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The Chemours Company CC is benefiting from higher demand for Opteon in mobile applications, strong execution and cost-cutting measures. We are positive on the company’s prospects and believe that the time is right for you to add the stock to the portfolio as it looks promising and is poised to carry the momentum ahead.

Chemours currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a VGM Score of A. Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B, combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), offer the best investment opportunities for investors.

Let's see what makes this chemical maker a compelling investment option at the moment.

Price Performance

Shares of Chemours have rallied 36.6% over a year compared with the 20.7% rise of its industry. It has also outperformed the S&P 500’s 31.3% rise over the same period.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Estimates Moving Up

Over the past two months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Chemours for the current year has increased around 11.5%. The consensus estimate for third-quarter 2021 has also been revised 9% upward over the same time frame. The favorable estimate revisions instill investor confidence in the stock.

Positive Earnings Surprise History

Chemours has outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters. In this time frame, it has delivered an earnings surprise of 38.9%, on average.

Solid Growth Prospects

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings for 2021 for Chemours is currently pegged at $3.69, reflecting an expected year-over-year growth of 86.4%. Moreover, earnings are expected to register 106.4% growth in third-quarter 2021.

Attractive Valuation

Valuation looks attractive as Chemours’ shares are currently trading at a level that is lower than the industry average, suggesting that the stock still has upside potential.

Going by the EV/EBITDA (Enterprise Value/ Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization) multiple, which is often used to value chemical stocks, Chemours is currently trading at trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA multiple of 7.67, cheaper compared with the industry average of 9.89.

Upbeat Prospects

Chemours is gaining from a rebound in demand from the pandemic-led lows, strong execution and its cost-reduction actions. The company is seeing demand revival across all markets and regions on the global macroeconomic recovery.

The company is witnessing increasing adoption of the Opteon platform. Demand for Opteon remains strong in mobile and stationary applications. Chemours remains committed toward driving Opteon adoption. It is ramping up production at the new low-cost Opteon Corpus Christi facility.

Chemours should also gain from its efforts to reduce costs. It is undertaking actions to cut costs by reducing overhead, discretionary spend and capital expenditures. The company’s cost-reduction program along with its productivity and operational improvement actions across its businesses are expected to support margins in 2021.

The company also remains focused on boosting its cash flows and returning value to shareholders. It generated strong free cash flow of $189 million in the second quarter. Chemours expects to generate free cash flow of more than $450 million in 2021 and return the majority of this to its shareholders through dividend and share repurchases.

The Chemours Company Price and Consensus

The Chemours Company price-consensus-chart | The Chemours Company Quote

Stocks to Consider

Other top-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include The Mosaic Company MOS, United States Steel Corporation X and AdvanSix Inc. ASIX, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Mosaic has an expected earnings growth rate of 471.8% for the current year. The stock has also rallied around 76% over a year.

U.S. Steel has a projected earnings growth rate of 368.9% for the current year. The company’s shares have shot up around 204% in a year.

AdvanSix has a projected earnings growth rate of 160.4% for the current year. The company’s shares have surged around 204% in a year.

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The Chemours Company (CC) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Iron ore: Why this left-for-dead metal could rocket, and 4 easy ways to buy it

The last 60 days have been a brutal stretch for iron investors.

As a result of China cutting back on iron ore production as a means of reducing pollution, the iron and steel sectors have both been walloped.

Iron ore prices have collapsed about 60% since a record in May. And in less than two months, three of the world's largest ore miners, Rio Tinto, BHP and Vale have lost roughly $110 billion in market value.

What can we say? It’s tough being Iron Man.

But if you’ve been sniffing around the ore space waiting for the right time to get in, this could be it. China’s restrictions may provide short-term pain for investors, but the planet’s need for iron ore and steel isn’t going away.

Here are four iron-related investments that might be worth pouncing on ⁠— maybe even with your spare change.

1. Rio Tinto (RIO)

Office building of Rio Tinto, one of the biggest mining companies in the world, with regional headquarter in Perth, Western Australia. — Rob Bayer/Shutterstock

Rio Tinto, despite its stock being down almost 30% since the end of July, may be the most intriguing option out there. As one of the world’s largest producers of iron ore, Rio’s shares may be the ones most likely to benefit from an eventual rebound.

In addition to the 16 mines Rio operates in Australia, it also has projects in Serbia, Canada, Mongolia, Guinea and the U.S.

Rio Tinto is not solely an iron play. The company produces a variety of products — copper, diamonds, titanium, aluminum — that the world needs a continual supply of.

Its extensive reach has led to some serious profits: Earnings over the first half of 2021 were $12.2 billion, leading to an interim dividend of $5.61 per share.

Rio Tinto currently trades at just under $70 per share. But you can get a piece of Rio Tinto using a popular stock trading app that allows you to buy fractions of shares with as much money as you’re willing to spend.

2. Vale SA (VALE)

IgorGolovniov/Shutterstock

Shares in Brazil’s Vale SA have lost about 13% of their value in the last month, but a massive first six months of 2021 led the company to announce $7.6 billion in first-half dividends.

That’s the largest payout to investors since 2019.

Vale says it is the world’s largest producer of iron ore and iron pellets. Its biggest operation is its iron ore mine in Carajas, Brazil, one of the richest iron deposits in the world, but it also runs a plant in Oman and has various stakes in joint ventures in China.

In the most recent quarter, Vale posted earnings of $7.6 billion, up more than 600% year-over-year. To be sure, those results were helped by higher iron ore prices at the time.

But with the company on track to hit 2021 guidance of between 315 and 335 million tons of ore production, Vale remains a potent bet on the steelmaking metal.

3. BHP Group (BHP)

T. Schneider/Shutterstock

Australia’s BHP Group has fared even worse than its competitors over the last two months, with its stock losing more than 40% of its value since July 29.

Like Rio Tinto, BHP is involved in more than just iron ore mining. It also has its fingers in petroleum, coal and copper, which makes it a somewhat diversified play.

BHP has been receiving lukewarm assessments from analysts. Zacks, Berenberg Bank and Deutsche Bank all recently rated the company a “hold”, while Liberium Capital downgraded BHG from “hold” to “sell” in July.

The company reported profits of $25.9 billion for the financial year ending June 30. And with BHP having generated $19.3 billion in free cash flow over the past 12 months, it should have some cushion to weather the current storm afflicting iron ore.

If you're still cautious about buying into BHP, some investing apps will give you a free share of BHP just for signing up.

4. VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX)

Packed rolls of steel sheet, Cold rolled steel coils — PhotoStock10/Shutterstock

The VanEck Vectors Steel ETF was riding high from May to August, as rising iron ore prices lifted the fund to its highest value since July of 2011.

The last month has seen the price of SLX shares shrink by about 11%, but compared to the individual companies featured here, that’s not so bad.

SLX tracks the performance of some of the world’s biggest ore producers, including Rio Tinto and Vale, but it also holds large steelmakers including Arcelormittal, Nucor, and U.S. Steel. This bit of diversification should help spread some of your risks around in the event iron ore hits the skids once again.

As of Sept. 21, shares in SLX were selling for around $54.53. The most recent dividend paid out was $0.83 a share in December of 2020.

A quieter commodity play

If the volatility in iron ore markets has you questioning your future as an iron/steel investor, there’s another asset that also provides exposure to rising commodity prices: U.S. farmland.

An investment in farmland allows you to profit from both rising food prices, which should only keep increasing as the global demand for food intensifies, and a rapidly decreasing amount of arable land.

An investment in farmland can also be considered an investment in sustainability.

It’s become a hot topic among ESG investors, and will only continue to grow in prominence now that it’s so easy to invest in.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Announces next phase of drilling / development at Falchani and Macusani

Figure 1

From left to right: Simon Clarke, President Pedro Castillo, Michael Kobler, and Ulises Solis

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Lithium Corp. (“American Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSX-V:LI | OTCQB:LIACF | Frankfurt:5LA1) is pleased to announce that a delegation of the Company’s management, led by CEO Simon Clarke and including Michael Kobler, an original founder and current GM of US Operations and Ulises Solis, GM of Peru Operations, had the honour of a private audience yesterday with President Pedro Castillo, the recently-elected President of Peru.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1ee3edcc-7f59-49a1-ba4e-295f602a112d

The purpose of the meeting during the 76^th session of the United Nations General Assembly summit in New York was to discuss Peru’s ongoing commitment to its mining sector and its emergence as a potential Latin American leader in the supply of battery / clean energy metals for a greener planet.

