A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week
Almonty Industries Inc. (STAR)
Can we talk about tungsten? In addition to having the highest melting point (3,422 C) and highest boiling point (5,930 C) of any element, tungsten’s hardness and high density make it ideal for military applications such as armour-piercing munitions and aerospace components. Now that China is restricting exports of critical minerals, shares of tungsten producer Almonty Industries have been surging as the Canadian company prepares to redomicile to the U.S. and become a key supplier to the U.S. defence industry. With Almonty expected to start production soon at its Sangdong mine in South Korea – believed to have the largest deposit of the metal outside China – investors are betting that tungsten will be their ticket to riches.
QuantumScape Corp. (STAR)
Test your knowledge of EV battery technology! Shares of QuantumScape surged after the battery maker: a) unveiled an electric car, powered by 100 rechargeable AA batteries, capable of reaching a top speed of 5 kilometres an hour; b) began commercial production of a “foot-assist” electric SUV inspired by cars on The Flintstones; c) announced the launch of a new manufacturing process that dramatically increases the speed and reduces the equipment footprint required to make ceramic separators for its solid-state, lithium-metal EV batteries, which are designed to enable faster charging and improved safety. Answer: c.
AeroVironment Inc. (STAR)
War is hell. Also, war is profitable. Just ask investors in AeroVironment. Shares of the drone maker soared to a record high after fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose 40 per cent and net income surged 175 per cent, driven by strong global demand for the company’s unmanned aerial vehicles. With the stock up about 75 per cent this year and management forecasting that revenue in fiscal 2026 will more than double amid rising geopolitical tensions, it would be great for humanity if peace would break out – but not so great for AeroVironment’s share price.
Uber Technologies Inc. (STAR)
Uber Technologies investors must have taken some pleasure in watching Tesla’s embarrassing robotaxi launch this week. Videos on social media showed Tesla’s self-driving (but human-supervised) cars in Austin, Tex., braking suddenly, making improper lane changes and, in at least one case, letting off passengers in the middle of an intersection. With Tesla’s robotaxis evidently posing no immediate threat to Uber’s ride-hailing dominance, Uber shares also got a lift from a report that the company is in talks with its former CEO, Travis Kalanick, regarding a potential acquisition of the U.S. arm of Pony AI, a Chinese autonomous vehicle technology company. At least Uber investors are enjoying the ride.
Nasdaq Composite Index (STAR)
There once was a thing called the Nasdaq
Which just months ago looked like a sad sack
But with tariff fears easing
And earnings still pleasing
The Nasdaq is suddenly back back