Since 2013, the Vancouver-based company has seen a marked increase in gold production, and in the second half of 2016 its revenue was evenly split between silver and gold, the company said in a statement accompany its fourth-quarter results.

Shareholders will be asked to approve the name change at the company's annual meeting in May.

Silver Wheaton in 2004 pioneered the concept of metals "streaming," a type of alternative finance where miners receive upfront cash in return for future production at a discounted, fixed price. Initially most of the metal it received was silver.

(Reporting by Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)