The Greatland Gold (LSE:GGP) share price has hit new all time highs.
When a company share price soars into new territory above previous highs, it tends to attract a lot of fresh attention. So we can say with some confidence that the move beyond the previous share price ceiling of 14p is bullish, or positive, for the stock.
In fact, since I last covered Greatland Gold in June 2020 the company’s market cap has ballooned by a further £120m.
Greatland Gold soars
This AIM darling is up an incredible 11,316% in the last five years. A £5,000 investment in the London-headquartered miner in 2105 would be a kingmaker for us all.
If you took the plunge then, and looked at your Stocks and Shares ISA today, you’d be sitting on a whopping £565,800.
Why now?
Investors are looking ahead to the company’s Haveiron project in Western Australia. Initial drilling shows great promise and the miner has added new licenses in the same region recently. The company appears to be in a solid position to capitalise on this potential, too.
Greatland Gold CEO Gervaise Heddle noted in a recent announcement: “Greatland is in a strong financial position with approximately £6 million in cash as at 30 June 2020 and remains well financed to conduct all planned activities over the next 12 months.”
And in terms of the sector as a whole, conditions for gold miners are particularly good at present. The precious metal is in historically high demand, which improves their cost base and raises potential profits.
The price that gold can be sold at in the open market is at record-breaking highs.
An ounce of gold is at 20-year highs against the British pound at £1,461 and the Australian dollar at A$2,597. Today the gold price is about to breach the last all-time US record set in 2011 as it rises above $1,845.
In fact, in almost every worldwide market, including Canada, Switzerland, Japan, and Europe, the price of gold has reached new records.
Buyer beware
While the Greatland Gold share price is up 682% in the last six months alone, the company has not yet turned a profit. So I would urge caution for newer or beginner investors.
Small gold mining companies are an inherently riskier bet than profitable companies on the FTSE 100 or FTSE 250. Long-term holders have to grit their teeth, sometimes for years, while a company spends cash without making profits. Their solace is relying on the gleaming dream at the end of the rainbow.
Mining for gold is incredibly resource-intensive and competition is fierce for the best licenses to dig in the most prospective spots.
For every growth stock success there are 10 failed companies that showed similar promise.
Is Greatland Gold a buy?
Since mid-June the Greatland Gold share price has been trading in a very tight range around the 12p mark.
With long-term holders clinging on to their shares, unwilling to sell, and lower numbers of intrigued new buyers coming in, the Greatland Gold share price has moved up and down only a couple of percent a day.
But breaching this previous ceiling suggests there is more upside to be had for long-term investors. With a market cap now in excess of £540 million Greatland Gold is in a strong position to keep growing.