BTG vs PAAS: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Last updated August 2026

Short answer

BTG and PAAS are similarly sized, but BTG trades noticeably cheaper on forward earnings (3.72x vs 9.44x): the market is paying up for PAAS's profile and pricing BTG more conservatively, or for faster growth. Which you prefer comes down to the drivers you believe, and whether adding either over-concentrates what you already own.

BTG vs PAAS: the tie-breaker metrics

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

MetricBTGPAASWhat it tells you
Forward P/E3.729.44Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up.
Trailing P/E9.8713.60Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price.
Beta1.351.54Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through.
Price vs 52-week range10% of range37% of rangeWhere today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why.
Price / book1.362.47How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price.

Reading it: BTG is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

Before you buy: how BTG and PAAS affect your concentration

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BTG and PAAS share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BTG and PAAS exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

What does B2Gold (BTG) do?

B2Gold Corp (BTG) is a Vancouver-based intermediate gold producer. Its established operations are the Fekola complex in Mali, the Masbate mine in the Philippines, and the Otjikoto mine in Namibia, and in 2025 it brought its Goose mine in Nunavut, Canada into production, reaching commercial production on October 2, 2025. The company makes money by mining and selling gold (with some silver byproduct), so its revenue and margins are driven by the volume of ounces produced and the prevailing gold price relative to its mining costs. In 2025 B2Gold produced roughly 980,000 ounces of gold and reported record annual revenue of over $3 billion.

Full BTG guide

What does Pan American Silver (PAAS) do?

Pan American Silver Corp (PAAS) is a Vancouver-based precious-metals mining company and one of the largest primary silver producers in the world, with significant gold output alongside the silver. It operates a portfolio of mines spread across the Americas, including Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, and Chile. The company makes money by mining and selling silver and gold (plus byproducts such as zinc, lead, and copper at some operations), so its revenue and margins are driven by how many ounces it produces relative to its mining costs and the prevailing silver and gold prices. In 2025 Pan American produced roughly 22.8 million ounces of silver and about 742,000 ounces of gold and reported record annual revenue of around $3.6 billion.

Full PAAS guide

BTG vs PAAS: how do they differ?

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

  • BTG drivers: Goose mine ramp; Gold-price leverage.
  • PAAS drivers: Silver-price leverage; MAG Silver and Juanicipio.

Which fits which kind of investor

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: B2Gold's results are highly cyclical and move with the gold price, which is volatile and outside the company's control, so margins and the share price can swing sharply. For PAAS, pan American's results are highly cyclical and move with silver and gold prices, which are volatile and outside the company's control, so margins and the share price can swing sharply.

BTG or PAAS: which should you pick?

Pick BTG if you believe its drivers more; PAAS if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the BTG and PAAS guides.

BTG vs PAAS: the full fundamentals

BTG. B2Gold's financials are commodity-driven: revenue, earnings, and valuation are dominated by the gold price and by how many ounces it produces relative to its costs. Record 2025 revenue and strong Q1 2026 cash flow reflected high gold prices, while 2026 guidance of lower production and elevated all-in sustaining costs reflects the transitional Goose ramp. Gold-producer multiples often look low in strong-price years because investors discount the cyclicality of commodity earnings.

PAAS. Pan American's financials are commodity-driven: revenue, earnings, and valuation are dominated by silver and gold prices and by how many ounces it produces relative to its costs. Because it is a primary silver producer with byproduct gold and base metals, it offers operating leverage to the silver price in particular, so earnings can rise or fall faster than the metal itself. Precious-metals producer multiples often look elevated or depressed at different points in the cycle, so reading PAAS means weighing production growth, all-in sustaining costs, and the metal-price environment together rather than a single multiple.

Headline figures (approximate, FY2025 results (reported Feb 2026) and Q1 2026 results): BTG shows revenue (2025 full year) ~$3.0 billion (record annual revenue, over $3 billion), gold production (2025) ~980,000 ounces (Fekola, Masbate, Otjikoto ~926,000 plus Goose ~53,000), 2026 production guidance ~820,000 to 970,000 ounces, with Goose guided near ~250,000 ounces, all-in sustaining costs (q1 2026) ~$1,964 per ounce, with cash operating costs ~$1,005 per ounce; PAAS shows silver production (2025) ~22.8 million ounces attributable, exceeding annual guidance, gold production (2025) ~742,000 ounces attributable, within guidance, revenue (2025 full year) ~$3.6 billion (record), with net earnings around $980 million, all-in sustaining costs Silver segment ~$14.50 to $16.00 per ounce; gold segment ~$1,700 to $1,850 per ounce.

The bottom line: BTG vs PAAS

BTG and PAAS are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BTG and PAAS exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.

Wondering how BTG or PAAS fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.

Investing in B2Gold with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how BTG fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

FAQ

What is the difference between BTG and PAAS?

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B2Gold Corp (BTG) is a Vancouver-based intermediate gold producer. Pan American Silver Corp (PAAS) is a Vancouver-based precious-metals mining company and one of the largest primary silver producers in the world, with significant gold output alongside the silver. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.

Is BTG or PAAS the better stock?

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Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.

Which is cheaper, BTG or PAAS?

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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), BTG trades at 3.72x and PAAS at 9.44x, so BTG is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.

Should you own both BTG and PAAS?

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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.

What are the risks of BTG vs PAAS?

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BTG: B2Gold's results are highly cyclical and move with the gold price, which is volatile and outside the company's control, so margins and the share price can swing sharply. Jurisdictional and political risk is significant: its flagship Fekola complex sits in Mali, where a tax and mining-code dispute was settled in 2024 but resource-nationalism risk across host countries persists. Operational and cost risk is real, as shown by the Goose crushing-circuit fire trimming near-term output and by all-in sustaining costs running near $1,964 per ounce in Q1 2026. A weaker 2026 production and cost profile during the Goose ramp adds execution risk before expected normalization. PAAS: Pan American's results are highly cyclical and move with silver and gold prices, which are volatile and outside the company's control, so margins and the share price can swing sharply. Jurisdictional and political risk is significant because its mines are concentrated across Latin America (Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and more), where tax, permitting, community-relations, and resource-nationalism risks recur. The Escobal mine in Guatemala remains suspended since 2017 with the Xinka Parliament having denied consent in 2025 and no restart timeline, capping a large silver asset. Cost inflation and rising all-in sustaining costs can erode margins, and integrating large acquisitions such as MAG Silver and Yamana carries execution risk.

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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell BTG or PAAS; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.

    BTG vs PAAS: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026? - Walnut AI Investing App