BYD, Almonty Industries, Varta: Comebacks and insider tips

BYD: Solid Company, speculative stock

BYD has been popular with investors for years. The former battery maker began years ago by initially electrifying smaller vehicles and public transportation. Thanks to a steep learning curve, the Chinese now have several electric cars on offer and have long since become more than a battery manufacturer. This market position is convincing more and more shareholders. The Company increasingly wants to sell its batteries to other manufacturers and thus promises lower unit costs.

Even though the share price has fallen in recent weeks, BYD's strategy is paying off. After a loss of around 25% in one month, the share is more attractive in Germany than at the end of January, just above the EUR 20 mark. Although the next few trading days are likely to remain volatile, BYD's record chase could continue. However, prices below EUR 18 would be a warning signal. The share remains a hot topic.

Almonty Industries: Tungsten producer with molybdenum fantasy

Almonty Industries is also a hot stock in the best sense. In the past 3 months, the tungsten producer has posted a return of almost 80% - with no sign of market weakness. Almonty already operates two tungsten mines in Portugal and Spain. We know tungsten from the filament in classic light bulbs. But the industrial metal is also needed for electromobility. Almonty is currently in the process of bringing its tungsten mine in South Korea into production - permits and financing are already in place. This mine is set to become the largest tungsten mine outside China and should make a significant contribution to the Western world's independence from the giant empire.

But the Sangdong project in South Korea offers more than just tungsten. In April, the Company plans to confirm existing historical data as part of a newly launched 12,500-meter drilling program. The goal here is to find and develop the high-grade molybdenum deposits suspected there. Almonty is already talking about the opportunity for a world-class molybdenum project on par with the tungsten mine. Molybdenum is used to harden steel and is also used in catalytic converters and solar cells. Molybdenum is also a topic around medical technology imaging processes. The Almonty share has already made substantial gains. However, the less than EUR 150 million market capitalization could still be too low given the various projects and prospects.

Is the Varta share running out of juice?

On the other hand, the Varta share is relatively too highly valued. Varta is a German Company that excels in high-quality rechargeable batteries and battery cells. Whether in headphones or hearing aids, with battery cells from Varta, the music always plays a little longer than with the competition. Last summer, electric car fantasies also flared up around Varta. Even subsidies were raised and the share took off dynamically.

But meanwhile, there is not so much euphoria left. On a one-month horizon, the share has lost more than 25%. Although a return of 108% remains on an annual basis, the excesses of the beginning of 2021, when the share price surged to over EUR 175, are a deterrent signal that shows a lot of speculation here! The investment story around Varta is interesting, but the Company must first assert itself against the competition from Asia. Here, companies like BYD could be ahead of the game.

Reducing complexity in the portfolio with commodity investments

Investors who want to stay out of technical issues should instead focus on commodity producers that are in demand. The list of attractive raw materials that benefit from electromobility is long: copper, silver, tungsten, molybdenum or rare earths. The small producer Almonty Industries has two of these sought-after metals in the ground and is already mining tungsten. The share could therefore be an interesting second-tier pick.