The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, Aug. 2, edition that Kirkland Lake is the best-performing stock in the materials sector of the S&P/TSX this year, up 57 per cent. The Globe's Niall McGee writes that Nevsun Resources, currently the subject of a hostile takeover attempt by Lundin Mining, is the second-best performer, with a 56.5-per-cent return. The return for Kirkland Lake is all the more impressive considering that gold bullion has fallen this year by about 6.5 per cent amid a strengthening United States dollar. Since gold is priced in U.S. dollars, a stronger dollar makes the commodity more expensive for non-U.S. investors. Kirkland Lake has also benefited from having operations in two of the most mining-friendly jurisdictions on the planet. Canada and Australia are virtually free of geopolitical risk, a factor that has weighed on many miners over the past 12 months. Barrick Gold, for example, is negotiating to try to end a tax spat between its subsidiary Acacia Mining PLC and the Tanzanian government, while large copper producer First Quantum Minerals has been accused by the Zambia Revenue Authority of drastically underpaying import duties.