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April 5, 2025

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Three Stocks to Watch: Utilities, Banks, Airlines

American Water Works (AWK)

Why focus on a utility that isn’t reporting earnings this week? It’s because the biggest question of the week is where should you put your money when markets are in turmoil. Hence, we review American Water. 

Do you want safety with a 2% dividend, a little international exposure, and no tariff implications? Then I give you Jersey’s finest, American Water Works Co, Inc. (AWK). 

Technically, the stock is breaking out to new highs and trying to hold on. If this market sell-off is more prolonged, then this is a good place to hide out and is also a nice diversification for your portfolio. It won’t run like a tech stock, but the risk/reward set-up is favorable. 

Use the $146 level to set stops on the downside with upside targets based on the breakout from this rounded bottom formation at roughly $175. The candle formation put in on Friday to close the week was not ideal but may be worth the risk given the volatility.

And if you like lagging indicators, a “golden cross” formed last week and is another technical reason to look positively on the stock.

Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Delta Air Lines (DAL) shares have nosedived 50% from its January peak as it heads into earnings week. Shares fell 16% when the company slashed its first-quarter outlook in early March.

Delta cited declining consumer confidence amid growing uncertainty over the economy, which resulted in weaker domestic demand. It cut its revenue guide to rise between 3% and 4% compared to an outlook of 7–9%.

Technically, the damage has been done. The stock has been oversold since March and is beginning to show a bullish divergence. In this case, price makes a new low but the RSI does not. Look for a break above 30 in the RSI as a buy signal.

The risk/reward is good but not great. DAL has tested and held a support area just above $35 going back to early 2024. A break and close below $35 and downside risk takes the price to $30. 

A sharp V-shaped rally could happen with good earnings results and positive guidance. That’s a big IF, given the continued air of uncertainty. A small rally could see the stock get back to $44. 

Historically the trends in the airline stocks last for months and are rarely neutral. Follow the trend higher if it changes. Otherwise, a landing lower is likely. 

J.P. Morgan Chase

J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM) will be one of the most watched earnings of the quarter. Not only is it one of the largest weighted financial stocks in the world, but its CEO, Jamie Dimon, isn’t one to mince words. 

Shares have fallen 25% from its February 9 peak as the market has corrected in the face of tariff uncertainty and a global trade war. Dimon has been somewhat quiet but is always one to give a great sound bite or two, come the conference call. 

Technically, we have a problem

Shares have broken a 16-month uptrend. The stock price breached its 50-day moving average in March, then failed to recapture it—old support became resistance. After one successful test of its rising 200-day moving average, the stock broke through it last week with some vigor. 

On a rally, look for that 200-day moving average at $228 to become resistance. The sellers are now in charge until something changes. To the downside, we have a target of $180 based on a head and shoulders topping pattern as outlined above. 

Demystifying Tariff Impact: Essential Insights for Every Investor

The stock market hoped for curtailment of tariffs on Wednesday, but that didn’t happen. Even the better-than-expected March non-farm payrolls weren’t enough to turn things around.

The stock market slid sharply with the S&P 500 ($SPX), Nasdaq Composite, and Dow breaking through key technical support levels and closing very close to the low of the day’s range.

The StockCharts MarketCarpets was a sea of deep red with a few small green islands. All S&P sectors were trading lower on Friday. 

The selloff was across the board and precious metals, which soared in the early part of the week, got slammed after the tariff announcement. When investors sell off equities and precious metals, it’s a sign of elevated fear, which is reflected in the spike in the Cboe Volatility Index ($VIX). It closed at 45.12, close to its high of 45.56.

Not a Pretty Picture

The adage, “The stock market takes the stairs up and the elevator down,” rings true. Unfortunately, things got ugly quickly. It’s a volatile environment, and if your portfolio includes mostly equities, you’re probably beside yourself. But it’s not time to let your emotions get the better of you. Neither is it the time to engage in dip buying. If you look at any chart of the market, it’s clear which direction the market is heading. 

The three-year weekly chart of the S&P 500 ($SPX) below shows the index has dropped below its August lows. 

FIGURE 1. THREE-YEAR WEEKLY CHART OF THE S&P 500 INDEX. It was a rough week in the stock market with the S&P 500 closing below its 100-week simple moving average. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

In March, the S&P 500 crossed below its 40-week simple moving average (SMA), the equivalent of the 200-day SMA. Wednesday’s tariff announcements sent the index even lower, breaching its 100-week SMA, approximately a two-year average. Another concerning point is that Friday’s close is below the August 2024 low. This increases the probability of the index dropping further, perhaps as low as its 150-week SMA. But then again, you never know what the market is going to do. 

A smart investor is always engaged with the market in good times and bad. It’s important to observe the price action at key support levels to get an insight into when buyers come back into the market. 

