A Critical Year in Review: What's Next?
Source: The Critical Metals Report Editors  (12/11/12)
Every great mining story begins from the ground up. This is as true of critical metals as it is for gold and silver. Many investors took losses by chasing the pie-in-the-sky potential every publicly listed rare earth stock seemed to promise. Since its debut 18 months ago, The Critical Metals Report has focused on the goods in the ground, striving to present valuable insights on an oft-misrepresented sector, sharing related stories as they emerged. As the year comes to a close and we prepare to extend our coverage further, we are revisiting our most popular expert interviews from 2012. Yes, it's still rough out there for miners, but when you think nothing's looking up, look down. More >

Peter Grandich: What a Turnaround in Junior Gold Mining Stocks Will Look Like
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Gold Report  (12/10/12)
The fundamentals at many junior mining companies have improved, yet their stock prices continue to languish. In this interview with The Gold Report, market guru Peter Grandich gives his thoughts on when this may end and where gold is headed in 2013, and names some of his picks in unlikely jurisdictions. More >

Secondary Bottom Coming in Gold Stocks
Source: Jordan Roy-Byrne, The Daily Gold  (12/10/12)
"We think the current probabilities favor a secondary bottom in the gold stocks and very soon the risk/reward dynamic will be heavily in favor of longs." More >

Gold Confiscation: Lessons from the 20th Century
Source: Adrian Ash, Bullion Vault  (12/10/12)
"Because gold is no longer central to the world's monetary system, so-called 'confiscation' looks a very 20th century phenomenon today. But that may well change." More >

Graphene: Thinnest Material Ever Made
Source: The Economic Times  (12/10/12)
"Sheets of it are only one atom thick. Expect it in a gadget near you within five years." More >

Sprott's Michael Kosowan on Surviving Death by Paper Cut in Today's Mining Equity Market
Source: Sally Lowder of The Gold Report   (12/7/12)
An investment executive at Sprott Global Resource Investments Ltd., Michael Kosowan is working by three sayings these days: "Well bought is half sold," "Small is beautiful" and "Necessity is the mother of invention." In this Gold Report interview, Kosowan talks about the challenges mining companies face and shares some jurisdictions that offer outsized returns. More >

Junior Gold-Mining Sector Distressing for Investors
Source: Bob Kirtley, SK Options Trading  (12/7/12)
"We will take a quick look at the GDXJ to see if we can discern any trends that may help us position our hard-earned cash for future growth." More >

Can Gold Keep Its Luster in 2013?
Source: Clif Droke, Gold & Silver Stock Report  (12/6/12)
"Gold is currently showing a net gain for the year-to-date." More >

Pent-Up Potential for Precious Metals in 2013: Jason Hamlin
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Gold Report   (12/5/12)
Debt, not the fiscal cliff, is what concerns Jason Hamlin, publisher of the Gold Stock Bull newsletter, and if his prediction of a split in the EU comes to pass, it will bolster the case for gold equities. In this Gold Report interview Hamlin shares his preference for royalty streamers and prospect generators in the gold space and explains his attraction to graphite. More >

Is a Global Gold Supply Crunch Forming?
Source: Jeff Clark, Casey Research  (12/5/12)
"Our advice is simple: make sure your personal gold reserves are in place." More >

Rick Mills' Secret to Making Money off China's Stealth Metal Demand
Source: Sally Lowder of The Critical Metals Report  (12/4/12)
When it comes to supply and demand dynamics, Aheadoftheherd.com Publisher Rick Mills does his own math. China may make a show of its alleged copper surplus and Germany may downplay its need for efficient energy sources, but Mills foresees demand spikes in a number of specialty metals. In this interview with The Critical Metals Report, Mills discusses the positions he's establishing while looming supply shortages remain under the mainstream radar. More >

Why Gold Prices Will Soar After Dec. 12
Source: David Zeiler, Money Morning  (12/4/12)
"Deutsche Bank set a target of $2,000/oz for the first half of 2013, while Bank of America has projected gold prices at $2,400/oz by the end of 2014." More >

Profiting from the Dismal State of Gold Miners and Explorers
Source: Brent Cook, Exploration Insights  (12/4/12)
"Grassroots exploration by the juniors will be virtually dead next year (tough to raise money on concepts and soil anomalies) and aggressive drilling will be seriously curtailed (tough to raise money if you miss)." More >

