***SMALL CAP NATION***

[Lotto123]

1. Hecla Mining (HL_)

This silver miner trades just above its 52-week low, thanks to a series of recent stumbles, including the late 2011 closure of its Lucky Friday mine.

It will be several quarters before this mine is back in operation, so analysts have had to sharply curtail their forecasts for 2012 output and profits.

But Hecla also has a range of other mines ramping up, so the stage is set for a much better 2013 and 2014.

Earnings per share, for example, are expected to rise from about 30 cents to 50 cents in 2013.

Equally important, the company's mines are quite valuable: Merrill Lynch says they're worth a collective $5.80 a share in terms of Net Asset Value (NAV). That's roughly 50% greater than the current share price. And this assumption is based on a long-term price assumption of $27 an ounce for silver. The current spot price is around $30.