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Stock Market News: UK Forecast and Technical Analysis

Today, the UK stock market saw the FTSE 250 increase by 195 points (0.9%) to 21,628, nearly matching the 1.2% increase in the FTSE 100, driven largely by gains in mining stocks. This positive momentum is creating a bullish sentiment in the market.

The two London indices are leading the European market this morning. The DAX is up 0.7% in Germany, followed by the FTSE MIB in Italy, the CAC 40 in France, and the IBEX 35 in Spain, all of which are up 0.4%, reinforcing the optimistic outlook across Europe.

The gain for the Euro Stoxx 600 is just under 1%. Risers include Just Eat Takeaway, rising 17%; TeamViewer, the software company and owner of Kenco, JD Peet.

Among the higher risers, Wickes Group PLC, one of the UK’s listed companies, has seen a 3.3% increase in revenue despite facing difficulties retaining customers for its custom kitchen, home office installation, and bathroom services.

In the first half, this segment’s revenues were destroyed by 17%, offsetting the 1% growth in revenue in its core retail offering.

GSK Shares Decline

GSK PLC, the drugmaker listed on the FTSE 100, raised its annual earnings and sales forecasts due to strong second-quarter performance from HIV and cancer treatments, but the stock is currently down 2.5%.

Core EPS profits are now expected to increase by 10-12% in 2024, up from the previous guidance of 8-10%. Meanwhile, the overall profits are expected to increase by 7-9%, compared to the earlier estimate of 5-7%.

Nonetheless, there were some omissions in the data: vaccination profit fell 9% short of expectations as shingles treatment Shingrix was a 20% disappointment as US sales plummeted 36%.

This is due to decreased demand and inventory reductions. However, it is important to note that international sales make up about 64% of total revenue.

General medicine, oncology, and HIV all performed better than anticipated.

GSK/GBX 5-Day Chart

Growth Expectation For FTSE 250

In the last five years, Greggs’ shares have increased by 40%, outpacing the FTSE 250 London stock. The company’s first-half (H1) results have given them an additional 5% boost.

The most recent data shows a 16% increase in profit before taxes and a 14% increase in sales.

However, despite these gains, projections indicate a minor decline in Greggs’ EPS for the full year 2024. However, the company’s first-half revenue increased by only 15%.

It is a basic diluted estimate that does not account for anomalies. However, it raises the possibility that projections are simply exaggerating the situation.

Thanks to these expenditures and a well-defined expansion plan, Greggs has produced substantial returns for its owners.

For the 2023 fiscal year, Greggs reported record yearly sales of £1.8 billion and a profit before taxes of £188.3 million.

The company also disclosed a significant capital investment program aimed at enhancing its manufacturing capacity and expanding its capacity to accommodate approximately 3,500 stores throughout the United Kingdom.

UK Stock Market Today: FTSE Stock Surge

Among the top risers in the FTSE, Antofagasta PLC and Rio Tinto have shown significant gains. Antofagasta PLC saw notable gains despite no specific news being released. Rio Tinto’s positive results, which included a 1.8% increase in first-half profit, contributed to a 1% rise in its shares and may have influenced the broader market.

More significantly, there are rumours that the Anglo-Australian miner Antofagasta is eyeing a major opportunity in the copper industry, further boosting investor confidence.

The Footsie has continued to rise, hitting a two-month peak of nearly 8,374 following a 1.2% increase. This is the highest value for the London standard since May 22nd, topping 8,368.

HSBC Makes a £3 Billion Buyback

Following a largely flat first half of the year, HSBC Holdings PLC announced an additional interim dividend and a £3 billion share buyback.

For the first half of 2024, the £0.10 per share dividend will equate to 20 cents, unchanged from the previous year. The share buyback is anticipated to be finished in three months.

The bank, with a focus on Asia, reported a first-half pre-tax profit of $21.6 billion, which was marginally lower than the same period last year, even though revenue increased 1% to $37.3 billion and certain “strategic transactions” had a net positive revenue impact of $0.2 billion.

The second quarter’s $16.5 billion in revenues exceeded analysts’ expectations, and the quarter’s $8.9 billion profit before taxes was significantly more than the $7.8 billion they had predicted.

