Gold price

After dropping as low as US$4,400 per ounce on February 2, this past week gold has taken another run well above the key psychological US$5,000 mark; albeit still hundreds of dollars away from its record high of close to US$5,600 reached on January 28.

After trading in a tight range of US$4,985 to US$5,000 for much of Thursday (February 19), the price of gold managed to rise as high as US$5,107 on Friday. That upward climb continued on Monday (February 23) to an intraday high of US$5,248 — a level gold hasn’t seen in a month.

The yellow metal lost that steam by Tuesday’s close with the precious metal trading back down at US$5,143. By Wednesday morning, gold was once again making a run at the US$5,200 level to reach an intraday high of US$5,217.58 at 9:10 a.m. PST. However, it couldn’t hang on for long, sinking back down to US$5,166.25 as of 1:40pm PST on profit-taking and a stronger dollar.

Gold price chart, February 18, 2026 to February 25, 2026.

Here are the primary drivers for gold this past week:

• Dips this week were brought on by slight downward pressure due to profit-taking and a stronger US dollar.

In other gold news, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) raised its gold forecast to US$6,300 by the end of 2026, citing a ‘reserve currency paradigm shift’ as countries diversify away from the dollar, and ‘significant investor diversification’.

Looking at major events in the gold mining sector, Kinross Gold’s (TSX:K,NYSE:KGC) Great Bear development in the Red Lake district of Ontario, Canada, has been designated for a reduced permitting timeline under the provincial government’s One Project, One Process (1P1P) framework. 1P1P is a streamlined approval system aimed at reducing government review times by 50 percent. The high-grade, combined open-pit and underground operation is expected to produce more than 500,000 ounces of gold annually during its peak years.

Silver price

The price of silver is still well below its all-time high of more than US$120 per ounce it reached on January 29, 2026. For the most part, the white metal continued to track the same trends as gold this week.

Like gold, silver traded sideways Thursday (February 19) in the US$77.50 to US$78.50 range, and then surged the following day to an intraday high of US$84.61.

For most of Monday (February 23), silver continued higher but at a much slower pace, to reach as high as US$88.96. Tuesday brought another day of tight trading in the US$86.70 to US$88.10; however, by Wednesday morning the silver price had managed to break through the US$90 level on the same safe-haven demand forces pushing gold prices higher this week.

The price of silver hit an intraday high of US$91.15 at 11:55am PST before sliding back down below US$89 in the afternoon session.

Silver price chart, February 18, 2026 to February 25, 2026.

Silver may still not be back into the triple digits, but its showing strong support despite a slump in artificial intelligence (AI) tech stocks. Silver, the most electrically and thermally conductive metal on the planet, is considered a key material for AI tech, particularly in data centers and high-performance computing. Silver is also in a structural supply deficit which continues to provide upward pressure on silver prices

In silver mining news, Lundin Gold (TSX:LUG,OTCQX:LUGDF) announced a US$670 million silver stream deal with LunR Royalties (TSXV:LUNR) on its Fruta del Norte mine.

Platinum price

Platinum continues to be one of the top performing metals, reaching a 12-year high in recent weeks. This past week it has gained more than 8 percent. Sideways trading on Thursday (February 19) turned into an upward climb on Friday with prices for platinum rising from a low of US$2,060.10 to a high of US$2,117.40 per ounce.

The first few days of this new week were marked by volatility with wider price swings. The platinum price reached a three week high of US$2,226.30 in late day trading Tuesday. The jump was driven by a combination of geopolitical tensions, trade uncertainty, and structural supply constraints.

Platinum continued its ascent in overnight trading, reaching as high as US$2,360.50 in early morning trading, and managed to finish off the day just below the US$2,300 level.

Platinum price chart, February 18, 2026 to February 25, 2026.

Platinum prices are benefitting from renewed tariff jitters, geopolitical safe-haven demand, and persistent supply tightness from major producer South Africa.

The emerging hydrogen economy is also adding to demand for the metal on top of robust demand from the auto sector. Consumers are shifting back toward internal combustion engine and diesel vehicles as hurdles to EV adoption remain challenging. This is highly supportive of demand for platinum as its primary use is in automotive catalysts.

On the supply side, global platinum reserves remain critically low, especially as the world’s biggest producer South Africa continues to be plagued by power shortages and operational disruptions.

