Markets and commodities react

In Canada, equity markets were positive this week. The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) gained 0.29 percent to close at 27,494.35 on Friday, setting a new all-time high, while the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) rose 0.55 percent to 801.13. The CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) was the largest gainer, jumping 3.87 percent to 132.89.

As for US equity markets, the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) gained 1.18 percent to 6,388.65 and the Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) climbed 0.62 percent to 23,285.57, with both closing the week setting new all-time highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) rose 0.74 percent to 44,901.93, closing in on its record of 45,014 set on December 4, 2024.

In precious metals, the gold price was flat, ending the week down slightly at US$3,337.31 by Friday at 4 p.m. EDT. Meanwhile, the silver price continued to trade near 11-year highs mid-week, but fell to finish the week flat at US$38.15 per ounce.

In base metals, copper posted a 3.93 percent gain, trading near all time highs at US$5.82 per pound. The S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) registered a 0.75 percent loss to finish the week at 545.08

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.

1. St. Augustine Gold and Copper (TSX:SAU)

Weekly gain: 66.67 percent
Market cap: C$414.68 million
Share price: C$0.5

St. Augustine Gold and Copper is a development company focused on its King-king copper-gold project in the Philippines’ Davao de Oro province. The project consists of 184 mining claims.

According to the latest preliminary economic assessment from 2013, the company projects an after-tax net present value of US$1.78 billion, with an internal rate of return of 24 percent and a payback period of 2.4 years using a base case scenario of a copper price of US$3.00 per pound and a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce.

The company is currently working toward an update to the study.

On May 30, St. Augustine announced that it had entered into an agreement with the National Development Corporation (Nadecor) to acquire a 100 percent interest in Nadecor’s wholly owned subsidiary Kingking Milling, which holds the development rights to King-king.

Under the terms of the deal, Nadecor will receive C$9.02 million convertible into 185 million shares.

The project’s exploration and development permits are held by Kingking Mining, which remains a 40/40/20 joint venture between St. Augustine, Nadecor and Queensberry Mining and Development. The release also includes details of new ore sales and royalty agreements between Kingking Milling and Kingking Mining.

The company announced its latest news on Friday, reporting that it had closed a private placement, raising gross proceeds of C$24.9 million. In the announcement, the company said it intends to use the funds to advance development at King-king.

Additionally, the company reported on Thursday that Nicolaos Paraskevas and Andrew J. Russell had joined the board of directors. It notes that Paraskevas has experience in supervising business development activities in the copper industry, while Russell is one of the original founders of St. Augustine and brings two decades of experience in mining management. The announcement also reported that Love D. Manigsaca had been appointed as St. Augustine’s new CFO.

2. Kapa Gold (TSXV:KAPA)

Weekly gain: 62.12 percent
Market cap: C$19.66 million
Share price: C$0.30

Kapa Gold is an exploration company focused on advancing the past-producing Blackhawk gold mine in San Bernardino County, California.

The project site is composed of seven patented and 178 contiguous federal lode claims covering 1,496.2 hectares. The property hosts multiple mineralized zones with previous exploration work revealing deposits with high grade gold, silver, lead and zinc. Historic production from ramps and underground mines has graded an average 10 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold.

Kapa’s most recent news from the project was reported on March 5, when it announced it had initiated biological surveys in advance of exploration activities on the site and submitted the requested bonding to San Bernardino County, allowing for drilling on patented claims at Blackhawk.

3. North Peak Resources (TSXV:NPR)

Weekly gain: 47.3 percent
Market cap: C$47.28 million
Share price: C$1.09

North Peak Resources is an exploration company working to advance its Prospect Mountain Mine Complex in Central Nevada, US.

The property comprises 221.9 acres of patented claims and 1,905 acres of unpatented claims, consolidating several historical mines that have hosted operations dating back to the 1870s.

