Desert Gold, Netflix, Allianz - The stocks investors prefer now

Desert Gold: Conflict in the Middle East strengthens demand for gold

According to Barron's, the price of gold is at its highest level in four weeks, and the conflict in the Middle East is boosting demand for the precious metal. Since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the price has risen about 6%. A troy ounce of gold now costs up to USD 1962 on the London Stock Exchange. According to ANZ Banking, demand among investors for "safe havens" is expected to remain strong in the event of further escalation.

Canadian explorer Desert Gold Ventures is exploring for gold and other precious metals in Mali. Desert Gold's flagship project, the Senegal Mali Shear Zone Project SMSZ, covers a 38 km stretch of the prolific namesake zone in West Africa, associated with four world-class gold mines. At 410 sq km, it is one of the largest gold exploration projects in West Africa, having already discovered over 20 open gold zones.

Desert Gold is on the trail of further potential discoveries of significant gold deposits thanks to its exploratory work. In the immediate vicinity are major household names such as Barrick Gold. Investors should take a closer look at this investment case in the wake of increased global gold demand. Concerns that the Israel conflict could spill over to other countries in the Middle East are keeping investors reaching for gold.

Netflix stock rises 12%: Subscriber boom drives prices

All that glitters is not gold. Shares of streaming giant Netflix posted an upward price jump this week. Prices rose from EUR 327.90 to EUR 368 - an increase of 12%. The main trigger for this increase is the recent subscriber boom at Netflix. The Company expected to gain 6 million new customers, but the figure was 8.76 million, significantly higher than the media group's estimates.

The reason for the rapid increase in subscriber numbers, however, is quite simple: Netflix is now taking decisive action against shared passwords or accounts. Now, subscribers have two options: They can either pay for their own account or add an additional member to an existing account for EUR 4.99 per month. This price corresponds to the cheapest subscription in Germany, which, however, includes advertising.

Despite the impressive 12% increase, Netflix shares are far from their former high of EUR 610. 1.5 years ago, the Company experienced its first-ever subscriber decline. The stock subsequently plummeted by 35%. Like streaming competitor Amazon Prime, Netflix has limited options to boost profits. One is to increase prices in the US, France and the UK.

Allianz expands its Italian portfolio with the expansion of property and liability insurance

Well, would you look at that: Recently, the Italian-born CFO of Allianz moved to Generali, and now the German insurance group is expanding its business in Bella Italia, acquiring Tua Assicurazioni from Generali in a deal worth EUR 280 million.

Tua Assicurazioni is a subsidiary of Assicurazioni Generali and is strong in property and liability insurance solutions in the Italian market. The Italian company specializes in motor insurance and has a distribution network of nearly 500 independent agents and brokers. With this latest acquisition, Allianz aims to expand its distribution in Italy. The transaction is still awaiting regulatory approval and is expected to close in Q1/2024. Upon completion of the acquisition, Allianz anticipates increasing its market share in the property insurance sector in Italy by almost 1%. The Allianz Group expanded its presence in Italy in 2021 with the acquisition of Aviva Group's Italian P/C unit, which is known as Allianz Viva.

Demand for gold as a "safe haven" remains strong in the face of possible further escalations in the Middle East, according to ANZ Banking. As a result, Canadian exploration company Desert Gold Ventures offers an interesting investment case. With its flagship Senegal Mali Shear Zone (SMSZ) project in close proximity to big-name companies like Barrick Gold, Desert Gold is attracting investors looking to capitalize on global demand for gold. The well-known streaming giant Netflix recently saw an impressive 12% increase in its shares. The main reason is the 8.76 million new subscribers instead of the 6 million the Company anticipated. The growth is a result of Netflix's firm approach against shared passwords and accounts. The Allianz Group is strengthening its presence in Italy by acquiring Tua Assicurazioni in a deal worth EUR 280 million from Assicurazioni Generali. With this move, Allianz is further expanding its property and liability insurance portfolio in Italy.