Archive

October 19, 2024

Browsing

Walt Disney Co. (DIS) has struggled as a business over the past few years and isn’t on many investors’ radars these days. However, Disney seems to have turned a corner last quarter and is positioned for a resurgence in its core theme parks and streaming businesses.

With consumer spending in the travel sector remaining robust, demand for Disney’s theme parks is increasing. Additionally, Disney+ is on track to become profitable by Q4, and the inclusion of ESPN could further enhance Disney’s edge in the streaming space. These factors provide upside potential for Disney’s stock price, particularly as the company recovers from recent challenges and realigns its strategic focus.

Disney’s stock price has recently broken above its trading range, pulled back, and bounced off its $92 support level (see chart below). This suggests there is momentum to target $102 to the upside and $113 as an extended target to the upside.

FIGURE 1. DISNEY’S STOCK PRICE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MOVE HIGHER. An improving relative performance and moving average convergence/divergence support a potential higher price move in Disney.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purpose.

With the relative performance of DIS to the S&P 500 ($SPX) improving and the moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) showing signs of strengthening, this confirms the upside potential as DIS potentially breaks out above its $97.50 resistance.

Disney stock appears modestly undervalued, trading at 18x forward earnings, slightly below the industry average. Its expected earnings per share (EPS) growth of 14.5% aligns with the industry average, while its revenue growth forecast of 4% aligns with its peers. However, Disney’s net margins of 5% surpass the industry average of 3%, indicating a stronger outlook on profitability, especially with anticipated improvements from its streaming business and sustained demand in its theme parks.

Options on DIS are expensive, with the IV rank at 67%. So, to capitalize on a potential major breakout for DIS, I suggest buying a December $95/$110 call vertical for $5.09 debit.


A call vertical involves buying a call option and selling another with a higher strike price. The two options have the same expiration date.


FIGURE 2. CALL VERTICAL ANALYSIS. Here, you see the cost of the trade, the risk curve, and the risk/reward tradeoff of the call vertical for DIS. Image source: OptionsPlay.

This structure allows an offset for the relatively expensive Dec $95 call options and reduces the overall risk by selling the $110 calls. This structure entails:

  • Buying the Dec 20 $95 Call @ $6.25
  • Selling the Dec 20 $110 Call @ $1.16

 This call vertical spread allows for a maximum reward of $991 per contract if DIS is above $110 at expiration, with a maximum risk of $509 if DIS is below $95 at expiration.

In this week’s RRG video, I shared my concerns about the current market conditions. The sector rotation model and current sector rotation, as we see it on the Relative Rotation Graph for US sectors, are sending us conflicting signals. This combination continues to make me cautious about fully buying into the rally with new positions.

Being fully-invested is too risky at the moment (for me).

My current approach is that the risk of being fully invested in the market right now, or even buying into it, is too high for my comfort. Instead, I suggest we focus on identifying individual stocks or industries that present profit opportunities for long positions.

Dow Jones Industrials: Finding the Right Stocks

I haven’t blogged about individual stocks for a while, especially not about the members of the Dow Jones Industrials. Thus, I thought it would be beneficial to examine the constituents of the Dow Jones Industrials Index to find suitable candidates for long positions.

Outliers on the RRG

When you look at the RRG holding the Dow Jones Industrial Stocks, two real outliers catch the eye. The first is Intel (INTC), which is in the lagging quadrant and experiencing a significant hiccup in relative momentum. The second outlier is 3M (MMM), located in the weakening quadrant and rapidly losing relative momentum. If removed from the equation, these two stocks allow us to see a more balanced distribution of stocks across the various quadrants.

Positive RRG Headings

My next step is to toggle over all the individual stocks and highlight those with a positive RRG heading between 0 and 90 degrees. This indicates that a stock is gaining relative strength against the Dow Jones Industrials and is supported by positive momentum.

With this filter, we see two stocks in the lagging quadrant on a positive heading: Amazon and Honeywell. Four stocks are inside the improving quadrant, and they seem to be continuing their improvement: DIS, NKE, CRM, and V.

Concentrating on the Leading Quadrant

The leading quadrant has a higher concentration of stocks on a positive heading, and that’s where I want to focus our attention. After reviewing the individual charts of these stocks, I’ve identified a few worth a closer look and might be considered for adding to a portfolio.

The Strong Performers: TRV, WMT, and AXP

Travelers (TRV), Walmart (WMT), and American Express (AXP) are showing very strong charts in terms of price and relative strength. However, they’ve had such a long run that I wouldn’t recommend chasing them higher. The same goes for American Express (AXP). If you already hold these stocks, they are a great “hold,” but I wouldn’t initiate new positions.

The Top Three Picks

Now, let’s talk about the three stocks that stand out as potential additions to our portfolio.

Caterpillar (CAT)

Caterpillar’s price has just broken above the previous high at $380 and is consolidating. As long as it stays above $380, it has a good chance of continuing its uptrend. The RRG lines have turned up and are both above 100, indicating a positive RRG heading.

Cisco (CSCO)

Cisco bottomed out around $44 and has climbed to its previous high of around $56. It’s now breaking above that resistance, which is a positive sign.

The next target is the late December 2021 peak, just below $60. The relative strength is picking up again, confirmed by both RRG lines pushing above the 100 level. Once that barrier is taken out, a lot of upside potential for CSCO will be unlocked.

Home Depot (HD)

Home Depot has broken above resistance around $390, formed by two peaks in late 2021 and March 2024. The stock confirms a new uptrend with the RRG lines pushing above 100. We could see significant upside potential when the raw RS line surpasses its previous high from March 2024.

By measuring the height of the range from $260 to $390, we can project a rough price target of $520 for Home Depot to be reached within the next two years, as long as the support around $390 holds.

Remember, it’s not about chasing the market; it’s about making informed decisions based on solid analysis.

