dynaCERT, VARTA AG, Plug Power - Who wins, who loses?

Gas crisis as an opportunity: dynaCERT at the IAA Hannover from 20 - 25 September

The energy crisis has Europe firmly in its grip. But still, trucks roll across the countries transporting goods and commodities. However, trucks, vans and similar diesel vehicles rely on the legally required additive AdBlue to purify diesel exhaust gases. Around 40% of this additive comes from the SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz plant in Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt. Due to the extreme increase in gas prices, the Company is discontinuing production.

The German Road Haulage, Logistics and Waste Disposal Association (BDL) has written to the ministries of economics and transport urgently warning of the consequences. "The nationwide unavailability of AdBlue would have dramatic consequences for about 90% of truck transports, but also for buses that rely on AdBlue. The vehicles would effectively have to come to a standstill, as they could not and must not be operated without AdBlue. The supply chains would thus be acutely endangered, the supply of the population with goods and services no longer safe ", it says in the letter. More than 100,000 trucks will come to a standstill if a solution to the gas shortage is not found as soon as possible.

Is now the chance for dynaCERT? dynaCERT's latest carbon emission reduction technology for diesel engines is unique in the world and enables operators to save vast amounts of fuel. HydraGEN™ technology uses simple electrolysis to convert distilled water into H2 and O2 gases produced on demand. The faster flame speed of hydrogen results in overall quicker and more complete combustion of diesel. The supply of H2 and O2 contains oxygen, which improves combustion. As a result, less fuel is consumed and efficiency increases.

Investors should take the opportunity to visit the IAA in Hannover visitors.iaa-transportation.com/en/tickets to meet the dynaCERT team and their technology on site dynacert.com. In addition, the show provides a solid overview of what technological advancements will soon be found on the road and rail.

The price of the dynaCERT share has been trading below ten cents for a long time in the last six months. For some weeks now, the picture has been different. The share price briefly reached EUR 0.24 on August 24. At the moment, it stands at EUR 0.14.

Varta, a long-term investment?

In the hotly contested energy sector for micro-batteries, a rough wind continues to blow for VARTA. Due to several factors such as delays from customers, interruptions in production by some customers due to a tight supply situation for semiconductor components, and rising costs for materials, energy and transport, VARTA revised its sales targets for fiscal 2022 downward at the end of July. Analysts also see the coming months as challenging for VARTA AG. Material procurement and production costs remain high and cannot be passed on 1:1 to consumers. Suppliers from Chinese markets are competing too strongly for this.

The sales forecast for the current year has been lowered from the previous EUR 950 million to EUR 880 to 920 million due to the uncertain circumstances. At the same time, management expects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to decrease by about 20%, from between EUR 260 and 280 million to between EUR 200 and 225 million. **At EUR 63.58, the VARTA share seems a long way from the target price of EUR 85.

Quo Vadis, VARTA? Is the Company a long-term candidate for the portfolio? When will the current bottom seem to be reached? Answers to these questions will be provided by Bernard Wolf, Head of Investor Relations for VARTA AG on September 27, 2022, as he participates in the 4th International Investment Forum, live via Zoom. Further information and registration for institutional and private investors here.

Suspicion of insider trading at Plug Power

The mood at Plug Power could be turning. According to Newswire, US law firm Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP is investigating possible claims by Plug Power Inc. shareholders that false or misleading statements were made to investors, as well as insider trading by several officers and directors.

A class action lawsuit is currently being asserted against Plug Power and its executives, Andrew Marsh and Paul Middleton, in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Management is accused of making false and misleading statements to investors about the profitability of the Company's hydrogen fuel cell business. **Plug Power is accused of misstating, over a long period of time, the cost of liquid hydrogen delivered to customers in order to inflate the purported profitability of Plug Power's core business.

Plug Power announced on May 14, 2021, that it had to restate several prior financial statements from 2018 through the third quarter of 2020 to correct the misclassification. At the same time, Plug Power disclosed a material weakness in internal controls and disclosed that the Company's improper accounting practices, allegedly uncovered by a new auditor, dated back to 2016.

Shortly before the restatements, Marsh and Middleton, along with several other high-level insiders, including at least six directors and the Company's general counsel and COO, sold about USD 45 million worth of Plug Power shares. The two lucrative secondary offerings in November 2020 and February 2021 raised approximately USD 3 billion in additional capital for the Company based on these allegedly false and misleading statements.

Traditional companies like VARTA AG are in for another uncomfortable few months. A solution for the bottleneck caused by the loss of Russian gas does not seem to be in sight at the moment. European governments and companies are working hard to find a replacement. A piece of the puzzle in the renewable energy sector may finally be dynaCERT. With its hydrogen technology for diesel engines, it could achieve a breakthrough. The team will be represented at the IAA in Hanover with booth number D15 in Hall 24. In addition, CEO Michael Payne will be available to answer questions from interested investors in a digital live call at the 4th International Investment Forum. Varta's Head of IR will also take part in this forum. Interested investors can register free here. Plug Power is now facing a legal dispute in the US. Investors should remain vigilant about which company they invest their capital in.