--- title: "Most Attractive Entries During This Precious Metals Downturn. (What we're buying)" url: "https://www.readplaza.com/articles/most-attractive-entries-during-this-precious-metals-downturn-what-were-buying" type: "article" publisher: "GoingToADollar" category: "Stock Picks" published: "2026-03-24T13:00:00+00:00" updated: "2026-05-17T05:42:42.940469+00:00" reading_time_minutes: 15 tags: ["Silver", "Gold", "Gold Exploration Juniors", "Gold Producers", "Gold Mining Companies"] --- # Most Attractive Entries During This Precious Metals Downturn. (What we're buying) _The gold and silver stocks I am most comfortable accumulating here_ Well, it has been a rough last few weeks in the markets. Gold is down 22% since its January high. Silver is still down roughly 40–45% from the peak. With that, many of the hottest stocks that everyone was chasing just months ago have now seen 25–40% haircuts. Short term painful, yes. But that does not mean the metals bull market is over. Some would argue it has not even started. Yes, the Iran conflict has made things incredibly unpredictable. Anyone trying to actively trade this market is basically at the mercy of headlines. “Peace talks” and oil dumps, stocks rip. Then the next day the tone flips, tensions escalate again, and oil is right back pushing higher. Trying to trade that back and forth will drive you insane. What we do know for certain is this: the U.S. is still buried in a debt problem that is not getting fixed anytime soon. The latest U.S. Treasury financial report shows over $45T in total liabilities vs roughly $5–6T in assets. That gap is not getting smaller. At the same time, parts of the market that have led over the past year are starting to look stretched. The AI industry looks increasingly more like a bubble, with AI labs like OpenAI having to offer 17.5% guaranteed returns to private equity firms just to get capital. That is a red flag. This is not normal behavior. These are supposed to be the highest quality, most in-demand assets in the market, yet they are now structuring deals with guaranteed minimum returns, downside protection, and preferred equity just to lock in funding. At the same time, some major firms have already passed on these deals, questioning the economics and long-term upside. This is exactly how the fear trade sets up. When the SPX finally rolls over, there is not going to be a better place to hide than hard assets. Unfortunately I do not have a crystal ball, so I will not act like I know what happens next. What I do have is a ton of top tier gold and silver stock entries staring at me in the face. And with gold just recently hitting the 200day moving average for the first time since 2023, I have the biased view that most of the carnage in our shiny rocks is behind us. So, in this article I will provide you with the names and charts of the stocks that I think look the most attractive here and I am personally scaling into. Scottie ResourcesTicker: $SCOT.V, $SCTSF Market cap: C$160M % from 52wk high: -35% Proposed buy zone: $1.95 - 1.65 Brief Overview & HighlightsScottie is a high grade gold story in BC’s Golden Triangle that is quickly growing into more than just an exploration name. It already has a 703koz gold resource grading 6.06 g/t, a nice cash postion, and a path toward near term production through its DSO strategy and ongoing feasibility work. 703koz gold resource at 6.06 g/t $39M cash Blueberry continues to deliver strong high grade hits, including 14.4 g/t over 40.75m, 141.2 g/t over 4.55m, 54.6 g/t over 7.05m, and 30.42 g/t over 5.60m Plan is to mine and ship high grade ore directly, which lowers upfront costs and simplifies the path to production Backed by Ocean Partners with funding and offtake support Feasibility work now underway Rationale$SCOT.V is one of, if not the most promising gold stories in the market right now. After a 100%+ run in 2026 driven by a string of ridiculous Blueberry Contact Zone hits, the stock has now pulled back into its old consolidation area. To me, that is what makes this setup attractive. You are getting a chance to buy near levels the stock traded at before some of its best Blueberry results were even out. Santacruz Silver MiningTicker: $SCZ.V, $SCZM Market cap: C$995M % from 52wk high: -55% Proposed buy zone: $11 to $9 Brief Overview & HighlightsSantacruz is one of the more interesting silver names in the market because it is not just a single asset story. It already has 4 producing mines, an ore sourcing business, 2025 production of 14.4Moz AgEq, and management is guiding for roughly 15.5 to 15.7Moz AgEq in 2026 as operations improve and Soracaya moves toward initial production. 