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For years, rare earths have been discussed mostly in times of crisis — a supply scare here, a geopolitical flare there. This year, the strategic minerals are again taking center stage as China reasserts control over the sector.

The latest round of rare earths policy shifts has put new attention on how producers outside China are positioning themselves. For MP Materials (NYSE:MP), 2025 has been less about responding to market turbulence and more about testing what a viable, strategically resilient rare earths supply chain could look like beyond China’s dominance.

“We’ve been talking about these issues for many, many years,” CFO Ryan Corbett said during a fireside chat at the Benchmark Week conference in Marina del Rey, California.

“But the export controls in April put everything in stark relief.” The result, he told the audience, has been a level of public and government attention he has “never seen before.”

And the attention is coming at a pivotal moment for the US-based company.

This year marked five years since MP went public, an anniversary the team celebrated by ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, as well as the culmination of several major announcements aimed at strengthening rare earths production, processing and magnet making outside of China.

The long road from mine to magnet

Corbett is the first to admit that the broader conversation around rare earths often oversimplifies the challenge. Headlines usually focus on mining or magnets, but the real bottlenecks, he stressed, live in the middle.

“You don’t magically take NdPr oxide and turn it into a magnet in a magnet factory,” he said. The process includes converting oxide to metal, metal to alloy flake, flake to powder, then pressing, sintering, slicing and grinding. Each step requires specific infrastructure, technical expertise and — perhaps most critically — experience.

Corbett sees this gap clearly in the wake of announcements from companies claiming to have plans for large-scale magnet facilities. “We see all these announcements — ‘We’re going to do a 10,000 ton magnet plant.’ They’ve never made metal before,” he said. “Good luck. It takes time. It takes investment. It takes R&D.”

When MP listed publicly five years ago, it was still producing only rare earths concentrate. The company told investors it would revisit magnet-making discussions around 2025.

Geopolitical urgency pushed MP to accelerate that timeline, leading to the company’s fully integrated US facility in Fort Worth, where metal, alloy and finished magnets are now all made domestically.

“It is critical that we master all of them at scale,” Corbett said. Without that know-how, any new facility will be vulnerable to single-point failures, the same dynamic that has left the industry heavily reliant on China.

Where the real rare earths bottleneck lies

When asked what truly slows down western rare earths supply chain development, Corbett didn’t point to mining. Instead, he pointed to refining, a stage China has dominated for decades.

“China doesn’t have 99 percent of the upstream reserves,” he noted. “They have the refining capacity and capability.”

That distinction is shaping MP’s next major step: a new world-scale refining facility in Saudi Arabia, built in partnership with Maaden and backed by the US Department of Defense (DoD).

The project is designed to process feedstocks from around the world, including materials that are too small, too short-lived or too geographically constrained to justify their own refineries.

Crucially, the new plant is being built with capital from the US government, not MP. “We didn’t want to be putting more capital at risk overseas while we’re fulfilling promises in the US,” Corbett said.

He added that the government wanted the facility built, and MP brought the technical and operational capability; the equity investment from the DoD bridged the gap.

The structure is unusual. According to Corbett, this is the first time since World War II that the DoD has taken an equity stake in a private enterprise. But he argued that the situation demands it.

“From a supply chain and national security perspective, we are that far behind.”

A price floor that reshapes incentives

The DoD’s involvement isn’t limited to the Saudi facility.

This past summer, the department also struck a landmark agreement with MP, establishing a price floor for NdPr oxide, the high-value rare earths ingredient inside permanent magnets.

The deal is “absolutely transformational,” Corbett said.

Rare earths prices have historically been highly vulnerable to sudden moves from China, a fact that has long posed an existential risk to western refiners. “What good is it to invest billions of dollars if the second you turn your refinery on, prices go from US$170 to US$45?” questioned Corbett.

The agreement is structured to avoid distorting the downstream market. MP still sells oxide at market prices; the government covers the difference only when prices fall below the negotiated threshold.

“It doesn’t impact the pricing of our magnets at all,” Corbett explained. “That was really important to us.”

If prices soar — something Corbett says he would welcome — MP would pay the government.

“I hope five years from now I’m being accosted by investors for taking this deal, because prices are so high we’re cutting checks back to the government,” he said.

Apple, recycling and the next phase

Also over the summer, MP announced another milestone — a major partnership with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) to source 100 percent recycled rare earth materials for the tech giant’s devices.

Recycling is often framed as a threat to miners. Corbett argues the opposite.

“It’s still a game of scale and expertise in refining,” he said. “It’s just a different feedstock.”

In many ways, recycled magnets are easier to process than raw ore. The challenge is achieving sufficient volume and consistency, something MP believes Mountain Pass is uniquely positioned to enable.

“Integration matters,” Corbett said. By blending recycled materials with the mine’s large, steady feedstock, MP can smooth out the variability inherent in end-of-life magnets.

A new playbook for national resources?

Taken together, MP’s 2025 announcements point toward a broader shift in how western governments approach critical minerals supply chains moving forward. Heavy government involvement through frameworks like equity stakes, price floors and international partnerships may represent a new template.

“This administration is approaching it with the mentality that it’s going to take real dollars to make this happen,” Corbett said. And if its investments pay off, he argued, they could help rebuild an industrial base the US hasn’t had in decades as MP positions itself to offer the full value chain, from mining and refining to producing finished magnets.

“Once the flywheel gets going,” Corbett said, “You’re onto something.”

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Bert Dohmen, founder and CEO of Dohmen Capital Research, discusses precious metals.

He believes gold’s fundamentals support ‘much higher prices’ for a number of years, and sees silver doing even better as the US faces down the specter of potential deflation.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Exploration Program Targets Near-Mine Ounce Growth

Fortune Bay Corp. (TSXV: FOR,OTC:FTBYF) (FWB: 5QN) (OTCQB: FTBYF) (‘Fortune Bay’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that exploration drilling has commenced on multiple high-priority exploration targets at its 100%-owned Goldfields Gold Project (‘Goldfields’ or the ‘Project’) in northern Saskatchewan.

The targets include opportunities for resource expansion at the Box and Athona deposits, and potential for the addition of new resources from underexplored historical occurrences at Frontier, Golden Pond, and Triangle ­— all within two kilometres of past-producing and expected future mine infrastructure (Figure 1).

An initial 17 exploration holes (3,250 metres) are planned with provision to expand the program in a results-driven manner. The exploration drilling will be carried out in conjunction with development-related drilling, supporting advancement of Goldfields to Pre-Feasibility Study, as described in the Company’s recent News Release.

Gareth Garlick, VP Technical Services for Fortune Bay, commented ‘We have initiated drilling within three weeks of closing our financing, demonstrating the pace at which we intend to advance the Project. Goldfields is already positioned as a robust development asset in Canada’s top mining jurisdiction, with work toward pre-feasibility and permitting in progress. Our exploration program is designed to unlock additional near-mine ounces that could further strengthen Goldfields’ exceptional economics and improve the overall development profile.’

