Brightstar Resources (BTR:AU) has announced Updated Goldfields DFS Presentation

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Investing in oil stocks can be a lucrative endeavor, but determining the right time to enter a sector known for volatile swings can be tricky.

Over the past five years, the oil market’s inherent volatility has been on clear display. Major declines in consumption brought on by the COVID-19 lockdowns was followed by oil prices surging to US$122 per barrel for Brent and US$115 per barrel for Western Texas Intermediate (WTI) in mid-2022, as the world economy began to recover and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to the consequent sanctions on Russian oil.

In 2023, oil prices experienced significant volatility. Fears of a global recession gave rise to bearish sentiment over much of the oil sector and pushed Brent prices as low as US$67 and WTI as low as US$64 per barrel in the first half of the year. Despite a Q3 spike in Brent above the US$98 level and WTI above US$90, oil prices trended back down in Q4 to dip below US$78 for Brent and US$71 for WTI even with conflict escalating in the Middle East.

In 2024, the oil market experienced a relatively stable but downward-trending year overall. As tensions flared up between Iran and Israel in the Middle East, prices for Brent and WTI respectively peaked at around US$93 and US$88 per barrel in mid-April. In the second half of the year, record US production and sluggish global demand growth, particularly in China, pushed prices down to below US$70 for Brent and US$65 for WTI.

In 2025, volatility was very much in play for global oil markets. Some of the biggest factors driving that volatility were OPEC+ production hikes, weaker demand from major economies like China and US President Donald Trump’s tariff wars. Brent and WTI crude both started the year above US$70 per barrel but late in the year, Brent dipped below US$60 per barrel and WTI fell as low as US$55 per barrel.

Since the start of 2026, the price of Brent crude oil has climbed by nearly 9 percent to US$66.37 per barrel and WTI crude oil is up by 8 percent to US$61.90 per barrel as of January 14 as geopolitical risks continue to threaten supply despite broader market oversupply pressures.

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Gold and silver’s historic price rises are raising questions about the broader state of the world.

For Mark Moss, the surges reflect a deeper breakdown of trust in sovereign currencies.

“The real driver is not inflation,” the investor and commentator emphasized during a fireside chat at the recent Vancouver Resource Investment Conference. “The real driver is trust.”

Many investors remain focused on short-term price signals and conventional indicators, such as real interest rates, while overlooking deeper forces shaping capital allocation. According to Moss, the current state of the market favors long-term allocation. In his view, conviction — not timing — should guide investment decisions.

“You can’t borrow someone else’s conviction,” he said. “You have to start to learn to build your own thesis, and then you have to learn to look to find things that either confirm that thesis or deny that thesis.”

Precious metals are continuing a powerful price rally that began last year.

The gold price broke above US$5,500 per ounce for the first time on Wednesday (January 28), while silver broke through the triple-digit level last week and has continued rising, passing US$119 per ounce.

These moves are happening amid escalating geopolitical and policy uncertainty. However, Moss cautioned against focusing on shorter-term gold and silver price drivers, instead pointing to what he described as a fundamental dilemma facing governments with rising debt burdens — a dynamic he said is reshaping global capital flows.

Referencing comments by hedge fund founder Ray Dalio at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Moss described a “rock and a hard place” scenario. Governments face a choice between allowing debt crises that risk defaults and asset collapses, or continuing to expand money supply in ways that erode purchasing power.

“Either they have option one, the rock, which is a sovereign debt crisis, asset prices plunging — that’s what everybody’s kind of thinking. The markets are going to crash. My home values, my retirement value is going to crash. But the problem with that is they lose everything. They get wiped out, they have massive civil unrest,’ he said.

“And then the hard place is they can print the money. And so of course, they’ll always choose to bring the money.’

As a result, large institutional and sovereign investors face losses whether governments default or inflate, prompting a reassessment of traditional reserve assets. Moss said gold has emerged as one response to that reassessment, alongside broader interest in commodities and critical minerals. He further pointed to continued central bank gold buying as a signal that confidence in fiat currencies and the post-war financial order is weakening.

According to the World Gold Council, central banks have been purchasing gold at record levels in recent years.

Moss cited Poland as a notable example, describing it as a close US ally that has nonetheless been accumulating gold aggressively. Other large entities are following the same strategy — Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, recently revealed that part of its long-term plan is the stockpiling of gold in a Swiss bunker.

