King Coal Lives On
Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, “King” Coal has been powering economic expansion around the world. By 2021 in a world reportedly choking on fossil fuel emissions in the atmosphere, the United Nations sponsored a conference on climate change in Glasgow Scotland. The COP26 conference ended with an agreement signed by many – but…
The Surprising Fall of Gold and the Gold Miners
On 27 June of 2022, many newcomers to share market investing who had heeded the world view that gold provides a safe haven for investors in troubling economic conditions got yet another shock. On that date the third largest gold miner listed on the ASX – Evolution Mining (EVN) – issued a market update lowering…
Oil and Gas Stocks – Buy or Wait and See?
The opening presentation at the Davos 2022 World Economic Forum beginning on 26 May confirmed the obvious – we are in the midst of an energy crisis, global in scope. Some investors can recall the disruption caused by the oil crisis in the mid 1970’s. This one is different. Added to the dramatic increases in…
Can Hydrogen Recapture the Title of Fuel of the Future?
Hydrogen gas can trace its discovery back to 1776, with the first flight of a hydrogen filled “hot air” balloon in 1783. Science fiction novelist Jules Verne picturing its potential use as a transportation fuel in 1874. Verne’s dream morphed into reality with the advent of hydrogen powered balloons in the mid-1800’s and hydrogen airships…
Mining stocks buoyed by base metal strength
Stellar performances by nickel, lithium, uranium and iron ore in March drove some metal prices to new highs while zinc, copper and aluminium all closed the month stronger. Clarke Wilkins, Senior Australian Equities Analyst, responsible for the resources and energy sectors, looks at the major commodities and the sectors and stocks that have caught his…
Is It Time to Buy Iron Ore Miners?
In February of 2011, the price of iron ore hit an all-time high of USD$187 dmt (dry metric tonne). Fueling the price explosion was the multi-year campaign by the Chinese government to modernise the country. Expanding a country’s industrial production capacity and creating urban areas to house needed employees requires massive infrastructure development, from roads,…
Will Cobalt Remain an EV Battery Staple?
Speculation about the potential explosion in the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in the midst of the last decade saw the prices of some of the metals needed to produce the batteries capable of powering those vehicles more than doubling by 2018. Lithium, nickel, and cobalt led the charge, but when the speculation appeared to…
How important is Russian oil and gas as further sanctions loom?
As the EU considers further sanctions on Russia, we look at the importance of Russian energy supplies and ask fund manager Malcolm Melville about the implications. Russia’s tragic invasion of Ukraine is now into its second month. With the threat of more sanctions being applied to Russia from the West and President Putin using oil…
Soaring crude prices and the cost of living
The price of oil has been spiking in recent weeks in response to concerns that the war in Ukraine will significantly reduce supply. But what happens in oil markets never stays in oil markets. The price of U.S. crude oil jumped to a 13-year high of US$130 of on March 6, 2022. It has come…
3 local solutions to replace coal
As the world shifts to renewable energy, helping the communities that have depended on fossil fuels for jobs is becoming ever more pressing. The 2015 Paris Agreement notes the imperative of a “just transition” for affected workforces, with “the creation of decent work and quality jobs” to replace those lost. Trade unionists have been arguing…