Box Deposit – High-Grades Open at Depth

The Box deposit is wide open at depth. The Company’s 2021 drilling confirmed high-grades extending up to 240 m beyond the extents of the current open-pit constrained Mineral Resource Estimate (‘MRE’) (Figure 2), including:

  • 13.22 g/t Au over 8.0 m from 426.0 to 434.0 m (drill hole B21-340)
  • 8.74 g/t Au over 5.0 m from 575.0 to 580.0 m (drill hole B21-339)
  • 8.00 g/t Au over 12.0 m from 509.0 to 521.0 m (drill hole B21-336)
  • 8.00 g/t Au over 4.0 m from 375.0 to 379.0 m (drill hole B21-334)

Four initial drill holes (2,000 m) are planned to test and infill large gaps (up to 170 m) in the existing drill hole coverage outside of the MRE to test for extensions to high-grade zones with underground mining potential.

Gold mineralization occurs in sheeted and stockwork quartz–sulphide veins within the Box Mine Granite (‘BMG’), controlled by N-S and NW-SE trending structures. The Box Deposit currently hosts an open-pit constrained mineral resource including 734,300 oz Indicated (16.2 Mt @ 1.41 g/t), and 114,100 oz Inferred (3.4 Mt @ 1.04 g/t) (effective date September 11, 2025).

Athona Deposit – Near-Pit Resource Expansion Potential

Mineral resources at Athona are hosted entirely within the Athona Mine Granite (‘AMG’). The outcropping Athona West Mine Granite (‘AWMG’) is located immediately west of the AMG and displays gold mineralization similar in style to the AMG, but has not seen sufficient drilling to support estimation of mineral resources (Figure 3).

Two initial drill holes (270 m) are planned with the dual purpose of testing mineralization continuity in the AWMG and testing an underlying extension of the AMG below the AWMG. This target is located directly adjacent to, and partially overlapping, the Athona open-pit designed in the Updated PEA and has potential to cost-effectively add mineral resources with limited delineation drilling.

Gold mineralization at Athona occurs as stacked quartz–sulphide vein arrays controlled by NNE-trending structures. The Athona Deposit (AMG) currently hosts an open-pit constrained mineral resource including 255,400 oz Indicated (7.8 Mt @ 1.02 g/t) and 100,100 oz Inferred (4.0 Mt @ 0.78 g/t) (effective date September 11, 2025).

Exploration Drilling at Underexplored Historical Gold Occurrences

The Frontier, Golden Pond, and Triangle occurrences — all located within two kilometres of past-producing and expected future mine infrastructure — represent opportunities to define new mineralized zones that could ultimately contribute additional gold ounces to future Mineral Resource Estimates, thereby enhancing the overall scale and optionality of the Goldfields Project. The 2025/2026 exploration drilling program has been designed to test the size potential and continuity of shallow mineralized systems at these targets. Results from this work will be used to prioritize areas for follow-up delineation drilling, with the objective of advancing the most compelling opportunities in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Frontier – Located 800 metres northwest of the Box Deposit, the mineralized Frontier Mine Granite (‘FMG’) forms a 10–25 metre thick tabular body striking ENE–WSW and dipping gently to the SSE, similar in style to the Box Mine Granite. Historical work indicates that most mineralization occurs within a topographic high (outcropping to ~25 metres depth), which could provide a favourable strip ratio should a mineral resource be defined. Three initial drill holes (340 metres) are planned test for down-dip extensions of historically identified mineralization.

Golden Pond – Historical drilling at Golden Pond returned near-surface gold mineralization, with the vein system interpreted to remain open to the northwest. Six initial holes (440 metres) are planned to confirm historical results and to evaluate both along-strike and down-dip extensions of the mineralized structure.

Triangle – Triangle hosts a broad quartz-vein system that has returned surface grab samples up to 177 g/t gold from recent fieldwork. Unlike the granite-hosted targets at Box, Athona, Frontier, and Golden Pond, mineralization at Triangle occurs within less-resistant calcareous bedrock and is often masked by overburden. Historical drilling was limited and did not appropriately test the interpreted vein orientation.

Two initial drill holes (200 metres) will be completed to properly evaluate the target and assess continuity of the mineralized system both along strike and down dip.

Technical Disclosure

Current Drilling and Sampling Results

The Box 2021 (‘B21’) and 2022 (‘B22’) drill holes were oriented at moderate dips (-55 to -60 degrees) to the east to intersect the dominant mineralized vein-sets at high angles, and true thicknesses are estimated to be approximately 80% of the intersected lengths. Drill results shown are assays from 1 metre samples of half-cut NQ core composited into longer intervals using a minimum lower cut-off of 0.5 g/t Au, and maximum 5 metres of consecutive waste defined as < 0.3 g/t Au.

Surface sample results from Triangle derive from grab samples collected by hand from outcrop. Grab samples are selective in nature and are not necessarily representative of the overall mineralization at the occurrence.

Historical Results

Historical exploration results for Golden Pond and Frontier, that are being used to plan exploration holes, derive from assessment reports 74N08-0150 and 74N07-0315, respectively. These reports and supporting datasets are available for download from the Saskatchewan Mineral Assessment Database (‘SMAD’). Accordingly, historical results have not been verified and there is a risk that any future confirmation work and exploration may produce results that substantially differ from the historical results. The Company considers historical results relevant to assess the mineralization and economic potential of the property.

Mineral Resource Estimate

The Mineral Resource Estimate for Box and Athona is provided in the technical report titled ‘Goldfields Project Updated NI 43-101 Technical Report & Preliminary Economic Assessment, Saskatchewan, Canada‘, dated October 20, 2025, prepared by Kevin Murray, P.Eng.; Scott C. Elfen, P.E.; James Millard, P.Geo.; Jonathan Cooper, P.Eng.; Marc Schulte, P.Eng.; Cliff Revering, P.Eng.; and Ron Uken, Pr.Sci.Nat. for Fortune Bay Corp. The report is available under the Company’s issuer profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and on the Company’s website at www.fortunebaycorp.com.

Qualified Person & Technical Disclosure

The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Gareth Garlick P.Geo., Vice-President Technical Services of the Company, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Garlick is an employee of Fortune Bay and is not independent of the Company under NI 43‑101.

About Goldfields

The 100% owned Goldfields Project (‘Goldfields’ or the ‘Project’) is located approximately 13 kilometres south of Uranium City, Saskatchewan. Goldfields hosts the Box and Athona gold deposits, as well as additional gold showings within the prospective Goldfields Syncline. The Box deposit was historically mined underground between 1939 and 1942, producing 64,000 ounces of gold. The Project is located within a historical mining area and benefits from established infrastructure, including a road and hydro-powerline to the Box deposit. Nearby facilities and services in Uranium City include bulk fuel, civils contractors, and a commercial airport.

About Fortune Bay

Fortune Bay Corp. (TSXV:FOR,OTC:FTBYF; FWB:5QN; OTCQB:FTBYF) is a gold exploration and development company advancing high-potential assets in Canada and Mexico. With a strategy focused on discovery, resource growth and early-stage development, the Company targets value creation at the steepest part of the Value Creation Curve—prior to the capital-intensive build phase. Its portfolio includes the development-ready Goldfields Project in Saskatchewan, the resource-expansion Poma Rosa Project in Mexico, and two optioned Athabasca Basin uranium portfolios providing non-dilutive capital and upside exposure. Backed by a technically proven team and tight capital structure, Fortune Bay is positioned for multiple near-term catalysts. For more information, visit www.fortunebaycorp.com or contact info@fortunebaycorp.com.