Despite being lower than the 1.53% consensus estimate, the net interest margin improved from 1.7% to 1.62% a year ago due to an increase in the finance cost of average profit liabilities. These developments are significant for the stock market news UK, as they may influence investor sentiment and market trends.

FTSE 250 Share Price

  • Value: 21,572.34
  • Net Variation: 139.83
  • High/Low: 21,649.47 / 21,430.07
  • Previously closed price: 21,432.51
  • 52WK range: 16,783.09 – 21,432.51
  • Launch date: October 12th 1992
  • Constituents number: 250
  • Net MCap: 324,478
  • Dividend Yield: 3.35%
  • Average: 1,298
  • Largest: 4,059
  • Smallest: 81
  • Median: 1,085

FTSE 100 Share Price

  • Value: 8,390.33
  • Previous Close: 8,292.35
  • Open Price: 8,292.35
  • Day low: 8,235.55
  • Day High: 8,297.92
  • 52-week low: 7,215.76
  • 52-week high: 8,474.41

In summary, today’s gains on the stock market news UK are remarkable, as the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices both saw an increase. Mining stocks, especially in the FTSE 100, have primarily driven these gains. Major indices have also increased throughout Europe, indicating an optimistic trend in the market.

While GSK continues to face difficulties even after increasing its earnings projections, Greggs has shown remarkable growth in both its stock price as well as profitability. Despite a little fluctuation in its profit margins, HSBC’s announcement of a significant share buyback and dividend demonstrates the strength of its financial position.

The post Stock Market News UK Update: FTSE 100 & 250 Rise appeared first on FinanceBrokerage.

Stock Market News: UK Forecast and Technical Analysis

Today, the UK stock market saw the FTSE 250 increase by 195 points (0.9%) to 21,628, nearly matching the 1.2% increase in the FTSE 100, driven largely by gains in mining stocks. This positive momentum is creating a bullish sentiment in the market.

The two London indices are leading the European market this morning. The DAX is up 0.7% in Germany, followed by the FTSE MIB in Italy, the CAC 40 in France, and the IBEX 35 in Spain, all of which are up 0.4%, reinforcing the optimistic outlook across Europe.

The gain for the Euro Stoxx 600 is just under 1%. Risers include Just Eat Takeaway, rising 17%; TeamViewer, the software company and owner of Kenco, JD Peet.

Among the higher risers, Wickes Group PLC, one of the UK’s listed companies, has seen a 3.3% increase in revenue despite facing difficulties retaining customers for its custom kitchen, home office installation, and bathroom services.

In the first half, this segment’s revenues were destroyed by 17%, offsetting the 1% growth in revenue in its core retail offering.

GSK Shares Decline

GSK PLC, the drugmaker listed on the FTSE 100, raised its annual earnings and sales forecasts due to strong second-quarter performance from HIV and cancer treatments, but the stock is currently down 2.5%.

Core EPS profits are now expected to increase by 10-12% in 2024, up from the previous guidance of 8-10%. Meanwhile, the overall profits are expected to increase by 7-9%, compared to the earlier estimate of 5-7%.

Nonetheless, there were some omissions in the data: vaccination profit fell 9% short of expectations as shingles treatment Shingrix was a 20% disappointment as US sales plummeted 36%.

This is due to decreased demand and inventory reductions. However, it is important to note that international sales make up about 64% of total revenue.

General medicine, oncology, and HIV all performed better than anticipated.

GSK/GBX 5-Day Chart

Growth Expectation For FTSE 250

In the last five years, Greggs’ shares have increased by 40%, outpacing the FTSE 250 London stock. The company’s first-half (H1) results have given them an additional 5% boost.

The most recent data shows a 16% increase in profit before taxes and a 14% increase in sales.

However, despite these gains, projections indicate a minor decline in Greggs’ EPS for the full year 2024. However, the company’s first-half revenue increased by only 15%.

It is a basic diluted estimate that does not account for anomalies. However, it raises the possibility that projections are simply exaggerating the situation.

