Six mining companies broke the Top 20 rankings in the recently released 2025 OTCQX Best 50, an annual ranking recognizing the 50 top-performing companies traded on the OTCQX Best Market during the previous calendar year.
The rankings evaluate companies based on a combination of one-year total return and average daily dollar volume growth, offering investors insight into companies delivering strong performance across diverse sectors.
The 2025 OTCQX Best 50 features a broad array of US and international firms, with industries ranging from technology and healthcare to mining and financial services. Companies in the resource sectors were well represented on the list, with more than 15 focused on mining and energy placing in the Best 50.
This year, the companies on the list collectively achieved a median total return of 74 percent and a combined trading dollar volume of US$5.85 billion.
Learn about the six mining stocks that made it into the OTCQX Best 50’s top 20 below.
1. American Rare Earths (OTCQX:AMRRY,ASX:ARR)
The highest-ranking mining company on the list is American Rare Earths, which came in third place on the OTCQX Best 50 list. Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, the company focuses on critical mineral projects that support the global transition to renewable energy and advanced technologies.
Its flagship Halleck Creek rare earths project in Wyoming spans over 2,428 hectares and represents a significant step toward securing domestic US rare earth supply chains. Last February, the company increased the resource estimate at Halleck Creek by 64 percent.
In December, the company’s subsidiary, Wyoming Rare USA, secured a facility at the Western Research Institute in Laramie, Wyoming, backed by a US$7.1 million grant from the state of Wyoming. This January, it was granted a license to conduct test mining at the Cowboy State Mine within the Halleck Creek project.
In addition to Halleck Creek, the company operates the La Paz rare earth project in Arizona and the Searchlight heavy rare earths project in Nevada near the Mountain Pass mine.
2. Luca Mining (OTCQX:LUCMF,TSXV:LUCA)
Luca Mining, which placed fifth on the OTCQX list, is a Canadian mining company with operations centered in Mexico. It operates two flagship assets: the Campo Morado mine in Guerrero state, a polymetallic project processing over 2,500 metric tons of ore per day, and the Tahuehueto project in Durango State, which has entered pre-production with a designed capacity of 1,000 metric tons per day.
Through the first nine months of 2024, Luca produced 40,083 ounces of gold equivalent from a mix of gold, silver, zinc, copper and lead. Just this month, Luca initiated its first exploration drilling campaign at Campo Morado in over a decade, aiming to expand mineral resources and identify untapped zones of potential.
3. Freegold Ventures (OTCQX:FGOVF,TSX:FVL)
Freegold Ventures ranked 11th in the 2025 OTCQX Best 50, focuses on gold and copper exploration in Alaska, where it operates the Golden Summit gold and Shorty Creek copper-gold projects.
Golden Summit, located near Fairbanks in the Tintina gold belt, is an advanced-stage gold project and one of North America’s largest undeveloped gold resources following a major resource update in early 2023.
The company’s 2024 drilling program yielded high-grade gold intercepts to the west and southwest at Golden Summit, reinforcing its expansion potential. Results from the program will be used for an updated mineral resource estimate in 2025.
4. Montage Gold (OTCQX:MAUTF,TSXV:MAU)
In 12th place on the Best 50 is Montage Gold. The company is advancing its flagship Koné gold project in Côte d’Ivoire toward becoming a significant African gold producer.
According to Montage, the Koné project stands out as one of Africa’s highest-quality gold assets, with a 16-year mine life, low all-in sustaining costs (AISC) of US$998 per ounce, and an annual production target exceeding 300,000 ounces during its first eight years.
Construction of the Koné project officially commenced in late 2024, with first gold production anticipated by Q2 2027 and supported by over US$900 million in liquidity.
5. Lundin Gold (OTCQX:LUGDF,TSX:LUG)
Lundin Gold, which ranked 14th overall, is a Canadian mining company that owns and operates the Fruta del Norte gold mine in Southeast Ecuador.
This mine, one of the highest-grade operating gold mines globally, has been a key contributor to Lundin’s growth since commencing production in late 2019.
In 2024, Lundin Gold achieved a record annual production of 502,029 ounces of gold from Fruta del Norte, surpassing its guidance of 450,000 to 500,000 ounces. The fourth quarter alone saw production of 135,241 ounces, including 88,834 ounces of concentrate and 46,407 ounces of doré.
6. G2 Goldfields (OTCQX:GUYGF,TSXV:GTWO)
In 16th place is G2 Goldfields, a Canada-based exploration company with a strong presence in Guyana’s gold-rich regions.
The company holds 100 percent interests in projects located within the Oko Aremu and Puruni districts, including its Oko gold project, advancing its position as a key player in the region’s mining landscape.
Recently, G2 filed an independent technical report for its New Aremu project, highlighting substantial gold mineralization in quartz veins and boulders.
The company has also announced plans to spin out several greenfield assets into a new subsidiary, G3 Goldfields. This initiative aims to sharpen G2’s focus on its core properties while allowing G3 to expand its portfolio with promising gold projects in the Cuyuni and Puruni districts.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.