On behalf of Fortune Bay Corp.

‘Dale Verran’
Chief Executive Officer
902-334-1919

Cautionary Statement

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘aims’, ‘anticipates’, ‘targets’, ‘goals’, ‘projects’, ‘intends’, ‘plans’, ‘believes’, ‘seeks’, ‘estimates’, ‘continues’, ‘may’, variations of such words, and similar expressions and references to future periods, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the results of the Updated PEA, including future Project opportunities, future operating and capital costs, closure costs, AISC, the projected NPV, IRR, timelines, permit timelines, and the ability to obtain the requisite permits, economics and associated returns of the Project, the technical viability of the Project, the market and future price of and demand for gold, the environmental impact of the Project, and the ongoing ability to work cooperatively with stakeholders, including Indigenous Nations, local Municipalities and local levels of government. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management’s expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward- looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company’s objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate Indigenous Nations and local Municipalities, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Company’s public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. For more information on Fortune Bay, readers should refer to Fortune Bay’s website at www.fortunebaycorp.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Fortune Bay Corp.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2025/25/c2492.html

News Provided by Canada Newswire via QuoteMedia

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(TheNewswire)

Toronto, Ontario November 25, 2025 TheNewswire – Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSX.V: LME | OTC: LMEFF) (‘LAURION’ or the ‘Corporation’) is pleased to announce encouraging results from its 7,700-metre Summer 2025 drill exploration program at the 100%-owned Ishkõday Project, located 220 km northeast of Thunder Bay in Greenstone, Ontario. The first five drill results were announced in the Corporation’s press releases dated August 19, 2025 and September 23, 2025, respectively, which targeted the high-grade gold-bearing vein systems of the Sturgeon River Mine area. Reference is also made to the Corporation’s press releases dated September 5, 2025, May 27, 2025 and May 8, 2025.

The reported drill holes below, LME25-063, LME25-064, LME25-065 and LME25-066, total 1,806 m. The holes were designed to evaluate the northeast extension of the mineralized system at the historic Brenbar Mine, with hole LME25-063, and then stepping out to the northeast of the Brenbar historic mine shaft targeting the untested M50 Quartz vein series with further drill holes.

Highlights of Drill Holes LME25-063, LME25-065 and LME25-066

  • LME25-063        0.7 m @ 2.67 g/t Au from 139.50 m to 140.20 m;

  • LME25-063        0.5 m @ 1.26 g/t Au from 393.40 m to 393.90 m;

  • LME25-065        0.50 m @ 1.78 g/t Au from 91.10 m to 91.60 m;

  • LME25-065        1.80 m @ 0.95 g/t Au from 149.60 m to 151.40 m, including: 0.80 m @ 1.90 g/t Au from 150.60 m to 151.40 m;

  • LME25-065        0.50 m @ 1.32 g/t Au from 292,30 m to 292.80 m;

  • LME25-066        1.50 m @ 1.02 g/t Au from 272,50 m to 274.00 m; and

  • LME25-066        0.70 m @ 2.42 g/t Au and 1.90 Au/t from 389.0 m to 389.70 m.

While these results represent the early stages of testing in a geologically complex corridor, their significance lies in extending our knowledge of mineralization continuity between the historic Brenbar and Sturgeon River Mine areas, ‘ stated Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin, President and CEO of LAURION. ‘This is the first time drilling has been completed across this untested structural corridor, and it is yielding valuable geological insight with oriented core, that will guide the next phase of our exploration program. Our focus remains on defining the broader mineralized system that links multiple historic mine zones, ultimately positioning Ishkōday as a district-scale gold and base metal opportunity.’

Table of Assays for Drill Holes for LME25-063 to LME25-066

Hole ID

From (m)

To (m)

Core Length (m)

Au (g/t)

LME25-063

11.6

12.1

0.5

0.38

LME25-063

26.80

27.5

0.7

0.87

LME25-063

33.5

34.5

1.0

0.45

LME25-063

47.0

48.0

1.0

0.34

LME25-063

85.0

85.5

0.5

0.91

LME25-063

139.5

140.2

0.7

2.67

LME25-063

144.9

145.5

0.6

0.94

LME25-063

228.4

228.9

0.5

0.58

LME25-063

262.5

264.0

1.5

0.75

LME25-063

251.5

283.0

1.5

0.52

LME25-063

393.4

393.9

0.5

1.26

LME25-064

22.5

23.1

0.6

0.29

LME25-064

55.0

56.0

1.0

0.92

LME25-064

83.0

84.5

1.5

0.20

LME25-064

151.0

152.0

1.0

0.20

LME25-064

218.8

219.3

0.5

0.26

LME25-064

246.0

247.1

1.1

0.23

LME25-064

313.0

313.5

0.5

0.97

LME25-064

331.0

332.0

1.0

0.27

LME25-064

354.0

354.5

0.5

0.25

LME25-064

356.1

356.6

0.5

0.70

LME25-065

5.7

6.2

0.5

0.71

LME25-065

8.0

8.8

0.8

0.31

LME25-065

15.5

17.0

1.5

0.23

LME25-065

40.3

40.9

0.6

0.48

LME25-065

54.5

55.1

0.6

0.23

LME25-065

64.7

65.4

0.7

0.27

LME25-065

75.4

76.0

0.6

0.69

LME25-065

91.1

91.6

0.5

1.78

LME25-065

94.0

95.0

1.0

0.32

LME25-065

149.6

151.4

1.8

0.95

including

150.6

151.4

0.8

1.90

LME25-065

20.08

209.0

1.0

0.44

LME25-065

223.5

224.0

0.5

0.20

LME25-065

235.0

236.0

1.0

0.40

LME25-065

243.5

245.0

1.5

0.29

LME25-065

292.3

292.8

0.5

1.32

LME25-065

309.9

310.4

0.5

0.25

LME25-065

319.7

320.9

1.2

0.21

LME25-065

319.7

320.2

0.5

0.32

LME25-065

365.0

365.5

0.5

0.27

LME25-065

391.2

391.7

0.5

0.22

LME25-065

417.3

417.8

0.5

0.80

LME25-065

487.4

488.2

0.8

0.38

LME25-066

5.46

6.5

1.04

0.21

LME25-066

13.3

14.75

1.45

0.37

LME25-066

85.0

89

4.0

0.26

LME25-066

86.25

87.1

0.85

0.53

LME25-066

117.0

118

1.0

0.67

LME25-066

223.7

225.5

1.8

0.25

LME25-066

251.5

252.1

0.6

0.34

LME25-066

257.4

258.15

0.75

0.46

LME25-066

272.5

274.0

1.5

1.02

LME25-066

303.0

303.5

0.5

0.41

LME25-066

307.8

308.3

0.5

0.94

LME25-066

310.2

310.7

0.5

0.70

LME25-066

324.6

325.1

0.5

0.46

LME25-066

327.4

327.9

0.5

0.93

LME25-066

339.0

340.0

1.0

0.25

LME25-066

389.0

389.7

0.7

2.42

LME25-066

400.0

400.65

0.65

0.84

LME25-066

413.8

414.3

0.5

0.21

LME25-066

465.2

465.8

0.6

0.20

Note: (Intervals represent core length. The interval widths reported are down-hole widths. The true widths of the mineralized zones are not known at this time as there is insufficient information to determine the orientation of the mineralization. True widths are estimated at ~70–90% of reported intervals.)

