Close menu




January 12th, 2021 | 07:46 CET

Plug Power, Almonty, Alibaba - Watch out, a breakthrough!

  • Investments
Photo credits: pixabay.com

Electric motors, hydrogen, fuel cells, new trends are coming to the capital markets all the time. But it is not only the latest technologies that will multiply in the coming years. Essential is the extraction of the raw materials needed for these technologies. The scarcity that we are sure to face in the next few years is likely to be seen by the stock market in the near future. At the moment, there is no sign of hype around scarce commodities.

time to read: 3 minutes | Author: Stefan Feulner
ISIN: CA0203981034 , US72919P2020 , US01609W1027

Table of contents:


    Shortly before the breakthrough

    It all began relatively quietly and calmly in Europe. Almonty Industries, a junior explorer from Canada, specializes in the mining and processing of tungsten. In addition to mines is Los Santos in western Spain and Panasqueira in Portugal; the Company is developing the Valtreixal tin and tungsten project in northwestern Spain. According to the European Union governments and the Congress of the United States of America, tungsten is a critical industrial metal whose existence should be secured for Western industrialized nations. 80% of global production still occurs in China, but Almonty Industries is set to change that.

    Project causes reassessment

    The Canadians have a clear goal in mind. The largest tungsten mine in the world is to be built in Sangdong in South Korea. When Sangdong reaches full capacity in 2026, it will account for about 30% of non-Chinese supply and 7-10% of global supply. Preliminary work on financing is already well advanced. The final contract with KfW IPEX-Bank was signed in mid-December. The project financing has a volume of USD 75.1 million. A customer for the tungsten concentrates, which are to be produced in Sangdong from 2022, has also been landed. It is the Austrian Plansee Group. The Group is also providing EUR 30 million in bank guarantees to cover possible cost overruns.

    Great confidence and rosy prospects

    Plansee has strategic and longer-term plans for cooperation. The Group is acquiring shares from the CEO of Almonty Industries, making it the largest shareholder. The German Rohstoff AG also remains on board with 12.8%. For the analysts of First Equity Research, Almonty is a clear buy. The price target is CAD 1.45. The Company would still have to take a small step to make the breakthrough. The last significant condition precedent is an equity raise of USD 14.1 million. Experts see the Sangdong deal as the best financing for a junior miner they have ever seen because of KfW's involvement and the low-interest rate. Yesterday, the price of Almonty Industries rose to CAD 0.75 with a substantial increase in trading volume. If the last minor hurdle is cleared, First Equity Research's price target should wobble.

    It is regulated

    Alibaba's subsidiary is not the only one caught in the Chinese government's crossfire. The other Chinese Big Techs are also ordered to report. In addition to Ant Group, Tencent and JD.com must also disclose information about consumer loans made. According to Reuters, the data will be shared with credit reporting agencies. The data will then be shared with other banks and lenders to analyze risks better and prevent over-indebtedness. Alibaba's finance subsidiary made about one-fifth of all short-term consumer loans in China. Concerns about overly loose lending and growing defaults have been growing in China for some time. There continues to be no sign of Alibaba CEO Jack Ma. Instead, several analysts spoke out today. UBS Global Research continued to rate the stock as "buy" but lowered the price target from HKD 340 to HKD 310. Jefferies Research took a similar stance. The buy rating was left unchanged, but the price target was lowered from HKD 363 to HKD 318. We are also bullish on the stock in the long term.

    Too much of a good thing

    The situation is different for the leading manufacturer of fuel cell technology, Plug Power. Although the deal with SK Group, which intends to acquire 51 million Plug Power shares at USD 29.29 per share, is extremely positive, the Company's stock price is still too low. With a stock market valuation of USD 13.0 billion, Plug Power made just USD 230.0 million in sales in 2020. Admittedly, the synergy effects due to the joint venture are enormous. Nevertheless, we see correction potential to at least USD 34, also from a chart perspective.


    Conflict of interest

    Pursuant to §85 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG), we point out that Apaton Finance GmbH as well as partners, authors or employees of Apaton Finance GmbH (hereinafter referred to as "Relevant Persons") may in the future hold shares or other financial instruments of the mentioned companies or will bet on rising or falling on rising or falling prices and therefore a conflict of interest may arise in the future. conflict of interest may arise in the future. The Relevant Persons reserve the shares or other financial instruments of the company at any time (hereinafter referred to as the company at any time (hereinafter referred to as a "Transaction"). "Transaction"). Transactions may under certain circumstances influence the respective price of the shares or other financial instruments of the of the Company.

    Furthermore, Apaton Finance GmbH reserves the right to enter into future relationships with the company or with third parties in relation to reports on the company. with regard to reports on the company, which are published within the scope of the Apaton Finance GmbH as well as in the social media, on partner sites or in e-mails, on partner sites or in e-mails. The above references to existing conflicts of interest apply apply to all types and forms of publication used by Apaton Finance GmbH uses for publications on companies.