Despite the extensive history of the property, limited modern exploration work has been conducted, and a technical report from April 2023 notes that no mineral resource estimate has been produced. Part of the property is currently covered by a plan of operation that entitles North Peak to carry out surface exploration, infrastructural works and underground mining of up to 331,000 metric tons per year.

The most recent exploration update from the property was released on May 27, when North Peak announced results from samples collected from underground and surface historical occurrences. Highlights included grades of 45.6 g/t gold, 569 g/t silver, 4.09 percent lead and 3.12 percent zinc over 15 cm from channel samples of in-situ material from the Dean Cave area; and 5.3 g/t gold, 39 g/t silver, 7.03 percent lead and 1.92 percent zinc from dump grab samples collected from the Kit Carson mine.

The latest news from the company came on Monday, when North Peak announced it had acquired the remaining 20 percent stake in the property from Solarljos in exchange for 3 million common shares. North Peak purchased its original 80 percent interest in the property in August 2023.

4. NextSource Materials (TSX:NEXT)

Weekly gain: 46.15 percent
Market cap: C$92.46 million
Share price: C$0.475

NextSource Materials is a mining and exploration company focused on advancing its Molo graphite mine to Phase 2 production.

The mine is located in Southern Madagascar and has a nameplate capacity of 11,000 metric tons per year, with a fixed carbon content between 94 percent and 97 percent. The company is currently working towards a Phase 2 expansion at the mine, which will increase capacity to 150,000 metric tons per year. NextSource expects to complete an updated feasibility study for the project by the end of Q3 2025.

The company is also developing a series of battery anode facilities in key geographic locations. The facilities will be designed with modular production capacities that are intended to expand in line with automotive demand.

The most recent announcement from NextSource came on June 2, when it announced its withdrawal from its battery anode facility option in Mauritius, instead planning to develop a larger-scale facility in the Middle East, which would help streamline permitting and increase access to EV manufacturers. The company stated it is advancing discussions with EV manufacturers for potential offtake agreements.

5. BeMetals (TSXV:BMET)

Weekly gain: 44.44 percent
Market cap: C$10.3 million
Share price: C$0.065

Bemetals is a gold and copper explorer advancing its Pangeni copper project in Zambia.

The project is located in Northwestern Zambia along the western edge of the Central African Copperbelt. BeMetals has been actively exploring the property since 2020 and identified several areas with copper mineralization.

The most recent update from the property came on March 25 when the company reported that it had commenced a new 2,000 meter to 2,500 meter drilling program to identify additional zones of copper mineralization and expand the existing footprint within the D-Prospect area.

Previous exploration at the site has yielded highlighted assays with up to 0.74 percent copper and 533 parts per million (ppm) cobalt over 16.16 meters, including an intersection of 0.93 percent copper and 701 ppm cobalt over 5.5 meters.

On July 10, BeMetals announced that it had entered into a non-binding letter of intent with Prospector Metals (TSXV:PPP,OTCQB:PMCOF) to acquire up to a 100 percent stake in the Savant gold project in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The property covers an area of 232 square kilometers and hosts numerous gold occurrences. Under the terms of the agreement, BeMetals has agreed to meet certain milestones, including the production of a mineral resource estimate.

Final ownership share will be determined by the size of the reported resource. If the reported resource is under 500,000 ounces of contained gold, Prospector will retain full ownership. If it is between 500,000 and 1 million ounces, Prospector and BeMetals will form a 50/50 joint venture. Lastly, if the resource is over 1 million ounces, with at least 500,000 ounces in the indicated category, BeMetals will earn the full 100 percent interest, with Prospector holding a 0.5 percent net smelter royalty.

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

1. Bright Minds Biosciences (CSE:DRUG)

Year-on-year gain: 2,290 percent
Market cap: C$243.73 million
Share price: C$34.41

Bright Minds Biosciences is focused on developing novel treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders and pain.

