Eldorado Gold agreed to buy copper-focused Foran for C$3.8 billion ($2.8 billion), the latest industry tie-up as miners seek to ramp up metals production after a massive price rally over the past year https://t.co/qDTNcSMAeG ...

Market Overview - U.S. equity markets are starting the week cautiously, influenced by Friday's declines and uncertainties regarding Federal Reserve leadership and economic indicators [1][2] - Major indexes closed in the red on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.4% to 48,892.47, Nasdaq Composite down 0.9% to 23,461.82, and S&P 500 down 0.4% to 6,939.03 [2] Federal Reserve and Economic Indicators - The Federal Reserve's policy rates remain unchanged at 3.5%-3.75%, but the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next chair has raised concerns about future monetary policy [4] - Investors are closely watching upcoming economic data, including the January jobs report and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for January 2026, which could influence Fed policy [3][4] Technology Sector Developments - Microsoft (MSFT) shares fell 10% despite exceeding profit estimates due to concerns over slowing cloud growth and high AI spending [5] - Meta Platforms (META) shares rose 10.4% following better-than-expected earnings and increased sales forecasts [5] - Tesla (TSLA) shares declined 3.2% despite beating earnings expectations, with worries over its first annual revenue decline [5] - Nvidia (NVDA) shares slipped 2% in premarket trading after reports of reduced commitments to invest in OpenAI [5] Healthcare Sector Performance - Healthcare insurers faced significant declines, with UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Humana (HUM), and CVS Health Corporation (CVS) dropping by 20%, 21%, and 14% respectively due to proposed minimal Medicare payment rate increases [8] Precious Metals and Mining - The precious metals market saw volatility, with gold and silver experiencing a sell-off due to the Fed chair nomination and rising Treasury yields, leading to significant drops in mining stocks like Newmont Corporation (NEM) down 11.5% and Coeur Mining, Inc. (CDE) down 16.9% [8] Earnings Reports - Several companies are set to release earnings, including Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR), The Walt Disney Company (DIS), and Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN) [8] - NAPCO Security Technologies, Inc. (NSSC) reported strong fiscal Q2 2026 results with record net revenues of $48.2 million, a 12.2% year-over-year increase, and diluted EPS of $0.38 [8]

Core Viewpoint - Rare earth stocks experienced a significant pre-market surge, driven by the announcement of a $12 billion strategic critical minerals reserve plan by the U.S. government aimed at bolstering industrial security and protecting manufacturers from supply chain disruptions [1] Group 1: Stock Movements - Critical Metals (CRML.US) rose over 8% in pre-market trading [1] - NioCorp Developments (NB.US) increased by more than 6% [1] - United States Antimony (UAMY.US) saw a rise of over 5% [1] - TMC the metals (TMC.US) and USA Rare Earth (USAR.US) both increased by more than 4% [1] - MP Materials (MP.US) gained over 3% [1] Group 2: Government Initiative - The initiative, named "Project Vault," will utilize $10 billion in loans from the Export-Import Bank of the United States, along with $1.67 billion in private capital [1] - The plan aims to procure and store minerals for automotive manufacturers, technology companies, and other industrial giants [1] - This will be the first private sector reserve project of its kind in the U.S., setting a record in scale and operating similarly to the national strategic petroleum reserve [1]

Core Viewpoint - Rare earth stocks experienced a significant pre-market surge, driven by the announcement of a $12 billion strategic critical minerals reserve plan by President Donald Trump aimed at protecting U.S. manufacturers from supply chain disruptions and enhancing national industrial security [1] Group 1: Market Reaction - Critical Metals (CRML.US) rose over 8% - NioCorp Developments (NB.US) increased by more than 6% - United States Antimony (UAMY.US) gained over 5% - TMC the metals (TMC.US) and USA Rare Earth (USAR.US) both saw increases of over 4% - MP Materials (MP.US) experienced a rise of over 3% [1] Group 2: Strategic Plan Details - The initiative, named "Project Vault," will utilize $10 billion in loans from the Export-Import Bank of the United States, supplemented by $1.67 billion in private capital - The plan aims to procure and store minerals for automotive manufacturers, technology companies, and other industrial giants - This will be the first private sector reserve project of its kind in the U.S., setting a record in scale and operating similarly to the national strategic petroleum reserve [1]

Core Insights - Project Vault is a strategic initiative by the U.S. government to establish a critical-minerals stockpile with an initial funding of $12 billion, aimed at reducing reliance on Chinese rare earth minerals [1][2] - The funding structure includes $1.67 billion from private capital and a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, which is expected to authorize the loan shortly [1][2] - The initiative is designed to protect U.S. tech firms, automakers, and manufacturers from supply shocks related to critical minerals [2] Group 1 - Project Vault aims to create a stockpile of critical minerals to mitigate supply chain risks and reduce dependence on China [2] - The U.S. Export-Import Bank is anticipated to vote on a 15-year loan to support this initiative [2] - American Resources Corp. has entered into a $1.4 billion deal to develop a domestic rare earth magnet supply chain through partnerships with ReElement Technologies and Vulcan Elements [3]

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Falco Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: FPC) (“Falco” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce that the Corporation and OR Royalties Inc. (“OR”) have entered into an amendment to the silver purchase agreement dated February 27, 2019 (the “Silver Stream”) relating to Falco’s Horne 5 Project. The amendment postpones certain deadlines granted to Falco to achieve milestones set as conditions precedent to OR funding the remaining instalments of the stream deposit and certain ...

