Close menu




January 31st, 2022 | 12:57 CET

Defense Metals, BYD, Daimler - New development phase reached!

  • RareEarths
Photo credits: pixabay.com

With the amendment of the Climate Protection Act, the German government has tightened climate protection targets and is aiming for greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. Emissions are to be reduced by 65% compared to 1990 as early as the beginning of the next decade. One key to putting this into practice is the electrification of transport. Around 14% of newly registered vehicles had an all-electric drive in 2021. That means the proportion of e-cars on German roads almost doubled compared with the previous year. As a result, demand for the required raw materials is rising ever more markedly. Surpluses in demand can already be seen.

time to read: 4 minutes | Author: Carsten Mainitz
ISIN: DEFENSE METALS CORP. | CA2446331035 , BYD CO. LTD H YC 1 | CNE100000296 , DAIMLER AG NA O.N. | DE0007100000

Table of contents:


    Defense Metals - Flagship project taken over

    The big plan for policymakers is to successfully implement the climate turnaround and thus drive forward the expansion of renewable energies and the electrification of transport, away from fossil fuels and towards battery-powered vehicles. Electric cars, solar panels and wind turbines are thus the focus. But production could become massively more expensive as prices for cobalt, copper, lithium and nickel rise. Rare earth metals are also becoming more expensive, underpinned by rapidly growing demand in various industries.

    Rare earth metals are needed, among other things, in the production of permanent magnets, which are used in the manufacture of electric motors. The metals are also used in smartphones, notebooks and LED lights. Other important areas are security and nuclear technology, and, above all, the defense industry. Manufacturers of rockets, jet engines for fighter jets, control electronics, drones, space vehicles, satellites, high-tech weapons, and explosives all need rare earth metals. One problem for the Western industrialized nations is that more than 80% of their production comes from China. Already in the past, the Middle Kingdom restricted its export volumes. Due to the trade dispute with the USA, the search for deposits outside China began years ago.

    One of the most promising deposits is held by Defense Metals. The Canadians recently acquired 100% of the rights to their Wicheeda project. The 2,008-hectare rare earth element concession is located about 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George in British Columbia. Geologically, the concession area lies within the Foreland Belt and the Rocky Mountain Trench, an important continental geological structure. The Foreland Belt hosts part of an extensive alkali volcanic province that extends from the Canadian Cordillera into the southwestern United States and contains several carbonatite and alkali intrusive complexes.

    In addition to the complete acquisition, submitting a preliminary economic initial assessment (PEA) was another development step. In addition, the Company's leadership has been strengthened with proven professionals to achieve the ambitious targets for the current year. Dr. Luisa Moreno has been appointed to the Board of Directors and will now assume the role of President and Director of the Company. In addition, Dr. William H. Bird has also been appointed to the Board of Directors.

    In 2022, Defense Metals plans to upgrade and expand the mineral resource and commence geotechnical testing. Drilling results expected in the first quarter of 2022 regarding the expansion and definition of the resource will form the basis for further supplemental drilling. In addition, a preliminary feasibility study is to be commissioned. However, its completion is expected to extend beyond the turn of the year. The Company remains interesting given the further increase in global demand for rare earths. The stock market value is currently CAD 39 million.

    BYD - Demand remains high

    Growth in the electric car industry remains high; investors could see this in Tesla's most recently reported figures. Tesla's revenue in Q4 2021 was around USD 17.7 billion. In Q4 2020, the electric carmaker still recorded sales of USD 10.7 billion.

    The sales figures of the Chinese e-car maker BYD also rose sharply last year. Overall, the carmaker tripled its sales of electric-powered vehicles (new energy vehicles, NEVs) to 603,783 units. A significant expansion of capacity is expected to result in around 1.2 million NEVs rolling off the production lines in 2022.

    In addition, the Company, financed by Warren Buffett, is also growing in the field of e-buses. For example, another electric school bus was unveiled in the USA. The new "Type A" comes in three length variants between 7m and 8.1m and offers space for up to 30 students. By comparison, the "Type D" is between 10.7 and 12.1m long and can accommodate up to 84 students.

    Daimler - Now known as the Mercedes-Benz Group

    Concentration on the passenger car and van business and the spin-off of the Daimler Truck division prompted the Stuttgart-based Company to change its name. As of January 29, the official name of the Daimler Group is now "Mercedes-Benz Group". The official renaming and an entry in the commercial register will take place on Tuesday, February 1.

    In an online conversation with journalists, Group CEO Ola Källenius expressed confidence for the future. He sees high potential in self-driving cars. "Autonomous driving is an incredible potential for the future", Källenius said. He pointed out that the Stuttgart-based manufacturer would enable highly automated driving in S-Class luxury sedans in series production, making it an industry pioneer. He added that it was "crystal clear" to the automaker that customers would want more of it in the future.


    The electric car industry is growing, as evidenced by the sharp rise in sales figures of Tesla and BYD. In order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality, this trend will intensify in the coming years. As a result, the industry will need raw materials such as rare earths. Defense Metals owns property outside China and should benefit enormously from this.


    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

    Carsten Mainitz

    The native Rhineland-Palatinate has been a passionate market participant for more than 25 years. After studying business administration in Mannheim, he worked as a journalist, in equity sales and many years in equity research.

    About the author



    Related comments:

    Commented by Stefan Feulner on May 21st, 2024 | 07:00 CEST

    Lynas, Almonty Industries, General Motors - Is the trade war escalating, and what is Tesla doing?

    • Mining
    • Tungsten
    • Electromobility
    • RareEarths

    The stock markets continue their record-breaking run. The Dow Jones Industrial has climbed to the 40,000-point mark for the first time in its history, and the DAX is also on the verge of breaking through the 19,000-point barrier. So far, so good, one might say. However, something is brewing in the background with regard to the trade war between the US and China, which could put enormous pressure on company margins in the future. As a result, critical commodities, in particular, are likely to be on the verge of a strong upward impulse.

    Read

    Commented by Fabian Lorenz on March 27th, 2024 | 08:45 CET

    Shares in Focus: TUI, Rheinmetall, and Defense Metals with good reasons for price increases

    • Mining
    • RareEarths
    • armaments
    • travel

    The TUI share was one of the top performers on the German stock market yesterday. The EUR 7 mark was exceeded, making things exciting on the chart. Analysts expect significantly higher prices for the tourism group. Rheinmetall shares are among the top performers of the year. An end to the price increase is not in sight. The armaments group has announced a new order worth billions. The manufacture of armaments, aircraft, cruise ships and numerous other high-tech products would not be possible without rare earths. However, most of these come from China and Russia. This makes the Defense Metals share interesting. The Company is making great strides with its rare earths project in Canada. The share should also benefit from this progress.

    Read

    Commented by Armin Schulz on March 19th, 2024 | 07:00 CET

    Volkswagen, Defense Metals, BYD, Rheinmetall - China's weapon in the tech race

    • Mining
    • RareEarths
    • Electromobility
    • hightech

    In the shadow of global power rivalries, rare earths play a crucial role, not only for the defense industry, but also for the booming electric vehicle market and the production of catalytic converters in the automotive industry. These metals are the invisible backbone powering high-tech devices and are of strategic importance for the global economy and security. China's dominance in extracting and processing such resources - as illustrated by Deng Xiaoping's statement: "The Middle East has oil. China has rare earths." - sheds light on potential geopolitical tensions and highlights the importance of supply chain diversification and resilience.

    Read