Which Is a Better Investment, Kinross Gold Corporation (USA) or Royal Gold Inc (USA) Stock?

By AAII Staff
September 02, 2026
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Sifting through countless of stocks in the Metals & Mining industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc.

Kinross Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties principally in the United States, Brazil, Chile, Canada, and Mauritania. It is also involved in the extraction and processing of gold-containing ores; reclamation of gold mining properties; and production and sale of silver. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Royal Gold, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, acquires and manages precious metal streams, royalties, and related interests in North America, South and Central America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Australia Pacific. It operates through Acquisition and Management of Stream Interests and Acquisition and Management of Royalty Interests segments. The company engages in the acquisition of existing stream and royalty interests; and the financing of projects that are in production, development, or in the exploration stage in exchange for stream or royalty interests, which consists of gold, silver, copper, nickel, zinc, lead, molybdenum, diamonds, uranium, iron, platinum, palladium, rhodium, lithium, titanium, cobalt, barite, tungsten, and coal. Its properties are located in Canada, Chile, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Zambia, Australia, Ghana, Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, Nicaragua, Macedonia, Botswana, Spain, and internationally. Royal Gold, Inc. was incorporated in 1981 and is based in Denver, Colorado.

Latest Metals & Mining and Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold, Inc. Stock News

As of September 1, 2026, Kinross Gold Corporation had a $34.9 billion market capitalization, compared to the Metals & Mining median of $1.7 million. Kinross Gold Corporation’s stock is up 7.1% in 2026, down 6.7% in the previous five trading days and up 40.81% in the past year.

Currently, Kinross Gold Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 11.2. Kinross Gold Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $8.5 billion with a 37.5% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 29.5%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $2.673 per share for the current fiscal year. Kinross Gold Corporation currently has a 0.5% dividend yield.

As of September 1, 2026, Royal Gold, Inc. had a $21.5 billion market cap, putting it in the 86th percentile of all stocks. Royal Gold, Inc.’s stock is up 15.6% in 2026, down 3.5% in the previous five trading days and up 41.49% in the past year.

Currently, Royal Gold, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 27.3. Royal Gold, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.5 billion with a 48.1% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 115.6%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $10.509 per share for the current fiscal year. Royal Gold, Inc. currently has a 0.7% dividend yield.

How We Compare Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc.’s Quality Grades

Company Ticker Quality
Kinross Gold Corporation KGC A
Royal Gold, Inc. RGLD C

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Kinross Gold Corporation has a Quality Score of 99, which is Very Strong. Royal Gold, Inc. has a Quality Score of 43, which is Average.

The Quality Grade Winner: Kinross Gold Corporation

As you can clearly see from the Quality Grade breakdown above, Kinross Gold Corporation has a better overall quality grade than Royal Gold, Inc.. For investors who are looking for companies with higher quality than others in the same industry, Kinross Gold Corporation could be a good stock to add to their portfolios. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company Ticker Momentum
Kinross Gold Corporation KGC B
Royal Gold, Inc. RGLD B

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Kinross Gold Corporation has a Momentum Score of 70, which is Strong. Royal Gold, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 79, which is Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Momentum Grade breakdown above, both Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc. have a grade of B. For those who focus solely on a company’s momentum, further research will need to be conducted into both companies to see if they fit your individual needs as an investor.

Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company Ticker Earnings Estimate
Kinross Gold Corporation KGC D
Royal Gold, Inc. RGLD D

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Kinross Gold Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 26, which is Negative. Royal Gold, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 24, which is Negative.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold or Inc. has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Don’t Forget Your Free Special Report on How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Investment Decisions

Other Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc. Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Quality and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Growth.

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Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold or Inc. Stock?

Overall, Kinross Gold Corporation stock has a Momentum Score of 70, Estimate Revisions Score of 26 and Quality Score of 99.

Royal Gold, Inc. stock has a Momentum Score of 79, Estimate Revisions Score of 24 and Quality Score of 43.

Comparing Kinross Gold Corporation, Royal Gold and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Learn More About A+ Investor

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



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