Core Viewpoint - AngloGold Ashanti PLC (AU) and Newmont Corporation (NEM) are both major gold producers benefiting from rising gold prices, which are currently around $4,500 per ounce, reflecting a 70.6% increase over the past year [2][19]. AngloGold Ashanti (AU) - AU has a diversified portfolio with operations in multiple countries, including South Africa, Argentina, and Ghana, and has made significant acquisitions, including Augusta Gold Corp and Centamin, enhancing its production capabilities [3][4]. - The company reported a 17% year-over-year increase in gold production to 768,000 ounces in Q3 2025, with gold revenues rising 61.9% to $2.37 billion [5]. - Projected gold production for 2025 is between 2.9 million and 3.225 million ounces, indicating a year-over-year growth of 9-21% [6]. - Despite facing higher operating costs, AU generated a record $920 million in free cash flow in Q3, a 141% increase year-over-year, and ended the quarter with $3.9 billion in liquidity [8]. - The company is focused on its Full Asset Potential program to mitigate inflationary impacts and streamline operations, particularly in the U.S. [9]. Newmont Corporation (NEM) - NEM is one of the largest gold producers globally, with operations in Nevada, Peru, and Ghana, and has recently achieved commercial production at the Ahafo North project, expected to produce 275,000 to 325,000 ounces annually [12]. - The company produced 1.42 million ounces of gold in Q3 2025, a 15% decrease year-over-year due to reduced grades and planned shutdowns [14]. - NEM anticipates maintaining its expected gold production for 2025 at 5.9 million ounces, down from 6.85 million ounces in 2024 [15]. - The company generated a record free cash flow of $1.6 billion in Q3, marking the fourth consecutive quarter with over $1 billion in free cash flow [15]. Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AU's 2025 earnings is $5.51 per share, indicating a year-over-year growth of 149.3% [16]. - For NEM, the earnings estimate for 2025 is $6.06 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 74.1% [18]. Price Performance & Valuation - Over the past year, AU's stock has increased by 297.3%, while NEM's stock has risen by 179.4% [19]. - AU is trading at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 11.54X, while NEM is at 14.94X [20]. Investment Consideration - Both AU and NEM are well-positioned to benefit from the ongoing gold price rally, but AU has shown stronger price performance and a more attractive valuation, making it a more compelling investment choice at this time [23][24].

Market Overview - Wall Street is anticipating a Santa Claus Rally, which in 2025 appears to be more diversified across sectors rather than solely focused on technology [1] Historical Performance - The S&P 500 has historically gained an average of 0.95% during the final trading week of the year, with a positive return 71% of the time over the past 95 years [2] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average has a stronger record, averaging a 1.06% gain over 128 years with a 77% win rate [2] - In contrast, the Nasdaq 100 has only averaged a 0.4% gain during the same period, finishing higher just 55% of the time [2] ETF Trends - The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (BATS:MAGS) remains popular among investors focused on Big Tech, showing a 2% increase in the past five days, despite a weakening seasonal strength in tech [4] - The State Street SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF (NYSE:XME) has gained nearly 7% recently, driven by rising metal prices due to tight supply and strong industrial demand [5] - The U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSE:JETS) saw about a 1% gain last week, supported by record holiday travel forecasts, with AAA estimating over 122 million travelers during the holiday period [6] - The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (BATS:ITA) rose approximately 6% in the last five days, fueled by increased global defense spending and geopolitical tensions [7] Investment Sentiment - The current investment sentiment indicates a broader and more selective Santa Claus Rally in 2025, with investors diversifying their interests across sectors such as metals, travel, and defense, in addition to technology [8]

Market Overview - The Santa Claus Rally is a topic of interest as traders enter the final trading week of the year, with historical data suggesting favorable odds for market gains during this period [1] - The S&P 500 has historically averaged a gain of 0.95% during the last trading week of the year, with a 71% win rate over 95 years [2] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average has shown an average gain of 1.06% in the same period, with a 77% win rate based on 128 years of data [3] - The Nasdaq 100 has underperformed, averaging only a 0.4% gain with a 55% win rate over 40 years [3] Notable Stocks - Newmont Corp. (NYSE:NEM) has the highest average gain of 2.24% during the Santa Claus Rally, with a 75% win rate, although it experienced a 2.46% decline last year [9] - Assurant Inc. (NYSE:AIZ) has an average gain of 1.52% and a 70% win rate, with its best year being 2008 at 14.11% [8] - The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) has averaged a 1.36% gain with an 80% win rate, peaking at 12.2% in 2008 [7] - J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) has delivered an average gain of 1.34% and an 85% win rate, with its strongest performance in 2008 at 8.31% [6] - Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE:RL) has averaged a 1.29% gain with a 65% win rate, achieving its best performance in 2018 at 8.21% [5]

