Gold price, July 9 to October 10, 2025.

The price started to gain traction at the end of August, after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled a change in policy during his remarks at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium. By September 2, the gold price had broken through US$3,500 for the first time, and by September 8 it had climbed above US$3,600.

As the month wore on, gold continued its unprecedented climb. It broke through US$3,700 on September 22, US$3,800 on September 29 and reached its quarterly high of US$3,858.41 on September 30.

The price continued on its upward trajectory as the fourth quarter began, rising above US$3,900 on October 6, and finally setting a new record high of US$4,040.42 on October 8.

Why are investors interested in gold?

Mind Money CEO Julia Khandoshko suggested that geopolitics is a driving force behind gold’s record-breaking run, noting that tensions are high as the world becomes increasingly divided into “risk” and “stability” zones.

While geopolitics may be a primary factor, it’s far from the only one.

The third quarter saw declining yield curves, a weakening US dollar and a 25 basis point interest rate cut from the Fed in September, all of which added tailwinds to the gold price. Looking forward, the expectation is that the Fed will make further rate cuts before the end of the year, which could further fuel a rising gold price.

‘The history of the last hundred years shows that gold grows confidently at low rates. Combine this with stubborn inflation, and we can say with confidence that it will create more space for gold’s price rise,” Khandoshko stated.

Additionally, there is an expectation that a weaker US dollar will help to keep the price of gold elevated. So far this year, the US Dollar Index has declined 8 percent.

“The US dollar is a critical component to what happens to gold, because gold is denominated in US dollars, so the weaker the US dollar, the stronger the commodity price. What we’re expecting to see over the next 12 to 24 months is continued devaluation of the US dollar, which means gold should continue to be stronger going forward,” he said.

Among the recent drags on the dollar is fear of a prolonged shutdown of the US federal government after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement to continue funding government agencies and employees.

In the aftermath of the shutdown, the US Dollar Index posted its worst week since July. In an October 3 Reuters article, Thierry Wizman, monetary strategist with Macquarie, suggests that a prolonged shutdown could have a significant impact on trust in the federal government and further impact the strength of the greenback.

Gold price forecast for 2025

Hodaly sees the factors behind gold’s price rise remaining in place for the foreseeable future.

“We are expecting this could go much higher, at least 10 to 20 percent higher in the near term,’ he said.

‘Nothing has changed with the demand outlook for gold and the projected weakness of the US dollar, and that’s what’s going to drive the commodity price higher,’ added the executive.

Gold equities are also expected to benefit as the rising price boosts their margins and share prices.

Leading producers such as Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM), Newmont (NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) and Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) have seen their share prices rise by over 100 percent in 2025.

The junior space has also been impacted, with PPX Mining (TSXV:PPX,OTC Pink:SNNGF) posting a year-to-date gain of 642 percent as of October 1, and San Lorenzo Gold (TSXV:SLG,OTC Pink:SNLGF) increasing 629 percent.

With gold now trading above US$4,000, the sector could attract renewed interest and offer new opportunities for investors. Those seeking to include gold or gold stocks in their portfolios might consider options ranging from the relative safety of ETFs and established producers to riskier assets at the development or exploration stages.

1. Talisker Resources (TSX:TSK)

Year-to-date gain: 390.63 percent
Market cap: C$204.34 million
Share price: C$1.57

Talisker Resources is a gold exploration and development company focused on advancing its flagship Bralorne gold project in British Columbia, Canada, towards production from the Mustang underground mine.

The brownfield project consists of the historic Bralorne mine complex, which hosts three past-producing mines: Bralorne, Pioneer and King. Throughout their lifetimes, these mines produced 4.2 million ounces of gold, but operations were halted in 1971 due to low gold prices.

A January 2023 resource estimate outlines an indicated resource of 33,000 ounces of gold from 117,000 metric tons of ore with an average grade of 8.9 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold, along with an inferred resource of 1.63 million ounces from 8 million metric tons of ore at 6.3 g/t.