During the United Nations’ conference, over 100 global leaders are meeting to discuss the world’s most pressing geopolitical issues, including the heightened urgency to advance sustainable energy initiatives along an expedited timeline.

Following the meeting with President Castillo, Mr. Clarke reported having a highly constructive initial dialogue with a focus on American Lithium’s future plans to sustainably develop world-class lithium and uranium assets in Peru.

President Pedro Castillo commented, “it was a pleasure to meet the team from American Lithium and our discussions to date have been very positive. As I have commented in recent times, we remain committed to the economy of Peru in general and, in particular, the mining sector with no plans for nationalization or expropriation. We are highly supportive of the work that American Lithium is doing and believe that Peru is very well positioned to become a global leader in the supply of metals for the new energy paradigm. We also welcome foreign investment into Peru with clear rules that protect the people, and the environment and which promotes the economic development of the region and the country.”

Mr. Clarke commented, “On behalf of our shareholders, I would like to thank President Castillo for taking the time to meet with me and my colleagues for what proved to be a very enjoyable and encouraging discussion. Clearly, President Castillo is deeply committed to the development of Peru including the mining sector and in seeing Peru become a world leader in the timely innovation of green energy solutions. To this end, American Lithium is similarly committed to playing a meaningful role in the realization of this inspiring and economically-empowering mandate. Specifically, we will be launching the next phase of drilling and development at both the Falchani Project and the Macusani Project as soon as practical.”

About American Lithium
American Lithium, a member of the TSX 50, is actively engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of lithium projects within mining-friendly jurisdictions throughout the Americas. The Company is currently focused on enabling the shift to the new energy paradigm through the continued exploration and development of its strategically located TLC lithium claystone project in the richly mineralized Esmeralda lithium district in Nevada as well as continuing to advance its Falchani lithium and Macusani uranium development projects in southeastern Peru. Both Falchani and Macusani have been through preliminary economic assessments, exhibit strong additional exploration potential and are situated near significant infrastructure.

The TSX Venture 50 is a ranking of the top performers in each of 5 industry sectors in the TSX Venture Exchange over the last year.

For more information, please contact the Company at info@americanlithiumcorp.com or visit our website at www.americanlithiumcorp.com for project update videos and related background information.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of American Lithium Corp.

“Simon Clarke”

CEO & Director

Tel: 604 428 6128

For further information, please contact:

American Lithium Corp.
Email: info@americanlithiumcorp.com
Website: www.americanlithiumcorp.com

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 press release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information
This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the plans, objectives and advancement of the TLC, Falchani and Macusani (the “Projects”), exploration drilling plans, in-fill and expansion drilling plans, results of exploration and development plans, expansion of resources and testing of new deposits, environmental and social community permitting, and any other statements regarding the business plans, expectations and objectives of American Lithium. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend", “indicate”, “scheduled”, “target”, “goal”, “potential”, “subject”, “efforts”, “option” and similar words, or the negative connotations thereof, referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Although American Lithium believes that the current opinions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information available at the time, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since American Lithium can provide no assurance that such opinions and expectations will prove to be correct. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to: American Lithium’s ability to achieve its stated goals, including the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Plateau Energy Metals Inc. (“Plateau”); the estimated costs associated with the advancement of the Projects; risks and uncertainties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and the extent and manner to which measures taken by governments and their agencies, American Lithium or others to attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19 could affect American Lithium, which could have a material adverse impact on many aspects of American Lithium’s businesses including but not limited to: the ability to access mineral properties for indeterminate amounts of time, the health of the employees or consultants resulting in delays or diminished capacity, social or political instability in Peru which in turn could impact American Lithium’s ability to maintain the continuity of its business operating requirements, may result in the reduced availability or failures of various local administration and critical infrastructure, reduced demand for the American Lithium’s potential products, availability of materials, global travel restrictions, and the availability of insurance and the associated costs; risks related to the certainty of title to the properties of American Lithium, including the status of the “Precautionary Measures” filed by American Lithium’s subsidiary Macusani Yellowcake S.A.C. (“Macusani”), the outcome of the administrative process, the judicial process, and any and all future remedies pursued by American Lithium and its subsidiary Macusani to resolve the title for 32 of its concessions; risks regarding the ongoing Ontario Securities Commission regulatory proceedings; the ongoing ability to work cooperatively with stakeholders, including but not limited to local communities and all levels of government; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that any future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with our expectations; risks that permits will not be obtained as planned or delays in obtaining permits; mining and development risks, including risks related to accidents, equipment breakdowns, labour disputes (including work stoppages, strikes and loss of personnel) or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in exploration and development; risks related to commodity price and foreign exchange rate fluctuations; risks related to foreign operations; the cyclical nature of the industry in which American Lithium operates; risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms or delays in obtaining governmental approvals; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the uncertain global economic environment and the effects upon the global market generally, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic measures taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19, any of which could continue to negatively affect global financial markets, including the trading price of American Lithium’s shares and could negatively affect American Lithium’s ability to raise capital and may also result in additional and unknown risks or liabilities to American Lithium. Other risks and uncertainties related to prospects, properties and business strategy of American Lithium are identified in the “Risks and Uncertainties” section of Plateau’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis filed on June 25, 2021, in the “Risk Factors” section of American Lithium’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis filed on June 25, 2021, and in recent securities filings available at www.sedar.com. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. American Lithium undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Cautionary Note Regarding Macusani Concessions
Thirty-two of the 151 concessions held by American Lithium’s subsidiary Macusani, are currently subject to Administrative and Judicial processes (together, the “Processes”) in Peru to overturn resolutions issued by INGEMMET and the Mining Council of MINEM in February 2019 and July 2019, respectively, which declared Macusani’s title to the 32 of the concessions invalid due to late receipt of the annual validity payment. Macusani successfully applied for injunctive relief on 32 concessions in a Court in Lima, Peru, and the grant of the Precautionary Measures (Medida Cautelar) has restored the title, rights and validity of those 32 concessions to Macusani until a final decision is obtained in at the last stage of the judicial process. If American Lithium’s subsidiary Macusani does not obtain a successful resolution of Processes, Macusani’s title to the concessions could be revoked.

(Bloomberg) — A bidding war for a small Canadian nickel miner is showing no signs of cooling as its largest shareholder, Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest, took a formal step to increase ownership.

What’s Aiding EMN?

Eastman Chemical is benefiting from cost cutting and productivity actions. It is undertaking a more aggressive approach to keep manufacturing costs in control. It is on track with its cost-cutting actions in 2021, which are expected to contribute to its earnings per share. Eastman Chemical is expected to benefit from lower operating costs from its operational transformation program.

The company is also focused on generating new business revenues from innovation. It is investing around $250 million over 2021-2022 to construct one of the biggest plastic-to-plastic molecular recycling facilities in the world. The company expects $600 million of new business revenues from innovation in 2021. Eastman Chemical will also likely gain from its strategic acquisitions and end-market recovery.

Eastman Chemical is also committed toward maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation, with an emphasis on financing its dividend and debt reduction. The company returned $328 million to shareholders through dividend payouts and share repurchases during second-quarter 2021. It expects to buyback shares worth roughly $250 million in the second half of this year. Eastman Chemical also anticipates free cash flow to exceed $1.1 billion for 2021.

A Few Worries

Eastman Chemical faces headwinds from higher raw material, energy, and distribution costs in some of its products. It witnessed unfavorable impacts from supply chain constraints and higher logistics costs in the second quarter. Headwinds associated with supply and logistics are likely to continue to impact its third-quarter results.

The slowdown in automotive production due to the semiconductor shortage is another concern. The chip shortage is affecting automotive production globally. The shortage, partly caused by the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, is disrupting production of parts and vehicles as well as affecting all major automotive original equipment manufacturers. This is likely to affect demand in the market over the near term.

Eastman Chemical Company Price and Consensus

Eastman Chemical Company price-consensus-chart | Eastman Chemical Company Quote

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include The Mosaic Company MOS, United States Steel Corporation X, and Olympic Steel, Inc. ZEUS, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Mosaic has an expected earnings growth rate of 471.8% for the current year. The stock has also rallied around 78% over a year.

U.S. Steel has a projected earnings growth rate of 368.9% for the current year. The company’s shares have shot up around 200% in a year.