14.4Moz AgEq produced in 2025 Q4 2025 production came in at 3.74Moz AgEq 4 producing mines across Bolivia and Mexico, plus San Lucas ore sourcing $59.2M cash on hand $73.8M adjusted EBITDA and $62.0M operating cash flow in 2025 YTD Soracaya permitting targeted by Q3 2026, with initial production expected in Q4 2026 Management sees 2026 production growing to roughly 15.5 to 15.7Moz AgEq, with Soracaya setting up another leg of growth after that Rationale$SCZ.V is sitting back in the range where it consolidated after that first huge move in September. The setup here is that the stock has round-tripped hard, but the company itself is in a better spot now than it was back then, with Q4 2025 production rebounding to 3.74Moz AgEq and operations improving into 2026. I personally do not think it gets back to that $7 area, but if it did, I would be throwing an absurd percentage of my portfolio at it. As it stands, this still looks like a very reasonable zone to start scaling in. Trident ResourcesTicker: $ROCK.V, $TRDTF Market cap: C$85M % from 52wk high: -39% Proposed buy zone: $2.10 - 1.85 Brief Overview & HighlightsTrident is a Saskatchewan gold story built around a current ~2Moz gold resource, but the real appeal here is that its flagship Contact Lake target is still not even part of that number. The company is fully cashed up, actively drilling, and trying to build out a much larger district-scale gold camp in the La Ronge Belt. ~0.9Moz indicated + ~1.1Moz inferred gold resource Contact Lake past producer: 188koz at 6.16 g/t, and still not included in the current resource Over C$32M in cash + marketable securities after the C$18.6M financing Contact Lake is the main draw, with hits like 7.03 g/t over 43.25m, 4.43 g/t over 39.5m, and 5.73 g/t over 15.0m Now drilling with 3 rigs at Contact Lake, with plans to drill 30,000 to 40,000m in 2026 Land package continues to grow, including the recent 4,711 hectare addition around Contact Lake and Greywacke Trading at roughly ~US$16/oz EV on its current ~2Moz gold resource Rationale$ROCK.V is back in a buy zone for me by this prior consolidation area. What makes it attractive is that you are getting to buy it at roughly the same zone as before the market had much proof that Contact Lake could become a serious growth engine. On top of that, the stock is trading off its current ~2Moz resource, while Contact Lake, where they have been putting out the most exciting hits, is still not even part of that number. Southern Silver ExplorationTicker: $SSV.V, $SSVFF Market cap: C$225M % from 52wk high: -50% Proposed buy zone: $0.50 - 0.425 Brief Overview & HighlightsSouthern Silver is a silver developer built around Cerro Las Minitas in Durango, Mexico, one of the larger and higher grade undeveloped silver assets in the space. It already has a 300Moz+ AgEq resource, a strong PEA behind it, and ongoing drilling at Puro Corazon that continues to add higher grade material ahead of a resource and PEA update. 302Moz AgEq resource, including 116Moz indicated at 271 g/t and 186Moz inferred at 248 g/t Trading at roughly US$0.53/oz AgEq EV on its current 302Moz AgEq resource 2024 PEA outlined 17+ year mine life and 14.4Moz AgEq annual production in years 1–8 After-tax NPV5 of US$501M 100% owned project with no royalties Recent drilling at Puro Corazon hit 6.3m at 874 g/t AgEq, including 1.5m at 2,062 g/t AgEq Rationale$SSV.V is now sitting right back at that October resistance level that it broke out from and retested in December, and so far it is reacting well to it. The stock has come off hard, but this is the first real area where it looks to be finding support. I also do not think the recent Puro Corazon drilling is fully appreciated here. By the time that gets reflected in the next resource and PEA, I would expect the stock to be trading higher. Soma GoldTicker: $SOMA.V, $SMAGF Market cap: C$193M % from 52wk high: -33% Proposed buy zone: $1.60 - 1.45 Brief Overview & HighlightsSoma is a profitable Colombian gold producer with two operating complexes and a pretty clear organic growth plan already underway. The appeal here is that this is not some vague production growth story. They are already doing ~25koz gold on an LTM basis, generating strong EBITDA, and have multiple levers in motion to push that much higher over the next 12 to 18 months. 2 producing complexes in Colombia ~25koz LTM gold production ~C$39M LTM EBITDA Medium term production target of 65 to 75koz gold annually Cordero targeting 20 to 30koz/year Au from 2026 to 2030 Ore sorting expected to lift El Bagre throughput from 450 tpd to 700 to 750 tpd once fully commercialized First ore shipment received from a formalized small mine at El Limon, with more small mines expected to follow Nechi permit application expected in April 2026, with approval anticipated before year end and ~25,000 AuEq oz/year of incremental production once built Rationale$SOMA.V is now back in a pretty interesting area here, with the $1.50 zone acting as major resistance for quite a while before finally breaking out in November. We also just