Thanks to these expenditures and a well-defined expansion plan, Greggs has produced substantial returns for its owners.

For the 2023 fiscal year, Greggs reported record yearly sales of £1.8 billion and a profit before taxes of £188.3 million.

The company also disclosed a significant capital investment program aimed at enhancing its manufacturing capacity and expanding its capacity to accommodate approximately 3,500 stores throughout the United Kingdom.

UK Stock Market Today: FTSE Stock Surge

Among the top risers in the FTSE, Antofagasta PLC and Rio Tinto have shown significant gains. Antofagasta PLC saw notable gains despite no specific news being released. Rio Tinto’s positive results, which included a 1.8% increase in first-half profit, contributed to a 1% rise in its shares and may have influenced the broader market.

More significantly, there are rumours that the Anglo-Australian miner Antofagasta is eyeing a major opportunity in the copper industry, further boosting investor confidence.

The Footsie has continued to rise, hitting a two-month peak of nearly 8,374 following a 1.2% increase. This is the highest value for the London standard since May 22nd, topping 8,368.

HSBC Makes a £3 Billion Buyback

Following a largely flat first half of the year, HSBC Holdings PLC announced an additional interim dividend and a £3 billion share buyback.

For the first half of 2024, the £0.10 per share dividend will equate to 20 cents, unchanged from the previous year. The share buyback is anticipated to be finished in three months.

The bank, with a focus on Asia, reported a first-half pre-tax profit of $21.6 billion, which was marginally lower than the same period last year, even though revenue increased 1% to $37.3 billion and certain “strategic transactions” had a net positive revenue impact of $0.2 billion.

The second quarter’s $16.5 billion in revenues exceeded analysts’ expectations, and the quarter’s $8.9 billion profit before taxes was significantly more than the $7.8 billion they had predicted.

Despite being lower than the 1.53% consensus estimate, the net interest margin improved from 1.7% to 1.62% a year ago due to an increase in the finance cost of average profit liabilities. These developments are significant for the stock market news UK, as they may influence investor sentiment and market trends.

FTSE 250 Share Price

  • Value: 21,572.34
  • Net Variation: 139.83
  • High/Low: 21,649.47 / 21,430.07
  • Previously closed price: 21,432.51
  • 52WK range: 16,783.09 – 21,432.51
  • Launch date: October 12th 1992
  • Constituents number: 250
  • Net MCap: 324,478
  • Dividend Yield: 3.35%
  • Average: 1,298
  • Largest: 4,059
  • Smallest: 81
  • Median: 1,085

FTSE 100 Share Price

  • Value: 8,390.33
  • Previous Close: 8,292.35
  • Open Price: 8,292.35
  • Day low: 8,235.55
  • Day High: 8,297.92
  • 52-week low: 7,215.76
  • 52-week high: 8,474.41

In summary, today’s gains on the stock market news UK are remarkable, as the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices both saw an increase. Mining stocks, especially in the FTSE 100, have primarily driven these gains. Major indices have also increased throughout Europe, indicating an optimistic trend in the market.

While GSK continues to face difficulties even after increasing its earnings projections, Greggs has shown remarkable growth in both its stock price as well as profitability. Despite a little fluctuation in its profit margins, HSBC’s announcement of a significant share buyback and dividend demonstrates the strength of its financial position.

The post Stock Market News UK Update: FTSE 100 & 250 Rise appeared first on FinanceBrokerage.

Is the stock market on the verge of crashing or has it bottomed?

In this video, Joe Rabil uses moving averages and Fibonacci retracement levels on a longer-term chart of the S&P 500 to identify support levels that could serve as potential bottoms for the current market correction.

Understand why the 2025 stock market is different from the 2022 one and explore how the market drop can impact the SPY, QQQ, DIA, and IWM.

The video premiered on April 9, 2025. Click this link to watch on Joe’s dedicated page.

Archived videos from Joe are available at this link. Send symbol requests to stocktalk@stockcharts.com; you can also submit a request in the comments section below the video on YouTube. Symbol Requests can be sent in throughout the week prior to the next show.

