Over the past week, I sat down for several interviews discussing the mining sector with audiences across North America and Europe. 

While I rarely venture into the Comments section, one viewer’s observation that I resembled an "international crocodile wrestler" was difficult to ignore. I’ll take that as a compliment, although my wrestling remains limited to mining markets.

In the Weekly Market Digest, US equities pushed to new record highs, supported by earnings growth from AI-focused technology companies and a pullback in oil prices. A positive jobs report has led some bank analysts to push expectations for the next benchmark rate cut out to the end of 2026.

Precious metals had a positive week, as did the equities levered to them, with no clear end in sight to the conflict in the Middle East. Concerns over constrained oil supply from the Persian Gulf and potential knock-on effects for global growth also failed to derail industrial metals, while related equity benchmarks followed suit. 

The Exploration Insights™ portfolio posted a positive return last week, led by a pair of grassroots explorers focused on copper in Peru and precious metals in the western US, which provided an exploration update. 

In Stock Talk, a copper developer completes its M&A takeover while a grassroots copper explorer begins its 2026 program in the Yukon. I review an updated MRE from a precious metal developer in NW Argentina. 

I also comment on exploration updates from a grassroots copper explorer in Peru and a PGM-Ni-Cu-Au developer in Brazil. Finally, a gold-antimony explorer finds a contractor for its underground decline.