Skeena Resources Ltd

UBS has identified its preferred gold mining stocks as the sector navigates volatile conditions following a turbulent 2026, recommending selective exposure to gold equities heading into third-quarter results and 2027 guidance. The bank expects sustained energy and broader cost pressures to drive higher unit costs in 2027, though it notes gold valuations are generally reasonable and margins remain attractive if prices hold above $4,000 per ounce. Newmont is UBS's preferred senior producer, cited for clarity on cash returns, low probability of mergers and acquisitions, and modest improvement in operating outlook; the Nevada Gold Mines dispute with Barrick is now resolved, with Newmont paying $1.95 billion to bring Fourmile, Fiberline and Mike into the joint venture under a modernized agreement. UBS also favors Barrick, whose relative performance and valuation reflect that outcome, and Endeavour, whose spot free cash flow yield exceeds 10 percent with a further step-up in cash returns expected in 2026 and roughly 40 percent growth over 2025-2029 through the Assafou project in Ivory Coast. The list also includes SSR Mining, where the investment case has shifted to delivery, life extensions and deployment of over $2 billion of cash with production sustainable just below 500,000 ounces per annum of gold equivalent, plus Skeena Resources, which secured key permits for the Eskay Creek project in February, and Franco-Nevada, where the Cobre Panama restart remains mostly unpriced and the stock trades at approximately 15 times spot 2028 enterprise value to EBITDA versus its five-year average of 21.5 times.