Morning Briefing: Gold and Silver Under Pressure; Heliostar Reports High-Grade Gold at Ana Paula

SPEAKER_1 (0:02)

Good morning, and welcome back to the Mining Stock Daily Morning Briefing, presented by the Clear Commodity Network and delivering today's top news in mining and mineral exploration. From the new ClearCom studios, here's your host, Trevor Hall.

Ian Wagner (0:18)

Good morning, and welcome back to the Mining Stock Daily Morning Briefing. I am your host today, Ian Wagner, filling in for Trevor Hall. It's Monday, October 19th. Gold, silver and copper entered the week under pressure after hotter than expected US inflation rattled markets last week. Gold lost roughly 7 tenths of a percent. Silver dropped 6.4 percent, and copper declined approximately 1 percent. Gold is stabilizing near 4200 this morning, while silver faces resistance around $59. Copper could benefit from China's stronger than expected third quarter GDP growth of 4.5 percent, although weak domestic demand remains concerning. Investors will watch US jobless claims Thursday, October 22nd, and manufacturing PMI and consumer sentiment also is released later this week. The biggest catalyst comes next week, with Federal Reserve's October 27th and 28th meeting potentially determining the metals market's next direction. In other news, a 10-day strike at Antofagasta's Centenella Copper Project in Chile has ended after 94.5% of participating workers approved a new labor agreement. More than 700 workers had walked off the job seeking equal benefits across unions. Antofagasta says copper production remained normal throughout the strike, avoiding potential supply disruptions. And the US government-backed Project Vault is preparing up to $1 billion in loans to American manufacturers seeking secure critical mineral supplies. More than 70 companies are in discussions, with over a dozen expected in the initial round. The initiative will purchase and stockpile minerals for manufacturers reducing exposure to supply disruptions. Before the market opening today, gold futures are trading at $4,180, mostly unchanged. Silver futures are up 0.5% to $57.66 US., and copper futures are steady around $6.55. We will get to the news from the miners and explorers in a moment, but first a mention of today's sponsor.

Today's episode of Mining Stock Daily is brought to you by Integra Resources. Integra is a growing precious metals producer in the Great Basin of the Western United States. Integra is focused on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence at its principal operating asset, the Florida Canyon Mine, located in Nevada. In addition, Integra is committed to advancing its flagship development stage heat leak projects, the past producing DeLamar Project in southwestern Idaho and the Nevada North Project, located in western Nevada. Learn more about the business and their high industry standards over at integraresources.com.

And here's what you need to know today. Heliostar Metals reports high-grade gold intercepts at Ana Paula. Heliostar reported additional high-grade drill results from its Ana Paula Gold Project in Guerrero, Mexico, highlighted by 52.4 meters grading 5.84 grams per ton gold, including 12.6 meters at 17.8 grams per ton. Another hole returned 24.8 meters at 5.1 grams per ton. Drilling in the expansion zone also intersected 8 meters, grading 6.88 grams per ton gold. The company has now completed more than 35,000 meters of drilling across 122 holes, supporting its upcoming feasibility study while continuing to expand mineralization beyond the existing resource. The expansion zone remains open in multiple directions. Heliostar trades on the TSX with the symbol HSTR.

Vizsla Copper has commenced its inaugural drill program at the Copperview Copper Project in South Central British Columbia. The program will test the previously undrilled M5 target, a large geophysical anomaly measuring approximately 2.5 by 1.4 kilometers. Located near Princeton, the project sits along the same regional geological trend as the Kodiak Copper's Gate Discovery. The drilling follows receipt of a 5-year exploration permit earlier this year and represents the first direct test of Copperview's pour-free copper gold potential. The program aims to determine whether the extensive geophysical anomaly corresponds to a significant mineralized system. Vizsla Copper trades on the TSX Venture under the symbol VCU.

Aclara Resources has released an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for its Penco Rare Earths Project in Chile, outlining an after-tax NPV of $344 million US, a 26% internal rate of return and a 3.2-year payback period. Initial capital costs are estimated at $244 million US, supporting a 17-year mine life. The project is expected to generate approximately $101 million US in annual EBITDA, with construction targeted for completion in the second half of 2028 Aclara plans to complete a feasibility study in early 2027 The Aclara Resources trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol ARA.

Altius Minerals reported its third quarter, 2026 Project Generation Update with its Junior Mining Equity Portfolio increasing to $97 million, up from $80 million at the end of June. The company invested approximately $5 million during the quarter, including $1.7 million in TNR Gold alongside investments in Centauri Minerals and Gilpuss Resources. Altius also highlighted exploration progress across its royalty portfolio, including new gold discoveries in Nevada and nickel-copper exploration in Michigan. Orojin Royalties remains its largest equity holding, with Altius maintaining approximately 17% ownership. Altius Minerals trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol ALS.