Insights

2024 has been an exciting year thus far for precious metals and critical materials. This webcast takes a technical perspective on the key drivers for gold, silver, uranium and copper, as all four metals enjoy positive markets. We also provide strategic portfolio allocation ideas for precious metals and critical materials.

The uranium market has faced short-term volatility, including price declines driven by geopolitical tensions and economic concerns. Despite these challenges, the long-term outlook remains strong. Supply uncertainties from key producers like Kazakhstan and Russia are contributing to this volatility, but the fundamental supply-demand imbalance suggests further growth potential.

In this exclusive interview with Metals and Miners, John Hathaway offers a comprehensive analysis of the current economic landscape. From the deteriorating economic metrics to the growing threat of de-dollarization, Hathaway provides expert insights on the most pressing issues facing investors today. John Hathaway is a Managing Partner and the Senior Portfolio Manager for Sprott Asset Management, and has more than five decades of experience as portfolio manager, founder and Certified Financial Advisor.

Sprott's Steve Schoffstall discusses how AI, robotics and quantum computing are integrating into the overall global economy and how these developments will reshape the global energy landscape. Learn about electricity production and technological innovation and how to invest in the opportunities they provide.

John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, and Jimmy Connor of Bloor Street Capital discuss the flows into the Sprott Physical Gold Trust on the back of higher gold prices and the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust, on the news of lower production from Kazatomprom.

Silver prices should spike higher with gold hitting a new all-time high above $2,500 an ounce, said John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, when speaking with Kitco Mining.  “It's mind-boggling to us that silver is still below $30. It is obviously way off its 2010 highs, and we would love to see it get back to the $50 level,” said Ciampaglia. “We think it has the ability to do that over time.”

Author and acclaimed Reuters journalist Ernest Scheyder discusses his book, The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives, with Sprott's Steve Schoffstall in this exclusive interview.

Gold has surged above the psychological $2,500 level, driven by factors not easily explained by traditional market variables, suggesting possible central bank or sovereign activity rather than usual market dynamics. The long-term bullish pattern in gold's technical charts indicates momentum toward the $2,600 level, with potential for further advancement to the $3,000-3,300 range based on Fibonacci projections.

Renewable energy is rapidly replacing fossil fuels as costs decrease and efficiencies improve with increased deployment, making it much cheaper than traditional energy sources. This shift, driven by the exponential growth of renewables, electrification, and efficiency, is expected to significantly alter global power dynamics as fossil fuels are phased out.

Chief Investment Officer Maria Smirnova talks silver with Mark Bunting of Red Cloud Financial Services, RCTV LIVE. Maria takes a deep dive into what is providing support for silver in 2024, which is up 21.90% as of July 31, 2024. 

Significant investments in AI-related tech stocks have helped push the S&P 500 Index to record highs this year. The rapid growth of AI is significantly increasing the energy demands of data centers, which is likely to lead to a surge in demand for critical materials like uranium, lithium, nickel, and copper, which are essential for powering and cooling these centers.

This might be an ideal moment to re-evaluate lithium miners given their potential to benefit as the global energy transition continues. The current dip in the price of lithium miners presents a potential short-term opportunity, given the strong future demand and supply imbalance. 

The uranium spot price has remained range-bound between $85 and $95 per pound, and ended the first half at $85.34 (June 30, 2024). Uranium miners fell in June, but bounced back in early July, outperforming the commodity YTD. Over the longer term, physical uranium and uranium miners have demonstrated significant outperformance against broad asset classes, particularly other commodities.

Gold’s breakout may signify more than one might infer from the continuing lack of interest. Inflows into the precious metals mining space have the potential to generate compelling outcomes. We believe the window of opportunity to position this sector on attractive investment terms is beginning to narrow quickly.

Gold has been on the move since Q2 ended, after having gained 12.79% year-to-date as of June 30, gold's best six-month start since 2020. Gold enjoyed strong support from central bank buying. Silver closed Q2 at $29.14, its highest quarterly close since Q3 2012. Silver was supported by the gold breakout and global monetary expansion policies.

The world is in the midst of a fourth industrial revolution (4IR) as technological developments like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, IoT, genetic engineering and quantum computing bring about an unprecedented integration of the digital, physical and biological realms. Electrification and energy are pivotal to advancing 4IR technologies, and the resulting demand pressures on critical minerals like copper, lithium and uranium are supporting a new commodity supercycle.

In this episode of Shifting Energy (Season 1), Thalia Hayden of @etfguide talks with John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, about the growing energy requirements of AI and how uranium, copper, silver and other metals may benefit.