Looking at Market Breadth 

The Bullish Percent Index (BPI), a breadth indicator that gives a bird’s eye view of the internals of different indexes and sector ETFs, isn’t encouraging, at the moment. The only sectors or indexes at or above 50, as of this writing, are the S&P Consumer Staples Sector BPI ($BPSTAP) and the S&P Utilities Sector BPI ($BPUTIL). Despite the slightly bullish values, the corresponding ETFs are trading below their 50-day SMA. 

The chart below displays $BPUTIL with the chart of the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU). Even though the BPI of the Utilities sector is above 50, it’s still trending lower and XLU just crossed below its 50-day SMA.

FIGURE 2. THE UTILITIES SECTOR IS ONE SECTOR WITH A BPI OVER 50. While a BPI over 50 indicates bulls are in favor, the chart of XLU has fallen below its 50-day SMA. Generally, breadth is leaning towards bearishness. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Sellers are in control across the board. The key will be to identify when buyers are in favor. And for that, you need to monitor the BPI and other breadth indicators.  

Investor sentiment got overly bearish quickly. When this occurs, investors usually look for signs of capitulation. We’re not seeing those signs yet, but it’s worth adding sentiment indicators to your toolkit. 

Sentiment Check

At some point, the selling will stop and buyers will come back in. The worst action to take now is to enter positions when you think the market has hit its low, only to catch a falling knife.

When markets are at extreme levels of fear or greed, sentiment indicators such as the VIX can be helpful. Besides the VIX, the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Sentiment Survey helps identify when investors are extremely optimistic or pessimistic. Generally, when emotions reach extreme levels, it may be an alert to move in the opposite direction of the crowds.

The five-year weekly chart below displays the S&P 500 with the AAII bullish minus bearish sentiment in the lower panel.

FIGURE 3. S&P 500 AND BULLISH VS. BEARISH SENTIMENT. Bearish sentiment is relatively high and the S&P 500 could fall if the bearish sentiment persists. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The lower panel shows that investor sentiment is negative, similar to between April 2022 and September 2022. Note how the market went through a correction before resuming its uptrend. 

The price action in the S&P 500 coincides with extreme bearish sentiment and could remain this way for an extended period. How will you know if sentiment has reached extreme levels? It can be challenging but constant monitoring of market breadth and sentiment indicators can reveal a shift in behavior. When buyers come back in, the indexes break above resistance levels, and momentum indicators turn bullish, there’s a chance the bullish trend will resume. 

The Bottom Line  

Investors should stay on the sidelines until the unwinding of positions is in the rearview mirror. As painful as it may be to watch your portfolio lose value, at some point the selling will stop and buyers will get back in. Look for signs of this occurring before adding any positions to your portfolio. Congratulations to investors who followed the traditional 60% stocks, and 40% bonds portfolio mix. Rising bond prices provide some cushion to falling equity prices. 

End-of-Week Wrap-Up

  • S&P 500 down 9.08% on the week, at 5074.08, Dow Jones Industrial Average down 7.86% on the week at 38314.86; Nasdaq Composite down 10.02% on the week at 15,587.79.
  • $VIX up 109.28% on the week, closing at 45.31.
  • Best performing sector for the week: Consumer Staples
  • Worst performing sector for the week: Energy
  • Top 5 Large Cap SCTR stocks: Corcept Therapeutics, Inc. (CORT); Elbit Systems, Ltd. (ESLT); MicroStrategy, Inc. (MSTR); Palantir Technologies, Inc. (PLTR); XPeng, Inc. (XPEV)

On the Radar Next Week

  • Earnings season kicks off with Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL), J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), and others reporting
  • March CPI
  • March PPI
  • FOMC minutes
  • Several Fed speeches

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

Top 5 Canadian Nickel Stocks of 2025

Nickel prices experienced a volatile year in 2024 on uncertainty on both the demand and supply sides. This trend has continued into the first quarter of 2025 and is expected to remain for the year. While this environment has been tough, some nickel stocks are still thriving.

Supply is expected to outflank demand over the short term, but the longer-term outlook for the metal is strong. Demand from the electric vehicle (EV) industry is one reason nickel’s outlook looks bright further into the future.

Battery nickel demand is poised to triple by 2030, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

“Mid and high level performance EVs will be the primary driver of battery nickel demand growth in the coming years, particularly in Western markets,” said Jorge Uzcategui, senior nickel analyst at the firm. “There will be growth in China, but it won’t be as pronounced as in ex-China markets.”

As for Canada, nickel is listed as a top priority in the government’s Critical Minerals Strategy. The country is the world’s fifth largest producer of nickel, with much of its production coming from mines in Ontario’s Sudbury Basin, including Vale’s (NYSE:VALE) Sudbury operation and Glencore’s (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations.

How have Canadian nickel stocks performed in 2025? Below are the top nickel stocks in Canada on the TSX, TSXV and CSE by share price performance so far this year.

All year-to-date and share price data was obtained on March 26, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener. Canadian nickel stocks with market caps above C$10 million at that time were considered.

