Burry's Short Attack on Micron Technology, BioNTech's Radical Overhaul and Strategic Resources: a Still-Quiet Commodities Player!

Micron Technology: AI Profits Meet Burry's "Big Short"

The AI frenzy continues to produce extraordinary moves in the stock market, and Micron Technology is widely regarded as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the boom. The latest figures from the American memory-chip maker also caused a stir among analysts. Micron reported adjusted earnings of USD 25.11 per share on revenue of USD 41.46 billion. Experts had previously expected only USD 35.84 billion in revenue. A look into the near future seems almost surreal. According to a current survey, Micron could rise in 2027 to become the world's third most profitable company, with an operating result of USD 200.8 billion. That would leave companies like Microsoft and Apple behind. Only Alphabet and Nvidia would then earn more. The stock is valued accordingly highly on the Nasdaq.

But where there is so much light, dark shadows inevitably follow. None other than star investor Michael Burry is now betting heavily against the company. He initiated a short position at a price of just over USD 1,050. Burry is strongly warning the market of a speculative excess and the irrational fear among many investors of missing out on the rally—FOMO in its purest form. He points to the stock's extreme cyclicality. Over the past 42 years, the shares have already endured 34 price drops of more than 30%. The "Big Short" investor simply does not buy the market's narrative of a permanently higher valuation. Micron remains a hot iron, but its long-term success still has to be proven. If it fails to materialize, heavy setbacks loom. The stock remains highly speculative and is therefore suitable only for investors with a very high risk tolerance.

BioNTech's Radical Cut: All In on Cancer Research

From Micron's server farms, we move to the cool laboratories of biotech research. Here too, a rough wind is now blowing. The Mainz-based company BioNTech unquestionably made history during the pandemic. But those days are likely over for good. Management is now prescribing a drastic overhaul for the group. Its in-house COVID-19 vaccine production in Germany is being shut down entirely. In the future, this task will be handled exclusively by US partner Pfizer. By the end of 2027, nearly 2,000 jobs are to be cut across Germany and Asia. The goal of this incisive measure is clearly defined. From 2029, BioNTech aims to save EUR 500 million annually. The savings will be reinvested directly into its clinical cancer research programs, with oncology now at the core of the company's long-term strategy.

Many investors reacted with some relief to this radical cut, and the share price recently climbed by nearly 10% to over EUR 84, thereby overcoming the psychologically important 50-day line at EUR 80.01, though it still runs minimally below the 200-day SMA, currently at EUR 85.35. A reassuring cushion is also provided by the group's enormous cash position of around EUR 16.8 billion. However, the company's future staffing plans have prompted some concern in the market. The two founders, Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, intend, after all, to build a new, independent mRNA company. Critics complain of far too little transparency in this planned spin-off and warn of possible conflicts of interest. Investor confidence is thus being put to a hard test here. The share price has recently built positive momentum. Above EUR 85.50, it could continue toward EUR 100.

Strategic Resources: The Pioneer for a Greener Steel Industry

While BioNTech aims to revolutionize human health, the world's heavy industry faces its own green challenge. Steel production absolutely must become cleaner. It is precisely at this decisive point that Strategic Resources steps onto the stage. The company is developing into an interesting player in the field of critical minerals. The focus is clearly on iron, vanadium and titanium. These raw materials are indispensable for the decarbonization of the global economy. The global steel industry is switching massively to electric arc furnaces. These modern furnaces urgently require clean iron products. Strategic Resources positions itself here with the far-advanced BlackRock project in the Canadian province of Québec. The plan is to build North America's first truly scalable, low-carbon iron metals platform. An enormous operational advantage of the location is direct access to low-cost hydropower and natural gas. The project already has a full permit for a production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes.

On May 26, the company officially submitted all formal responses to Québec's Ministry of the Environment. The goal is to expand the facility permit in Port Saguenay to a hefty 4 million tonnes per year. Management expects a final, positive decision in the coming months. This would further reduce the project risk for the start of Phase 1.

The company's strategic positioning is also becoming increasingly evident on other fronts. On May 20, it presented in New York at the renowned SME conference before top representatives of the mining finance industry. There the company discussed the use of Canadian vanadium for US battery technologies in military and heavy-duty industrial vehicles. The initiative is underpinned by a strategic letter of intent with Tyfast Energy to accelerate the development of a fully integrated vanadium battery supply chain.

But Strategic Resources is gaining a foothold not only in North America but also in Europe. With the Mustavaara project in Finland, the company has another ace up its sleeve. At the end of June, it became known that the vanadium-rich concentrate from this very project was selected for the "FutSteel" research program. This project, financed with a full EUR 17 million and run by the University of Oulu, is researching the future of fossil-free steel production in collaboration with steel giant SSAB. The quality of the raw materials from Finland seems to align perfectly with the rapidly growing global green supply chain.

In chart terms, Strategic Resources' stock currently presents a highly exciting picture. The stock recently ran toward the hard support at CAD 0.25. There, buyers stepped in boldly, and the stock formed a floor. Meanwhile the price has worked its way up to CAD 0.29. If this positive momentum persists, the stock could soon set its sights on the next resistance zone at CAD 0.33 to 0.35. If a sustained breakout above this important hurdle succeeds, the path upward would, from a chart perspective, initially be clear. A rise to CAD 0.40 to 0.50 then seems within the realm of possibility. Viewed from the current level, bold investors are thus offered quite considerable percentage upside potential here. An attractive "green" portfolio addition.

Conclusion: Three Opportunities

Micron Technology is riding a seemingly unstoppable AI wave. This is supported by impressively strong figures, but is increasingly under fire from prominent short sellers like Michael Burry. For investors, utmost caution is currently advised here, as it is highly speculative. Meanwhile, BioNTech is embarking on a bold new chapter. The decisive break with its legacy vaccine business and the company's full focus on innovative cancer therapies will undoubtedly require investors to take a long-term view. The EUR 85.50 mark could prove decisive. For now, momentum remains positive. Strategic Resources operates largely outside the market spotlight. However, the company is steadily building a strong position in the high-growth niches of green steel production and next-generation battery materials. The operational progress across its various projects makes the stock an interesting addition to a diversified portfolio. It is especially suitable for investors who want to bet early on the inevitable green transformation of global heavy industry.