Opawica Exploration (TSXV:OPW) is a Vancouver-based junior exploration company exploring and developing precious metal properties in Canada. Opawica’s flagship properties — Arrowhead, Bazooka and McWatters — are situated in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, one of the most prolific gold-producing regions in the world. These projects benefit from exceptional geological potential and established mining infrastructure adjacent to some of the world’s largest gold producers.

The Bazooka gold project spans 1,200 hectares along 7 km of the Cadillac-Larder Lake Break in Quebec. It is contiguous with Yamana Gold’s Wasamac property and Yorbeau Resources’ Rouyn property. Located near operational gold mines, the property has excellent access to roads, power and water, facilitating year-round exploration.

Gold mineralization at the Bazooka project is associated with quartz-carbonate-sericite and talc-chlorite schists within sedimentary and ultramafic to mafic volcanic rocks. The Main Zone features significant silicification and visible free gold.

Company Highlights

• Opawica Exploration is focused on unlocking the value of its flagship projects through aggressive exploration and data-driven decision-making.
• Its flagship Bazooka project is strategically located along the Cadillac Fault Zone and features high-grade mineralization with significant historical and recent drilling success.
• The Arrowhead property, the company’s second flagship project, is located near major mining operations and is characterized by multiple mineralized zones and extensive drilling efforts confirming historical gold trends.
• The McWatters property represents a high-potential opportunity for resource expansion with visible gold showings and limited past exploration.
• The company’s portfolio of assets is in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, one of the most prolific gold-producing regions globally, benefiting from exceptional geological potential and established mining infrastructure.
• Historical exploration on the properties includes over US$5 million in spending, extensive drilling campaigns revealing bonanza-grade intercepts, and validating mineralization potential.

This Opawica Exploration profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*

Click here to connect with Opawica Exploration (TSXV:OPW) to receive an Investor Presentation

Opawica Exploration (TSXV:OPW) is a Vancouver-based junior exploration company exploring and developing precious metal properties in Canada. Opawica’s flagship properties — Arrowhead, Bazooka and McWatters — are situated in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, one of the most prolific gold-producing regions in the world. These projects benefit from exceptional geological potential and established mining infrastructure adjacent to some of the world’s largest gold producers.

The Bazooka gold project spans 1,200 hectares along 7 km of the Cadillac-Larder Lake Break in Quebec. It is contiguous with Yamana Gold’s Wasamac property and Yorbeau Resources’ Rouyn property. Located near operational gold mines, the property has excellent access to roads, power and water, facilitating year-round exploration.

Gold mineralization at the Bazooka project is associated with quartz-carbonate-sericite and talc-chlorite schists within sedimentary and ultramafic to mafic volcanic rocks. The Main Zone features significant silicification and visible free gold.

Company Highlights

• Opawica Exploration is focused on unlocking the value of its flagship projects through aggressive exploration and data-driven decision-making.
• Its flagship Bazooka project is strategically located along the Cadillac Fault Zone and features high-grade mineralization with significant historical and recent drilling success.
• The Arrowhead property, the company’s second flagship project, is located near major mining operations and is characterized by multiple mineralized zones and extensive drilling efforts confirming historical gold trends.
• The McWatters property represents a high-potential opportunity for resource expansion with visible gold showings and limited past exploration.
• The company’s portfolio of assets is in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, one of the most prolific gold-producing regions globally, benefiting from exceptional geological potential and established mining infrastructure.
• Historical exploration on the properties includes over US$5 million in spending, extensive drilling campaigns revealing bonanza-grade intercepts, and validating mineralization potential.

This Opawica Exploration profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*

Click here to connect with Opawica Exploration (TSXV:OPW) to receive an Investor Presentation

Founded by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs and healthcare experts, Zero Candida (TSXV:ZCT) is a fem-tech pioneer, combining advanced artificial intelligence with non-drug diagnostics and personalized treatment modalities in a single device. The company developed an innovative, first-of-its-kind solution to the diagnosis and treatment of Candidiasis, a fungal infection causing irritation, discharge and intense itchiness of the vagina and the vulva. The device offers precision therapy by eliminating fungal infections with over 99.99 percent effectiveness in just three hours, a revolutionary improvement over existing treatments.

Zero Candida is on track to complete clinical trials and file for FDA approval in 2024 with its innovative technology.

