The KE Report

Dave Erfle, Founder and Editor of Junior Miner Junky, joins me to review the hurricane of fundamentals factors that are fueling gold, silver, platinum, and copper to new all-time highs to here in the first few trading sessions of 2026.   We also dive into how this affecting the PM mining stocks.    We start off reviewing the very strong close to 2025 with many metals closing up the year at the all-time closes on the monthly, quarterly, and annual charts, and how that moved pricing into this year in a strong technical posture.   Dave notes that many of the macroeconomic and geopolitical factors that have developed over the last few months, did so after silver had already broken out of a 45-year cup and handle consolidation pattern.   Dave points out that we thought we had a “perfect storm” of factors in place last year with the central bank buying, runaway fiscal debt, Fed rate cuts, and dollar weakness throughout the year, and then all these other factors started stacking on top of those to form a huge hurricane of additional factors.   Silver and gold were named strategic and critical minerals in the Fall of last year. Trump will be naming a more dovish Fed head to come in mid-year for more rate cuts. China announced that they’d begin export controls on silver to start this year, which have now been implemented as of January 1st. Some large financial institution got on the wrong side of a large short position and was forced to cover and unwind, spiking the futures prices even higher. The US moved into capture and remove President Maduro in Venezuela over this last weekend, after a series of military exercises in the Caribbean Sea.   We reviewed the recent strength in the physical metals prices over the futures prices.   There has been an ongoing backwardation in silver physical spot prices over the silver futures prices at the end of 2025 and into 2026. There has been a large arbitrage spread in favor of the Shanghai silver price in China over the COMEX silver price in Chicago for the last few weeks. He points out that the series of recent COMEX margin increases are being used during low-volume holiday weeks to tamp down the silver future prices, but yet they’ve just rallied right back higher again. Dave feels this is a different macro backdrop than when we saw this same process from the CME back in 2011 that marked the top of that prior cycle.   Dave notes that while many precious metals stocks have already gone up multiple-fold on a percentage basis over last year, that it has gotten to a point where many stopped reacting as much to metals prices that have continued moving to even higher levels.   He notes that with the US stock market indexes having also kept hitting new all-time highs over last year that this has kept generalists from focusing much on resource stocks thus far. Dave recounts how the prior cycle started moving strong from 2001-2003, then consolidated, then moved even higher from 2005-2008, leading into the Great Financial Crisis of mid-2008-early 2009, before moving up even higher for 3 more years into the 2011 top. During that time the HUI index, the TSX Venture Composite index, and the HUI:S&P 500 ratio charts, all had a series of big moves that then consolidated sideways to down for a period, before building up the energy to then blast to even higher levels. He believes we could see a similar pattern play out this time where mining stocks move big, then consolidate sideways despite rising prices, or even corrective moves, but then move in a series of rallies following that were more an more investor capital begins to pour into the sector.   Wrapping up we talk about where the gold and silver stock valuations are today at $100 and below for an ounce of gold delineated in the ground or $2-$5 an ounce of silver defined in development projects. We look to the recent takeover transaction of Probe Gold by Fresnillo for a mere $58 a gold ounce in the ground, over their 10 million ounce deposits in Canada. Dave highlights that he and his subscribers continue to hold full positions in AbraSilver Resource, despite being up 4X on their position, because he believes it may be in play as a takeover candidate in the year to come (after putting out their DFS and confirming Argentina RIGI approval). At present they are getting a little over $5 an ounce in the ground for a valuation, which is on the high-end of what other silver developers are currently garnering. We debate whether we’ll start to see higher valuations in future merger and acquisition deals, on the best development projects, considering the huge margins that the PM producers are enjoying at present.   Click here to learn more about Dave's Junior Miner Junky newsletter   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.