#StayAlert and have a great weekend, –Julius


Despite a light economic data week, the stock market continued its rally, with the S&P 500 ($SPX) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU) closing at record highs. How many times have we heard that? This is the sixth positive week for the three indexes.

Strong earnings from big banks, Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. (TSM), United Airlines Holdings (UAL), and Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) injected optimistic energy into the stock market.

Tech Stocks Hold Steady

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ($COMPQ) may not have hit all-time highs, but its daily chart is worth a closer look. An ascending triangle formation has reached its apex, indicating indecision among investors. The breadth indicators in the lower panels below the price chart echo this indecision.

CHART 1. NASDAQ COMPOSITE CONVERGING AT TRIANGLE APEX. The Nasdaq Composite seems to be at a point of indecision. This could continue until Tech stocks report quarterly earnings.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The Nasdaq Bullish Percent Index (BPI) is trending higher but is registering at 57.76, which is slightly bullish. The percentage of Nasdaq stocks trading above their 200-day moving average is also lukewarm, and the Nasdaq advance-decline line isn’t showing strong bullish participation.

Investors are probably waiting for Tech earnings. Until then, the index will probably stay put unless some unknown market-moving event occurs before then. The indecision in Tech stocks isn’t stopping investors from shifting to other areas of the market.

Mid-Caps Might Flatten

The S&P 400 Mid Cap Index ($MID) broke out of its trading range in September and has been trading above it since then. The index hit an all-time high this week, but has started to show signs of flattening (see last two bars in chart below).

CHART 2. MID-CAP STOCKS BREAK OUT OF RANGE. After hitting an all-time high, the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index is stalling.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The percentage of $MID stocks above their 200-day moving average is 73, which is pretty healthy. The advances still need higher volume to push the index higher. Until that happens, the mid-cap asset class may stall.

Bitcoin Breaks Out, Gold Glitters

Bitcoin has also shown its might this week. The weekly chart shows Bitcoin breaking out of a flag pattern (see below).

CHART 3. BITCOIN BREAKS OUT OF A CONSOLIDATION PATTERN. A breakout plus a possible MACD crossover could send Bitcoin prices higher. Note that the crossover is close to the zero line, an encouraging sign.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

After hitting the measured move targets following the previous consolidation, $BTCUSD has been in an extended consolidation pattern and has finally broken out. A bullish crossover in the moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) could occur. The crossover is close to the zero line, a criterion I look for. Look at what happened to the price of Bitcoin the last time a crossover took place at the zero line! Bitcoin could move higher by about 42.5%.

Speaking of all-time highs, gold prices are on fire. The SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD) has been in an uptrend since early March, and central bank interest rate cuts have propelled gold prices higher (see chart below).

CHART 4. GOLD PRICES ON A TEAR THIS YEAR. GLD has been following a typical uptrend, going through consolidations, breaking out of them, and continuing its ride higher.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

GLD could potentially rise above $250, but it’s difficult to set an entry point unless there’s a pullback. If you are considering going long now, apply stringent stop losses.

The Atlanta Fed GDPNow is estimating a 3.4% growth in Q3 2024. This has led investors to think the Fed will not cut interest rates in its November meeting. However, the CME FedWatch Tool shows a 92.9% probability of a 25 basis point cut. So, if there’s a rate cut in November, GLD could rise higher. This can change though, considering we’re less than three weeks away from the meeting, which happens to be right after the U.S. presidential election.

Looking Forward

Next week is thin on economic data, but earnings season continues. It’s not a strong week for Tech earnings, so the Nasdaq could continue its indecisive price action. As for the rest of the market, there could be more of the same. As always, anything could happen over the weekend that could send things awry.

End-of-Week Wrap-Up

  • S&P 500 closed up 0.85% for the week, at 5864.67, Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.96% for the week at 43,275.91; Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.80% for the week at 18,489.55
  • $VIX down 11.88% for the week, closing at 18.03
  • Best performing sector for the week: Utilities
  • Worst performing sector for the week: Energy
  • Top 5 Large Cap SCTR stocks: Insmed Inc. (INSM); Carvana (CVNA); Ubiquiti, Inc. (UI); Applovin Corp (APP); Cava Group, Inc. (CAVA)

On the Radar Next Week

  • Fed speeches
  • September Existing Home Sales
  • September New Home Sales
  • Earnings from Tesla (TSLA), General Motors (GM), Verizon Communications (VZ), Coca Cola (KO), among others

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.

The Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD) indicator, created by technical analyst Gerald Appel, is a technical indicator designed to confirm once a trend change has occurred. Based on exponential moving averages, it is not built to anticipate a price reversal, but rather to identify that one has already occurred.

The lesser-known MACD histogram can actually provide a powerful leading indicator as to when a turning point could be just around the corner. Today, we’ll use the weekly chart of IBM to show how, by combining these two techniques, we can anticipate potential reversals and then confirm when and how the trend has shifted.

Using the MACD or PPO Indicator to Define the Trend

To start this discussion, let’s be clear on why we’re using the PPO indicator instead of MACD on our example charts. The MACD indicator is based on the price difference between two exponential moving averages, while the PPO indicator is based on the percent difference between those two averages.

For a short-term time frame, the indicators are almost identical and either one can be used for effective signals. For long-term time frames, however, using percentage terms instead of price terms allows for a more consistent comparison, especially if the stock or ETF has experienced big price swings.

On the weekly chart of International Business Machines (IBM), the PPO indicator (bottom panel) starts with the PPO line, which represents the difference between the 12- and 26-week exponential moving averages. Then we have the red signal line, which is simply a 9-bar moving average of the PPO line.

Note the sell signal in late March 2024, when the PPO line crossed down through the red signal line. Conversely, the buy signal in mid-July is based on the PPO line crossing back up through the red signal line. At the present time, the PPO indicator suggests the uptrend is alive and well, with the PPO line sloping higher above the red signal line.

Adding the Histogram Helps to Anticipate the Signals

See how the sell signal in March came after the peak had occurred, and the price was already in a new downtrend?Also, notice how the buy signal in July appeared well after the actual price low in April?