Zero Candida’s SMART vaginal diagnostic device utilizes blue light therapy to treat this widespread condition without drugs. This non-drug therapy addresses key issues associated with conventional antifungal medications, including reduced risk of drug resistance, minimized side effects, and potential for faster symptom relief

Company Highlights

• Zero Candida Technologies is a fem-tech company focused on developing a SMART diagnostic and therapeutic device aimed at eliminating vaginal candidiasis (commonly known as yeast infection), a condition that affects three out four women globally.
• Candidiasis a fungal infection causing irritation, discharge and intense itchiness of the vagina and the vulva. In several cases, the current treatment for Candidiasis has been ineffective.
• Zero Candida has completed proof-of-concept studies, and demonstrated near-complete fungal eradication with over 99.99 percent effectiveness in just three hours.
• Founded by a team of experienced entrepreneurs and healthcare experts, the company is addressing the significant unmet needs of the women’s health market.
• The fem-tech segment of the med tech market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.2 percent and is estimated to reach nearly US$30 billion by 2032. North America dominated the global fem-tech market with a share of 52.91 percent in 2023.
• The company has already patented this technology in South Africa, while additional filings for patent application in the US and EU are underway.

This Zero Candida profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*

Click here to connect with Zero Candida (TSXV:CZT) to receive an Investor Presentation

Silver price in Q4

Silver began Q4 on a strong note, reaching US$31.37 per ounce on October 1 and climbing to US$32.18 on October 4; it then slipped to US$30.49 on October 9. However, the white metal’s price didn’t remain low for long. It surged to its year-to-date high of US$34.72 on October 22, also reaching its highest level in 12 years.

The most significant tailwinds for silver came from geopolitical tensions, with what appeared to be a greater likelihood of the Israel-Palestine conflict spilling over into a broader regional war in October. Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, Syria and Iran saw more investors seek the haven of precious metals, benefiting silver.

As November began, the price of silver was again in retreat, trading at US$30.24 by November 15.

Silver faced headwinds following the US presidential election on November 5, losing nearly 5 percent in a single day as some investors fled to interest-bearing assets. However, the metal’s losses were somewhat softened after the US Federal Reserve made a 25 basis point cut to its benchmark rate on November 7.

Silver price, Q4 2024.

Chart via Trading Economics.

As the month worse on, silver saw volatility, spiking to US$31.34 on November 22. The rise came as safe-haven investors flocked to the metal following an escalation in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The US, UK and France said they would allow the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine to attack military targets inside Russia.

Previously, Ukraine had only been allowed to use the missiles to strike targets along the border.

The response from Russia was a policy change that would permit the use of nuclear weapons against countries supported by nuclear powers. Following the move, Russia launched a test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload on a target within Ukraine.

Silver fell to a quarterly low of US$30.11 on November 27, but since then the precious metal has regained some ground. As of December 11, it was trading at US$31.88.

The next Fed meeting is set to run from December 17 to 18. Most analysts expect the central bank to make one last 25 basis point cut before pausing in 2025.

How did silver perform for the rest of the year?

Silver price in Q1

Silver started the year on a low note as its lackluster performance from 2023 carried over.

However, rate cut expectations added momentum to silver at the end of February and the beginning of March, which pushed the price up from the US$22 range to above US$25.

Krauth also mentioned declining aboveground silver inventories.

“I think there may be 12 to 24 months left before they run out,” he said.

Silver price in Q2

The big news from the second quarter was silver breaking through the US$30 barrier.

The price continued to be fueled by rate cut speculation, but also saw support from industrial segments as demand from India soared. The country imported more silver during the first four months of 2024 than all of 2023.

Industrial segments, particularly photovoltaics production, have been a driver of Indian demand as the country works to build up its domestic solar supply chain through its approved list of models and manufacturers.

Silver price in Q3

Silver didn’t see much upward momentum through most of the third quarter.

Instead, it saw a significant retreat toward US$26. Still, by the end of the quarter, a Fed rate cut had provided a substantial tailwind for silver, sending it above the US$32 mark by the end of September.

The quarter also saw First Majestic Silver (TSX:AG,NYSE:AG) announce on September 5 that it would purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of Gatos Silver (TSX:GATO,NYSE:GATO) in a US$970 million transaction.

The deal will give First Majestic a 70 percent stake in the Cerro Los Gatos mine in Northern Mexico. The combined entity’s anticipated annual production is 30 million to 32 million silver equivalent ounces.

This was followed on October 4 by Coeur Mining’s (NYSE:CDE) agreement to acquire SilverCrest Metals (TSX:SIL,NYSE:SILV) for US$1.7 billion. The deal will create one of the world’s largest silver producers, with annual output of 21 million ounces of the white metal projected by 2025.

The deal will give Coeur 100 percent ownership of the recently opened Las Chispas mine in Sonora, Mexico, which is projected to sell 9.8 million to 10.2 million silver equivalent ounces this year.

1. Autocatalysts

One of the main platinum uses is in the construction of autocatalysts. An autocatalyst is a “cylinder of circular or elliptical cross section made from ceramic or metal formed into a fine honeycomb and coated with a solution of chemicals and platinum group metals.” An autocatalyst mounted inside a stainless steel canister is known as a catalytic converter.

