Better Buy: Hecla Mining Company vs. Royal Gold, Inc

If you're looking for exposure to precious metals miners, you have more options than you might realize. There are actual miners like Hecla Mining Company (NYSE: HL), which has over 100 years of experience in the industry, or you can buy a streaming company like Royal Gold, Inc (NASDAQ: RGLD), which doesn't actually do any mining at all. Oddly enough, the company that doesn't pull any gold or silver from the ground is actually one of the best ways to get exposure to precious metals.

One of the first reasons I'd pick Royal Gold over Hecla is diversification. Hecla's 100-year history is impressive, but the company currently has just four operating mines. There are two in the United States and then one each in Canada and Mexico. Hecla has a lot going on development-wise, relatively speaking, since it has nine mining projects in some form of development, as well. But even put together, that's just 13 projects.

Image source: Getty Images.

Source: Fool.com