PDAC, Toronto's major minerals conference happening now, is less busy this year because the show is charging investors to walk to the trade show floor and hitting booth traffic. The Barrick/Newmont/Goldcorp hostile takeover: there's a drive in this space to be bigger and relevant. Newmont would take on a lot of debt from Goldcorp, so there will be divestitures. The mid-tiers will watch the fall-out from the Newmont-Goldcorp deal if it happens. Brent Cook: It's musical chairs now with all the M&As, but this will slow down exploration in this sector and not add any new ounces to production profiles--that's a problem. Discoveries have been decreasing steadily since 2000. He's not sure what the mid-tiers will do in M&A this year.

A well-levered company, but they got to manage geopolitical risk in Mali, Nicaragua, Phillippines and Namibia. Very good operators and have shown fine performance vs. the gold price.

They're in Idaho which takes time to permit, though it's good geopolitcally. Has a good grade for an open pit, 1.7 grams. The metallurgy, though, is a slight issue--can they find enough capital? Barrick has made a major investment under the old CEO in early-2018, so where does it fit under the new CEO? Their annual production could top 300,000 ounces a year. Brent Cook: The permit process is moving ahead slowly. It's one of the few better deposits in the US not owned by a major.

Good managers in Newfoundland. But the issue is the continuity of the gold, so he's never bought it. An interesting play and geopolitcally good though infrastructure is slightly challenged. There's a potential for a big strike.

$45 million market cap. It has a gold project in western Quebec and hitting some high-grade at less than a meter, 600+grams/tonne. Their issue is continuity: will this grade continue? Now, it is an interesting play. Brent Cook: It's a narrow, high-grade vein but could be diluted which is a concern.

(A Top Pick Oct 16/18, Up 38%) A royalty company that's growing. They've been acquiring royalties wich assets that come into production in 6-12 months, so they'll hit their cash flow quickly. Brent Cook: They also own a hot deposit in Turkey that will come into play.

RNX is producing as opposed to drilling like many companies are. They're also generating good cash flow. But continuity is a concern. Brent Cook: restrictive, small but high-grade veins.

Used to own it, a past pick and he took good profits. Geologically, the potential of this area is ridiculous, but the geopolitic risks are worrysome--the DRC (Congo). Brent Cook: This is the best undeveloped copper deposit in the world.