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 June 11th, 2026 | 07:30 CEST
Autonomous Warfare: AeroVironment and Palantir Challenged – Analysts Give Volatus Aerospace the Thumbs-Up
The war on the front lines in Ukraine has changed significantly. Large-scale coordinated drone swarms are becoming increasingly rare, as local jammers block bandwidth and slow down Starlink. The result: drones no longer function or make errors. Ukraine's defence strategy is thus forcing a shift from purely cloud-based systems to decentralized architectures with local computing power directly in the drone. Defence contractors and the military must implement these innovations quickly and remain agile. We explain which companies are perfectly positioned for this.
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Commented by Nico Popp on June 11th, 2026 | 07:00 CEST
Secure Supply Chains for BASF and Others: Antimony Shortage Threatens Production – Antimony Resources Follows Lynas Rare Earths' Lead
Created and published on behalf of Antimony Resources Corp.
Escalating trade wars, a global supply shortage, and historic price shocks – the market for critical industrial metals is undergoing a profound transformation. Following extensive export restrictions by the People's Republic of China and a complete export ban to the US at the end of 2024, antimony prices outside China skyrocketed to an all-time high of USD 59,750 per ton. The severe imbalance between Western demand and available supply outside China led to significant supply bottlenecks in 2025—Fastmarkets recorded the sharpest price rally in the history of the antimony market that year. Since authoritarian states control around 80% of global mine production, the Western high-tech and defence industries face a potentially existential supply risk for electronic components and industrial fire-retardant applications. We explain the situation and present a potential solution.
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Commented by Nico Popp on June 10th, 2026 | 08:25 CEST
Dividend Strategies Put to the Test: Margin Pressure at McDonald's and Johnson & Johnson – RE Royalties Shows Resilience in a Crisis
Global capital markets are undergoing a significant transformation. What generated returns yesterday may already be risky today. For decades, established consumer goods brands and research-intensive pharmaceutical companies were considered the robust cornerstones of dividend strategies. But this paradigm is coming under increasing pressure. Rising operating costs, regulatory interventions, and the relentless cycle of patent expirations are challenging even the most resilient market leaders. In this market environment, alternative financing models with an asset-light approach are gaining importance. Natural energy sources such as wind and solar power offer the opportunity for stable, recurring, and above all inflation-protected revenue streams through innovative royalty structures. That is exactly what investors are looking for right now. We provide an overview.
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Commented by Nico Popp on June 10th, 2026 | 07:25 CEST
Raw Materials Are Everything: Thomson Reuters and Glencore Face Rising Pressure – Aspermont Provides Critical Data
Competition for critical metals is intensifying. Many industrial companies now have to familiarize themselves with topics that were taken for granted just a few years ago. This creates an enormous demand for industry information and data. As easily accessible reserves in stable regions dwindle, exploration is increasingly shifting to politically and geologically more complex regions. In this market environment, reliable industry information and precise risk analyses determine investments worth billions. Exclusive access to this valuable data is thus becoming a critical resource in its own right. We examine the market for commodities data and explain why it is a growth sector.
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Commented by Nico Popp on June 9th, 2026 | 08:40 CEST
Gold Market: Rising Inflation Fears Force Mining Giants Like Barrick Into Acquisitions – S&P Global Provides Tailwind for DRC Gold
An escalating US debt crisis exceeding USD 39 trillion, geopolitical shocks in the Middle East, and a resurgent inflation trend have shaped capital markets in the first half of the year. While more speculative digital assets such as Bitcoin have experienced significant corrections after reaching historic highs, physical gold is increasingly establishing itself as a stable store of value against fiat currency debasement. The precious metal has reached an all-time high of USD 5,589 per ounce and is seeing strong inflows into gold ETFs. This ongoing trend is forcing established mining companies to expand declining resources at existing mines and in surrounding areas. For investors, this environment presents opportunities.
