The Ken Brinsden-chaired Patriot has just unveiled its best drill hit yet, sending its shares on another run. And the results it is generating at its Corvette project in Canada’s James Bay highlight the potential for minnow Cygnus, which is preparing to drill its Pontax project in the Bay. Meanwhile, Essential is set to show how smaller lithium deposits can drive large valuations.

And it’s not just lithium that’s hot. With mineral sands prices booming due to a supply crunch, Strandline is set to make a blockbuster start to production at any moment. So is Iluka looking over the fence?

From receivership to 59m at 12.5g/t, Lawson leads Lazarus revival for WA miner. Plus, Kin strengthens its hand in Leonora merger jigsaw and our recent heads-up on Creasy and Greenstone proves well-timed.

Emerging producers like Bellevue could be on the menu for the big producers, ditto for Peel in the copper space. Stavely shareholders soak up SPP and Creasy punts on Galileo neighbour Greenstone.

The turn-around underway at Gascoyne illustrates this upside while Ivory Coast gold mine developer Tietto is also in line for a re-rate. Plus, Bellevue Gold insulates itself against rising costs.

The 30-40% slump in copper stocks in response to the 31% crunch in the copper price since its early March highs has naturally enough triggered thoughts that the copper stocks are now in deep value territory.

Promising drill hit 10km north of its world-class Gonneville nickel-copper-PGE find, and one from Caspin 30km further along, set investors’ juices flowing again. Plus, last week’s words of rare earths wisdom were bang on the money, as Australian Rare Earths proved, and iron ore junior Genmin defies the odds with US$10m in funding from Anglo American

Middle Kingdom’s stranglehold on rare earth supplies, which are crucial components of EVs and wind turbines, highlights enormous opportunity for Aussie juniors. Australian Rare Earths, PVW and RareX are among those making action in the space. Plus, Volt raises to re-start Ukraine graphite mine.

MD Dale Henderson says “evidence at the coal face with our customers suggests demand remains incredibly strong”. Record sale comes as market prepares for news of Liontown’s third major lithium offtake deal. Plus, Mincor banks its first cheque from BHP and lots of smoke billowing from Nimy’s nickel hunt in WA.

Sell-off in nickel stocks like Centaurus, despite the metal price holding up, seen as an opportunity for longer-term investors. Ditto for lithium shares.

Plus, Bellevue Gold set for juicy cashflow on low costs and 200,000oz a year, Inca gets pulses racing with some good-looking core from the NT and Josh Pitt’s $6m Traka works up its porphyry targets.

Last week’s suggestion that the broad market sell-off in response to rising inflation/interest rates and the Chinese slowdown had been overdone when it came to lithium stocks did not exactly stand the test of time.

It’s the most enduring thematic of our times, and now investors can get exposure at a significantly lower price thanks to the recent impact of rising rates and global strife.

Bellavista to hits the boards on Wednesday. Plus, PVW ready to put its strong bank balance to work in rare earths hunt and Battery Minerals sees plenty of smoke at gold prospect just 10km from rich Stawell mine

Plus, Chalice stablemate Minerals 260 hunting for a Julimar of its own.

Plus, newly-listed Maronan born with a polymetallic spoon in its mouth, Alicanto’s stunning silver-lead-zinc hit is almost 1oz-gold equivalent and Calidus set to pour first gold any minute.

Another record price for Pilbara Minerals’ product prompts MD Ken Brinsden to question analysts’ price assumptions. And Sandfire chief Karl Simich also has a message for the market: forget costs, focus on margins.

The red metal has not run with the likes of nickel and lithium, but the strong demand outlook means big inventories are very valuable, while explorers like Sunstone and Stavely are increasingly appealing amid the hunt for the next generation of producers.