On January 8, Talisker announced that its 2025 Mustang mine plan had been reviewed by inspectors from the BC Ministry of Mines and Critical Minerals, and on February 11, the company indicated that early-stage work at the site had begun and was on schedule. Further updates throughout the first and second quarters indicated that development was continuing, noting the blasting of a diamond drill bay on March 26 and the lateral development toward the Alhambra vein on April 9.

On July 30, Talisker reported that it entered into three definitive agreements with metals trader Ocean Partners, including two sales agreements, under which Ocean Partners will buy 100 percent of gravity and sulfide gold concentrates produced under Talisker’s current milling agreement. The third agreement makes Ocean Partners the exclusive agent for end-to-end transport of concentrates from the mill to international buyers.

The most recent update from the mine came on September 8, when Talisker announced that it had completed its first sale, selling 707 ounces of gold from Bralorne for US$2.3 million. The company stated that the sale marked a key milestone as it transitions from developer to active producer.

After climbing through Q3, shares of Talisker reached a year-to-date high of C$1.66 on October 6.

2. Troilus Gold (TSX:TLG)

Year-to-date gain: 347.46 percent
Market cap: C$504.70 million
Share price: C$1.32

Troilus Gold is advancing its namesake property in Northern Québec, Canada. The project is situated within the region covered by Plan Nord, a 25 year, C$80 billion development initiative focused on mining launched by the Government of Québec.

A May 2024 feasibility study for the Troilus project revealed financials with a post-tax net present value of US$884.5 million, an internal rate of return of 14 percent and a payback period of 5.7 years based on a gold price of US$1,975 per ounce.

The included mineral resource estimate reports a probable mineral reserve of 6.02 million ounces of gold from 380 million metric tons of ore at an average grade of 0.49 g/t gold. It also hosts probable copper and silver reserves of 484 million pounds and 12.15 million ounces respectively.

Troilus has spent much of 2025 raising funds for the project’s development. The most significant came on March 13, when the company executed a mandate letter for a non-binding term sheet to arrange a debt financing package of up to US$700 million. The package is underpinned by four letters of intent from global export credit agencies in late 2024 for up to US$1.3 billion in combined potential financing.

On June 18, the company entered into an offtake agreement for gold-copper concentrate with German smelting company Aurubis (OTC Pink:AIAGF,XETRA:NDA), and the two companies signed a memorandum of agreement on August 26, establishing terms for the long-term offtake deal.

On July 10, Troilus entered into another commercial offtake agreement for copper and gold concentrates, this time with global metals company Boliden.

According to Troilus, these offtake agreements will be executed in connection with the previously announced US$700 million in debt financing.

Shares of Troilus reached a year-to-date high of C$1.42 on October 6.

3. Euro Sun Mining (TSX:ESM)

Year-to-date gain: 300 percent
Market cap: C$72.47 million
Share price: C$0.18

Euro Sun Mining is a development-stage company advancing its Rovina Valley copper-gold project in Romania. The project’s mining license received full approval for 20 years in 2018, with the option to renew it in five year increments.

An updated feasibility study from March 2022 shows a post-tax net present value of US$512 million and an internal rate of return of 20.5 percent, assuming a base case gold price of US$1,675 and a copper price of US$3.75 per pound.

Proven and probable mineral reserve estimates for the site include 1.84 million ounces of gold and 197,522 metric tons of copper from 123.3 million metric tons of ore with an average grade of 0.47 g/t gold and 0.16 percent copper.

Shares of Euro Sun saw significant gains around the same time as a March 25 announcement that the EU included Rovina Valley on its first list of strategic assets. The inclusion, which Euro Sun applied for in May 2024, will enable the company to expedite permitting at Rovina Valley and shorten the development timeline.

On May 7, Euro Sun reported it met with Romania’s Minister of the Environment to discuss the advancement of the project. Both parties agreed that a single point of contact was needed to ensure compliance and fulfill requirements under the CRMA framework. The company plans to submit an updated environmental act in the near future.

On June 20, Euro Sun signed a copper concentrate prepayment facility for up to US$200 million with private metals trader Trafigura, with the funding going toward permitting and investment to advance Rovina over the next 18 months.

