Are precious metals a good investment?

Precious metals can be a good investment. They tend to rise in value over time, driven higher by inflation and other factors. They also tend to hold their value during more turbulent economic times. While precious metals likely won't deliver the highest returns, they could deliver solid returns with less volatility than other asset classes, like stocks.

What happens to precious metals when the stock market crashes?

The prices of most precious metals, like gold and silver, tend to spike during stock market crashes. That happens because investors flock to safe havens like gold and silver during periods of market turmoil.

What are the precious metal stocks with the highest dividends?

As of mid-2026, some of the precious metals stocks listed on major U.S. stock exchanges with the highest dividend yields were:AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU): 4.2%Gold Fields (NYSE: GFI): 3.9%Buenaventura Mining Company (NYSE: BVN): 3.3%Sibanye-Stillwater (NYSE: SBSW): 3.2%Barrick Gold (NYSE: B): 2.1%

What precious metal holds its value best?

Gold tends to hold its value better than other assets. It has long held value as a currency. It also doesn't have the industrial usage of other precious metals, like silver or platinum, which could weigh on their value if their industrial demand falls.

How much of my portfolio should I allocate to precious metals?

How much of your portfolio you allocate to precious metals is a personal preference. Those with grave concerns about the economy or inflation, or who are very bullish on the upside potential of precious metals prices, might want to allocate a significant percentage of their portfolio to precious metals. However, as a general rule of thumb, investing 5% to 10% of your portfolio in precious metals is a good target.

Are precious metal stocks suitable for beginners?

Yes, precious metals stocks are suitable for beginners because they can help diversify your portfolio.

Are precious metal stocks volatile?

Yes, precious metals stocks are volatile. Precious metals prices can rise and fall significantly in response to changes in investor sentiment, inflation, geopolitical tensions, and broader economic conditions. Pricing volatility affects the share prices of precious metals mining companies.

Investing in Precious Metals: A Complete Guide for Investors

An in-depth guide to investing in precious metals.

By Matthew DiLallo – Updated Jun 8, 2026 at 11:13 AM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Investing in precious metals can hedge against inflation and diversify portfolios.
Physical metals require storage; stocks and ETFs offer easier access and liquidity.
Market risks include price volatility and competition from cryptocurrencies.

Precious metals stocks are publicly traded companies that mine gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. These metals hold significant economic value because they’re scarce, widely used in industrial applications, and often viewed as reliable stores of value by investors.

This guide walks through how to invest in precious metals, including what they are, the potential benefits and risks, and the types of precious metals investments worth considering.

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A precious metals investing screen with red and green arrows. — Image source: Getty Images.

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Silver

Silver is the second-most widely used precious metal and plays a critical role in many industrial applications. Its exceptional electrical conductivity makes it especially valuable in industries such as electronics and solar energy, where it’s a key component in solar panels.

At the same time, silver has long served as a store of value. There are many ways to use silver as a store of value, including jewelry, silverware, coins, and bars, which give it both industrial and investment demand. That dual role tends to make silver more volatile than gold, with prices often swinging as economic conditions and industrial demand shift.

This volatility can significantly affect silver stock prices. During periods of strong industrial growth or heightened investor interest, silver prices and silver stocks can sometimes outperform gold.

Platinum

Platinum is one of six platinum-group metals (PGMs), a group that also includes ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, and iridium. These metals share similar chemical properties and often occur together in the same mineral deposits.

Like silver, platinum is used primarily as an industrial metal. It plays a critical role in the automotive industry, where it’s a key component in catalytic converters that help reduce vehicle emissions. Platinum's uses also include petroleum refining, chemical processing, and certain electronics and computing applications.

Platinum has some demand as jewelry, and its scarcity gives it investment value. However, that investment appeal is generally more limited than that of gold or silver.

Palladium

Palladium is another PGM with important industrial usage. Its uses include electronics and industrial products, dentistry, medicine, chemical applications, jewelry, and groundwater treatment. While rare and highly valuable for those purposes, investors don't put as much emphasis on palladium as they do on other precious metals.