In platinum mining news, Valterra Platinum declared a dividend of 45 rand a share for a total 2025 payout of 12 billion rand (US$757 million) after its net income more than doubled to 15.4 billion rand. Bloomberg reported that the size of the dividend “smashed analyst expectations as earnings jumped last year on soaring metals prices”.

Palladium price

Palladium has been the black sheep of the precious metals family for the past few years, remaining well below its March 2022 all-time record of US$3,440.76 per ounce.

On Thursday (February 19), unlike its sister metals, palladium rallied 4.8 percent to an intraday high of US$1,767.50. The metal closed out last week with another nearly 3.9 percent gain to US$1,836.

On Monday, palladium lost some of that ground to close out the day at US$1,820. After dipping to a low of US$1,763 in early morning trading on Tuesday, the price of the metal regained those losses and more by the end of the trading day reaching as high as US$1,843.

Wednesday (February 25) morning brought a spike in palladium prices to US$1,935 as the metal went along for the same ride as platinum, before falling back to the US$1,860 level in afternoon trading.

Palladium price chart, February 18, 2026 to February 25, 2026.

As is the case with platinum, demand for palladium is getting support from the auto sector. Rising prices for platinum are leading automakers to make the swap to palladium.

The US Department of Commerce’s preliminary statement of support for anti-dumping duties of approximately 133 percent on unwrought Russian palladium imports is still shaping the outlook for palladium on the supply side. This follows a petition from Sibanye-Stillwater (NYSE:SBSW) over allegations that Russian metal is being sold in the US at less than fair value. A final decision is expected in the case by June of this year.

Reform fuels cannabis growth in Germany

Bloomwell’s review, built on anonymized real-world data from hundreds of thousands of self-paying patient prescriptions filled via its app, e-prescriptions and partner pharmacies from January 2024 to December 2025, shows Germany’s medical cannabis market saw a 3,300 percent surge in prescriptions by December 2025 compared with March 2024, the final month before medical cannabis was reclassified and removed from the country’s list of narcotics.

“What we’re seeing is a fundamental shift in patient access to legally prescribed, medically supervised and digitally accessible cannabis following regulatory reform,” said Kouparanis.

The country’s Cannabis Act (CanG) removed cannabis from its Narcotics Act (BtMG) and enacted the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG), shifting prescriptions from strict narcotic controls to standard pharmaceutical processes. The act enabled telemedicine and easier approvals to boost access for chronic conditions.

Prescriptions hit record highs in late 2025, reflecting telemedicine’s role in transitioning self-medicating patients to regulated care; however, misuse debates erupted that same year, with the Federal Ministry of Health drafting amendments driven by Minister of Health Nina Warken’s concerns over a 400 percent import surge, which she cited as evidence of potential abuse via telemedicine platforms.

In October 2025, the German Cabinet formally approved a draft of the amendment, which banned new remote prescriptions and mail-order sales. The draft was submitted to the European Union’s Technical Regulations Information System for review, with the first Bundestag reading occurring on December 18, 2025. As of February 2026, the parliamentary process is ongoing; second and third readings are targeted for this spring.

Amid these headwinds, Kouparanis emphasized resilience.

“In the face of political uncertainty and proposed regulatory pushback, the biggest achievement for Germany’s medical cannabis industry is that we’ve continued to guarantee a secure and stable supply of prescriptions for more than a million medical cannabis patients,” he said. “Imports are breaking records, and medical cannabis has firmly established itself as part of mainstream healthcare.”

German cannabis market trends

The report identifies several growth trends in the German medical cannabis market, including an increase in products — while fewer than 470 strains were available at the start of 2025, by the fourth quarter there were 720.

At the same time, patient preferences for specific flower attributes have shifted.

Patients increasingly favor non-irradiated flowers, which captured roughly 90 percent of the market share from July to December 2025, reflecting demand for natural products.

“Despite this rise in demand, Germany’s supply of medical cannabis has remained stable and more affordable. We’ve found that the average price per gram of medical cannabis flower fell by more than 3 euros over the course of 2025, declining from 8.33 euros in January to 5.23 euros in December,’ commented Kouparanis.

‘These developments show that the market is successful, competitive, resilient and continues to deliver safe and reliable medical cannabis to patients in need,’ the expert added.

