If you want to hear my take on them, read on.

But, for now, back to Rex Minerals.

Between February and December 2023, its shares were on the slide.

Nearly halving from 30 cents to 16 cents.

Then…

…for what seemed like no reason to outside observers…

…some kind of switch was flicked.

Rex shares halted their fall. And reversed upwards.

By June 2024 the shares were well-up again…trading within a narrow 25–27 cent range.

Big bounce-back. For seemingly no reason.

Then, on 8 July, the reason became blindingly obvious…

Source: Rex Minerals

It’s clear in retrospect Rex was on the hunt for partners looking to develop Hillside. And on 8 July we got confirmation.

Rex was getting swallowed up.

When the announcement was released on Monday morning…Rex’s opening share price exploded to 44 cents — just shy of Mach’s proposed 47-cent-per-share offer.

That’s an instant 63% rocket…in minutes, right on open.

Not a bad way to start the week for Rex shareholders.

But…

Rewind back a bit further…to when the deal was being cooked up behind closed boardroom doors…

If you’d held Rex shares last December at 15 cents…before their mysterious upwards reversal…you could have made 213%.

In just seven months.

And based on previous examples, that’s not even the GIANT level of returns you can get by being on the right side of a takeover. As I’m about to show you, positioning yourself early in a takeover play can yield gains of 1,500% OR MORE…

But 100% to 300% upside has been pretty standard in the past. If you were an early shareholder on these deals over the last few years.

An often-inexplicable slow-build months before…followed by a brain-melting upward rerating on the day the news finally breaks…

So, what’s all this got to do with you?

Well, as I say, I’ve been actively looking for…

THE NEXT REX

Specifically, I’m zeroing in on three relatively small mining players.

Each exhibit the telltale signs of a takeover brewing.

I believe all three of these stocks have an M&A target on their heads.

There are still great risks in taking a stake now. And I’ll elaborate on those risks a little later.

But if I’m right on just one of these companies…and you own shares before a deal is made…you could see a price rerating following a similar pattern to Rex Minerals.

If the Rex pattern is repeated, we’ll see a slow-build where the deal’s worked out behind closed doors…

Then a 50–100% shoot higher on announcement day.

Or, if you’re really lucky…

A gain that bursts above 1,000% within the course of 12–24 months.

I’ll cover these three potential buyout plays…and some key signs a takeover is in the wings…in this report.

I’ll also properly introduce myself — and why I believe I’m uniquely qualified to give such recommendations in the Australian mining sphere.

But first, we just need to quickly set the stage…

As you’re likely aware, commodity prices are on the rise again.

The two popular metals that tend to lead resource super-cycles — copper and gold — are up 25% and 17% year-to-date.

And in a world of so much outlook uncertainty…

…where share markets are so unpredictable, and politics are playing such a big role…

…this is as close to a sure-thing trend as you’ll get.

Other, less well-known commodities are starting to join the party, too.

The Centre for Economic Policy Research published a deep-dive on this supply crunch on 4 July, 2024:

‘A race is raging among global powers to secure access to critical minerals to power the simultaneous energy and digital transitions the world is experiencing.

‘The extraordinary growth in demand for critical minerals is putting upward pressure on prices and stimulating new critical mineral discoveries all around the world.’

So, you’ve got the main metals powering ahead. And critical metal prices starting to fire up as well.

Now, what’s less well-known…

…is that deal value across the whole mining space is lighting up as well. More and more big companies reckon it’s time to start snapping up assets.

A whole bunch of factors are at play driving this trend…

You have the US election (Lord knows where that race stands at the time you’re reading this)…

Plus…shaky global geopolitics and ongoing wars, reshoring of supplies, underinvestment in mining…

…and of course, the new megatrend of the ‘green transition’…

Right now, we’re in a period of maximum uncertainty — the kind of environment where real assets historically thrive…

And all of this represents a sweet spot for the courageous mining investor.

Source: Motley Fool Australia

We’re entering a phase where the likes of BHP, Rio Tinto, Glencore and Barrick...as well as mid-tier players and huge institutional money interests...

...come knocking on the door of lots of smaller companies, like Rex Minerals.

