SSR Mining Hits 52-Week High: Should You Buy, Hold or Sell?

SSR Mining Inc. SSRM stock hit a 52-week high of $13.48 yesterday before closing the session a tad lower at $13.45.The stock’s gain has been fueled by the news of the restart of its Seabee mine operations, as well as high gold and silver prices.Year to date, SSRM shares have gained 45.1% compared with the industry’s growth of 21%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Basic Materials sector and the S&P 500 have gained 22.7% and 25%, respectively.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchSilver Standard has even fared better than Pan American Silver PAAS, Hecla Mining HL and IAMGOLD IAG, which have yielded year-to-date gains of 35.2%, 30.8% and 29.1% respectively.SSRM Stock's YTD Performance vs. PAAS, HL & IAGImage Source: Zacks Investment ResearchSSR Mining stock is trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating solid upward momentum and price stability. This reflects a positive market sentiment and confidence in the company's financial health and long-term prospects. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchWhile this rally may tempt investors, it is important to assess the underlying drivers and their sustainability, as well as the company’s growth prospects and potential risks, before making any investment decision.SSRM’s Growth Drivers: Are They Built to Last?Solid Trend in Silver & Gold Prices: Silver prices are currently around $36.80 per ounce, near 13-year highs as markets assessed the latest U.S. trade policy moves. President Donald Trump announced updated tariff rates on 14 countries that have not reached trade agreements with Washington, including major exporters such as Japan and South Korea, both of which will face 25% levies. Both silver and gold have yielded year-to-date gains of 27% riding on the escalating tariff tensions and geopolitical uncertainties.Per the Silver Institute, the silver market is expected to record another deficit in 2025 (117.6 million ounces) for the fifth consecutive year, which bodes well for silver prices. Gold is also likely headed for a demand-supply imbalance. Gold prices are likely to continue to rise, aided by increased purchases by central banks and geopolitical tensions.Restart of Operations at Seabee Mine: After being suspended for two weeks due to power outages led by nearby forest fires, the Seabee mine resumed operations on June 13, 2025. Power supply has been fully restored to the site and no damage has been reported.In the first quarter of 2025, the Seabee mine produced 26,001 ounces of gold, up 9.4% year over year. After the first-quarter conference call, SSR Mining expected the mine to produce 70,000-80,000 ounces of gold for 2025. The mine’s cost of sales is likely to be $1,230-$1,270 per payable ounce and AISC is anticipated to be $1,710-$1,750 per payable ounce for 2025. The company has not changed these projections.Acquisition of CC&V Mine: On March 3, 2025, SSR Mining closed the acquisition of the Cripple Creek & Victor (CC&V) mine from Newmont. This move positioned SSRM as the third-largest gold producer in the United States.Located in Colorado, CC&V is a large-scale open-pit mine that has been active for more than three decades. The CC&V mine is expected to contribute around 170,000 ounces of gold annually. Beyond expanding SSRM’s footprint in the United States, the transaction is expected to be accretive across all key per-share metrics, including NAV, gold production, mineral reserves and free cash flow, strengthening SSRM’s investment profile and strategic flexibility.    Upbeat Guidance for 2025: SSRM’s total gold production is expected in the range of 320,000-380,000 ounces for 2025 (including output from Seabee, Marigold and CC&V). Silver production is projected at 8-8.75 million ounces.Rising Estimates Instill Confidence in SSRM’s EarningsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for SSR Mining’s earnings for 2025 and 2026 has moved up 52.4% and 16%, respectively, over the past 60 days.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchThe consensus mark for 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.25 per share, indicating a year-over-year surge of 346%. The estimate for 2026 of $2.02 per share indicates an increase of 62%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchSSR Mining Valuation is AttractiveSSR Mining is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings multiple of 8.16X, a discount to the industry average of 14.44X.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchIt is also cheaper than IAMGOLD, which is trading close at 8.31X. Pan American Silver and Hecla Mining are trading at a much higher multiples of 16.95X and 26.86X, respectively.SSR Mining’s Roadmap for Long-Term SuccessSSRM has a diversified portfolio of high-quality assets. The gold production profile at Marigold is expected to increase to more than 270,000 ounces annually in 2027, seeing an 18% CAGR over 2024 and reach above 300,000 ounces by 2029. The company is focusing on expanding Marigold’s mineral reserves and extending its mine life, including potential expansions to the Mackay, Valmy, New Millennium and Buffalo Valley deposits.Over 2024-2028, Seabee’s production is expected to average 75,000 ounces annually. Grades are expected to trend closer to 5.0 g/t in 2025 and beyond, while throughputs are expected to increase to 1,350-1,400 tons per day. Exploration and resource development activity also continues to aggressively advance the Porky and Porky West targets as a potential underground mining front that could complement and extend the existing Seabee mine life. At Puna, mining from the Chinchillas open pit is expected to be completed in 2026. Technical work continues to evaluate opportunities to extend the Puna mine’s life.Our Final Take on SSRM StockThe acquisition of the CC&V Mine was a strategic step to enhance the company’s U.S. presence and strengthen its production profile and other key metrics. Backed by solid assets, production profile and rising gold and silver prices, SSRM is well-positioned for growth. With an appealing valuation and upward earnings estimate revisions, now appears to be a favorable time to consider adding the stock to your portfolio. This is further supported by its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double"Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Iamgold Corporation (IAG): Free Stock Analysis Report Hecla Mining Company (HL): Free Stock Analysis Report Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS): Free Stock Analysis Report Silver Standard Resources Inc. (SSRM): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks