The KE Report

Nick Hodge, Co-Owner of Digest Publishing and editor of Foundational Profits and Underground Alpha, joins us for our monthly longer-format discussion on different macroeconomic factors and market reactions to the war in the Middle East, his key takeaways from 2 different site visits to South Dakota and Wisconsin, and investing strategies in select copper, gold, and critical minerals stocks.

 

We start off reviewing the mix of macroeconomic movers and knock-on effects from geopolitics as it relates to the closure of Strait of Hormuz, the US/China meetings last week, projections around central bank monetary policy options, rising bond yields and interest rates, a strengthening US dollar, GDP growth, rising inflation, sovereign debt loads, and AI datacenter buildouts.   

 

The US stock markets have shrugged off most of these economic datapoints and geopolitical news, continuing to blast up to new all-time highs over the last week. He points out that the CRB commodities index has also been strong lately, lead by base metals, soft commodities, and the energy space.

 

 

When reviewing the commodities,  it has been hard to ignore the strength in the copper pricing, which has been up at all-time highs over the last few weeks of May, and Nick shares his approach is to investing in the copper equities.

 

For exposure to the base metals producers he has been positioned in the iShares MSCI Global Metals and Mining Producers ETF (PICK), which has performed quite well over the last year and especially in 2026.

Nick reiterated points from our prior conversation about 2 of the copper developers with good investor engagement, solid pounds in the ground resources, and good fundamental catalysts being: Gunnison Copper Corp. (TSX: GCU) (OTCQB: GCUMF) and Aldebaran Resources Inc.  (TSX-V: ALDE) (OTCQX: ADBRF).  

Nick highlighted the recent acquisition of Arizona Sonoran Copper Company Inc. (TSX:ASCU | OTCQX:ASCUF) by Hudbay Minerals Inc (TSX, NYSE: HBM) and how that may be used as a good case study and lens for consideration of other advanced copper development assets and what kind of projects and jurisdictions may interest the senior producers.

Gladiator Metals Corp. (TSXV: GLAD) (OTCQB: GDTRF) is a copper and gold exploration story in Nick’s portfolio that just released some high-grade intercepts in the Yukon, and still has a lot of drilling on tap for this season as a catalyst.

When reviewing why he prefers safer jurisdictions in the Americas for copper investing, he did point out a company like Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) is an exception, due to the quality of the management team to navigate the risks when operating in Africa.

 

Next we got a boots-on-the-ground recap of Nick’s 2 recent company site visits:

Lion Rock Resources Inc. (TSXV: ROAR) (FSE: KGB) (OTCQB: LRRIF) – The company recently announced Phase One drill results at their Volney Project in South Dakota. The system features high-grade lithium, tin and tantalum hosted within spodumene-bearing LCT (Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum) pegmatites.

GreenLight Metals Inc. (TSXV: GRL) (OTCQB: GRLMF)- GreenLight is a Wisconsin-focused exploration company advancing copper-gold and gold projects across the Penokean Volcanic Belt-one of North America's most prospective VMS districts. GreenLight's Wisconsin portfolio includes the Bend copper-gold deposit, the Reef high-grade gold project, and the Lobo and Lobo East massive sulfide targets.

 

We wrapped up getting the near-term technical price support levels that Nick is watching for in gold. 

For now he is not concerned about gold falling into a true bear market, and he is treating the pullback we’ve seen in the precious metals a buying opportunity.

Any short-term consolidation in pricing should be juxtaposed against the fundamental structural drivers for the longer-term precious metals bull market that are all still solidly in place.

He’s been using periods of sector weakness in the PMs to add to positions in both GDXJ and Royal Gold, Inc. (NASDAQ: RGLD), along with some other junior precious metals stocks.

 

Click here to follow Nick’s analysis and publications over at Digest Publishing

 

 

For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks:

 

The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/

Shad’s resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/

 

 

Investment disclaimer:

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investing in equities and commodities involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.

Arturo Préstamo Elizondo, Executive Chairman and CEO of Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. (TSX.V: SCZ) (NASDAQ: SCZM) (FSE: 1SZ), joins me for an exclusive visual review of the Q1 2026 financial and operational results across their portfolio of 4 producing silver-zinc mines and ore feed sourcing business in Bolivia and Mexico. We also review a few of the key growth initiatives that the company has slated for 2026 across multiple projects.

 

 Q1 2026 Highlights

 

Revenues of $127.5 million, an 81% increase year-over-year.

Gross profit of $42.9 million, a 54% increase year-over-year.

Net income of $28.5 million, a 201% increase year-over-year.

Adjusted EBITDA of $42.6 million, a 55% increase year-over-year.

