In this article, we will talk about the 9 Best Junior Gold Mining Stocks to Buy Now.
On January 6, gold continued to extend its gains as demand for the safe havens surged following the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s President Maduro. Spot gold was up 0.93% at $4,482.64, after a notable 3% rally in the previous session. Reuters reported that U.S. gold futures for February 2026 delivery advanced 1.1% to $4,498.10. Gold surged to its record 64.4% in 2025, registering its best annual return since 1979.
“Precious metals traders see more risk on the horizon than stock and bond traders do at present,” said Jim Wyckoff, senior analyst at Kitco Metals. According to Reuters, the analyst noted that the U.S. raid on Venezuela has fueled continued demand for gold and silver as safe-haven assets.
As global geopolitical tensions remain high, demand for gold and silver will continue to spike. JPMorgan expects the gold price to continue to reach new record-highs and push toward $5,000 per ounce by the end of 2026. Natasha Kaneva, head of Global Commodities Strategy at J.P. Morgan, said,
While this rally in gold has not, and will not, be linear, we believe the trends driving this rebasing higher in gold prices are not exhausted. The long-term trend of official reserve and investor diversification into gold has further to run.
JPMorgan’s head of Base and Precious Metals Strategy, Gregory Shearer, noted that their gold price projection relies on the relationship between quarterly investor and central bank demand, which supports the gold price forecast. Overall, JPMorgan Global Research forecasts the gold price to average $5,055 per ounce by the end of 2026, soaring toward $5,400 per ounce by the end of 2027.
With that said, let’s take a look at the 9 Best Junior Gold Mining Stocks to Buy Now.
Our Methodology
To compile the list of 9 best junior gold mining stocks to buy now, we shortlisted U.S.-listed gold mining companies listed on the VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF with a market capitalization of at least $300 million. The gold miners on our list are mostly development-stage companies with gold-mining operations. Finally, we assessed the number of hedge funds holding stakes in these companies using Insider Monkey’s database of Q3 2025, and selected the top 9 companies. The stocks are ranked in ascending order by the number of hedge fund holders.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 427.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 264 percentage points (see more details here).
Note: All the data is as of market close on January 5, 2026.
9. Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE:CMCL)
Share Price: $27.16
Market Capitalization: $524.32 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 12
Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE:CMCL) is one of the best junior gold mining stocks to buy now.
Three out of four analysts covering Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE:CMCL) have rated the stock as a Buy. The consensus median price target of $38.09 implies a 34.17% upside as of January 5.
On January 6, the passage of Zimbabwe’s Finance Act, 2025, reaffirmed Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc’s (NYSE: CMCL) December 19, 2025 announcement regarding royalty rates. The passing of the Finance bill enacts the 2026 National Budget. It also attests to the previously outlined provisions, which indicate that a higher royalty rate of 10% will only apply in case of the gold price surpassing $5,000 per ounce.
The other proposed changes to the tax and royalty regime announced by Caledonia on December 1 and 19 have been withdrawn, including changes to the tax treatment of Capex, the proposed 15% withholding tax on interest on offshore loans, and any additional adjustments to royalty tiers or mining taxes. During the earlier announcement, the company was expecting changes to its operations in Zimbabwe.
However, with the withdrawal of taxes, the company has confirmed that no changes are required to the Bilboes Gold Project report following the Budget approval. The Bilboes project has proven and probable gold reserves of 1.749 Moz at 2.26 g/t, including measured and indicated resources of 532,000 ounces at 1.37 g/t and 984,000 ounces at 1.62 g/t. Other projects, such as Blanket Mine, will have implications if the gold price surpasses $5,000 per ounce, with a higher royalty rate of 10% applicable.
In other news, on December 23, Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE:CMCL) reported that it received notification from Mr. Victor Gapare, who owns a majority stake in Toziyana Resources Limited, that Toziyana purchased 7,457 shares of Caledonia’s common stock. On December 22, Mr. Gapare, through his company Toziyana, bought CMCL shares at a price of $26.83 per share, with a total amount of approximately $200,071. This purchase now reflects Toziyana’s total stake of 12.66% in Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE:CMCL).
Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE:CMCL) is a development-stage gold mining company. The company primarily operates a gold mine in Jersey and also focuses on the exploration and development of mineral properties for precious metals in Zimbabwe, projects including Blanket Mine, Maligreen, Bilboes, and Motapa.
8. Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA)
Share Price: $30.91
Market Capitalization: $3.22 Billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 13
Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) is one of the best junior gold mining stocks to buy now.
As of January 5, all analysts covering Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) are bullish, with a consensus median price target of $52.09, which reflects a strong upside of over 63%. Over the past six months, Seabridge Gold shares have surged more than 108%.
On December 16, Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) shared its plans to spin-out the Courageous Lake Gold Project into a subsidiary to be renamed Valor Gold. Following the spin-out into a new subsidiary, Valor Gold will focus on expanding the project through exploration, engineering, and permitting. Seabridge plans to list the shares of Valor Gold on a major exchange, with the shares distributed to Seabridge Gold Inc. shareholders.
This decision allows the company to focus on its KSM gold/copper project and its other exploration assets, while providing autonomy to the Courageous Lake Gold Project under a new subsidiary.
Seabridge Gold describes the Courageous Lake Gold Project as one of Canada’s largest underdeveloped gold projects. The management indicates the total underdeveloped gold inventory of around 13.3 million ounces of gold, comprising Measured and Indicated Resources of 11 million ounces of gold and an additional 3.3 million ounces of gold in the inferred category. Whereas, the reported measured and indicated resources include 2.8 million ounces of proven reserves. The potential project could be one of the highest-grade open-pit gold developments in Canada.
Seabridge Gold believes there is significant upside from the addition of potential high-grade, near-surface pits nearby. The 500 km² land package remains largely unexplored; to date, less than 15% has been explored.
Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) is a development-stage gold mining company. It is primarily engaged in acquiring and exploring gold properties in North America.