Its portfolio consists of serotonin agonists designed to target neurocircuit abnormalities that make disorders like epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression difficult to treat. The company’s drugs have been designed to potentially retain the powerful therapeutic aspects of psychedelic and other serotonergic compounds, while minimizing their side effects, thereby creating superior drugs to first-generation compounds such as psilocybin.

Bright Minds’ BMB-101, an agonist targeting the 5-HT2C receptor, will target classic absence epilepsy and developmental epileptic encephalopathy. An evaluation of Phase II trials done in collaboration with Firefly Neuroscience (NASDAQ:AIFF) determined that BMB-101 stopped seizures in a mouse model of epilepsy, suggesting it could be a vital new treatment.

In October 2024, Bright Mind’s share price surged nearly 1,500 percent in a single session after global pharmaceutical company H. Lundbeck announced its intention to acquire Longboard Pharmaceuticals, another firm with a 5-HT2C agonist in its pipeline.

In March of this year, Bright Minds added five world-renowned leaders in epilepsy research to its scientific advisory board.

2. Hemostemix (TSXV:HEM)

Year-on-year gain: 170 percent
Market cap: C$20.44 million
Share price: C$0.14

Hemostemix is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing autologous stem cell therapies, an approach that uses a patient’s own cells to theoretically enhance safety and efficacy. Its main product, ACP-01, is a cell therapy derived from a patient’s blood to promote tissue repair and regeneration in areas affected by disease.

The company announced its first advanced sales orders for ACP-01 on January 29 and has been working to expand internationally and attract new investment.

In July 2025, Hemostemix reported that the unanimous passing of Senate Bill 1768 in Florida, US, means it can begin commercial ACP-01 treatments for ischemic pain in the state in Q4. The bill creates a framework in which healthcare providers can administer stem cell therapies that had not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but meet the bill’s guidelines.

The company projected 2026 sales of C$22.5 million following the news.

Additionally, Hemostemix is currently collaborating with Firefly Neuroscience on a Phase 1 clinical trial of ACP-01 for vascular dementia.

3. Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals (TSX:EPRX)

Year-on-year gain: 109.3 percent
Market cap: C$266.36 million
Share price: C$7.20

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals focuses on developing locally delivered therapeutics for patients with unmet medical needs. Its primary focus has been orthopedics and oncology. Eupraxia acquired EpiPharma Therapeutics in late 2023, absorbing the company’s lead candidate EP-104GI.

In February, the company released positive data from the sixth cohort of its Phase 1b/2a trial for EP-104GI in eosinophilic esophagitis. In July, the company advanced its investigation into the Phase 2b portion after selecting an initial dose based on encouraging safety and efficacy data from the earlier Phase 2a cohorts, with top-line results from the Phase 2b study anticipated in Q3 2026.

4. ME Therapeutics Holdings (CSE:METX)

Year-on-year gain: 33.33 percent
Market cap: C$147.95 million
Share price: C$5.00

ME Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing cancer-fighting drug candidates that can increase the efficacy of current immuno-oncology drugs by targeting suppressive myeloid cells, which have been found to hinder the effectiveness of existing immuno-oncology treatments. Immuno-oncology is a relatively new area of cancer drug research and has shown promising results when used to treat cancer with low survival rates.

ME Therapeutics’ antibody h1B11-12 is designed to inhibit the cytokine G-SCF. Research performed by ME in collaboration with Dr. Kenneth Harder at the University of British Columbia demonstrated that G-CSF appeared to increase tumor growth in breast and colon cancer, as well as a correlation between survival in patients with colorectal cancer and low expression of G-CSF.

The work suggests that inhibition of tumor-secreted G-CSF using h1B11-12 could support the existing treatments. Trial planning efforts are ongoing, and the company expects development of a cell line for future production of the drug to be finished in the latter half of 2025.

