Benoit Gascon: An Insider's Take on the Complicated Graphite Market
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Metals Report  (1/29/13)
Ten years ago, Benoit Gascon would have said there's no money in graphite investment. But the former CEO of the only North American graphite producer to survive Chinese competition has changed his tune, thanks to increasing graphite consumption in China and India. Gascon, who argues that the graphite markets of the 1990s are gone for good, has thrown his hat back into the ring, this time as CEO of a junior player, Mason Graphite. In this interview with The Metals Report, Gascon gives us an inside look at the graphite space and explains why the cliché "the customer is always right" has extra resonance in this "inverted" market. More >

No Dutch Disease in Greenland Mining Prospects
Source: Richard Mills, Resource Investor  (1/25/13)
"Greenland's Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum has so far awarded 150 licenses for mineral exploration with around 600M kroner spent by companies in 2012. Just ten years ago, there were almost no requests for mining licenses." More >

Keys to Rare Earth Companies’ Success: Innovation, Cost Efficiency
Source: Zig Lambo of The Metals Report  (1/22/13)
Geologist Alex Knox followed rare earths before they were Wall Street's darlings, and continues to do so, having seen stormy weather in this industry before. Demand for rare earths remains; it's just a question of who can supply them first—and at what cost? In this interview with The Metals Report, Knox tells investors what questions they need to ask management and highlights companies that are progressing toward production. More >

Forget Demand: Base Metals Supply Should Be the Focus
Source: Geoff Candy, Mineweb  (1/19/13)
"Barclays Capital believes a lot of focus should be on the supply side." More >

Are Junior Gold Investors Living the Movie 'Groundhog Day'?: David Skarica
Source: Alec Gimurtu of The Gold Report  (1/16/13)
Gold stocks, especially juniors, have been undervalued for longer than most investors thought possible. The result is what David Skarica, founder of Addicted to Profits, calls a "maximum pessimism trade." In this interview with The Gold Report, Skarica summarizes his analytical tools and provides clear examples of companies that meet his criteria as "screaming buys." Gold junior investors might feel as if they live in the movie "Groundhog Day," but the undervaluation cycle will eventually be broken. Is spring just around the corner for the junior gold miners? More >

Graphite Stock Strategies for a Second Bubble: David Skarica
Source: Alec Gimurtu of The Metals Report  (1/15/13)
David Skarica, founder of Addicted to Profits, says another—bigger—graphite bubble is likely on its way. In this interview with The Metals Report, Skarica compares the graphite space to the rare earth and uranium arenas, making some interesting conclusions about what kinds of stocks perform best during market-wide roller coaster movements. However, he warns that the graphite space is different, with no clear industry leaders and a number of companies with high potential. His conclusion? Choose carefully. More >

Copper Reserves Could Run Out in 25 Years
Source: Harlan Kessler, Seeking Alpha  (1/14/13)
"There are a number of ways to play the potential supply and demand imbalance for copper." More >

How to Invest Like a Merchant Bank in High-Risk Resources: Rick Winters
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Gold Report  (1/11/13)
It is difficult for retail investors to sift the wheat from the chaff in the junior miner sector. In this interview with The Gold Report, Rick Winters reveals how RMB Resources, a resource merchant bank, figures out what projects to invest in and those to pass over and talks about some of the companies that made the cut. More >

Crash Course: Mining Equity Financing
Source: Visual Capitalistm  (1/11/13)
"Mining exploration companies use large amounts of capital to find discoveries, define a resource and advance to production." More >

Nickel: Where Form Meets Function
Source: Visual Capitalistm  (1/7/13)
"While best known for its use in the five-cent coin, nickel has far more strategic uses." More >

Are You a Base Metal Growth Bull or a Gold Gloom-and-Doomer?
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Gold Report  (1/2/13)
Gold bugs say the global economy could collapse any day now. But what about investors who see continued growth in emerging economies and a steady, if slow, U.S. recovery? Look to base metals, recommends Haywood Analyst Stefan Ioannou. He expects price runs for 2013–2015, especially for zinc, which is facing a serious supply squeeze. Do your homework now to get positioned as soon as the uptick begins. Ioannou shares his favorites in this Gold Report interview. More >

The Rare Earth Sector Needs These Three Things to Prosper
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Critical Metals Report  (12/18/12)
For too long, the rare earth space has operated in obscurity. Greater clarity on prices, inventory levels and demand will create more market stability, according to Matt Gibson, institutional research analyst with CIBC World Markets. In this Critical Metals Report interview, Gibson emphasizes that rare earths are for the risk takers—at least for now. For the strong of stomach, he offers details on trading levels, catalysts and opportunities. How will you place your bets? More >

