The Financial Post reports in its Thursday edition that higher silver prices are good for silver equities, especially the small-cap variety, says Michael Zylstra, an analyst at Northern Securities. The Post's David Pett, writing in Trading Desk, says that with silver trading at a 30-year high and expected to move even higher, Mr. Zylstra said many smaller producers will see their margins increase significantly. "A typical silver producer might have total cash costs around $5 to $10/ounce so, with the price of silver at roughly US$34/ounce, margins should be strong," he said in a note to clients. Smaller exploration and development companies, meanwhile, could become takeover targets as larger firms seek to secure resources and expand production. These up and coming silver plays likely have the most leverage, too., he added, listing Apogee Minerals, Oremex Resources and South American Silver as being particularly attractive based on an enterprise value to resource basis. Apogee closed at 35 cents Wednesday, up one cent on the TSX Venture Exchange, while Oremex ended unchanged at 27 cents. Meanwhile, South American Silver ended unchanged at $2.28 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.