Instead of spending years ferreting out assets like Rex’s Hillside copper-gold deposit on their own dime…the big guys are opting to just buy them outright.

If you’re willing to swallow the risk, then now’s the time to pre-empt WHICH explorers and developers the major players might go after.

This is a small-window opportunity to make some bets on who might be the NEXT BIG DEAL.

Because the deals are coming.

And the gains are already ramping up.

There’ve been a couple of high-profile ones you might have heard of.

Azure Minerals was at the centre of a fierce takeover battle that took Azure from nowheresville...to a $2 billion market cap...in the space of 12 months.

Source: Australian Mining

Mining mogul Gina Rinehart started building up a stake.

Then SQM Australia made a bid for full control of Azure.

THEN...another company...Mineral Resources...tried to muscle in.

In the end, SQM clinched the buy last December.

If you were lucky enough to watch all this bidding and courting and counterbidding unfold while you owned shares in Azure…

...you would have done so in growing amazement...as the share price rose 1,500% in a single year while the drama played out.

Koza Gold is another example of the kind of premiums the big guys are willing to pay for the smaller fish.

Its stock went NOWHERE for 12 years.

THEN Koza entered the acquisition mix.

Eventually being bought by big Turkish miner Cengiz Holding for around $670 million in 2020.

And its shares did THIS.

By 2023 Koza shares were at $28.69.

A bottom-to-top gain well over 5,000% if you were lucky enough to own shares at the 2018 low.

Now, multi-thousand percent buyout premiums are outliers.

A 100% to 300% buyout gain akin to Rex Minerals’ result is a more realistic outcome. Just like what happened to another miner, Kaminak Gold.

Kaminak saw its price almost triple in seven months after it was acquired by Goldcorp…

Sibanye-Stillwater’s $1 billion buy of Hudbay Minerals resulted in a 145% gain in six months…

Northern Star threw a $193 million offer at Echo Resources, which resulted in a $0.14 to $0.33 share price climb — more than doubling in value...

In 2021, the Ramelius Resources/Gold Road Resources bidding war over Apollo Consolidated also resulted in the share price doubling...

Reunion Gold…its shares doubled in four months during merger negotiations with G Mining Ventures.

Nevsun Resources, a copper/zinc miner went from $2 to over $4 in nine months during a buyout by China's Zijin Mining Group.

In some cases, you don’t even need an actual buyout in the works...

...just a curious development that suddenly puts a relatively obscure explorer or developer on the buyout radar.

For instance, on 9 May 2024 Alliance Nickel saw its share price surge 177% IN A SINGLE TRADING SESSION…

...when the Australian federal government granted its NiWest nickel-cobalt project ‘Major Project Status’.

Pretty basic point here:

The gains if you get on the right side of these deals can be BIG and FAST.

And all the above examples are from a lull period in M&A activity...

...when the dealmaking cycle has been off-the-boil.

The whole reason we’re talking to you now is I reckon we’re entering a prolonged phase of BUYOUT OVERDRIVE...

The established miners don’t have the time...resources...or inclination to bugger around with exploration.

But what they DO have is money.

They want existing projects. Ideally low-cost and long-life. And in parts of the world with low political and legal risk.

Put simply:

It’s BUY vs Build…

And BUY has now become the go-to play.

Early in 2024, a new commodity supercycle emerged…where base and precious metals reawakened from their multi-year slumber.

But while the last supercycle was driven by DEMAND from China…

This supercycle is being driven by SCARCITY.

For too long, the world’s largest miners have shelved their exploration ambitions. They’ve been repulsed by the enormous capital commitment involved in finding and developing new mines.

But an aversion to growth can only have one outcome…

Falling supply.

This is a story that’s taken years to unfold. And it has its roots in the overexuberant investment phase of the last mining boom, which lasted from 2003 to 2012.

In the years that followed, mining executives received a walloping from shareholders who questioned their ability to read the market. Here’s what I mean…

At the peak of the last boom, many of the world’s largest miners succumbed to buyout fever.

Bidding wars erupted, with big miners suddenly desperate to grab hold of juniors that were in hot demand.

As the graphic below shows, total deals (and their overall value) peaked in 2011–12, at the very top of the last commodity bull market.

