Rare Earths Americas is expanding its Shiloh heavy rare earths project in Georgia into the Foothills Rare Earths District after drilling at the Liberty Peak target, over 50 km away, intersected monazite-bearing sands similar to Shiloh. The new district covers an area about 17.5 times larger than the original >22,000-acre Shiloh target and includes Liberty Peak plus three additional high-priority targets, with Liberty Peak intercepts up to 10 m wide and several holes ending in mineralisation. REA, newly listed on NYSE American, is also advancing the Alpha project in Bahia, Brazil towards an SK-1300 initial assessment.

Global Battery Materials will acquire Lomiko Metals in an all-share deal worth about US$7.9 million (C$11 million), gaining the La Loutre flake graphite project in Quebec, which has a March 2026 PFS showing an after-tax NPV of C$617.4 million, 24.7% IRR, 3.2-year payback and C$504.6 million initial capex. GBM, which aims to restart the Kearney graphite mine in Ontario by late 2027, plans a “structured review” of La Loutre with local rights holders amid existing pollution concerns. Lomiko shares jumped 60% to C$0.12, with the offer at a 71% premium to the 20-day VWAP and 18% of shareholders already backing the deal.

Gold rebounded from an intraday low of $3,993.80/oz to $4,080.80 on the Comex August contract after the Federal Reserve held rates at 3.5%–3.75% in a split 9–3 decision, despite swaps pricing a roughly 38% chance of a hike. Silver outperformed, with the September contract up 2.2% to $58.78/oz, though both metals remain far below their late-January peaks, pressuring margins and project economics for high-cost producers. Precious metals equities edged higher on the hold, but Allied Gold slumped 19% in Toronto after its C$5.5 billion takeover by Zijin Gold collapsed.