The company is also part of an ongoing collaborative effort to develop therapeutic mRNA delivery methods to myeloid cells with NanoVation Therapeutics, a privately owned biotech company that develops customized nucleic acid and lipid nanoparticle technologies to empower genetic medicine. The collaboration has already resulted in two new mRNA formulations, for which testing began on October 4, and has demonstrated encouraging anti-cancer activity in a preclinical model of colorectal cancer.

In May 2025, the company said it would receive up to C$140,000 in funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program to advance its mRNA therapeutic program.

ME Therapeutics is also exploring a listing on the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange.

5. NervGen (TSXV:NGEN)

Year-on-year gain: 28.42 percent
Market cap: C$276.78 million
Share price: C$3.75

NervGen is a clinical-stage Canadian biotechnology company that focuses on developing innovative treatments to enable the nervous system to repair itself following damage from injury or disease.

The company’s core technology targets a mechanism that hinders nervous system repair. When the nervous system is damaged, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans form a “scar.” Initially, CSPGs help contain damage, but their long-term interaction with the PTPσ receptor inhibits repair.

NervGen’s lead drug candidate, NVG-291, is designed to relieve these inhibitory effects, promoting nervous system repair. NervGen is advancing NVG-291 in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for spinal cord injury (SCI), reporting positive data from the chronic cohort in June. It received fast track designation from the US FDA.

NVG-300, a newer preclinical candidate, is being evaluated for ischemic stroke and SCI.

Escalating policy and tariff pressures

The biopharmaceutical industry is currently grappling with significant headwinds, primarily driven by an evolving and unpredictable tariff landscape. This uncertainty has already impacted market activity, with only two initial public offerings in Q2 compared to five in Q1.

Regulatory shifts and concerns of an imminent trade war caused a nearly nine percent drop in the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF nearly nine percent in the first week of April, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 10 percent global tariff on nearly all goods entering the US.

Subsequent discussions have led to a dynamic and often unpredictable landscape. Throughout May and June, negotiations saw a temporary de-escalation, with some of the more severe tariffs being paused or substantially reduced for many goods until mid-August; however, a cumulative tariff of up to 245 percent on certain Chinese active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) has been in effect since April, significantly impacting the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Lingering uncertainties have also persisted; as of mid-July, while direct negotiations are ongoing, the US has signaled an intent to potentially increase the baseline reciprocal tariff rate to 15-20 percent and has threatened a hike of 35 percent on goods currently subject to the 25 percent fentanyl tariff, effective August 1.

Further intensifying the pressure, Trump has recently proposed a dramatic 200 percent tariff on imported finished pharmaceutical products, as well as 30 percent tariffs on the EU and Mexico, slated to begin on August 1.

For pharmaceuticals, the higher import costs for APIs and finished drugs are forcing companies to continuously re-evaluate their supply chains and brace for potential price increases.

Tariffs on steel and aluminium could also increase costs for stainless-steel bioprocessing equipment, lab equipment and medical devices.

Picton Mahoney’s 2025 Mid-Year Report discusses the risks associated with tariffs, including increased recession odds, stagflation risks and the possibility of renewed protectionist policies creating ripple effects across global equity markets. The authors add that building pricing pressures in the US from new tariffs and a weaker US dollar could exacerbate negative economic trends.

The report also highlights that policy uncertainty is bad for corporate planning and could lead to a pause in spending.

Evaluate Pharma’s World Preview 2025 report, released in June, states that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the biopharmaceutical industry is “off the pace so far in 2025”, with the slowdown attributed to uncertainties surrounding US tariffs and drug pricing policy. An unnamed former Big Pharma CEO is quoted as saying, “I’d be holding off dealmaking for 3-6 months until this [tariff framework] plays out”.

The report also indicates that the deals that are happening are “heavily risk-mitigated” and often involve late-stage or marketed assets or, if programs have not yet been finalized, include contingent payments.

M&A trends and pipeline expansion

Despite a slowdown in the market, pharma and biotech companies continued to pursue M&As in the second quarter, seeking to strengthen their product pipelines with a focus on bolt-on acquisitions.