Then, on July 11, the companies entered into a definitive pre-development facility agreement, with Trafigura making a facility of up to US$2.5 million available to Euro Sun for general corporate purposes while negotiating the terms of the US$200 million prepayment facility.

Euro Sun and Trafigura also agreed to a binding offtake agreement for up to 100 percent of commercial production for nine years or until a specified quantity of metals is delivered.

Shares of Euro Sun reached a year-to-date high of C$0.235 on August 14.

4. Vista Gold (TSX:VGZ)

Year-to-date gain: 282.5 percent
Market cap: C$369.28 million
Share price: C$3.06

Vista Gold is a development company advancing its flagship Mount Todd project in the Northern Territory, Australia, to production. The site covers an area of 153,700 hectares and hosts two significant gold deposits, Batman and Quigley.

Vista Gold has invested more than US$110 million since it acquired the property in 2006, with expenses including more than 60,000 meters of drilling along with metallurgical testing. The company has also received environmental and operating permits to begin development at Mount Todd.

On July 29, Vista Gold released its feasibility study for Mount Todd evaluating near-term development of a smaller, 15,000 metric ton per day operation compared to the option in 2024’s feasibility study. The new report demonstrated strong project economics, indicating an after-tax net present value of US$1.1 billion, with an internal rate of return of 27.8 percent and a payback period of 2.7 years, assuming a gold price of US$2,500 per ounce.

Once complete, the mine is expected to produce an average of 146,000 ounces of gold per year over a 30 year mine life, with an average of 153,000 ounces of gold over the first 15 years.

Additionally, an included updated mineral resource estimate reports a measured and indicated resource of 9.12 million ounces of contained gold from the property, with an average grade of 0.83 g/t, derived from 340.43 million metric tons of ore.

Shares in Vista Gold spiked in September, reaching a year-to-date high of C$3.08 on September 19.

5. International Tower Hill Mines (TSX:ITH)

Year-to-date gain: 250 percent
Market cap: C$473.98 million
Share price: C$2.45

International Tower Hill Mines is an exploration and development company focused on advancing its Livengood gold property in Alaska, US.

The property, situated in the Tolovana Mining District, comprises multiple patented, state, and federal mining claims spanning an area of 19,546 hectares. Extensive gold exploration has been conducted at the site since the early 1900s, resulting in the production of more than 500,000 ounces of gold in the area.

A 2021 pre-feasibility study demonstrated a significant resource: The site hosts proven and probable reserves of 9 million ounces of gold with an average grade of 0.65 g/t gold from 430.1 million metric tons of ore.

The economic case suggested an after-tax net present value of US$45 million, with an internal rate of return of 5.3 percent and a payback period of 10.4 years, assuming a gold price of US$1,680 per ounce.

International Tower Hill Mines announced on March 4 that it had completed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of US$3.9 million.

The funds were largely earmarked for a US$3.7 million work plan announced on March 12, with a significant focus on the metallurgical study of antimony mineralization in the stibnite at the Livengood gold project. The plan also includes advancing baseline environmental data collection and waste rock geochemical analysis to support permitting efforts, as well as community engagement.

Results from the metallurgical tests, released on September 4, indicated that the stibnite at Livengood also carried significant grades of antimony, with one assay sample submitted for revaluation returning a grade of 4.19 g/t gold and 2.75 percent antimony.

The company stated that the results warrant a further phase of test work to assess how the samples respond to flotation and determine the characteristics of any resulting concentrates.

Shares in International Tower Hill Mines reached a year-to-date high of C$2.60 on October 3.

Biggest lithium-mining stocks

1. Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO)

Market cap: US$112.17 billion
Share price: AU$122.58

Rio Tinto, a global powerhouse in the resource sector for decades, is mostly known for its iron and copper production. However, in recent years, the mining giant has been expanding its position in the world’s lithium market.

In March 2025, the company cemented its position as one of the biggest lithium-producing companies in the world with the US$6.7 billion all-cash acquisition of Arcadium Lithium, the lithium giant formed after the US$10.6 billion merger of lithium majors Allkem and Livent.