According to the report, telemedicine and mail-order pharmacy efficiencies can save health insurers 2.9 billion euros annually versus in-person care, while cannabis therapy cuts sick leave by 2.7 billion euros yearly, with no evidence of increased hospitalizations or daily use post-reform.

“At a time when Germany’s healthcare system is overstretched, and health insurers are under financial pressure, this model should serve as a benchmark, not a target for rollback,” said Kouparanis.

The report also emphasizes the role of importers, wholesalers and pharmacies that have invested substantial resources — and created jobs — to build an innovative digital supply chain to ensure nationwide access. Kouparanis emphasized that this chain is now at risk due to the regulatory risks introduced by the proposed amendment.

Regulatory risks in Germany’s cannabis market

The authors believe the Ministry of Health’s proposals are based on unsubstantiated misuse fears.

Wichmann argued against the idea of these risks from pharmaceutically supplied medical cannabis.

“This is especially true when compared to other prescription medications commonly used to treat the same conditions, as the addiction risks for opioids and Z-drugs have already been well established,’ he continued, highlighting the benefits of affordable digital access for medical cannabis therapy on the private market.

“If policymakers continue to stigmatize medical cannabis and restrict telemedicine and shipping pharmacies, they risk pushing vulnerable patients back to medications with more severe side effects as well as unsafe cannabis from unregulated sources, undermining both the wellbeing of individual patients and public health as a whole.”

German cannabis market outlook

North American investors are betting on Germany’s medical cannabis staying power, as seen in recent acquisitions of key players in the country like Sanity Group and Remixian.

“Legal cannabis is here to stay,” said Kouparanis, underscoring market resilience despite the regulatory debates.

Highlighting the sector’s evolution, he noted that despite falling prices, major wholesalers may still be profitable. “But of course, as with all product-touching business models, such as wholesale and pharmacy, margins are decreasing.”

This shift favors scalable digital platforms amid intensifying competition.

As regulatory hurdles loom, Germany’s medical cannabis market proves a potentially lucrative investment frontier for digitized platforms like Bloomwell, provided policymakers embrace data over dogma.

Investor Insights

Blackstone Minerals, through its subsidiary Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC) is focused on the Mankayan copper-gold project, an advanced exploration project in the Philippines. Mankayan is one of Southeast Asia’s largest undeveloped copper-gold porphyry, offering leveraged exposure to tightening global copper supply and increased copper demand.

Overview

Global decarbonization and electrification are driving sustained growth in copper demand, while new, large-scale copper discoveries remain scarce and development timelines lengthen. Long-life, high-quality copper projects with scale, grade, and infrastructure access are increasingly strategic and required to meet this future demand.

Historical Drilling Results at Mankayan

Blackstone Minerals (ASX:BSX), through CMDC, is advancing the Mankayan Copper-Gold Project in the Philippines following its merger with IDM International.

Mankayan stands out for its size, grade, and geological continuity, supported by extensive historical drilling and proximity to existing infrastructure. These attributes underpin a flexible development pathway and potential for long-life production.

As part of a strategic move, Blackstone has streamlined its asset base to prioritize Mankayan. A previously advanced nickel project in Vietnam is now subject to a binding strategic agreement with a local partner, materially reducing holding costs while allowing management and capital to be focused on the Company’s copper-gold strategy.

Company Highlights

• Flagship Copper-Gold Asset: Mankayan is a globally significant copper-gold porphyry system with a large 793 million tonne JORC-compliant resource.
• Indigenous Approval – The Mankayan Project holds a 25-year Mineral Production Sharing Agreement and has completed the social license with an FPIC finalized and a MoA in place.
• Scale and Development Optionality: A large, continuous mineral system supporting both staged, higher-grade development and long-life bulk mining scenarios.
• Established Mining District: Located in Northern Luzon, Philippines, near existing mining operations and infrastructure.
• 2026 Clear and focused roadmap: to derisk the Mankayan Project by advancing its Pre-Feasibility Study.
• Strengthened Leadership: Strong in-country team along with recent Board and management appointments enhance technical, operational, and regional capability.
• Strong Copper Leverage: Copper is a critical metal for electrification, renewable energy, and grid infrastructure, with long-term supply constraints supporting project optionality.

