On July 2, 2026, Aztec Minerals Corp. (AZT:TSX.V; AZZTF:OTCQB) released several pieces of company news, including the announcement that the company had engaged Cassiday & Associates to conduct initial bottle-roll NaCN leach testing on samples from its Tombstone gold-silver project southeast of Tucson, Arizona. This testing will be conducted on multiple lithologic types and grade levels of oxidized gold-silver mineralization and is expected to advance characterization of the various mineralization types at the project.

The Tombstone project drilling campaign has so far completed 17,927 meters of reverse circulation (RC) drilling, consisting of 87 holes. So far in 2026, the company has drilled 42 RC holes and 5 core holes, having reported results from the first 19 holes. Aztec expects to release more results within the next two months.

Simon Dyakowski, President and CEO of Aztec, said in the release: ” Metallurgical testing of our extensive intercepts of oxide gold-silver mineralization represents a key stepping-stone to de-risking the brownfield gold-silver Tombstone project. This work, in combination with the upcoming maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), is expected to demonstrate the Tombstone project’s potential to become of greater economic significance to the local economy and the State of Arizona.”

In other news, Aztec has launched a new website with the intention of creating a smoother demonstration of the company’s future goals and catalysts.

Aztec Minerals Corp. is an exploration company focused on silver-gold projects in Sonora, Mexico, and Arizona, U.S. The Tombstone Project is located in Southeastern Arizona, and Aztec holds an 85% interest in the joint venture.

Gold & Silver Weathering Uncertain Economy

Higher demand from electric cars, solar panels, data centers, and more is shoring up silver’s future demand. Yahoo Finance quoted experts from both BlackRock and J.P. Morgan as saying, ” By the end of 2026, experts predict silver’s price will surpass US$80 per ounce, and it could reach US$100 per ounce by 2030.”

In January 2026, gold surged to a record high, hitting over US$5,000 per ounce, but has recently fallen due to a rise in inflation and a stronger U.S. dollar. Still, investors aren’t shying away. On June 29, 2026, Chen Lin of What is Chen Buying? What is Chen Selling? was optimistic about gold miners and their stocks, saying, “Gold showed a good bounce from below US$4,000 last week. I am encouraged by this and plan to watch closely during the summer months. My plan is still buying liquid big miners in late summer or September. Juniors, however, there are a lot of interesting opportunities that are worth buying.” 

In April, S&P Global wrote, “Gold is expected to remain volatile but structurally supported, with central bank demand and geopolitical risk helping to establish a price floor above recent correction lows.”

Despite the volatility of gold, the sector as a whole is only showing signs of improvement. On May 7, 2026, Brian Taylor of Recycling Today said that the World Bank Group has predicted that overall global metals prices will rise by 17% in 2026, which would mark the first overall market increase since 2022.

Analysts Optimistic About Company’s Future

¹On April 27, 2026, technical analyst Stewart Thomson gave the company a “Strong Speculative Buy” rating, with a short-term price target of US$0.33 and a long-term price target of US$0.50. Thomson said that, “Volume is bullish, rising on rallies in the price, and fading on dips. MACD histograms are rising, and Stochastics is flashing a buy signal in the oversold zone.”

On June 2, 2026, Ben Pirie of Atrium Research initiated coverage on Aztec, giving the company a “Buy” rating, with a price target of CA$0.45. Pirie noted that, “Unlike most U.S. peers, the bulk of the Tombstone project sits on patented (private) land rather than federal BLM ground, with permitting governed at the county level.”  Pirie also remarked that the company’s current drill program is the largest in its history and that the management team is very experienced, leading to his rating.

Drill Programs to Run Simultaneously

The new Northern Contention area drill program is expected to continue through August 2026, with results expected in Q4 2026.

The company stated, “Aztec believes that the historic silver mines at Tombstone could be related to a much larger mesothermal system with CRD mineralization below the old mines. Since 2017, Aztec has completed geological mapping, geochemical sampling, and geophysical surveying to identify the most prospective areas for Au-Ag mineralization around and below the Contention open pit, and CRD zinc-lead-copper-silver-gold mineralization below the entire district. Aztec management views the district as highly prospective for the discovery of mesothermal and CRD mineralization.”

In Q2 2026, Aztec will begin planning for a 2026 exploration program for its Cervantes project in Mexico, according to the company’s investor presentation.

Ownership & Share Information²

Aztec Minerals Corp. has a market cap of CA$40.61 million, with 188.88 million shares outstanding. The company’s 52-week range is CA$0.17-CA$0.44.

Institutions own 11.26% of shares, while Management & Insiders own 3.56%. The remaining 85.18% of shares are held by Retail.