Following this irrational exuberance, CEOs across the industry were given the boot — from Rio Tinto to Barrick Gold.

It’s a nightmare that looms large over mining executives to this day.

And it’s a key reason mining firms have failed to invest in new projects over the last decade.

Yet…

This new uptick in M&A will do nothing to address the supply problem. It simply transfers ownership of one project to another…

But capital starvation can only last so long. Eventually, something has to break.

For example, copper prices have tested all-time highs in 2024.

How high can copper go? We can only guess.

But any move higher could set off a chain reaction fuelling even more M&A activity.

That’s MY take.

And it’s why I’m pulling the trigger on THREE SPECIFIC future potential buyouts…that the mainstream isn’t talking about yet.

Right now, mining firms have two options:

They can either make meaningful investments in new exploration and grow slowly from within…

OR…

They can acquire those projects NOW to leverage their exposure to the coming boom.

In my mind, the latter is much more likely.

Like I say:

BUY is the preferential play over explore and build.

But who’s next on the hitlist?

It’s trickier to pinpoint these stocks than you might think.

For many years, Rex Minerals looked like a dog of a stock to own.

10 years ago, copper prices were in the doldrums.

Rex had released a disappointing feasibility study demonstrating their project was unviable. And their chief, Mark Parry, had just handed in his resignation.

The company’s share price plunged almost 80% by the end of 2014.

Now, speaking as someone who worked for these types of companies…

…when that happens to an explorer, you often need to call a priest in to deliver Last Rites.

To make matters worse, there was strong community pushback against Rex’s Hillside development…a project that falls on prime cropping land and just a stone’s throw from a popular holiday destination on the South Australian coast.

But 10 years is a long time in mining…

And copper has had a stunning bounce-back after a depressed decade.

Former ugly ducklings who for years looked as if they were too low-grade to warrant development are now becoming the new market darlings.

That’s why Hillside is now a prime acquisition target.

And this is how the mining cycle turns…

Marginal projects are re-emerging as viable solutions (or even the ONLY solution) to address future supply shortfalls.

As OilPrice.com bluntly put on 15 July:

‘Merger mania has
hit
the mining sector.’
OilPrice.com

So, let’s get to the crux…

How do you play this M&A trend the smart way as an Aussie investor?

Because it's fairly clear a land grab for metal and mining assets is leading to a spike in M&A activity…both here in Australia, and all over the world.

Rio Tinto alone is reportedly mulling a slew of takeover deals as I write this.

The industry rumours right now are that they’re drawing up a bid for Canadian miner Tech Resources.

Barrick has swallowed Randgold…Newmont’s snapped up GoldCorp…Agnico-Eagle has merged with Kirkland Lake Gold…then Agnico-Eagle and Pan American Silver bought and split up Yamana Gold…right before Newmont jumped on Australia’s Newcrest.

And these are just the first shots fired.

So, who’s next…?

I know from experience not every small miner that talks a good book is a viable buyout target.

There are some pretty obvious things to look for in potential targets — like a promising deposit in a critical metal in a strategic location. But that’s just the beginning of the story…

So, what I’m going to do from here is give you three telltale signs that could signal a potential buyout is on the horizon…

As well as tell you about three SPECIFIC stock recommendations.

Now, ask a mining engineer or financial analyst and they'll probably tell you to scan the books. Look at the production over several years — is there consistency, has it met guidance?

Those things are important.

But trust me: at this stage of the M&A cycle, it’s all about GEOLOGY.

In other words, the assets sitting in the ground that have been found, but not mined.

So, from the outset you should be looking at things like grade, metallurgy, and how much metal you can actually recover from a newly-found deposit.

Also, exploration upside.

A big miner looking at these projects wants to know whether there’s FURTHER potential for discovery.

Can they add value to that deposit?

I’m going to give you some inside intel here, from my perspective, on how to spot these corporate manoeuvres ahead of the crowd. And then we’ll move on to SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS…

Read this section very carefully…

Because it leads DIRECTLY into the first buyout play I have for you.

This is where you need inside expertise in pulling apart activity taking place in a small miner’s share registry.

Specifically…

Does a junior have a big-name miner as a small stakeholder, maybe with an initial 5–10% interest?