Cash and highly-liquid marketable securities of $64.9 million, a 100% increase year-over-year.

Working capital of $75.9 million, a 47% increase year-over-year.

Average realized price per silver ounce sold of $63.30, a 128% increase year-over-year.

AISC per silver ounce sold of $31.60, a 76% increase year-over-year.

Realized mining margin per silver ounce sold of $31.70, a 221% increase year-over-year.

Average realized price per zinc tonne sold of $3,116, a 12% increase year-over year.

AISC per zinc tonne sold of $2,729, a 32% increase year-over-year.

 

When discussing the financial strength of the company, Arturo also highlighted that after paying $31.5 million in taxes during this first quarter, that the company ended Q1 2026 with a healthy cash and highly liquid marketable securities position of $64.9 million, providing Santacruz with the financial flexibility to continue funding operational improvements while maintaining a strong treasury position.

 

At the Bolivar Mine, the recovery of the areas affected by the May 2025 localized water inflow event continues to advance; with work focused on restoring production while maintaining operating discipline. The Company continues to expect Bolivar’s full recovery by Q4 2026, with the dewatering program progressing ahead of plan, and now accessing again the high-grade silver veins –  Pomabamba and Nané.

 

The Porco Mine remains a smaller but solid contributor, and it is strategically located in the important Potosi district.   Arturo mentions that their 1,200 tonne per day plant also assists with processing ore from the San Lucas business unit.

 

Next we moved over to the Caballo Blanco Group of mines, which is the lowest cost and thus highest efficiency of their operations.  Colquechaquita and Tres Amigos are the 2 producing mines, but Arturo mentioned that the Company has now brought Esperanza Mine back into production during Q1, and that it should be a profitable smaller zinc-forward mine in this Caballo Blanco complex moving forward.

 

Their Zimapán Mine in Mexico is their highest-volume operation and will be another area of continued growth for Santacruz Silver in 2026. The capital already invested in Zimapan into plant equipment and improving mine efficiencies will allow for more throughput, accessing higher grade areas, and improving metals recoveries.   The operations team gained access to the high-grade 960 Level of the Zimpan Mine at the end of Q4, and already demonstrated to be a more significant contributing area of production in Q1 2026 and looking forward.

 

San Lucas is a margin-based ore sourcing and processing business that supports plant utilization, fixed-cost absorption and operating flexibility.   San Lucas now includes ore blended from the Reserva Mine, (previously part of the Caballo Blanco complex), and may be further enhanced in the future if a dedicated processing center is acquired.   Arturo points out that since this is a “margin business” it will always be profitable, but that it will naturally see higher costs in parallel with moves higher in silver prices, and thus the higher amount needed to be paid to the small regional miners that bring in their ore to sell to San Lucas. The Company has introduced an enhanced reporting framework which provides a more complete basis for investors to assess production, costs, margins and cash generation across all business units.

 

The operations team is advancing their silver-dominant Soracaya mine towards development and near-term production. There is already a decline ramp into this project with initial stope access in 2 areas, and the plan once the permit is received in Q3 is to get this mine into initial ramp-up production by Q4 of 2026.

  

Wrapping up we discussed the potential for future accretive acquisitions in the Americas.  The board and management team are open to a currently producing mine or development-stage underground mining assets, but only if the acquisition would be accretive for shareholders and if their team can unlock value in these acquired assets.

 

* To view the visual presentation on YouTube click below:

https://youtu.be/SCKzJarK0TQ

 

If you have any follow up questions for Arturo regarding Santacruz Silver, then please email those to me [email protected].

 

In full disclosure, Shad is a shareholder of Santacruz Silver at the time of this recording, and may choose to buy or sell shares at any time.

 

Click here to follow the latest news from Santacruz Silver

 

For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks:

 

The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/

Shad’s resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/

 

 

Investment disclaimer:

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investing in equities and commodities involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.

In this Daily Editorial, we sit down with Brian Leni, the founder and editor of the Junior Stock Review and host of the Field Notes YouTube channel. Brian breaks down the current shifting dynamics within the resource sector.

Here are the key themes discussed in this episode:

Shifting Capital in the Metals Sector: How capital is rotating away from precious metals and where those funds are actively migrating within the broader commodities space.

The Macro Outlook for Copper: Learn about the defining economic indicators - including negative treatment and refining charges - that suggest the current copper price may represent a long-term floor rather than a peak.

Evaluating Development Projects: Understand the criteria investors should use to differentiate between early-stage resources and advanced, construction-ready assets.

Geopolitical Factors & Supply Chains: An overview of how deglobalization and regional supply disruptions are fundamentally reshaping global commodity markets.