Rio Tinto is consolidating Arcadium’s assets with its own under a new unit called Rio Tinto Lithium, adding brine operations at Salar del Hombre Muerto and Olaroz in Argentina, as well as the Mount Cattlin hard-rock mine in Australia, which entered care and maintenance in March of this year. Arcadium also brings lithium hydroxide capacity in the US, Japan and China.

At the time, Rio Tinto said the acquisition will increase its lithium carbonate equivalent production capacity to over 200,000 metric tons (MT) annually by 2028.

The move follows Rio Tinto’s 2022 acquisition of Argentina’s Rincon project, where a 3,000 MT per year pilot battery-grade carbonate plant entered production in November 2024. Construction for the 60,000 MT expanded plant begins in Q4 2025, with first production expected in 2028.

In May 2025, Rio Tinto strengthened its South American lithium portfolio through a joint venture deal with Chile’s state miner Codelco to develop the high-grade Salar de Maricunga lithium project in Chile’s Atacama Region.

The deal gives Rio Tinto a 49.99 percent stake in exchange for up to US$900 million in staged investments, including US$350 million for studies and development, US$500 million toward construction, and an additional US$50 million if production begins by 2030.

In another deal focused on the Atacama Region, in July Rio Tinto penned a binding agreement with state-owned Empresa Nacional de Minería (ENAMI) to form a joint venture for the Salares Altoandinos lithium project. Under the deal, Rio Tinto will take a 51 percent stake and invest up to US$425 million in cash and technology contributions, including its direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology.

2. Ganfeng Lithium (OTC Pink:GNENF,SZSE:002460,HKEX:1772)

Market cap: US$14.79 billion
Share price: US$5.47

Founded in 2000 and listed in 2010, Ganfeng Lithium has operations across the entire electric vehicle battery supply chain. Even though it is relatively new compared to some companies on the list, Ganfeng has become one of the world’s largest producers of both lithium metals and lithium hydroxide. This is due to its strategy of investing heavily in overseas projects to secure long-term lithium resources, with its first such investment in 2014.

Ganfeng Lithium holds a global lithium portfolio including operations in Argentina, Australia, China, Mexico and Mali.

In Argentina, the company has a 51 percent stake in the Caucharí-Olaroz lithium brine operation with Lithium Argentina (TSX:LAR,NYSE:LAR). Additionally, Ganfeng brought its US$790 million Mariana project in Argentina into production in February of this year. The Mariana mine is situated on the Llullaillaco salt flat, and has the capacity to produce 20,000 MT of lithium chloride per year. The company also owns LitheA, which controls two lithium salt lakes in Argentina’s Salta province.

Ganfeng executed a 67/33 joint venture with Lithium Argentina in August 2025 that will consolidate Ganfeng’s Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes project with Lithium Argentina’s Pastos Grandes and Sal de la Puna projects. The merged operation, representing US$1.8 billion in existing investments, aims to produce up to 150,000 MT per year of lithium carbonate equivalent through a three phase development approach that will employ DLE and solar evaporation.

In Mali, Ganfeng operates the Goulamina lithium mine, which entered production in December 2024. Goulamina has a mine capacity of 506,000 MT of spodumene per year, and Ganfeng’s goal is to double that capacity to 1 million MT per year. The Malian government holds a 35 percent stake in Goulamina and Ganfeng holds the remaining 65 percent after purchasing joint venture partner Leo Lithium’s (ASX:LLL,OTC Pink:LLLAF) interest.

Ganfeng has a controlling interest in Mexico-focused Bacanora Lithium and its Sonora lithium project, as well as a 49 percent stake in a salt lake project in China owned by China Minmetals. It also holds a non-operating 50 percent interest in the Mount Marion mine in Western Australia through its 50/50 joint venture with Mineral Resources.

On the sales side, Ganfeng has supply deals with companies such as Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), BMW (OTC Pink:BMWYY,ETR:BMW), Korean battery maker LG Chem (KRX:051910), Volkswagen (OTC Pink:VLKAF,FWB:VOW) and Hyundai (KRX:005380).