Drill Hole ID

Azimuth

Dip

Depth (m)

LME25-063

150

-50

435

LME25-064

150

-50

366

LME25-065

150

-50

513

LME25-066

150

-50

492

TOTAL

1,806

Sampling and QA/QC Protocols

All drill core is transported and stored inside the core facility located at the Ishkõday Project in Greenstone, Ontario. LAURION employs an industry standard system of external standards, blanks and duplicates for all of its sampling, in addition to the QA/QC protocol employed by the laboratory. After logging, core samples were identified and then cut in half along core axis in the same building and then zip tied individually in plastic sample bags with a bar code. Approximately five or six of these individual bags were then stacked into a ‘rice’ white material bag and stored on a skid for final shipment to the laboratory.

All core samples were shipped to the ALS facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario, which were then prepared by ALS Global Geochemistry in Thunder Bay and analyzed by ALS Global Analytical Lab in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Samples are processed by 4-acid digestion and analyzed by fire assay on 50 g pulps and ICP-AES (InductivelyCoupledPlasma – AtomicElement-Spectroscopy). Over limit analyses are reprocessed with gravimetric finish.

A total of 5% blanks and 5% standard are inserted randomly within all samples. 5% of the best assay result pulps were sent for re-assays. All QAQC were verified, and no contamination or bias have been observed. The remaining half of the core, as well as the unsampled core, is stored in temporary core racks at the core logging facility in Beardmore and moved to the core storage facility at the Ishkõday Project.

Qualified Person

The technical contents of this release were reviewed and approved by Jean-Philippe Paiement, PGeo, MSc, a consultant to LAURION and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects .

About LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.

The Corporation is a mid-stage junior mineral exploration and development company listed on the TSXV under the symbol LME and on the OTCPINK under the symbol LMEFF. LAURION now has 274,097,283 outstanding shares, of which approximately 73.6% are owned and controlled by insiders who are eligible investors under the ‘Friends and Family’ categories.

LAURION’s emphasis is on the exploration and development of its flagship project, the 100% owned mid-stage 57 km 2 Ishkõday Project, and its gold-rich polymetallic mineralization.

LAURION’s chief priority remains maximizing shareholder value. A large portion of the Corporation’s focus in this regard falls within the scope of its mineral exploration activities and more specifically, advancing the Ishkõday Project. A consequence of LAURION’s success and advancement over the past several years is that the Corporation has become positioned as an acquisition target for appropriate potential acquirors. Accordingly, the Corporation’s Board of Directors is aware that possible strategic alternatives and transactional opportunities may arise and/or could be procured in the short or medium terms. The Corporation will promptly issue a press release if any material change occurs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc .

Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin – President and CEO

Tel: 1-705-788-9186 Fax: 1-705-805-9256

Douglas Vass – Investor Relations Consultant

Email: info@laurion.ca

Website: http://www.LAURION.ca

Follow us on: X (@LAURION_LME ), Instagram (laurionmineral) and LinkedIn ( )

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Corporation’s current expectations regarding future events including with respect to LAURION’s business, operations and condition, management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions, the Corporation’s ability to advance the Ishkõday Project, the nature, focus, timing and potential results of the Corporation’s exploration, drilling and prospecting activities in 2025 and beyond, including the Corporation’s diamond drill program described in this press release and the Corporation’s other planned activities for the Ishkõday Project for the remainder of 2025, and the statements regarding the Corporation’s exploration or consideration of any possible strategic alternatives and transactional opportunities, as well as the potential outcome(s) of this process, the possible impact of any potential transactions referenced herein on the Corporation or any of its stakeholders, and the ability of the Corporation to identify and complete any potential acquisitions, mergers, financings or other transactions referenced herein, and the timing of any such transactions. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements could differ materially from those projected herein including as a result of a change in the trading price of the common shares of LAURION, the TSX Venture Exchange or any other applicable regulator not providing its approval for any strategic alternatives or transactional opportunities, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of gold and/or other metals, possible variations in grade or recovery rates, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, the failure of contracted parties to perform, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the Corporation’s publicly filed documents. Investors should consult the Corporation’s ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Corporation’s public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable law, the Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. All sample values are from grab samples and channel samples, which by their nature, are not necessarily representative of overall grades of mineralized areas. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on the assay values reported in this press release.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICE PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.

News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia

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Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (November 21) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$84,479.56, down by 2.4 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest price of the day was US$82,623.93, and its highest was US$85,341.10.

Bitcoin price performance, November 21, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Ether (ETH) was at US$2,736.67, down 3.8 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest price on Friday was US$2,685.25 and its highest was US$2,799.63.

Altcoin price update

  • XRP (XRP) was priced at US$1.94, down by 3.3 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest price of the period was US$1.89 and its highest was US$1.99.
  • Solana (SOL) was trading at US$127.23, down by 4.8 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest price of the day was US$124.20 and its highest was US$129.79.

Fear and Greed Index snapshot

CMC’s Crypto Fear & Greed Index plunged to 11, firmly in “extreme fear” and its lowest level since late 2022. Reports of large-scale whale liquidations have added to the uncertainty, amplifying pressure across an already fragile market.

CMC Crypto Fear and Greed Index, Bitcoin price and Bitcoin volume.

Chart via CoinMarketCap.

Crypto derivatives and market indicators

Open interest in Bitcoin futures declined slightly by 0.98 percent, settling at approximately US$58.67 billion, while Ether futures saw a larger drop of 2.50 percent, closing at US$32.39 billion. This contraction in open interest suggests some unwinding of speculative positions or reduced leverage in the derivatives markets for both leading cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin experienced US$30.48 million in contracts being liquidated, predominantly short positions, whereas Ether had a slightly higher US$32.43 million liquidated, also mostly shorts. This contrasts with recent days, where the vast majority of liquidations were long positions, indicating a shift in market dynamics and trader positioning.

Bitcoin’s relative strength index was low at 31.32, signaling that it is nearing oversold territory, which can often precede a price rebound or a period of consolidation. Its funding rate was recorded at a modestly positive 0.003 percent, indicating a nearly balanced market where long traders pay a small premium to shorts, reflecting moderate bullish sentiment or mild cost for holding long perpetual contracts.

Ether’s funding rate was higher at 0.01 percent, suggesting stronger bullish positioning and higher demand for long exposure in Ether perpetual futures. Generally, positive funding rates imply that longs are paying shorts, signaling optimism about price appreciation. However, considering liquidations skewed toward shorts recently, this could reflect traders attempting to position for a reversal or hedging against potential volatility.

Today’s crypto news to know

Anchorage expands institutional custody and staking support

Anchorage Digital now supports full custody and staking for HYPE tokens across the Hyperliquid ecosystem. Institutions can custody HYPE on HyperEVM and stake on HyperCORE through Anchorage Digital Bank, the only federally chartered crypto bank in the US, as well as through Anchorage Digital Singapore and the self-custody wallet Porto.

Partnering with staking provider Figment, Anchorage now offers a regulated pathway for institutional participation in the Hyperliquid DeFi ecosystem. This expansion also includes custody for additional ERC-20 tokens like Kinetiq, enhancing institutional access to Hyperliquid’s fast-growing blockchain infrastructure.