Key Project

Mankayan Copper-Gold Project – Philippines

The project is located in the prolific mineral belt of Northern Luzon, approximately 340 km north of Manila by road and around 2.5 km from the operating Lepanto gold mine and the Far Southeast project area.

Mankayan is one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold porphyry systems in Asia, extending over approximately 1,100 metres of strike and 600 metres of width, with mineralisation open along strike and at depth.

More than 56,000 metres of historical diamond drilling support a JORC compliant (2012) mineral resource estimate of 793 million tonnes at 0.35 percent copper and 0.38 grams per ton (g/t) gold, equivalent to 0.65 percent copper equivalent (CuEq*) at a 0.25% CuEq cut-off. Within this, a high-grade core of 170 million tonnes at 0.48 percent copper and 0.58 g/t gold, 0.93 percent (CuEq*) at a 0.8 percent cutoff provides potential for staged development scenarios.

Notable historical intercepts include:

• 911 m at 1.00 percent CuEq, including 253 m at 1.43 percent CuEq
• 543 m at 1.08 percent CuEq, including 277 m at 1.43 percent CuEq
• 1,119 m at 0.86 percent CuEq, including 352 m at 1.15 percent CuEq
• 754 m at 1.03 percent CuEq, including 430 m at 1.21 percent CuEq

Recent field activities have identified additional surface copper-gold mineralisation proximal to the main deposit, with rock-chip samples returning up to 6 g/t gold and 1.9 percent copper, highlighting further exploration upside across the broader project area.

CMDC is in the process of commencing a pre-feasibility study encompassing various mining scenarios and environmental studies.

Management Team

Geoff Gilmour – Executive Chairman

Appointed following Blackstone’s merger with IDM, Geoff Gilmour brings more than 30 years of distinguished leadership in the junior resources sector, with a proven track record of value creation. His career includes senior executive roles as Managing Director of Amex Resources, Brightstar, and Rift Valley Resources, and is highlighted by the successful creation of Andean Resources.

Gilmour has also served as chairman of IDM, where he played a pivotal role in advancing the Mankayan Project and leading the company through its merger with Blackstone Minerals. He currently serves as a director of Blackstone Minerals Ltd, continuing to drive strategic growth and development.

Oliver Cairns –Non-executive Director

Oliver Cairns brings key, hands-on experience to the company’s flagship Mankayan project in the Philippines and was part of the IDM International team that was responsible for the acquisition and management of the Mankayan project before the merger with

Blackstone in June 2025. He has deep familiarity with the Mankayan asset, including four years of actively working with the in-country team. In addition, Cairns offers more than 25 years of strategic corporate, IR and commercial experience.

Greg Cunnold – Non-executive Director

Greg Cunnold is a geologist with over 30 years of experience in the evaluation, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. Cunnold has worked on base and precious metals deposits, bulk commodities, rare earth elements, industrial minerals, and critical mineral projects. His assignments have spanned the globe, including Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America.

Over the years, Cunnold has played a pivotal role in numerous projects, contributing to the discovery, delineation, and development of valuable mineral deposits. His expertise ranges from grassroots exploration through to definitive feasibility studies. Cunnold is a Competent Person as defined by the JORC and NI 43-101 codes and has served corporately as a board member of private, public unlisted, and listed companies.

Mark Williams – Non-executive Director

Mark Williams’ career in the mining industry spans more than three decades and includes operational experience across a diverse range of assets in both mature and emerging global markets, with extensive in-country experience in the Philippines.

Most recently, Williams led mid-tier Australian gold producer Red 5 Limited (ASX: RED) for 10 years, overseeing an operational turnaround of its foundational asset in the Philippines, the Siana Gold Project, before initiating a transformational pivot to the West Australian goldfields through the acquisition, financing, development, construction and operation of the King of the Hills Gold Mine growing Red 5 to a $1.5 billion company in 2024 prior to its merger with Silver Lake Resources.

James Bahen – Company Secretary

James Bahen is a director and equity partner of SmallCap Corporate. He commenced his career in audit and assurance with an international chartered accounting firm. He is currently a non-executive director and company secretary to a number of ASX-listed companies and has a broad range of corporate governance and capital markets experience. Bahen is a member of the Governance Institute of Australia and holds a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in accounting and finance.