Tariff turmoil continues sending the stock market into a turbulent spin. Tariffs went into effect at midnight, which sent equities and bond prices lower. Then before 1:30 PM ET Wednesday, President Trump announced that China would be slapped with 125% tariffs and the reciprocal tariffs are on pause for 90 days.

This was a huge turning point for the market. Without skipping a heartbeat, buyers rushed in and accumulated equities, especially large-cap growth stocks. The S&P 500 closed higher by 9.52%, the Nasdaq was up 12.16%, and the Dow was up 7.87%. Small and mid-cap stocks also saw substantial gains. 

Wednesday’s turnaround may have been the biggest one-day point gains in history for some of the broader stock market indexes but let’s look at the charts to see a clearer picture of what’s going on with this whacky stock market. 

A View of the Broader Stock Market

From a long-term perspective, the uptrend in the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow are still intact. The weekly charts of the three indexes are also encouraging. But the daily charts are not yet screaming buy signals. Let’s start with the daily chart of the Nasdaq.

FIGURE 1. DAILY CHART OF NASDAQ COMPOSITE. The index has hit the resistance of its 21-day exponential moving average and breadth indicators in the lower panels show some breadth indicators are improving but not enough to suggest a bottom in the index.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes. 

The Nasdaq touched its 21-day exponential moving average (EMA), which could be the first resistance level for it to overcome. The three breadth indicators in the lower panels—Nasdaq Composite Bullish Percent Index (BPI), NASDAQ Advance-Decline Line, and percentage of stocks trading above the 200-day moving average of the Nasdaq—are improving slightly but they are not showing signs of bullishness. 

Wednesday’s best-performing S&P sector was Technology followed by Consumer Discretionary. Rotation into these sectors implies risk-on investing. However, since the Nasdaq’s daily trend is still down, don’t let your emotions guide your investment decisions. Look for confirming signals before entering any long positions. 

The S&P 500 daily chart is not much different (see below). The index came close to touching its 21-day EMA. If the index opens higher on Thursday, watch this EMA closely. A break above it would be a positive move but there still needs to be a series of higher highs and higher lows for an uptrend to be established. 

FIGURE 2. DAILY CHART OF THE S&P 500 INDEX. It’s worth watching the 21-day EMA in the S&P 500. If the index breaks through that level and starts showing signs of an uptrend and the market breadth indicators suggest increasing bullish participation, it may be time to think about adding positions. But, we’re far from that point. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The market breadth indicators in the lower panels are showing some signs of improvement. The percentage of stocks trading above the 200-day moving average of the S&P 500 is at 31.80, which is encouraging but you want to see it at or above 50%. Like the Nasdaq, the S&P 500 is showing no clear signs of an uptrend, so tread carefully.

Replace the symbol in either of the above charts with $INDU and you’ll see that the Dow is in a similar position as the Nasdaq and S&P 500. 

Bonds to the Rescue?

Although equities showed a lot of movement on Wednesday, don’t lose sight of the shenanigans in the bond world. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yields rose as high as 4.47% but pulled back and closed at 4.40%, which is still relatively high. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) closed 3.24% higher. 

This price action in TLT is worth watching closely. Bond prices fall when yields rise and Wednesday started out with stock and bond prices falling. This is unusual since bond prices usually rise when stocks fall. There was a lot of bond selling taking place the previous night which may have been due to the unwind of the basis trade by hedge funds. Since we’re technical analysts, instead of getting into the nitty gritty details of this hedge fund strategy, let’s analyze the five-year weekly chart of TLT.

FIGURE 3. FIVE-YEAR WEEKLY CHART OF TLT. This bond ETF has been in a downward trend for the last five years. Has its time come or will it linger in the depths of the abyss for longer? Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Bond prices have been trending lower over the past five years and showing no signs of a reversal. Although TLT came off its lows, it still has a long way to go before showing modest signs of an uptrend. 

The Bottom Line 

Wednesday’s big turnaround didn’t change the big picture. We’re not out of the woods yet. And there’s more excitement to look forward to — the March CPI on Thursday morning and earnings season kicks off on Friday. A note about earnings — we probably won’t see much of an impact this quarter but keep your ear open for any chatter on how tariffs will affect profitability. 


Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

Is the stock market volatility making you nervous? 

In this video, Grayson Roze and Julius de Kempenaer unpack the volatile market environment and discuss pain points, some of the “bright spots” they are seeing in the market, and the StockCharts tools they are using to identify shifts in market sentiment.

Learn how you can use market breadth indicators, support levels, and chart patterns to identify turning points in the market. You will also discover the tools Grayson and Julius rely on to help them navigate the stock market.

This video premiered on April 9, 2025.

For more videos like this, check out the StockCharts TV channel on YouTube.

S&P 500 earnings are in for 2024 Q4, and here is our valuation analysis.

The following chart shows the normal value range of the S&P 500 index ($SPX), indicating where the S&P 500 would have to be to have an overvalued P/E of 20 (red line), a fairly valued P/E of 15 (blue line), or an undervalued P/E of 10 (green line). Annotations on the right side of the chart show where the range is projected to be based on earnings estimates through 2025 Q4.



Historically, price has usually remained below the top of the normal value range (red line); however, since about 1998, it has not been uncommon for price to exceed normal overvalued levels, sometimes by a lot. The market has been mostly overvalued since 1992, and it has not been undervalued since 1984. We could say that this is the “new normal,” except that it isn’t normal by GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) standards.

We use GAAP earnings as the basis for our analysis. The table below shows earnings projections through December 2025. Keep in mind that the P/E estimates are calculated based upon the S&P 500 close as of March 31, 2025. They will change daily depending on where the market goes from here. It is notable that the P/E remains outside the normal range.

The following table shows where the bands are projected be, based upon earnings estimates through 2025 Q4.

This DecisionPoint chart keeps track of S&P 500 fundamentals, P/E and yield, and it is updated daily — not that you need to watch it that closely, but it is up-to-date when you need it.

CONCLUSION: The market is still very overvalued and the P/E is still well above the normal range. Earnings have ticked up and are projected to trend higher for the next four quarters. High valuation applies negative pressure on the market, but other more positive factors can keep the market in overvalued territory. The current bear market has brought the market to a less overvalued status, but there is still a long way to go to more normal valuation.


Watch the latest episode of DecisionPoint on StockCharts TV’s YouTube channel here!


(c) Copyright 2025 DecisionPoint.com


Technical Analysis is a windsock, not a crystal ball.


Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

DecisionPoint is not a registered investment advisor. Investment and trading decisions are solely your responsibility. DecisionPoint newsletters, blogs or website materials should NOT be interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any security or to take any specific action.


Helpful DecisionPoint Links:

DecisionPoint Alert Chart List

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DecisionPoint Chart Gallery

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SCTR Ranking

Bear Market Rules

When the stock market slides significantly, it’s natural to question if the market has bottomed and getting ready to bounce. 

In this video, David Keller, CMT highlights the Bullish Percent Index (BPI) as a key indicator to monitor during corrective moves. Learn more about how the BPI is derived, what current levels indicate about the likelihood of a short-term rally, and what you should see in the BPI to gain confidence in a recovery in the S&P 500. Dave looks at how the stock market performed in past instances when the BPI was as low as it is now.

This video was published on April 10, 2025. Watch on StockCharts’ dedicated David Keller page!

Previously recorded videos from Dave are available at this link.

Halcones Precious Metals Corp. (TSX-V: HPM) (the “Company” or “Halcones”) announces that it has closed the second and final tranche of its previously-announced private placement of units (the “Offering”) of the Company (the “Units”) pursuant to which the Company issued 7,707,200 Units at a price of $0.07 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $539,504 (the “Final Tranche”). Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (“Common Share”) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a “Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of 36 months following the date of issuance. Together with the first tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued an aggregate of 31,152,200 Units for gross proceeds of $2,180,654.

The Offering was led by Clarus Securities Inc. and iA Private Wealth Inc., as co-lead agents, on behalf of a syndicate of agents (collectively, the “Agents”) that included Red Cloud Securities Inc. and Haywood Securities Inc.

The Company plans to use the net proceeds of the Final Tranche to continue the exploration work on its Polaris Project as well as for general corporate working capital purposes.

