Close menu




July 18th, 2022 | 15:06 CEST

BASF, Meta Materials, Nordex - Shares under pressure, but with positive prospects

  • metamaterials
  • Technology
Photo credits: pixabay.com

These are currently rough times on the stock market. Almost all segments are under pressure, and even investments with long-term prospects are trading at significant discounts. In many areas, the fear of a recession is great, but on the other hand, inflation is eating up money. Gold currently offers no protection against inflation and is looking for its bottom. So really, only stocks remain as an investment. It is important to find companies that will do good business in the future, even if the current situation does not look rosy. Nobody knows where the bottom will be formed, but you can start to build up first positions. Today we have picked out three stocks to build on in the long term.

time to read: 4 minutes | Author: Armin Schulz
ISIN: BASF SE NA O.N. | DE000BASF111 , Meta Materials Inc. | US59134N1046 , NORDEX SE O.N. | DE000A0D6554

Table of contents:


    BASF - Strong first half

    BASF is the world's largest chemical group. Last year, the Ludwigshafen-based Company had around EUR 79 billion in sales and generated a profit of approximately EUR 7.7 billion. Innovations have made the group the leading chemical company. In 2021, EUR 2.2 billion was spent on research and development. Around 10,000 employees work on the future of the Company. In 2021, the Group secured 820 new patents. Despite all the good prerequisites, the share only knows one direction, and that is south.

    The reason is not the Company itself but the uncertainty surrounding the energy supply in Germany. Nord Stream 1 has been undergoing maintenance since June 11, and some assume that no more gas will flow to Germany even after the planned maintenance work. That would indeed be a disaster for the energy-hungry group. The share would then presumably be further punished. Yet the preliminary 2nd quarter business figures presented on July 11 were strong. Sales climbed by EUR 3 billion year-on-year to just under EUR 23 billion. EBIT was level with the prior year at EUR 2.3 billion despite the Ukraine crisis and inflation.

    Analyst expectations were thus clearly exceeded. However, management still did not want to raise the outlook. EBIT of EUR 1.5 to 2.1 billion is expected in the 2nd half, as EUR 5.1 billion was already achieved in the first half. At the current share price of EUR 41.45, the dividend yield is 8.2%, provided that EUR 3.40 continues to be paid. That is very good for such an excellently positioned company. If Germany delivers the turbine repaired by Canada to Russia and Russia meets its delivery obligations, the share price should pick up. In the long term, you cannot go wrong with BASF shares.

    Meta Materials - Acquisitions and collaborations

    NASDAQ-listed Meta Materials is in the process of commercializing a materials breakthrough. The developer of high-performance functional materials and nanocomposites has managed to move development out of the lab and into volume production. The possibilities with metamaterials are almost unlimited and can become a real gamechanger in many areas. The Company's announcements since the end of May also show this. That is when a collaboration was announced with NYSE-listed PPG to develop smart devices for ophthalmology and augmented reality applications. Together they are trying to develop a dimming function to adapt faster to the lighting conditions. In line with this, PPG also unveiled the most transparent antenna in eyeglass lenses at AWE USA 2022, using its ARfusion lens casting system to implement this technology.

    On June 17, the acquisition of Optodot was completed. With this, Meta takes over 67 granted patents and 22 pending patents. The Company develops nanocomposite battery separators and infrared optical coating technologies. Combined with the acquisition of Plasma App, the Company can bring its technologies to a collaboration with battery developer, Coulometrics, announced in early July. The goal is to make Li-ion batteries safer and more efficient. PLASMAfusion films are coated with copper current collectors that isolate short circuits within the battery. It also requires less copper, thus saving weight. Safety testing of the batteries will also include Meta Materials' proprietary ceramic NPORE technology, which has excellent heat resistance.

    Corporate Knights have included the Company in the list of the 50 fastest growing sustainable companies out of 5,115 companies. The rapid growth and development requires money, and so a placement of about 37 million shares at USD 1.35 and warrants at USD 1.75 was completed on June 28. The total proceeds amount to approximately USD 50 million. As a result, the share came under pressure and is currently trading at USD 0.962. The Company now has a few irons in the fire, and a single breakthrough in one area will cause the stock to jump significantly.

    Nordex - Major orders, but stock remains under pressure

    For the traffic light coalition, it has been clear since the Ukraine crisis at the latest that the expansion of renewable energies must be accelerated. Wind power also plays an important role in this, and the expansion is to deliver 115 gigawatts by 2030. These are ideal conditions for the German wind turbine manufacturer Nordex. However, the Group is affected by supply bottlenecks, increased raw material prices, higher transport costs and rising interest rates. These issues cloud the picture because the Company's weak spot is its margins. These have always been very thin and have now been more than eaten up by cost increases.

    Yet the Company commissioned its first N163/6.X turbine in the Netherlands in May. One turbine can produce more than 6 megawatts. More power with lower noise emission values shows the innovative strength of the Company. However, these turbines cannot be built in Germany, as under the Renewable Energy Sources Act only turbines up to 6 megawatts are permitted. Even large orders, such as the recent order from Brazil for 80 turbines, are not helping the wind turbine manufacturer get back on its feet at the moment.

