Ryan Stancil,
Editor
May 11, 2026
Commodity Callout
In a week where many commodities gained ground, Lithium saw the biggest upswing.
Metal Price Update
Gold — A positive jobs report and rumblings of a peace deal pushed the price of gold up over the week. It started just over $4,500 per ounce and ended just over $4,730. Lately gold has been showing a pattern where, when the price goes down, it doesn’t stay down very long. It’s still presenting opportunities to buy at discounted prices, but the timeframes to buy at those discounted prices are getting narrower each time. You’ll want to add gold to your portfolio at every possible opportunity.
Silver — Silver followed gold in an upward trend, starting the week around $73 per ounce and moving past $80 to end the week. You’ll want to make sure silver is in your portfolio for the same reasons as gold.
Copper — Copper saw an upward trend as well, starting around $5.86 per pound and ending just shy of $6.30. With the market hearing news that it liked, it makes sense that there would be positive price movement in commodities that are in a bull market.
Lithium Carbonate — Lithium continued its gains with a big leap over the course of the week. It started around $25,500 per metric ton and moved all the way up to $28,500. The oil crisis seems to be spurring EV adoption, and lithium and its miners are going to be some of the big winners because of that.
Uranium — Uranium saw a minor downtrend, starting the week at $86.45 per pound and ending around $86.20. It could be that traders saw better places to spend their money, as shown by how other commodities moved. With uranium being the foundation of the energy future, those prices won’t stay suppressed forever.
Company Callout
One name to keep in mind for your portfolio is Lion Rock Resources (TSX-V: ROAR)(OTC: LRRIF), who owns a resource in South Dakota.
That resource, the Volney Project, is a high-grade lithium, tin and tantalum resource with a gold mineralization component that occurs alongside it. The company recently announced results from its 15-hole Phase One drill program, which successfully expanded the critical minerals strike to 300 meters long, 100 meters wide, and 150 meters deep. From the company’s press release, the highlights of the drilling program are as follows:
- Volney’s Critical Mineral System is Primed for the US Market: The US is import reliant for lithium (>50%), tin (77%), and tantalum (100%). [1]
- Large Strike and Open in All Directions: All critical mineral holes from Phase One hit mineralization, establishing a strike measuring 300 m long, up to 100 m wide, and 150 m deep (Figure 1).
- High-Grade Lithium: Intercepts include 2.3% Li2O over 5.7 m in 1.6% Li2O over 10.6 m (VOL25-007), and 2.2% Li2O over 1.3 m in 1.5% Li2O over 10.3 m (VOL25-005) (Table 1). Mineralization is confirmed at depth across multiple holes in the Rough and Ready zone (Figure 3).
- High-Grade Tantalum: Intercepts include 788 ppm Ta₂O₅ over 5.89 m (VOL25-010) and 727 ppm Ta₂O₅ over 10.48 m (VOL25-013).
- Commercial Grade Tin: Intercepts include 0.3% Sn over 3.0 m in 0.1% Sn over 28.3 m (VOL25-006). Grade peak of 1.0% Sn over 0.5 m (VOL25-012) was encountered.
- Near-Surface, Bulk-Tonnage Potential: The laterally continuous pegmatite geometry suggests potential for low-cost, open-pit extraction methods.
- Past Producing Project with Existing Infrastructure: Volney benefits from excellent infrastructure, including grid power, all-season road access, and proximity to rail. The Project is strategically positioned to become a secure source of lithium, tin, and tantalum to the United States.
- Multiple High Priority Mineralized LCT Pegmatite Targets Remain: Phase One drilling focused on a single pegmatite zone at Volney. Interpretation of drill results, supported by recent surface sampling, has confirmed additional mineralized pegmatite targets along strike and across the broader system, confirming potential for multiple zones across the property (Figure 2).
- Phase 2 Drill Program: Planning for an expanded Phase Two drill program is underway and will include aggressive step-out drilling, in addition to testing high-priority, surface-exposed mineralized LCT pegmatite targets across the property.
Lithium has been in an upward trend that much of the market has been overlooking, but its importance to the future of energy means that it’s going to be on every investors’ mind sooner or later. You’ll want to establish a position before that happens and Lion Rock is one of the best ways to do that. Prices are already moving up by leaps and bounds, so the window may be closing.
Gerardo recently returned from a site visit at the Volney Project and he has confirmed everything stated in the release himself. That’s why he considered the stock to be an absolute bargain at current prices.
You can read more of his insights on the stock in the pages of Junior Resource Speculator by clicking here.
Keep your eyes open,
Ryan Stancil
Editor, Resource Stock Digest