At the recent Noosa Mining Investor Conference, we sat down with one of the sharpest minds in Australian resources investing – Hedley Widdup, Managing Director of Lion Selection Group (ASX:LSX) – to talk all things commodities, gold, and where we are in the cycle.
🕰 Tick, tick… is the commodities boom finally here?
Widdup thinks we’re getting close. According to his trademark “Lion Clock”, we’re somewhere between 5 and 7 o’clock – signalling growing momentum as investors shift back into higher-risk opportunities in pursuit of stronger returns.
Here are a few takeaways from our conversation:
Why Lion is still gold-heavy – “It’s lower risk,” says Widdup. “But we’re watching copper and silver closely.”
Staying local – Lion exited Indonesia despite strong projects, citing the lower risk and cost benefits of sticking with Aussie geology.
Early winners in the portfolio –
- Koonenberry Gold (ASX:KNB): Potential high-grade gold near Armidale, New South Wales.
- Sunshine Metals (ASX:SHN): 90,000 ounce resource and “Pajingo-like” discovery in the works.
- Saturn Metals (ASX:STN): Shallow, 2.25-million-ounce deposit that could scale fast.
- Plutonic: Wildcard on never-before-drilled district, driven by unconventional geologist Kris Butera.
🎯 Why this matters
Widdup sees signs of capital returning – IPOs reopening, developers outperforming producers – and says it’s time for investors to pay close attention. “We may look back and realise this was 6 o’clock on the clock.”