3. SQM (NYSE:SQM)

Market cap: US$12.05 billion
Share price: US$44.20

SQM has five business areas, ranging from lithium to potassium to specialty plant nutrition. Its primary lithium operations are in Chile, where it is a longtime producer, and it is now also producing lithium in Australia.

In Chile, SQM sources brine from the Salar de Atacama; it then processes lithium chloride from the brine into lithium carbonate and hydroxide at its Salar del Carmen lithium plants located near Antofagasta.

Chile’s aforementioned National Lithium Strategy has created some uncertainty for SQM, but the government has stated that it will respect its current contracts, which run through 2030.

In May 2024, state-owned Codelco and SQM formed a joint venture in which Codelco will hold a 50 percent stake plus one share to give it majority control. As of 2031, the state will begin receiving 85 percent of the operating margin of the new production from SQM’s operations.

Outside South America, SQM operates the Mount Holland lithium mine and concentrator in Australia through Covalent Lithium, a 50/50 joint venture with Wesfarmers (ASX:WES,OTC Pink:WFAFF). In July 2025, Covalent Lithium produced its first battery-grade lithium hydroxide at its Kwinana refinery, and expects to reach nameplate capacity of 50,000 metric tons per year by the end of 2026.

SQM has a long-term supply deal with Hyundai (KRX:005380) and Kia (KRX:000270) to provide lithium hydroxide for electric vehicle batteries from its future lithium hydroxide supply. SQM also has supply agreements with Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) and LG Energy (KRX:373220).

4. Tianqi Lithium (OTC Pink:TQLCF,SZSE:002466,HKEX:9696)

Market cap: US$10.8 billion
Share price: 47.57 Chinese yuan

Tianqi Lithium, a subsidiary of Chengdu Tianqi Industry Group, is the world’s largest hard-rock lithium producer. The company has assets in Australia, Chile and China. It holds a significant stake in SQM.

In Australia, Tianqi holds a 51 percent stake of the Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia joint venture with IGO. The joint venture has a 51 percent interest in the Greenbushes mine and wholly owns the Kwinana lithium hydroxide plant.

The world’s largest hard rock lithium mine, Greenbushes entered production in 1985 and now has spodumene concentrate production capacity of 1.5 million MT per year. The joint venture updated the total mineral resources at Greenbushes in February to 440 million MT at an average grade of 1.5 percent lithium oxide, and its total ore reserve estimate to 172 million MT grading 1.9 percent lithium oxide.

The Kwinana lithium hydroxide plant processes lithium spodumene feedstock from Greenbushes. The refinery has struggled to reach its nameplate capacity of 24,000 MT due to technical issues, high costs and more.

Construction work for the Phase 2 expansion at Kwinana, which would have doubled its capacity, was terminated in January 2025 due to the current low-price environment for lithium making it economically unviable.

As of late August, the partners are in discussions about a path forward for the refinery, and Tianqi signaled it is open to renegotiating partner IGO’s 49 percent stake.

Earlier in the year, Tianqi Lithium announced collaborations with a number of academic research institutions including the Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology of the University of Science and Technology Beijing on the research and development of next-generation solid-state battery materials and technology.

5. Albemarle (NYSE:ALB)

Market cap: US$10.5 billion
Share price: US$85.42

North Carolina-based Albemarle is dividing into two primary business units, one of which — the Albemarle Energy Storage unit — is focused wholly on the lithium-ion battery and energy transition markets. It includes the firm’s lithium carbonate, hydroxide and metal production.

Albemarle has a broad portfolio of lithium mines and facilities, with extraction in Chile, Australia and the US, as well as lithium carbonate and hydroxide facilities in China and Taiwan.

Looking first at Chile, Albemarle produces lithium carbonate at its La Negra lithium conversion plants, which process brine from the Salar de Atacama, the country’s largest salt flat. Albemarle is aiming to implement direct lithium extraction technology at the salt flat to reduce water usage.