Gold’s rally is built on a strong multi-year advance. After starting 2025 at around US$2,640, the price had climbed to roughly US$3,200 by April before trading in a narrow range through the summer.

Momentum returned in late August, carrying gold above US$4,300 by mid-October. While the price briefly dipped below US$4,000 during a subsequent pullback, the retracement proved shallower and shorter than many market watchers expected. Gold resumed its ascent in mid-November and accelerated sharply toward the end of 2025.

Right now, the status quo is in favor of precious metals.

Regardless, Moss returned to the importance of taking a long-term perspective, stating that investors who fixate on short-term price moves risk missing the broader shift underway as trust dynamics change across the global economy.

“If you’re trying to understand why the price of gold dipped from US$5,000 and now it’s US$4,800, I can’t really help you with that,” Moss said. “But we understand the direction that’s at hand.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

South Harz Potash Limited (SHP:AU) has announced Swedish Exploration Licence Approvals

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Platinum may be rare, but it is the third most-traded precious metal in the world, behind gold and silver.

The world’s platinum demand varies widely across many sectors. Most notably, platinum metal is used in autocatalysts and jewelry, as well as for medical and industrial purposes. Those interested in investing in platinum would do well to be aware of the many platinum uses. After all, by knowing which industries require platinum, it’s possible to understand supply and demand dynamics, and to be aware of how the precious metal’s price may move in the future.

With that in mind, here’s a list of the four main platinum uses. Scroll on to learn more about platinum’s key applications.

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (January 28) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin price performance, January 28, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$2,990.46, up by 3.7 percent over the last 24 hours.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

The US Federal Reserve held its first meeting of 2026 from Tuesday (January 27) to Wednesday (January 28) amid growing tensions between Fed independence and the Trump administration.

The central bank met analysts’ expectations by maintaining the federal funds rate in the 3.5 to 3.75 percent range. After three consecutive cuts at the end of 2025, the Fed decided to hold the line on interest rates. The board welcomed some positive signs of stabilization in the US economy, but has decided to take a “wait-and-see” approach.

The Fed has a dual mandate to promote maximum employment and price stability.

For several months now, its Board of Governors has been split between those concerned with preventing a further slowdown in the US labor market and those fearing the fight against inflation is far from over.

The Fed’s preferred inflation metric, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, came in above the 2 percent target, landing at 2.8 percent for November 2025. Meanwhile, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that the US economy added a modest 50,000 jobs in December 2025 compared to 56,000 jobs added in the previous month.

A weak labor market in the face of entrenched inflation has left the Fed in a pickle.

Lowering rates in turn lowers the cost of borrowing, which can provide businesses with more runway to grow their workforce. However, increasing available money supply by easing access to borrowing can also increase inflation.

The split between doves and hawks that began in late 2025 is still plaguing the Fed into the new year, which promises to see current Chair Jerome Powell replaced with someone more likely to be on board with the much lower rate environment desired by the Trump administration. Two Fed board members cast dissenting votes against holding rates steady, including Governor Stephen Miran and Governor Christopher Waller, who both pushed for a 0.25 percent cut.

“Economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace,” explained the Fed. “Job gains have remained low, and the unemployment rate has shown some signs of stabilization. Inflation remains somewhat elevated.”

The unemployment rate ended 2025 at 4.4 percent. While that’s historically low, data also shows limited job vacancies, and low rates of new hiring. Business Insider reporter Madison Hoff notes that economists are calling this a “low-fire, low-hire environment” due to uncertainty over where the economy is headed.

“It’s likely Fed leaders will stick to the status quo in January, in hopes that steady rates will push inflation closer to their 2% goal,” she wrote. “Affordability is a major concern for American households, as prices rise on housing, groceries, healthcare, and more. Powell has consistently prioritized price stability during his time as chair.”

During a press conference following the rate decision, Powell was careful not to commit to any future rate cut timeline. While the board still sees “some tension between employment and inflation,” that is moderating, and the Fed no longer sees any big risk either of accelerated inflation or a further significant breakdown in the labor market.

There’s also not much chance of a rate hike, either.

“We don’t take things off the table, but it isn’t anybody’s base case right now,” said Powell.

While PCE remains elevated at 2.8 percent, Powell noted that if the impact of tariffs were removed that figure would be hovering just above 2 percent. He explained that the Fed thinks this impact is largely in the rear-view mirror now.