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Commented by Nico Popp on June 9th, 2026 | 08:15 CEST
Hydrogen Ramp-Up: High Costs Are Slowing the Industry – Investors Turn to First Hydrogen, Plug Power, and Nel
According to the think tank Agora Energiewende, greenhouse gas reductions in Germany stagnated in 2025, with emissions falling by only 1.5% to 640 million metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. Although renewable energy already covers 55.3% of electricity demand, high investment costs are slowing the transformation of energy-intensive industries. While the production cost of grey hydrogen ranges between approximately EUR 1.50 and EUR 3.30 per kg depending on the price of natural gas, green hydrogen currently costs around EUR 7.00 per kg. New regulations for renewable fuels of non-biogenic origin are likely to drive these production costs even higher by 2030. Fraunhofer experts in energy infrastructure and geotechnologies have calculated that economic viability without government demand stimulation requires a CO₂ price of well over EUR 200 per tonne—clearly an unrealistic level. So how can the hydrogen ramp-up succeed nonetheless? We take a look at companies driving innovation in the hydrogen sector.
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Commented by Nico Popp on May 29th, 2026 | 09:10 CEST
Methane Shock in Energy Sector: Schlumberger & Montauk Renewables Under Regulatory Pressure – Zefiro Methane in Unique Position
The US energy sector is facing headwinds: The Inflation Reduction Act calls for imposing draconian fines on methane emissions. Although Donald Trump has suspended the law and is relying on government incentives, this does not change the fact that the industry stands to benefit from the immediate remediation of abandoned drilling sites. At the same time, the European Methane Regulation will extend its strict requirements to all fossil fuel imports into the EU starting in January 2027. American producers must therefore plug methane leaks directly at the source for several reasons. A billion-dollar market is emerging. We explain why Zefiro Methane has positioned itself as a unique beneficiary.
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Commented by Nico Popp on May 28th, 2026 | 07:25 CEST
Gold Consolidation in Africa: Barrick Mining and Harmony Gold Under Pressure – North Arrow Minerals Fills the Strategic Niche
Rapidly dwindling mineral reserves, a lack of major discoveries in historically developed areas, and drastically increased geopolitical risks—the situation in the gold industry demands action. Leading companies must realign their portfolios to avoid valuation discounts. The search is on for deposits in stable jurisdictions that can be brought into production quickly with state-of-the-art infrastructure. According to regular analyses by the Fraser Institute, Botswana is emerging as the primary target area in Africa. The junior company North Arrow Minerals is positioning itself in a promising geological niche to systematically define a virtually untouched system with the Kraaipan Gold Project.
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Commented by Nico Popp on May 27th, 2026 | 08:00 CEST
Energy Security in Southeast Asia: Import Dependency Weighs on Toyota and Intel — dynaCERT Benefits
The countries of Southeast Asia are under pressure: geopolitical instability in the Middle East, soaring fuel costs, and regulatory requirements for decarbonization are forcing established industrial giants to reevaluate their production sites and supply chains. Vietnam's economy, which recorded robust growth of around 8% last year, is revealing significant vulnerability in the current crisis. Since processed crude oil must be imported almost entirely from Kuwait, transportation disruptions have led to shortages, driving diesel prices up by 70% or more since February. This price shock directly impacts the export-oriented manufacturing industry and also drives up logistics costs. For example, rail transport has become more expensive. Since the power grid also faces significant capacity constraints, agile solution providers offering immediate relief are coming into focus.
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Commented by Nico Popp on May 26th, 2026 | 06:50 CEST
Meta and Cameco's Hunger for Uranium—Solutions from Sandstone: Why America's AI Infrastructure Also Depends on American Atomics
AI's energy appetite is enormous—and is reaching its limits in many areas. While the exponential increase in the computing power of AI models is pushing the capacity limits of power grids, the US Department of Energy forecasts that data centers could account for up to 12% of the total grid load in the US by 2030. Since volatile renewable energy sources cannot guarantee the baseload for gigawatt-class data centers, nuclear power is taking center stage. We examine how Meta and others view nuclear energy, the challenges hyperscalers must overcome, and why there are strong arguments for uranium from the US.
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