Crypto lawyer seeks New York attorney general seat

Khurram Dara, a 36-year-old cryptocurrency lawyer with experience at Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) and Bain Capital Crypto, has announced his candidacy for attorney general in the state of New York.

Dara is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge the incumbent Democrat, Letitia James, in the 2026 election. Dara’s campaign focuses on ending what he calls ‘lawfare,’ the use of legal tactics for political gain, reducing regulatory overreach, especially in the crypto sector and fostering a more business-friendly environment in New York.

Dara holds a JD from Columbia Law and is affiliated with the Council on Foreign Relations and crypto advocacy groups. He resides in Brooklyn and will face Republican primary competition from Michael Henry.

BitMine reports strong earnings, plans Ether staking launch

BitMine Immersion Technologies (NYSEAMERICAN:BMNR) announced net income of US$328.2 million for its 2025 fiscal year, with fully diluted earnings per share of US$13.39.

The company also declared an annual dividend of US$0.01 per share, becoming the first large-cap crypto firm to pay a dividend. Notably, BitMine announced plans to launch its ‘Made-in-America Validator Network,’ an Ethereum staking infrastructure, in early 2026 with initial pilot partners selected for testing.

Coinbase rolls out Ether-backed loans

Coinbase has launched a new lending feature for eligible US users.

They will be able borrow up to US$1 million in USDC by using Ether as collateral. The product is integrated with the Morpho protocol on Base, though users interact with it entirely through Coinbase’s interface. Borrowers keep exposure to Ether’s price movements while accessing liquidity without having to sell their holdings.

The service is available across most US states, with the exception of New York due to regulatory requirements.

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

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

What began as a banner day for stocks turned into a major rout, as investors signaled ongoing skepticism about the longevity of the artificial intelligence boom and trimmed hopes of support from the Federal Reserve.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 2%, and the broad S&P 500 index dropped by more than 1.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which tracks 30 top-tier stocks, declined by nearly 390 points. It had been up 700 points earlier in the day. Cryptocurrencies also shed billions in value: Bitcoin had fallen below $87,000 as of late Thursday afternoon, weeks after having set highs above $120,000.

The stunning turnaround added further unease to an already shaky economy that has forced households to trim budgets amid stubborn inflation and signs of a wavering job market. With an ever-increasing part of the economy’s principal driver — consumer spending — now reliant on affluent households, an extended market pullback could inflict wider damage.

‘You don’t have to have the biggest bubble in history for an expensive stock market’ and end up seeing declines, said Matt Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tabak asset management group.

Traders’ hopes were boosted early Thursday by a better-than-expected jobs report that appeared to show the economy remained resilient. Even before the day began, stocks looked poised to rise after Nvidia, the chipmaker at the heart of the AI boom, reported strong quarterly earnings and revenue.

Yet by midday, markets had turned red. The solid September jobs report diminished the odds that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next month to lower the cost of borrowing money to spur economic activity. When investors don’t have to pay as much in interest, they often put those savings into stocks.

“The broad rebound in payrolls suggests diminished risks of a higher unemployment rate,” analysts with Morgan Stanley said in a note published shortly before noon. “We no longer expect a Fed cut in December.”

Losses were further compounded by ongoing concerns about AI — specifically, how much more profitable the companies buying chips like Nvidia’s will be. The fears were articulated Wednesday evening on X by Michael Burry, made famous by the movie ‘The Big Short.’

‘Just because something is used does not mean it is profitable,’ he wrote.

Finally, the ongoing sell-off of bitcoin indicated to some traders that a key source of support for stocks — retail or day traders — were beginning to waver on their trademark ‘buy the dip’ mentality.

‘I wouldn’t say we’ve flipped from bull to bear,’ said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers financial group. ‘I would say we’ve flipped from bull to balanced market in the short term. A lot depends on whether sentiment continues to weaken.’

Stocks had already been showing signs of flagging in recent weeks. With Thursday’s losses, the S&P 500 fell to its lowest point since September.

The long-delayed September jobs report, which showed that the United States added a sturdy 119,000 jobs, appeared to show some glimmers of hope for the economy.

Although the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.3% in August to 4.4%, about 450,000 workers entered the labor force. Economists view that as evidence that job opportunities are still plentiful, despite a wave of corporate layoffs.

Just before the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the jobs report, Verizon told employees it planned to lay off 13,000 employees, or about 13% of its workforce.

The company joined a suite of other blue-chip employers that say they plan to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs, including Amazon, General Motors, IBM, Microsoft, Paramount, Target and UPS.

The details of the jobs report, which captured conditions before the government shutdown, as well more recent jobs data, suggested a more mixed picture for the U.S. economy.

Manufacturing shed 6,000 jobs, continuing a trend in a sector the Trump administration has touted as a key target of its economic policies. Transportation and warehousing also lost 25,300 jobs. Wage growth slowed, and job totals for July and August were revised downward.

The employment gains in September were concentrated in the health care, hospitality and social assistance sectors.

Another snapshot of the economy came courtesy of Walmart, which on Thursday reported strong sales and raised its outlook for the year. That strength points to cracks in the economy, though. Executives said the chain is luring more high-income shoppers who are looking for bargains, and noted that lower-income families are feeling more pressure.

‘As pocketbooks have been stretched, you’re seeing more consumer dollars go to necessities versus discretionary items,’ Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said on an earnings call Thursday morning.

Walmart’s stock closed 6.5% higher.

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HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 83.2m grading 17.35 g/t gold from 76.0 m, including
    • 46.65 m grading 27.35 g/t gold from 88.95 m
  • 70.7m grading 9.38 g/t gold from 49.65 m
  • 92.1 m grading 4.33 g/t gold from 97.1 m
  • 65.2 m grading 5.39 g/t gold from 152.2 m
  • Ana Paula drill program to be extended to 20,000 metres of drilling

Heliostar Metals Ltd. (TSXV: HSTR,OTC:HSTXF) (OTCQX: HSTXF) (FSE: RGG1) (‘Heliostar’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce additional results from the current drill program at its 100% owned Ana Paula project in Guerrero, Mexico. The program aims to convert inferred ounces to higher confidence classifications. It will also support the ongoing Feasibility Study and testing the next exploration targets around the Ana Paula deposit.

Heliostar CEO, Charles Funk, commented, ‘It’s rare to find a deposit that consistently produces 50-100m wide drill intercepts of these gold grades. Ana Paula is wide, high-grade, and shallow, with good underground mining conditions. These factors drive the low $1,011 all in sustaining cost in our new PEA for the project. It will also drive high margins at the project. The current program is focused on upgrading inferred ounces to higher confidence categories and the new data will be incorporated into a Feasibility Study. The lower costs drive a lower cut-off grade in the planned mine that opens the potential for more inferred material conversion. To maximize this opportunity, we will expand the program by 33% to 20,000 metres to allow for more infill and exploration drilling at Ana Paula. Across the Company, we have another study, a Prefeasibility Study for Cerro del Gallo, planned this quarter. We are also drilling at San Agustin and La Colorada. These programs should increase production and unlock the value we see in our deep growth portfolio.’