This is actually by design, as the PPO indicator is considered a lagging indicator. It’s not designed to tell you a reversal may be coming soon, but rather that a reversal recently happened and is now being confirmed. But what if we want to anticipate those reversals before they occur?

The PPO histogram, shown behind the PPO indicator in blue, represents the difference between the PPO line and the signal line. Go back to that March peak, and you may notice that the histogram had started to slope downward starting in February. Then, in May, right as the price was finding a new swing low, the histogram started to slope back upwards.

So, to summarize the components, the histogram reversals raise the “red flag” that a potential price reversal is coming, and then the actual PPO crossover confirms that the trend reversal has actually occurred. Now we can use the PPO indicator as both a leading and a lagging indicator!

Using the Histogram With Other Indicators

Fast forward to October 2024, and you’ll see that this week the PPO histogram moved slightly lower. This could represent the early warning of an impending top for IBM. For this situation, I like to go to a lower time frame, in this case the daily chart, and use trend-following techniques to confirm a breakdown on the shorter time frame. While the weekly may still be my main indication, a sell signal could come earlier on the daily chart and help me to take action before the pain gets too unbearable!

Here I’m showing the Chandelier Exit system, which is a trailing stop indicator based on Average True Range (ATR). As long as IBM remains above the Chandelier Exit, the uptrend is most likely still alive and well on the daily chart.  A breakdown of this trailing stop could help me confirm the bearish divergence we’ve noted on the weekly PPO chart.

The technical analysis toolkit consists mainly of leading indicators and lagging indicators. While I primarily use lagging indicators to follow the trends and confirm trend reversals, I have also found leading indicators such as the PPO histogram to be a vital part of managing risk and identifying opportunities for my portfolio.

RR#6,

Dave

P.S. Ready to upgrade your investment process? Check out my free behavioral investing course!


David Keller, CMT

President and Chief Strategist

Sierra Alpha Research LLC


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.

The author does not have a position in mentioned securities at the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

In this StockCharts TV video, Mary Ellen reviews what’s driving the markets higher and how you can capitalize. Moves in TSLA, NVDA, and NFLX are highlighted. She also reviews price action greatly impacted by earnings, many driven by analyst upgrades and downgrades.

This video originally premiered October 18, 2024. You can watch it on our dedicated page for Mary Ellen on StockCharts TV.

New videos from Mary Ellen premiere weekly on Fridays. You can view all previously recorded episodes at this link.

If you’re looking for stocks to invest in, be sure to check out the MEM Edge Report! This report gives you detailed information on the top sectors, industries and stocks so you can make informed investment decisions.

General Motors (GM) (NYSE:GM) is strengthening its connection toLithium Americas (TSX:LAC,NYSE:LAC) via a joint venture centered on advancing the Thacker Pass lithium project in Humboldt County, Nevada.

In a Wednesday (October 16) press release, the companies said GM will provide US$625 million in cash and letters of credit, and will acquire a 38 percent asset-level ownership stake in Thacker Pass.

The Detroit-based carmaker emphasized to Reuters that it is keen to secure electric vehicle (EV) raw materials.

‘We don’t want to become a mining company,’ Jeff Morrison, GM’s senior vice president, told the news outlet. ‘Our main goal is to build out a North American based, Western-allied, reliant supply chain. To do that, we have to pick partners and assets and figure out what they need to do to industrialize and be successful.”

Lithium, a key component in EV batteries, is in high demand as automakers ramp up their EV offerings. The Thacker Pass asset is touted as North America’s largest depositary of the resource.

GM’s US$625 million contribution will be divided into phases. It will provide US$330 million in cash when the joint venture closes, and US$100 million at a later stage, when a final investment decision for Phase 1 is made.

There is also a US$195 million letter of credit facility that Lithium Americas will be able to use as collateral to support reserve account requirements under its conditional US$2.3 billion loan from the US Department of Energy.

The companies note in Wednesday’s release that the new joint venture builds on GM’s previous investment in Lithium Americas. In February 2023, GM invested US$320 million into the company, acquiring 15 million common shares.

This week’s agreement also extends GM’s current Thacker Pass offtake agreement, with the company now having the right to up to 100 percent of production volumes from Phase 1 for 20 years. Once the joint venture closes, GM will also enter into a further 20 year offtake for as much as 38 percent of Phase 2 output volumes for Thacker Pass.

In addition to the Lithium Americas deal, GM has made several other strategic investments in the mining sector.

These include agreements to purchase cobalt from Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) an investment in Queensland Pacific Metals (ASX:QPM) for nickel and cobalt and a lithium supply deal with Arcadium Lithium (NYSE:ALTM,ASX:LTM).

Thacker Pass project has faced some challenges, including protests from local Indigenous communities and environmental groups. Concerns have been raised regarding its environmental impact and proximity to culturally significant lands. Despite this opposition, the mine has received the necessary permits to proceed — Lithium Americas said in its latest quarterly update that it expects to start ‘major construction’ by the end of the year.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

In recent years, the global oil market has been impacted significantly by COVID-19 disruptions, price wars between oil-producing nations, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East.

Just as oil demand was rebounding as COVID-19 lockdowns eased worldwide, pushing prices higher, Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine set in, sending oil skyrocketing.

However, last year, slowing economic activity brought on by rising interest rates and recession fears placed downward pressure on oil prices once again. In June 2023, OPEC members agreed to significantly cut output in July and to extend a broader deal to limit supply into 2024. In June this year, OPEC said supply cuts will continue through the year and into 2025.

Aside from that, Israel’s war with Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah and continuing Houthi attacks on tanker traffic in the Red Sea has oil market watchers looking for indications that the conflict may spread into oil-producing nations in the Middle East. These supply concerns have been tempered by slowing demand forecasts for China and slow growth in Venezuelan oil production.