Catalytic converters are installed in a vehicle’s exhaust lines, between the engine and muffler, where they are used to moderate the dangerous qualities of exhaust. Specifically, the autocatalysts that vehicles contain convert over 90 percent of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapor. They can also convert pollutants from diesel exhaust into carbon dioxide and water vapor, which is immensely helpful in reducing pollution.

Autocatalysts have been used in the US and Japan since 1974, and are now so common that over 95 percent of new vehicles sold each year have one. As a result, they are a significant source of platinum demand that is not likely to disappear in the future. Indeed, as pollution rules become more stringent, car companies are looking at creating even more efficient autocatalysts.

In 2024, platinum demand from the automotive sector was forecast to hit 3.17 million ounces, according to the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC). It’s expected to climb to an eight-year high of 3.25 million ounces in 2025.

2. Platinum jewelry

Platinum has many qualities that make it ideal for use in jewelry, and that is the second largest source of platinum demand. The metal is strong, resists tarnish and can repeatedly be heated and cooled without hardening or oxidizing.

When used to make jewelry, platinum is commonly alloyed with other platinum-group metals such as palladium, as well as copper and cobalt, so that it is easier to work with.

The history of platinum jewelry is long. More than 2,000 years ago, Indigenous people in South America made rings and ornaments out of platinum. Egyptians used platinum for decoration as early as the 7th century BCE. Meanwhile, Europeans began to use the metal in jewelry in the 18th century. Currently, China is the largest market for platinum jewelry.

In 2024, platinum demand for jewelry was expected to increase 5 percent year-over-year to 1.95 million ounces, and move up to 1.98 million ounces in 2025.

3. Industrial applications

Platinum’s industrial applications could fill a book all on their own. For instance, platinum catalysts are used to manufacture fertilizer ingredients, and the metal is a key component in silicones, hard disks, electronics, dental restoration, glass-manufacturing equipment and sensors in home safety devices.

Another platinum use is in the construction of hard drives with extremely high storage densities. And, because it is reactive to oxygen, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide, platinum can be used to detect changes in the amount of those materials in vehicles and buildings. For the same reason, platinum is also used in medical sensors, particularly medical instruments that measure blood gases, to detect oxygen.

Industrial demand for platinum, including medical demand, was forecast to come in at 2.43 million ounces in 2024 before falling to 2.22 million in 2025.

4. Medical applications

Platinum is used in electronic medical devices like those mentioned above, as well as in catheters, stents and neuromodulation devices. It is ideal for these applications because of its durability, conductivity and biocompatibility. The metal is also inert within the body, making it safe for implantation.

To meet other medical needs, platinum can be formed into rods, wires, ribbons, sheets and micromachined parts. Further, it helps fight cancer in the drugs cisplatin and carboplatin, which are widely used to treat testicular cancer, as well as ovarian, breast and lung cancer tumors.

Medical demand for platinum has increased in recent years, and is forecast to rise to 303,000 ounces in 2024 and 314,000 ounces in 2025.

FAQs about platinum

Competition heats up among AI heavyweights

As mentioned, major tech companies jumped headfirst into AI in 2024.

For its part, Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) began the year by rebranding its Bard chatbot as Gemini. The February decision streamlined its AI products under a single brand, showcasing a move toward a more sophisticated and unified AI experience. Its newest interaction, Gemini 2.0, was released on December 11.

Meanwhile, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) deepened its partnership with OpenAI, investing another US$750 million during an October funding round worth US$6.6 billion. This latest round brought the company behind ChatGPT to a total valuation of US$157 billion. According to SEC filings, Microsoft’s total investment in OpenAI has now reached US$13 billion.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), SoftBank (TSE:9434) and a handful of venture capital firms also participated in the round, but under the stipulation that OpenAI shift control of its dealings to a for-profit arm.

This sparked rumors that a potential initial public offering on the horizon.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), notably missing from the list of investors who participated in OpenAI’s October funding round, has opted for a more independent path, focusing on internal AI development.

At its annual developer conference from June 10 to 14, it unveiled Apple Intelligence for iOS18, saying it was coming to iPhone 16, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia users. However, the company also shared plans to integrate ChatGPT in some products, like its voice-activated assistant Siri, as a supplemental layer on top of Apple Intelligence.

Apple performance, January 1 to December 17, 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

The company’s share price gained almost 8 percent by the end of the conference.

Apple Intelligence was released for qualifying models on October 28, and the newest software update, including ChatGPT for writing tools and Siri, was released on December 11.

OpenAI itself released GPT-4o on May 13, saying that it was optimized for multimodal tasks like analyzing audio and video. Later in the year, on September 12, the company previewed its first o1 model. OpenAI’s o1 series is designed to spend more time “thinking” before it responds and possesses advanced reasoning skills.

