Gold just crossed $3,010 again—and investors are paying attention. With tariff noise coming out of the White House and fears of stagflation resurfacing, the yellow metal is back in the spotlight as the go-to hedge. Big banks like HSBC, Citi, and Bank of America are leaning bullish, and gold ETFs are seeing inflows not seen in over a year. That momentum is bleeding into mining stocks—especially the ones making real moves. Lake Victoria Gold (LVGLF, Financial) just secured four 10-year Mining Licenses for its Tembo Project in Tanzania, unlocking a path to near-term production and long-term upside. With over $28 million sunk into exploration and gold grades hitting as high as 78.1 g/t, LVG now has both the scale and the grade that could push it into the spotlight. The kicker? It's right next to Barrick's massive Bulyanhulu mine—with shared history and the kind of neighborly upside that turns heads.
The rest of the sector isn't sitting still either. New Gold (NGD, Financial) just went all-in on its New Afton copper-gold mine, buying out the final 19.9% free cash flow interest from the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for $300 million. That's full exposure to one of Canada's top-tier gold assets—no integration risk, no equity dilution. Thor Explorations (THXPF, Financial) is returning capital to shareholders after a strong 2024 and is going deeper in Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire with a $17.5 million exploration push. Meanwhile, Westgold (WGXRF, Financial) just kicked off an ore deal to secure high-grade supply for its Western Australia operations, and Dakota Gold (DC, Financial) closed a $35 million raise to fully fund its next leg of development at Richmond Hill—one of the biggest undeveloped gold projects in the U.S.
Bottom line: the gold trade isn't just alive—it's evolving. Miners are locking in licenses, cash, and strategic ground at a time when central banks are buying, supply's tightening, and the macro backdrop screams “own real assets.” Juniors like LVG are hitting major milestones that could lead to outsized upside. Mid-tier names are consolidating, scaling, and setting up for the next run. If gold's heading higher—and Wall Street seems to think it is—this might just be the early innings of a breakout year for mining stocks.