Oil market analysts remain bullish on the sector, seeing plenty of upside support for prices. According to OPEC, oil demand is projected to grow by 1.93 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024 and by 1.64 million bpd in 2025.

Given these and other recent market events, many investors are curious to know the top oil producing countries.

Oil production by country

Read on for a look at the 10 top oil producing countries, including the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Canada. The top 10 countries combined for 74.59 million bpd out of the total global output of 101.81 bpd in 2023.

Statistics are from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and include total production of petroleum and other liquids. It is the most current data at the time of publication.

1. United States

Production: 21.91 million barrels per day (includes crude oil and liquids)

The US is the largest oil-producing country in the world, with output of 21.91 million barrels per day in 2023, taking the spot for the sixth year in a row. The US has been described as a swing producer because its production fluctuates alongside market prices. Texas leads the way as the biggest oil-producing state in the nation, with output more than three times as high as the second biggest oil-producing state, New Mexico.

In addition to being the largest oil producer in the world, the US is a big consumer of oil. In 2023, the US consumed an average of 20.5 million barrels per day of petroleum products.

In its October 2024 Short Term Energy Outlook, the EIA has forecasted that US crude oil output, including lease condensate, will average 13.22 million barrels per day in 2024 and 13.54 million barrels per day in 2025.

2. Saudi Arabia

Production: 11.13 million barrels per day (includes natural gas liquids)

Saudi Arabia’s oil output came in at 11.13 million bpd in 2023. The country possesses 17 percent of the world’s proven petroleum reserves and is the largest petroleum exporter. Its oil and gas sector accounts for around 50 percent of its gross domestic product and about 85 percent of its export earnings.

Saudi Arabia plays a key role in OPEC’s decisions to curb oil output in recent years. In 2022, the country’s US relations soured to the point that the country was unwilling to increase production in an effort to bring down rising gasoline prices.

The Associated Press notes that ‘the Saudis need higher oil prices to fund ambitious plans by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the country’s economy away from fossil fuel exports.’

However, there are signs that Saudi Arabia’s leader may be inclined to break with OPEC and increase its oil production. Some analysts are suggesting that the Crown Prince may be willing to deal with the economic pain of lower oil prices if it translates into a greater market share.

3. Russia

Production: 10.75 million barrels per day (includes natural gas liquids)

Prior to production cuts in 2020, Russian oil output had spent a number of years rising; it came in at 10.75 million bpd in 2023. Most of Russia’s reserves are located in West Siberia, between the Ural Mountains and the Central Siberian Plateau, as well as in the Urals-Volga region, extending into the Caspian Sea. As a member of OPEC, Russia is also curbing its production in 2024.

In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Canada, the US, the UK and Australia have banned imports of Russian oil, representing about 13 percent of Russia’s exports. In March 2022, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that Russia could be forced to cut 30 percent of its crude oil production, resulting in a serious global oil supply crisis. “The implications of a potential loss of Russian oil exports to global markets cannot be understated,” the IEA said at the time.

However, it seems that in 2023 Russia’s oil exports rebounded to pre-war levels as early as April with heavy demand from China and India.

Ukraine’s recent tactic of striking Russia’s key oil refineries as a part of its defense strategy has reportedly impacted 17 percent of Russia’s oil refinery capacity as of July 2024.

4. Canada

Production: 5.76 million barrels per day

Next on this list of the top 10 oil-producing nations is Canada. The country’s annual oil production rose by about 10,000 bpd from the previous year to 5.76 million bpd in 2023.

Nearly all of Canada’s proven oil reserves are located in Alberta, and according to the province’s government, 97 percent of oil reserves there are in the form of oil sands. The vast majority of Canada’s total energy exports are to the USA. In fact, in 2023, 60 percent of US crude imports originated from Canada compared to 33 percent in 2013.

However, because of economic and political considerations, Canada is developing ways to diversify its trading partners, especially by expanding ties with emerging markets in Asia. For this year, all eyes are on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in Western Canada, which was finally completed and operational as of May 1.

5. China

Production: 5.26 million barrels per day

China’s annual oil output was 5.26 million bpd in 2023. The nation is the world’s second largest consumer of oil and moved from being the second largest net importer of oil to the largest in 2014.

China is the world’s most populous country and has a rapidly growing economy, factors that have driven its high overall energy demand. The Asian country is the top consumer of oil, with the majority its imports coming from OPEC member countries Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Unsurprisingly, Chinese demand can strongly influence the oil market.

However its oil production in 2024 is in decline. As of September, China’s oil refinery output fell for the sixth straight month, reported Reuters.

Recent new discoveries look difficult to develop at the same time that production out of mature fields is falling. However, in early July the Chinese government announced the establishment of a new state-controlled body to coordinate collaboration between national oil producers and other state entities to extract harder to reach oil and gas reserves and more difficult non-conventional sources, reported Reuters.

6. Iraq

Production: 4.42 million barrels per day

Still the second-largest oil producer in OPEC, Iraq’s annual oil production declined from 4.55 million bpd in 2022 to 4.42 million bpd for 2023.

Iraq holds 145.02 billion barrels of proven oil reserves based on 2023 OPEC data, representing 11.7 percent of global reserves. The nation’s capacity to boost production has been constrained by infrastructure and export bottlenecks. Reuters reported in early August that the Iraqi government and energy giant BP (LSE:BP,NYSE:BP) have signed a preliminary agreement to develop four oil and gas fields in the country’s northern Kirkuk region.

7. Brazil

Production: 4.28 million barrels per day

According to the IEA, total primary energy consumption in Brazil has nearly doubled in the past decade due to sustained economic growth. The largest share of Brazil’s total energy consumption is oil and other liquid fuels, followed by hydroelectricity and natural gas.