Gold Remains in Long Run Uptrend
Source: Ben Traynor, BullionVault  (12/3/12)
"Gold prices fell back below $1,715/oz Monday morning in London, more-or-less in line with where they were two weeks ago after failing to hold gains made during Asian trading." More >

Rick Mills: Low-Cost Producers Trump Larger Mines in Costly Market
Source: Sally Lowder of The Gold Report  (12/3/12)
Rick Mills isn't looking for huge producers with so much overhead that they can't profitably mine an ounce of gold. Instead, Mills, the publisher, editor and president of Aheadoftheherd.com, seeks out the smaller mines with low capital costs. That's where the money will be made in the next two years, he tells The Gold Report. More >

China's Subsidies Give HREE Prices a Boost
Source: Stuart Burns, MetalMiner  (12/3/12)
"Prices for heavy rare earths have not just stopped falling, but started moving up again." More >

Miners Downsizing Capital Expenses for Smart Growth: Ralph Aldis and Brian Hicks
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Gold Report   (11/30/12)
Smart companies are beginning to ignore analysts' insistence that production growth is always good, and to focus instead on growing their margins by lowering capital expenses. This is good news to U.S. Global Investors Inc.'s Brian Hicks, co-manager of the Global Resources Fund, and Ralph Aldis, senior mining analyst and portfolio manager of the Gold and Precious Metals Fund and World Precious Minerals Fund. Learn what kinds of companies attract the interest of these active managers in this Gold Report interview. More >

2013 Silver Price Forecast: Silver Will Perform Like Gold on Steroids
Source: Peter Krauth, Money Morning  (11/29/12)
"For 2013, I think silver, like gold, will set a new all-time nominal price record, likely reaching as high as $54/oz." More >

Paul van Eeden on Why Gold is Overvalued
Source: JT Long of The Gold Report   (11/28/12)
Many goldbugs like gold as a hedge against Federal Reserve policies and high inflation. Paul van Eeden, president of Cranberry Capital, says he does not fear high inflation due to Fed policies. Van Eeden is a different kind of goldbug and in this interview with The Gold Report, he explains how his proprietary monetary measure, "The Actual Money Supply," is the reason why. More >

Gold Stocks Approaching a Crossroads
Source: Jordan Roy-Byrne, The Daily Gold  (11/28/12)
"Present conditions for gold miners have never been better. Rising costs are a problem but margins for the large unhedged producers are at bull-market highs." More >

How Do the Chinese View the Gold Market?
Source: Jeff Clark, Casey Research  (11/28/12)
"Since 2007, China's demand for gold has risen 27% per year. Its share of global demand doubled in the same time frame, from 10% to 21%. And this occurred while prices were rising." More >

Will China's Trade Agenda Squeeze Fluorspar Supply?
Source: Peter Byrne of The Critical Metals Report  (11/27/12)
One of the world's leading experts on industrial chemicals explains the convoluted market for fluorspar, a component of many household products. In this interview with The Critical Metals Report, IHS Chemical's Ray Will explains how a rebound of the global supply of fluorspar is tied to the fluctuating trade agenda of the mineral's largest consumer, China. Learn why Canada and Mexico are poised to increase production of the valuable raw material using previously abandoned mines and new technologies. More >

How to Play Your Gold Stocks Now
Source: Jeff Clark, Casey Research  (11/27/12)
With the Fed, ECB and BOJ pulling stimulus rabbits out of the printing hat, and the UK, Switzerland and China all adding to their balance sheets, gold is headed a lot higher and will subsequently pull the stocks with it. More >

Gold Prices Experience a 'V' Shaped Bounce
Source: Bob Kirtley, SK Options Trading  (11/27/12)
"The white-knuckle ride continues and volatility is the order of the day, which will continue to shake out the weaker hands, which in turn presents investors with another buying opportunity before this bull gains some traction and gold prices head north with some gusto." More >

Three Sharp Pencils in the Graphite Game
Source: Mickey Fulp, Mercenary Geologist  (11/26/12)
"Graphite is next in line for a commodity boom." More >