In this episode of Shifting Energy (Season 1), Thalia Hayden of etfguide talks with Steve Schoffstall, Director of ETF Product Management at Sprott Asset Management, about the nickel growth story, what's driving it and the investment opportunities now and ahead.

What will take the gold price higher? John Hathaway, Senior Portfolio Manager, provides his thoughts on why gold isn't moving and what will take it higher.

Thus far in 2024, the uranium spot price has stabilized between $85 to $95 per pound after a significant 88.54% increase in 2023. This phase indicates a healthy correction within a bullish market cycle. Uranium miners have shown improved performance, catching up to gains in the spot price. 

The copper market is entering a new supercycle, built on several rising geopolitical and market trends contributing to a strong bullish outlook. Demand is surging as countries invest in clean energy and protect their access to copper, while supply is constrained by a lack of new mine development.

Learn about this critical mineral, its uses and how copper may be well positioned to benefit from increased investment in the low-carbon and renewable energy sector.

Silver is a critical player in the global shift toward cleaner energy. Solar panels and EVs, both essential for curbing greenhouse gas emissions, rely heavily on silver. Other new technologies, including AI, have also sparked demand for silver, while overall silver supply has declined. This dynamic is likely to provide support for silver bullion prices and silver-focused miners.

Replay our webcast, focused on gold and silver, and featuring John Hathaway and Maria Smirnova. Gold is enjoying strong support from central bank buyers like China, looking for an alternative to the U.S. dollar. Silver is benefitting from increased demand for photovoltaic solar panels, which climbed to new highs in 2023.

The rise of AI and data centers is likely to significantly increase global electricity demand, creating challenges for power grids but also opportunities for stable, clean energy sources like nuclear power. AI data centers are also likely to support increased demand for copper-intensive electrical equipment.

Nickel's future looks promising due to its role in achieving net-zero emission goals. Stricter regulations and government support for electric vehicles are driving up demand for nickel, which will benefit nickel mining companies in the long run. Nickel-intensive batteries are also increasingly being used in large-scale energy storage systems that employ thousands of NMC batteries to power renewable energy projects.

Rising global commitments to nuclear energy are helping to make uranium a compelling investment. While spot uranium prices have come down slightly after a significant rise, we believe there is room for growth given that demand is expected to climb as the need for low-carbon energy sources intensifies. We believe that uranium miners can add growth potential and diversification to investor portfolios.

The uranium market showed mixed performance in March: the spot uranium price fell but miners' stocks rose due to long-term positive outlook for uranium demand. With no meaningful new supply on the horizon for three to five years, we believe the uranium bull market has further room to run.

The energy sector has experienced a remarkable transformation, primarily driven by the rapid growth and integration of renewable energy sources. Central to this transition is the advancement of battery storage technology, a critical enabler that promises to reshape how we generate, distribute and consume electricity. As we examine this evolving landscape, it becomes evident that battery storage is a technological cornerstone for a sustainable energy future.

John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, joins CNBC's Fast Money to talk about the gold market and explain how central banks and overseas buyers are driving current demand. 

The breakout in gold prices since February has been largely ignored by mainstream investors. Gold bullion’s breakout is significant in that it represents the positive resolution of a three-year standoff, consolidation, or tug of war between bulls and bears. The indifference of investors in Western capital markets suggests to us that there is significant potential for further upside.

Gold reached an all-time closing high and is up 8.09% YTD (as of 3/31/2024) after rising 13.10% in 2023. We believe several fundamental factors are in place for gold to move higher, in particular, strong central bank buying. We also see three drivers for a higher silver price: 1) silver tracks rising gold due to central bank buying, 2) reflation trade and 3) increased solar panel demand.

In this episode of Shifting Energy (Season 1), Thalia Hayden @etfguide talks with Ed Coyne, Senior Managing Partner and Steve Schoffstall, Director of ETF Product Management at Sprott Asset Management about the copper growth story, what's driving it and the investment opportunities now and ahead.

Learn how renewed interest in nuclear power, rising global energy demands, and the transition to clean energy are driving investment opportunities in uranium, copper and their miners.

Electricity demand is expected to grow 86% by 2050. At the same time, most of the world is committed to seeking zero-carbon emissions and increasing nuclear energy capacity. At the center of this growth and transformation are uranium and copper – two critical materials that are in high demand and limited supply. These materials and their miners are potentially attractive investment opportunities.

Uranium markets pulled back in February after a rapid rise—in our view, this is a healthy pause in the ongoing uranium bull market. Announcements from Kazatomprom and Cameco underscored the uranium markets' structural supply deficit, while global governments continued to champion the benefits of nuclear energy.