Brazil is reportedly on track to become the world’s fourth largest oil producer in the coming years. In 2024, the country’s oil output is expected to contribute significantly to global oil supply growth. The country’s top oil producer, Petrobras, is making efforts to squeeze ‘every last drop of oil from its existing fields,’ while searching for new deposits, reports Oilprice.com

8. United Arab Emirates

Production: 4.16 million barrels per day

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is another OPEC member and has ranked among the world’s top 10 oil-producing countries for decades. In 2023, it saw a slight drop in production on OPEC production cuts.

The country has proven oil reserves of 111 billion barrels, with most of those reserves located in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company upped its crude oil output to 4.85 million bpd in early May, 2024 and has a planned target of 5 million bpd by 2027.

The National Bank of Kuwait is forecasting that the UAE’s oil production will increase by 7.8 percent next year to reach 3.4 million barrels per day by the end of 2025.

9. Iran

Production: 3.99 million barrels per day

Iran ranks ninth in the world for oil production, and its oil output grew from 3.66 million bpd in 2022 to 3.99 million barrels per day in 2023. According to the EIA, Iran holds the world’s third largest proven oil reserves, as well as the world’s second largest natural gas reserves. The majority of its 1.3 million bpd in oil exports last year went to Asia.

US sanctions and regional disputes have all weighed on Iran’s energy production sector. Despite its abundant reserves, Iran’s oil production is still far below the 4.78 million bpd the country produced back in 2017. However, in May 2024 Iran’s crude oil and gas condensate exports reportedly reached 1.7 million barrels per day, representing a 5-year high.

As of October 2024, there are slight concerns a wider escalation of its ongoing conflict with Israel could lead to attacks on Iran’s oil infrastructure. The US recently imposed further sanctions on Iran in response to its attacks on Israel.

10. Kuwait

Production: 2.91 million barrels per day

Last on this list of the top 10 oil-producing countries is Kuwait, which has struggled in recent years to bring its oil output back up to 3.5 million bpd. Economy Middle East reports that key infrastructure projects have been delayed by internal political strife.

Kuwait’s oil and gas sector accounts for about 50 percent of the country’s GDP, and an even larger share of its export revenues at around 90 percent. New oil discoveries have given the country hope of increasing its oil output in the coming years. As of October 2024, Kuwait is reportedly preparing to open bidding for oil field development projects.

FAQs for oil investing

What is crude oil?

Crude oil is a naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic materials that exists in liquid form in underground reservoirs. This raw natural resource is a globally important commodity that can be traded both on the spot market and via derivatives contracts.

What is crude oil used for?

Once extracted from the Earth, crude oil is refined to make several products, including gasoline, jet fuel and other petroleum products such as kerosene, paraffin, petrochemical feedstocks, solvents and lubricants.

What country uses the most oil?

The US is by far the world’s largest oil consumer, using about the same amount of the fossil fuel as the next three largest oil consumers (China, India and Japan) combined.

How many years of oil are left?

The question of peak oil is a prominent one. However, it is difficult to correctly determine the exact amount of oil left to be extracted in the world, or to accurately predict the level of demand for the energy fuel over the coming years. New technologies may yet unlock future resources, or economic events may lead to serious shocks in demand.

That being said, based on current known reserve estimates and best-case demand scenarios, roughly 47 years of oil are currently thought to be left. However, that has been the prediction for decades now as it is calculated by dividing the current known reserves by the annual global demand. As new oil discoveries and development are consistently replacing consumed reserves, that approximate 50-year time frame has remained the same.

What is OPEC?

Founded in 1960, OPEC, or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is a group of 12 countries headquartered in Vienna, Austria. Led by Saudi Arabia, it controls production, supply and pricing in the global petroleum market.

OPEC was created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960, with the five founding members Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Its mission statement is as follows:

“To co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among member countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry.”

Currently OPEC has 12 member nations: Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

Where does Canada get its oil?

While Canada ranks fourth in annual production, the country still imports a large amount of oil annually from countries such as the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the UK, Azerbaijan, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. It is estimated that half of the oil used in Québec and Atlantic Canada is purchased offshore. Canada spent roughly C$19.5 billion on oil imports in 2023.

Where does the US get its oil?

The US is the top producer of oil, according to the IEA, but the nation sources oil from as many as 80 countries around the globe. The top five sources of foreign oil for the US are Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Brazil.

Why does the US import oil?

Although the US is the world’s largest oil producer, its domestic oil consumption far outpaces its homegrown output. To meet its own oil demand, the US must rely on oil imports from countries. In March 2022, the US government announced a ban on imports of oil, liquefied natural gas and coal from Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Why was US oil production down in 2022?

In September 2022, Bloomberg reported that US oil production was down because the country’s shale producers were prioritizing dividend payouts to shareholders rather than investing record profits from surging oil prices into growing their production capacity. This trend began to abate in 2023, and the EIA reported a new annual output record for the year.

How much oil does the US have in reserve in 2024?

According to the most recent data from the EIA, US crude oil and lease condensate proved reserves stood at 48.3 billion barrels at year-end 2022.

Who is the largest supplier of oil to Europe?

In 2022, the US replaced Russia as the largest supplier of oil to Europe, and it remains the largest supplier of oil to the EU as of Q2 2024. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European Union countries have dramatically cut their imports of Russian oil in favor of US oil imports. Norway and Kazakhstan are also major oil suppliers for the region.

Who uses the most oil in Europe?

Germany is the largest oil-consuming nation in Europe, and the 10th largest in the world. Despite its seemingly strong stance on climate action, Germany is responsible for about 20 percent of all oil consumption in the region and is heavily dependent on oil imports.

Why can’t Venezuela produce oil?

Venezuela’s oil industry has been suffering under the weight of political instability, government corruption and US sanctions. “The national oil company PDVSA is incapable of mustering the immense amounts of capital required to rebuild Venezuela’s heavily corroded energy infrastructure,” as per Matthew Smith, OilPrice.com’s Latin America correspondent.

Venezuela’s oil production saw a rebound in 2023’s fourth quarter as the Biden administration eased US sanctions on the promise of fair elections in 2024. However, the US reimposed those sanctions in April 2024 following Maduro’s failure to honor election promises.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Global chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) (NYSE:TSM,TPE:2330) reported strong Q3 results despite ongoing controversies over alleged violations of US export controls.