Albemarle’s Australian assets includes the MARBL joint venture with Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN,OTC Pink:MALRF). The 50/50 JV owns and operates the Wodgina hard-rock lithium mine in Western Australia. Albemarle wholly owns the on-site Kemerton lithium hydroxide facility. The company’s other Australian joint venture is the aforementioned Greenbushes mine, in which it holds a 49 percent interest alongside Tianqi and IGO.

As for the US, Albemarle owns the Silver Peak lithium brine operations in Nevada’s Clayton Valley, which is currently the country’s only source of lithium production. In its home state of North Carolina, Albemarle is planning to bring its past-producing Kings Mountain lithium mine back online, subject to permitting approval and a final investment decision. The mine is expected to produce around 420,000 MT of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate annually.

Albemarle has received US$150 million in funding from the US government to support the building of a commercial-scale lithium concentrator facility on site. The US Department of Defense has given the company a US$90 million critical materials award to boost its domestic lithium production and support the country’s burgeoning EV battery supply chain.

6. PLS (ASX:PLS,OTC Pink:PILBF)

Market cap: US$5.36 billion
Share price: AU$2.36

PLS, formerly named Pilbara Minerals, operates its 100 percent owned Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum asset in Western Australia. The operation entered commercial production in 2019 and consists of two processing plants: the Pilgan plant, located on the northern side of the Pilgangoora area, which produces a spodumene concentrate and a tantalite concentrate; and the Ngungaju plant, located to the south, which produces a spodumene concentrate.

PLS has recently completed a few critical expansion projects at Pilgangoora. Its P680 expansion, for a primary rejection facility and a crushing and ore-sorting facility, was completed in August 2024. The P1000 expansion, targeting a spodumene production increase at the site to 1 million MT per year, was completed in January 2025 ahead of schedule and within budget. The company says the ramp-up to full capacity is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2025.

PLS and its joint venture partner Calix are developing a midstream demonstration plant at Pilgangoora using Calix’s electric kiln technology to reduce the carbon footprint of spodumene processing, decreasing transport volumes and improving value-add processing at the mine. After garnering a AU$15 million grant from the Western Australian Government, construction of the project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The company made a move to expand its footprint in Brazil in August 2024 with the acquisition of Latin Resources (ASX:LRS,OTC Pink:LRSRF) and its Salinas lithium project. The project’s resource estimate, which covers the Colina and Fog’s Block deposits, stands at 77.7 million MT at 1.24 percent lithium oxide. The AU$560 million deal was approved by the Western Australia Government in January 2025.

PLS and joint venture partner POSCO (NYSE:PKX) launched South Korea’s first lithium hydroxide processing plant in late 2024, which will be supplied with spodumene from Pilgangoora. PLS also has offtake agreements with companies such as Ganfeng, Chengxin Lithium Group and Yibin Tianyi Lithium Industry.

In May 2025, PLS powered up a new lithium battery energy storage system at its Pilgangoora operation, completing Stage 1 of its power strategy. The system is designed to boost power stability and reliability while reducing intensity of emissions related to power at the site.

7. Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN,OTC Pink:MALRF)

Market cap: US$5.33 billion
Share price: AU$39.58

Australia-based Mineral Resources (MinRes) is a commodities company that mines lithium and iron ore in the country.

Two of MinRes’ lithium mines are joint ventures with other companies on this list. MinRes’s Wodgina mine in Western Australia is operated by the 50/50 MARBL joint venture with Albemarle. MinRes also owns 50 percent of the Mount Marion lithium operation through a joint venture with Ganfeng Lithium.

Production of lithium concentrate began at Mount Marion in 2017, and all mining is managed by MinRes, which also has a 51 percent share of the output from the spodumene concentrator at the site. MinRes completed the expansion of Mount Marion’s spodumene processing plant in 2023. Currently, the plant has an annual production capacity of 600,000 MT spodumene concentrate equivalent.

In August 2024, in light of lithium’s low price environment, MinRes decided to lower production at Mount Marion and Wodgina for the fiscal 2025 year, focusing on improving performance and reducing stripping ratios. Production at Mount Marion ultimately decreased by 21 percent to 514,000 dry MT of spodumene concentrate in its FY2025. On the other hand, it increased by 18 percent to 502,000 dry MT at Wodgina.

