Greetings and welcome to HotCopper Highlights wrapping up Week 22. I’m Jon Davidson, and it’s been another quiet week down under, though we’ve ended on Friday with a better mood overall. Fresh reports of a peace deal, strength in U.S tech, and a wave of optimism driven by news the Pentagon might be investing in US drone tech companies have helped lift the bourse, closing out the week.
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Mainly though, it’s a fall in Brent crude prices back to US$90 a barrel that’s the real catalyst. Gold back to $4,500 an ounce in the greenback at the time of writing, let’s see if the sense of calm can last over the weekend.
Turning to stocks and company announcements that this week got the HotCopper forum users buzzing, starting with the most viewed.
1414 Degrees, which years ago was an alternative energy junior working with molten salt thermal storage to pique interest, has come onto the radar this week after it recently established a division to apply its battery tech developments to defence and aerospace applications. Up 15% on Friday as a Pentagon plan to invest in US drone companies puts defence companies back at the top of the agenda, the 13-cent company is sure to remain a topic of interest.
Invictus Energy, meanwhile, a company that needs no introduction to HotCopper users, has finally signed a production sharing agreement with the government of Zimbabwe that relates to its Barossa gas basin project, which still remains in early stages. While the deal adds legitimacy to the company, as well as a stake from Zimbabwe’s wealth fund, as of yet, Invictus isn’t a gas producer.
Finally, Anteotech has shot up over 250% in the last month, another junior worth 4 cents at the time of writing, as the battery developer this week claimed it has found a way to use its lithium battery tech in drones. While not a recipient of contagion upside like 1414 Degrees on Friday, over the last week, the stock is up 135%. The company does have 3B shares on issue, food for thought.
And what about the most discussed stocks?
4D Medical back on the agenda on Friday after the lung imaging tech company inked another deal with a U.S.-based medical firm, which adds to a list of existing high-calibre clinics, including one backed by Stanford University, but once again, the company didn’t name a contract value on Friday.
Elsewhere, IDP Education fell further on Friday and landed on the discussion boards after receiving downgrades from more than one sell-side investment bank analyst, and while that’s not what sell-side means, that’s what investors have done. The stock fell nearly -18% on Friday despite short-selling pressure recently tanking on the stock, down under 4% of shares on issue.
Finally, another contemporary HotCopper darling, Nanoveu, is still holding onto its place in the top 10 of the discussion leaderboards as the microchip player continues to develop its battery-saving microchip tech, also in drones, with investors mixed on whether the company is the next big thing for the sector.
That’s HotCopper Highlights for Week 22, I’m Jon Davidson, have a great weekend.
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