The company’s consolidated revenue for the quarter reached 759.69 billion New Taiwan dollars, up 39 percent year-on-year, while its net income rose 54.2 percent to total 325.26 billion New Taiwan dollars.

In US dollar terms, TSMC’s Q3 revenue came in at at US$23.5 billion, a 36 percent year-on-year rise.

Wendell Huang, senior vice president and CFO of TSMC, said on Thursday (October 17) that a key driver of the firm’s Q3 success was strong demand for its advanced 3 nanometer and 5 nanometer technologies.

These cutting-edge manufacturing processes, used in the production of chips for smartphones and artificial intelligence applications, accounted for a significant portion of the company’s wafer revenue.

In addition, advanced technologies — defined by TSMC as 7 nanometer and more advanced processes — generated 69 percent of the tech behemoth’s wafer revenue during the quarter.

Looking ahead to the year’s final quarter, TSMC expects continued demand for its advanced process technologies to drive revenue growth. The company’s management has provided a financial outlook that anticipates Q3 revenue of between US$26.1 billion and US$26.9 billion, reflecting further growth compared to the third quarter.

While TSMC’s financial performance continues to impress, the company is currently the subject of a US Department of Commerce investigation that is seeking to establish whether TSMC is working with Chinese tech giant Huawei.

The inquiry follows concerns that TSMC may be indirectly supplying chips to Huawei through intermediary companies, despite a 2020 ban that restricts the Chinese firm from accessing semiconductors made with US technology.

TSMC has issued a statement affirming its commitment to complying with international regulations. The company has also pledged to take ‘prompt action’ to investigate any potential issues and ensure adherence to US export controls.

TSMC’s previous collaboration with Huawei was halted after the US government tightened restrictions on the Chinese company as part of national security measures.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

In a remarkable convergence of biology and artificial intelligence (AI), AlphaFold has emerged as a game-changer in the quest to understand the building blocks of life.

Developed by DeepMind, a subsidiary of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), this AI system can accurately predict the intricate 3D structures of proteins, a feat that has challenged scientists for decades and earned its developers Demis Hassabis and John Jumper the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on October 9, 2024.

In this article:

What is AlphaFold?

AlphaFold is an AI program that can predict protein structures by analyzing massive databases of known protein shapes and their corresponding amino acid sequences. It was trained and developed on Google’s supercomputers.

AlphaFold 2, the second iteration of the program, is accessible via its open-source code and a public database of protein structure predictions, enabling researchers to access pre-computed structures. Researchers can also download the program and run their own experiments.

DeepMind released AlphaFold 3 in May 2024 with limited access, with some capabilities accessible through the AlphaFold Server. Full access to the model is expected eventually, but no release date has been set.

What is DeepMind?

Inspired by neuroscience, DeepMind is a startup specializing in developing general-purpose AI. The company’s AI systems use a type of machine learning called reinforcement learning, where the AI learns through trial and error by interacting with its environment. DeepMind’s objective was to “solve intelligence, and then solve everything else.”

DeepMind was launched in London in 2010. Demis Hassabis, a British computational neuroscientist, was a co-founder of DeepMind, alongside Shane Legg, a machine learning researcher, and Mustafa Suleyman, an AI entrepreneur who left the company in 2019.

Researchers originally used games to test their programs’ learning capabilities. The company had a major breakthrough in 2013 when it developed an AI algorithm that could learn how to play Atari games just by observing the game screen, with no human input or instructions. The company’s findings were presented at the NIPS Deep Learning Workshop in December 2013.

On January 27, 2014, shortly after DeepMind published its Atari research paper, the company was acquired by Google for around US$650 million, and eventually integrated its technology into Google’s product offerings such as Google Maps and Google Assistant. In 2023, DeepMind merged with Google’s deep learning AI research team, Google Brain, to form Google DeepMind.

Google’s acquisition enabled DeepMind to scale and accelerate its research. DeepMind inked a deal with London-based Moorfields Eye Hospital in July 2016 to begin training AlphaFold to recognize signs of eye disease in medical images.

The same year, DeepMind began developing AI systems that would be able to solve the “protein folding problem,” a long-standing goal in scientific research.

In 2017, computer scientist John Jumper joined DeepMind as a research scientist who led the development of AlphaFold. Jumper’s background in computational biology made him uniquely qualified to apply machine learning to the complexities of protein folding.

The culmination of DeepMind’s effort came on October 2, 2024, when Hassabis and Jumper were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on AlphaFold, cementing the program’s status as a transformative tool in the scientific community.

How does AlphaFold work?

AlphaFold uses machine learning to predict the 3D structure of a protein based on its sequence of amino acids, which are like a list of ingredients that make up the protein’s chemical composition.

A protein’s amino acid sequence determines its unique shape through a process called protein folding. In turn, a protein’s shape determines its function.

When a protein folds incorrectly, it can stop functioning properly or become toxic. Protein misfolding is believed to cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease, prion diseases, as well as type II diabetes, cystic fibrosis, cataracts and certain types of cancers.

By knowing the shape of a protein, researchers can identify biomarkers for certain diseases and study how each protein interacts with other molecules, enabling them to design drugs that will bind to a target.

Before AlphaFold, biology researchers had been trying to identify the 3D shape of proteins for decades, using a number of expensive and time-consuming experiments and computations that struggled to achieve high accuracy.

Advances in genomics, such as the discovery of thousands of new genes through the Genome Project, further complicated things; each time a new gene was identified, it implied the existence of a previously unknown corresponding protein, so the number of proteins needing identification kept growing.

Once a sequence is input into AlphaFold, it combs through its database of all 200 million known protein structures to find one with a similar structure. AlphaFold’s neural network is trained on the rules of protein folding and how different amino acids interact with each other, which is a massive amount of data. Based on this information, AlphaFold makes several predictions as to the protein’s 3D structure, then refines its prediction until it finds the single most likely structure.

