Video News/Investment Trends

(Kitco News) Gold's pullback from its highs has not weakened the case for royalty and streaming investment, Empress Royalty Executive Chairman David Rhodes said, arguing the correction has reset seller expectations in the company's favor. Speaking with Kitco News at the Rule Symposium 2026 in Boca Raton, Florida, Rhodes said the market remains strong despite the retreat from recent peaks. "This is great times to be a silver producer at $60 silver," he said, adding that most of the assets Empress reviews are profitable. Rhodes said Empress targets a niche the major royalty firms overlook, financing small streams on near-term producing assets rather than competing for tier-one deals. He said the company underwrites transactions on long-term metal prices rather than spot, held back on dealmaking for roughly 18 months as prices climbed, and now holds about $20 million in cash to fund expansion.