However, shortly after the model was released, The Information reported that o1 showed a slower rate of improvement compared to previous models, exposing potential limitations to continuous advancements in AI capabilities.

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), while less focused on consumer-facing AI products, invested heavily in building out its cloud infrastructure and allocated another US$4 billion to AI research company and OpenAI rival Anthropic on November 22. This brings Amazon’s total investment in Anthropic to US$8 billion. As part of this expanded partnership with Amazon, Anthropic also made Amazon Web Services its primary cloud provider.

Meta (NASDAQ:META) focused on integrating generative AI across its platforms in 2024, leading to enhancements like better ad targeting and content recommendations. The company also released the MTIA v2 chip, an improved version of its AI inference chip that is designed to handle the massive amount of data generated by Meta’s customer base. The newest version of Meta’s open-sourced large language model, Llama 3, was released on April 18.

Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, upgraded its large language model Grok-2. A beta version of Grok-2 was released on August 13 and was made available to all X users on December 12. Grok-2 was trained on xAI’s supercomputer Colossus, which is powered by 100,000 NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) and came online on September 11. The company held two US$6 billion funding rounds in 2024, and as of November 28 was valued at a staggering US$50 billion.

NVIDIA performance, January 1 to December 17, 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) (NASDAQ:AMD), NVIDIA’s most direct competitor, reported a 9 percent increase in revenue in Q2, driven by its MI300X AI chip. MI300X combines GPU and central processing unit capabilities into a single chip, giving a leg up over NVIDIA, which designs both chips separately to work together.

Also in 2024, AMD collaborated with a handful of software and hardware companies to develop a new AI accelerator standard that is capable of challenging NVIDIA’s NVLink.

2024 presented chip designers with a challenge as customers like Apple and Google increasingly moved chip design in-house. Made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) (NASDAQ:TSM), Apple’s A- and M-series chips feature a neural engine to enable on-device AI and powered a slew of new products released this year.

Google released its Tensor G4 chip, designed in collaboration with Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) and manufactured by TSMC. The G4 chip powers Google’s refreshed lineup of Pixel devices, released on August 13.

The shifting trends resulted in TSMC emerging as an undisputed victor. The company reported outstanding revenue and profits in 2024, fueled by a surge in demand for powerful chips and its advanced manufacturing technologies.

Its share price hit an intraday high of US$211.93 on October 17 following its Q3 results, and it recorded an all-time high closing share price of US$205.19 that same day.

According to a December 9 report by Taipei-based market intelligence provider TrendForce, TSMC increased its share of the wafer foundry market to 65 percent in the third quarter.

TSMC performance, January 1 to December 17, 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

Another chip company, Broadcom, successfully navigated 2024 by diversifying into software through its acquisition of VMware. Broadcom, which plays a crucial role in the semiconductor industry by designing and manufacturing chips that enable the realization of software objectives, reported record revenue for its 2024 fiscal year,

The rise was driven by strong demand for its semiconductor products and the successful integration of VMware. The company’s AI-related revenue more than tripled, and its quarterly dividend rose by 11 percent.

In contrast, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), which remained largely focused on the hardware market this past year, appeared more vulnerable to the industry’s shifting tides.

Even industry giants like Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) faced their share of turbulence. While its foundry business struggled, Intel’s computer parts division did well, with its Core Ultra processors powering a lineup of AI-enabled laptops from Microsoft and Dell (NYSE:DELL). Dell also pushed into hybrid solutions and edge computing with its APEX portfolio.

Broadcom, Qualcomm and Intel performance, January 1 to December 17, 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

AI hype pays dividends for tech giants

Despite a notable pullback in Q2 and Q3 due in part to investor concerns about the long-term returns of massive AI investments, 2024 was a year of strong financial performances for tech giants, as evidenced by their dividend payouts.

Meta announced cash dividend payments in May and September, while in Microsoft said in September that it would reward shareholders with a 10 percent increase to its quarterly dividend payment.

Alphabet also issued quarterly dividends for the first time in 2024, distributing payments three times.

It’s worth noting that the initial surge in spending and subsequent pullback could have been influenced by a variety of factors, including hype cycles, macroeconomic conditions and evolving understandings of AI’s capabilities and limitations.

Investor takeaway

Ultimately, despite occasional fluctuations and concerns, investor confidence in the tech sector remained strong throughout 2024, with funding continuing to flow. As of mid-December, shares of Microsoft were up over 21 percent year-to-date, while Alphabet was up by over 44 percent and NVIDIA was up an astonishing 166 percent.

In 2024, the AI sector experienced rapid advancements and fierce competition, driven by substantial investments from tech giants. As the technology continues to mature, the stage is set for continued innovation and disruption, promising an exciting future for AI and its applications.