Global Silver Mine Production Forecast to Increase by 1%
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 11 2026
0mins
Should l Buy HL?
Source: PRnewswire
- Silver Production Forecast: Global silver mine production is projected to increase by 1% to 820 million ounces in 2026, a ten-year high driven by new project commissioning in Mexico, Canada, and Morocco, despite a persistent market deficit of 67 million ounces, indicating ongoing supply-demand tensions.
- Surge in Investment Demand: Physical investment demand is expected to surge by 20% to 227 million ounces, reaching a three-year peak, reflecting strengthened investor confidence in silver's dual monetary and industrial roles, which may help maintain prices around $80 per ounce.
- Trinity Project Progress: Americore Resources has completed a 350-kilometer drone-magnetometer survey at its Trinity silver project in Nevada, aiming to integrate historical geophysical records to build a unified structural model, with drilling expected to commence in Q2 2026.
- Resource Estimation Plans: Americore plans to elevate resources from inferred to indicated status through confirmation and expansion drilling, supporting a new mineral resource estimate, showcasing the company's long-term strategic positioning and confidence in silver mining development.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy HL?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on HL
Wall Street analysts forecast HL stock price to rise
7 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 18.610
Low
16.00
Averages
23.93
High
36.50
Current: 18.610
Low
16.00
Averages
23.93
High
36.50
About HL
Hecla Mining Company is a silver producer in the United States and Canada. It discovers, acquires and develops mines and other mineral interests and produces and markets concentrates containing silver, gold, lead, zinc and copper; carbon material containing silver and gold, and unrefined dore containing silver and gold. Its segments include Greens Creek, Lucky Friday, Keno Hill and Casa Berardi. Greens Creek operation is located on Admiralty Island, near Juneau, Alaska. Greens Creek property includes over 440 unpatented lode mining claims, 58 unpatented millsite claims, 21 patented lode claims and one patented millsite. Lucky Friday mine is a deep underground silver, lead, and zinc mine located in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District in northern Idaho. Keno Hill Silver Project is located within the Keno Hill Silver District in Canada’s Yukon Territory, which comprises over 242 square kilometers with numerous mineral deposits. It owns a number of exploration and pre-development projects.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Surge in Technical Buying: Silver futures breaking above the $82.20 and $82.70 resistance levels have triggered momentum-driven and technical buying from leveraged accounts, pushing spot silver prices above $85 an ounce for the first time in nearly two months, with a 15% increase this month.
- Weak Chinese Demand: Despite the surge in silver prices, relatively weak Shanghai premiums indicate that Chinese demand is not the main driver behind the recent price increase, with the next key technical level expected around $91.50.
- Retail Sentiment Turns Bullish: Retail sentiment for iShares Silver Trust (SLV) on Stocktwits has turned ‘bullish’ for the first time in over a year, with message volumes remaining high, as SLV shares rose more than 5%, making it one of the top trending tickers on the platform.
- Strong Performance of Mining Stocks: Silver mining companies such as Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS) saw shares jump nearly 4%, Hecla Mining (HL) surged over 7%, and First Majestic Silver Corp. (AG) gained more than 4%, reflecting strong market interest in silver.
See More
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 rose by 0.17% and the Nasdaq 100 reached an all-time high, reflecting strong corporate earnings and optimism around AI, although rising oil prices and bond yields limited gains.
- Middle East Impact: The failure of the U.S. and Iran to reach a peace agreement has led to rising global bond yields, with the 10-year Treasury yield increasing to 4.39%, potentially forcing central banks to tighten monetary policy, which could affect market liquidity.
- Chinese Trade Data: China's April exports rose 14.1% year-on-year and imports increased by 25.3%, both exceeding market expectations, providing a positive signal for global economic growth and potentially boosting international investment sentiment.
- Corporate Earnings Situation: So far, 83% of the 446 S&P 500 companies have exceeded earnings expectations, with Q1 earnings projected to grow by 12% year-on-year, demonstrating corporate resilience in the economic recovery, although growth in the tech sector has slowed to 3%.
See More
- Significant Revenue Growth: First Majestic Silver reported a revenue of $471.1 million for Q4 2025, reflecting a substantial increase that highlights its strong performance during silver price rallies, likely attracting more investor interest.
- Mine Restart Plans: The company plans to restart its Jerritt Canyon gold mine by 2027, a strategic move that not only aims to boost future gold production but also enhances its competitive position in the North American market.
- Stable Performance for Hecla: Hecla Mining achieved $448.1 million in revenue for Q4 2025 with a gross margin of 53%, demonstrating that its diversified revenue sources allow it to maintain stability amid silver price fluctuations, thereby boosting investor confidence.
- Environmental Litigation Risk: Despite Hecla Mining's strong financial performance, it faces an environmental lawsuit regarding its exploration project in Montana, which could pose potential risks to its future operations and reputation.
See More
- Quarterly Revenue Growth: First Majestic Silver recently surpassed Hecla Mining in quarterly revenue, indicating a visibly steeper upward trajectory that may attract increased investor interest in its silver mining operations.
- Revenue Diversity Comparison: While both companies have demonstrated consistent quarter-over-quarter revenue growth, Hecla Mining boasts a more diversified revenue base with a gross margin of approximately 53%, making it more resilient during silver price fluctuations, potentially appealing more to investors.
- Strategic Development Plans: First Majestic has announced plans to restart its Jerritt Canyon gold mine by 2027, despite ongoing international arbitration regarding a Mexican tax dispute, which could enhance its gold output and overall revenue in the future.
- Market Risk Assessment: First Majestic's heavy dependence on silver prices results in greater revenue volatility, whereas Hecla Mining mitigates risk through a diversified revenue stream, suggesting that it may offer more stable returns in the long run.
See More
- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 rose by 0.84% and the Nasdaq 100 increased by 2.35%, reaching record highs, reflecting market optimism driven by robust corporate earnings despite concerns over the Iran conflict.
- Support from Employment Data: U.S. nonfarm payrolls for April increased by 115,000, surpassing expectations of 65,000, with March figures revised up to 185,000, indicating resilience in the labor market and further boosting stock prices.
- Decline in Consumer Confidence: The University of Michigan's May consumer sentiment index fell to a record low of 48.2, below the expected 49.5, highlighting economic uncertainty that could impact future consumer spending.
- Oil Market Volatility: Iran's seizure of an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz led to a rise in WTI crude prices, with expectations that this incident will affect global oil supply, potentially causing further price fluctuations.
See More
- Strong Employment Data: US nonfarm payrolls rose by 115,000 in April, exceeding expectations of 65,000, while March figures were revised up to 185,000, indicating labor market resilience that supports stock market gains.
- Declining Consumer Confidence: Despite rising stock prices, the University of Michigan's May consumer sentiment index fell by 1.6 to a record low of 48.2, reflecting consumer concerns about the economic outlook, which could negatively impact future spending.
- Chip Stocks Lead Gains: Chipmakers like Micron and Qualcomm saw stock prices rise over 8%, driving the overall market higher, demonstrating the strong performance of tech stocks in the current market environment, although weakness in software stocks limited gains in the Dow.
- Oil Price Volatility Impact: WTI crude prices edged up slightly due to Iran seizing an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, complicating market expectations for future oil prices, which may influence investment decisions in related sectors.
See More