In connection with the Final Tranche, the Agents received an aggregate cash fee equal to $37,765.28. In addition, the Company issued to the Agents, 539,504 non-transferable compensation warrants (the “Compensation Warrants”). Each Compensation Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price equal to $0.07 for a period of 36 months from the date hereof.

The Common Shares and Warrants issued pursuant to the Final Tranche are not subject to a statutory hold period pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws as the Final Tranche was completed pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI 45-106. The Final Tranche remains subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Non-Brokered Offering

Further to the closing of the Offering, Halcones announces a non-brokered private placement financing of up to 7,150,000 units (the “NB Units”) to be priced at $0.07 per NB Unit for gross proceeds of up to $500,500 (the “NB Offering”).

Each NB Unit will be comprised of one Common Share and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a “NB Warrant”). Each NB Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of 36 months following the completion of the NB Offering. Securities issued under the NB Offering are expected to carry a hold period of 4 months and one day from the date of issue as may be required under applicable securities laws.

The Company plans to use the aggregate net proceeds of the NB Offering to continue the exploration work on its Polaris project as well as general corporate working capital purposes.

The NB Offering is scheduled to close on or about April 22, 2025 and is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Certain insiders of the Company may acquire NB Units in the NB Offering. Any participation by insiders in the NB Offering would constitute a ‘related party transaction’ as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”). However, the Company expects such participation would be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value subscribed for by the insiders under the NB Offering, nor the consideration for the NB Units paid by such insiders, will exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.

A material change report including details with respect to the related party transaction is not expected to be able to be filed less than 21 days prior to the closing of the NB Offering as the Company has not received confirmation of the participation of insiders in the NB Offering and the Company deems it reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able to avail itself of potential financing opportunities and complete the NB Offering in an expeditious manner.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Halcones Precious Metals Corp.

Halcones is focused on exploring for and developing gold-silver projects in Chile. The Company has a team with a strong background of exploration success in the region.

For further information, please contact:

Vincent Chen, CPA
Investor Relations
+1 (778) 990-9433
vincent.chen@halconespm.com
www.halconespreciousmetals.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information

This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, regarding the Offering, NB Offering, the Company’s intended use of proceeds from the Offering and NB Offering, the approval of the Offering and NB Offering by the TSXV, the Company’s ability to explore and develop its Polaris project and the Company’s future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Forward- looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Halcones, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Halcones has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Halcones does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Source

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

There are 17 rare earth elements (REEs) in all — 15 lanthanides plus yttrium and scandium. It’s a fairly diverse group, with each rare earth mineral having different applications, pricing and available supply.

However, REEs are often placed in the same basket because they do not occur separately from each other in nature. Aside from that, separation is tricky — before modern methods were available, the process was too difficult and expensive to pursue.

Despite the market’s complexity, it’s worth taking a closer look at the different rare earths and their uses. As global governments take steps to meet energy transition goals, demand is expected to grow immensely, creating opportunities for investors with knowledge of the sector. Read on to learn more about this important group of critical metals.

In this article

    Are rare earth elements really rare?

    Many rare earth investors will be familiar with the adage that rare earth minerals are not that rare — in fact, according to the US Geological Survey, most rare earths are more plentiful in the Earth’s crust than gold, silver and platinum.

    As of 2024, there were more than 90 million metric tons of rare earth reserves. Rare earths can be found in carbonatite deposits, alkaline igneous systems, ion-adsorption clay deposits and monazite-xenotime-bearing placer deposits.

    The key point to note is that even though REEs are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust worldwide, “minable concentrations are less common than for most other mineral commodities,” as per the US Geological Survey.

    In terms of the availability of specific elements, lanthanum and cerium are relatively abundant in rare earths mineral deposits, while neodymium and praseodymium are much less so; meanwhile, erbium, ytterbium and lutetium are rare. Yttrium is as common as lanthanum and cerium in some types of deposits, but scandium is also very rare.

    Rare earth minerals are usually divided into ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ varieties based on their atomic weight. While the concentration of different REEs varies within each given deposit, every deposit is usually dominated by either heavy or light rare earths, with some elements being much more abundant.