Drilling Program

Heliostar has completed 44 holes and 12,615 metres drilled to date. Drilling is designed along north-south sections with angled holes to better define the overall east-west orientation of the High Grade Panel. Heliostar’s drilling approach at Ana Paula has been to change the direction of drilling by approximately 90 degrees from the majority of historic intercepts. The Company believes that this change contributed to demonstrating more continuous and higher-grade gold mineralization within the High Grade Panel than recognized by previous operators.

Where appropriate, the holes are also being used to collect rock strength data, hydrogeologic data and samples for further metallurgical studies that will directly influence the Ana Paula mine design in the ongoing Feasibility Study.

Drill Results Summary

Holes AP-25-331, AP-25-333, AP-25-334 and AP-25-336 are resource conversion holes drilled in the central part of the High Grade Panel. Holes AP-25-334 and AP-25-336 were drilled on the same fence, with AP-25-334 targeting the polymictic breccia and hanging wall mineralization, and AP-25-336 targeting the polymictic breccia and footwall mineralization. Hole AP-25-334 intercepted a wide zone of 92.05 metres (‘m’) grading 4.33 grams per tonne (‘g/t’) gold, whilst AP-25-336 returned intervals of 3.2 m at 15.58 g/t gold, 65.15 m at 5.39 g/t and 43.55 m at 4.66 g/t gold with a 3.05 m interval with 24.64 g/t gold.

Figure 1: Plan Map of the current drill program at Ana Paula

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7729/275661_ee215e99b48368f4_003full.jpg

Figure 2: Cross-Section through newly reported holes AP-25-334 and AP-25-336

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7729/275661_ee215e99b48368f4_004full.jpg

Hole AP-25-333 is located 60 m to the east of the above-mentioned fence and returned two high-grade intervals of 26.6 m grading 4.78 g/t gold and 83.2 m grading 17.35 g/t gold. Hole AP-25-331 is a step out 32 m to the southeast and returned a 7.95 m zone grading 7.92 g/t gold and a wide high-grade interval of 70.65 m at 9.38 g/t gold.

Holes AP-25-330, AP-25-332 and AP-25-335A are geotechnical holes for mine development planning and returned assay results in line with expectations, including intervals of 48.5 m of 5.48 g/t gold, 5.2 m of 4.23 g/t gold and 35.55 m of 6.73 g/t gold, respectively.

True widths are unknown. Mineralization at Ana Paula occurs as disseminations or vein stockworks with variable controls including rock porosity, lithology and fault networks.

Drilling continues throughout the High Grade Panel and its less well-defined east and west edges, with assays pending from twelve holes. Two of the drills have begun to target deeper inferred mineralization and the northern exploration zone, which is approximately 250 m north of the High Grade Panel that has two drill holes pending assay.

The next Ana Paula drill results are anticipated to be released in December.

Drilling Results and Coordinates Tables

Table 1: Significant Drill Intersections

Holey From
(metres)
To
(metres)
Interval
(metres)
Au
(g/t)
Topcut
Au (g/t)
Hole
Purpose
AP-25-330 45.4 93.9 48.5 5.48 Geotechnical Hole
including 45.4 53.6 8.2 7.41
and 82.3 85.5 3.2 20.8
AP-25-331 29.9 38.85 8.95 7.27 Resource Hole
including 36.0 38.85 2.85 15.5
and 49.65 120.3 70.65 9.38 1
including 59.65 75.0 15.35 18.3
AP-25-332 140.5 145.75 5.25 4.23 Geotechnical Hole
AP-25-333 38.8 65.4 26.6 4.78 4.58 Resource Hole2
including 38.8 44.45 5.65 11.3 10.4 2
and including 59.7 65.4 5.7 9.45
and 76.0 159.2 83.2 17.3 15.8 1,2
including 88.95 135.6 46.65 27.3 24.5 3
and including 146.1 155.3 9.2 9.60
AP-25-334 97.1 189.15 92.05 4.33 Resource Hole
including 98.2 105.85 7.65 8.17
and including 140.15 147.15 7.0 8.49
and including 166.1 180.0 13.9 9.70
AP-25-335A 12.75 21.2 8.45 4.76 Geotechnical Hole
and 45.0 80.55 35.55 6.73
including 45.0 51.7 6.7 11.0
and including 62.2 80.55 18.35 7.94
and 102.6 108.2 5.6 4.67
and 140.55 145.8 5.25 5.01
AP-25-336 25.15 28.35 3.2 15.6 Resource Hole
and 128.35 141.7 13.35 2.50
including 128.35 132.0 3.65 6.85
and 152.2 217.35 65.15 5.39 4.98 4
including 152.2 162.4 10.2 13.6
including 173.8 176.85 3.05 24.6 15.8 4

 

1 Result reported in November 20th Q3, 2025 quarterly news release
2 Top cut to 47 ppm Au based on resource model domains
3 Top cut to 64 ppm Au based on resource model domains
4 Top cut to 38 ppm Au based on resource model domains

Drilling Coordinates Table

Table 2:  Drill Hole Details

Hole ID Easting
(WGS84 Zone 14N)
Northing
(WGS84 Zone 14N)
Elevation
(metres)
Azimuth
(°)
Inclination
(°)
Length
(metres)
AP-25-330 410,274 1,997,960 962.6 0 -53 126.0
AP-25-331 410,205 1,998,038 917.7 180 -50 192.0
AP-25-332 410,030 1,998,137 972.8 180 -55 329.4
AP-25-333 410,191 1,998,065 907.1 180 -55 204.0
AP-25-334 410,126 1,998,071 931.8 178 -55 302.0
AP-25-335A 410,254 1,998,038 913.4 180 -46 237.0
AP-25-336 410,128 1,998,121 933.8 180 -55 353.0

 

Ana Paula Preliminary Economic Assessment Note

Heliostar announced the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment on November 6, 2025. References to the results in this release are provided in greater detail here.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Drill core is PQ size, and the core is cut in half, with half sent for analysis. Core samples were shipped to ALS Limited in Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico, for sample preparation and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The Zacatecas and North Vancouver ALS facilities are ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Gold was assayed by 30-gram fire assay with atomic absorption spectroscopy finish, and overlimits were analyzed by 30-gram fire assay with gravimetric finish.

Control samples comprising certified reference and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company’s quality assurance / quality control protocol.

Statement of Qualified Person

Stewart Harris, P.Geo., a Qualified Person, as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Harris is employed as Exploration Manager of the Company.

About Heliostar Metals Ltd.

Heliostar is a gold mining company with production from operating mines in Mexico. This includes the La Colorada Mine in Sonora and the San Agustin Mine in Durango. The Company also has a strong portfolio of development projects in Mexico and the USA. These include the Ana Paula project in Guerrero, the Cerro del Gallo project in Guanajuato, the San Antonio project in Baja Sur and the Unga project in Alaska, USA.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Charles Funk
President and Chief Executive Officer
Heliostar Metals Limited
Email: charles.funk@heliostarmetals.com
Phone: +1 844-753-0045
Rob Grey
Investor Relations Manager
Heliostar Metals Limited
Email: rob.grey@heliostarmetals.com
Phone: +1 844-753-0045

 

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain ‘Forward-Looking Statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and ‘forward-looking information’ under applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘target’, ‘plan’, ‘forecast’, ‘may’, ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘schedule’ and similar words or expressions, identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things, show the full extent of the deposit, upgrade and expand the resource base, growing our annual production profile in the near term and bringing additional production online.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information relating to the terms and completion of the Facility, any future mineral production, liquidity, and future exploration plans are based on management’s reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the receipt of necessary approvals, price of metals; no escalation in the severity of public health crises or ongoing military conflicts; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; and the Company’s ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms.

