Should the Dow Jones to gold ratio retrace to 1:1, that it’s on a few occasions of the past, the gold price could rise to $15,000 to $20,000 an ounce assuming the metal catches up to the Dow, based on Pierre Lassonde, chair emeritus of Franco Nevada.

Lassonde retired from the board of Franco Nevada this year, but is still actively active in the mining industry. Due to the expansion of gold prices this season, fused with falling energy costs, margins in the business have never been better, he seen.

“As the gold price goes up, that disparity [in gold price as well as energy prices] will go straight into the margins and you are discovering margin development. The gold miners have never had it very good. The margins they’re generating are actually probably the fattest, the best, the absolute incredible margins they’ve ever had,” Lassonde told Kitco News.

The stock and margin expansions price rally that the mining sector has observed the season shouldn’t dissuade brand new investors by keying in the area, Lassonde said.

“You haven’t missed the boat at all, even though the gold stocks are up double from the bottom level. At the bottom part, six months to a year ago, the stocks had been so cheap that nobody was serious. It’s the same old story in the room of ours. At the bottom level of the market, there is never enough cash, and also at the top, there is often way excessively, and we’re barely off of the bottom at this moment on time, and there’s a lot to go just before we get to the top,” he said.

The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) 47 % year to day.

More exploration activity is predicted from junior miners, Lassonde said.

“I would point out that by following summer time, I would not be shocked if we were to see exploration budgets in place by between twenty five % to 30 % and also the year after, In my opinion the budgets will be up very likely by fifty % to seventy five %. I do believe there’s likely to be a major surge in exploration budgets with the following 2 years,” he stated.