We recently published a list of 10 Best Gold Royalty and Small-Cap Gold Stocks to Buy. In this article, we are going to look at where SSR Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:SSRM) stands against other best gold royalty and small-cap gold stocks to buy.
The U.S. Federal Reserve now anticipates just two interest rate cuts next year, a reduction from the four previously forecasted in September, due to inflation concerns and the potential economic impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariffs. On November 18, in the immediate aftermath of the Fed’s announcement, the U.S. dollar surged, with the dollar index reaching a two-year high. This rally placed downward pressure on gold prices, which fell 2% to their lowest levels in a month. Traditionally, a stronger dollar and higher U.S. Treasury yields make gold less attractive as an investment. However, analysts suggest that these traditional relationships between gold, the dollar, and interest rates have become less predictable in recent years.
In an interview with CNBC on December 18, Thomas Rupf, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Trading at VP Bank Asia provided detailed insights into the current market conditions and future projections for the U.S. dollar and gold. Rupf acknowledged the resilience of the U.S. dollar and attributed it to the perception of the continued strength of the U.S. economy. However, he also pointed out that the U.S. dollar is currently overvalued and expects the US economy to slow down, which could contribute to a weaker US dollar by the end of next year.
Regarding gold, Rupf is optimistic and noted that the potential slowdown in the US economy and dollar as well as the ongoing trend of de-dollarization are all bullish factors for gold prices. He mentioned that ETF flows, which are still 20% below historical levels, indicate that there is significant room for retail investors to increase their investment in gold ETFs. Rupf concluded by agreeing that gold prices could realistically reach $2,800 to $2,900. He also mentioned the possibility of gold reaching up to $3,000, which he considers the top end of his forecast.
Gold has historically been recognized as a reliable investment, known for its enduring value and resilience against economic uncertainties. This precious metal has been a cornerstone in many diversified investment portfolios, offering a sense of security and stability in times of financial turmoil.
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the 10 best gold royalty and small-cap gold stocks to buy, we used Finviz and Yahoo stock screeners to find the companies that are involved in the production, extraction, processing, financing, or sale of gold and have a market capitalization between $200 million and $10 billion as of December 23. Then we used Insider Monkey’s Hedge Fund database to rank 10 stocks according to the largest number of hedge fund holders, as of Q3 2024. The list is sorted in ascending order of hedge fund sentiment.
Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
SSR Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:SSRM)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 17
Market Capitalization as of December 23: $1.40 Billion
SSR Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:SSRM) is a leading precious metals mining company with a diverse portfolio of gold and silver assets across North and South America. The company operates the Marigold Mine in Nevada, and the Seabee Mine in Canada. The company also has a significant stake in the Hod Maden project and Çöpler Gold Mine in Turkey.
SSR Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:SSRM) is focusing on the development of the Hod Maden project in Turkey. The project is progressing well, with site establishment and engineering activities underway. The company expects to provide an update on the anticipated 2025 capital spend for the project with its normal guidance update early next year. Hod Maden is expected to be a high-quality asset that will contribute significantly to the company’s portfolio.
SSR Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:SSRM) is also advancing brownfield exploration programs at Marigold and Seabee, to identify and delineate new mineralization opportunities. At Marigold, the company is advancing on the Buffalo Valley to replace mine depletion and potentially further expand the mine’s operating life. Whereas at Seabee, despite the temporary suspension due to forest fires, the company is focusing on evaluating and drilling near-mine extensions and advancing the Porky and Porky West targets, as they are both gold exploration areas located near the Seabee gold mine, can be mined in an open pit and represent potential mine life extension opportunities.
Overall, SSRM ranks 7th on our list of best gold royalty and small-cap gold stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of SSRM to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SSRM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