Olympic Steel has an expected earnings growth rate of 2,362.2% for the current year. The company’s shares have rallied around 94% in the past year.

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United States Steel Corporation (X) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Mosaic Company (MOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Olympic Steel, Inc. (ZEUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Teck Resources Ltd TECK has lowered the annual steelmaking coal and refined Zinc production guidance 2021, due to the forest fire incident in British Columbia, which hurt the company’s third-quarter operations.

In August, Teck’s Trail Operations metallurgical facility was impacted by wildfire smoke following which, Trail’s oxygen plant was temporarily shut down due to the poor air quality. On Aug 13, Trail’s oxygen plants resumed operations. However, the plant closure negatively impacted the company’s zinc production, as a result of which, the company now expects 2021 zinc production to be between 285,000 tons and 290,000 tons, lower from the prior range of 290,000 to 300,000 tons.

The refined zinc production for the third quarter is expected between 72,000 tons and 75,000 tons. The company produced 76,000 tons refined zinc in third-quarter 2020.

On Aug 14, Teck suspended its Highland Valley Copper (HVC) operations for a period of four days due to the wildfire evacuation order issued by the District of Logan Lake. As copper production was not impacted significantly, the company maintained its HVC annual contained copper production guidance at 128,000 to 133,000 tons. However, the shipment timing of copper concentrate from HVC has been impacted due to the wildfires and logistics troubles.

The wildfire mishap has also impacted the company’s steelmaking coal business. Teck, hence, had incorporated the impact in the steelmaking coal segment’s third-quarter sales volume and annual production guidance provided in the second-quarter’s earnings call. The segment’s sales are expected between 5.7 million tons and 6.1 million tons for the third quarter.

The company projects steelmaking coal production between 25 million tons and 26 million tons in 2021. Additionally, the annual steelmaking coal production at the Elk Valley operation is likely to be impacted by the incident, coupled with increased labor absence related to the COVID-19 protocols.

Teck has lowered the third-quarter sales guidance for zinc concentrate at Red Dog operation, due to the weather and ice situations as well as weather-induced shipping delays in July and August. The company now expects third-quarter contained zinc sales in the band of 145,000-155,000 tons, down from the prior estimate of 180,000-200,000 tons. Though the company is facing shipping shortages in the third quarter, management expects to ship all Red Dog zinc concentrates during the current shipping season assuming normal weather conditions.

Teck continues to implement its innovation-driven efficiency program, RACE21, which is expected to improve proficiency and productivity across the business. Savings from this program will likely offset cost inflation, supply-related challenges, higher labor costs and lower production.

Price Performance

The company’s shares have gained 27.9% so far this year, as against the industry’s decline of 1.3%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Teck currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include Avient Corp. AVNT, The Mosaic Co. MOS and Veritiv Corp. VRTV, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), currently. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Avient has a projected earnings growth rate of 75% for 2021. The company’s shares have gained 17.7%, so far this year.

Mosaic has an estimated earnings growth rate of 472.9% for the current year. So far this year, the company’s shares have appreciated 40.1%.

Veritiv has an estimated earnings growth rate of 215% for the current year. The company’s shares have soared 320.1%, year to date.

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The Mosaic Company (MOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Veritiv Corporation (VRTV) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Teck Resources Ltd (TECK) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Avient Corporation (AVNT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Zacks Investment Research

Celanese Corporation CE is gaining from its productivity measures, investments in organic projects and strategic acquisitions amid certain headwinds including raw material cost inflation.

Shares of this leading chemical and specialty materials maker are up 11.8% year to date compared with the 0.6% rise of its industry.

Let’s find out why this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock is worth retaining at the moment.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

What’s Going in CE’s Favor?

Celanese is benefiting from its productivity actions, investments in high-return organic projects and synergies of acquisitions. The company is also gaining from improving demand in most of its end markets.

The company also remains focused on executing its productivity programs that include the implementation of a number of cost reduction capital projects. It achieved gross savings of $214 million from its productivity actions in 2020. Productivity actions are also expected to support to its margins in 2021.

Celanese also continues to actively pursue acquisitions, which are providing it opportunities for additional growth, investment and synergies. The acquisitions of SO.F.TER., Nilit and Omni Plastics are expected to contribute to earnings expansion in the company's Engineered Materials segment. The Elotex acquisition also strengthened the company’s position in the vinyl acetate ethylene emulsions space. The buyout is expected to contribute to volumes in the Acetyl Chain segment. The recently-announced purchase of Exxon Mobil's Santoprene Business will broaden the company’s portfolio of engineered solutions.

The company also continues to generate strong cash flows and is focused on boosting shareholders’ value. It returned $326 million to shareholders through dividend payouts and share repurchases during second-quarter 2021. It completed $500 million in share buybacks in first-half 2021 and expects to repurchase another $500 million in the second half.

A Few Concerns

The company faces headwinds from elevated raw material costs due to supply constraints as witnessed in the last reported quarter. It is expected to face sustained inflation across many key raw materials as well as supply chain costs in third-quarter 2021. Tight availability of resins, including nylon and glass fiber is expected to hike raw material costs in the third quarter. As such, higher input costs are expected to hurt margins. Celanese also expects continued moderation in the Acetyl Chain industry pricing.

The semiconductor shortage is also hurting automotive OEM production around the world. Weaker automotive production is likely to affect the company’s automotive order patterns in the third quarter.

Celanese Corporation Price and Consensus

Celanese Corporation price-consensus-chart | Celanese Corporation Quote

Stocks to Consider

Better-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include The Mosaic Company MOS, United States Steel Corporation X and Olympic Steel, Inc. ZEUS, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Mosaic has an expected earnings growth rate of 471.8% for the current year. The stock has also rallied around 78% over a year.

U.S. Steel has a projected earnings growth rate of 368.9% for the current year. The company’s shares have shot up around 193% in a year.

Olympic Steel has an expected earnings growth rate of 2,362.2% for the current year. The company’s shares have rallied around 90% in the past year.

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United States Steel Corporation (X) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Celanese Corporation (CE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Mosaic Company (MOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Olympic Steel, Inc. (ZEUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

Rio Tinto Plc RIO recently announced that it has partnered with leading global energy producer, EDL. Per the deal, EDL will expand an existing solar installation at Rio Tinto’s Weipa mine in Queensland. Australia. EDL will add a 4 MW solar power generating capacity and 4 MW/4 MWh of battery storage, which will effectively triple the supply of clean, reliable energy to Rio Tinto’s bauxite mine operations in Weipa and the remote township. This move is in sync with Rio Tinto’s focus on lowering its carbon footprint across its operations and marks a step toward its goal of attaining net zero emissions by 2050.

Rio Tinto’s Weipa operations includes three bauxite mines (East Weipa, Andoom and Amrun), processing facilities, shiploaders, an export wharf, two ports, power stations, a rail network and ferry terminals. The development of Amrun, its newest mine that was completed in 2018, has extended the life of the Weipa bauxite operations by several decades.

In 2015, Rio Tinto had announced the launch of the Weipa Solar plant, which was the largest solar facility at an off-grid Australian mine site at that time. It was a pathbreaking project, which exhibited the viability of renewable energy systems in remote locations. EDL will now build, own and operate a new 4 MW solar plant and 4 MW/4 MWh of battery storage at Weipa that will complement the existing 1.6 MW solar farm. Work on the project is expected to be completed by late next year.

Once operational, the combined 4 MW solar capacity and 4 MW/4 MWh battery will have an annual capacity of 11 gigawatt hours of energy. Combined with upgrades to the existing Weipa power generation network, it will effectively cut down Weipa Operations’ diesel consumption by around 7 million litres per year. It will also help lower its annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 20,000 tons — the equivalent of taking more than 3,750 cars off the road.

Rio Tinto has earmarked approximately $1 billion in investments over the next five years to get its operations down to net zero emissions by 2050. Earlier this month, the company announced that it has teamed up with Caterpillar, Inc. CAT to develop zero-emissions autonomous haul trucks for use at Gudai-Darri, which is Rio Tinto’s most technically advanced iron ore mine in the Pilbara region, Western Australia. Earlier in June, the company announced that it will deploy the world’s first fully autonomous water truck at its Gudai-Darri mine also in partnership with Caterpillar.

Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

In the past year, shares of Rio Tinto have gained 7.5%, compared with the industry’s growth of 9.0%.

