Nordex, XPhyto Therapeutics, Siemens AG - Growth without end

XPhyto Therapeutics - On many feet

After the past difficult months due to the Corona pandemic, the 3 words - tested, vaccinated, recovered - have brought some peace. Nevertheless, the virus remains and will return in ever-changing forms. The global diagnostics market is booming and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. Studies show that the global rapid test market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.9% per year to reach a volume of USD 39.1 billion by 2023. Alongside major players such as Abbott Laboratories and F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, XPhyto Therapeutics, founded in 2017, is looking to take off. The life sciences accelerator, which has grown through several acquisitions and collaborations, focuses on investing in next-generation drug delivery, diagnostics and new pharmaceutical compounds.

XPhyto announced in late May that its German partner, Max Pharma GmbH, has begun selling its 25-minute Covid-19 RT-PCR testing system, "Covid-ID Lab" in Germany. Covid-ID Lab is registered within the European Union as a commercial in vitro diagnostic test (CE-IVD). The advantage of the test offered is that Covid-ID Lab requires only a 20-minute PCR run time without prior RNA extraction as part of sample preparation.

According to management, the product is intended to bridge the gap between single-use antigen tests and centralized, automated PCR systems. Target customers include airports, cruise ships, pharmacies, medical care facilities, and industrial and educational sites where rapid, meaningful results are needed. The venture was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, among others.

XPhyto Therapeutics can also report important successes in the field of drug development. In the mescaline synthesis program launched at the beginning of the year, the Canadian Company has set itself to use psychedelic substances to develop new drugs to improve the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, addiction and trauma-related stress disorders - without side effects.

The production of pharmaceutical-grade and industrial-scale psychedelic compounds, including mescaline and psilocybin, is an integral part of XPhyto's psychedelic medicine program and will provide a basis for drug formulation and clinical validation work. This division also relies on collaborations. The Company has an exclusive development agreement with a German university for the industrial biotechnological production of pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin. A similar agreement exists with the University of Alberta for the active ingredient mescaline.
XPhyto Therapeutics has several irons in the fire because of the Company's revolutionary PCR technology and innovative drug delivery formulations, which are also expected to be launched this year. The stock market value is currently around CAD 135 million and offers a promising entry opportunity at the current level.

Nordex AG - Orders on a flowing conveyor belt

A successful week in terms of the order books for wind turbine manufacturer Nordex. A significant order from Finland was already announced at the beginning of the week. Thus, the Hamburg-based Company will be supplying a total of 35 turbines with a total capacity of 199.5 megawatts for the construction of four onshore wind farms in the far north in 2022.

Yesterday, this was followed by a major order from South America. AES Brasil commissioned Nordex to supply and install 55 N163/5.X turbines for the 313.5 MW Cajuina wind farm. The scope also includes a five-year service contract, which can be extended to up to 20 years through several extension options. Construction of the turbines is scheduled to start in the summer of next year.

As already reported, following the sharp sell-off, Nordex AG stock is currently bottoming out in the area between the low for the year of EUR 16.59 and EUR 17.10. A sustained rise above this resistance is expected, and a sustained overcoming of the resistance at EUR 19.78 would complete the consolidation formation on the upside. Should the share of the wind turbine manufacturer fall below the low for the year, the striking support zone at EUR 13.87 would be the next target.

Siemens AG - Like clockwork

Do you still remember 20.3.2020? Many Siemens shareholders must have been sitting in front of the computer at that time, far less relaxed as the share price marked a new low at EUR 53.19. Today, 1 year and 3 months later, the German flagship Company shines at EUR 135. The restructuring of the Group and the spin-off of the energy sector have been successfully implemented in recent years. Now the Munich-based Company around the new CEO Roland Busch wants to accelerate growth once again. In the run-up to Capital Markets Day, it was announced that comparable sales are expected to grow by an average of 5 to 7% per year over the next three to five years.

As a result of the "favorable business development" continuing in the current quarter, Siemens is thus also reaffirming its forecast for the full year. However, this outlook includes the burdens of the acquisition of US cancer specialist Varian by medical technology subsidiary Siemens Healthineers. The targets for profit after tax are thus between EUR 5.5 billion and EUR 6.2 billion. It was also announced that the Group is planning to increase dividends gradually and is aiming for a share buyback program of up to EUR 3 billion.