And is that major UPPING its stake over time?

That’s precisely the case with the situation we’ll get to in a second.

These initial ‘strategic purchases’ often kick off years before a full takeover bid. And these little bites clearly signal an interest in the company.

But while it’s not always possible to find stocks fitting this criterion…

…it does provide tangible evidence that a junior holds an asset that puts it squarely on the acquisition hitlist.

This evidence is often overlooked — even by so called ‘mining experts’ in the mainstream investment industry.

That’s because you really need to know the mechanics of what’s going on behind the scenes. And only geos and technical team heads really have that understanding.

Source: Smallcaps.com.au

These kinds of little ‘backdoor entries’ by bigger miners into smaller ones…like De Grey’s $15 million bite of Kalamazoo’s Ashburton gold project…appear to be ramping up in 2024.

Certainly, a strategic purchase is in no way assured to end in a full-blown takeover.

But it’s definitely a strong piece of evidence something’s boiling away behind the scenes…

So, what IS going on behind the scenes of a strategic purchase?

And when does it morph into a total buyout?

The ‘when’ question often depends on rising commodity prices (which we have right now)…because as commodity prices lift, the chances of a bigger player moving in grows. The premium needed to get a successful offer through often also rises.

Strengthening commodity prices are the spark that ignites M&A activity…

And this is what I see happening with increasing frequency in the second half of 2024. In fact, it’s EXACTLY the case with my first recommendation…

Look, based on my time in the game…being in and around these kind of deals…

…I can see THIS particular stock is edging closer and closer to that ‘big buy’.

And that’s because of the ‘strategic purchase’ factor I just mentioned.

From my experience as a geologist, these deals often start as a line of communication between a major and smaller company.

That’s precisely what’s underway with Buyout Play #1.

It’s developing a very sizeable deposit of a very rare metal.

One of the majors took a ‘little bite’ at these guys last year…

And we’ve just received word this same major has upped their stake to 20%.

That’s a pretty damned big chunk, in strategic purchase terms.

It’s highly possible the next stop is a full takeover…

…spinning into a major share price rerating for their current shareholders.

Zero guarantees of course. And there’s elevated risk of losing money on these shares if a ‘strategic purchase’ turns into a ‘strategic retreat’, as I’ll explain shortly.

But let me pull apart what’s happening here for you…

Major mining firms — like one that’s just taken the 20% strategic bite here — hold large teams of technical experts.

They have vast exploration, drilling and mapping resources which aren’t available to the junior company they’re targeting.

I’ve found that geologists working at these smaller companies tend to collaborate with the big technical teams and share data.

But it’s not a one-way relationship.

The strategic buyer wants something, too.

The larger company gains a greater insight into the project they’re nipping at…and whether a full-blown takeover makes sense for them.

In other words, it offers a backdoor entry into understanding the project held by the junior.

This gives the bigger company more information, enabling it to identify any risks that weren’t apparent ‘from the outside.’

Of course, any strategic purchase from a major must come with a carefully worded agreement that permits sharing company-sensitive data…and this is all in the fine print of these deals.

That’s why you need to have been on the inside…ideally as a geologist…to really read between the lines of these agreements.

Here’s what I’m

reading on this one…

The new ‘mini-buy’ deal these guys have just inked with a major centres around a juicy new graphite-rutile deposit.

The deal is an Investment Agreement overseen by a Joint Technical Committee.

Forgive the jargon.

What this means is the big guys are going to help the little guys bring this deposit to production.

But as we all know, there’s no free lunch in the corporate world.

As I’ve said, the majors hold vast teams of specialised geologists, mining engineers, and financial experts.

For some, their sole purpose is to get inside these smaller external projects…with these strategic purchases…and evaluate them from within.

That’s what’s happening with this play right now.

The major’s in-house experts will be working with the geos from the smaller company…combing through all the data.

The process has begun that could potentially end in a full-blown takeover deal. Where you could make a very, very big gain if you own stock in Buyout Play #1 now.

Of course, this might not happen. The big players may submit a poor valuation…or simply back away from a full takeover altogether.

But this takeover target is actually a solid stock to own, regardless, in my opinion.