Steve Schoffstall visits Nasdaq TradeTalks to talk about Sprott’s continued expansion in the critical minerals sector, including the launch of Sprott Copper Miners ETF (COPP). Steve touches on the demand for copper in the ongoing global energy transition and what it means for the copper market overall. 

Ed Coyne stops by Nasdaq Investment News to discuss copper’s role in the energy transition, its current status in the market and how Sprott is capturing the potential opportunity with the Sprott Copper Miners ETF (COPP) and the Sprott Junior Copper Miners ETF (COPJ).

February was a lackluster month for critical materials, but the backdrop remains very positive. The global commitment to clean energy hit a new milestone in 2023 as investment in energy transition surged to an unprecedented $1.77 trillion, led by electrified transport. Over the past 10 years, investment in global energy transition has grown at a 24% compound annual rate, several times the global GDP growth rate.

Energy infrastructure and commodity markets are coming into high focus. A new wave of technological changes geared towards higher energy efficiency is underway. We believe that nuclear energy and uranium miners are poised to benefit from this shift.

Critical minerals are essential for the global energy transition as we gradually phase out CO2-intensive energy sources with cleaner sources, including nuclear, solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy and greater use of electric vehicles (EVs). We believe the unique supply and demand dynamics for critical minerals will underpin potential investment opportunities in the years ahead.

John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, joins Thalia Hayden on Sprott’s new video series, Shifting Energy. They discuss surging uranium prices, the latest nuclear renaissance and potential investment opportunities. The series was created in partnership with ETF Guide to keep viewers on top of energy transition investment opportunities. 

The demand for copper in energy grids, electric vehicles and clean energy technologies, combined with diminishing ore grades and limited inventories, underscores copper's growing importance. We believe copper prices and miners are likely to benefit from the growing supply-demand gap.

Today, in the United States alone, copper is a crucial element in nearly 7 million miles of electrical transmission and distribution wires. This white paper introduces the trends that are driving copper markets and copper miners, and explains our positive outlook for growth.

Sprott's John Hathaway shares his thoughts on the disconnect between the gold price and gold stocks, explaining why it's happening, whether he's seen it before and what could make gold stocks finally start moving.

Uranium price surged 11% in January to $101 per pound, fueled in part by Kazatomprom's cut in guidance for 2024 production by ~14%. Junior uranium miners were top performers for the month, climbing 18.78%. Supply uncertainties continue to dominate markets, given the situation in Niger and possible bans on Russian uranium. 

A significant transition is underway in global energy production. The era of renewable energy is emerging and beginning to reshape power generation. Recent trends suggest that this shift is no fleeting phenomenon but a fundamental transformation powered by the relentless fall in renewable energy costs. The world is investing heavily in renewables. Some 62% of total global energy investment is now directed to clean energy.

Whitney George, CEO of Sprott, joined Evan Lorenz to discuss Sprott's growth and the increasing demand for critical materials, including uranium. George: "The world is going to wake up and discover that there are huge deficits in things like copper, lithium and nickel. They're volatile, but as contrarians, we have the ability to move in when others are going the other way." 

John Ciampaglia, CEO Sprott Asset Management, joins James Connor at the Bloor Street Capital Virtual Uranium Conference to examine the growing interest in the uranium market, the current state of the spot and contracting markets and Sprott’s movement in the space. 

John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, sits down with Andrew Bell of BNN Bloomberg to discuss the uranium market and Sprott’s growth in the space. Campaglia: "We’ve been very active in educating the market and investors about the uranium thesis since we acquired the Uranium Participation Corporation in July of 2021."

What forces are likely to drive energy transition materials and precious metals markets in 2024 and over the next decade? We discuss 10 critical macroeconomic and market-specific themes ranging from deglobalization and climate policy to the new commodity supercycle and a potential silver price breakout.

Nuclear waste is not something to be feared. The care with which it is handled and stored contributes to the fact that nuclear power is one of the safest forms of baseload energy generation known to humanity. In this video, we dispel the many fears and concerns about spent nuclear fuel. 

We firmly believe that the investment case for gold mining equities is clear and compelling, grounded in both value analysis and situational factors. A primary challenge is having the patience to wait for investors to discover the attraction. In our view, investing in gold equities is an asymmetric proposition of minimal downside offset by outsized upside potential. 

At the 2023 Schwab Impact conference, Sergio Lujan joined Keith Black of RIA Channel to discuss Sprott’s specialization in precious metals, the current state of the gold market, along with our outlook.

2023 provided the long-awaited inflection point for the uranium contracting cycle whereby we have finally achieved replacement rate levels. We believe the era of uranium inventory destocking and utility complacency is over. Long-term security of supply concerns, fanned by lingering geopolitical risks and the challenges of expanding primary production, are likely the key themes to watch.