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Rio Tinto currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Nucor Corporation NUE and The Chemours Company CC.

Nucor has a projected earnings growth rate of around 508% for the current year. The company’s shares have soared 112% in a year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Chemours has an expected earnings growth rate of around 86.4% for the current year. The company’s shares have gained 39% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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Rio Tinto PLC (RIO): Free Stock Analysis Report

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Nucor Corporation (NUE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Chemours Company (CC) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 21, 2021 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Rio Tinto plc RIO, BHP Group BHP, Vale S.A. VALE and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. FSUGY.

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

Iron Ore Prices Fall Below $100 per Ton on Weak China Demand

Iron ore prices have plunged below $100 a ton for the first time since July 2020, as China — the world’s biggest steelmaker — intensified curbs on steel production to lower carbon emissions. Signs of a slowdown across China’s property sector have also acted as a drag on the main steel-making ingredient. Iron ore prices have more than halved from the record $230 per ton attained in May this year. It has lost 34% so far in 2021.

China’s Curb on Steel Output Weighs on Iron

The slump in iron ore makes it one of the worst-performing major commodities this year. This is in sharp contrast to the solid run it had last year, logging a solid gain of 80%. A combination of China’s massive infrastructure stimulus to recover from the pandemic-induced slump, which fueled demand for iron ore, and supply concerns in Brazil due to the coronavirus pandemic drove the prices up. After hitting the record high of $230 earlier this year, iron ore prices started losing steam as China clamped down on the steel industry, which given its high energy consumption and outdated technology and equipment, is one of the biggest contributors to pollution in the country. China has thus repeatedly urged steel mills to reduce output this year to curb carbon emissions.

China remains committed to its pledge reach carbon neutrality by 2060. The country intends to step up its production curbs in a bid to reduce pollution and ensure clearer air for the Winter Olympics coming up in February 2022. This is going to weigh on iron ore demand for the balance of the year.

Per the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the monthly crude steel production in the country was down 13.2% year over year, slipping for the third straight month to 83.24 million tons in August. Average daily output is at the lowest since March 2020. This reflects the impact of the implementation of production restrictions at steel mills.

China’s Property Sector Slowdown Hurts Further

Signs of a slowdown across China’s property sector have hit iron ore prices. The country’s property investment in August rose a meager 0.3% from a year ago — the slowest pace in 18 months.

It is lower than the rise of 1.4% in July, reflecting the tighter financing conditions. China's new home prices rose at their slowest pace in months, as authorities tried to rein in a red-hot property market, and cooling measures were expected to limit home price growth going forward.

China's property market is also grappling with problems at its second-largest property developer, Evergrande Group. It is currently the world's most indebted property developer, owing more than $300 billion in liabilities and nearing a possible default for an interest payment this week.

China Evergrande’s Hong Kong-listed shares fell 10.24% on Sep 17, which underscored concerns about the broader health of China’s real estate sector and triggered a wider sell-off.

Owing to the plunge in iron ore prices, iron ore producers including Rio Tinto, BHP Group, Vale and Fortescue Metals Group have seen their shares tumble 6.8% 13.8%, 8.9% and 22.9%, respectively, over the past month. All of these stocks carry a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) currently. Lower iron ore prices are expected to impact their results in the ongoing quarter.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here

Neverthless, these miners will benefit from demand in rest of the world. The steel industry is showing promise as demand remains robust across construction and manufacturing sectors across rest of the world. Steel prices continue to race ahead, buoyed by an upturn in demand across key markets, tight supply conditions and low steel inventory throughout the supply chain.

The World Steel Association projects steel demand to grow 5.8% in 2021 and reach 1,874 million. In 2022, steel demand is expected to go up 2.7% to reach 1,924.6 Mt. In China, steel demand is expected to grow 3.0% in 2021 but will decline 1% in 2022 due to the intensified environmental push.

Meanwhile, steel demand will go up 8.2% and 4.2% in 2021 and 2022, respectively, in advanced economies. The ongoing recovery in automotive and construction sectors worldwide will drive demand for steel. In the United States, massive government spending to rebuild infrastructure including railroads, highways and bridges will significantly boost steel demand, thus fueling the need for iron ore.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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BHP Group Limited Sponsored ADR (BHP) : Free Stock Analysis Report

VALE S.A. (VALE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Rio Tinto PLC (RIO): Free Stock Analysis Report

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (FSUGY) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Zacks Investment Research

Shares of ArcelorMittal MT have gained around 28% so far this year. The steel giant is benefiting from improved market conditions and higher steel prices. We are positive on the company’s prospects and believe that the time is right for you to add the stock to portfolio as it looks promising and is poised to carry the momentum ahead.

Let’s delve deeper into the factors that make this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock an attractive choice for investors right now.

Price Performance

Shares of ArcelorMittal have surged 136.5% over the past year against the 108% rise of its industry. It has also outperformed the S&P 500’s roughly 33.6% rise over the same period.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Estimates Northbound

Over the past two months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ArcelorMittal for 2021 has increased around 21%. The consensus estimate for third-quarter 2021 has also been revised 47.9% upward over the same time frame. The favorable estimate revisions instill investor confidence in the stock.

Solid Growth Prospects

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings for 2021 for ArcelorMittal is currently pegged at $12.90, reflecting an expected year-over-year growth of 1,775.3%. Moreover, earnings are expected to register 3,186.7% growth in third-quarter 2021.

Valuation Looks Attractive

ArcelorMittal’s shares are currently trading at a level that is lower than the industry average, suggesting that the stock still has upside potential.

Going by the EV/EBITDA (Enterprise Value/ Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization) multiple, which is often used to value steel stocks, ArcelorMittal is currently trading at trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA multiple of 3.05, cheaper compared with the industry average of 5.60.

Growth Drivers in Place

ArcelorMittal is seeing a strong rebound in end-market demand following the easing of lockdown measures. The company, in July, bumped up its outlook for global apparent steel consumption (“ASC”) for 2021 as it expects demand to further improve in the second half. It now sees ASC to increase 7.5-8.5% in 2021, up from its earlier growth expectation of 4.5-5.5%. A favorable supply demand balance and a low inventory environment are supporting higher utilization levels and healthy steel spreads, the company noted.

Higher steel prices are also driving the company’s results. Its average steel selling prices went up around 61% year over year in the second quarter of 2021 and boosted bottom line. Strong end-market demand, tight supply and higher raw material costs are driving steel prices.

The company also remains focused on maintaining a competitive cost advantage and strategically growing through high-return projects in high-growth markets. It also intends to leverage existing infrastructure to develop its iron-ore resources, consistently return cash to shareholders through a defined capital return policy as well as lead on sustainable development.

Moreover, the company is expanding its steel-making capacity and remains focused on shifting to high-added-value products. Its cost-reduction initiatives will also support profitability.

ArcelorMittal is executing a new $1 billion fixed cost reduction program. The program includes actions to improve productivity and maintenance efficiency, and rationalize support functions. ArcelorMittal expects to achieve the majority of the savings in 2021.

ArcelorMittal Price and Consensus

ArcelorMittal price-consensus-chart | ArcelorMittal Quote

Stocks to Consider

Other top-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include The Mosaic Company MOS, United States Steel Corporation X and Olympic Steel, Inc. ZEUS, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Mosaic has an expected earnings growth rate of 471.8% for the current year. The stock has also rallied around 78% over a year.

U.S. Steel has a projected earnings growth rate of 368.9% for the current year. The company’s shares have shot up around 193% in a year.

Olympic Steel has an expected earnings growth rate of 2,362.2% for the current year. The company’s shares have rallied around 90% in the past year.

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ArcelorMittal (MT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

United States Steel Corporation (X) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Mosaic Company (MOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Olympic Steel, Inc. (ZEUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

The Mosaic Company MOS recently announced sales volumes and revenues for Aug 2021 by business unit.

The Potash segment recorded sales volume of 610,000 tons in August, down 17.7% from 741,000 tons in the year-ago period. Sales revenues were $196 million, up around 27% from $154 million in the prior-year period.

The Mosaic Fertilizantes segment’s sales volume fell 10.4% to 1,134,000 tons from 1,266,000 tons last year. Sales revenues increased around 53% to $602 million from $393 million recorded last year.

