How many politicians right now are going to risk political suicide to introduce new toll roads when gas is rising and now above $7 / gallon in California?
Very few.
What bargaining power does a small company like ETC or IRD get with chip companies to secure supply?
Zero. They are price takers.
What capacity does Quarterhill have to compete with tech companies that are offering their employees 30-50% raises?
Virtually none.
What is the result?
Demand = Down
Costs = Up
Projects = Delayed
With inflation rampaging, I can't imagine a worse place to park your money than a small-cap tech product manufacturer that sees demand impacted, costs rising and inability to secure parts for its products.
And ETC and IRD sell fixed price contracts through aggressive RFP events with NO ability to pass cost increases to their customers. And if they don't deliver the project on time they are on the hook for payments back to the customer.
They better sell WiLan for big $$$ before Q2 results are out.
But before you get too excited about that, there is a great article on Empire IP on RPX that will douse any optimism on what patents are worth in today's environment.
Still no conclusion on the BB patent sale as the deadline has long passed.
Thats why the man from a lineage of people that makes watches sold shares at $2.10