Metal hot kickstart mining companies going public! Reports suggest Sunshine Silver is considering an IPO, helping to revive silver mining in the United States.

Insiders have revealed that Sunshine Silver Mining & Refining Corp. is preparing for its initial public offering (IPO) to help restart a mine in Idaho. With the rise in metal prices attracting investors, the company has also joined the queue of mining companies going public. Insiders say the US-based company is working with Canada's National Bank and Montreal Bank. The IPO is expected to raise around $400 million. Peter Miller, Co-Head of Global Equity Capital Markets at Montreal Bank, said the bank's pipeline for Canadian IPO projects is the highest since 2021, including several mining companies. However, he declined to comment on specific transactions. North American mining companies are gearing up to test the capital markets and gauge investor interest in new metal-related stocks. Other upcoming deals include Lumina Metals Corp.'s move to proceed with an IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange, aiming to raise about CAD 343.7 million; Barrick Mining Corp. considering spinning off its North American gold mining business for listing; McEwen Copper Inc. planning to raise about $300 million through an IPO for its Argentina project by the end of the year. Sunshine Silver is trying to restart and expand a shut-down mine in the Silver Valley of Idaho. The Silver Valley has long been one of the most important silver-producing areas in the US. The company has invested over $180 million in the project, expanding the mining area and upgrading infrastructure with the goal of resuming mine production by 2028. The company is jointly owned by the private equity firm Electrum Group, focused on natural resources. According to a statement at the time, the company raised $75 million in a financing round in September, led by an affiliated company of Electrum. The IPO will give public market investors the opportunity to invest in US silver assets. There have been relatively few mining IPOs, giving existing shareholders the chance to capitalize on the surge in demand for precious metals. Silver has industrial uses and is also an investment vehicle. Its price has skyrocketed in the past six months, reaching a historic high of over $121 per ounce at the end of January, then falling to around $80 per ounce currently. The Silver Institute has stated that due to strong demand for silver bars and coins and decreasing supply, the global silver market is expected to experience its sixth consecutive year of supply shortages.