MinRes acquired the Bald Hill lithium mine, which is also located in Western Australia, in 2023. The company released an updated mineral resource estimate in November 2024 of 58.1 MT at 0.94 percent lithium oxide, up 168 percent from the prior June 2018 estimate.

In the same news release, MinRes announced that it would have to place the mine on care and maintenance until global lithium prices improve. The final shipment of Bald Hill spodumene concentrate was made in December 2024.

More large lithium mining companies to watch

Aside from the world’s top lithium producers profiled above, a number of other large lithium companies are producing this key electric vehicle raw material, including:

FAQs for investing in lithium

Rising investor appetite for uranium

“It’s the re-engagement of the investor,” he said during an interview.

“A lot of the demand in the spot market in Q3 has been driven by the purchasing of Sprott Physical Uranium Trust (TSX:U.U,OTCQX:SRUUF) and Yellow Cake (LSE:YCA,OTCQB:YLLXF). They have investor interest buying their shares to the point where they’re valued equal to more than the price of physical uranium.”

Compared to other commodities, physical uranium is undervalued, and that has led to heightened investor participation, according to Kelly. He noted that uranium-themed ETFs were the target for many investors looking to get into the space during Q3 — the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear Technologies UCITS ETF (LSE:NUCL) also increased allocations as its assets under management grew from US$500 million at the end of Q2 to over US$1 billion as Q3 concluded.

Alessandro Valentino, product manager at VanEck, attributes the growth to investor appetite and news out of the US. Among other factors, he pointed to the US Department of Energy’s US$1.52 billion federal loan guarantee to Holtec International to support the restart of the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan.

The funding is earmarked for bringing the 800 megawatt facility back online. It will be the first commercial US nuclear reactor to restart after being permanently shut down, pending Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval.

Valentino also underscored supply deals from the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, as well as a late September initial public offering (IPO) from Fermi America (NASDAQ:FRMI), as growth catalysts.

On September 30, Fermi, a Texas-based firm developing a next-generation AI-powered energy and data campus, priced its IPO at US$21 per share, selling 32.5 million shares and raising about US$682.5 million.

The IPO proceeds will fund the company’s ambitious Project Matador, which aims to deploy 11 gigawatts of power via nuclear, solar, natural gas and battery systems at a 5,200 acre campus near Amarillo, Texas.

These news items are a “strong signal that money is now entering the space,” said Valentino. “We would say that the big push has come from the US side.”

AI and energy stoke uranium demand

A key recent change in the uranium market is support from AI data centers.

As AI continues to reshape industries, the energy demands of data centers are escalating rapidly. A recent report by the International Energy Agency projects that electricity consumption from data centers worldwide will more than double by 2030, reaching approximately 945 terawatt hours, surpassing the current electricity consumption of Japan.

AI-optimized data centers are anticipated to be the primary drivers of this surge, with their electricity demand expected to quadruple during the same period. To satiate these energy requirements, the tech sector is increasingly looking to nuclear power to meet its demands in an environmentally conscious way.

This was further evidenced when Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced it was joining the WNA. This collaboration has only increased the correlation between uranium stocks and AI stocks.

Kelly explained that during a presentation he watched, “they showed an overlapping chart of AI stocks and uranium stocks, and they were behaving hand-in-hand over the last couple of years.”

While uranium is the fuel for the AI revolution, AI is also aiding the uranium exploration side.

The company recently digitized tens of thousands of pages of 1970s-era reports, maps and drill logs, feeding them into an AI-assisted system capable of analyzing, layering and interpreting the data with unprecedented speed and precision.

“AI helps us prioritize which information matters most and what it tells us about the geology,” Lamb explained. “It’s like opening a treasure chest — we’re uncovering insights that show our project is much larger than anyone realized.”

Additionally, AI is helping reveal what decades of analog exploration once missed — so-called “invisible uranium.”

Historically, geologists relied on gamma probes to estimate uranium content, but these tools often produced incomplete readings due to “disequilibrium,” where uranium or its decay products had shifted underground.