Again, I’ve been involved in several companies that have been taken over in the past. This is how it plays out. And it can take time…

The major in question here got ‘inside the henhouse’, so to speak, back in July 2023…

But this recent upping of stakes means they’ve found something interesting.

The bet here is that the project advances and becomes increasingly ‘de-risked’ through further feasibility and optimisation studies.

It’s a risky bet. They always are.

My recommendation though, if you’re game for it: GET IN NOW and become a shareholder as the final chapter in this story plays out!

More details on these guys shortly. For now, let’s get to:

Right now, a ‘scarcity crunch’ is extending out across a bunch of different commodities…from copper to gold, silver to energy, critical metals, and even fertiliser…

In such a world, the majors are willing to go to war over…and pay mega-dollars for…NEW MEGA-DEPOSITS.

And Buyout Play #2 is sitting on one.

See, for a major, there’s no point paying a premium for a small asset. No matter what the quality is.

If a deposit doesn’t offer decades of production, it’s unlikely to attract big-name attention.

For the likes of Rio or BHP, they want to acquire assets that can generate significant profits over a sustained period of time.

It’s simply a matter of economies of scale. They know each mine requires vast infrastructure, and development can take upward of 10–15 years…

That’s why major producers like to snap up juniors with MEGA-deposits.

So, if you are going to consider a small miner as a potential takeover play, the scale of whatever jackpot deposit they’ve hit is SUPER important.

But how do you quantify a mega-deposit? Well, let’s take a look at…

When it comes to evaluating size, several factors are in play.

A good starting point is to study the existing deposits already in production…and use this as a baseline to understand whether a junior holds something worthwhile.

To do that, you’d look at the likes of Pilbara Minerals, Lynas, or Liontown. Companies that have had famous mega-discoveries like Pilgangoora, Mt Weld, and Kathleen Valley, respectively.

When you do a deep-dive on these projects from a geology perspective, you quickly figure out that there are a few key factors at play…

• The primary commodity (the resource that makes up the lion’s share of the find)…
• Whether there’s a valuable mix of in-demand deposits. A trifecta (say, copper, gold and silver) is a big plus here…
• Proximity to other big finds is often crucial…
• As is mine life…

Of course, most smaller explorers and developers don’t tick all these boxes. And some haven’t even advanced their project to the point of holding a mineral reserve, like the examples above.

But…if you do your homework…you CAN spot telltale signs in a junior’s deposit that might signal a major’s going to come knocking…

Buyout Play #2 is publicly listed in Canada on the TSX — one of the best exchanges in the world for junior miners.

This company’s core operation is in South America.

And what an operation it is…so far at least…

Its mega-deposit holds the exact trifecta I just mentioned: copper, gold, silver. As you probably know, each of these metals have been flirting with or hitting all-time highs in 2024.

And the key here is the size of the deposit Buyout Play #2 is sitting on…

It’s truly ‘mega’:

This explorer has an over 1,000-metre intercept of copper, gold, and silver through several of its exploration drill holes.

And that’s only their initial resource estimate.

What’ll be taking place now is extensive infill drilling…which only occurs once detailed feasibility studies have been completed.

Now, based on this mega-deposit alone, I’ve had this company pegged as a potential takeover buy for at least a year now…

And in breaking news…

An official takeover of Buyout Play #2 was announced literally RIGHT BEFORE this very report was made public!

In a way, it’s annoying. We missed the boat by DAYS…

But…on the other hand…

It’s positive proof that I know how to pick these takeover plays!

And, in this fast-moving M&A mania, these are the kind of punches we need to roll with…

Long story short: I was right on this one, the whole way along…but unfortunately, the deal went through literally days before I could get this report to you.

The initial plan was to keep the name of this stock under wraps, and just reveal my findings in a general way.

But given the deal just got done and is out there as yet another famous Rex-like takeover…

No use being coy now!

Buyout Play #2 is an established explorer called Filo Corp [TSX:FIL].

Only, it’s no longer Buyout Play #2…because at the tail end of July, Filo did indeed get bought.

So, why did the big fish take the bait?

Well, the mega-deposit as I just described was one BIG reason…

But behind the scenes, Filo had not one but TWO boxes ticked: size and strategic interest…

I knew BHP had already taken a 10% bite of Filo.