The Phosphates segment recorded sales volume of 666,000 tons, down around 10.4% from 743,000 tons a year ago. Sales revenues in the segment were $465 million, up around 78% year over year from $261 million a year ago.

Shares of Mosaic have gained 78.2% in the past year compared with 53.5% rise of the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company, in its last earnings call, stated that it expects strong agricultural trends to continue through the second half of 2021, driving demand for fertilizers. Grower economics remain attractive in most global regions on strong crop demand, affordable inputs and favorable weather, the company noted.

The company forecasts $90-$100 per ton improvement in average realized price in the Phosphates segment, sequentially, in the third quarter. For the Potash segment, the company expects $25-$35 per ton improvement in average realized prices in the third quarter.

The Mosaic Company Price and Consensus

The Mosaic Company price-consensus-chart | The Mosaic Company Quote

Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks

Mosaic currently flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Some other top-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Nucor Corporation NUE, The Chemours Company CC and Olin Corporation OLN.

Nucor has a projected earnings growth rate of around 508% for the current year. The company’s shares have soared 112.1% in a year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Chemours has an expected earnings growth rate of around 86.4% for the current year. The company’s shares have gained 38.6% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Olin has an expected earnings growth rate of around 639.3% for the current fiscal. The company’s shares have surged 265.3% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Nucor Corporation (NUE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Mosaic Company (MOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Olin Corporation (OLN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Chemours Company (CC) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

(Bloomberg) — Australia’s top three iron ore miners have shed a combined $109 billion in share value in less than two months — roughly equivalent to the market cap of General Electric Co. — following a record-breaking price rout.

It’s a dramatic reversal of fortunes for Rio Tinto Group, BHP Group and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd., which only last month were showering record dividends on shareholders after prices of the steel-making ingredient surged to an all-time high above $230 a ton in May. They’ve since plunged to near $90 as China stepped up curbs on steel production to meet environmental goals.

Rio Tinto, the world’s biggest ore producer, has retreated 29% from July 29, BHP is down 30% and Fortescue has plunged 44%. That adds up to value destruction of A$150 billion ($109 billion), Bloomberg calculations show. The three miners together account for more than 8% of Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 share index, which has slipped 2% over the period.

See also: Iron Ore’s Rout Keeps Rolling as China Imposes More Steel Curbs

There could be more weakness — both in iron ore and the miners’ shares — to come as Beijing doubles down on efforts to cut pollution before it hosts the Winter Olympics next February. The price rout has seen analysts scurrying to their spreadsheets to downgrade earnings forecasts for the big miners. Morgans Financial Ltd. slashed its share price target for Fortescue by more than a quarter to A$14.15 late last week and also trimmed targets for BHP and Rio.

“Despite trading back at lower levels, we remain cautious on our big miners, expecting more short-term weakness in iron ore to unfold,” Adrian Prendergast, resources analyst at Morgans, said in a note. BHP and Rio are “trading around accumulate territory, but again we remain cautious given the poor state of their largest exposure,” he said.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

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Rio Tinto Group (LSE:RIO) investors are taken on a rollercoaster ride with the high success in the last 12 months, followed by the recent downfall of Iron Ore prices. Dividend yields for investors reached some 14%, however, the seemingly attractive yield may not be sustainable in light of the changing macro situation. We are going to overview the dividend policy and earnings potential for Rio Tinto, in order to see if the recent market volatility represents an opportunity or a convergence to true value.

Rio Tinto Group likely looks attractive to investors for the dividends, given its high dividend yield and a payment history of over ten years.

Some simple analysis can reduce the risk of holding Rio Tinto Group for its dividend, and we'll focus on the most important aspects below.

Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Rio Tinto Group!

Payout ratios

Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable.

Rio Tinto Group paid out 60% of its profit as dividends, over the trailing twelve month period. This is a healthy payout ratio, and also gives the company some earnings to fund sustainable growth.

We also measure dividends paid against a company's levered free cash flow, to see if enough cash was generated to cover the dividend.

Rio Tinto Group paid out a conservative 44% of its free cash flow as dividends last year. It's positive to see that Rio Tinto Group's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable.

While the above analysis focuses on dividends relative to a company's earnings, we do note Rio Tinto Group's strong net cash position, which will let it pay larger dividends for a time, should it choose.

Remember, you can always get a snapshot of Rio Tinto Group's latest financial position, by checking our visualisation of its financial health.

Dividend Sustainability Factors

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. With recent, rapid earnings per share growth and a payout ratio of 60%, this business looks like an interesting prospect if earnings are reinvested effectively.

However, the company is massively dependent on iron ore prices, and their spike in the recent year has accounted for a large portion of their profit growth.

This scenario is unlikely to repeat, as Iron Ore prices are plummeting because of reduced demand in China. In the graph below, you can see the extent of the fall.

In their risk-factor outline (page 6), the company outlines "Credit conditions, cooling exports and softer housing market in China main risks to demand", which unfortunately seems to be currently materializing with the decline in demand from China, and the slowdown of the Chinese housing market stemming from Evergrande's financial distress.

With all that in mind, Rio Tinto is a great stock to watch and look for recovery points, since the company is using last year's great performance to stabilize debt and invest in growth projects with US$3.3b in CapEx.

Conclusion

To summarize, shareholders should always check that Rio Tinto Group's dividends are affordable, that its dividend payments are relatively stable, and that it has decent prospects for growing its earnings and dividend. While the last 12 months were immensely successful to the point of the company declaring a special dividend, we see trouble on the horizon and Rio Tinto will have to cut back in order to stabilize.

The company is in great shape, working down its debt, financing new growth projects and finding sustainable replacements for expiring excavation sites.

Considering the dividends, Rio Tinto Group has an acceptable payout ratio and its dividend is well covered by cashflow, and while current investors were positively surprised, future investors will need to keep an eye out for any potential changes in the dividend payout.

Additionally, we've come across 3 warning signs for Rio Tinto Group you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit unpleasant.

If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of dividend stocks yielding above 3%.

Simply Wall St analyst Goran Damchevski and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com

Depressed demand for industrial commodities is seen, but these companies have strong balance sheets and low price-to-earnings multiples.

Monday put investors in lithium and rare earth metal stocks on the edge. While Standard Lithium (NYSEMKT: SLI) and Lithium Americas (NYSE: LAC) sank 10.7% and 13.3%, respectively, by 2:30 p.m. EDT, rare earth stock MP Materials (NYSE: MP) was down 8.5% by then. With concerning news from China and an electric-vehicle (EV) manufacturer slashing its outlook on supply shortages hitting electric-vehicle stocks hard, lithium and rare earth stocks were bound to feel the heat.

By Dhirendra Tripathi

Investing.com – Stocks of steel and iron-ore producers took a knock in global markets Monday on fears over the cascading impact of the crisis unfolding at real estate developer China Evergrande (OTC:EGRNY).

ADRs of ArcelorMittal (NYSE:MT) fell 5.5%, BHP (NYSE:BHP) 5.4%, Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) 6% and Vale (NYSE:VALE) 3% in Monday’s premarket trading on the NYSE. Elsewhere, Anglo American (LON:AAL) fell 7% in London and Fortescue Metals closed (ASX:FMG) 4% lower in Sydney.

Evergrande shares fell more than 10% to touch their 11-year low in Hong Kong trading as the beleaguered developer began to sell its assets at hefty discounts. Traders stayed jittery as China’s second largest property developer has a bond interest due Thursday, according to Reuters.

There are concerns that a default on its $300 billion of liabilities could crystallize broader risks in China's financial system.

Shares of metals and iron-ore have lately been under pressure as the world’s biggest consumer attempts to limit its steel output at last year’s level of around 1.05 billion tons. According to UBS, output is likely to be near 1.07 billion tons in 2021-22 and flat in 2022-23. This is around 5% lower than its previous forecast of 1.13 billion tons.

Also weighing on markets more broadly is uncertainty ahead of a suite of central bank meetings this week. most notably at the U.S. Federal Reserve.

The Fed begins its two-day meet Tuesday. All eyes are on the central bank’s likely commentary on the timeline of the tapering. According to Reuters, market consensus is that it will stick with broad plans to begin stimulus withdrawal this year but will hold off providing details on a timeline for at least a month.