1. Power Metallic Mines (TSXV:PNPN)

Year-to-date gain: 40.37 percent
Market cap: C$364.15 million
Share price: C$1.53

Power Metallic Mines, formerly Power Nickel, is developing its 80 percent owned Nisk polymetallic property in Québec, Canada, which hosts high-grade nickel, copper, platinum, palladium, gold and silver mineralization. The polymetallic nature of the project is a plus for the economic case for future nickel production in a low price environment.

The company was recognized as one of the 2024 top 50 performers on the TSX Venture Exchange, ranking as the top mining company and fourth overall company due to posting a 365 percent share price appreciation for the year.

Ongoing work at the Nisk project has generated positive news flow for Power Metallic in 2025. After starting the year at C$1.07, Power Metallic’s share price climbed to C$1.49 by January 30 following two key announcements in late January. First, the company released drill results from the 2024 fall campaign on Nisk’s Lion zone and the start of its winter 2025 drill campaign. Shortly after, it announced a new discovery 700 meters east from the Lion zone, now named the Tiger zone, which it plans to target as part of its winter drilling.

From there, Power Metallic’s share price jumped more than 26 percent to reach C$1.88 on February 6, its highest point of Q1. This followed further drill results out its 2024 fall campaign with with notable assays further demonstrating the high-grade nature of the mineralization.

Other notable news supporting the company’s share price this quarter included the closing of a C$50 million private placement and the plan to scale up its 2025 winter drill campaign from three to six rigs in the second quarter. Additionally, further results from the 2024 fall campaign expanded the Lion zone with the deepest assayed intersection to date, plus initial nickel-copper assays from the new Tiger zone.

2. Magna Mining (TSXV:NICU)

Year-to-date gain: 25.93 percent
Market cap: C$273.59 million
Share price: C$1.70

Magna Mining is a base metal exploration and development company based in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The company’s flagship assets are the Shakespeare mine and the Crean Hill project. Shakespeare is a past-producing nickel, copper and platinum group metals mine with major permits in place. It hosts an indicated open-pit resource of 16.51 million metric tons at 0.56 percent nickel equivalent. Crean Hill also hosts a past-producing mine that produced the same resources.

Magna Mining was also included in the 2025 TSX Venture 50 list.

Last year, Magna signed a definitive offtake agreement with Vale Base Metals’ wholly owned subsidiary Vale Canada for the advanced exploration portion of Crean Hill, and inked a toll-milling agreement with Glencore Canada for the surface bulk sample of the 109 Footwall zone at Crean Hill. Magna completed an updated preliminary economic assessment at Crean Hill in November.

Magna’s share price started off the year at C$1.42, and gradually climbed throughout the following weeks to reach a year-to-date high of C$1.84 on February 5.

Its share price was supported by continued positive updates on its acquisition of a portfolio of base metals assets located in the Sudbury Basin, including the producing McCreedy West copper-nickel mine, through a share purchase agreement with a subsidiary of KGHM Polska Miedz (FWB:KGHA). The company completed the acquisition at the end of February.

Magna also closed a C$33.5 million private placement in early March.

3. Talon Metals (TSX:TLO)

Year-to-date gain: 23.53 percent
Market cap: C$79.45 million
Share price: C$0.105

Talon Metals is focused on developing high-grade nickel resources for the US domestic battery supply chain. The company has partnered with mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) on the Tamarack nickel-copper project located in Minnesota, US. Talon has an earn-in right to acquire up to 60 percent of Tamarack and currently owns 51 percent. The US Department of Defense awarded Talon a US$20.6 million grant in September 2023.

An environmental review process is underway for the proposed Tamarack underground mine. The company plans to process ore from the mine at a proposed battery mineral processing facility in North Dakota. The company plans to initiate the permitting process for the processing facility in 2025.

Talon has a six year offtake agreement with Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) for a total of 75,000 metric tons, or 165 million pounds, of nickel concentrate, as well as cobalt and iron by-products, from the Tamarack project once it’s in commercial production.

The company is also the operator of the Boulderdash nickel-copper discovery and numerous high-grade nickel-copper prospects in Michigan, which it optioned to Lundin Mining (TSX:LUN) in early March.

Talon Metal’s share price reached a year-to-date high of C$0.105 on March 26. That day, the company announced a significant massive sulfide discovery at Tamarack with an intercept measuring over 8.25 meters logged as 95 percent sulfide content.

4. Stillwater Critical Minerals (TSXV:PGE)

Year-to-date gain: 16.67 percent
Market cap: C$32.61 million
Share price: C$0.14

Stillwater Critical Metals’ flagship asset is its Stillwater West polymetallic project in Montana, US. In addition to the platinum group elements, copper, cobalt, and gold resources identified on the property, a January 2023 NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource estimate on Stillwater West shows it to have the largest nickel resource in an active US mining district.

Stillwater Critical Metal’s share price reached a year-to-date high of C$0.14 on March 26.