AlphaFold’s achievements

In 2018, DeepMind entered AlphaFold into the 13th Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction (CASP) competition, a biannual experiment founded in 1994. AlphaFold won the event, accurately predicting 25 out of 43 proteins. The team that came in second place only predicted three out of 43.

“For us, this is a really key moment,” Hassabis told The Guardian at the time. “This is a lighthouse project, our first major investment in terms of people and resources into a fundamental, very important, real-world scientific problem.”

While the first AlphaFold model was a remarkable achievement, it still had limitations. The second model, AlphaFold2, was trained on a much larger and more diverse data set. At the CASP14 competition in 2020, AlphaFold 2 demonstrated remarkable accuracy, achieving a score of 92.4 out of 100 to win the contest for a second time.

This level of precision was unlike anything the scientific community had seen before from a computational prediction method. In the July 2021 issue of Nature, DeepMind published ‘Highly accurate protein structure prediction with AlphaFold,” which detailed the architecture and training methodology of AlphaFold and explored its potential applications.

The company also open-sourced AlphaFold 2’s code and created the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database, allowing scientists and researchers to run their own experiments and build on AlphaFold’s capabilities.

Recognizing the immense potential of AlphaFold’s technology to revolutionize drug discovery, Hassabis founded Isomorphic Labs in November 2021, a separate company dedicated to using AI to accelerate drug discovery. Meanwhile, DeepMind continued to advance AlphaFold 2. On July 28, 2022, the AlphaFold database reached a transformative milestone with the inclusion of every cataloged protein, roughly 200 million structures.

How to invest in AlphaFold and DeepMind stock

As private companies, DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs offer limited access to public investors, but there are still ways to benefit from their success.

DeepMind is a wholly owned private subsidiary of Google’s Alphabet, meaning investing in Alphabet provides an indirect way to gain exposure to DeepMind and AlphaFold’s potential.

Similarly, investing in pharmaceutical companies that utilize AlphaFold for drug discovery can offer investors indirect exposure to Isomorphic Labs’ success.

In December 2023, Isomorphic Labs established multi-year partnerships with major pharmaceutical firms Novartis (NYSE:NVS,SWX:NOVN) and Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY). These agreements involve substantial upfront payments to Isomorphic Labs, with Novartis contributing US$37.5 million and Eli Lilly providing US$45 million.

The collaborations aim to leverage AlphaFold’s technology to expedite the design of new drug molecules and enhance the prediction of their interactions with target proteins, ultimately accelerating drug discovery processes. Together, these deals have the potential to generate over US$3 billion in revenue.

What’s next for AlphaFold?

DeepMind’s Nobel Prize win thrust AlphaFold back into the spotlight, sparking renewed interest in its potential and future development. AlphaFold 3, released in May 2024, represents a significant step forward, expanding on the technology’s capabilities beyond protein folding; AlphaFold 3 can predict the structures of protein complexes, which are groups of proteins that interact with each other.

AlphaFold 3 can also predict how proteins interact with other biomolecules like DNA, RNA and ligands, and model the effects of chemical modifications made to proteins. These improvements make AlphaFold 3 a powerful tool for understanding disease and developing new treatments.

AlphaFold has revolutionized the field of protein structure prediction, offering unprecedented accuracy and accessibility to researchers worldwide. Its impact on drug discovery and disease understanding is already evident, and the future holds even greater promise for this groundbreaking technology.

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


This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) was up 2.68 percent on the week to close at 621.67 on Friday (October 18). Meanwhile, the S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) was up 1.44 percent to 24,822.54 points over the same period.

Statistics Canada released its September consumer price index (CPI) figures on Tuesday (October 15). The data indicated that inflation continued to ease, gaining just 1.6 percent on a year-over-year basis, well below the 2 percent target rate originally set by the Bank of Canada when it started increasing interest rates in March 2022.

The slowing pace of inflation is largely attributable to lower costs at the pumps, with gasoline prices falling 10.7 percent on a yearly basis, which follows a 5.1 percent decline in prices in August. However, the deceleration was offset by an 8.2 percent rise in rent and 2.4 percent increase in food.

South of the border, the US Dollar Index (INDEXUSD:DXY) fell slightly on Friday after investors began to move back into Chinese equities. The shift came after the Chinese government announced new funding initiatives aimed at helping out the beleaguered capital markets in that country. Even with a retreat on Friday, the US dollar posted its third consecutive week of gains, rising 0.58 percent over the past five days.

Its recent strong performance is owed to a shift in the US Federal Reserve policy following a 50 point cut at its September meeting.

Despite the rise in the US dollar, gold set new record highs during Friday’s trading session climbing to US$2,721.27 per ounce at 4:30 p.m. EDT to end the week up by 2.42 percent. Silver also saw strong momentum as it surged 6.88 percent on the week to US$33.67 per ounce.

A rally on Friday did little to ease copper’s woes, which extended its fall, dropping 2.67 percent to US$4.39 per pound on the COMEX. More broadly, the S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) sank 4.94 percent to close at 531.98 points.

Markets were mixed this week with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) adding 0.6 percent to 5,864.68, the Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) declining 0.21 percent to 20,324.04 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) climbing 1.11 percent to reach 42,275.90.

Against that backdrop, how did TSX- and TSXV-listed resource stocks perform? Here are the top five best-performing Canadian resource stocks this week.

1. Cerrado Gold (TSXV:CERT)

Company Profile

Weekly gain: 75.51 percent
Market cap: C$33.52 million
Share price: C$0.43

Cerrado Gold is a junior gold production and development company focused on its assets in South America, including two producing mines in Santa Cruz, Argentina.

Its flagship Minera Don Nicolas mine consists of a 333,400 hectare concession package and has been in operation since 2018. Mining feed is derived from the La Paloma and Martinetas open pits and processed at the centralized carbon-in-leach gold plant, which has a capacity of 1,000 metric tons per day.