saw that nasty wick down to $1.39 get bought up ferociously and close green on the day. I like the buy zone between that old June to October resistance band and the lower end of the November consolidation range. Fundamentally, the company still has a lot of growth levers in motion, so this pullback looks more like opportunity than damage to me. Apollo SilverTicker: $APGO.V, $APGOF Market cap: C$200M % from 52wk high: -55% Proposed buy zone: $2.50 - 3.00 Brief Overview & Highlights Apollo is a U.S. silver developer built around Calico in California, which is already one of the biggest undeveloped silver assets in the country and is now moving toward a PEA. On top of that, the company just raised $27.5M, got accepted into the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium, and sits in a pretty strong spot heading into what should be a busy year for Calico. Calico hosts 125Moz silver M&I and 57Moz silver inferred Also has meaningful barite and zinc credits, which fit well with the current U.S. critical minerals angle PEA for Calico is now underway Recently raised $27.5M, including a $12.5M investment from Jupiter Asset Management Accepted into the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium 2025 resource update added scale, critical minerals exposure, and a larger pit with a 0.8:1 strip ratio Rationale$APGO.V has already had a huge move, and I would be pretty surprised if it fully retraces all the way back to that May breakout area around $2.50. But if the stock does keep leaking lower, I feel very comfortable scaling in from there up to the psychological $3 level. Fundamentally, the company has moved forward a lot since those levels, with the Calico resource now updated, the PEA underway, a big financing closed, and the broader U.S. strategic angle around domestic silver and critical minerals only getting stronger. Final ThoughtsNow please realize that this is by no means financial advice. This is just my personal view and what I find attractive in the market right now. While I have had some decent calls in the past, we are in incredibly unpredictable times, and the market can stay irrational far longer than most people expect. Also keep in mind that I am looking at these entries as buy and holds over the next 1 to 2 years. These are not short term trades. SourcesScottie ResourcesCompany & investor site: Scottie Resources – general corporate information and project descriptions. Corporate presentation: Scottie Resources Corporate Presentation (March 2026) – overview of the company, projects and mineral resource base (703 koz Au at ~6 g/t) and outlines the Blueberry and Scottie mine plans. Direct‑ship ore strategy news release (19 Mar 2026): “Scottie Resources Advances Direct‑Ship Ore Strategy with Phase 2 Ore Sorting Study Success and Feasibility Study Launch” – describes the Phase 2 ore‑sorting results, confirms the company’s decision to use X‑ray transmittance sorting (recovering ~82–92 % of the gold) and states that the feasibility study for a direct‑ship operation is targeting completion in Q2 2027. Blueberry high‑grade drill results news releases (Mar 2026): A series of press releases reporting broad and high‑grade intercepts at the Blueberry Contact Zone (e.g., 14.4 g/t Au over 40.75 m, 30.42 g/t Au over 5.60 m, 141.2 g/t Au over 4.55 m and 54.6 g/t Au over 7.05 m). Santacruz Silver MiningCompany website: Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. – general corporate and operational information for the company’s producing mines in Bolivia and Mexico. Investor relations page: Investor Relations – Santacruz Silver Mining – includes corporate presentations, financial reports and news releases. Corporate presentation (Mar 2026): Santacruz Silver Mining Corporate Presentation (March 2026) – details the company’s four producing mines, ore‑sourcing business, 2025 production of ~14.4 Moz AgEq and outlines the Soracaya project timeline and growth targets. Q4 2025 production news release (Mar 2026): “Santacruz Silver Produces 3,739,019 silver equivalent ounces in Q4 2025” – reports quarterly production of 3.74 Moz AgEq and summarises 2025 full‑year production (~14.4 Moz AgEq) along with cash flow and EBITDA metrics. Trident ResourcesCompany website: Trident Resources Corp. – corporate overview, projects and management information. Corporate presentation: Trident Resources Corporate Presentation (Dec 2025) – outlines the company’s 0.9 Moz indicated and 1.1 Moz inferred gold resource base, details the Contact Lake past‑producer (188 koz at 6.16 g/t) and provides guidance on drilling plans and valuation metrics (~US$16/oz EV on the current ~2 Moz gold resource). Winter exploration news release (Feb 2026): “Trident Resources Accelerates Winter Exploration Program with the Addition of a Third Drill Rig to the Contact Lake Gold Project in Northern Saskatchewan” – announces