As November draws to a close, many investors may take time to consider what they are thankful for. Even if the American Thanksgiving isn’t something you celebrate, there are a lot of reasons to be thankful these days, from having our health, to major stock markets are hovering around record highs as global tensions show signs of easing once more.
This a banner week for North American markets, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average breaking 30,000 points for the first time in its 125 year history … however this rise in the market tide isn’t lifting all ships.
Many companies are seeing lower share prices on account of their sectors, tax loss season, or a muted performance.
Savvy investors on the Stockhouse Bullboards are keeping their eyes open for value in the markets as we head into the holiday season and prepare for the Christmas holiday. Whether they are looking for a low entry point or discussing their long holds, there has been a lot to discuss for the investors and analysts that frequent Stockhouse lately, especially in light of news around COVID-19 vaccine developments and other pandemic-related business developments.
A top company getting a lot of attention on the Healthcare Bullboards during the COVID-19 pandemic
is StageZero Life Sciences Ltd. (TSX: SZLS, Forum), which released its
Q3 2020 financial highlights this week. Most notably, earning $1,464,155 (USD) in revenue from performing COVID-19 tests versus $22,968 in the corresponding quarter of 2019. SZLS followed this up with an update on its
COVID-19 testing and operations.
“We have significantly upgraded our capabilities through increasing the number of laboratory staff, aggressively building up an inventory of supplies, paying down the accounts payable and introducing new tests. We have also greatly increased the number of groups we are now testing for and expect this to contribute to revenue growth as we move forward.” - James Howard-Tripp, StageZero Life Sciences. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Global cannabis company operating out of Leamington, Ontario,
Aphria Inc. (TSX: APHA, Forum) just made a move it hopes will allow quicker access to capital markets, when it filed an amended and restated short form base shelf prospectus with Canadian and US securities regulators around an increase the amount available under the company’s original base shelf prospectus by
$50 million (USD).
Another stock continuing to appear in the top six for Healthcare, and for good reason, is
Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX-V:TLT, Forum). The cancer-fighting pharmaceutical company had big news to share this week:
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted TLT
a Fast Track Designation for its Phase II Bacillus Calmete Guérin-(BGC) Unresponsive Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) Carcinoma In Situ (CIS) clinical study.
This designation allows early and frequent FDA communications with Theralase to discuss its development plans and ensure timely collection of the appropriate clinical data to support the approval process. This could also potentially mean that the company’s drug, TLD-1433, in combination with the TLC-3200 medical laser system, could be the first intravesical patient-specific ruthenium-based photo dynamic compound to treat patients with BCG-Unresponsive NMIBC CIS, with or without papillary Ta or T1 tumours. A Fast Track Designation can lead to an accelerated approval and priority review.
Sponsored by
High-tech company
PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (TSX-V: PYR, Forum) announced this week that it had signed an initial plasma torch contract to provide one high powered (approx. 1MW) plasma torch with ancillary equipment to a major iron ore producer, for approx.
$1.8 million. This client is a multi-billion-dollar international producer of iron ore pellets, and one of the largest in the industry.
Next up are two companies whose operations have been tangently transformed via the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The developer of a
BioCloud, a real-time analyzer designed to detect airborne viruses,
Kontrol Energy Corp. (CSE.KNR, OTC: KNRLF, Forum) declared its intent
to sell its platform directly to various potential customers. At the same time the company is pursuing both exclusive and non-exclusive distribution channels for BioCloud sales. Kontrol is pleased to announce it had entered into two non-exclusive BioCloud distribution agreements.
Meanwhile, shares in data-management software developer
Loop Insights Inc. (TSX-V: MTRX, Forum) jumped again this week, following a new deal with
VenueNext, an operator of point-of-sale, mobile commerce and loyalty solutions for major professional sports leagues and colleges.
MGTRX will integrate its “real-time insights” systems into VenueNext’s mobile ordering and payment functionality through the agreement, to provide key data on customers visiting the venues.
This brings us to this week’s Investor Pulse Poll question, outside of Healthcare, does a connection to COVID-19 have any impact on your decision to invest in a company? Let us know your thoughts by clicking on the image below.
(Click image to vote.)
Looking at last week’s poll, it seems that just over half of you aren’t looking into renewable energy stocks, but that just means a significant portion of investors are interested enough to seek these options out.
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Montréal-based producer of innovative silicon solutions
HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. (TSX-V: HPQ, Forum) topped the Metals and Mining Bullboards once again as it continues to build its portfolio of unique high value specialty silicon products needed for the anticipated renewable energy revolution.
HPQ’s research and development consortium member
Apollon Solar of France has commenced evaluation of different carbon encapsulating processes for Silicon nanopowders. Under this effort led by HPQ, Apollon has delivered a first batch of carbon coated nano silicon powders to Professor Lionel Roué team at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) for evaluation. Over the coming weeks, other batches of silicon materials (coated and non-coated) are being prepared and will be sent the INRS for evaluation.
Vanouver-based
Trevali Mining Corp. (TSX: TV, Forum) entered into a fixed zinc pricing arrangement this week with an affiliate of Glencore plc for
59.5 million lbs (approximately 25%) of the companies forecasted zinc production. The tenure of the arrangement is for a nine-month period covering April 2021 to December 2021 at a price of $1.23 / lb.
Finally we have a newcomer to the top six discussion,
Nouveau Monde Graphite (TSX-V: NOU, Forum), who sparked a fair bit of discussion around recent advancements the company made in its procurement process for its fleet and charging infrastructure through an international call for pre-qualification. This marks another step towards achieving its carbon-neutrality vision, adopting an all-electric operating model provides tremendous environmental benefits as well as long-term savings for the company thanks to Québec’s clean and affordable hydropower.
This might be a quiet weekend ahead for American markets, given the Thanksgiving long weekend recess. Regardless, you can always bet the news and value findings won’t slow down on the Stockhouse Bullboards. For previous editions of Buzz on the Bullboards:
click here.
FULL DISCLOSURE: PyroGenesis Canada Inc. and Kontrol Energy Corp. are clients of Stockhouse Publishing.