    What is the difference between rare earth minerals, rare earth elements and rare metals?

    Rare earth elements and rare earth metals refer to the specific category of 17 elements on the periodic table, and rare earth minerals refers to the minerals, such as monazite, that contain these metals.

    While some use the phrase rare earth minerals to refer to the metals themselves, rare earths are not minerals in the strict sense of the term. Due to their chemical properties, the 17 rare earth elements are classified as metals on the periodic table. However, rare earth elements are not found as pure metals in nature, but are rather locked up in minerals that are mined and refined to obtain the metals.

    The term rare metals instead refers to a loosely defined group of resources, including tantalum, niobium, indium, zirconium and gallium. These metals are genuinely rare and valuable, but they are not members of the REE category. However, their important use in technologies such as microtechnologies, superconducting magnets, touch screens and new energy technologies can often lead them to be confused with rare earth elements.

    How are rare earths used in manufacturing and industry?

    As mentioned, although REEs are grouped together in the ground, their applications vary widely.

    In the light rare earth category, cerium is used as a polishing agent for different types of glass, including LCD screens. Cerium is the most abundant rare earth, and is about as common in the Earth’s crust as copper.

    Lanthanum is used as a catalyst for refining petroleum and to improve the alkali resistance of glass, especially in camera lenses. This light REE is also used to make the carbon arc lights used by the motion picture industry.

    Europium is used in chemical formulations for LEDs, CRT displays and florescent bulbs.

    As for heavy rare earths, yttrium is also used in LEDs and florescent bulbs. While erbium has several uses, it’s most commonly used to make glass optical fibers as it can amplify network signals.

    As mentioned earlier, one of the REEs that is rare in terms of mine supply is scandium, a critical metal that is as strong as titanium, as light as aluminum and as hard as ceramic. There are a number of new applications emerging for scandium, including alloys for high-end sports equipment, as well as for automotive and airplane parts.

    Rare earths are also critical to modern defense systems and military equipment such as radar, guidance systems, precision-guided munitions, lasers, satellites and night vision goggles.

    Several rare earth metals are essential to rare earth magnets, which you can learn more about below.

    What are rare earth magnets and how are they used?

    Rare earth magnets are stronger in terms of weight or volume than any other magnet type. The REEs praseodymium, neodymium, samarium and dysprosium are often used in rare earth magnets, which are finding increasing uses, especially when space is limited.

    Magnets made from neodymium, boron and iron, called neodymium magnets, are the strongest available, and these magnets can be found in the motors of wind turbines, as well as electric vehicles. Fellow rare earth elements dysprosium or terbium are sometimes added to neodymium magnets to improve their ability to operate at high temperatures.

    Samarium-cobalt magnets are favored in military applications such as jet engines and missile systems because these magnets can operate at extremely high temperatures.

    Praseodymium and dysprosium are also commonly used in industrial magnets in order to improve coercivity and resistance to corrosion.

    One of the most promising markets for rare earth magnets is electric vehicle motors. However, it’s important to note that permanent neodymium magnets are not strictly necessary to the construction of any electric vehicle. In fact, Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model S main motor does not contain any type of magnet.

    How will rare earth elements be used in the future?

    Applications for rare earth magnets are rapidly growing as new technologies evolve. However, lack of secure supply has driven some industries to seek out alternative technologies that don’t require REE magnets.

    Still, rare earth magnets are not going away anytime soon. REEs are an important part of the technology that drives modern life. They can be found in smartphones, computers and televisions, and are an important component in green energy technologies such as wind turbines and many electric vehicle motors. Plus, their role in defense technology makes rare earth sources critical.

    Understanding the different types of rare earths is the first step toward making an investment in this space. It’s also useful to understand rare earth supply and demand dynamics, from the top-producing countries to the nations with the top rare earth reserves. Being aware of the outlook for the rare earth industry can also help investors make the right moves.

    For investors who decide they are interested in the longer-term potential for the rare earth metals sector, there are plenty of ways to invest in rare earths, including the biggest rare earth companies and the top rare earth stocks.

    Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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