Bombshell at Plug Power! Things are getting "critical" at Standard Lithium and Graphano Energy! Donald Trump is shaking up commodity stocks!

Standard Lithium at the forefront of the hype

The lithium industry is currently experiencing a revival. The reason for this is that the US government is investing more heavily in companies that mine critical metals. This includes lithium. The US Department of Energy has acquired a 5% stake in Lithium Americas and 5% in the Thacker Pass Joint Venture with GM. The aim is to secure domestic lithium supplies and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. In addition, the US government has expanded its involvement in Trilogy Metals, with a planned 10% equity investment plus purchase options for additional shares (7.5%) to advance the development of the Ambler area in Alaska (Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects).

The strategic reasoning for these investments lies less in short-term return expectations than in geopolitical and industrial policy motives: The US aims to secure its supply of critical raw materials, especially for defense equipment, batteries, and technology.

Standard Lithium has also benefited from this. In the past four weeks alone, the stock has gained over 60% in value. This week, there has already been speculation that the US government will also invest in Standard. After all, the Company not only has exciting projects in the US, but also innovative mining technology.

The US government's involvement is benefiting the entire raw materials sector. It is becoming increasingly clear how scarce some metals and minerals are and how great the dependence on countries such as China and Russia is.

Graphano Energy: Also critical for the US government

Another mineral that is currently flying somewhat under the radar is one that is considered critical by the US, the EU, and Japan, among others: graphite. No battery can function without graphite – whether in electric vehicles, stationary energy storage devices or smartphones. At the same time, the supply risk is high, as China continues to dominate the global graphite market.

Graphano Energy aims to help reduce the West's dependence with projects in Canada. Drill results from the Black Pearl graphite project in Quebec were recently published, indicating significant near-surface mineralization. The project comprises 84 claims covering 4,149 hectares and is located east of the Company's existing Standard Mine. The drill holes show graphite grades of up to 11.33% Cg over 8.6 m, while channel samples returned values of up to 17.9% Cg over 9 m. According to CEO Luisa Moreno, the results confirm the exploration model and indicate the potential for a significant new deposit, similar to the large deposits in the Lac des Iles region. The Company now plans to refine the extensions further. The first 5 drill holes intersected several mineralized zones with thicknesses ranging from 0.5 to 8.6 meters, which can be traced to a depth of 35 m and are open downhole. Further assay results are expected in the coming weeks.

https://youtu.be/zENi0CH9ypE?si=OymMeHiLgHsh5itz

With Black Pearl, Graphano's third project, alongside Lac-Aux-Bouleaux and Standard, also appears to be emerging as a real gem. All three projects are located in Quebec, a region with a long-standing tradition of graphite mining and access to skilled labor and clean hydroelectric power. Lac-Aux-Bouleaux holds another clear advantage: it lies in close proximity to Canada's only producing graphite mine, Lac des Iles, operated by Northern Graphite. The processing plant there cannot be utilized to full capacity - meaning Graphano could potentially process its own production at this facility in the future, saving the Company considerable time and investment costs.

Given the three exciting projects and geopolitical developments, Graphano appears to be significantly undervalued at well below CAD 10 million.

Plug Power: Rally at an end?

What a week for Plug Power. On Monday, the share price rally reached its preliminary peak at USD 4.50. In addition to the short squeeze, an operational announcement had created a positive mood in the previous week. Plug Power delivered its first 10-megawatt GenEcø electrolyser to the Portuguese energy company Galp. Galp's refinery in the port of Sines is currently the largest PEM hydrogen project in Europe. A total of ten modules with a total capacity of 100 MW are to be installed by early 2026, generating up to 15,000 tons of green hydrogen annually. This will reduce CO₂ emissions by around 110,000 tons per year. With this delivery, the US company is strengthening its presence in the European market and underscoring the industrial viability of large-scale hydrogen solutions.

Since Tuesday, however, Plug's stock has been in reverse and is now trading below USD 3.60 – about 20% below Monday's high. Given that the share was still at just USD 1.48 at the beginning of September, some profit-taking is hardly surprising.

Nonetheless, there were also concrete reasons for the slide in the share price. The US hydrogen specialist announced a change in leadership. Jose Luis Crespo will assume the roles of CEO and President effective October 10, 2025. Crespo, who has been with Plug Power since 2014, most recently served as Chief Revenue Officer, responsible for global sales. He succeeds Andy Marsh, who led the Company in recent years. With the change, Crespo also succeeds Sanjay Shrestha as President.

On Wednesday, Plug Power also announced that it would take advantage of the high share price to increase its equity capital. An agreement has been reached with an existing institutional investor to immediately exercise all outstanding warrants from March 2025. This will provide the Company with approximately USD 370 million gross, which will strengthen its liquidity and accelerate growth initiatives. In return, the investor will receive 31 million shares and pre-financed warrants on a further 154 million shares. In addition, it will receive new warrants for a total of 185 million shares with an exercise price of USD 7.75. If these are exercised in full, Plug Power could raise up to USD 1.4 billion in additional funds in the future.

One does not have to speculate on a US government entry to identify Graphano Energy as an attractive investment. The Company has promising projects and is likely to deliver further news flow in the coming weeks. Standard Lithium has already seen a strong run, so a consolidation would not be surprising. Consolidation is already underway at Plug Power. That the Company is raising fresh capital at the current level is unsurprising - the sudden departure of the CEO, however, is.