Cerrado has been working on exploration efforts to expand the mineral resource at Minera Don Nicolas with the intent of extending the life of the mine. On September 19, the company released a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for the expansion, which showed that measured and indicated mineral resources at the property totalled 490,340 ounces of gold and 6.59 million ounces of silver, the majority of which is found in the Calandrias Sur open pit.

The PEA demonstrates an after-tax net present value of US$111 million at a gold price of US$2,100 per ounce, and estimates a mine life of five years, with an annual production target of 56,000 ounces of gold equivalent per year.

The most recent news from Cerrado came on October 16 when the company announced its Q3 production results for Minera Don Nicolas. In the release, the company reported it produced 37,108 gold equivalent ounces during the first nine months of 2024 with 13,201 gold equivalent ounces ounces produced in Q3.

2. Metallis Resources (TSXV:MTS)

Company Profile

Weekly gain: 56.67 percent
Market cap: C$14.38 million
Share price: C$0.235

Metallis Resources is an exploration company that has spent much of 2024 advancing work at its Greyhound property in Central Idaho, US.

The company acquired the 124 hectare property, which hosts the past producing Greyhound and Bulldog silver-gold mines, in February from Greyhound Mining and Milling.

Since then, Metallis has completed the first phase of its exploration program. The company announced on September 4 that initial assay results showed elevated levels of antimony, with rock samples collected at Bulldog hosting grades of up to 4.54 percent of the critical mineral. The company said three contiguous samples over a 3 meter length returned 0.61 percent antimony, further validating strong mineralization at surface. The company added that none of the areas with the best antimony results have ever been drilled.

In a follow-up release on September 17, the company reported that surface rock samples from the site returned high-grade gold assays of up to 67.02 grams per metric ton gold equivalent with multiple grab samples with more than 10 g/t gold equivalent. Additionally, the company reported that it had identified a new mineralized showing, which it named Akita, that produced two rock samples with 8.0 and 8.5 g/t gold equivalent.

The most recent news from Metallis came on October 14, when it announced it had closed a C$890,500 private placement following the sale of 6.85 million shares at a value of C$0.13 per unit. Proceeds will be used for field exploration work at Greyhound and its Kirkham property in British Columbia, Canada’s Golden Triangle.

3. Gabriel Resources (TSXV:GBU)

Company Profile

Weekly gain: 50 percent
Market cap: C$18.84 million
Share price: C$0.015

Gabriel Resources is a precious metals explorer and developer focused on advancing its Rosia Montana gold project. Based in Transylvania, Romania, Rosia Montana is in a region that has seen significant historic mining. Covering 2,388 hectares, the site is host to a mid-to-shallow epithermal system containing deposits of gold and silver.

The most recent mineral resource estimate from a 2012 technical report shows proven and probable quantities of 10.1 million ounces of gold and 47.6 million ounces of silver.

Gabriel has invested more than US$760 million into Rosia Montana, but has undertaken little development at the site since the early 2010s, as Romania blocked further development.

In 2015, the company entered into arbitration through the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) over permitting at the site and suggested that Romania was in violation of bilateral investment treaties. On March 8, Gabriel issued a press release with an update saying that its case against Romania had been dismissed by the ICSID, which also awarded Romania US$10 million in legal fees and expenses. Gabriel has said it will review the decision with its legal team and plans to evaluate its options.

While news of that decision caused Gabriel’s share price to plummet in March, it saw gains after closing the initial tranche of a US$5.58 million private placement on May 17.

The most recent update about the arbitration came on July 8, when the company announced it would be seeking an annulment of the ICSID award. The company said that the original decision was fatally flawed in multiple respects including the disregarding of applicable law and multiple departures from fundamental rules and procedures.

4. Northern Graphite (TSXV:NGC)

Company Profile

Weekly gain: 46.67 percent
Market cap: C$13.11 million
Share price: C$0.11

Northern Graphite is a production and development company and the only producer of flake graphite in North America.

The company owns the Lac des Iles mine in Quebec, Canada, which hosts an indicated amount of 213,000 metric tons of graphitic carbon, with additional inferred amounts of 106,000 metric tons.

In the company’s second-quarter results, Northern reported it had increased production at Lac des Illes to 4,0982 metric tons, up 59 percent from the 2,574 metric tons of graphitic carbon produced in the first quarter. The increase comes as the company is working to increase production at the site to the 25,000 nameplate capacity.

Additionally, the company said it is working on operational scenarios to begin operation at a new open pit by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

On October 9, the company announced it had entered into an agreement with Rain Carbon to on a joint operation to develop and commercialize advanced battery anode materials for electric vehicle batteries.

5. 1911 Gold (TSXV:AUMB)

Company Profile

Weekly gain: 46.43 percent
Market cap: C$25.6 million
Share price: C$0.205

1911 Gold is a gold exploration company working to advance its Rice Lake properties in Eastern Manitoba.

The properties cover more than 58,000 hectares along the Rice Lake greenstone belt in an area that has been explored since gold was discovered in 1911. The exploration properties include two prospective claim blocks, Rice Lake and Central Manitoba, and host the past-producing True North, Central Manitoba, Gunnar and Ogama-Rockland mines.

The most recent update from the site came on October 3, when the company announced it had mobilized a rig for its 2024 surface drill program set to commence in mid-October. The 6,000 meters will be focusing on near-surface targets at the True North mine to test the San Antonio West, San Antonio Southeast and Cohiba East targets.

1911 said the targets show significant potential for high-grade gold and can be easily upgraded to mineral resources due to close proximity to existing infrastructure and historic underground mine workings.

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.

Data for this 5 Top Canadian Mining Stocks article was retrieved at 12:00 p.m. EDT on October 18, 2024, using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX and TSXVwith market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Companies within the non-energy minerals and energy minerals sectors were considered.

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