Strategic Portfolio Rebalancing: Insights into the benefits of holding a tactical cash position and how to position a portfolio for high-upside exploration opportunities during periods of market uncertainty.

 

Click here to visit the Junior Stock Review website to keep up to date on what Brian is investing in - https://www.juniorstockreview.com/

 

Click here to watch the latest Field Notes video - https://www.youtube.com/@FIELD_NOTES

 

---------------------

For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks: 

The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/ 

Shad’s resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/

Investment disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security or investment product. Investing in equities, commodities, really everything involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.

In this Company Update, I chat with Mike Burke, Director and Vice President of Corporate Development at Sitka Gold (TSX.V: SIG | OTCQB: SITKF | FSE: 1RF), to unpack the first drill result of the year from the massive 60,000-meter program at the RC Gold Project. Mike breaks down the significance of hole 121, the deepest hole ever drilled on the project, which returned high-grade mineralization at depth. 

Key Discussion Points:

Deep Drilling: An introduction to hole 121, the deepest hole ever completed on the project, and a look at the high-grade intercepts returned from the assay lab.

Geological Implications: Why the company initiated this year's program at the Blackjack deposit and how the mineralization extends far below the currently defined open-pit boundaries.

Underground Mining Horizons: A look into the future economic trade-offs, target cut-off grades, and the structural data needed to support a future underground resource estimate.

Drill Program Scaling: An update on the progression of the 60,000-meter program, current drill counts across the Rhosgobel and Blackjack zones, and expectations for upcoming assay flow.

 

If you have any follow up questions for the team at Sitka Gold please email me at [email protected]. 

 

Click here visit the Sitka Gold website to learn more about the Company - https://sitkagoldcorp.com/

 

-----------------------

For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks: 

The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/ 

Shad’s resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/

Investment disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security or investment product. Investing in equities, commodities, really everything involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.

James Anderson, Chairman & CEO of Guanajuato Silver (TSX.V: GSVR) (OTCQX: GSVRF), joins us for a comprehensive update on Q1 2026 financials, year-to-date operations trends, the 16,000 meters of underground development work underway, and the key initiatives for their ongoing 75,000 meter drill program at each mine.

 

Guanajuato Silver produces silver and gold concentrates from the El Cubo Mine Complex, Valenciana Mines Complex, the San Ignacio mine, and their recently acquired Bolanitos Gold-Silver Mine. In addition, the Company produces silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates from the Topia mine in northwestern Durango.  In addition to these 5 producing mines, the Company also has 3 past-producing exploration and development projects in their portfolio at the El Horcon Mine, Pinguico Mine, and Cebada Mine.

 

Selected Q1 2026 Highlights

 

Record Revenue of $43.1M represents an increase of 89% over the previous quarter, when revenue totalled $22.7M. Over 97% of revenue in Q1 was derived from silver and gold sales, highlighting Guanajuato Silver's position as a true precious metals producer.

Record Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization* ("EBITDA") of positive $13.1M, demonstrating a dramatic reversal from Q4, 2025 EBITDA of negative $21.8M.

Record Net Income of $5.7M, demonstrating the impact of improved mine operations in conjunction with rising silver and gold prices.

Record Mine Operating Income of $14.3M represents a 252% increase over the previous quarter. In Q4, 2025, the Company generated $4.0M in Mine Operating Income.

Gold production of 4,295 ounces represents a 104% increase over the previous quarter. In Q4, 2025 the Company produced 2,110 ounces of gold. The sizable increase in gold production over the quarter was largely due to the addition of production from the gold-rich Bolanitos Mine, which was acquired in January of 2026.

Silver production of 339,104 ounces for the quarter represents a 15% increase over the previous quarter. In Q4, 2025, the Company produced 295,836 silver ounces. Silver production generated 58% of total revenue; this outsized leverage to the silver market makes Guanajuato Silver an outlier within the mining industry.

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $30.5M at the end of the quarter; notably, the Company achieved this cash figure after paying net $30.0M in cash to close the acquisition of Minera Bolanitos S.A de C.V. on January 15, 2026.

 

James outlines their ongoing 16,000 meters of underground development work paired with the 75,000-meter drill program, currently utilizing 8 drill rigs to augment exploration initiatives. This is largest exploration program the company has ever deployed, with some areas getting the first meaningful resource expansion in many years.

 

 

If you have any follow up questions for James on Guanajuato Silver, then please email them into me at [email protected].

 

In full disclosure, Shad is a shareholder of Guanajuato Silver at the time of this recording, and may choose to buy or sell shares at any time.

 

Click here to follow the latest news from Guanajuato Silver

 

For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks:

 

The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/

Shad’s resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/

 

 

Investment disclaimer:

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investing in equities and commodities involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.