Steel, Iron-ore Miners Fall as Evergrande Approaches Crisis Point

Thailand's SCG Packaging plans $353 million Vietnam expansion

Flughafen Zuerich chairman sees business travel rebound in 2022 -paper

MELBOURNE, Australia, September 19, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rio Tinto has approved a new solar farm and battery storage at Weipa in Queensland, in a move that will more than triple the local electricity network’s solar generation capacity and help provide cleaner power to Rio Tinto’s operations.

Under the plans, EDL has been contracted to build, own and operate a 4MW solar plant and 4MW/4MWh of battery storage at Weipa. Work on the battery facilities will start this year, with construction of the whole project expected to be complete by late 2022.

The new solar farm and battery storage will complement the existing 1.6MW solar farm at Weipa, which was completed in 2015 and is also owned and operated by EDL. The 4MWh battery system will be built next to the existing Weipa power station and will help provide a stable power network for Rio Tinto’s Weipa Operations bauxite mines and the Weipa township.

Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific Bauxite Operations General Manager Michelle Elvy said "The new solar farm and battery storage at Weipa will help us lower our carbon footprint and diesel use in a reliable way.

"The original Weipa solar farm was the largest solar facility at an off-grid Australian mine site at the time it was built, and it played an important role in showing the viability of renewable energy systems in remote locations.

"The new solar farm and battery storage system is part of Rio Tinto’s group-wide commitment to reduce emissions across our operations. There is clearly more work to be done, but projects like this are an important part of meeting our climate targets."

EDL Chief Executive Officer James Harman said "We welcome the opportunity to continue supporting Rio Tinto to reduce carbon emissions.

"EDL will be leveraging expertise from our hybrid renewable energy systems around Australia to deliver clean and reliable energy for Rio Tinto’s operations and the local community."

When complete, the combined 4MW solar capacity and 4MW/4MWh battery will provide about 11 gigawatt hours of energy annually. Combined with upgrades to the existing Weipa power generation network, the improvements will reduce Weipa Operations’ diesel consumption by an estimated 7 million litres per year and lower its annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 20,000 tonnes – the equivalent of taking more than 3,750 cars off the road.

Rio Tinto Weipa Operations will purchase electricity from EDL and the new solar plant will be connected directly to the Weipa electricity network.

More information on Rio Tinto’s climate targets can be found here.

riotinto.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210919005041/en/

Contacts

Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com

Media Relations, UK
Illtud Harri
M +44 7920 503 600

David Outhwaite
M +44 7787 597 493

Media Relations, Americas
Matthew Klar
T +1 514 608 4429

Investor Relations, UK
Menno Sanderse
M: +44 7825 195 178

David Ovington
M +44 7920 010 978

Clare Peever
M +44 7788 967 877

Rio Tinto plc
6 St James’s Square
London SW1Y 4AD
United Kingdom

T +44 20 7781 2000
Registered in England
No. 719885

Media Relations, Australia
Jonathan Rose
M +61 447 028 913

Matt Chambers
M +61 433 525 739

Jesse Riseborough
M +61 436 653 412

Investor Relations, Australia
Natalie Worley
M +61 409 210 462

Amar Jambaa
M +61 472 865 948

Rio Tinto Limited
Level 7, 360 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
Australia

T +61 3 9283 3333
Registered in Australia
ABN 96 004 458 404

Category: Weipa

BHP, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Glencore, and Vale are now more disciplined in their spending and more vital for renewable power.

MELBOURNE, Australia, September 17, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Simon Trott joined WA Health Minister Roger Cook today to open the Tom Price COVID-19 vaccination clinic aimed at boosting vaccination rates in the Pilbara, Western Australia.

The clinic, set up in partnership with Rio Tinto, WA’s Department of Health, WA Country Health Service and the Shire of Ashburton, will operate from 9am to 6pm at the Tom Price Community Centre from today through to 21 September. It will return in the coming weeks to enable the community to receive their second dose of the vaccine.

Vaccination bookings are available for all people who live or are currently in the region, including local and Aboriginal communities, Rio Tinto employees, contractors and their families. Walk-in appointments will also be welcomed.

Vaccine supply is sufficient to vaccinate the entire population of Tom Price over the age of 12, which is estimated to be about 3,000 people.

The WA Department of Health is also taking bookings for the Paraburdoo clinic, which is set to open to the community at Ashburton Hall on 23 September.

Rio Tinto is working with the WA Government to establish similar clinics in Pannawonica and Dampier, and stands ready to provide logistical support as required to assist with the vaccination rollout in remote Aboriginal communities.

The vaccination hubs at Perth Airport (T2 and T3) will open from 11 October, targeting workers returning to Perth, with bookings open from 27 September via rollup.wa.gov.au.

Rio Tinto is pleased to announce that the hubs will be available to Rio Tinto’s FIFO workforce who regularly travel to and from the Pilbara, as well as Western Australia’s wider FIFO mining industry who wish to utilise the facilities.

For further information or to make an appointment, visit rollup.wa.gov.au.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Simon Trott urged all eligible community members in Tom Price to ‘roll up for WA’ and play their part in boosting vaccination rates in the Pilbara.

"We urge the local community to take advantage of having the clinic on their doorstep, and make an appointment as soon as possible. At the end of this blitz, we would love for Tom Price to be the most vaccinated town in Australia which would be a terrific outcome.

"By setting up and running the clinic in Tom Price, it allows the Department of Health to free up resources that can be used to prioritise vaccinations in remote Aboriginal communities, which is a vital part of WA’s pathway out of the pandemic.

"Rio Tinto is proud to work with the WA Government on this important partnership and will continue to look at ways to help to boost vaccination rates across regional WA."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210916005961/en/

Contacts

Please direct all enquiries to
Media.enquiries@riotinto.com

Media Relations, Australia
Jonathan Rose
M +61 447 028 913

Matt Chambers
M +61 433 525 739

Jesse Riseborough
M +61 436 653 412

Jamie Macdonald
M +61 467 725 517

Kate Barcham
M +61 438 990 238

Rio Tinto plc
6 St James’s Square
London SW1Y 4AD
United Kingdom

T +44 20 7781 2000
Registered in England
No. 719885

Rio Tinto Limited
Level 7, 360 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
Australia

T +61 3 9283 3333
Registered in Australia
ABN 96 004 458 404

riotinto.com

Category: Pilbara

In this article we will take a look at the some of notable stocks on the move today. You can skip our detailed analysis of these stocks and go to read Why These 5 Stocks Are On the Move on Friday

It's another red day on Wall Street with all three major indexes lower. As of 11:28 AM eastern time, the Dow Jones index is down around 0.48%, the S&P 500 is 0.73% lower, and the NASDAQ has fallen around 0.87%. With a Federal Reserve meeting next week and September being a historically volatile month, it seems that some investors are a little bit more cautious than usual.

Some important stocks that are on the move on Friday include Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA), Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID), BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ:BGNE), BHP Group (NYSE:BBL), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), and SmileDirectClub, Inc. (NASDAQ:SDC), among others discussed in detail in this article.

Let's examine why each stock is trending and how elite funds are positioned among them.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Why do we care about hedge fund fund activity? Insider Monkey’s research was able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 86 percentage points since March 2017. Between March 2017 and July 2021 our monthly newsletter’s stock picks returned 186.1%, vs. 100.1% for the SPY. Our stock picks outperformed the market by 86 percentage points (see the details here). That’s why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. You can subscribe to our free newsletter on our homepage to receive our stories in your inbox.

10. Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) shares continued their hot streak from yesterday with another 7% rally on Friday.

The electric car maker has momentum due to the EPA this week having given Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID)'s Dream Air edition vehicle a range of 520 miles, the longest of any electric car that the agency has rated. Some analysts are bullish too. John Murphy of Bank of America said of Lucid on Thursday, "I think it's somewhat somewhere between a combination of Tesla and Ferrari." Murphy has a $30 price target.

For the filing period ended June 30, 2021, Philippe Laffont's Coatue Management owned more than 3.5 million shares of Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID).

Like Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) is on the move on Friday.

9. BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ:BGNE) stock has rallied more than 4% after after the company announced it received positive CHMP opinion for Zanubrutinib for the potential treatment of adults with Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia. After the positive CHMP positive opinion, the European Commission will need to consider BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ:BGNE)'s marketing application for the drug candidate with a final decision expected within 67 days of receipt of the CHMP opinion. For the latest 13F filing period, Julian Baker And Felix Baker's Baker Bros. Advisors owned 11,668,897 shares of BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ:BGNE), worth more than $4 billion as of June 30, 2021.