    On the contrary, the group had to carry out a second capital increase within a very short time. After collecting EUR 139 million from the major shareholder Acciona, the most recent capital increase with subscription rights amounted to EUR 212 million. EUR 5.90 is due for each additional share. Acciona is also fully participating in this capital increase. These capital measures caused pressure on the share, which is currently available for EUR 8.25. Even worse, the stock was kicked out of the SDAX and TecDAX because they were unable to complete their reports in time due to a cyberattack. The future for wind energy is green. Now Nordex just needs to turn the tide.

    Conclusion
    In turbulent times, keeping a cool head and picking the right stocks is essential. BASF has already mastered many crises, and the current crisis will also help the Company move forward. Meta Materials is a high-tech growth company on the way to the top. The share has significant upside potential if a first major order is landed. Nordex had to leave the SDAX and TecDAX. If the resumption succeeds, this will ensure purchases. But even more important is that the Group improves its margins and thus gets back into the green.


    Conflict of interest

    Pursuant to §85 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG), we point out that Apaton Finance GmbH as well as partners, authors or employees of Apaton Finance GmbH (hereinafter referred to as "Relevant Persons") may hold shares or other financial instruments of the aforementioned companies in the future or may bet on rising or falling prices and thus a conflict of interest may arise in the future. The Relevant Persons reserve the right to buy or sell shares or other financial instruments of the Company at any time (hereinafter each a "Transaction"). Transactions may, under certain circumstances, influence the respective price of the shares or other financial instruments of the Company.

    In addition, Apaton Finance GmbH is active in the context of the preparation and publication of the reporting in paid contractual relationships.

    For this reason, there is a concrete conflict of interest.

    The above information on existing conflicts of interest applies to all types and forms of publication used by Apaton Finance GmbH for publications on companies.

    Risk notice

    Apaton Finance GmbH offers editors, agencies and companies the opportunity to publish commentaries, interviews, summaries, news and the like on news.financial. These contents are exclusively for the information of the readers and do not represent any call to action or recommendations, neither explicitly nor implicitly they are to be understood as an assurance of possible price developments. The contents do not replace individual expert investment advice and do not constitute an offer to sell the discussed share(s) or other financial instruments, nor an invitation to buy or sell such.

    The content is expressly not a financial analysis, but a journalistic or advertising text. Readers or users who make investment decisions or carry out transactions on the basis of the information provided here do so entirely at their own risk. No contractual relationship is established between Apaton Finance GmbH and its readers or the users of its offers, as our information only refers to the company and not to the investment decision of the reader or user.

    The acquisition of financial instruments involves high risks, which can lead to the total loss of the invested capital. The information published by Apaton Finance GmbH and its authors is based on careful research. Nevertheless, no liability is assumed for financial losses or a content-related guarantee for the topicality, correctness, appropriateness and completeness of the content provided here. Please also note our Terms of use.


    Der Autor

    Armin Schulz

    Born in Mönchengladbach, he studied business administration in the Netherlands. In the course of his studies he came into contact with the stock exchange for the first time. He has more than 25 years of experience in stock market business.

    About the author



    Related comments:

    Commented by Stefan Feulner on September 27th, 2023 | 08:30 CEST

    AI shares in focus: C3.ai, Norcom, Amazon - Upgrade at any cost

    • Software
    • AI
    • Technology

    The implementation of generative artificial intelligence on a large scale has the potential to significantly boost the German economy, according to a study by IW Consult, conducted on behalf of Google. In this context, the comprehensive integration of programs such as ChatGPT by at least half of domestic companies could increase economic output by around EUR 330 billion. This value corresponds to almost 10% of the German gross domestic product of the previous year. This is likely to herald a quantum leap for providers of intelligent software.

    Read

    Commented by André Will-Laudien on September 27th, 2023 | 08:05 CEST

    The high-tech gold rush on the Nasdaq is waning: BYD, Manuka Resources, and Infineon remain on the buy list

    • Mining
    • Vanadium
    • Electromobility
    • Technology
    • GreenTech

    For those investing in green or high-tech sectors, keeping an eye on the supply chains of raw materials is crucial. After all, in times of geopolitical upheaval, nothing seems more important to the industry than securing its foreign sources of critical resources. The EU and the US have already responded by adding several metals to the list of strategic elements. For the capital markets, too, the fight against global warming has become an issue that cannot be ignored. We focus on successful protagonists that can enhance any portfolio.

    Read

    Commented by Nico Popp on September 6th, 2023 | 09:00 CEST

    Insider report shocks investors: Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Altech Advanced Materials

    • Technology
    • Electromobility
    • Batteries

    The ongoing international decline of German automakers is a recurring theme in the media. In reality, the consequences could be fatal for companies and Germany as a whole. An insider report from the German automotive industry reveals where the biggest problems lie and in which areas Chinese competitors have already outpaced Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Co. Additionally, it delves into what is crucial for a comeback of the German automotive industry.

    Read