On this day, the company reported multiple large-scale magmatic sulfide targets following analysis of the property-wide third-party MobileMtm magneto-telluric geophysical survey completed in late 2024.

The data from the survey was also used to build a new 3D geological model of the lower Stillwater Igneous Complex that will help the company to further prioritize targets at Stillwater West in an upcoming planned drill campaign.

5. First Atlantic Nickel (TSXV:FAN)

Year-to-date gain: 15.22 percent
Market cap: C$25.22 million
Share price: C$0.265

First Atlantic Nickel is developing its wholly owned Atlantic nickel project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The large-scale project hosts a naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy that contains about 75 percent nickel with no sulfur or sulfides. Known as awaruite, it is known for its strong magnetic properties. Its also easier and cleaner to separate and concentrate than conventional nickel ores as it can be processed without a smelter.

A series of catalysts in February gave the company’s stock value a boost to the upside. On February 19, it shared that drilling confirmed ‘the RPM zone extends 400 meters along strike and 500 meters wide, remaining open at depth and along strike to the north and west, indicating significant expansion potential.’

Initial Phase 1 assay results from the Super Gulp zone were released on February 26 showing up to 0.32 percent nickel with an average of 0.25 percent nickel over the entire 293.8 meter length. First Atlantic Nickel stated the results confirmed ‘the presence of a major new nickel zone.’ That same day, shares in First Atlantic surged to C$0.33.

The next month, on March 4, First Atlantic reported a new discovery at the RPM zone with intersects of 0.24 percent nickel over 383.1 meters, and 10 kilometers downstrike from Super Gulp.

First Atlantic shares reached their highest year-to-date value of C$0.35 on March 13 after the company announced initial metallurgical test results from the first drill hole at the RPM zone. The company said “the results confirm the potential for magnetic separation as a viable processing method for awaruite nickel mineralization previously identified at the RPM Zone.”

FAQs for nickel investing

How to invest in nickel?

There are a variety of ways to invest in nickel, but stocks and exchange-traded products are the most common. Nickel-focused companies can be found globally on various exchanges, and through the use of a broker or a service such as an app, investors can purchase companies and products that match their investing outlook.

Before buying a nickel stock, potential investors should take time to research the companies they’re considering; they should also decide how many shares will be purchased, and what price they are willing to pay. With many options on the market, it’s critical to complete due diligence before making any investment decisions.

Nickel stocks like those mentioned above could be a good option for investors interested in the space. Experienced investors can also look at nickel futures.

What is nickel used for?

Nickel has a variety of applications. Its main use is an alloy material for products such as stainless steel, and it is also used for plating metals to reduce corrosion. It is used in coins as well, such as the 5 cent nickel in the US and Canada; the US nickel is made up of 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper, while Canada’s nickel has nickel plating that makes up 2 percent of its composition.

Nickel’s up-and-coming use is in electric vehicles as a component of certain lithium-ion battery compositions, and it has gotten extra attention because of that purpose.

Where is nickel mined?

The world’s top nickel-producing countries are primarily in Asia: Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia make up the top three. Rounding out the top five are Canada and China. Indonesia’s production stands far ahead of the rest of the pack, with 2024 output of 2.2 million metric tons compared to the Philippines’ 330,000 metric tons and Canada’s 190,000 metric tons.

Significant nickel miners include Norilsk Nickel (OTC Pink:NILSY,MCX:GMKN), Nickel Asia, BHP Group (NYSE:BHP,ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP) and Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF).

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Euro Maganese Surges 82 Percent

US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping round of tariffs on Wednesday (April 2). The tariffs included 10 percent to most countries along with more specific import fees directed at specific countries in an attempt to balance trade deficits.

Canada and Mexico were spared under the USMCA deal signed by Trump in 2019, with the exception of non-USMCA-compliant vehicles, which were subject to a 25 percent tariff. This sparked a similar 25 percent retaliatory tariff from Canada.

The uncertainty over the application of tariffs caused some automakers, like Ford (NYSE:F) and Stellantis (NYSE:STLA), to announce family pricing to encourage consumers to make purchases before car prices rise. Stellantis also halted production at plants in Canada and Mexico and temporarily laid off 900 workers.

Statistics Canada released its March jobs report on Friday (April 4). Its data showed that Canada’s labor market lost 33,000 jobs during the month.

The most significant decline occurred in wholesale and retail trade, which shed 29,000 jobs, followed by information, culture and recreation, which dropped by 20,000. Meanwhile, personal and repair services added 12,000 new positions, while utilities gained 4,200 workers. Overall, the unemployment rate climbed 0.1 percent to 6.7 percent.

South of the border, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics announced a significant increase in the non-farm payroll in March.

The report indicated that the US added 228,000 jobs to the economy, significantly higher than the 117,000 jobs added in February and the 140,000 expected by economists.