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Ticker Information Table
Name and ticker	Market cap	Dividend yield	Industry
First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG)	$8.7 billion	0.20%	Metals and Mining
Franco-Nevada (NYSE:FNV)	$42.6 billion	0.74%	Metals and Mining
Newmont (NYSE:NEM)	$108.7 billion	1.00%	Metals and Mining
Sibanye Stillwater (NYSE:SBSW)	$6.6 billion	3.33%	Metals and Mining
Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE:WPM)	$55.3 billion	0.59%	Metals and Mining
Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE:AEM)	$83.4 billion	1.02%	Metals and Mining
Pan American Silver (NYSE:PAAS)	$20.6 billion	1.27%	Metals and Mining

Data as of Jun 24, 2026. Showing 7 of 7 total entries.

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1. First Majestic Silver

First Majestic Silver (AG -6.88%) is a silver and gold mining company. It operates in three world-class silver mining districts in Mexico. It's the purest silver producer among its peers, with the metal accounting for 66% of its 2026 revenue (and about 90% of its revenue comes from precious metals). First Majestic Silver is investing to grow its silver production, positioning it to continue capitalizing on rising silver demand.

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NYSE: AG

First Majestic Silver

Today's Change

(-6.88%) $-1.22

Current Price

$16.50

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$8.7B

Day's Range

$16.42 - $17.07

52wk Range

$7.74 - $32.03

Volume

11.6M

Avg Vol

14.4M

Gross Margin

42.98%

Dividend Yield

0.20%

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2. Franco-Nevada

Franco-Nevada (FNV -3.08%) is a leading gold-focused royalty and streaming company. It also generates revenue from silver, PGMs, energy, and other mined materials. Franco-Nevada's lower-risk royalty and streaming business model has delivered strong long-term returns, as it has outperformed gold ETFs (physical gold and gold miners) since its IPO. The company has also increased its dividend for 19 straight years, growing it at a 13% compound annual rate.

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NYSE: FNV

Franco-Nevada

Today's Change

(-3.08%) $-6.81

Current Price

$213.92

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$43B

Day's Range

$212.58 - $217.67

52wk Range

$152.89 - $285.67

Volume

648.9K

Avg Vol

853K

Gross Margin

76.56%

Dividend Yield

0.74%

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3. Sibanye-Stillwater

Sibanye-Stillwater (SBSW -3.74%) is one of the world's largest primary producers of PGMs, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium. It's also a leading gold producer. In addition, it produces and refines iridium and ruthenium, as well as nickel, chrome, copper, and cobalt, and has investments in metals used to make electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Sibanye-Stillwater gets about 53% of its revenue from PGMs, 37% from gold, and the rest from chrome (4%), zinc (3%), and other metals (3%).

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NYSE: SBSW

Sibanye Stillwater

Today's Change

(-3.74%) $-0.35

Current Price

$9.00

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$6.6B

Day's Range

$8.86 - $9.09

52wk Range

$6.80 - $21.29

Volume

6.6M

Avg Vol

5.1M

Gross Margin

23.87%

Dividend Yield

3.33%

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4. Newmont

Newmont Mining (NEM -3.89%) is a leading gold mining company that controls more than half of the world's top gold mines. It's also a large silver producer and produces other basic materials, including copper, zinc, and lead. Newmont has sector-leading gold reserves to support two major expansion projects and its industry-leading organic project pipeline.

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NYSE: NEM

Newmont

Today's Change

(-3.89%) $-3.96

Current Price

$97.84

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$109B

Day's Range

$97.20 - $99.22

52wk Range

$55.37 - $134.88

Volume

7.9M

Avg Vol

8.5M

Gross Margin

55.12%

Dividend Yield

1.00%

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5. Wheaton Precious Metals

Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM -4.37%) is one of the world's largest precious metals streaming companies, generating revenue from gold, silver, palladium, and cobalt. Its streams span 22 operating mines and 28 development projects. Wheaton Precious Metals gets 52% of its revenue from gold, 46% from silver, 1% from cobalt, and 1% from platinum and palladium. The company expects its production to grow to 1.2 million gold-equivalent ounces by 2030, from 803,000 ounces in 2025. It has locked in low cash operating costs of $650 an ounce for gold and $12.50 an ounce for silver.