And as I’ve said, these telltale signs are all connected when it comes to predicting takeovers…so I could tell something was brewing…

Then, just as we’re about go to print, we get word that both BHP and Lundin have made a massive buyout offer for Filo to the tune of US$3 billion!

Now, if I managed to get this report out to you earlier, you could have had the chance to own Filo shares BEFORE this deal was inked.

(But don’t fret too much. It just so happens that a NEW play has come up on my radar, perhaps the most compelling of all the takeover plays profiled here. More on that to come…)

The point of this Filo takeover…and the fact that we were pipped at the post with this play…emphasises perfectly what I’m trying to get across to you today.

1.This M&A frenzy is starting to go bananas. So much so it’s hard to keep up with new deals, and…

2.It’s real-world proof I KNOW how to spot these potential deals…

Like I say, I intended Filo to be Buyout Play #2.

It’s now scratched from the list.

It may seem frustrating when you miss these deals…but the fact they’re now coming thicker and faster also means that NEW opportunities are becoming much more frequent too.

I hope you appreciate the transparency here.

All told, my buyout strategy is working like a charm…

Because I had my readers in Filo all through 2023.

And as junior mining stocks sold off, I told them to BUY MORE Filo shares.

Readers who followed my Filo recommendation are now riding a handsome profit.

Gains that have now been locked in with this takeover offer.

In 2021, you could’ve bought shares for under two bucks each.

My Diggers & Drillers advisory wasn’t around then. When we started up, I recommended shares in May 2023 at $20. 

Today, at the time of writing, post-buyout…they’re over $31.

You do the maths there if you got in really early!

As I’ve shown you, this wasn’t down to luck…

Small bites from a major were a big clue that this company was a prime acquisition target.

Plus, it also held a giant deposit. Filo’s project is huge…and that’s what perks the interest of a major miner.

THIS is how the ‘predicting-a-takeover’ game is played.

As I say, the good news is a NEW situation has come to my attention, so you’ll still be getting THREE potential buyout targets here.

If you’d like to play this game alongside me…and get the full, uncensored results of my investigations into these potential takeovers,

I’ll give you details on how to download the following in a minute…

This report will actually detail FOUR takeover stocks.

Three I’ve been tracking for quite some time. One of them…as just mentioned, Filo…is no longer in play. That’s a late development. They’ve just had a bid put on them.

But my research on Filo…and what led me to recommend them as a takeover play over a year ago…should be useful to you.

So, I’ll include it here.

You’ll also get details on the ‘late entry’ takeover play that’s just come on the scene and is demanding my attention.

So, you’ll get three actionable, urgent takeover recommendations.

Plus a dissection of the one you just missed.

But a definitive word on risk before you consider these recommendations…

I won’t insult your intelligence: you already know full well that most mining stocks are riskier than the big-name blue-chips. And you probably suspect that taking stakes in small stocks that might get taken over is riskier still.

You’d be right.

Plenty of explorers and developers who got takeover attention in the last boom blew up and delisted before a deal was made. It happened back then. It’ll happen again in the future.

Also…majors can court a miner for ages…make a romantic proposal to them…only to ditch them ‘at the altar’…

Such a situation just happened to a lithium company called Liontown Resources.

Things looked great for these guys in early 2023.

US mega-miner Albemarle came calling. And it LOOKED like the Liontown takeover was a sure-thing…

If you got in really early, when their shares were trading sub-10 cents, you might’ve already been calculating your potential profits…

But then Gina Rinehart put a spanner in the works. One of her companies bought up almost a fifth of Liontown. 

Albemarle got spooked. Walked from the deal.

And Liontown shares tanked…falling from over $3 to under $1 today.

Point I’m making here is:

If you’re going to consider buying any of these three takeover plays selections, you need to do it with your eyes wide open.

Put bluntly, you could lose money. So never invest anything in these stocks you can’t stand losing.  

With that caveat out of the way…if you’re a serious investor who sees the writing on the wall as far as the wider commodity cycle goes…and you’re keen to make some calculated bets…I reckon you should read this report from cover to cover…

I’ll give you details on how to download the following in a minute…

I’ll show you how to download your copy very shortly.