Byron King: Time to Take Rare Earths Losses Ahead of Tax Code Changes?
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Critical Metals Report  (12/18/12)
Share prices have tumbled down for many rare earth element miners, while the quality of certain companies has dramatically improved. Is now the right time for investors to strengthen their positions in the space or to turn and run? Byron King, editor of Outstanding Investments and Energy & Scarcity Investor, discusses some new tax implications with The Critical Metals Report that could help investors time their gains or losses. More >

CIBC's Matt Gibson Sees Upside in Iron in 2013
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Gold Report  (12/17/12)
Investors who want to play in the iron and copper space should look to small-cap producers for attractive valuations and lower risk, says Matt Gibson, institutional research analyst with CIBC World Markets. In this Gold Report interview, he says he believes iron has found its floor in 2012 and names iron ore and copper companies with upside potential. More >

Stability and Patience Are the Keys for Rare Earth Investing
Source: Geoff Candy, Mineweb  (12/13/12)
"House Mountain Partners' Chris Berry explained that an investment in the space now requires a 'belief in the management of a company and the location, the geo-political story surrounding the deposit.' And, more importantly a clear view of the company’s financial sustainability." More >

A Critical Year in Review: What's Next?
Source: The Critical Metals Report Editors  (12/11/12)
Every great mining story begins from the ground up. This is as true of critical metals as it is for gold and silver. Many investors took losses by chasing the pie-in-the-sky potential every publicly listed rare earth stock seemed to promise. Since its debut 18 months ago, The Critical Metals Report has focused on the goods in the ground, striving to present valuable insights on an oft-misrepresented sector, sharing related stories as they emerged. As the year comes to a close and we prepare to extend our coverage further, we are revisiting our most popular expert interviews from 2012. Yes, it's still rough out there for miners, but when you think nothing's looking up, look down. More >

Graphene: Thinnest Material Ever Made
Source: The Economic Times  (12/10/12)
"Sheets of it are only one atom thick. Expect it in a gadget near you within five years." More >

Rick Mills' Secret to Making Money off China's Stealth Metal Demand
Source: Sally Lowder of The Critical Metals Report  (12/4/12)
When it comes to supply and demand dynamics, Aheadoftheherd.com Publisher Rick Mills does his own math. China may make a show of its alleged copper surplus and Germany may downplay its need for efficient energy sources, but Mills foresees demand spikes in a number of specialty metals. In this interview with The Critical Metals Report, Mills discusses the positions he's establishing while looming supply shortages remain under the mainstream radar. More >

China's Subsidies Give HREE Prices a Boost
Source: Stuart Burns, MetalMiner  (12/3/12)
"Prices for heavy rare earths have not just stopped falling, but started moving up again." More >

Will China's Trade Agenda Squeeze Fluorspar Supply?
Source: Peter Byrne of The Critical Metals Report  (11/27/12)
One of the world's leading experts on industrial chemicals explains the convoluted market for fluorspar, a component of many household products. In this interview with The Critical Metals Report, IHS Chemical's Ray Will explains how a rebound of the global supply of fluorspar is tied to the fluctuating trade agenda of the mineral's largest consumer, China. Learn why Canada and Mexico are poised to increase production of the valuable raw material using previously abandoned mines and new technologies. More >

Three Sharp Pencils in the Graphite Game
Source: Mickey Fulp, Mercenary Geologist  (11/26/12)
"Graphite is next in line for a commodity boom." More >

Gareth Hatch: Supply Chain Economics Drive Rare Earths Stocks
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Critical Metals Report  (11/20/12)
There are few mining sectors where chemistry, metallurgy and the supply chain meet in such a complex yet potentially profitable way as rare earths. Companies must keep an eye perpetually toward the future, making prescient judgments about end-user demands and constantly evolving technologies. In this interview with The Critical Metals Report, Gareth Hatch, founding principal of Technology Metals Research and president and director of Innovation Metals Corp., gives an update about which projects are closest to production and which have the right recipe to entice customers. More >

Does China Really Want a Rare Earth Monopoly?
Source: Hongpo Shen, ProEdge Wire  (11/19/12)
"China's rare earth White Paper notes that China 'hopes countries and regions with abundant REE reserves will make active efforts in developing their own resources.'" More >

Global Copper Production Under Stress
Source: Rick Mills, Ahead of the Herd  (11/14/12)
"Increasingly we will see falling average grades being mined, mines becoming deeper, more remote and come with increased political and nationalization risk." More >

Why Copper Is a Critical Metal: Mickey Fulp
Source: JT Long of The Critical Metals Report  (11/13/12)
Copper is often referred to as "Dr Copper," the metal with a PhD in economics. Yet most analysts don't view it as a critical metal. In this interview with The Critical Metals Report, Mickey Fulp, author of The Mercenary Geologist, gives his thoughts on why the experts are wrong and why copper should be considered a critical metal. More >