The largest gains in employment occurred in the healthcare sector, which added 54,000 new jobs, while both the social assistance and retail sectors contributed 24,000 jobs each.

The report also indicated a further decline of 4,000 jobs in the federal government, following a loss of 11,000 in February. Mass layoffs of federal employees by the Elon Musk’s DOGE are not yet fully reflected in the jobs data. Many of the over 280,000 employees whose jobs are being cut are currently on administrative leave or accepted severance deals, Bloomberg reports, meaning the bureau still counts them as employed.

The unemployment rate and participation rate held steady at 4.2 and 62.5 percent respectively.

Markets and commodities react

Global equity markets were in steep decline following the Trump administration’s tariff announcements on Wednesday.

In Canada, The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) fell 5.67 percent during the week to close at 23,277.79 on Friday, the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) decreased 8.31 percent to 575.91 and the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) dropped 9.23 percent to 108.95.

US equity markets did not fare any better, with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) losing 8.21 percent to close at 5,074.09, the Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) dropping 7.36 percent to 17,570.21 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) shedding 7.41 percent to 38,314.85.

Precious metals also closed the week in the red. Although the gold price briefly hitting a new high of US$3,167.71 per ounce on Wednesday, it plunged on Friday to close the week down 1.56 percent at US$3,038.04. The silver price declined sharply, losing 12.92 percent during the period to US$29.69.

In base metals, the COMEX copper price plunged 14.17 percent over the week to US$4.42 per pound. Meanwhile, the S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) lost 6.75 percent to close at 522.69.

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

So how did mining stocks perform against this backdrop? We break down this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Companies within the non-energy minerals and energy minerals sectors were considered.

1. Euro Manganese (TSXV:EMN)

Weekly gain: 81.82 percent
Market cap: C$40.27 million
Share price: C$0.50

Euro Manganese is a manganese development company working to advance its Chvaletice waste recycling project. The operation is focused on extracting manganese from tailings that are part of a decommissioned mine site near Prague, Czechia. As part of the project’s scope, the company says it will carry out remediation and reclamation work to bring the site into compliance with environmental regulations.

A 2022 feasibility study for the Chvaletice project indicates that it will produce 48,000 metric tons of manganese per year and is expected to have a project life of 25 years. In the study, the company reports a post-tax net present value of US$1.3 billion with an internal rate of return of 22 percent and a payback period of 4 years.

The latest project news was announced on March 25, when Euro revealed that Chvaletice had been designated a strategic project under the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act. According to the terms of the act, the project will gain access to both private and public funding opportunities, as well as a more streamlined permitting process.

Shares in Euro experienced significant gains this week after the company announced on March 30 that it would proceed with a share consolidation at a ratio of five to one. The consolidation occurred on Monday (March 31), reducing the number of common shares to 80.53 million from 402.67 million, and post-consolidation shares began trading on April 2.

The company also announced on April 1 that it would be upsizing a financing round up to C$11.2 million and would include a C$3 million private placement with former Sprott (TSX:SII,NYSE:SII) Chairman Eric Sprott. Proceeds generated from the financing will be used to support development at Chvaletice.

2. DLP Resources (TSXV:DLP)

Weekly gain: 60 percent
Market cap: C$61.08 million
Share price: C$0.44

DLP Resources is a mineral exploration company focused on advancing its flagship Aurora copper-molybdenum project in Peru.

The 8,500 hectare site is located in the Central Andes. Exploration work has been performed at the site since the early 2000s, with DLP conducting drill programs in 2023 and 2024.

Shares in DLP have been rising since the release of a technical report for Aurora on February 27, which included a maiden mineral resource estimate with significant copper and molybdenum spread over two zones.

The inferred resource totals 1.05 billion metric tons of ore containing 4.65 billion pounds of copper, 1.1 billion pounds of molybdenum and 80 million ounces of silver. The resource has average grades of 0.2 percent copper, 0.05 percent molybdenum and 2.4 grams per metric ton silver.

The company said it is pleased with the size and results of the report and will continue drilling the site to upgrade the resource ahead of a preliminary economic assessment.

DLP shares also got a boost this week after it released its Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the nine months ending January 31 on Tuesday. In the release, the company discussed its activity for the three-quarter period highlighting its recent mineral resource estimate as well as the completion of a non-brokered private placement in January for proceeds of C$1.36 million.

3. Noram Lithium (TSXV:NRM)

Weekly gain: 35 percent
Market cap: C$12.08 million
Share price: C$0.135

Noram Lithium is a lithium exploration and development company focused on the advancement of its Zeus lithium project in Nevada, US. The property, located near Clayton Valley, comprises 146 placer and 136 lode claims covering 1,133 hectares in a region with existing lithium brine operations since 1967. Noram has been exploring the site since 2016.