Any day now, US President Donald Trump is expected to announce a replacement for Powell, whose term expires in May 2026. Trump has criticized the Fed and Powell in particular, saying they haven’t lowered rates quickly enough.

On October 27, US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced a shortlist of candidates to replace Powell, including Fed governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) executive Rick Rieder.

The Wall Street heavyweight is reportedly the favored candidate at the moment.

“Under Warsh, the Fed would likely signal a preference for a smaller footprint. Despite recent support for near-term rate cuts, his longer-standing views favor a scarce-reserves framework and balance-sheet reduction, which markets would associate with higher term premium and greater yield-curve volatility,” he added.

Trump’s feud with the Fed escalated earlier this month, when the US Department of Justice served the agency with grand jury subpoenas, threatening a criminal indictment over Powell’s testimony to the Senate Banking Committee this past June. In addition to that, last week, the Supreme Court sat for oral arguments over whether Trump can legally remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook from her position over allegations of mortgage fraud.

Although Powell batted away any political questions from reporters during the press conference, he did acknowledge that the Supreme Court case between Trump and Cook is the most “important legal case in the Fed’s 113-year history.’

The gold price spiked to a new high of US$5,361.31 per ounce after the Fed’s decision, although much of that boost likely came from a much weaker US dollar, which is trading at four year lows. Silver traded in a range of US$110 to US$116 per ounce, just below the all-time high of US$117.72 per ounce set on Monday (January 26).

Equities reactions were fairly muted following the rate announcement on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) up 0.083 percent to reach 6,972.78. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) gained 0.31 percent to come in at 26,020.9, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) was down 0.0064 percent, coming to 49,000.29. It seems Wall Street had already factored in the Fed’s decision to hold.

The next Fed interest rate decision will come on March 18, the second to last Fed meeting before Powell’s term as chair comes to an end. Most analysts expect interest rates to remain in a holding pattern until the second half of 2026.

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

News Provided by TMX Newsfile via QuoteMedia

Strategic Minerals plc (AIM: SML; USOTC: SMCDF), an international mineral exploration and production company, is delighted to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Cornwall Resources Limited (‘CRL’), has received assay results from drillhole CRD036 – the first from Pad 2 within the Redmoor Tungsten-Tin-Copper Project (‘Redmoor’) in southeast Cornwall – including further confirmation high-grades of tungsten and tin within the Sheeted Vein System (‘SVS’).

CRD036 was aimed at twinning*¹ historical drillholes and identifying mineralised continuity at shallower depths and within a hole designed to intersect a higher-grade, tin-dominant portion of the high-grade tungsten deposit.

Highlights:

Tin downhole intersections

• · High-grade intersections from new tin-dominant zones include:
  • 0.50m @ 1.26% Sn, 0.02% Cu & 0.02% WO₃ (1.06% WO₃.Eq) from 314.82 m
  • 0.95m @ 1.18% Sn, 0.01% Cu & 0.02% WO₃ (0.99% WO₃.Eq) from 336.05 m
  • 0.70m @ 1.92% Sn, 1.09% Cu & 0.37% WO₃ (2.23% WO₃.Eq) from 383.40 m

Tungsten downhole intersections

• High-grade tungsten intersections include:
  • 4.50m @ 0.47% WO₃, 0.14% Sn & 0.24% Cu (0.65% WO₃.Eq) from 372.50 m
  • 1.00m @ 1.00% WO₃, 0.02% Sn & 0.58% Cu (1.17% WO₃.Eq) from 406.00 m
  • 0.70m @ 0.86% WO₃, 0.07% Sn & 0.82% Cu (1.13% WO₃.Eq) from 432.00 m
• Further high-grade sample intervals, inside broad intersections, including:
  • 18.50 m @ 0.14% WO₃, 0.20% Sn & 0.25% Cu (0.37% WO_3. Eq) from 371.50 m, (see Figure 1) containing:
  • 0.80m @ 1.02% WO₃, 0.09% Sn & 0.45% Cu (1.21% WO₃.Eq) from 372.50 m
  • 0.54m @ 1.85% WO₃, 0.28% Sn & 0.22% Cu (2.13% WO₃.Eq) from 374.51 m