First…

It’s important I explain a little more about my background. In order to get a better idea why I’m someone worth listening to on this topic.

As I say, my name is James Cooper.

I’m an exploration geologist who has worked with the biggest names in the business.

That’s why…when it comes to which stocks might fire up next…increase in value the most…merge or get acquired…in this next supercycle…

…you should probably listen to the geos.

Not investment websites and finance page editorials.

You see, the geologists sit at the forefront of exploration…

First come the geos, then come the discoveries…and then the bids.

Demand for exploration geologists like me gives you solid clues as to where this boom goes next. For the last two years, colleagues in the industry have been telling me about the wave of messages hitting their inboxes…such is the revived interest in experienced ore hunters.

By their very nature, mines are depleting assets.

Replacing major reserves requires years of intense investor capital. And opening up new discoveries requires people who are experts in ‘discovering’.

Now, with a lack of new discoveries in established mining districts, companies are forced to explore for new ore in increasingly volatile ‘frontier’ locations.

But even with a skilled labour force in a stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction like Australia, development could take around 10 years from discovery to first production…

This is precisely why big

miners are opting for the

BUYOUT SHORTCUT

I’ve clocked years of geologist ‘walkabout’ in the Outback and in Africa — contracted by the small explorers as well as the major developers.

I’ve poured over everything from diatomaceous clays (a material used in something as simple as kitty litter)...to copper deposits in Zambia...to an iron ore project that fed directly into making Toyota Prados and Outlanders.

At the peak of the last boom, I was recruited by copper explorer Equinox Minerals and sent to the frontier in Zambia to look for the red stuff.

It was the dream project for an up-and-coming geo.

Equinox owned an enormous tenement package…which gave me free rein and heaps of resources at my disposal to scour virgin areas around the northwest province of Zambia.

As mentioned, that experience ended in a MASSIVE takeover.

I vividly remember sitting around an onsite campfire as Equinox’s CEO showed us the initial $1 million World Bank cheque he used to start his company…

…a company which had just been bought out by Barrick Gold for $7.3 billion!

Many celebratory beers were drunk that evening…

I was also with gold mining behemoth Northern Star at the exact time they were preparing a takeover of Saracen Mineral Holdings.

Then, I was headhunted to be Dacian’s Senior Exploration Geologist...in charge of the company’s growth in rare earth projects.

As I mentioned, Dacian took over a company called NTM to resupply its depleting assets. And then…Dacian itself became takeover prey for a bigger fish.

Put simply:

I have substantial firsthand experience here. Not just in the business of exploration. But in the business of DEALMAKING…

And right now, I’m seeing direct evidence of further takeovers in progress…

Including smaller companies frantically sifting through old drill cores, hoping to find a strike that might put them on the buyout hitlist…

All at a time when exploration has suffered from more than a decade of critical underinvestment…

Which brings me to the ‘X-Factor’ behind my final M&A speculation…

We’re going to get a bit ‘geological’ here, but stick with me.

This secret, in my view, is going to drive a rapid-fire flurry of takeovers in 2025. If you understand it…you’ll have a MASSIVE head-start predicting the juniors who could be bought out next.

Imagine a geological structure (like a fault or shear zone) crossing over a land holding that’s owned by a whole bunch of different companies…

Let’s say part of that structure hosts a mega-gold mine.

Obviously, this structure would be an important target for exploration geologists. However, these geological anomalies often extend over tens, sometimes hundreds of kilometres.

That means neighbouring properties may hold valuable land in the eyes of a major who is already mining along this structure.

This is the ‘PROXIMITY’ X-FACTOR.

So, the major has already got a giant mine…but there’s this little guy fishing around right over the fence…

And while the geologists at the junior next door probably understand the potential they’re sitting on…they may not have the funds to properly explore the structure.

That’s when the major decides to come knocking…

I believe big players buying strategic ‘neighbouring’ tenements is going to be a key M&A theme in the coming years…

However, you need to be able to interpret the geology to make this technique work.

In other words, do the same geological conditions that harbour a working deposit exist on the property next door?

