Is the global economy about to open up and recover, or are we headed for more trouble? While everyone might have differing views, one thing’s for sure: it pays to pay attention during uncertain times.
The COVID-19 pandemic rocked the markets in early March, but since then, each sector has been affected differently. Some have struggled, some have coasted or recovered, and some have climbed to new heights.
That’s given investors two angles to focus on: where are the flashes in the pan, and where is the long-term money headed? We’ve been polling Stockhouse investors on the homepage to see which sectors they’re most interest in right now, and the results are a mix of long-term movement and short-term interest.
This week, instead of highlighting just a few stocks, we’re going to look at who’s on top of each sector on the Stockhouse Bullboards. Whether it’s because of rising metal prices, coronavirus-related plays, or a struggling market, investors have found stocks to focus on (and money to be made) across the markets.
METALS + MINING
Each metal has had its own wild ride during the pandemic, but the uranium market has
impressed the most. The metals and mining Bullboards were dominated by uranium plays last week, namely
Fission Uranium Corp. (
TSX:FCU,
Forum) and
UEX Corp. (
TSX:UEX,
Forum), but additional developments for other metal explorers like
Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (
TSX-V:UCU,
Forum) and
K92 Mining Inc. (
TSX-V:KNT,
Forum) are capturing interest as well.
What the "Buzz"
Our Bullboards have up to 2 Million pageviews a day. Get the inside scoop on conversations around the most significant trends and stock appreciations in our weekly wrap up.
Get "Buzz on the Bullboards" delivered to your inbox every Thursday!
Buzz on the Bullboards | Sign Up Here
HEALTHCARE
Healthcare has always been popular on Stockhouse, but coronavirus developments have significantly expanded that interest. The majority of the hot plays on the healthcare Bullboards right now are seeing good traction from COVID-19 related moves, including
StageZero Life Sciences Ltd. (
TSX:SZLS,
Forum),
MedMira Inc. (
TSX-V:MIR,
Forum), and
Sona Nanotech Inc. (
CSE:SONA,
Forum). That hasn’t stopped other rising healthcare stocks to see traction as well, including
Antibe Therapeutics Inc. (
TSX-V:ATE,
Forum) and
Theralase Technologies Inc. (
TSX-V:TLT,
Forum).
CANNABIS
Unlike the first two sectors, the picture for cannabis is a lot less clear. The top stocks on the cannabis Bullboards last week are a mix of companies that posted positive results like
Aphria Inc. (
TSX:APHA,
Forum) and
Canopy Growth Corp. (
TSX:WEED,
Forum), negative surprises like
Sproutly Canada Inc. (
CSE:SPR,
Forum), or that have been lagging behind like
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (
TSX:ACB,
Forum). Cannabis as a whole might have seen positivity last week, but uncertainty remains regarding when a full recovery will begin, and who will make it there.
ENERGY
Each time oil has crashed over the past few months, investors have had to re-evaluate their approach to the energy sector. First the focus was on an eventual OPEC+ deal and sector recovery, but an increasingly bleak demand outlook for crude has put a spotlight on natural gas in its stead. On one hand, that has led to heated discussion on oil producers like
Crescent Point Energy Corp. (
TSX:CPG,
Forum) and
Baytex Energy Corp. (
TSX:BTE,
Forum). On the other, plays in natural gas have been elevated, including
Painted Pony Pete Ltd. (
TSX:PONY,
Forum),
Nuvista Energy Ltd. (
TSX:NVA,
Forum), and
AltaGas Ltd. (
TSX:ALA,
Forum).
TECHNOLOGY
Despite all of the other sectors at play in today’s market, the most-viewed stock on Stockhouse was
DataMetrex AI Ltd. (
TSX-V:DM,
Forum) on the technology Bullboards once again. But while the company’s coronavirus-related resurgence has elevated it, the rest of the technology sector has lagged. Still, investors should take a closer look and not overlook the rise of other technology plays, including
Fandom Sports Media Corp. (
CSE:FDM,
Forum),
NexOptic Technology Corp. (
TSX-V:NXO,
Forum), and
Quarterhill Inc. (
TSX:QTRH,
Forum).
INDUSTRIALS
Though it might have placed last in our recent survey, the industrials Bullboards have been far from quiet.
Bombardier Inc. (
TSX:BBD.B,
Forum) and
Air Canada Inc. (
TSX:AC,
Forum) have both had a rough couple of months and drawn in long-term investors looking for a potential rebound, while others have looked to rising and recovering plays including high-tech plasma processing company
PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (
TSX-V:PYR,
Forum) and clean energy company
Xebec Adsorption Inc. (
TSX-V:XBC,
Forum).
Those may have been the top stocks on the Bullboards last week, but the current market makes every week a whole new ballgame. Recent news has started to potentially lift the shroud of uncertainty, with government officials looking to restart their economies and start focusing on the other side of the pandemic. Our new question to Stockhouse readers is whether you agree that the markets are starting to return to normal, or if more uncertain tides await. Head to the
Stockhouse homepage or click the image below to cast your vote!
(Click image to go to the poll)
Next week, we’ll be able to dive into the data from the last quarter and figure out a clearer answer for where the markets are at (and where they’re headed). Make sure to stay up-to-date, stay focused, and see where the tides are taking small-cap stocks and the markets as a whole. For previous editions of Buzz on the Bullboards:
click here.