The resource sector is currently undergoing a massive structural upgrade that rewards smart technology and government-backed security over simple raw production.

You are looking at a landscape where the most successful companies are securing their future through high-tech AI leases and vital defense contracts.

Check out how these moves can work for you.

You’ve likely seen the headlines about Wall Street losing steam, but don’t let the tech retreat distract you from the real movement in the materials sector.

As the curtain closes on 2025, gold and silver miners are taking a breather after a year of relentless, record-breaking rallies.

Silver recently surged past a historic $80 per ounce before cooling off, and while that might look like a slip, you should see it as a healthy consolidation.

Here is why this matters: the fundamentals haven't budged.

Central banks are still hoarding gold at record rates, and the industrial demand for silver—driven by the green energy boom—is far outstripping supply.

Analysts are already looking toward 2026, with some forecasting gold to average $5,000 and silver to remain in a structural deficit.

When the "everything rally" hits a speed bump like this, it often creates the exact entry window you’ve been waiting for.

You aren't just buying a metal; you are buying into companies with massive margins that have spent the year cleaning up their balance sheets.

Your takeaway: You should view this year-end dip as a prime opportunity to accumulate quality miners.

With production costs stabilized and metal prices set for a high-floor regime in 2026, the sector is positioned to turn these temporary retreats into long-term outperformance.

You are witnessing a masterclass in strategic repositioning.

While China has spent decades cornering 80% of the global tungsten market, Almonty Industries (NASDAQ: ALM) just secured a massive "guaranteed supply" deal with the U.S. government to break that stranglehold.

This isn't just a win for the company; it is a critical win for U.S. national security.

Tungsten is the "super-mineral" of the defense world... indispensable for everything from armor-piercing munitions to AI guidance chips.

Almonty’s flagship Sangdong mine in South Korea is set to become the world’s largest tungsten source outside of China by early 2026.

Even better, Almonty is currently redomiciling to the U.S. and recently acquired a project in Montana to ensure a purely domestic supply chain.

Despite some year-end volatility from a recent share offering, the fundamentals are rock-solid.

You are looking at a company that is essentially becoming an extension of the U.S. defense industrial base, with a 15-year floor-priced contract that effectively protects your downside while the world scrambles for this "vital" metal.

Your takeaway: You should treat Almonty as a primary beneficiary of the "onshoring" movement.

By becoming the go-to supplier for the Department of Defense, they have transformed from a traditional miner into a strategic infrastructure asset with a massive, government-backed moat.

As markets grind through late-December positioning, precious metals finally paused, and miners felt it first.

Barrick Mining slid about 4% as gold and silver reversed sharply after a historic 2025 run.

Silver briefly pushed above $80 an ounce before fast money rushed for the exits, dragging prices down more than 7% intraday. 

Gold followed with a smaller but meaningful pullback. This wasn’t a demand shock or a balance-sheet issue.

It was classic profit-taking layered with margin unwinds after one of the strongest metals rallies in decades.

Zoom out, and the signal is cleaner. Central banks are still accumulating gold at record levels. Inflation hedging demand hasn’t gone anywhere.

Supply discipline remains tight, and miners spent 2025 cutting costs, paying down debt, and shoring up margins. Barrick’s fundamentals didn’t crack, only the tape did.

Late-cycle commodity rallies don’t end quietly. They consolidate, flush leverage, and reset positioning.

Stocks tied to metals always overshoot in both directions, especially into thin year-end liquidity.

Your takeaway: This move is digestion, not deterioration. When metals pause after parabolic runs, quality producers usually offer better risk-reward, not worse.

If gold holds its high-floor regime into 2026, volatility like this tends to reward accumulation, not fear.

You’ve likely been watching the gold market’s massive run, but McEwen Mining (NYSE: MUX) just secured the regulatory green light to turn a historical site into a modern cash machine.

The Mexican government recently granted a critical environmental permit extension for the El Gallo mine, clearing the path for what the company calls Project Fenix.

This isn’t your typical "drill and hope" scenario. You are looking at a highly efficient plan to reprocess old material using a mill that is already sitting on-site.

This move effectively de-risks the project while keeping capital costs remarkably low. Even better, the long-term story involves tapping into massive silver deposits that could keep this operation humming for decades.

You should view McEwen as a lean, mean production machine. 

With the regulatory hurdles cleared and infrastructure already in place, the company is perfectly positioned to turn "waste" into high-margin gold and silver as precious metal prices continue to climb.

You might have missed the memo, but United States Antimony Corporation (NYSE: UAMY) is no longer just a niche mining play; it is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of American industrial defense.

While the stock has seen some year-end volatility, the big picture is a total game-changer. Just this year, UAMY locked in a massive $245 million contract with the Defense Logistics Agency to replenish the nation's dwindling antimony stockpiles.

Here is why you should be paying attention: China recently tightened its grip on antimony exports, causing prices to hit record highs.

As the only vertically integrated producer in North America, UAMY is sitting in the driver’s seat.

They are aggressively expanding their "upstream" game by reviving mines in Montana and Alaska, which triples their profit margins compared to processing third-party ore.

Beyond just bullets and armor, their product is essential for everything from high-tech solar glass to the next generation of EV batteries.

You are looking at a strategic asset that has transformed its balance sheet and is now the primary "buy-American" solution for a mineral the U.S. desperately needs.

You are witnessing the birth of a domestic energy powerhouse. Standard Lithium (NYSE: SLI) might have seen a minor price dip on light holiday volume, but the underlying engine is roaring.

This isn’t a traditional mining play; it’s a high-tech extraction mission.

By utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE), the company is bypassing the slow evaporation ponds of the past to pull battery-quality lithium straight from the historic Smackover brines of Arkansas.

The momentum is undeniable.

Standard Lithium recently secured a massive $225 million grant from the Department of Energy and received a "Priority Transparency Critical Mineral" designation from the administration.

With a $1.3 billion project finance interest already on the table and a partnership with energy giant Equinor, the path to commercial production in 2028 is wider than ever.

Focus on the strategic backing.

With the federal government and global energy leaders essentially underwriting the development of the Smackover Formation, Standard Lithium is transitioning from a developer into a cornerstone of American national security and energy independence.

Silver: The white metal is the breakout leader of 2025, touching $83 as industrial demand surges and physical inventories tighten, driving prices up more than 150% this year.

Gold: Gold ends the year at a record $4,549 as central-bank buying and geopolitical risk fuel a sustained flight away from paper assets.

Copper: On pace for its strongest year in 15 years, copper remains the electrification era’s backbone, with 2026 supply deficits threatening higher prices despite year-end volatility.

Uranium: A structural supply gap exceeding 1.4 billion pounds is reshaping uranium markets, as utilities prioritize supply security amid reactor restarts and net-zero expansion.

Iron Ore: Iron ore is rallying toward $107 per ton on year-end restocking and early signs of a construction demand rebound into 2026.

Rare Earths (NdFeB): Western buyers are paying up to 4x premiums for non-Chinese magnet metals as new U.S. and Korean processing shifts pricing toward security-driven supply.

The common thread through all these developments is the death of the "speculative" miner and the rise of the strategic operator.

You should prioritize companies that secure multi-decade contracts and government support, as these are the firms creating true structural value regardless of daily price swings.