8. BHP Group (NYSE:BBL) is down around 4.5% due to weakness in iron ore prices.

Iron ore prices have weakened due to China pledging to limit steel output to better control carbon emissions. Iron ore accounts for a substantial part of BHP Group (NYSE:BBL)'s total business and China has been a major importer of iron ore. Although UBS analysts expect iron prices to slide below $100 a ton by 2021, they think China's decline in steel production could be due to the weak property market in the country.

Of the around 873 elite funds we track, 24 were long BHP Group (NYSE:BBL) at the end of Q2, 2021.

Like Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA), Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), BHP Group (NYSE:BBL) is on the move on Friday.

7. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) shares have surged more than 8% after the company announced that it sees adjusted EPS of $21.16 for FY22 versus the consensus of $19.68. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) also sees FY22 revenue of $40.3 billion, which is also higher than the consensus fo $34.29 billion.

Of the around 873 elite funds we track, 87 were long Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) in the second quarter, up from 79 in the first quarter.

6. SmileDirectClub, Inc. (NASDAQ:SDC) is up around 12.8% despite there being no fundamental news and the market being relatively weak. One potential reason could be Reddit traders, who have moved in and out of highly shorted stocks in the past. SmileDirectClub, Inc. (NASDAQ:SDC) has a short float of around 33%.

In terms of the funds we track, 19 elite funds were long SmileDirectClub, Inc. (NASDAQ:SDC) in Q2 2021, down 2 from the prior quarter.

Like Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA), Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) and BHP Group (NYSE:BBL), SmileDirectClub, Inc. (NASDAQ:SDC) is making moves on Friday. Click to continue reading and see Why These 5 Stocks Are On the Move on Friday. Suggested articles

Disclosure: None.

The article Why These 10 Stocks Are On the Move on Friday was originally published on Insider Monkey.

Mining stocks came under renewed pressure in London on Friday, as iron-ore prices continued to slump amid China’s push to restrict steel production.

MELBOURNE, September 16, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–On 2 March 2021 the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) issued Rio Tinto Limited with amended assessments related to the denial of interest deductions on an isolated borrowing used to pay an intragroup dividend in 2015. The borrowing was repaid in 2018.

The ATO has today issued further assessments in relation to the same transaction levying penalties of A$352m (US$257.9m) and reducing the original interest assessment from A$47m to A$27m (US$19.8m).

Borrowing to fund the payment of a dividend is a normal commercial practice. Rio Tinto is confident of its position and will dispute the primary tax and penalty assessments. In accordance with the usual practice Rio Tinto has paid 50% of the primary tax up-front as part of the objections process. Penalties and interest are not required to be paid until the primary tax matter is resolved.

Rio Tinto Limited paid more than A$8.4bn (US$6.4bn) of Australian income tax during the relevant period.

Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210915006227/en/

Contacts

Media Relations, UK

Illtud Harri
M +44 7920 503 600

David Outhwaite
M +44 7787 597 493

Media Relations, Americas

Matthew Klar
T +1 514 608 4429

Investor Relations, UK

Menno Sanderse
M: +44 7825 195 178

David Ovington
M +44 7920 010 978

Clare Peever
M +44 7788 967 877

Media Relations, Australia

Jonathan Rose
M +61 447 028 913

Matt Chambers
M +61 433 525 739

Jesse Riseborough
M +61 436 653 412

Investor Relations, Australia

Natalie Worley
M +61 409 210 462

Amar Jambaa
M +61 472 865 948

Rio Tinto plc

6 St James’s Square
London SW1Y 4AD
United Kingdom

T +44 20 7781 2000
Registered in England
No. 719885

Rio Tinto Limited

Level 7, 360 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
Australia

T +61 3 9283 3333
Registered in Australia
ABN 96 004 458 404

Category: General

To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Intrepid Potash's (NYSE:IPI) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Intrepid Potash is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets – Current Liabilities)

0.0077 = US$3.8m ÷ (US$557m – US$66m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

So, Intrepid Potash has an ROCE of 0.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Chemicals industry average of 10.0%.

View our latest analysis for Intrepid Potash

In the above chart we have measured Intrepid Potash's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

The Trend Of ROCE

We're delighted to see that Intrepid Potash is reaping rewards from its investments and has now broken into profitability. While the business was unprofitable in the past, it's now turned things around and is earning 0.8% on its capital. On top of that, what's interesting is that the amount of capital being employed has remained steady, so the business hasn't needed to put any additional money to work to generate these higher returns. With no noticeable increase in capital employed, it's worth knowing what the company plans on doing going forward in regards to reinvesting and growing the business. So if you're looking for high growth, you'll want to see a business's capital employed also increasing.

Our Take On Intrepid Potash's ROCE

To sum it up, Intrepid Potash is collecting higher returns from the same amount of capital, and that's impressive. Since the stock has returned a staggering 173% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Intrepid Potash, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

While Intrepid Potash isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

By Ernest Scheyder

Sept 16 (Reuters) – U.S. mining companies are blasting proposals in Congress that would set royalties for copper, lithium and other minerals extracted from federal land, with executives saying the measures would hurt domestic production of the building blocks for solar panels, electric vehicles and other green technologies.

The House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee added language to the proposed $3.5 trillion reconciliation spending measure last week that would set an 8% gross royalty on existing mines and 4% on new ones. There would also be a 7 cent fee for every ton of rock moved.

That would mark one of the most-substantial changes to the law that has governed U.S. mining since 1872 and could raise about $2 billion over 10 years for federal coffers.

The full House could reverse the committee's move and the legislation faces an uncertain fate in the U.S. Senate.

"The race for electric vehicles and electrification of the economy requires metals and mining, and that needs to be incentivized, not stalled," said Rich Nolan, head of the National Mining Association, an industry trade group.

Tensions are rising in the United States over how best to procure minerals needed to green the economy. President Joe Biden has yet to take a public stance on the issue, though privately he has signaled plans to rely on allies for EV metals, Reuters reported earlier this year.

The 1872 law did not set royalties in order to encourage development of more than 350 million acres in the western United States. Miners say it should remain as-is, or be tweaked only slightly. Environmentalists have long said the law should be updated to require the industry to pay to extract minerals on taxpayer-owned land.

Executives say Biden's goal to have 35% of U.S. electricity generated by solar panels – up from 3% today – would be all but impossible without new mines. Silver is used to make photovoltaic cells.

"This royalty proposal is really inconsistent with being able to grow production and meeting the demands for silver to green the economy," said Phil Baker, chief executive of Hecla Mining Co, the largest U.S. silver producer. Baker said he will close mines if the proposal is approved.

Miners say they already pay high income, sales and other taxes. They warned that the proposed royalty on gross profit would discourage investment when commodity prices rise and shorten a mine's life when prices fall.

The NMA declined to say what percentage royalty its members would find palatable. It said it would prefer a royalty on net, rather than gross, profit.

"New taxes on the front end of the supply chain undermine the EV battery goals that have been set by the president and Congress and make U.S. policy look schizophrenic," said Todd Malan of Talon Metals Corp, which is developing the Tamareck nickel deposit in Minnesota. Nickel is used to make EV battery cathodes.

The proposed new royalty rates would affect so-called hard rock mining, but are part of a series of other proposed fee hikes on oil, coal and natural gas extraction. The committee also approved language that would block Rio Tinto Ltd from building its Resolution copper mine in Arizona.

The NMA said it does support the committee's proposal to create a $3 billion reclamation fund for older abandoned mines.

Lithium Americas Corp, which is developing the Thacker Pass lithium mine on federal land in Nevada, said it stands ready to work with Congress to develop a "reasonable royalty for operating on public lands." Lithium is a key component of EV batteries.

"The current proposal will impair U.S. competitiveness when demand for lithium is soaring and the domestic production is just starting to respond," said Tim Crowley of Lithium Americas. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by David Gregorio)

Rio Tinto plc RIO and Caterpillar, Inc. CAT recently joined forces to develop zero-emissions autonomous haul trucks for use at one of Rio Tinto’s Western Australian mining operations. This marks a significant step in Rio Tinto’s mine automation and digitalization program, and the target of attaining net zero emissions by 2050. The move also highlights Caterpillar’s efforts in developing autonomous solutions for customers.

