On May 5, The World Gold Council stated that while there was a decrease in Q1 gold demand (excluding OTC) by 13% compared to the previous year, there were positive factors such as central bank buying and increased demand from Chinese consumers. However, there were negative contributions from ETFs and weakness in India. When including OTC, total gold demand showed a 1% increase year-on-year to 1,174 tonnes due to a recovery in OTC investment, which balanced out the weakness in some areas, in line with investor positioning in the futures market. Central banks experienced significant growth in demand during the quarter, with official sector institutions showing continued interest and purchasing 228 tonnes of gold to add to their reserves globally. According to the World Gold Council, investment in gold is expected to show healthy growth this year, while the outlook for fabrication (which includes jewellery and technology) is not as strong. Central bank buying is expected to remain strong, but is unlikely to reach the record levels seen in 2022. Both mine production and recycling are expected to show modest growth.
Companies in the gold market are thriving and issuing positive outlooks for this year. Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD), a major Canadian player that engages in the exploration, mine development, production, and sale of gold and copper properties, is focused on organic growth by exploring and managing mineral resources and this has resulted in the replacement of gold reserves for the second consecutive year. In addition, the company has significantly increased its copper resources compared to the previous year, which supports both its 10-year production forecast and its growth plan. Mark Bristow, the President and Chief Executive of Barrick, announced the company's results for the fourth quarter and the entire year of 2022, stating that Barrick has always believed that discovering gold reserves is more advantageous than purchasing them at a high premium, particularly in a sector where reserves and resources are declining. In the fourth quarter, Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD)’s long-term corporate credit rating was upgraded by Moody's from Baa1 to A3, which made the company the highest-rated gold mining company in the sector.
U.S. Global Investors cited Ole Hansen, a commodity strategist at Denmark's Saxo Bank, who believes that gold could potentially reach up to $4,000 once markets come to the realization that global inflation will remain high despite monetary tightening. Hansen also mentioned three other factors that could contribute to new record highs for gold in 2023. Firstly, an increasing "war economy mentality" could discourage central banks from holding foreign exchange reserves and instead lean towards gold as a means of self-reliance. Secondly, governments may continue to increase deficit spending on ambitious projects such as the energy transition. And finally, the possibility of a global recession in 2023 could prompt central banks to increase liquidity. However, Hansen has stated that his comments are more of a thought experiment and less of a prediction.
To benefit from the growing opportunities in the sector, some of the best gold stocks to invest in include Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV), Royal Gold, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGLD), and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (NYSE:WPM).
Our Methodology
We scanned Insider Monkey’s database of 943 hedge funds and picked the top 10 companies that operate in the gold royalty and gold mining sector with the highest number of hedge fund investors. The gold royalty firms were chosen irrespective of their market cap, while small-cap gold stocks were picked based on market caps between $300 million and $2 billion as of May 10. These are the best gold stocks to buy according to hedge funds.
10 Best Gold Royalty and Small-Cap Gold Stocks To Buy
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Best Gold Royalty and Small-Cap Gold Stocks To Buy
Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) is involved in purchasing and researching gold sites in North America. The organization also conducts searches for deposits of copper, silver, and molybdenum, in addition to gold.
On November 21, 2022, B. Riley analyst Lucas Pipes raised the firm's price target on Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) to $60 from $57 and kept a Buy rating on the shares following the Q3 results. The analyst indicated that Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) is progressing with various initiatives that support the beginning of the flagship KSM project and expects it to be a significant achievement.
According to Insider Monkey’s fourth quarter database, 12 hedge funds were bullish on Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA), compared to 13 funds in the prior quarter. David Iben’s Kopernik Global Investors is the biggest stakeholder of the company, with 2.6 million shares worth $33.6 million.
In addition to Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV), Royal Gold, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGLD), and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (NYSE:WPM), Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) is one of the best gold stocks to buy.
Old West Management made the following comment about Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) in its Q4 2022 investor letter:
“Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) was founded by current chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk in 1999. To say Seabridge is Fronk’s life work would be accurate. Fronk, who has two degrees in mining and minerals, is a top shareholder of the company. Seabridge owns the KSM project in northwestern British Colombia. KSM has proven and probable reserves of 47 million ounces of gold and 7 billion pounds of copper. Seabridge also owns attractive deposits in Nevada and Northwest territories of Canada, although much smaller than KSM. The average grade of KSM’s gold deposit is less than one gram per ton, but there is good accessibility to the site, and it is in the safe jurisdiction of mining friendly Canada.
Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE:EQX) is involved in the exploration, acquisition, operation, and development of mineral properties, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The company's primary focus is searching for deposits of gold and silver. Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE:EQX) owns gold mines situated in California, Mexico, and Brazil. It is one of the best gold stocks to invest in. After announcing a Q1 adjusted loss that was less than anticipated and revealing that its Greenstone gold project is 73% completed and scheduled to pour first gold in H1 2024, shares of Equinox Gold (NYSE:EQX) surged 9.6% on May 3.
On May 4, Canaccord analyst Dalton Baretto maintained a Buy rating on Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE:EQX) but lowered the firm's price target on the shares to C$8.50 from C$9.
According to Insider Monkey’s fourth quarter database, 13 hedge funds were bullish on Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE:EQX), with collective stakes worth $42.7 million, compared to 7 funds in the prior quarter worth $35.2 million. Eric Sprott’s Sprott Asset Management is the biggest stakeholder of the company, with 7.13 million shares worth $23.3 million.
Massif Capital made the following comment about Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE:EQX) in its Q1 2023 investor letter:
“Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE:EQX) was our best-performing investment during the first quarter, returning 57%, outperforming the broader gold sector as measured by the GDX and GDXJ by more than 40% and outperforming gold by roughly 50%. The outperformance was not driven by fundamental factors at the company but rather by a combination of sector sentiment and a beta to the gold price of 3.1. We believe that fundamental factors, specifically the conclusion of construction and eventual ramp-up of the Greenstone mine during the first half of next year, represent potent catalysts for EQX, but this quarter’s appreciation was not fundamentally driven.
New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD) is a gold mining company that operates at an intermediate level and is involved in the exploration, development, and operation of mineral properties. The primary focus of its exploration efforts is on gold, silver, and copper deposits. The company's main operating properties are situated in Ontario and British Columbia in Canada, as well as Mexico. It is one of the best gold stocks to watch.
On April 26, New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD) reported a Q1 non-GAAP EPS of $0.03 and a revenue of $201.6 million, outperforming Wall Street estimates by $0.01 and $9.89 million, respectively. Revenue over the period climbed 15.4% on a year-over-year basis.
National Bank analyst Mike Parkin reiterated a Sector Perform rating on New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD) and trimmed the firm's price target on the shares to C$2 from C$2.25.
According to Insider Monkey’s fourth quarter database, 14 hedge funds were bullish on New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD), with combined stakes worth $40.2 million. Sprott Asset Management is the biggest stakeholder of the company, with 13.6 million shares worth $13.3 million.
Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) functions as a company that specializes in gold royalties. It concentrates on obtaining royalties and purchasing agreements for gold and other metals from companies that possess advanced-stage development projects or operating mines. Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) makes initial payments to purchase a stream or royalty from companies and, in return, obtains the privilege of acquiring a percentage of the mine's output for the duration of the mine's operation at a predetermined price per unit or at a fixed percentage of the spot price.
On April 5, Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) announced that it achieved two company records during Q1 2023 – the sale of 28,400 attributable gold equivalent ounces and preliminary revenues of $44 million.
National Bank analyst Shane Nagle on April 18 raised the firm's price target on Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) to C$9.25 from C$8 and maintained an Outperform rating on the shares.
According to Insider Monkey’s fourth quarter database, 16 hedge funds were bullish on Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND), compared to 15 funds in the prior quarter. Murray Stahl’s Horizon Asset Management is the largest stakeholder of the company, with 6.36 million shares worth $33.5 million.
Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE:CDE) conducts exploration activities for valuable metals in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Its primary focus is on searching for gold, silver, zinc, and lead properties. The company possesses mining properties and interests located in various regions, including Northern Mexico, Nevada, Alaska, South Dakota, and British Columbia.
As per Q4 reports, Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE:CDE) anticipates producing 320,000 to 370,000 ounces of gold and 10.0 to 12.0 million ounces of silver in 2023. The increase in production is predicted to be driven by a planned ramp-up at Rochester after the completion of the POA 11 expansion project, which is expected to generate significant silver and gold production increases in the second half of the year. Additionally, higher gold production from the Wharf gold operation is expected to contribute to the production increase.
On January 19, Dalton Baretto, an analyst at Canaccord, raised his rating for Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE:CDE) from Sell to Hold, and increased his price target from $3 to $4.
According to Insider Monkey’s fourth quarter database, 17 hedge funds were long Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE:CDE), compared to 14 funds in the prior quarter. Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group is the biggest stakeholder of the company, 2.36 million shares worth $8 million.
Like Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV), Royal Gold, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGLD), and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (NYSE:WPM), elite hedge funds are piling into Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE:CDE) for exposure to the gold market.