Copper downhole intersections

• High-grade intersections include:
  • 1.65m @ 1.09% Cu, 0.05% Sn & 0.23% WO₃ (0.56% WO₃.Eq) from 401.90 m
  • 1.00m @ 1.03% Cu, 0.04% Sn & 0.01% WO₃ (0.32% WO₃.Eq) from 415.00 m

Silver*²

• CRD036, like previous drill holes, reports elevated silver values in relation to mineralisation within zones that are copper-rich, demonstrated by:
  • 5.10m @ 0.66% Cu, 0.03% Sn & 0.34% WO₃, and 15.5g/t Ag from 401.90 m, including 1.65 m @ 33.9 g/t Ag from 401.90 m

Twinning Results and Model Updates

Positive results from the drillhole twinning, and new insights into Redmoor deposit, including:

• Twinning results between CRD036 and RM80_05B & 05C (1980s drillholes) highlight continuity of structures and reproducibility of historical results. This provides confidence for the use of the 1980s drillhole data in the deposit model and Mineral Resource estimate (‘MRE’) thereby reducing future prefeasibility drilling requirements.
• Drillhole results have returned multiple zones of high-grade tin and copper intersections, supporting the presence and continuity of tin-copper lode structures within the existing Redmoor Mineral Resource, which will be further studied as part of the MRE update – these will be further detailed in a forthcoming update on the new Redmoor deposit model.

Dennis Rowland, CRL Managing Director, said:

‘The assay results report a trifecta of high-grade tungsten, tin and copper intersections for the first time from the 2025 programme within a tin-dominant zone of the deposit, along with analytical results for silver – which are being further investigated as part of ongoing metallurgical studies.

Drillhole results continue to return multiple zones of high-grade tin and copper intersections, supporting the presence and continuity of tin-copper lode structures within the existing Redmoor Mineral Resource, which will be further modelled. This drillhole was designed as a twin of holes drilled by Southwest Minerals (SWM) in the 1980s and provides further confidence in these historical datasets.

Following the receipt of these results, an update on the new Redmoor deposit model and the outcome of the twinning programme is expected shortly.’

Mark Burnett, Strategic Minerals Executive Director, said:

‘Positive results such as these further highlight Redmoor’s position as the highest-grade, undeveloped tungsten resource in Europe, and amongst the highest grade globally.

This is a crucial time for critical minerals projects, given significant global supply chain shifts alongside export controls resulting in a marked increase in metal prices and interest in the sector. The Board are focussed on the acceleration of the Redmoor project through an updated mineral resource and planned prefeasibility study (‘PFS’) thereafter. This will be supported by the recently completed fundraise for a significant infill drilling programme, designed to shorten drillhole spacing within the resource, as the major requirement for converting the deposit to an Indicated resource classification ahead of the planned PFS.’

Detail of analytical results from CRD036

Table 1: Drillhole collar data for CRD036.

Figure 2: Plan (top-down) view of the previously modelled high-grade domains (gold) used in the 2019 Redmoor MRE, showing CRD036 (in red) and other CRL and SWM drillhole traces (black). CRD036 is an infill hole aimed at testing short-spaced continuity of structure and grade.

Drill hole CRD036 (see Table 1 & Figure 2) was intentionally drilled to twin historical drilling results and confirm the presence of tin and copper-rich structures historically drilled (drill hole RM80_05B and 05C), along with identifying the higher-grade tin-rich section of the resource and shallower extent of the SVS system. The outcomes of the twinning programme will be further detailed shortly alongside updates to the deposit model, ahead of the MRE update expected Q1 2026.

Laboratory assay results for drillhole CRD036 have returned further positive results from the current drilling programme, containing high-grade results, with tungsten (WO₃) grades reaching 1.85%, copper (Cu) grades reaching 1.09%, and very-high-grade tin (Sn) grades reaching 1.92%, from a zone of the deposit known to be enriched in tin concentrations, coupled with silver (Ag) grades of up to 33.9 g/t correlated with copper mineralisation.

Table 2 below, contains the details of the composite sample intersections including sample depths, thickness, metal content, and tungsten equivalent calculations, as well as the mineralisation style recorded by CRL geologists. The tungsten equivalent (WO3. Eq.) highlights the value-add from tin and copper to the tungsten grades of the sample intervals. Appendix 1 includes full details of each sample included in these composite intersections.

Table 2: Highlights of downhole composite sample intersections returned from recently received results from drillhole CRD036 showing interval lengths and subsequent assay results for WO3, Sn & Cu. A tungsten equivalent result has also been calculated. Composited values use a downhole length weighted average of grades.

