Denver-based Royal Gold Inc., which holds royalty interests in precious metals mines, won the No. 1 ranking by Zacks.com as a momentum stock.

The shares, which trade on the Nasdaq, have seen huge gains over the past two months, with shares up as much as 30 percent as gold hit a series of new all-time highs, said Michael Vodicka of Zachs.com said Tuesday.

Royal Gold acquires and operates precious metals royalties in exploration and production companies. The company was founded in 1981 and has a market capitalization of $4.47 billion.

Royal Gold has been gaining on higher gold prices, but shares also got a boost after the company reported strong second-quarter results in mid-August that included record revenue and strong earnings growth, Vodicka said in a statement.

In the past 52 weeks shares have traded from $79.57 to $81.65. In midday trading, they were up $1.27, to $81.38.

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