These statements reflect the Company’s respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company’s mining activities in foreign jurisdictions; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company’s management team and outside contractors; risks regarding exploration and mining activities; the Company’s inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of public health crises; the economic and financial implications of public health crises, ongoing military conflicts and general economic factors to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company’s interactions with surrounding communities; the Company’s ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; and the factors identified under the caption ‘Risk Factors’ in the Company’s public disclosure documents. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/275661

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Bitcoin and ether slumped to multi-month lows on Friday, with cryptocurrencies swept up in a broader flight from riskier assets as investors worried about lofty tech valuations and bets on near-term U.S. interest rate cuts faded.

Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, fell 5.5% to a seven-month low of $81,668. Ether slid more than 6% to $2,661.37, its lowest in four months.

Both tokens are down roughly 12% so far this week.

Cryptocurrencies are often viewed as a barometer of risk appetite and their slide highlights how fragile the mood in markets has turned in recent days, with high-flying artificial intelligence stocks tumbling and volatility spiking VIX.

“If it’s telling a story about risk sentiment as a whole, then things could start to get really, really ugly, and that’s the concern now,” Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG, said of the fall in bitcoin.

About $1.2 trillion has been wiped off the market value of all cryptocurrencies in the past six weeks, according to market tracker CoinGecko.

Bitcoin’s slide follows a stellar run this year that propelled it to a record high above $120,000 in October, buoyed by favourable regulatory changes towards crypto assets globally.

But analysts say the market remains scarred by a record single-day slump last month that saw more than $19 billion of positions liquidated.

“The market feels a little bit dislocated, a bit fractured, a bit broken, really, since we had that selloff,” said Sycamore.

Bitcoin has since erased all its year-to-date gains and is now down 12% for the year, while ether has lost close to 19%.

Citi analyst Alex Saunders said $80,000 would be an important level as it is around the average level of bitcoin holdings in ETFs.

The selloff has also hurt share prices of crypto stockpilers, following a boom in public digital asset treasury companies this year as corporates took advantage of rising prices to buy and hold cryptocurrencies on their balance sheets.

Shares of Strategy, once the poster child for corporate bitcoin accumulation, have fallen 11% this week and were down nearly 4% in premarket trade, languishing at one-year lows.

JP Morgan said in a note this week that the company could be excluded from some MSCI equity indexes, which could spark forced selling by funds that track them.

Its Japanese peer Metaplanet has tumbled about 80% from a June peak.

Crypto exchange Coinbase was down 1.9% in premarket trade and is on course for its longest losing streak in more than a month.

Crypto miners MARA Holdings and CleanSpark were down 2.4% and 3.6%, respectively, while the Winklevoss twins’ newly-listed Gemini has plunged 62% from its listing price.

“Bitcoin market conditions are the most bearish they have been since the current bull cycle started in January 2023,” said digital asset research firm CryptoQuant in its weekly crypto report on Wednesday.

“We are highly likely to have seen most of this cycle’s demand wave pass.”

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Statistics Canada released October’s consumer price index (CPI) data on Monday (November 17). The figures showed that inflation softened during the month, falling to 2.2 percent year-over-year from 2.4 percent in September.

The agency cited a 9.4 percent decrease in gasoline prices as the main contributing factor, following a 4.1 percent decrease the previous month. However, less gasoline prices, CPI actually rose by 2.6 percent in both October and September.

Statistics Canada also noted slowing grocery prices, reporting a 3.4 percent year-over-year increase in October compared to the 4 percent recorded in September. Additionally, October saw the largest month-on-month drop in grocery prices since September 2020 at 0.6 percent.

On Thursday (November 20), StatsCan released September’s monthly mineral production survey.

The data shows that gold production declined month-over-month, while copper and silver output increased.

Gold production fell to 16,978 kilograms compared to 17,651 kilograms in August. Meanwhile, copper production rose significantly to 36.23 million kilograms from 30.47 million, and silver production jumped to 28,384 kilograms from 24,801 kilograms.

Shipments, however, increased broadly in September. Gold shipments rose to 19,025 kilograms from 16,289 kilograms in August, and silver shipments jumped to 33,296 kilograms from 25,636. Copper shipments increased the most, spiking to 44.04 million kilograms from 27 million.

For more on what’s moving markets this week, check out our top market news round-up.

Markets and commodities react

Canadian equity markets were in retreat this week.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) was flat, gaining just 0.19 percent over the week to close Friday (November 21) at 30,160.65.

Meanwhile, the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) lost 1.3 percent to 854.76. The CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) had another bad week, dropping 3.44 percent to close at 145.59.

The gold price fell 0.43 percent to US$4,065.32 by 4:00 p.m. EST Friday. The silver price fared worse, dropping 1.07 percent to US$50.02.

Meanwhile, in base metals, the COMEX copper price ended the week down 0.3 at US$5.07 per pound.

The S&P Goldman Sachs Commodities Index (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) dropped 2.01 percent to end Friday at 546.41.

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stocks data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market caps greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.

1. Sigma Lithium (TSXV:SGML)

Weekly gain: 64.01 percent
Market cap: C$1.48 billion
Share price: C$13.67

Sigma Lithium is a lithium mining company advancing its Grota do Cirilo operation in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Operations at the Greentech processing facility were commissioned in 2023, with an annual nameplate capacity of 270,000 metric tons of lithium oxide concentrate. The company is currently constructing its Phase 2 expansion that will more than double that capacity.

In its third-quarter results released on November 14, Sigma reported that net revenue increased to US$28.5 million, 69 percent higher than Q2 and 36 percent higher than the same period in 2024.

The report also stated that Sigma upgraded its mining operations in Q3 with the goal of reaching the plant’s full capacity of 300,000 metric tons in 2026. As part of this process, Sigma is doubling its mining fleet. The company expects production to resume by the end of November, with full operational capacity expected in Q1 2026.

The report boosted Sigma’s share price, as did climbing lithium prices, which have gained more than 10 percent in November and more than 50 percent since bottoming out in June.

2. Li-FT Power (TSXV:LIFT)

Weekly gain: 52.63 percent
Market cap: C$201.24 million
Share price: C$4.35

Li-FT is a lithium exploration company advancing its flagship Yellowknife lithium project in the Northwest Territories, Canada.

The 1,843 hectare property, located east of the city of Yellowknife, hosts 13 spodumene-bearing pegmatites. Its current combined inferred resource estimate across eight of those pegmatites stands at 50.38 million metric tons of ore grading 1 percent lithium oxide for 1.25 million metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).

The company also owns the Cali project in the Northwest Territories, and the Pontax, Rupert and Moyenne projects in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Québec, Canada.

On Tuesday, Li-FT filed a final base shelf prospectus to replace the previous prospectus that expired on October 21. The company said the new filing will permit it to offer common shares, warrants, subscription receipts, units or debt securities up to a total of C$200 million until it expires in December 2027.

Li-FT also said it was changing its financial year-end from November 30 to December 31 to better align with the timing of the company’s financial reporting and with its peers.

The company is another lithium stock benefiting significantly from rising lithium prices this week.