    Risk notice

    Apaton Finance GmbH offers editors, agencies and companies the opportunity to publish commentaries, interviews, summaries, news and etc. on news.financial. These contents serve information for readers and does not constitute a call to action or recommendations, neither explicitly nor implicitly. implicitly, they are to be understood as an assurance of possible price be understood. The contents do not replace individual professional investment advice and do not constitute an offer to sell the share(s) offer to sell the share(s) or other financial instrument(s) in question, nor is it an nor an invitation to buy or sell such.

    The content is expressly not a financial analysis, but rather financial analysis, but rather journalistic or advertising texts. Readers or users who make investment decisions or carry out transactions on the basis decisions or transactions on the basis of the information provided here act completely at their own risk. There is no contractual relationship between between Apaton Finance GmbH and its readers or the users of its offers. users of its offers, as our information only refers to the company and not to the company, but not to the investment decision of the reader or user. or user.

    The acquisition of financial instruments entails high risks that can lead to the total loss of the capital invested. The information published by Apaton Finance GmbH and its authors are based on careful research on careful research, nevertheless no liability for financial losses financial losses or a content guarantee for topicality, correctness, adequacy and completeness of the contents offered here. contents offered here. Please also note our Terms of use.


    Der Autor

    Stefan Feulner

    The native Franconian has more than 20 years of stock exchange experience and a broadly diversified network.
    He is passionate about analyzing a wide variety of business models and investigating new trends.

    About the author



    Related comments:

    Commented by Jens Castner on June 15th, 2026 | 07:30 CEST

    SUPERINVESTOR ERIC SPROTT TAKES A STAKE IN POWER METALLIC MINES! BAE SYSTEMS AND BMW CAN BREATHE EASIER

    • PGMs
    • Copper
    • Electromobility
    • Investments
    • CriticalMetals
    • Defense

    Mining legend Eric Sprott is investing CAD 2.0 million in the Canadian exploration company Power Metallic Mines, sending a signal that resonates far beyond the mining sector. Copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum group metals, which lie dormant in the ground in Québec, are in high demand by both the defence industry and automotive manufacturers. For companies such as BAE Systems and BMW, these critical raw materials are indispensable. Three companies, one supply chain—and a race the West cannot afford to lose.

    Read

    Commented by Nico Popp on June 12th, 2026 | 06:40 CEST

    Gold Sector in M&A Frenzy: Dwindling Reserves Drive B2Gold and Orezone – Hidden Gem: Desert Gold

    • Mining
    • Gold
    • Commodities
    • Investments
    • Africa
    • M&A

    Dwindling mineral reserves in low-risk regions, stagnating discovery rates, and increasingly complex permitting processes—the situation in the gold mining sector is forcing leading producers to act. Since developing new large-scale greenfield projects is associated with sharply rising costs, industry giants are increasingly shifting their focus to acquiring projects already at an advanced stage. According to surveys by the industry portal MiningBeacon, the gold sector accounted for over 40% of the total mining transaction volume in the first five months of 2026 alone, amounting to deals worth USD 41 billion. West African shear trends and established mining regions are therefore becoming target areas for resource-hungry corporations that need to utilize their processing capacities to full capacity.

    Read

    Commented by André Will-Laudien on June 11th, 2026 | 07:20 CEST

    Gold, Silver, Defence, AI, or the Nasdaq? SpaceX Heads for the US Indices – Defying Weakness with Lahontan Gold

    • Mining
    • Gold
    • Silver
    • Commodities
    • Investments
    • nasdaq

    A remarkable phenomenon is currently unfolding in the markets: virtually everything is weakening. From gold to silver, from high-tech to low-tech, whether AI or hydrogen—every sector is undergoing a correction. So far, however, the pullback remains modest when measured against the extraordinary gains achieved over the past 14 months following the tariff-driven sell-off triggered by Donald Trump. During that period, the Nasdaq effectively doubled. Traders know that a volatile interim low will now be reached, particularly over the summer, before the markets look forward to 2027 with renewed hope. This period needs to be bridged, and there may also be a need for hedging. Historically, gold has served this role well, often gaining value when other asset classes came under pressure. Yet gold itself has been one of the best-performing asset classes over the past two years, leading to some profit-taking here as well. Whether the S&P 500 can absorb additional heavyweights such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Databricks following its historic rally remains to be seen. A fast-track inclusion of SpaceX into the S&P indices was reportedly rejected by S&P Dow Jones, while NASDAQ, Russell, and MSCI are set to list it within a few trading days. This should be exciting! Where are the tangible opportunities for investors?

    Read