Glenn Jessome, President & CEO of Silver Tiger Metals (TSX.V:SLVR – OTCQX:SLVTF), joins us for a comprehensive update on all the development work going on at ground level now that  the Company has secured all of the required approvals and permits from the Mexican Federal Environmental Department (“SEMARNAT”) to construct the El Tigre Stockwork Silver-Gold Project in Sonora, Mexico.  We also discuss the upcoming underground PEA, set for release later this month, the coming regional drill programs to the north and south of El Tigre, and the capital management flexibility that the company has moving into 2026.   With all approvals for the Project now granted, Silver Tiger is advancing the El Tigre Project towards construction over the 18-month plan, as outlined in the October 2024 Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) for the Project. Glenn shares with us the many earlier-stage initiatives their operations team, led by VP of Operations, Francisco Albelais, was working on for the last half of 2025,  like building the 365 day per year haulage road, and the 6 months of detailed engineering work that is mostly completed and gives them a large head start on hitting the ground running now that the permit is in hand.    Glenn highlights that in addition to more land clearing and surface earth works, that a key initiative is optimizing the road already built with a new bridge currently in review with engineering and slated to be built over the next few months.  Another priority is the building of the camp to house all the staff that will be working on-site from here on out.  Additionally, there will be water wells completed, and all the workstreams that flow into the final engineering plan.    All of this derisking sets the company up for even better debt terms, and gives them a huge head start into the eventual mine construction beginning over the course of this year.   We also recap all the exploration, development, and derisking work that has gone into the upcoming imminent release of the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the underground mine, set to release to the market later in January. The team at Silver Tiger has been compiling the last 5 years of work delineating the 113 million ounces of silver equivalent resources in the high-grade veins, shale, and sulphide zones underground portion of El Tigre, the metallurgical studies, and engineering work to be able to release the upcoming PEA early in Q1.   This report will center around the already permitted underground scenario utilizing an 800 tonnes-per-day (tpd) mill, and focusing on the initial first 10 years of mine life.   With regards to the capital management strategy, and the coming debt term sheets and how the company will fund the remaining capex for the mine build, Glenn shares the flexibility and optionality that their team now has, after having raised CAD$40 Million bought deal financing with a syndicate of underwriters led by BMO Capital Markets and Stifel Nicolaus Canada in the late Fall last year.  When combined with the ~CAD$30 million the company already had in their treasury, they essentially have a large percentage of the US$85 million capex needed to build the bulk tonnage surface mine at El Tigre.  This means that they can negotiate less restrictive debt covenants, giving them the flexibility to keep pursuing work on the underground strategy, as well as regional exploration to the north and south of El Tigre.      If you have any follow up questions for Glenn regarding Silver Tiger Metals, then please email them into me at [email protected].   In full disclosure, Shad is a shareholder of Silver Tiger Metals 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 Silver Tiger Metals   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.  

Craig Hemke, Founder and Editor of the TF Metals Report, joins me to kick off the first full trading week of 2026, reviewing the strong close to end last year, and the even stronger start to this year in gold, silver, copper, and the precious metals stocks.   We also break down the macroeconomic factors that matter moving into the year to come.   We start off reviewing the big moves higher today across the metals complex with gold, silver, copper, at or near all-time highs in what is typically a quite seasonally strong period of the year for this part of the commodities sector.   Craig points out that while the metals have been undeniably strong, that the related mining stocks have only had lackluster responses over the last few weeks, considering how much their profit margins and project economics have expanded. This brings up the lagging valuations in lieu of the much higher average metals price in Q4 over Q3, where gold, silver, platinum, and copper all closed the month of December, the fourth quarter, and the year at all-time high closes on the longer-duration charts. Craig feels that this is what is truly germane for institutional investors and analysts as they tend to block out the short-term noise and focus on the longer-term trends in motion.   When we look at where metals prices are here to kick off the year in early January they are a levels that are so much higher than those average prices in Q4, that it is hard to imagine that Q1 isn’t going to see even higher average metals prices, and thus even higher record revenues or project economics. This raises the question of why more investors are not getting in front of those trends and bidding the quality mining shares much higher than they’ve responded thus far? Craig feels a great deal of this lack of leverage in the mining stocks lately is coming from sympathetic lack of belief from most investors that these prices are going to stay up at these levels.   One factor that has continued to tamp down futures pricing in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium over the last few weeks has been the COMEX rising of margin requirements.   Many investors are concerned that if this raising of margins requirements persists that it could trigger a selling cascade lower.  Craig weighs on the history and dynamics around these moves by the Chicago commodities exchange.    The conversation then transitions over into what factors are going to keep underpinning higher metals prices.  We review the arbitrage between the physical and paper markets both in terms of the current backwardation between higher spot prices over future prices, and from prices seen on the Shanghai exchange versus the COMEX. Craig mentions that while he doesn’t feel there is a direct safe haven bid today after the weekend geopolitical events between the US and Venezuela, that it still may underpin other nations central banks to keep buying gold and diversifying out of US dollars as a precaution. Another key factor he is watching is what we’ll see in 2026 with regards to central bank monetary policy here in the US, once Trump installs a more dovish head to the Fed mid-year. Craig also continues to watch for potential yield curve control through monetary policy, if the interest rates get too extreme in either direction. Following up on our last conversation, and looking ahead to Craig’s coming 2026 Macrocast report due out later this week, we revisit the potential for Scott Bessent and the treasury department to monetize aspects of the US balance sheet (notably a potential repricing in gold) to help fund a sovereign wealth fund.   Click here to visit Craig's TF Metals website:   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.    