Note*¹ Twinned drillholes refer to new CRL drillholes which are aimed to intersect SVS mineralisation in close proximity to previous historical drilling undertaken by South West Minerals in 1978-1982, in order to verify the robustness of the historical drilling data, as well as test the continuity/reproducibility of grade and structure across the spacing between the drillholes.

Note*² Further silver analysis and commentary will follow completion of metallurgical testworks and resource modelling, noting there is no assumption at this stage that silver will be recoverable or economically reportable in the Mineral Resource.

Note*³ Tungsten Equivalent (WO₃.Eq) Calculation: WO₃ (EQ)% = WO₃%+(Sn% x 0.82) + (Cu% x 0.27)

Commodity price assumptions: WO₃ US$ 43,000/t, Sn US$ 32,525/t, Cu US$ 9,429/t. Using the 12-month average to September 2025. Recovery assumptions: total WO₃ recovery 72%, total Sn recovery 68% and total Cu recovery 85%. Payability assumptions of 81%, 90% and 90% respectively.

Competent Person Statement:

The information in this announcement that relates to Sampling Techniques and Data and Exploration Results has been reviewed and approved by Mr Laurie Hassall, MSci (Geology), FIMMM, QMR, FGS, who is a full-time employee of Snowden Optiro. Mr Hassall holds a Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of Southampton and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM), through which he is also accredited as Qualified for Minerals Reporting (QMR). He is also a Fellow of the Geological Society of London (FGS).

Snowden Optiro has been engaged by Cornwall Resources Limited to provide independent technical advice. Mr Hassall, a full-time employee of Snowden Optiro, is acting as the Competent Person and is independent of Cornwall Resources Limited. He has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration, and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code), and under the AIM Rules.

Mr Hassall consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information, in the form and context in which it appears. He confirms that, to the best of his knowledge, there is no new information or data that materially affects the information contained in previous market announcements, and that the form and context in which the information is presented has not been materially modified.

Notes to Editors

About Strategic Minerals plc and Cornwall Resources Limited

Strategic Minerals plc (AIM: SML; USOTC: SMCDY) is an AIM-quoted, producing minerals company, actively developing strategic projects in the UK, United States and Australia.

In 2019, the Company completed the 100% acquisition of Cornwall Resources Limited and the Redmoor Tungsten-Tin-Copper Project.

The Redmoor Project is situated within the historically significant Tamar Valley Mining District in Cornwall, United Kingdom, with a JORC (2012) Compliant Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate published 14 February 2019:

1 Equivalent metal calculation notes; Sn(Eq)% = Sn% x 1 + WO3% x 1.43 + Cu% x 0.40. WO₃(EQ)% = Sn% x 0.7 + WO₃ + Cu% x 0.28. Commodity price assumptions: WO₃ US$ 33,000/t, Sn US$ 22,000/t, Cu US$ 7,000/t. Recovery assumptions: total WO3 recovery 72%, total Sn recovery 68% & total Cu recovery 85% and payability assumptions of 81%, 90% and 90% respectively

More information on Cornwall Resources can be found at: https://www.cornwallresources.com

In September 2011, Strategic Minerals acquired the distribution rights to the Cobre magnetite project in New Mexico, USA, through its wholly owned subsidiary Southern Minerals Group. Cobre has been in production since 2012 and continues to provide a sustainable revenue stream for the Company.

In March 2018, the Company completed the acquisition of the Leigh Creek Copper Mine situated in the copper rich belt of South Australia. The Company has entered into an exclusive Call Option with South Pacific Mineral Investments Pty Ltd trading as Cuprum Metals to acquire 100% of the project.

About the CIOS Good Growth Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund

This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council is responsible for managing projects funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly has been allocated £184 million for local investment through the Shared Prosperity Fund. This new approach to investment is designed to empower local leaders and communities, so they can make a real difference on the ground where it’s needed the most.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund proactively supports delivery of the UK-government’s five national missions: pushing power out to communities everywhere, with a specific focus to help kickstart economic growth and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK.

For more information, visit

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

For more information, visit https://ciosgoodgrowth.com

Appendix 1

Table 3: Composite intersections and individual sample results, including, sample numbers, depths and widths, metal contents and tungsten equivalent calculations.

Source