As an exploration geologist, this is where my expertise REALLY comes into play. Which leads us into your next recommendation…

Now, this WAS supposed to be your final takeover play…

But because my thesis on Filo was proved correct at the last minute…

…I’ve included a brand new potential ‘dark horse’ takeover play as your Buyout Play #4 (which we’ll get to in just a moment)…

First, what we have here with Buyout Play #3 is, in my opinion, the next big ‘proximity’ play.

But this is a delicate opportunity. If I reveal too many details out in the open, the cat will be out of the bag.

And I’m reluctant to share too many precise details on this play in a public forum like this…especially with what’s just transpired with Filo.

I DO NOT want these guys guessed at!

I’d prefer to keep the reveal inside The Takeover Trident: Three Miners Who Could be Bought Out Next.

Instances of producers eyeing up smaller miners because of the ‘proximity’ factor…to boost operational synergies…are happening more and more often…

So, I believe the upside potential here is significant. That’s if I’m right, of course. I might not be. You’ll need to be the judge when you see my full due diligence…

But for now, let me give you a broad outline, and explain why Buyout Play #3 could be a giant takeover bombshell in 2025 (or even earlier)…

For starters, this company has a mega-deposit…in some of the most prized exploration ground on Earth…clocking in at over 15 million pounds.

Ranked among one of the largest underdeveloped deposits of its kind anywhere in the world.

It’s primarily copper. But it also comes with a massive gold and silver component. Making it a true multi-commodity motherlode.

Rarely does a junior hold a deposit of this size or quality.

So, Box #1 is ticked.

But as I said, size of deposit may not be the ‘X-Factor’ here…

Because I reckon that X-Factor is PROXIMITY.

See, Buyout Play #3 sits on the same geological structure as an even-more-mega-deposit. Difference being this one is already in development.

Only a small handful of companies hold land there.

The founders of Buyout Play #3 recognised a ‘gap’ in this rich copper-gold porphyry belt. By gap, I mean an area that was overlooked by earlier explorers. And it’s sitting in between where the bigger companies are operating.

There are large-scale copper mines to the north. And operating mines in the south. But there’s relatively little activity in this ‘gap’.

THIS SMALL MINER HAS SET ITSELF UP AS A BRIDGE.

And that’s why I think it’s primed for a takeover…

The potential was first announced on 4 April 2023, when the company drilled eight exploration holes in an untested area in this middle ground…

They got an instant hit.

It then took several months to raise capital and get rigs over the target…but this year’s proper program has just wound up for the season.

The results? ‘The exact pattern and grade’ as initial hits ‘over the full length of the hole’.

Now, keep in mind with these stocks, things can change without warning.

But at the time of writing this…

Shares in Buyout Play #3 are up 30% in the past year…

And up 15% in just the last six months!

Again, these are just clues.

They aren’t definitive evidence. And something might have happened by the time you’re reading to reverse those figures. Keep that in mind.

But in my thinking…

It’s this ‘proximity’ X-Factor…and its potential to lead to a takeover…that’s working in the background to elevate this company’s share price.

As you’ll see when you read The Takeover Trident: Three Miners Who Could be Bought Out Next…these guys have found a very buyable ‘gap’.

They’ve shut up shop and demobilised from the site until next drill season. That starts at the end of 2024. And it could be the definitive set of results that triggers one of its neighbours to make a move.

My advice would be to MAKE YOUR move on this stock before Q4 2024. I think we could be about to see this company swallowed up in one mega-takeover deal…creating a new epicentre for future copper supply…while, short-term, potentially sending Buyout Play #3’s stock price to the moon…

Don’t take my word for it, though. Read the report I’ve compiled on them and make your own call.

But I would like to request one thing from you first in return for giving you access to this report.

That you give my personal advisory Diggers and Drillers a go.

You can do so with the assurance of a FULL subscription refund guarantee that covers you for 30 days.

Which means…

You can read, digest, track and keep the recommendations and research in The Takeover Trident: Three Miners Who Could be Bought Out Next…

…scan over the full Diggers and Drillers buy list…

…read (and print, if you wish, just don’t share please) all my Special Situation investment reports…

…plus, get all my new updates and brand new recommendations over the next month…

…and you can get ALL that…