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 January 7th, 2026 | 07:10 CET
The clean solution to the dirty nickel problem: How Power Metallic Mines could save the supply chains of Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen
The automotive industry faces a paradoxical situation in 2026. While sales figures for electric vehicles have stabilized and the technology is becoming increasingly mature, the threat now comes not from demand but from the supply side of the value chain. The supply of raw materials, especially the critical battery metal nickel, is coming under massive pressure due to geopolitical shifts and drastically tightened environmental regulations in Asia. German flagship companies Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, which have invested billions in their electrification strategies, are faced with the challenge of reconciling their ethical promises with the physical reality of the market. In this area of tension between regulatory constraints and industrial needs, Canadian explorer Power Metallic Mines is evolving from a raw materials explorer into a potential strategic enabler with its NISK project.
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Commented by Nico Popp on January 7th, 2026 | 07:00 CET
Trade war over batteries: China's export restrictions force the West to act – and position NEO Battery Materials as a potential game changer for AeroVironment and DroneShield
The geopolitical map of the technology sector is currently being redrawn. After China drastically tightened export controls in recent weeks on critical drone components and high-performance batteries, Western defense companies are increasingly facing supply chain risks. In this strategic environment, the Canadian company NEO Battery Materials is evolving from a pure technology developer into a strategically relevant industrial partner. With the recently announced market readiness of its silicon-based battery technology, NEO offers a non-Chinese alternative that could become highly attractive for drone manufacturers such as AeroVironment and counter-drone specialists like DroneShield, as they seek to reduce dependence on Asian supply chains and secure long-term production reliability.
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Commented by Nico Popp on January 6th, 2026 | 07:20 CET
Alternative to Barrick Mining and Equinox Gold: Why Maduro's fall could drive gold prices higher and make LAURION Mineral a strategic target
The 2026 stock market year is beginning with a geopolitical earthquake whose tectonic shifts will be felt across global commodity markets for a long time to come. The direct intervention of the United States in Venezuela and the effective removal of President Nicolás Maduro have redefined the global security architecture virtually overnight. While Washington celebrates the move as a necessary restoration of democracy in the Western Hemisphere, geopolitical rivals Beijing and Moscow are responding with sharp rhetoric and brusque diplomatic protests. Uncertainty is spreading like wildfire – from the shores of Cuba, where the regime fears for its survival, all the way to Greenland, where major powers are increasingly competing aggressively for strategic spheres of influence. With gold already rising for months amid mounting uncertainty and monetary policy concerns, investors continue to flee to the safe haven. However, while established producers such as Barrick and Equinox absorb the first wave of panic-driven inflows, strategic investors are turning their attention to the few remaining safe jurisdictions such as Canada. Here, specialized explorers like LAURION Mineral Exploration hold precisely the kind of assets that are becoming the most valuable currency in an uncertain world.
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Commented by Nico Popp on January 6th, 2026 | 07:00 CET
The new world order after the Venezuela shock: Why Rheinmetall and Bank of America are betting on North America, and Globex Mining is the big winner
The spectacular arrest of the Venezuelan president by US authorities marks another historic turning point that has repercussions far beyond South America. It is the ultimate proof that the era of diplomatic kid gloves is over and that the law of the jungle is increasingly prevailing on the international stage. For global financial markets and strategic investments, this move means a radical reassessment of country risks. If heads of state are no longer safe, then investments in mines and infrastructure in politically unstable regions are certainly not. In this new climate of hard power politics, security of supply is becoming the only currency that counts. That is why the spotlight is now turning to a company that exemplifies North America's commodity security: Globex Mining. With a gigantic portfolio of over 200 projects in the world's safest jurisdictions, Globex offers precisely the geopolitical protective shield that the market is now desperately seeking.
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Commented by Nico Popp on January 5th, 2026 | 07:20 CET
Problems at Masan High-Tech Materials, low grades at Xiamen Tungsten: How Almonty is becoming a strategic lifeline for Boeing, Rheinmetall & Co.
In the world of critical metals, a lesson in market power and geopolitical dependence is currently unfolding. Tungsten, which is indispensable for the defense industry, toolmaking, and semiconductor technology due to its extreme hardness and heat resistance, is becoming scarcer and more expensive – prices for APT are expected to reach four-figure territory by 2026. For many years, Chinese market leader Xiamen Tungsten has impressively demonstrated how lucrative the tungsten business can be. However, while Western industrial companies such as Rheinmetall and Boeing are desperately searching for material, it is becoming apparent that existing alternatives in Vietnam, namely Masan High-Tech Materials, cannot fill the gap due to geological limitations. It is precisely into this supply vacuum that Almonty Industries is moving. With the commissioning of the high-grade Sangdong mine in South Korea and the planned expansion in the US, Almonty offers much-needed security of supply and enables investors to participate in the high margins of the sector, but without the geopolitical risk of China and with additional unique advantages.
