From legendary investors making big moves, resource nationalism and Canada’s economic impacts abroad, 2024 is already shaping up to be an exciting year.
Few countries have a more storied mining history than Mexico. As one of the world’s largest silver mining nations and one of the top gold producers, in 2022, Mexico’s mining sector was worth about $3.3 billion.
As Mexico exports many of its mining products, it achieved a trade surplus of USD 12.8 billion in 2022. But its history, particularly related to colonial involvement between the 17th and 19th centuries, makes for some very colorful reading, and we delve into that below.
The French Intervention in Mexico is complex, involving Maximilian of Austria taking over as Emperor of Mexico. The impetus behind the takeover had much to do with a greedy French financier and Mexico’s rich silver and gold mines…
Great Investors Need a Method and Discipline
Investing greatness is not something one stumbles upon. It is reserved for the very few, and they all have one thing in common: a serious work ethic. From Warren Buffett to Jesse Livermore, famously depicted in Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, every investor develops their own style and method.
One extraordinary investor and story is that of professional ballroom dancer Nicolas Darvas. He unexpectedly became a multi-millionaire self-directed investor by creating a unique trading strategy. Every Canadian investor needs inspiration now and again; and learning from history is perhaps the ultimate motivation.
With respect to Darvas, his journey began in the late 1950s when he received stock as payment for a dance performance, which piqued his interest…
Canadians Top the World in Hockey, Curling, and Mining
Canadians are the best in the world at many things, but three stand out.
It may come as little surprise that hockey and curling are at the top of the list…
The Canadian men’s hockey team has won nine gold medals, including the first gold medal in hockey at the 1920 Summer Olympics. While gold medals aren’t given out for investing, the Canadian investor got little help in 2023 as higher interest rates and lower real estate values dragged down equities, resulting in the nation’s senior and junior exchanges underperforming their American counterparts.
Further insult to injury, when it comes to mining, Canada’s reign abroad may be put on hold. Used to exploring and wildcatting in our own country, Canadian miners working abroad took it on the chin in 2023. First Quantum’s Panama fiasco, which we documented throughout the year, resulted in billions lost as the mine was forced to shut down due to political pressure.
As resource nationalism heats up, it is becoming riskier for Canadian miners to go abroad…
Micro-Cap Stocks Are Sinking Ships…
Liquidity dried up in 2023 for many early-stage companies which trade on Canada’s venture exchanges like the TSXV and CSE. It wasn’t a great year, to put it lightly…
Aaron explains that given the relatively high burn rate for publicly listed ventures, if they can’t raise capital to continually advance projects or technologies, they’re akin to sinking ships.