Its most recent update came on June 11, when the company released an updated mineral resource estimate, reporting an indicated resource of 564 million metric tons (MT) at a concentration of 956 parts per million (ppm), resulting in 2.9 million MT of contained lithium carbonate equivalent. Zeus’ inferred resource stands at 1.3 million MT of contained lithium carbonate equivalent from 287 million MT grading 861 ppm lithium.

Shares in Noram rose this week, but the company did not publish any news.

4. Maple Gold Mines (TSXV:MGM)

Weekly gain: 31.82 percent
Market cap: C$34.11 million
Share price: C$0.07

Maple Gold Mines is a gold exploration company focused on the advancement of its Douay and Joutel projects located in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Québec, Canada.

The Douay project covers an area of 357 square kilometers. In a 2022 technical report, the company said the site hosts an indicated resource of 511,000 ounces of gold from 10 million metric tons with an average grade of 1.59 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold, with an additional inferred resource of 2.53 million ounces from 76.7 million metric tons at 1.02 g/t.

The Joutel project covers an area of 39 square kilometers and is located directly south of Douay. The site hosts Agnico Eagle’s (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM) past-producing Eagle-Telbel gold mine, which operated from 1974 to 1993. To date, the company has used 250,000 meters of historic drill results to create 3D models to aid in current exploration efforts.

The most recent news from the project came on Thursday when Maple announced recent exploration at Douay’s Nika zone produced a broad mineralized interval of 2.05 g/t gold over 108.6 meters, which included an intersection of 4.93 g/t over 17 meters, from a vertical depth of 490 meters.

The company said the results build on previously identified mineralization from shallower depths and defines a new high-grade, bulk-tonnage target that remains open in multiple directions.

5. Stillwater Critical Minerals (TSXV:PGE)

Weekly gain: 25 percent
Market cap: C$38.43 million
Share price: C$0.15

Stillwater Critical Minerals is an exploration company focused on advancing its flagship Stillwater West project in Montana, United States.

The brownfield project hosts several multi-kilometer exploration targets with known mineralization deposits of nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum group metals and gold.

A mineral resource estimate included in a January 2023 technical report demonstrated an inferred estimate of 1.05 million pounds of nickel, 499 million pounds of copper, 91 million pounds of cobalt, and a combined 3.811 million ounces of platinum group metals and gold from 254.8 million metric tons of ore with a nickel equivalent cut-off grade of 0.2 percent.

The most recent news from the project came on March 26 when Stillwater reported it had identified multiple large-scale targets from its 2024 geophysical survey. The company said the survey improved the resolution of known targets while identifying unknown targets occurring near surface to a depth of 1.5 kilometers.

Shares have also been bolstered by the recent executive order from President Trump that will help to speed up project permitting for critical mineral projects.

In an announcement on March 24, Stillwater President and CEO Michael Rowley commented, “The order also makes a point of listing copper and gold. This is very relevant to Stillwater because we have a very large polymetallic resource that positions us with a substantial copper inventory and the largest nickel project in an active US mining district.”

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

How many companies are listed on the TSXV?

As of June 2024, there were 1,630 companies listed on the TSXV, 925 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,806 companies, with 188 of those being mining companies.

Together the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Stock Market News UK Update: FTSE 100 & 250 Rise

Stock Market News: UK Forecast and Technical Analysis

Today, the UK stock market saw the FTSE 250 increase by 195 points (0.9%) to 21,628, nearly matching the 1.2% increase in the FTSE 100, driven largely by gains in mining stocks. This positive momentum is creating a bullish sentiment in the market.

The two London indices are leading the European market this morning. The DAX is up 0.7% in Germany, followed by the FTSE MIB in Italy, the CAC 40 in France, and the IBEX 35 in Spain, all of which are up 0.4%, reinforcing the optimistic outlook across Europe.

The gain for the Euro Stoxx 600 is just under 1%. Risers include Just Eat Takeaway, rising 17%; TeamViewer, the software company and owner of Kenco, JD Peet.

Among the higher risers, Wickes Group PLC, one of the UK’s listed companies, has seen a 3.3% increase in revenue despite facing difficulties retaining customers for its custom kitchen, home office installation, and bathroom services.

In the first half, this segment’s revenues were destroyed by 17%, offsetting the 1% growth in revenue in its core retail offering.

GSK Shares Decline

GSK PLC, the drugmaker listed on the FTSE 100, raised its annual earnings and sales forecasts due to strong second-quarter performance from HIV and cancer treatments, but the stock is currently down 2.5%.

Core EPS profits are now expected to increase by 10-12% in 2024, up from the previous guidance of 8-10%. Meanwhile, the overall profits are expected to increase by 7-9%, compared to the earlier estimate of 5-7%.

Nonetheless, there were some omissions in the data: vaccination profit fell 9% short of expectations as shingles treatment Shingrix was a 20% disappointment as US sales plummeted 36%.

This is due to decreased demand and inventory reductions. However, it is important to note that international sales make up about 64% of total revenue.

General medicine, oncology, and HIV all performed better than anticipated.

