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 February 24th, 2026 | 06:55 CET
Silver North Resources: The high-grade bet in the slipstream of giants Hecla Mining and Silvercorp Metals
The silver market is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation that goes far beyond the precious metal's traditional role as a substitute currency. This turning point is characterized by the divergence between robust industrial demand and a geological shortage of high-grade resources. New discoveries in world-class districts are thus becoming rare and sought-after events for investors. These market dynamics are accompanied by technological developments: modern architecture for artificial intelligence, such as Nvidia's Rubin and Blackwell chipsets, have a power consumption of over 1,000 watts and generate enormous demand for silver-based thermal materials. As this silver is permanently withdrawn from the market and the transition in the photovoltaic industry to new N-type cells further fuels consumption, the industry is experiencing its sixth consecutive year of significant supply shortages. After a period of exaggeration with peaks of over USD 120 per ounce, the market has currently consolidated at USD 70 to USD 80. Based on this level, profitable producers and promising exploration bets in North America are becoming interesting again for investors.
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Commented by Nico Popp on February 23rd, 2026 | 07:20 CET
New valuation level ahead? How Volatus Aerospace is rising to become a system supplier in the shadow of DroneShield and AgEagle Aerial Systems
The threat to critical infrastructure and national borders is completely reshaping the budgets of Western governments: today's wars are no longer fought with tanks, but with unmanned aerial systems and intelligent surveillance technology. Canada has responded to this reality with a new defense industry strategy that aims to end its dependence on foreign military equipment. The Ottawa government's stated goal is to award 70% of future procurement contracts to domestic companies, thereby creating demand for local producers. In this environment, Volatus Aerospace is transforming itself from a service provider to a systemically important technology producer for national security.
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Commented by Nico Popp on February 23rd, 2026 | 07:05 CET
Reserves at their limit: Why Newmont and Barrick Mining depend on developers such as Lahontan Gold
The price of gold is hitting new highs, driven by global debt of over USD 340 trillion and the devaluation of fiat currencies. Analysts at JPMorgan forecast an average gold price of USD 5,055 per ounce by the end of 2026. In this market environment, gold mine operators are seeing revenue and EBITDA growth. Nevertheless, producers face a massive problem: they are extracting the precious metal faster than they can discover new deposits. The procurement of new resources in reliable jurisdictions has become a matter of operational survival for players in industry. We present a promising stock that aims to make great strides in 2026.
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Commented by Nico Popp on February 20th, 2026 | 07:25 CET
Agricultural revolution breaks the billion-dollar barrier: Why MustGrow Biologics, Bayer, and Bioceres Crop Solutions are ending the era of chemicals
The agricultural industry is currently transitioning from toxic chemicals to high-performance biologics. In this market environment, various players are positioning themselves with complementary strategies to capture the gigantic market for sustainable crop protection, which is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenue in the future. The ongoing deterioration of farmland and increasingly restrictive regulations are forcing farmers and corporations alike to rethink their approaches. It is no longer just about purely ecological ideals, but about food for humanity. Established agricultural giants and innovative technology companies are working feverishly to secure yields without further depleting nature. In this race, clear winners are emerging who are laying the foundation for the agriculture of the future and offering investors unprecedented opportunities. MustGrow Biologics is an exciting candidate.
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Commented by Nico Popp on February 20th, 2026 | 07:15 CET
Uranium scarcity meets AI boom: Why Cameco, Perpetua Resources, and American Atomics are the real winners of this decade
The energy industry is undergoing radical change, driven largely by the exponentially growing energy appetite of tech giants and artificial intelligence. Current market analyses by Goldman Sachs Research expect the electricity demand of data centers to increase by a staggering 165% by 2030. This surge in demand for carbon-free base load electricity has triggered a veritable nuclear renaissance. While industry giants such as Cameco are impressively demonstrating in this environment that control over the entire fuel cycle is the key to enormous company valuations in the uranium sector, the example of Perpetua Resources shows another significant trend. Securing critical raw materials on American soil is no longer purely an economic decision, but has become a fundamental issue of national security. It is precisely in this force field of market power and geopolitical resilience that American Atomics is positioning itself as an up-and-coming innovator.
