The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that surging precious metal prices are expected to keep takeover traffic moving at a brisk pace among gold and silver miners, with large producers boosting their reserves and geographic reach by acquiring junior miners. The Globe's Andrew Willis writes that on Monday, China's Zijin Gold International made a $5.5-billion offer for Toronto's Allied Gold, the ninth billion-dollar-plus takeover involving a domestic gold miner in the past 13 months. "The consolidation trend appears set to continue through 2026 as producers look to optimize asset portfolios for the best combination of production, costs, and jurisdiction, supported by robust balance sheets," said a Bank of Nova Scotia report published Tuesday. With gold hitting record prices of more than $5,000 an ounce and silver prices also on a tear, the share prices of large precious metal miners are soaring, along with their cash flow and profit margins. Potential mid-tier targets highlighted by analysts over the past 12 months include Vancouver-based companies Artemis Gold, Skeena Resources and Thesis Gold, along with Toronto-based Seabridge Gold. The share price of all of these miners doubled over the past 12 months.