C3.ai, Altech Advanced Materials, BYD - Ready for the rebound

BYD - Full steam ahead into Europe

After a four-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 91st Geneva Motor Show made its comeback from February 28 to March 3. During this break, the world of cars changed rapidly due to the rise of electromobility. While German flagship brands used to dominate, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are now increasingly taking centre stage.

At the forefront was the new world market leader among electric vehicle manufacturers, BYD, which presented three models for the European market.

The "Build Your Dreams" company naturally used the show to raise its European profile. The opening of a BYD plant in Hungary is scheduled soon. Imports have also been picking up speed since last week. For the first time, the Warren Buffett-backed company has sent its own freighter with thousands of new vehicles to Germany and other European countries. The "BYD Explorer No.1" reportedly unloaded around 3000 battery-powered vehicles in Bremerhaven, which will then be imported to various countries.

In its home market of China, BYD suffered a severe setback in sales figures in February. At 121,311 units, the Company was 39% down on the previous month, in which 201,493 electric vehicles were sold. In February 2023, a significantly higher number of vehicles, 193,655, were also sold.

Altech Advanced Materials - Bottoming out underway

With two hot irons in the fire, last year's stock market star, Heidelberg-based Altech Advanced Materials, is working on the battery technology of the future. The German innovation company is working on the vast electromobility and grid storage markets for large-scale plants such as wind and solar parks. The latter is expected to grow by 26% annually by the end of the decade. After the share price multiplied last year and reached an all-time high of EUR 17.40, the Altech share recently consolidated to around EUR 5.60.

In addition to the fact that there has been calm on the news front in recent weeks, the placement of a capital increase at EUR 7.60 put pressure on the share price. Nevertheless, everything is going according to plan on the Company side. The presentation of the feasibility study for the Silumina Anodes coating project at the end of last year marked a significant step forward. The innovative coating technology significantly increases the performance of batteries by enabling an increase in energy density of at least 30%, as well as an improved service life and increased safety.

According to the study, the project is expected to generate annual revenues of EUR 328 million, with an average EBITDA of EUR 105.6 million. Particularly noteworthy are the letters of intent already signed with two German and two US car manufacturers, a US battery material supplier and a European battery producer.

The construction of the main production plant, which will produce 8,000 tons of coated silicon per year, and three other ancillary facilities is expected to cost EUR 112.5 million. The construction work is scheduled to take just over two years, with a total of around three years estimated until the plant is fully operational.

C3.ai - Like a phoenix from the ashes

While the share price of chip manufacturers such as Nvidia, AMD and Super Micro, the producer of computers for data centres, has literally exploded due to the rapid growth of the artificial intelligence megatrend, the leading provider of AI software for companies to accelerate digital transformation has been taking it easy this year. Up to Thursday, the performance was just 3.31%.

However, this was to change abruptly after the publication of the fourth quarter figures, with a jump of over 25% to USD 35.87. The share price thus broke through both the 200-day line at USD 30.62 and the downward trend that had been in place since June 2023. The breakout amid extremely high volumes triggered an impulse that could initially carry the volatile share price towards the high of USD 48.50 reached in 2023.

The Company, led by technology veteran Thomas Siebel, reported a 23% increase in subscription revenue to USD 70.4 million for the final quarter of 2023. Analysts expected this figure to be USD 66.77 million. The revenue forecast for the current year also exceeded the analysts' consensus. The US company anticipates sales of between USD 306 million and USD 310 million, while financial experts had previously forecast USD 306.10 million.

BYD is making great strides into the European market. The AI company C3.ai reported better-than-expected figures and started a new upward trend. Altech Advanced Materials corrected sharply after reaching its highs, but the future prospects for the two pioneering technologies remain excellent.