diversified producer that’s been moving up recently.)
Stick with well-established companies no matter what the economy does
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We’ve analyzed junior gold and mineral stocks for many years in Stock Pickers Digest, our newsletter for more aggressive investors. Many of our picks have shot up during the recent rise in gold from around $700 U.S. an ounce in the fall of 2008 to a recent peak of above $1,200 U.S. Gold has since dropped by about $100. But we think that’s a temporary fluctuation.
Use caution when investing in Canadian gold stocks
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Iraq’s instability has weighed heavily on its oil exports. That’s caused many oil companies, including some Canadian oil stocks, to hold off on investing in the country. However, the situation has presented some real bargains for foreign firms willing to take larger interests in Iraq. For example, China’s Sinopec recently paid $8 billion U.S. for Addax Petroleum, which was developing the huge Taq Taq oil field in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region. (See below for an update on a Canadian oil stock with a new presence in Kurdistan. We’ve updated our view on this company in the latest Stock Pickers Digest.)...
Last week, Barrick Gold (symbol ABX on Toronto) said that its research shows that global gold production has been falling by roughly one million ounces a year since 2000. Barrick is the world’s largest gold-mining company. Moreover, the company says that poorer-quality ore has driven down total global mine supply by roughly 10%. In Canada, the U.S, and Australia, for example, average grades of mined ore have fallen to nearly three grams per tonne. That’s down from roughly 12 grams per tonne in 1950. What’s more, Barrick says that South Africa’s gold output has fallen by about 50% from its peak in 1970.
How to profit from a potential gold shortage
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With commodity prices on an upswing, many investors have turned their attention to companies that produce and explore for minerals. These include Canadian gold stocks, especially in light of gold’s recent rise to over $1,030 U.S. an ounce. (In the current Stock Pickers Digest, we take a close look at a junior gold explorer we’ve recommended in the past. It has a presence in one of the world’s most productive gold-producing regions. What’s more, it’s up 72.2% for us since early this year. Read on for further details.)
Look beyond gold prices when investing in junior exploration firms
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The price of uranium rose steadily from $7.10 U.S. a pound in December 2000 to as high as $138 U.S. a pound in June 2007.
Gold has been attracting investor interest because it recently broke out of the $930 to $960 U.S. range that it had been trading in and climbed over $1,000. The last time gold was over $1,000 was last March. In November, it dropped to $700 as stock-market prices fell sharply.
Many investors see investing in gold as a safe haven
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Gold rose from $300 an ounce at the beginning of this decade to over $1,000 in early 2008. It fell below $700 late last year before rebounding back over $1,000 earlier this year. Today, it trades around $954. We feel that gold will eventually surpass its recent highs. That’s mainly because low interest rates and government spending will spur inflation. Still, investors should use caution when investing in gold, and avoid buying gold directly, or certificates that represent an interest in gold. Unlike stocks, commodity investments like these generate no income. Instead, they come with a continuing cash drain for management, insurance and so on....
As the market has rebounded, more investors have been asking me whether they should invest in junior mines.
My answer is that you should always first ensure that your portfolio is spread out across the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry, Resources & Commodities, the Consumer sector, Finance and Utilities). However, junior mines can play a role in the smaller part of your portfolio that you devote to more aggressive investments.
Resource prices have been on the rise lately, and it’s getting easier for many junior mines to raise funds for exploration and development.
With that in mind, I’ve zeroed in on four junior mines that I think have promise in the latest issue of Stock Pickers Digest. One of these, Baffinland Iron Mines (Toronto symbol BIM), is a good example of a junior mine that is worth considering.
My answer is that you should always first ensure that your portfolio is spread out across the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry, Resources & Commodities, the Consumer sector, Finance and Utilities). However, junior mines can play a role in the smaller part of your portfolio that you devote to more aggressive investments.
Resource prices have been on the rise lately, and it’s getting easier for many junior mines to raise funds for exploration and development.
With that in mind, I’ve zeroed in on four junior mines that I think have promise in the latest issue of Stock Pickers Digest. One of these, Baffinland Iron Mines (Toronto symbol BIM), is a good example of a junior mine that is worth considering.
Five keys to profit in junior mines
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If you are interested in gold investing, we recommend staying away from buying gold bullion, coins (unless you collect them as a hobby) or certificates representing an interest in bullion. Unlike stocks, commodity investments like gold bullion do not generate income. Instead, they come with a continuing cash drain, for management, insurance and so on. However, if you do want to hold bullion as part of your gold investing, then SPDR Gold Shares are a relatively low-cost and liquid way to do it. SPDR Gold Trust, symbol GLD on New York, is an investment trust that aims to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the trust’s expenses. SPDR’s sole assets are gold bullion, and, from time to time, cash. Expenses for SPDR Gold Shares are 0.4% of assets per year....