PAAS or HL: Which Silver Mining Stock is the Superior Investment Right Now?
Market Overview: Silver prices have increased by 35% this year, reaching $38.80 per ounce, while gold prices rose by 28.5%, driven by safe-haven demand and geopolitical tensions. The silver market is expected to face a deficit in 2025 for the fifth consecutive year.
Pan American Silver (PAAS): PAAS operates 12 mines across the Americas and has significant mineral reserves. The company reported an 18% revenue increase in Q2 2024, with record cash flow and a 20% dividend hike. A pending acquisition of MAG Silver is anticipated to enhance its production and lower costs.
Hecla Mining (HL): Hecla produces over 45% of U.S. silver and reported record revenues in Q2 2024, with a 300% increase in earnings year-over-year. The company maintains low all-in sustaining costs and is focused on organic growth and exploration projects.
Investment Outlook: Both companies are well-positioned to benefit from rising silver and gold prices, but Hecla Mining currently shows stronger fundamentals and share price performance, making it a more attractive investment option compared to Pan American Silver.
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- Market Decline: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 fell by 0.67% and 0.61%, respectively, reaching 1.5-week lows, indicating concerns over a pullback in tech stocks, particularly as the AI-driven rally loses momentum, which may affect investor confidence.
- Rising Bond Yields: The 10-year T-note yield surged to a 16-month high of 4.69%, triggering risk-off sentiment that led to increased stock liquidation, further heightening market uncertainty and potentially prompting the Fed to adopt tighter monetary policies.
- Supportive Economic Data: April pending home sales rose by 1.4% month-over-month, surpassing expectations of 1.0%, and March figures were revised up to 1.7%, demonstrating resilience in the housing market that could provide some support for stocks.
- Oil Price Volatility: WTI crude prices fell nearly 1% following President Trump's comments on Iran, while the IEA reported a decline in global oil inventories of about 4 million bpd, suggesting that the market will remain undersupplied in the near term, impacting related energy stocks.
- Market Retreat: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.68% and the Nasdaq 100 by 0.95%, both hitting 1.5-week lows, indicating a weakening confidence in tech stocks that could affect investor sentiment and future capital flows.
- Rising Bond Yields: The 10-year T-note yield climbed to a 16-month high of 4.69%, intensifying concerns over rising inflation that may prompt the Fed to pursue tighter monetary policy, thereby impacting stock market performance.
- Supportive Economic Data: April pending home sales rose by 1.4% month-over-month, surpassing expectations of 1.0%, demonstrating resilience in the housing market that could provide some support for stocks, despite overall market pressures.
- Oil Price Volatility: WTI crude oil prices dropped over 1% today due to geopolitical factors, with market concerns about future supply tightness intensifying, potentially affecting stock performance in related sectors, particularly airlines and mining stocks.
- Price Range Analysis: The SILJ ETF's 52-week low is $12.0975 per share, with a high of $41.10, while the last trade was at $28.05, indicating relative stability in a volatile market that may attract investor interest.
- Technical Analysis Tool: Comparing the latest share price to the 200-day moving average can provide valuable insights for investors, helping them better grasp market trends and timing for investments.
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- Gold Price Decline: Spot gold prices fell by 2% to $4,558.6 per ounce, and if it fails to hold above $4,500, renewed focus on the 200-day moving average at $4,340 could undermine investor confidence and trigger further sell-offs.
- Silver Crash: Spot silver plummeted over 8% to $76.7 per ounce, with futures dropping nearly 10%, indicating a sharp decline in demand for precious metals, which may lead to further stock price declines for related mining companies.
- Rising Oil Prices: Brent crude oil futures surged 3.3% to $109 per barrel, reflecting increasing global energy costs that could exacerbate inflation expectations, thereby impacting the precious metals market negatively.
- Shifting Market Sentiment: While retail sentiment for iShares Silver Trust remains in the 'extremely bullish' zone, sentiment for SPDR Gold Shares has shifted from 'bearish' to 'neutral', indicating a weakening confidence among investors in gold's future performance.
- Upsized Financing: GoldHaven Resources announced an upsized flow-through financing of approximately $3.2 million for 2026, fully funding its expanded drilling program at the Magno Project in the Cassiar District, reflecting strong investor interest in the project.
- Polymetallic System Potential: The company plans to drill over 5,000 meters across the Magno, Kuhn, and D Zones, targeting high-grade mineralization, with historical results showing silver grades up to 2,370 g/t, enhancing the project's appeal.
- Strategic Investment Expansion: GoldHaven is also advancing its Copeçal Gold Project in Brazil, where an independent geology consultant confirmed a large-scale hydrothermal system and identified high-priority drill targets, showcasing the company's strategic diversification in discovery opportunities.
- Modern Geophysical Survey: The company has completed a modern airborne magnetic survey covering 1,741 kilometers in collaboration with Dias Airborne Limited, aimed at optimizing 2026 drill targets and further enhancing the exploration potential of the Magno project.
- Successful Financing: GoldHaven Resources announced that its total flow-through financing for 2026 has reached approximately $3.2 million, fully funding the expanded drilling program at its Magno Project in the Cassiar District, reflecting strong investor interest in the project.
- Drilling Program Expansion: Drilling is expected to exceed the initial 5,000 meters, focusing on the Magno, Kuhn, and D Zones, which have shown strong grades and clear geological vectors, potentially leading to significant resource discoveries.
- Diversified Project Portfolio: In addition to the Magno project, GoldHaven is advancing the Copeçal Gold Project in Brazil, where a large-scale hydrothermal system has been confirmed and high-priority drill targets identified, further enhancing the company's resource diversity.
- Modern Geophysical Survey: The 1,741 kilometers of airborne magnetic surveying conducted at Magno supports the 2026 drilling targets with a modern geological model, improving the accuracy and efficiency of resource assessment.











