The KE Report

[Recorded March 18th, 2026]  Nick Hodge, Co-Owner of Digest Publishing and editor of Foundational Profits and Underground Alpha, joins me for our monthly longer-format discussion on different macroeconomic factors and market reactions to the war in the Middle East, and how he continuing to accumulate select stocks into the volatility in gold, royalty, uranium, and critical minerals resource stocks.   We start off discussing the macro factors moving the markets, from slowing growth and lower GDP readings quarter over quarter, to rising inflation numbers, surging oil prices, and a higher US dollar in response to the geopolitical tensions.    Whereas oil has a near 90% correlation with the UD dollar, gold has been negatively correlated, dropping while the greenback has moved higher.   Shifting over to the corrective moves in gold, silver, and the precious metals stocks, Nick points out that investors must know what they own, understand the thesis on why they own it, and have confidence in the coming catalysts and teams ability to execute. If investors have this understanding and conviction in their stock selections, then they’ll be able to hold through any corrective moves, like what we’ve been seeing across the board in March. He points out that we are still in a structural bull market in the precious metals due to a number of macroeconomic factors, and believes buying into extreme weakness will be rewarded in the future.   We then pivoted over to the advantages of the royalty stock business model, and he highlighted the value proposition that he sees in Royal Gold (NASDAQ: RGLD) and how he utilized the strategy of setting targeted limit orders to take advantage of market volatility and acquire a larger position recently.   Shifting over to the junior mining stocks, Nick highlighted the corrective moves and lack of buying volume in some of names he’s been acquiring like North Shore Uranium Ltd. (TSX-V:NSU) and Daura Gold Corp. (TSXV: DGC) (OTC Pink: DGCOF).    This transitioned the conversation over into some of the macro drivers of nuclear power and the need for new uranium discoveries.   Wrapping up we briefly covered the renewed investor interest and participation in critical minerals companies focused on rare earths, antimony, tungsten, tantalum, niobium, scandium, and germanium. With regards to rare earths, he mentioned Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR), due to their ability to mine mineral sands projects globally, to then separate, and process rare earths domestically. Nick also flagged PMET Resources Inc. (TSX: PMET) (ASX: PMT) (OTCQX: PMETF) as a company that not only has a world-class lithium project, but also compelling caesium and tantalum resources.     Click here to follow Nick’s analysis and publications over at Digest Publishing     For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks:   The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/ Shad’s resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/     Investment disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investing in equities and commodities involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.

Luis Santana, CEO and Director of GoldQuest Mining Corp. (TSXV: GQC) (OTCQX: GDQMF), joins me for a comprehensive introduction to this Canadian exploration and development company, with strong participation from Dominican investors, focused on advancing its gold, copper, silver, and zinc assets in the Dominican Republic. The Company has a Board of Directors and management team with prior experience developing and operating a mine in the country, and they are drilling to move towards an updated Resource Estimate and Bankable Feasibility Study later in 2026.    We start off reviewing the history of the company where the initial resource and project economics were outlined on the Romero and Romero South deposits back in 2016, bringing in Agnico Eagle as a key stakeholder.  Then in 2017 a new discovery was made at the Cachimbo area, but there were organized community protests and the company went dormant for a few years, with out the surrounding community buy-in.  Then in 2022 Luis was chosen as CEO to work on the social license and advancing the Romero Project once again.  After a few years of community outreach, engagement, and education, there is finally a majority support for advancing the project.   The Company today has 57 employees and ~150 contractors working on the ground, and the exploration team is finishing up a 5,000 meter drill program at Cachimbo.   There is additional exploration going on around Romero and Romero south that will factor into the updated Resource Estimate and BFS later this year.   These are polymetallic VMS deposits that contain gold, copper, silver, and zinc mineralization, giving them an internally hedged advantage, and the ability to highlight the critical minerals for permitting and strategic importance of the Project.   If you have questions for Luis regarding the Romero Project or GoldQuest Mining, then please email those into me at Shad@kereport.com.   Click here to follow the latest news from GoldQuest Mining   For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks:   The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/ Shad’s resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/     Investment disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investing in equities and commodities involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.  