The first KE Report Weekend Show of 2026 sets the stage for a year that could look very different across commodities and energy markets. The show explores how precious metals captured investor attention after a volatile end to 2025, why sentiment toward hard assets appears to be shifting, and what that could mean as the new year unfolds. The conversation then pivots to oil and natural gas, examining how a weak commodity tape contrasted with resilient equity performance and why select opportunities may be emerging beneath the surface. Overall, the show focuses on big-picture trends, market psychology, and how investors might think about positioning for 2026 amid ongoing volatility and changing fundamentals. Segment 1 & 2 - Darrell Fletcher, Managing Director of Commodities at Bannockburn Capital Markets, joins the KE Report Weekend Show to break down the explosive 2025 performance in metals - led by gold then silver - discussing fundamentals versus momentum, valuation shifts toward hard assets, index rebalancing volatility, and what these historic moves could mean for commodities heading into 2026. Click here to learn more about Bannockburn Capital Markets  - https://www.bannockburnglobal.com/   Segment 3 & 4 - Josef Schachter, founder and editor of the Schachter Energy Report and author of the Eye on Energy report, wraps up the show recapping a difficult 2025 for oil while highlighting how selective stock picking still produced strong gains. He outlines a bullish 2026 outlook, covering oil and natural gas price expectations, undervalued Canadian energy equities, dividend and growth opportunities, and the impact of LNG expansion and M&A across the sector. Click here to learn more about The Schachter Energy Report - https://schachterenergyreport.ca/   If you enjoy the show, be sure to subscribe to our podcast feed (KER Podcast), YouTube channel, and follow us on X for more market commentary and company interviews. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review!   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 may own shares in companies mentioned.  

Christopher Aaron, Founder of iGold Advisor, Elite Private Placements, and Senior Editor at the Gold Eagle website, joins me to review his short-term and longer-term technical outlook on Silver, silver stocks via (SIL) relative to silver, Gold, and the long-term DOW:Gold ratio chart.   This is a longer-format video where we really dive into the technical analysis setups in the precious metals sector, and he lays out the historical case and patterns to why we haven’t even seen the really big moves yet in either the potential price targets for the metals or the catchup trade still in front of investors for the junior gold and silver stocks.   Christopher lays out the technical case for why silver is likely going up into a 3X-5X move from the $50 breakout, even if we see one more corrective consolidation move in the near-term.  He points to the propensity of commodities to make moves like this when breaking out of long base-building periods, citing prior moves like this in gold, copper, platinum, and oil.   We also check in on the SIL:Silver ratio chart and note the stark undervaluation and muted leverage thus far in the silver equities, and how they are going make a large catchup move in the years to come.   Next we shift over to his Christopher’s technical outlook on gold from a short to medium-term perspective, and in the context of all the historic data from the move in gold from pegged to the US dollar and post the unpegging and freely trading gold price over the last 5+ decades.   Wrapping up we discuss what he feels is the most important chart, the longer-term data from the DOW:Gold ratio, and that we are setting up for the “Fourth Turning” in how gold will be revalued relative to general US equities.   This is the key chart to follow as it relates to seeing a rotation from generalist investors in tradition equities to precious metals equities.   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.     Click here to visit the iGold Advisor website to follow Christopher’s analysis and private placement services . Click here to follow Christopher’s writing over at the Gold Eagle website