Manuka, BYD, AMD - These companies stand for sustainable, strategically planned growth

Manuka: Acquisition of an iron sand project in New Zealand

Australia is well on its way to securing the title of "island of infinite resources," according to a study by the British Geological Survey. That is because the continent's extensive mines are said to contain an incredible 51 billion tons of still raw ore. **Of this, iron accounts for half (25 billion) - a raw material that is in high demand worldwide and is therefore extremely valuable. Iron ores are formed mainly by magma penetrating the earth's crust. When it has cooled, the minerals in the magma crystallize and iron ore deposits are formed.

Australian explorer Manuka has recognized the need and secured an advanced offshore Vanadiferous Titanomagnetite (VTM) iron sands project in New Zealand. The project has already started a feasibility study and is expected to produce approximately 5 million tons of VTM iron ore concentrate per year. And this for a period of 20 years. This strategic move adds a low-cost, low-emission producer to Manuka's diversified portfolio.

The six-member leadership team behind Manuka boasts many years of industry expertise. CEO Dennis Karp has long worked for Tennant Ltd, one of the largest physical commodities trading companies with operations in Asia and Europe. As a non-executive director, Anthony Paul has over 35 years of experience in mining and minerals processing. Dr Nick Lindsay is one of the geologists on the team and has worked for numerous mining companies. He is also the man who has led junior companies in copper, gold and silver through IPOs and mergers. "Low carbon commodities are increasingly in demand as the world continues the expected transition to a green energy future," explains Dennis Karp. This strategically positions Manuka for a green future.

BYD: Leaping into the German and Swedish markets

Soon German drivers will also be able to drive their dream on the road because the Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dreams) is venturing into the German and Swedish markets. From October this year, electric models from the technological leader will be available for purchase. According to its information, the Chinese are entering into a partnership with the Swedish "Hedin Mobility Group", one of the largest European dealer groups with 235 sales locations in eight countries. This cooperation is hoped to achieve better trading conditions in Europe and especially China.

Given the current political course toward neighboring China, this could lead to difficulties, especially in Europe. China sees Taiwan as its renegade province, which will sooner or later be back under its control. Taiwan, on the other hand, sees itself as an independent country with its own constitution and democratically elected leadership.

Those now thinking about Ukraine and Russia's war of aggression could also be right about Taiwan and China in the future. Here, European states must stick together. And here, too, investors can decide with the choice of their shares whether they act purely yield-oriented or also vote with their money according to their value system.

For potential buyers who depend on mobility, availability is often the deciding factor. Here BYD has a decisive advantage. China is itself a producer of semiconductors and semiconductor electronics. These are sufficiently available in the own country. This means that BYD models can be delivered on time, while classic brands like VW or Volvo struggle with delivery bottlenecks. Besides the political wars, trade wars seem to have a much greater impact.

Even if BYD sometimes falters in its own country due to Corona-related lockdowns, the home country is still the largest buyer of the vehicles. BYD's China sales were up 159.5% YOY, while FAW-Volkswagen's sales were down 10.6% YOY. Geely was the third-largest supplier of passenger cars with 73,315 vehicles, down 14.5%.

AMD - Quarterly results show slower growth

The semiconductor business continues to grow. According to Earnings Call, AMD posted an increase in embedded CPU sales in the latest quarter, attributed to rising sales in the automotive sector and an increase in new orders in networking and memory design. The embedded segment is one of four segments that generate the most revenue for AMD. All four of AMD's main segments saw growth this quarter. Total revenue was up 70% YOY. Revenue for the current quarter was expected to be around USD 6.7 billion. Analysts had forecast USD 6.83 billion.

AMD said data center revenue rose 83% YOY to USD 1.5 billion. The segment includes chips for cloud computing and large enterprise customers. Strong sales of server processors drove growth, the Company said, adding that it does not expect demand for those chips to slow. If you look at the growth areas of Alphabet, Amazon AWS and Alibaba, you will find confirmation of that forecast there. Growth in digital spheres continues to remain undeterred by lockdowns in real life.

The pandemic has also positively impacted AMD's gaming segment. Revenue increased 32% YOY to USD 1.7 billion as growth in semi-custom offset the decline in gaming graphics sales. Despite the current macroeconomic environment, AMD is confident of continued growth in the second half of the year, something the group can undoubtedly achieve thanks to its broad-based segments. At what pace this will happen remains the secret of the group's spokespersons.

Chinese carmaker BYD is venturing into the German and Swedish markets. Ultimately, the consumer decides whether to buy into the electric car maker and disregard the geopolitical world situation in light of the commute to the office. What does Taiwan care if the boss threatens to quit because the home office has been abolished and presentitis takes hold again. The advantage of buying a BYD is obvious. The car comes in whole parts, which is also due to the existing semiconductors inside the car. In this context, AMD was able to record sales growth, especially in its embedded segment from the automotive industry. Completely unimpressed by the trade and economic wars, Manuka continues to develop its business. The Australian explorer is expanding its portfolio by acquiring an iron sand project in New Zealand. How pleasantly calm the commodity business can be in dynamic stock market times like these.