Favorable starting positions for Commerzbank, Desert Gold and BioNTech

Commerzbank - Big fish on the hook

So far, few sectors are trading in the green in the stock market year 2022, but the banking sector is one of them. The strong outperformance at the beginning of the year due to the interest rate fantasy was abruptly stopped by the Ukraine conflict. However, since the middle of the year, European financial stocks such as Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank have shown a clear outperformance compared to the broad market. For example, COBA's performance since New Year's Day has been around 21%, with the share price at EUR 8.14. Once the EUR 8.64 mark is exceeded, the share is likely to take another run-up to the high for the year of EUR 9.52 in the final weeks of the year. Fundamentally, the course is set.

Following a broad-based restructuring process with the elimination of thousands of jobs and the closure of more than one hundred stores, management is aiming for a profit of more than EUR 1 billion for the full year after a multi-billion loss in 2020 and a rebound in the past financial year. In addition, a distribution to shareholders is to be made for the first time since 2018.

There has now been a surprise concerning the chairmanship of the Supervisory Board. None other than the ex-Bundesbank boss Jens Weidmann is to take over the post of chief controller of the Frankfurt-based company. Thus Weidmann succeeds the cooperative banker Helmut Gottschalk, who, according to the Frankfurt money house, does not want to run again in May next year for age reasons.

Desert Gold - Cheap Desert Gold

In addition to the stock markets, the gold sector was also able to prevent a further slide. Instead, the gold price tested almost exactly its yearly low at USD 1,614.61, which had been marked twice so far, and turned northward with high volumes. At USD 1,788, a breakout of the downward trend formed since June was missed for the time being, so a consolidation in the area around USD 1,735 would be possible once again. However, from a long-term perspective, promising second-tier companies offer interesting entry opportunities due to the strong correction.

The advantage of smaller mining explorers is that they act like a lever in the case of longer-term trend movements of the base price, both in one direction and in the other. Despite continued good news flow, Desert Gold's stock has felt the effects of this in recent months. Since the all-time high at the end of July 2020, the share price lost about three-quarters of its value but was able to leave its long-term downtrend at CAD 0.07 last week. The vertical resistance area at CAD 0.10 now beckons as the next target.

With the SMSZ project in Mali, Desert Gold owns one of the largest non-producing land areas in West Africa, with 440 sq km. Several producing mines are located in the neighbourhood, including those of Barrick Gold, Allied Gold, Endeavour Mining, and B2Gold. The SMSZ property hosts Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources totaling nearly 1.1 million ounces. A total of more than 23 gold zones have been discovered in the area to date, which will be developed and analyzed for economic grades.

Next on the agenda is the commencement of a 35,000m drill program, which includes 10,000m of potential drilling aimed solely at resource delineation. Overall, Desert Gold intends to follow up and expand known gold zones, with plans to focus on Mogoyafara South and Gourbassi West North initially. Desert Gold believes these are the largest gold systems discovered on the SMSZ property to date.

Desert Gold CEO Jared Scharf will present the company at the 5th IIF - International Investment Forum on Dec. 7, 2022. Free registration is available here.

BioNTech - The next wave

Also shining on the news front is BioNTech, the Mainz-based biotech company. On the one hand, the expansion to Hong Kong is imminent. The COVID-19 vaccine in the Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 version received regulatory approval for emergency use. BioNTech is working with its Chinese partner Fosun Pharma in Asia.

Second, BioNTech and US partner Pfizer presented new data on the COVID-19 vaccine adapted to Omicron. They suggest that the companies' bivalent vaccine induces a greater increase in neutralizing antibody titers against these newly emerged Omicron sublines compared to their originally produced vaccine. Based on these results, booster vaccination with the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine adapted to Omicron BA.4/BA.5 may help provide better protection against COVID-19 disease caused by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sublines, as well as the newly emerged subvariants or lines that are increasing in prevalence.

US bank JPMorgan raised its price target on BioNTech. Thus, analyst Jessica Fye updated her estimates for the Corona vaccine maker. The price target was increased from USD 132 to USD 148, and the investment rating was left at "neutral".

In recent weeks, the equity and precious metals markets have rallied sharply off their lows. Commerzbank could complete another run to its high for the year. News flow from BioNTech should also boost the stock. Desert Gold is working on completing the bottoming phase and should be among the outperformers in the event of a sustained rise in the gold price.