Paying for attention: US$150,000 for three months, C$400,000 plus options, and market makers at C$7,500 a month

Exchange rules require juniors to disclose paid promotion and market making. We read the October releases. The prices range widely, and some of the promoters own the stock they are paid to promote.

Company	Provider	Fee	Term
Kingsmen Resources (TSXV: KNG)	Resource Stock Digest	US$150,000	3 months
GRG Resources (TSXV: GRG)	Resource Stock Digest	US$8,500 plus US$2,450 a month	12 months
NSJ Antimony (CSE: NSJ)	Machai Capital	C$400,000 plus options and RSUs	6 months
Americas Uranium (CSE: NUCA)	Frontier Media	C$500,000 budget	to April 2027
Kobrea Exploration (CSE: KBX)	Oak Hill Financial	C$12,000 a month	6 months
North Peak (TSXV: NPR)	ICP Securities	C$7,500 a month	4 months, renewing
Elton Resources (TSXV: DBAY)	ICP Securities	C$7,500 a month	4 months, renewing

Same promoter, two prices

Kingsmen is paying Resource Stock Digest US$150,000 for a three month program. The release says RSD's owners, Gerardo Del Real and Nick Hodge, are "both shareholders of the Company," and also that they are "at arm's-length." A day earlier GRG Resources hired the same firm for 12 months at US$8,500 up front and US$2,450 a month; there, the release says the two are not shareholders. By our arithmetic GRG's year costs about US$38,000, roughly a quarter of Kingsmen's three months.

Options for the promoter

NSJ Antimony will pay Machai Capital C$400,000 plus GST for six months and granted Machai 250,000 options at C$0.14 and 500,000 restricted share units. The release says Machai's president owns 975,000 NSJ shares, then that Machai and its principal have no interest in the company's securities "other than as disclosed herein." Americas Uranium set an initial C$500,000 market awareness budget with Frontier Media.

Paying for the bid

North Peak re-engaged ICP Securities for automated market making at C$7,500 a month, overlapping its existing provider, ITG, until October 31. Elton Resources disclosed the same ICP rate in its first day of trading release, and granted 12,720,378 options at C$0.20 that vest immediately and run ten years.

Why it matters

Promotion is legal when disclosed. Readers should still weigh coverage against who paid for it, and whether the promoter holds shares that the coverage could lift.

Sources: releases from Kingsmen, GRG Resources, NSJ Antimony, Americas Uranium, Kobrea, North Peak and Elton Resources.