On December 11, at the "9th Smart Finance Capital Markets Annual Meeting and Listed Company Awards Ceremony", Hillway (SVM.US) won the award for "Best Energy and Resources Company".

It is understood that the "9th Smart Finance Capital Markets Annual Meeting" is themed "Rooting Chinese Assets·Breaking Rock 2025" and took place on December 11 in the strategic hinterland of the South China Greater Bay Area Concept—Shenzhen and Hong Kong. This event brought together representatives from top domestic and foreign Financial Institutions and chief economists, over 300 executives from Hong Kong and U.S. listed companies, to discuss hot Topics in capital market investments and analyze the logical drivers behind asset value fluctuations amid major changes, as well as to identify investment opportunities in China for 2025.

The "Best Energy and Resources Company" award is presented to those Hong Kong and U.S. listed companies within the Energy and Resources sector that have a healthy corporate governance structure, a significant industry position, and solid core business, which can provide investors with sustainable and stable value returns. Hillway's receipt of the "Best Energy and Resources Company" award highlights the attention and recognition from the industry and investors.

According to the 2025 mid-year report (the first two quarters before September 30, 2024), Hillway's revenue was $0.14 billion, a year-on-year increase of 22.8%; net income attributable to shareholders of the parent company was $39.645 million, a year-on-year increase of 95.6%. Strong performance growth has also led to a remarkable performance in the capital markets, with the company's share price increasing by 24% over the year.

Hillway's strong performance is not unrelated to the rising price of Silver. A review of historical Silver stocks shows a strong positive correlation with Silver prices. An increase in Silver prices enhances the profit expectations for Silver companies, and their stock prices are likely to experience a multiplier effect of simultaneous performance and valuation increases.

Since 2022, Silver prices have been on the rise, breaking through and reaching a nearly 12-year high at the end of October, with New York Silver Futures trading prices exceeding $35 per ounce, and spot Silver showing an annual increase greater than that of Gold. Benefiting from the rise in Silver prices, Hillway, as a quality Silver stock, has seen its performance further strengthen.

According to Zhito Finance APP, over the years, with continuous exploration and development, Hillberry's mine resources and reserves have continually increased and presented a trend of diversification. Among these, over 3,100 tons of Silver have been produced within China to date, demonstrating a clear advantage in its Silver resource reserves (metal volume).

In the long run, data from the World Silver Association indicates that the global demand for Silver reached 35,551 tons in 2023, with a supply gap of approximately 4,400 tons. Despite a recovery in Silver production this year, which is expected to increase total supply by 2% to 3%, it still falls short of the growing demand for Silver, further widening the supply gap to around 5,000 tons.

In this regard, domestic institutions have also interpreted the market conditions for Silver. HTSC published a Research Report stating that the continuous increase in Silver for photovoltaic applications will lead to a sustained tightening of the Silver supply-demand relationship. From 2011 to 2019, the global compound annual growth rate of Silver for photovoltaic applications reached 15%. In 2023, the demand for Silver in photovoltaic applications reached 6,018.5 tons, accounting for 16.19% of the total Silver demand. With the ongoing growth in Silver consumption in photovoltaics, the supply-demand gap for Silver is continually widening.

Huaxi Securities believes that Silver has recently opened up a correction rally. Due to the industrial and safe-haven attributes of Silver, and the ongoing structural supply shortage for four consecutive years with continuous inventory reductions, the correction rally may continue. The robust price of Silver is expected to drive Hillberry's stock price higher.

Notably, in 2024, Hillberry successfully acquired Adventus Mining, which has the El Domo Gold-Copper Mine and Condor Gold-Silver Mine in Ecuador. The El Domo Copper-Gold Mine is expected to be put into production in the second half of 2026, becoming a new profit growth point for Hillberry. Hillberry also plans to further explore the Condor project and upgrade its resource reserves, while applying for the community, Eco-friendly Concept, and mining permits needed to develop the project.

Various moves combined will significantly increase Hillberry's diversified metal reserves, adding Gold and Copper, thereby stabilizing or increasing its overall returns, which will help mitigate corporate risks and support long-term growth. In short, a diversified and high-growth Precious Metals company is the growth direction for Hillberry, with a clear long-term development logic.

In the long term, Hillberry, leveraging its professional advantages, can empower the quality development and Operation of projects, forming a good demonstration effect that benefits the expansion of its other metal resources. Supported by the diverse metal prices, the company's profitability is expected to continue to grow, which will subsequently benefit other projects in international markets, creating a "flywheel effect." Additionally, receiving the award for "Best Energy and Resource Company" also indicates market recognition of its steady business advancement, which may serve as a good start for shaping its growth flywheel.