Core Insights - The U.S. is launching a strategic critical-minerals stockpile named Project Vault with $12 billion in initial funding to reduce reliance on Chinese rare earths and other metals [1][4] - The initiative combines $1.67 billion in private capital with a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to procure and store essential minerals for various industries [1][2] - The stockpile will focus on critical minerals like gallium and cobalt, which are vital for products such as smartphones, batteries, and jet engines [3][4] Industry Impact - U.S. rare-earths stocks experienced a surge in premarket trading following the announcement of the stockpile plan, indicating positive market sentiment [2] - The project aims to strengthen supply chains in the automotive, aerospace, and energy sectors, reducing dependency on China, the leading provider of critical minerals [4][5] - Participation from major companies, including General Motors, Boeing, and Google, highlights the broad industry support for the initiative [5][6] Financial Aspects - The Export-Import Bank's board is set to approve a record-setting 15-year loan, which is more than double the size of the previous largest deal executed by the bank [6] - The involvement of commodities trading houses to manage raw material purchases for the stockpile indicates a structured approach to sourcing critical minerals [5]

Core Viewpoint - MindBio Therapeutics Corp. is advancing its AI-driven technology for drug and alcohol intoxication detection, aiming to disrupt traditional testing methods in the mining industry, particularly in South America [1][6]. Group 1: Technology and Applications - The company has developed a world-first AI prediction tool that analyzes voice to detect intoxication from substances like alcohol, hallucinogens, and plans to expand to other drugs [1][5]. - The technology is being positioned as an enterprise solution for the mining industry, where it can serve as a first-line screening method for multiple substances at entry points [2][3]. - Current drug and alcohol testing methods in the mining sector are slow, expensive, and invasive, often requiring bodily fluid samples, which the company's technology aims to replace with a non-invasive voice analysis [3][5]. Group 2: Market Opportunity and Industry Context - In Chile, over 75% of mining workers consume alcohol, with more than 40% identified as problem drinkers, and 9% using drugs, highlighting a significant market need for effective screening solutions [4]. - Internationally, 20-25% of occupational accidents are linked to substance use, indicating a substantial opportunity for MindBio's technology to reduce workplace incidents and associated costs [4]. - The CEO expressed optimism about the commercial interest from the mining industry, viewing it as a massive opportunity to transform drug and alcohol testing processes globally [6][7].

Core Viewpoint - Northern Graphite Corporation, along with partners, has launched the USE-G initiative to develop environmentally friendly graphite extraction technologies for Europe's battery industry, funded primarily by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy [1][2][8] Group 1: Project Overview - The USE-G initiative aims to create new graphite processing technologies that are cleaner, less energy-intensive, and independent of Chinese supply chains, with a total project budget of €1.70 million, of which €1.14 million is contributed by the Ministry [2][3] - The project will focus on the purification of natural graphite without hydrofluoric acid, the development of sustainable coating materials, and the recovery of graphite from battery recycling [3][5] Group 2: Roles and Contributions - Northern Graphite will supply natural graphite from its Canadian mine and potentially from its Namibian mine, and will conduct milling, shaping, and battery testing in Germany [4][6] - H.C. Starck Tungsten will provide technology to extract graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries, enabling the recycling of materials typically lost in conventional processes [4][9] - Friedrich Schiller University Jena will lead the development of a novel chlorine gas purification method, which is cleaner and less energy-intensive than current methods [5][9] Group 3: Goals and Timeline - The project will initially process natural and recycled graphite separately to establish performance and purity benchmarks, followed by evaluations for blending these materials into a unified anode product [6][9] - The USE-G program commenced on January 1, 2026, and will run until December 31, 2029, aiming to demonstrate a complete European-controlled graphite processing flow sheet by the end of the program [9]

Core Viewpoint - Olive Resource Capital Inc. has reported a significant increase in the value of its investment portfolio, reflecting strong performance in the commodity sector during January 2026, despite a sell-off in precious metals at the end of the month [3][4]. Investment Portfolio Summary - The total value of Olive's investment portfolio increased from $16.16 billion on December 31, 2025, to $18.04 billion on January 31, 2026, primarily due to stock price appreciation [2][3]. - Key investments include: - Omai Gold Mines Corp. increased from $3.50 million in 2025 to $4.23 million in 2026 [2]. - Arizona Sonoran Copper Co. rose from $908,200 in 2025 to $1.06 million in 2026 [2]. - Goldsky Resources Corp. saw a significant increase from $296,829 in 2025 to $648,930 in 2026 [2]. - The company also reported liquid investments and cash equivalents totaling $2.99 million as of January 31, 2026 [2]. Market Commentary - The President and CEO of Olive noted that commodities advanced broadly in January, aided by a weakening U.S. dollar, and that commodity equities performed well, often outperforming their reference commodities [3]. - The Executive Chairman highlighted that despite market volatility, Olive's investment portfolio achieved a month-over-month gain consistent with December's performance, indicating the quality of the investments [4]. Share Repurchase Activity - Olive Resource Capital repurchased 1,000,000 shares in January 2026, with 2,000,000 common shares currently held in treasury pending cancellation [4]. Company Overview - Olive Resource Capital Inc. is a resource-focused merchant bank and investment company, primarily investing in natural resource companies across various stages of development [6].