What to try your hand at prospecting for gold? Well, not you personally.
Prospecting for gold is – and has always been – a tricky business.
Rodney Bland gives gold panning demonstrations along the South Fork of the American River, Marshall's Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Coloma, California in this file photo. Prospecting for gold is – and has always been – a tricky business.
Newscom/file
After a relatively quick run up in the value of gold, when’s a good time to consider taking another look? Recently, the Wall Street Journal examined the junior miners, and the good opportunities there may be for investors interested in wisely timing stock purchases of early-stage firms.
From Wall Street Journal:
“For too many investors, though, this pursuit of El Dorado ends up as a financial nightmare. Even if you are lucky enough to pick a miner that finds a rich vein of gold, you can arrive so early that your stake crumbles while the miner navigates the hurdles between locating a gold deposit and actually producing it.
“Despite the ‘great sex appeal’ of early-stage mining companies, ‘most just wash out,’ says Frank Holmes, chief executive of U.S. Global Investors, which runs a gold and natural-resources fund. Those that do find a viable lode often end up hamstrung for years by environmental or governmental delays that erode share prices.
“The best way to reduce your risk: Focus on junior miners that are within a year of production. And understand the lifecycle of small mining stocks before you invest.”
The WSJ explains that the lifecycle of a junior miner includes three distinct phases, and you should know which phase the company you’re researching may be in. They include:
Stage 1: Idea and exploration.
Stage 2: Discovery and feasibility.
Stage 3: Production.
Read more about the three stages and what they could mean for your potential investment in the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of when you should join the next gold rush.
Also, don’t forget that in July Frank Holmes will be speaking at the Agora Financial Investment Symposium in Vancouver. You can find more details about registering for the event here.
Add/view comments on this post.
------------------------------
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link above.