That meant much of the resource went undetected. Now, however, AI tools can process tens of thousands of geochemical data points, comparing ratios and patterns far beyond human capability.

According to Lamb, the technology can identify zones likely to contain hidden uranium and even cross reference results with regional geological data or similar deposits worldwide. In recent drilling, this approach helped the company uncover up to 60 percent more uranium than older probes indicated — that’s evidence, Lamb said, that machine learning could redefine the accuracy and efficiency of uranium exploration.

By combining historical expertise with modern machine learning, Myriad is turning archival data into a dynamic exploration tool — one that could redefine the scale and potential of its uranium projects in the US and beyond.

US moves to secure uranium supply

On the policy front, governments are stepping in to support domestic fuel cycles. In Canada, federal incentives and extended exploration tax credits aim to stimulate uranium mining and nuclear infrastructure.

In the US, moves such as the ban on Russian enriched-uranium imports are reshaping procurement requirements and amplifying urgency around domestic fuel security. To achieve its ambitions the Trump admin has been fast tracking select projects. In August, Uranium Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:UEC) secured expedited permitting for its Sweetwater uranium complex in Wyoming under the Trump administration’s FAST-41 initiative.

Subsequently, the US announced plans to expand its strategic uranium stockpile as part of a broader push to secure nuclear power supply and reduce reliance on Russia. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the aim is to eliminate Russia-enriched uranium from US reactors, which still power about 20 percent of the nation’s electricity.

Building on earlier federal initiatives, Washington’s continued investment in domestic uranium production and enrichment aims to strengthen long-term energy security, and serves as an opportunity catalyst.

“We believe the sector will keep on attracting investors,” said Van Eck’s Valentino, adding “the nuclear sector will eventually be normalized as being as green as all the other green energy sources.”

Uranium market forecast for Q4 and beyond

With uranium market showing momentum as well as deep gaps in primary supply, the coming months will test whether policy support, investment flows and project execution can keep pace with rising demand.

Sprott’s White believes that while the market has momentum, its continued success will hinge on factors like disciplined producer behavior and the timely delivery of new mines.

For his part, Lamb agrees with forecasts that the spot price could reach US$135 in Q1 2026.

“I just see (the spot price) kind of ticking up over the next while,” he said. “AI and data, those key sectors now that have exploded, they’re going to be huge consumers of uranium, however you slice it.”

Lamb went on to note that a spot price of US$200 in 2026 “wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

JZR Gold (TSXV:JZR) is advancing its Vila Nova gold project in Amapá, Brazil, to deliver sustainable shareholder value. The company is commissioning its Vila Nova pilot mill to process approximately 9 million tonnes of historical gold tailings grading 2.7 grams per tonne, representing more than 700,000 ounces of contained gold. Near-term cash flow from mill operations will support ongoing exploration to expand JZR’s gold resources.

The pilot mill will initially reprocess 2 million tonnes of tailings from past mining activities containing significant residual gold. With a planned throughput of 800 tonnes per day and an 89 percent recovery rate, the mill is expected to produce about 2 kilograms of gold daily.

Revenue from the Vila Nova pilot mill is anticipated in the first quarter of 2025, providing cash flow to cover operations and fund further exploration. By reinvesting early proceeds into resource expansion, JZR aims to delineate additional high-grade targets and drive phased, self-sustaining growth without significant external financing.

Company Highlights

• Near term cash-flow from gold tailings operation at flagship Vila Nova gold project in Amapá, Brazil.
• An estimated 9 million tonnes of gold tailings have been identified with grades averaging 2.7 g/t for a projected contained gold content of over 700,000 ounces.
• The Vila Nova project has a fully permitted 800-ton-per-day pilot mill to process high-grade gold tailings for near-term cash flow.
• JZR Gold has invested more than US$7 million in infrastructure and drilling at the Vila Nova project.
• The Vila Nova project is situated in an underexplored region with significant geological upside and proximity to established mining operations.
• Initial operations at Vila Nova are expected to yield approximately 2 kilograms of gold per day.

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