GSK/GBX 5-Day Chart

Growth Expectation For FTSE 250

In the last five years, Greggs’ shares have increased by 40%, outpacing the FTSE 250 London stock. The company’s first-half (H1) results have given them an additional 5% boost.

The most recent data shows a 16% increase in profit before taxes and a 14% increase in sales.

However, despite these gains, projections indicate a minor decline in Greggs’ EPS for the full year 2024. However, the company’s first-half revenue increased by only 15%.

It is a basic diluted estimate that does not account for anomalies. However, it raises the possibility that projections are simply exaggerating the situation.

Thanks to these expenditures and a well-defined expansion plan, Greggs has produced substantial returns for its owners.

For the 2023 fiscal year, Greggs reported record yearly sales of £1.8 billion and a profit before taxes of £188.3 million.

The company also disclosed a significant capital investment program aimed at enhancing its manufacturing capacity and expanding its capacity to accommodate approximately 3,500 stores throughout the United Kingdom.

UK Stock Market Today: FTSE Stock Surge

Among the top risers in the FTSE, Antofagasta PLC and Rio Tinto have shown significant gains. Antofagasta PLC saw notable gains despite no specific news being released. Rio Tinto’s positive results, which included a 1.8% increase in first-half profit, contributed to a 1% rise in its shares and may have influenced the broader market.

More significantly, there are rumours that the Anglo-Australian miner Antofagasta is eyeing a major opportunity in the copper industry, further boosting investor confidence.

The Footsie has continued to rise, hitting a two-month peak of nearly 8,374 following a 1.2% increase. This is the highest value for the London standard since May 22nd, topping 8,368.

HSBC Makes a £3 Billion Buyback

Following a largely flat first half of the year, HSBC Holdings PLC announced an additional interim dividend and a £3 billion share buyback.

For the first half of 2024, the £0.10 per share dividend will equate to 20 cents, unchanged from the previous year. The share buyback is anticipated to be finished in three months.

The bank, with a focus on Asia, reported a first-half pre-tax profit of $21.6 billion, which was marginally lower than the same period last year, even though revenue increased 1% to $37.3 billion and certain “strategic transactions” had a net positive revenue impact of $0.2 billion.

The second quarter’s $16.5 billion in revenues exceeded analysts’ expectations, and the quarter’s $8.9 billion profit before taxes was significantly more than the $7.8 billion they had predicted.

Despite being lower than the 1.53% consensus estimate, the net interest margin improved from 1.7% to 1.62% a year ago due to an increase in the finance cost of average profit liabilities. These developments are significant for the stock market news UK, as they may influence investor sentiment and market trends.

FTSE 250 Share Price

  • Value: 21,572.34
  • Net Variation: 139.83
  • High/Low: 21,649.47 / 21,430.07
  • Previously closed price: 21,432.51
  • 52WK range: 16,783.09 – 21,432.51
  • Launch date: October 12th 1992
  • Constituents number: 250
  • Net MCap: 324,478
  • Dividend Yield: 3.35%
  • Average: 1,298
  • Largest: 4,059
  • Smallest: 81
  • Median: 1,085

FTSE 100 Share Price

  • Value: 8,390.33
  • Previous Close: 8,292.35
  • Open Price: 8,292.35
  • Day low: 8,235.55
  • Day High: 8,297.92
  • 52-week low: 7,215.76
  • 52-week high: 8,474.41

In summary, today’s gains on the stock market news UK are remarkable, as the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices both saw an increase. Mining stocks, especially in the FTSE 100, have primarily driven these gains. Major indices have also increased throughout Europe, indicating an optimistic trend in the market.

While GSK continues to face difficulties even after increasing its earnings projections, Greggs has shown remarkable growth in both its stock price as well as profitability. Despite a little fluctuation in its profit margins, HSBC’s announcement of a significant share buyback and dividend demonstrates the strength of its financial position.

The post Stock Market News UK Update: FTSE 100 & 250 Rise appeared first on FinanceBrokerage.

Stock Market News UK Update: FTSE 100 & 250 Rise

Stock Market News: UK Forecast and Technical Analysis

Today, the UK stock market saw the FTSE 250 increase by 195 points (0.9%) to 21,628, nearly matching the 1.2% increase in the FTSE 100, driven largely by gains in mining stocks. This positive momentum is creating a bullish sentiment in the market.

The two London indices are leading the European market this morning. The DAX is up 0.7% in Germany, followed by the FTSE MIB in Italy, the CAC 40 in France, and the IBEX 35 in Spain, all of which are up 0.4%, reinforcing the optimistic outlook across Europe.

The gain for the Euro Stoxx 600 is just under 1%. Risers include Just Eat Takeaway, rising 17%; TeamViewer, the software company and owner of Kenco, JD Peet.

Among the higher risers, Wickes Group PLC, one of the UK’s listed companies, has seen a 3.3% increase in revenue despite facing difficulties retaining customers for its custom kitchen, home office installation, and bathroom services.

