Fredonia Mining Inc. announced the appointment of Constantine Karayannopoulos, an experienced mining executive with 30+ years in the sector, to its board of directors. Karayannopoulos, former CEO of Neo Performance Materials and co-founder of Neo Lithium Corp., brings expertise in rare earth elements and critical minerals. His appointment is intended to support Fredonia's advancement of its El Dorado Monserrat gold project in Argentina toward development-stage operations.

Large-cap stocks in housing, nuclear energy, crypto mining, and commodities sectors experienced significant declines last week due to earnings volatility, rising Treasury yields, Middle East conflict concerns, and weaker crypto sentiment. Ten major stocks fell between 3.3% and 17.05%, with Oklo, Rocket Companies, and Carvana among the worst performers despite some posting strong quarterly results.

U.S. equities declined Friday as rising oil prices and bond-market losses triggered rate-hike concerns, sending Treasury yields sharply higher. The Nasdaq 100 fell 1.6%, Russell 2000 dropped 2.4%, and S&P 500 declined 1.1%. Energy stocks rallied on crude surge, while tech and AI stocks suffered heavy losses. Intel crashed 7%, Tesla fell 4.3%, and NVIDIA dropped 3.5%. Precious metals collapsed amid dollar strength and rising real yields.

Fredonia Mining Inc. has completed the acquisition of approximately 11,754 hectares of mineral properties from a Pan American Silver subsidiary in Argentina's Deseado Massif region. The acquisition expands Fredonia's consolidated land position by over 50% to ~33,500 hectares, connecting previously fragmented northern and southern mineralized corridors into a unified district-scale system adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's Cerro Vanguardia mine. The company is advancing a Preliminary Economic Assessment and 10,000-metre drill program on its flagship EDM project, which hosts a measured and indicated mineral resource of approximately 2.25 million ounces of gold equivalent.

Gold exploration budgets increased 11% to $6.15 billion as capital flows toward geological proof rather than promotional narratives. Five companies—GoldHaven Resources, AngloGold Ashanti, Fortuna Mining, San Lorenzo Gold, and Founders Metals—are advancing projects through independent validation milestones. Record gold prices ($4,873/oz quarterly average) and structural sovereign demand from central banks are creating a validation premium for projects demonstrating technical reviews, environmental baselines, and systematic drilling.

President Trump announced a conditional two-week ceasefire with Iran, causing crude oil to plunge 17% to $93/barrel as traders unwound positions betting on prolonged Strait of Hormuz disruption. Airlines and travel stocks surged 10%+ in pre-market trading, while analysts caution the deal remains fragile with unclear terms and ongoing sporadic attacks.

U.S. large-cap stocks posted strong gains during the shortened week of March 30-April 2. VinFast Auto led with a 42.77% jump driven by strong EV momentum and Canadian rebates. Alcoa gained 24.12% on bullish commodities sentiment amid Middle East conflict resolution expectations. Other notable gainers included SBA Communications (23.22%), Equinox Gold (20.98%), and several precious metals miners, with gains ranging from 15-19%.

President Trump has sent Iran a 15-point peace plan addressing nuclear programs and maritime routes, with prediction markets showing a 48% probability of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire by April 30. Ten Russell 1000 stocks down 17-33% since the war began are positioned for potential recovery if peace talks succeed. War-battered sectors including airlines, mining, and cruise lines staged sharp premarket rebounds on the diplomatic developments.

Markets sold off sharply on March 19, 2026, as Iranian strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure pushed crude oil above $100/barrel, triggering stagflation concerns. The S&P 500 hit its lowest close since mid-November, while the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance and rising inflation projections pushed Treasury yields higher. Gold plummeted 4.5% as real yields climbed, while energy stocks surged and precious metals miners collapsed.

Thesis Gold & Silver Inc. completed a private placement raising C$44M, with AngloGold Ashanti acquiring 13.9M shares (5% stake) for C$38.7M and Centerra Gold exercising participation rights to acquire 2.1M shares (9.9% ownership) for C$5.7M at C$2.79 per share. The funds will support working capital and technical studies for the Lawyers-Ranch gold-silver project in British Columbia.

Thesis Gold Inc. announced a strategic investment from AngloGold Ashanti, which will acquire 5% of the company's shares for C$38.7 million at $2.79 per share. Centerra Gold will also participate, acquiring an additional 2.06 million shares to maintain its 9.9% ownership stake for C$5.7 million. The combined funding of approximately C$44.4 million will support working capital and technical studies for the Lawyers-Ranch gold-silver project in British Columbia.

Gold and silver prices collapsed on Friday, with silver down 27% and gold down 9.5% — their worst single-day declines since 1980. The selloff was triggered by President Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair, perceived as a hawk who prioritizes inflation control over monetary stimulus. This unwound the 'debasement trade' that had driven precious metals higher in January, causing mining stocks to suffer double-digit losses.