In this episode of The KE Report, host Shad Marquitz sits down with Joel Elconin, co-host of the Pre-Market Prep Show and founder of the Stock Trader Network, to dissect a market that appears to have rolled over into a corrective period. With oil prices surging, a disruptive geopolitical backdrop, the major averages testing near-term support, and the Quadruple Witching Expiration tomorrow, Joel provides a candid, sobering assessment of the macroeconomic and geopolitical forces currently rattling investors.   Key Discussion Points:   Geopolitical Catalysts and Inflation: The direct link between global conflict, surging oil prices, an increase inflation, and lower expectations for near-term rate cuts from the Fed. High Oil Price Contagion Effect: Everything from airline prices to shipping containers is seeing rising prices, and with higher prices at the gas pump, and businesses passing along higher freight and input costs, this could slow down the economy. The “R” Word:   Is a Recession looming in the future if economic growth contracts, and when paired with higher inflation, loss of jobs, and rising energy costs, are we actually drifting towards Stagflation? Loss of Market Momentum: Why the choppy technical action in the S&P 500 and Dow suggests a waning appetite for risk among investors in early 2026. Picks and Shovels:  Joel is favoring hardware over software, in a market that is selling off AI stocks, in favor of hardware companies like Micron, Scandisk, Modine Manufacturing, and MasTec The Nvidia is still the biggest hardware stock in the market: Joel dives into the forward guidance and analyst expectations for NVDA and what that means for the weighted indexes. Agriculture Hardware:   As farmers scramble to lock down fertilizer supplies for planting season, Joel remains more animated by farming equipment manufacturers like John Deer and Caterpillar. Quad-Witch Expiration on Friday:  These can be important days where institutional positions come off the board, and we see a change in direction or an acceleration of a trend.   Click here to visit Joel’s PreMarket Prep website – https://www.premarketprep.com/   Click here to visit the Stock Trader Network – https://www.stocktradernetwork.com/     For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks:   The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/ Shad’s resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/     Investment disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investing in equities and commodities involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.  

Will Robinson, VP of Exploration at West Red Lake Gold Mines, leads drilling programs and geological modeling. He maps targets around Madsen and Rowan. Short sections cover new high-grade hits at 4447 and 904, plans for a 13-level drift to access eastern zones, the shallow Fork reinterpretation and surface drilling, and deeper potential at Starratt-Olsen and down-plunge Madsen targets.

Bob Archer, President and CEO of Pinnacle Silver & Gold, discusses a LiDAR-driven discovery of high-grade silver-lead-zinc at El Potrero. He outlines links to the nearby Topia geology and how the find fits with fast-tracking gold-silver production. He also covers underground drilling plans, metallurgical testing, and infrastructure feasibility steps.

Dave Erfle, founder of Junior Miner Junkie who analyzes junior mining and precious metals. He discusses gold near $5,000 and silver near $80, calling the pullback a positive consolidation. He covers Fed pressures from geopolitics and energy, miner-stock divergence, and why early-stage developers may be better positioned than large producers.

Sean Brodrick, editor of Wealth Megatrends and resource trader, breaks down how rising oil is reshaping his allocations. He explains why he is adding North and South American energy names and fertilizer and chemical stocks. He describes trimming some precious metals gains to redeploy and why select critical minerals remain core to his longer-term thesis.

Terry Lynch, CEO of Power Metallic Mines, leads the company’s 100,000 m drill campaign and oversees metallurgy and corporate moves. He highlights a massive near-surface copper intercept at the Lion Zone and expanding targets like Tiger Deep and the Hydro Fold-Hinge. They discuss strong metallurgical recoveries, Chilean Metals spin-out progress, and exploration plans in Saudi Arabia.

Joe van den Elsen, President and CEO of Andina Copper, leads a multi-country copper exploration portfolio across Argentina, Colombia and Chile. He discusses strategic portfolio building and a recent $27.5M financing. The conversation highlights Piuquenes' shallow, high-grade copper-gold potential, the district-scale Cabrasco project in Chocó, and Mantau’s pipeline role near Antofagasta.

Nick Appleyard, President and CEO of TriStar Gold, leads development of the Castelo de Sonhos gold project in Brazil. He walks through the court’s evidentiary phase and the narrowed dispute over indigenous consultation. He explains why nearby communities are upstream and separated by mountains, outlines four possible legal paths, and contrasts project NPV with current market cap.