Notably, there was a trend of European pharmaceutical giants acquiring US-based biotechnology firms, such as GSK’s (NYSE:GSK) acquisition of Boston Pharmaceuticals’ subsidiary, BP Asset IX, to gain access to its live disease drug, efinofermin, in a deal valued at up to US$2 billion.

Significant investments were also directed toward immunology, rare diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, underscoring a broader trend in the industry toward targeted pipeline expansion and addressing unmet medical needs across a range of complex conditions.

Sanofi’s (NASDAQ:SNY) US$9.5 billion acquisition of Blueprint Medicines garnered considerable attention due to the startup’s very specific and strong focus within the rare disease space. Many industry observers expect the deal will help grow Sanofi’s portfolio of rare disease treatments.

The acquisitions were diverse in their therapeutic focus, but Merck’s (NYSE:MRK) acquisition of SpringWorks Therapeutics, which specializes in rare and genetically defined cancers, highlighted the ongoing dominance of oncology.

Healthcare policy changes under Trump

AI-driven solutions are continuing to have an impact on life science industries. Several panels at Web Summit Vancouver highlighted how investors are increasingly focused on AI’s potential for significant productivity gains in life sciences, particularly in drug development and synthetic biology, despite challenges in regulation and data integration.

Wesley Chan of FPV Ventures highlighted life sciences as a sector where AI offers significant productivity gains, citing Strand Therapeutics’ AI-developed mRNA cancer therapy as an example of a generational investment opportunity available through the convergence of biology and AI.

Tom Beigala, founding partner at Bison Ventures, said he believes AI and next-generation computational technologies are driving innovation across the entire healthcare system, from making drug discovery easier and more cost-effective to optimizing data utilization and significantly increasing labor and clinical productivity.

Eric Hoskins, partner at Maverix Private Equity, identified AI-guided personalized medicine as one of the “fast movers” poised to bring an abrupt and immediate change to healthcare.

Reflecting this accelerating integration of AI into clinical practice and patient care, Sanofi and Regeneron (NASDAQ:REGN) partnered with Viz.ai, an AI healthcare firm, in May to integrate AI into COPD management.

Looking ahead

As the biotech and pharma sectors head into the third quarter, the outlook remains clouded by policy uncertainty, rising input costs and shifting global trade dynamics. Yet opportunities remain for firms that can navigate the complexity. Large-cap leaders like Novartis (NYSE:NVS), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Sanofi have demonstrated that strong fundamentals and strategic pipeline development can drive outperformance, even in turbulent markets.

As far as policy goes, the Trump administration’s inclusion of enhanced orphan drug incentives under the “Big Beautiful Bill” could act as a catalyst for rare disease innovation.

AI remains a transformative force across the industry. As generative models begin to inform pipeline design and clinical trial optimization, companies with robust data strategies and smart manufacturing capabilities are expected to gain a competitive advantage.

“For us, we really like applications of AI where you’ve got proprietary data, in many cases, probably off the shelf for lightly modified AI models, and then going after super high value applications,” said Beigala, a founding partner of Bison Ventures, which has a portfolio spanning AI-enhanced drug discovery, advanced life science tools for pre-clinical testing and synthetic biology applications.

Similarly, investment in domestic CDMO infrastructure and real-time manufacturing analytics will be crucial for supply chain resilience in an increasingly protectionist trade environment.

Looking ahead, commercial-stage differentiation will become more critical than ever. Investors will be watching closely for companies that can combine clinical results, cost control and regulatory readiness to stand out in a cautious market.

“That’s what we look for, these application models where the team is so thoughtful and smart and so uniquely positioned to understand and have access to data that nobody else has,” Chan explained.

Biopharma’s next phase will be defined by measurable progress. In Q3, adaptability, resilience and clear-eyed execution will matter more than ever.