Gold and silver miners are increasingly looking to raise or resume dividend payments, highlighting the renewed confidence in the sector driven by this year’s rise in precious metal prices.

“The amount of free cash flow the industry is generating has increased significantly in recent months,” said Jonathan Guy, analyst at Numis in London. “Gold is up and costs have been falling and so there is much more potential for companies to resume or increase dividends. The market is going to be looking for companies to deliver messages on higher payouts.”