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Commented by Nico Popp on February 19th, 2026 | 07:55 CET
Energy transition 2.0: Why CHAR Technologies is thinking much further ahead than Enviva and why Plug Power is still dreaming
The global energy market has learned its lesson - electrons alone cannot save heavy industry. While wind turbines and solar parks are making power grids greener, steelmakers and gas suppliers face a physical dilemma: they need carbon molecules – just "green" ones. In this gigantic market for sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, former biomass giant Enviva has already proven that wood is a suitable energy source. But while Enviva has only burned pellets, CHAR Technologies is igniting the next stage of evolution. With their high-temperature pyrolysis (HTP) process, the Canadians are transforming simple biomass not only into heat, but into two high-value industrial products: biochar for the steel industry and renewable natural gas (RNG) for the grid. CHAR is thus delivering exactly the solution that visionaries like Plug Power are striving for with hydrogen, but can often only achieve with billions in investment in new infrastructure. CHAR Technologies uses the existing gas grid and earns money from day one.
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Commented by Nico Popp on February 19th, 2026 | 07:25 CET
The molecular revolution: Why A.H.T. Syngas wins where BASF invests billions and EQTEC paves the way
While policymakers preach electrification, practitioners in heavy industry know that process heat and chemical raw materials require molecules. This is where synthesis gas (syngas), an old acquaintance, is celebrating a spectacular renaissance. Syngas is the backbone of modern chemistry, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide without which neither fertilizers, plastics, nor synthetic fuels could exist. Market forecasts from research firms like MarketsandMarkets and Grand View Research paint a similar picture: the global syngas market is expected to grow at high single- to double-digit rates through 2030, expanding from several dozen billion US dollars today to a significantly larger market. Three parallel developments are currently taking place in this gigantic growth market. While chemical giant BASF validates the demand and EQTEC proves the large-scale feasibility, German technology specialist A.H.T. Syngas Technology (A.H.T.) is disrupting decentralized applications. We analyze the market and the key players.
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Commented by Nico Popp on February 19th, 2026 | 07:05 CET
"Property Bank" for the raw materials era: Globex Mining combines the best of Franco-Nevada and Altius
The current market phase is a turning point for the global mining industry. While gold prices above USD 5,000 per ounce and a structural copper deficit dominate the headlines in the financial press, traditional explorers are struggling with the harsh reality in the background: drilling costs are skyrocketing, approval processes are taking forever, and the risk of drilling a "dry hole" has never been more expensive than it is today. In an environment of growing operational risks, a business model that creates security through scale and diversification is gaining in importance: the so-called "property bank." While industry giants such as Franco-Nevada shine with substantial revenues from royalties and Altius Minerals creates value as a project generator, a smaller but highly agile player combines both worlds in a single stock. With a portfolio of over 250 projects, Globex Mining effectively offers investors a commodity ETF in a single holding, without any of the debt or dilution risks of a conventional mining operator.
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Commented by Nico Popp on February 18th, 2026 | 07:35 CET
People Make Markets: Why NEO Battery Materials Could Now Repeat the Successes of Patriot Battery and Enovix
In the global battery market, the harsh reality has set in that a patent alone is worthless if it cannot be scaled. History is full of start-ups that delivered brilliant lab results but failed in the transition to mass production. Today, professional investors are looking less at theoretical energy densities and more at the minds behind the business. If you want to build billion-dollar factories and manage complex supply chains, you need doers, not theorists. Recent history provides impressive evidence of this: Patriot Battery Metals exploded on the stock market when lithium legend Ken Brinsden took the helm. Enovix is winning the confidence of the markets thanks to the iron fist of chip veteran T.J. Rodgers. Now, NEO Battery Materials is preparing to play the same card. The company is not only banking on a disruptive silicon anode, but also on a management team that comes from the heart of South Korea's battery superpower – reinforced by strategic new additions from the military.
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Commented by Nico Popp on February 18th, 2026 | 07:25 CET
The Transaction Era: Why Desert Gold Ventures Emerges as the Clear Winner in West Africa – B2Gold Watches, Robex Resources as a Blueprint
The spotlight at Mining Indaba 2026 in Cape Town in early February illuminated a new reality that goes far beyond production quotas and drilling results. A term emerged from the panel discussions that defines future commodity policy: "transactional." The era of purely ideological alliances is giving way to a pragmatic age in which security of supply and access to resources are the currency of geopolitics. In this new global structure, in which the West, China, and the Global South are vying for influence, Africa is no longer positioning itself as a supplicant but as a strategic partner on an equal footing. Capital follows this logic. However, it does not flow indiscriminately, but rather targets the most geologically productive regions. In the gold sector, this means that all eyes are on the Senegal-Mali Shear Zone (SMSZ). In this world-class district, a small explorer controls the key to the longevity of the giants there: Desert Gold Ventures. While B2Gold and Robex Resources manage their billion-dollar assets, Desert Gold sits on strategic reserves that are likely to become very expensive in a transactional world.
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