Core Insights - Newmont Corporation (NEM) has agreed to sell 6,773,641 common shares of Fuerte Metals Corporation at a price of C$4.35 per share, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately C$29.5 million [1][6] - Following the sale, Newmont's ownership in Fuerte will decrease from approximately 24% to about 19.5% [2][6] - Newmont plans to evaluate its investment in Fuerte in the future based on market conditions and may adjust its shareholdings accordingly [3][6] Financial Performance - Newmont's shares have increased by 169.9% over the past year, outperforming the industry average rise of 151.8% [3] - In comparison, Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC) has seen a share price increase of 208.7% over the same period, while Fortuna Mining Corp. (FSM) and Equinox Gold Corp. (EQX) have experienced increases of 126.4% and a projected earnings increase of 170%, respectively [7][8] Market Position - Newmont currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), while Kinross Gold has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) and both Fortuna Mining and Equinox Gold have a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5]

Group 1 - Gold stocks experienced a pre-market surge, with Hycroft Mining (HYMC.US) rising over 21%, Coeur Mining (CDE.US) up over 5%, AngloGold Ashanti (AU.US) increasing over 4%, and Newmont Corporation (NEM.US) gaining over 3% [1] - Silver stocks also saw collective gains in pre-market trading, with First Majestic Silver (AG.US) rising nearly 4%, Endeavour Silver (EXK.US), and Dolly Varden Silver (DVS.US) both increasing over 4% [1] Group 2 - The price of spot gold rose nearly 2% to surpass $4420 per ounce, reaching new highs, with a year-to-date increase of over 68% [1] - Spot silver prices increased by 2.6% to exceed $69 per ounce, also hitting new highs, with a year-to-date rise of over 140% [1]

Group 1 - The Dow futures rose by 0.08%, S&P 500 futures increased by 0.27%, and Nasdaq futures gained 0.44% [1] - Spot gold surpassed $4400 per ounce for the first time, rising over 1.5% to $4407 per ounce, marking a nearly 68% increase this year. Gold mining stocks saw significant pre-market gains, with Sibanye Stillwater up 3.5%, AngloGold Ashanti up 4.2%, and Newmont Mining up 2.5% [1] - Semiconductor stocks mostly rose in pre-market trading, with Micron Technology up about 3%, and AMD, Nvidia, TSMC, and Intel each up around 1% [1] Group 2 - Uber announced a partnership with Baidu to conduct autonomous taxi trials in London, aiming to launch a pilot project using Baidu's Apollo Go RT6 by mid-2026, with official operations expected by the end of next year. Uber's stock rose over 1% in pre-market trading [1] - The Italian Competition Authority fined Apple nearly €98.6 million for abusing market dominance, citing the restrictive nature of Apple's "App Tracking Transparency" policy [2] - Medtronic's diabetes business, MiniMed, submitted an IPO application to raise up to $100 million, focusing on diabetes management devices and technologies [2] - GlaxoSmithKline's new drug was approved in China for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults with elevated eosinophils [2]

Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) is one of the most profitable value stocks to invest in right now. On December 7, Jefferies raised the firm’s price target on Newmont to $120 from $113 with a Buy rating. This sentiment was announced as part of the firm’s 2026 preview for the metals and mining group. Jefferies anticipates a major strategic shift for the metals sector in 2026, maintaining a high-conviction bullish stance on gold equities while turning more cautious on copper stocks due to their elevated valuat ...

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Core Insights - The State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) is a passively managed ETF launched on December 16, 1998, providing broad exposure to the Materials - Broad segment of the equity market [1][3] - The ETF has amassed over $5.26 billion in assets, making it one of the largest in its category [3] - XLB has a low expense ratio of 0.08%, making it the least expensive product in the space, with a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.91% [4] Fund Details - XLB seeks to match the performance of the Materials Select Sector Index, which represents the materials sector of the S&P 500 Index [3] - The ETF has a heavy allocation in the Materials sector, approximately 100% of the portfolio [5] - The top holding, Linde Plc (LIN), accounts for about 16.74% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings making up approximately 63.1% of total assets under management [6] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, XLB has increased by roughly 8.48%, and it is up approximately 3.71% over the last year [7] - The fund has traded between $37.135 and $46.305 in the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 1.01 and a standard deviation of 16.82% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [7] Investment Alternatives - XLB holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum [8] - Other ETFs in the space include SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF (GNR) and FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF (GUNR), with GNR having $3.70 billion in assets and GUNR having $5.62 billion [10]