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Commented by Nico Popp on January 5th, 2026 | 07:05 CET
The Syrah Resources effect: Why Graphano Energy provides the blueprint for Volkswagen's graphite strategy
Graphite is the often-overlooked heavyweight of electromobility. While the world largely focuses on lithium and cobalt, the anode of a lithium-ion battery consists predominantly of graphite by weight. China controls this market almost entirely, which poses massive problems for Western automakers. With its groundbreaking deal with Tesla, Syrah Resources has proven that building a Western supply chain is not only possible but vital for OEMs. Despite current challenges, this development serves as a blueprint for the entire sector. As Volkswagen aggressively searches for raw materials in Canada through its subsidiary PowerCo, Graphano Energy is positioning itself through its activities in Québec as a logical beneficiary of this new geopolitical reality.
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Commented by Nico Popp on December 23rd, 2025 | 07:10 CET
From publisher to data company: Why Aspermont needs to close the valuation gap with Glacier and Informa
There is a clear two-tier society on the stock market when it comes to the valuation of information providers. Traditional media companies that depend on advertising revenue are often traded at low single-digit multiples. Data providers, on the other hand, which retain their customers through subscriptions and proprietary databases, enjoy the high valuations of the tech sector. Aspermont, the Australian market leader for B2B information in the commodities sector, is currently undergoing this lucrative transformation. A look at the competition reveals where the journey could lead. While the Canadian company Glacier Media shows how to profitably combine news and data, the British giant Informa proves that specialized B2B information is a billion-dollar business. Aspermont is currently aggressively adapting these successful models, but is still valued by the market like an old-fashioned newspaper publisher. Yet the Company has long since proven that it can win over wealthy customers in the B2B segment.
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Commented by Nico Popp on December 23rd, 2025 | 07:00 CET
Nickel sulfides: The formula for profitability – why Power Metallic Mines is hot on the heels of Talon Metals and Magna
The nickel market is currently undergoing a split that offers investors clear guidance: while countless projects are failing due to low ore grades, skyrocketing energy costs, or politically unstable locations, a small group of winners is emerging. The formula for success is high-grade sulfide deposits in North America. Companies such as Talon Metals, which became known through a supply deal with Tesla, and Magna Mining in Canada's historic Sudbury Basin have proven that this geological constellation is the key to profitability. Power Metallic Mines is following in their footsteps. With its NISK project in Quebec, the Company has the geological ingredients of the two companies mentioned above, but is trading at a significant discount on the stock market, reflecting the past rather than the potential confirmed by drilling and the entry of several mining billionaires.
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Commented by Nico Popp on December 22nd, 2025 | 07:35 CET
Car wash as a source of revenue: How WashTec combines the business models of Dover and Ecolab
Car washing has traditionally been considered a conservative business - steel, brushes, and water, with no major disruptions, or so people believe. But behind the scenes, a change is taking place that requires a reassessment of the industry. WashTec, the global market leader for car washes based in Augsburg, Germany, is currently shedding its role as a pure machine manufacturer and transforming itself into an integrated high-tech service provider. To understand the potential of this metamorphosis, it is worth looking across the Atlantic. While US industrial giant Dover Corporation demonstrates how lucrative the global scaling of hardware can be, Ecolab provides the blueprint for stable, recurring revenues through chemistry and process optimization. WashTec now combines precisely these strengths - machinery, chemistry, digitalization, and service - under one roof, positioning itself for investors as the industry's overall technological optimizer. We take a look behind the scenes.
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Commented by Nico Popp on December 22nd, 2025 | 07:20 CET
Halo effect in Côte d'Ivoire: How Kobo Resources is maturing into the next big gold story in the shadow of Perseus and the Lundin Group
In the world of geologists and commodity prospectors, there is an unwritten law: the best finds are made in the shadow of existing world-class mines. Geology knows no license boundaries, and where millions of ounces of gold are already being mined, the probability of further discoveries is highest. This phenomenon, known as the "halo effect," is currently playing out in textbook fashion in Côte d'Ivoire. The West African country has become the new darling of international mining capital. While Australian producer Perseus Mining is demonstrating the enormous potential of the soil just a few kilometers away with the Yaouré mine, and Montage Gold is showing how attractive the region is to investors with the entry of the legendary Lundin Group, Kobo Resources is positioning itself right in between. For investors, the small explorer offers a rare opportunity to bet on the same geology and jurisdiction as the billion-dollar corporations, but with significantly more attractive leverage.
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