At home in Southern Germany, the passionate stock exchange expert has been accompanying the capital markets for about twenty years. With a soft spot for smaller companies, he is constantly on the lookout for exciting investment stories. That it depends thereby less on large names, but on the future potential and whether the market also recognizes these perspectives, was one of its first learnings at the stock exchange.
On these pages, Nico examines current events at listed companies and takes a closer look at companies that are traded under the radar of the market, in addition to well-known securities.
In order to be able to take advantage of speculative opportunities on the stock exchange, Nico not only focuses on a balanced asset allocation of defensive and opportunity-oriented securities, but also on an intact risk management. "In addition to position size and entry in several tranches, investors should also develop a sense of timing and get to know a stock better before investing," says the columnist.
Commented by Nico Popp
Commented by Nico Popp on November 26th, 2025 | 07:00 CET
Two new mines in 12 months – Analysts give the thumbs up: Almonty, MP Materials, Rheinmetall
The rush for shares in defense and strategic metals drove prices in 2025. However, the market also gave premature praise. In the case of companies such as MP Materials and Rheinmetall in particular, the market has already anticipated many future revenues. Tungsten producer Almonty Industries is also one of the stock market winners of the year. However, the difference between Almonty and other stocks in the critical metals sector that have risen sharply is that Almonty will also be making a significant operational impact in 2025. The Sangdong mine in South Korea is considered a groundbreaking project for the supply of critical raw materials. The last time a mine of this size went into production was in the 1970s. What opportunities does this mega-project offer investors?
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Commented by Nico Popp on November 25th, 2025 | 07:30 CET
Is the next super mine emerging here? Power Metallic Mines, Vale, Rio Tinto
History has shown what happens when resource properties turn into super mines. Many projects developed or acquired by companies such as Vale or Rio Tinto, for example, have been in production for many years and generate enormous returns. The Canadian company Power Metallic Mines, active in the province of Québec, has also been able to continuously expand its NISK project in recent years. Now, the team led by CEO Terry Lynch sees even more potential there. Here, we discuss what gigantic raw material discoveries can mean and why Power Metallic Mines' polymetallic deposit is considered particularly interesting.
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Commented by Nico Popp on November 25th, 2025 | 07:15 CET
Crisis investments – Why anything can happen today: AJN Resources, Newmont, B2Gold
Volatility is increasing – and not just on the capital markets. Geopolitically, and even in German domestic politics, which is actually relatively calm by international standards, completely new developments are suddenly conceivable. When the range of possibilities expands so dramatically on many levels, uncertainty grows. Ten years ago, the US withdrawal from NATO would have been a gradual process, but today, Trump and his ministers are making their intentions abundantly clear. Investors should protect themselves against these new eventualities and consider gold as an investment.
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Commented by Nico Popp on November 25th, 2025 | 07:05 CET
Silver better than gold – things can move quickly here: Silver North Resources, First Majestic Silver, Hecla Mining
Investors like it when companies benefit from multiple growth drivers. In the case of stocks from the silver sector, these include growing industrial demand in the wake of electrification and high-tech applications, and the increasing importance of precious metals as an asset class. While gold is considered a classic crisis insurance, investors do not automatically think of silver in this context. Yet silver has also benefited from crises in the past. We show why silver is an interesting investment right now and present three companies from this promising sector.
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Commented by Nico Popp on November 24th, 2025 | 07:10 CET
Is the banking crisis returning? LAURION Mineral Exploration, Deutsche Bank, and Barrick Mining
Nervousness is mounting in the US credit market due to asset-backed securities, the Bundesbank warns of the risk of a new banking crisis, and geopolitical tensions persist, especially following the peace plan for Ukraine developed by the US and Russia. Given this multitude of events, one might wonder why market prices remain so high. Yet, the growing popularity of gold already indicates that trouble could be looming in the capital markets. We examine which gold stocks have the most potential right now - but first, a brief look at the banking sector.
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Commented by Nico Popp on November 24th, 2025 | 07:00 CET
AI as a growth driver? This small-cap has found its niche! UMT United Mobility Technology, Amazon, SAP
By now, even many of the skeptics are likely to be convinced: AI is a powerful tool that can significantly increase efficiency and productivity. The beauty of AI is that while traditional data processing works precisely, AI can also cope with less exact instructions. This feature ensures that AI agents are taking on more and more tasks that humans did just a few years ago – including "thinking" outside the box. Three examples from different sectors illustrate this development: UMT United Mobility Technology, a niche provider with ambitious plans; Amazon, the market leader and retail giant; and SAP, the specialist for enterprise software. We examine the business models, current figures, and developments from an investor's perspective.
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Commented by Nico Popp on November 21st, 2025 | 07:15 CET
Canada steps on the gas with battery metals: Graphano Energy, Nouveau Monde Graphite, Umicore
Canada is currently positioning itself as an important hub for critical raw materials in the age of e-mobility. At a meeting of G7 energy ministers two weeks ago, the country's energy minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, announced a CAD 6.4 billion program to accelerate projects to advance the development of domestic lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and rare earth reserves. International corporations such as Rio Tinto and Umicore are already involved in Canada. Among other things, there is a particular focus on graphite. Partly due to Chinese dominance, BloombergNEF expects demand to quadruple by 2030 – so there is an urgent need to act. We show which companies could benefit.
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Commented by Nico Popp on November 21st, 2025 | 07:00 CET
Revolutionary technology could transform gold mining: RZOLV Technologies, Newmont, Ecolab
Do you know what makes gold mining so dirty? Cyanide! The chemical is still used in 90% of mining projects today. However, the highly toxic chemical is increasingly coming under scrutiny from environmental authorities and critical investors. Stricter regulations and local bans, such as those in Costa Rica, Argentina, and several EU countries, are delaying or halting projects altogether. At the same time, gold prices are reaching record highs, which also increases the financial scope for alternatives. Industry experts such as Duane Nelson, CEO of RZOLV Technologies, point out that around USD 2 billion is spent annually on cyanide in the gold sector. RZOLV aims to take advantage of this and has developed a clean alternative to replace cyanide. Gold miners who want to position themselves more cleanly are likely to be interested.
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Commented by Nico Popp on November 20th, 2025 | 07:30 CET
EU gets serious about hydrogen: Pure Hydrogen, NEL, Air Liquide
The European hydrogen transition could get a boost thanks to the EU's new Hydrogen Mechanism. This matchmaking portal aims to bring together suppliers and buyers of hydrogen in the EU, thereby making the market more transparent. The idea behind it is that if potential buyers are visible and purchase agreements for hydrogen are concluded, the market will get going. Until now, the hydrogen transition has struggled with a classic chicken-and-egg problem: without investment, there is no supply, and without supply, there is no demand. We examine what this new initiative could mean for companies and why smaller suppliers such as Pure Hydrogen could benefit in particular.
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Commented by Nico Popp on November 20th, 2025 | 07:05 CET
Safe havens with dividends of almost 10%: RE Royalties, Enbridge, Realty Income
The euphoria surrounding artificial intelligence has driven tech stocks to dizzying heights—but not without increasing risk. Stefan Hoops, CEO of asset manager DWS, recently warned that the explosive rise in the price of many AI stocks is increasingly resembling a bubble and that there is "no playbook" for such a development. The situation is reminiscent of the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s, when private investors also drove valuations to extremes in the final phase of the rally. While Hoops and other market experts caution that tech stocks could face a painful correction, savvy investors have already begun looking for alternatives outside the AI hype. Dividend stocks with stable, inflation-resistant business models are coming back into focus – and the associated business models that secure robust returns regardless of short-term market developments.
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