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NYSE: WPM

Wheaton Precious Metals

Today's Change

(-4.37%) $-5.32

Current Price

$116.40

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$55B

Day's Range

$116.05 - $118.73

52wk Range

$85.59 - $165.76

Volume

97.8K

Avg Vol

2.2M

Gross Margin

74.68%

Dividend Yield

0.59%

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6. Agnico Eagle Mines

Agnico Eagle Mines is the largest mining company in Canada and the world's second-largest gold producer. It also produces silver, copper, and zinc as byproducts at its mines in Canada, Australia, Finland, and Mexico. Agnico Eagle's low costs enable it to generate lots of cash, allowing it to strengthen its balance sheet, reinvest in the business, and return cash to shareholders via dividends and buybacks (50% of its free cash flow in the first quarter of 2026).

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NYSE: AEM

Agnico Eagle Mines

Today's Change

(-3.96%) $-6.60

Current Price

$160.25

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$83B

Day's Range

$160.17 - $163.57

52wk Range

$114.60 - $255.24

Volume

140.4K

Avg Vol

2.5M

Gross Margin

60.15%

Dividend Yield

1.02%

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7. Pan American Silver

Pan American Silver is a leading silver and gold producer. It operates 10 mines across North and South America that hold large gold and silver reserves to support its production in the coming years. Pan American is targeting to return 35% to 40% of its free cash flow to shareholders in 2026 (around $1 billion) while also investing in expanding its operations and maintaining its strong financial position.

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NYSE: PAAS

Pan American Silver

Today's Change

(-5.52%) $-2.70

Current Price

$46.21

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$21B

Day's Range

$45.90 - $47.20

52wk Range

$26.77 - $69.99

Volume

375.8K

Avg Vol

5.2M

Gross Margin

42.92%

Dividend Yield

1.27%

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FAQs about investing in precious metals

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About the Author

Matt DiLallo has been a contributing Motley Fool stock analyst specializing in the energy, industrials, and real estate sectors since 2012. He also covers dividend-paying stocks, pre-IPO companies, ETFs, and other investing topics. He holds an MBA from Liberty University.

TMFmd19

@MatthewDiLallo

Matt DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Investing in Precious Metals: A Complete Guide for Investors

An in-depth guide to investing in precious metals.

Key Points

Silver

Platinum

Palladium

1. First Majestic Silver

Key Data Points

2. Franco-Nevada

Key Data Points

3. Sibanye-Stillwater

Key Data Points

4. Newmont

Key Data Points

5. Wheaton Precious Metals

Key Data Points

6. Agnico Eagle Mines

Key Data Points

7. Pan American Silver

Key Data Points

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FAQs about investing in precious metals

About the Author

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Key Data Points

Best Platinum Stocks for 2026 and How to Invest

5 Best Copper Stocks for 2026 and How to Invest

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FAQs about investing in precious metals

Are precious metals a good investment?

What happens to precious metals when the stock market crashes?

What are the precious metal stocks with the highest dividends?

What precious metal holds its value best?

How much of my portfolio should I allocate to precious metals?

Are precious metal stocks suitable for beginners?

Are precious metal stocks volatile?

How to invest in precious metals

Advantages and disadvantages of investing in precious metals

Factors to consider when investing in precious metal stocks

Metal focus

Financial strength

Growth prospects

Types of precious metals

Gold

Silver

Platinum

Palladium

Best precious metals stocks to invest in

6. Agnico Eagle Mines

7. Pan American Silver

Trends and Future of the Precious Metal Industry

The bottom line

Related investing topics

FAQ

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

1. First Majestic Silver

2. Franco-Nevada

3. Sibanye-Stillwater

4. Newmont

Key Data Points

5. Wheaton Precious Metals