In the first half, this segment’s revenues were destroyed by 17%, offsetting the 1% growth in revenue in its core retail offering.

GSK Shares Decline

GSK PLC, the drugmaker listed on the FTSE 100, raised its annual earnings and sales forecasts due to strong second-quarter performance from HIV and cancer treatments, but the stock is currently down 2.5%.

Core EPS profits are now expected to increase by 10-12% in 2024, up from the previous guidance of 8-10%. Meanwhile, the overall profits are expected to increase by 7-9%, compared to the earlier estimate of 5-7%.

Nonetheless, there were some omissions in the data: vaccination profit fell 9% short of expectations as shingles treatment Shingrix was a 20% disappointment as US sales plummeted 36%.

This is due to decreased demand and inventory reductions. However, it is important to note that international sales make up about 64% of total revenue.

General medicine, oncology, and HIV all performed better than anticipated.

GSK/GBX 5-Day Chart

Growth Expectation For FTSE 250

In the last five years, Greggs’ shares have increased by 40%, outpacing the FTSE 250 London stock. The company’s first-half (H1) results have given them an additional 5% boost.

The most recent data shows a 16% increase in profit before taxes and a 14% increase in sales.

However, despite these gains, projections indicate a minor decline in Greggs’ EPS for the full year 2024. However, the company’s first-half revenue increased by only 15%.

It is a basic diluted estimate that does not account for anomalies. However, it raises the possibility that projections are simply exaggerating the situation.

Thanks to these expenditures and a well-defined expansion plan, Greggs has produced substantial returns for its owners.

For the 2023 fiscal year, Greggs reported record yearly sales of £1.8 billion and a profit before taxes of £188.3 million.

The company also disclosed a significant capital investment program aimed at enhancing its manufacturing capacity and expanding its capacity to accommodate approximately 3,500 stores throughout the United Kingdom.

UK Stock Market Today: FTSE Stock Surge

Among the top risers in the FTSE, Antofagasta PLC and Rio Tinto have shown significant gains. Antofagasta PLC saw notable gains despite no specific news being released. Rio Tinto’s positive results, which included a 1.8% increase in first-half profit, contributed to a 1% rise in its shares and may have influenced the broader market.

More significantly, there are rumours that the Anglo-Australian miner Antofagasta is eyeing a major opportunity in the copper industry, further boosting investor confidence.

The Footsie has continued to rise, hitting a two-month peak of nearly 8,374 following a 1.2% increase. This is the highest value for the London standard since May 22nd, topping 8,368.

HSBC Makes a £3 Billion Buyback

Following a largely flat first half of the year, HSBC Holdings PLC announced an additional interim dividend and a £3 billion share buyback.

For the first half of 2024, the £0.10 per share dividend will equate to 20 cents, unchanged from the previous year. The share buyback is anticipated to be finished in three months.

The bank, with a focus on Asia, reported a first-half pre-tax profit of $21.6 billion, which was marginally lower than the same period last year, even though revenue increased 1% to $37.3 billion and certain “strategic transactions” had a net positive revenue impact of $0.2 billion.

The second quarter’s $16.5 billion in revenues exceeded analysts’ expectations, and the quarter’s $8.9 billion profit before taxes was significantly more than the $7.8 billion they had predicted.

Despite being lower than the 1.53% consensus estimate, the net interest margin improved from 1.7% to 1.62% a year ago due to an increase in the finance cost of average profit liabilities. These developments are significant for the stock market news UK, as they may influence investor sentiment and market trends.

FTSE 250 Share Price

  • Value: 21,572.34
  • Net Variation: 139.83
  • High/Low: 21,649.47 / 21,430.07
  • Previously closed price: 21,432.51
  • 52WK range: 16,783.09 – 21,432.51
  • Launch date: October 12th 1992
  • Constituents number: 250
  • Net MCap: 324,478
  • Dividend Yield: 3.35%
  • Average: 1,298
  • Largest: 4,059
  • Smallest: 81
  • Median: 1,085

FTSE 100 Share Price

  • Value: 8,390.33
  • Previous Close: 8,292.35
  • Open Price: 8,292.35
  • Day low: 8,235.55
  • Day High: 8,297.92
  • 52-week low: 7,215.76
  • 52-week high: 8,474.41

In summary, today’s gains on the stock market news UK are remarkable, as the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices both saw an increase. Mining stocks, especially in the FTSE 100, have primarily driven these gains. Major indices have also increased throughout Europe, indicating an optimistic trend in the market.

While GSK continues to face difficulties even after increasing its earnings projections, Greggs has shown remarkable growth in both its stock price as well as profitability. Despite a little fluctuation in its profit margins, HSBC’s announcement of a significant share buyback and dividend demonstrates the strength of its financial position.

The post Stock Market News UK Update: FTSE 100 & 250 Rise appeared first on FinanceBrokerage.