that a third drill rig has been added to the Contact Lake program, plans 30–40 km of drilling in 2026 and notes that Contact Lake is not yet part of the current resource Land package expansion news release (Feb 2026): “Trident Resources Announces Purchase of Additional 4,711 Hectares at the Contact Lake Gold and Greywacke Gold Projects” – discusses the acquisition of an additional 4,711 hectares surrounding Contact Lake and Greywacke to consolidate the district. Financing news release (Feb 2026): “Trident Closes $18.6 Million Offering” – details the completion of a C$18.6 M financing, leaving the company with over C$32 M in cash and marketable securities for exploration. Southern Silver ExplorationCompany website: Southern Silver Exploration Corp. – general corporate information and project overviews. Investor relations page: Investor Relations – Southern Silver – hosts presentations, fact sheets and regulatory filings. Corporate fact sheet (Feb 2026): “Cerro Las Minitas Corporate Fact Sheet” – describes the Cerro Las Minitas project as one of the largest undeveloped silver assets in the world and provides operational statistics such as average annual production, grades and capital costs. Corporate presentation (Feb 2026): Southern Silver corporate presentation – lists the mineral resource estimate of 302 Moz AgEq (116 Moz AgEq indicated at 271 g/t and 186 Moz AgEq inferred at 248 g/t) and highlights from the 2024 PEA, including a 17+ year mine life, 14.4 Moz AgEq average annual production in years 1–8 and an after‑tax NPV₅ of US$501 M. The presentation also notes that Southern Silver owns 100 % of Cerro Las Minitas with no royalties. Puro Corazon drill results news release (Mar 2026): “Southern Silver Intersects 6.3 Metres Averaging 874 g/t AgEq at Cerro Las Minitas Project in Durango, Mexico” – reports a 6.3 m interval grading 874 g/t AgEq (including 1.5 m at 2,062 g/t AgEq) and states that the high‑grade results will be incorporated into an updated resource estimate and PEA. Soma Gold Corp.Company website: Soma Gold Corp. – general information on the company’s producing assets in Colombia. Corporate presentation (Feb 2026): Soma Gold Corporate Presentation (February 2026) – provides a concise overview of the company’s operations and financial profile. The “At a Glance” slide notes that Soma operates two producing complexes and has 25 koz LTM gold production, targets 65–75 koz medium‑term annual gold production, generated C$39 M LTM EBITDA, and reports ~C$7 M in cash and a market cap of C$270 M Ore‑sorting agreement news release (Dec 2025): “Soma Gold Signs Agreement for Sensor‑Based Sorting Facility at its El Bagre Operation” – announces a sensor‑based ore‑sorting facility intended to lift El Bagre throughput from ~450 tpd to 700–750 tpd when fully implemented. Formalized small‑mine ore agreement news release (Dec 2025): “Soma Gold Receives First Ore Shipment from Formalized Small Mine at El Limon” – reports that Soma received its first ore shipment from a formalized small mine at El Limon and expects additional small mines to supply high‑grade ore. Exploration & drilling news releases (2025): A series of press releases detailing extensions of the Atenas and Cordero deposits and the commencement of drilling on the Psyche 2 copper anomaly. Apollo SilverCompany website: Apollo Silver Corp. – provides corporate information, project summaries and investor materials. Corporate presentation (Mar 2026): Apollo Silver Investor Presentation (March 6 2026) – describes the Calico project in California and Cinco de Mayo project in Mexico. The Calico section notes that it contains 125 Moz silver (measured + indicated) and 58 Moz silver (inferred) and provides credits of 2.7 Mt barite and 354 Mlbs zinc. Another slide explains that Apollo has been accepted into the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium, a U.S. DoD‑supported initiative aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains for critical materials. Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) news release (Mar 2026): “Apollo Silver Initiates Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Calico Project” – announces the commencement of a PEA for Calico and indicates that the study will evaluate production options and economics. Defense Industrial Base Consortium news release (Mar 2026): “Apollo Silver Accepted into U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium” – confirms Apollo’s acceptance into the consortium and discusses the strategic importance of domestic barite, zinc and silver supply chains. Private placement news release (Mar 2026): “Apollo Silver Closes Second and Final Tranche of $27.5 Million Private Placement Offering with a $12.5 Million Investment from Jupiter Asset Management” – provides details of the financing, including terms and the participation of Jupiter Asset Management.