3. LithiumBank Resources (TSXV:LBNK)

Weekly gain: 45.59 percent
Market cap: C$32.45 billion
Share price: C$0.50

LithiumBank is a lithium exploration and development company advancing its Boardwalk and Park Place lithium brine projects in Alberta, Canada, both of which overlap with the Leduc and Swan Hills formations.

Boardwalk consists of 395,369 acres of brine-hosted licenses about 85 kilometers east of Grand Prairie in an area with a history of hydrocarbon extraction.

According to Boardwalk’s mineral resource estimate from a February 2025 technical report, the project hosts a measured resource of 1.67 million metric tons of LCE with an average grade of 81.2 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and an indicated resource of 3.52 million metric tons of LCE with an average grade of 81.8 mg/L, all within the Leduc formation.

Park Place, located 50 kilometers south of Boardwalk, consists of 1.4 million acres of licenses. A June 2024 mineral resource estimate demonstrated an inferred resource of 10.08 million metric tons LCE with a grade of 79.4 mg/L at the Leduc aquifer, and 11.6 million metric tons of LCE with an average grade of 80.9 mg/l at the Swan Hills aquifer.

The most recent news from the company came on Thursday, when LithiumBank reported that, following its award of C$3.9 million in funding for certain milestones through Alberta’s Emission Reduction Act in July, it is working to acquire a second past-producing well at Boardwalk.

LithiumBank is focused on commencing near-term production at Boardwalk using modular direct lithium extraction plants, which the company said it believes this second well can likely support.

Rising lithium prices also helped support LithiumBank this week.

4. Abcourt Mines (TSXV:ABI)

Weekly gain: 41.67 percent
Market cap: C$72.45 million
Share price: C$0.085

Abcourt Mines is a gold mining and development company focused on ramping up operations at its Sleeping Giant gold mine in the Abitibi region of Québec.

Sleeping Giant hosts an underground mine along with a mill capable of processing 750 metric tons per day. The property consists of four mining leases covering an area of 458 hectares and 69 claims.

A July 2023 preliminary economic assessment demonstrates an after-tax net present value of US$77.5 million with an internal rate of return of 33.3 percent over a payback period of 2.2 years.

The company has been working on restarting mining operations at the site throughout 2025, and achieved its first gold pour in September.

The most recent news came on November 11, when the company released an update from Sleeping Giant. In the announcement, the company stated that in October it had milled 2,563 metric tons of ore with a head grade of 6 grams per metric ton of gold, producing 475 ounces of gold.

Abcourt also said progress at the site was continuing with one stope in production and two more under development. Additionally, civil engineering was underway at the tailings facilities in preparation for a planned lift in summer 2026.

5. Pure Energy Minerals (TSXV:PE)

Weekly gain: 38.1 percent
Market cap: C$10.19 million
Share price: C$0.29

Pure Energy is a lithium exploration company that owns a 3 percent net smelter return (NSR) on the Clayton Valley lithium brine project in Nevada, United States.

The project consists of 950 placer claims covering 9,450 hectares. In September 2024, Pure Energy announced that its project partner, SLB, had completed an earn-in to acquire a 100 percent stake in Clayton Valley, leaving Pure Energy with its NSR.

Through 2023 and into 2024, SLB completed construction of a direct lithium extraction pilot plant at the site, with the first lithium production occurring in March 2024.

This Thursday, Pure Energy released its management discussion and analysis for the quarter ending September 30, 2025. In the report, the company restated its position in Clayton Valley, noting that it is receiving annual payments of US$400,000 from SLB until commercial production, after which time it will receive its 3 percent NSR on minerals produced.

Pure Energy’s share price increased significantly this week alongside rising lithium prices.

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?

As of May 2025, there were 1,565 companies listed on the TSXV, 910 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,899 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.

Together, the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

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

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The gold price remained fairly steady this week after last week’s brief uptick, largely trading between US$4,000 and US$4,100 per ounce.

As is often the case, its sister metal silver was more volatile, jumping briefly above the US$52 per ounce level midway through the period.

The precious metals faced some pressure on Thursday (November 20) after the release of September US jobs data. The Department of Labor report, which was delayed due to the government shutdown, came in stronger than expected, with nonfarm payrolls increasing by 119,000 for the month — more than double the gain of 50,000 estimated by analysts.

The jobs numbers have dampened expectations that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its December meeting, as have minutes from the central bank’s latest meeting.

‘This (data) essentially confirms what the Fed discussed in October — a slowing yet stable jobs market. A December rate cut now appears increasingly unlikely’ — Peter Grant, Zaner Metals

The minutes highlight the divide among Fed officials, who were not all in favor of October’s rate reduction. They also state that while ‘several participants’ believe lowering rates could be appropriate next month, ‘many’ want to leave rates unchanged.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said previously that a December cut isn’t a ‘foregone conclusion.’

Aside from that, the minutes indicate broad approval for the end of quantitative tightening (QT) on December 1. Adrian Day of Adrian Day Asset Management highlighted the end of QT in our recent interview, saying that he sees a potential transition to quantitative easing ahead.

Bullet briefing — Barrick faces turmoil, MP does Saudi refinery deal

Barrick Mining faces more turmoil

Turmoil continued for gold and copper producer Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) this week after a series of company developments made headlines.

First, Reuters reported that Barrick’s board is considering splitting the company into two different entities: one focused on North America, and the other on Africa and Asia.

Four sources familiar with the firm’s thinking told the news outlet that Barrick’s African assets could also be sold outright, as could the Pakistan-based Reko Diq mine — essentially undoing Barrick’s 2019 merger with Africa-focused Randgold Resources.

Barrick didn’t respond to requests for comment, but later in the week news hit that activist investor firm Elliott Investment Management has taken a ‘large stake’ in Barrick.

Sources told the Financial Times that Elliott is now among Barrick’s 10 top investors, meaning its stake is worth at least US$700 million. Elliott hasn’t shared information about what it would like Barrick to do, but is reportedly ‘encouraged’ by the idea of breaking the company in two.

Barrick has faced numerous headwinds recently, including the seizure of a key gold mine in Mali and the departure of CEO Mark Bristow. Bristow, who took the helm at Barrick after it joined forces with Randgold, abruptly stepped down in September after facing criticism.

Although shares of Barrick are up close to 130 percent year-to-date, the company has underperformed compared to its peers in the gold space.

Bristow is not the only person to leave Barrick lately — the last piece of news about the company this week is that two senior managers and a top executive have departed. CEO Mark Hill announced the changes in a memo seen by Bloomberg, saying the company is looking to evolve its operating model so that it’s in line with strategic priorities.

MP’s latest rare earths deal

Rare earths miner MP Materials (NYSE:MP) and the US Department of Defense are teaming up on a strategic joint venture with Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden).

The deal, which will see the three entities collaborate on a Saudi Arabian rare earths refinery, comes after the US and Saudi Arabia signed a strategic framework on securing critical supply chains. The refinery will process rare earths feedstock from Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, and will be able to produce both light and heavy rare earths.

Under the Trump administration, the US has ramped up efforts to break China’s rare earths dominance, boosting relationship with MP Materials in the process — in July, the defense department agreed to buy US$400 million worth of preferred stock in the company, a move that MP called a ‘transformational public-private partnership.’

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com