Both of the parties will work together to advance the development of Caterpillar’s future 220-ton 793 zero-emissions autonomous haul truck including the validation of Caterpillar’s emerging zero-emissions technology. Prototypes will be developed, tested, and undergo pre-production trials. It is anticipated that the world’s first operational deployment of approximately 35 new Caterpillar 793 zero-emissions autonomous haul trucks will be at Gudai-Darri, which is Rio Tinto’s most technically advanced iron ore mine in the Pilbara region, Western Australia. Rio Tinto intends to make Gudai-Darri one of the world’s most technologically advanced mines. Construction at Gudai-Darri continues to progress with production ramp-up on track for early 2022. Once completed, the mine will have an annual capacity of 43 million tons.

Earlier in June, Rio Tinto announced that it will deploy the world’s first fully autonomous water truck at its Gudai-Darri mine in partnership with Caterpillar. Water spraying is a vital part of mining operations and this new technology will enhance productivity by enabling digital tracking of water consumption, while cutting down water wastage. Rio Tinto has earmarked approximately $1 billion in investments over the next five years to get its operations down to net zero emissions by 2050.

Rio Tinto’s existing Autonomous Haulage System has improved safety by reducing the risks associated with operators working around heavy machinery. With the help of technology and automation, miners are bringing radical changes to mining operations to increase productivity, reduce cost and improve frontline safety. These efforts will help the industry meet its sustainability target by cutting down on carbon emissions, which is the need of the hour considering the severity of climate change.

Earlier this month, Brazilian miner Vale S.A VALE announced that it has started operating six autonomous haul trucks in Carajás — its largest iron ore complex in Brazil and plans to take it up to 10 vehicles by this year-end. This follows the success of the autonomous operation at Vale’s second largest mine, Brucutu, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2016. Last month, BHP Group BHP announced a partnership with Caterpillar to develop and deploy zero-emissions mining trucks at BHP sites to reduce operational greenhouse gas emissions.

Last year, Newmont Mining Corporation NEM announced investment in implementation of the Autonomous Haulage System at Boddington mine in Australia to enhance safety and productivity, while extending mine life. Once operational, Boddington will be the first open pit gold mine in the world with a fully autonomous haul truck fleet.

Given its benefits to the miners, the driverless fleet is becoming increasingly popular among miners. The number of autonomous trucks is expected to surge over the next few years, thanks to major investments by miners globally. Capitalizing on this demand, Caterpillar is enhancing its autonomous capabilities and bringing innovative products into markets that provide it with a competitive edge in mining. The intensifying global focus on shifting from fossil fuels to zero emissions will require a huge amount of commodities. This is a win-win situation for both miners and mining equipment makers.

Caterpillar and Newmont currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). BHP, Vale and Rio Tinto carry a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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Rio Tinto PLC (RIO): Free Stock Analysis Report

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Zacks Investment Research

One stock that might be an intriguing choice for investors right now is The Mosaic Company MOS. This is because this security in the Fertilizers space is seeing solid earnings estimate revision activity, and is in great company from a Zacks Industry Rank perspective.

This is important because, often times, a rising tide will lift all boats in an industry, as there can be broad trends taking place in a segment that are boosting securities across the board. This is arguably taking place in the Fertilizers space as it currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 20 out of more than 250 industries, suggesting it is well-positioned from this perspective, especially when compared to other segments out there.

Meanwhile, Mosaic is actually looking pretty good on its own too. The firm has seen solid earnings estimate revision activity over the past month, suggesting analysts are becoming a bit more bullish on the firm’s prospects in both the short and long term.

The Mosaic Company Price and Consensus

The Mosaic Company price-consensus-chart | The Mosaic Company Quote

In fact, over the past month, current quarter estimates have risen from $1.68 per share to $1.72 per share, while current year estimates have risen from $4.43 per share to $4.87 per share. This has helped MOS to earn a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), further underscoring the company’s solid position.You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

So, if you are looking for a decent pick in a strong industry, consider Mosaic. Not only is its industry currently in the top third, but it is seeing solid estimate revisions as of late, suggesting it could be a very interesting choice for investors seeking a name in this great industry segment.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Lithium Corp. (“American Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSX-V:LI | OTCQB:LIACF | Frankfurt:5LA1) is pleased to provide details of additional progress optimizing recent salt roasting and water leaching work on lithium mineralization from the Tonopah Lithium Claims Project located near Tonopah, Nevada (“TLC”) .

Roast-Water Leach Process Highlights:

Ongoing process work at TECMMINE in Lima, Peru has replicated, and improved upon, promising initial roasting results from Hazen Laboratory using sulphate and/or chloride salts, followed by water leaching. With this continued progress, the Company will pursue/finalize further optimization work.
The best salt roast – water leach results achieved to date at TECMMINE, include:
- 89.4% Li extraction using a combination of gypsum, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate roasting;
- 87.3% Li extraction using a combination of gypsum and sodium chloride; and
- 79.3% Li extraction using gypsum-only.

Dr. Laurence Stefan, COO of American Lithium, states, “the success of roasting TLC lithium claystones continues to demonstrate the processing versatility of this unique style of mineralization and its untapped potential. Salt roast – water leaching results in minimal impurities in pregnant leach solutions and allows the production of either lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide further enhancing the Project’s flexibility. It also results in higher extraction of potential value-added by products. With recent optimization work significantly improving lithium extraction from all our process options over a short time-frame, it makes sense to continue and finalize this phase of development. This will ensure that we maximize the potential of each process option, which in turn will enable us to select the best flow-sheet for our preliminary economic assessment (“PEA”).”

Roast-Water Leach Process Details:

Roasting test work has previously shown promising results for processing TLC claystone lithium mineralization. The recent program completed at TECMMINE has experimented with varying grind size, roasting temperature, time and both quantity and type of roast salt reagent addition.

This processing route for lithium extraction also results in higher extraction of potassium (K-84%) and rubidium (Rb-86%) that may facilitate the production of fertilizer (SOP – sulphate of potash) and/or highly technical chemicals (rubidium hydroxide) as potential value-added by-products at TLC in Nevada.

It has become clear that salt roasting requires an interplay of calcium (gypsum) salts and sodium salts (NaCl/sodium sulphate) to maximize Li extraction. Work thus far included roast optimization with varying reagent quantities, the type of salt reagents, temperature, roast and leach time and grind size as well as by-product potential. These improvements will be integrated into the process to determine the best flow sheet option for the PEA as the Company determines the economic and environmental trade-offs for the salt roast – water leach process option. Optimization of leach test work on the Company’s other successful processing options also continues.

Qualified Person
Mr. Ted O’Connor, P.Geo., a Director of American Lithium, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information related to TECMMINE contained in this news release.

The TSX Venture 50 is a ranking of the top performers in each of 5 industry sectors in the TSX Venture Exchange over the last year.

For more information, please contact the Company at info@americanlithiumcorp.com or visit our website at www.americanlithiumcorp.com for project update videos and related background information.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of American Lithium Corp.

“Simon Clarke”

CEO & Director

Tel: 604 428 6128

For further information, please contact:

American Lithium Corp.
Email: info@americanlithiumcorp.com
Website: www.americanlithiumcorp.com

Nutrien Ltd. NTR stock looks promising at the moment. The company’s shares have popped roughly 27% so far this year. It is benefiting from higher prices and healthy demand for crop nutrients.

We are positive on the company’s prospects and believe that the time is right for you to add the stock to your portfolio as it looks promising and is poised to carry the momentum ahead.

Nutrien currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a VGM Score of A. Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B, combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), offer the best investment opportunities for investors.

Let’s delve deeper into the factors that make this fertilizer maker an attractive choice for investors right now.

An Outperformer

Shares of Nutrien have rallied 52.2% in a year compared with the 49.3% rise of its industry. It has also outperformed the S&P 500’s 32.1% rise over the same period.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Estimates Northbound

Earnings estimate revisions have the greatest impact on stock prices. Over the past two months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Nutrien for the current year has increased 28.5%. The consensus estimate for third-quarter 2021 has also been revised 39% upward over the same time frame.

Positive Earnings Surprise History

Nutrien has outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters. In this time frame, it has delivered an average earnings surprise of roughly 127.6%.

Solid Growth Prospects

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings for the current year for Nutrien is currently pegged at $4.78, indicating year-over-year growth of 165.6%. Moreover, earnings are expected to register 365.2% growth in the third quarter of 2021.

Growth Drivers in Place

Nutrien should benefit from solid demand and higher prices for fertilizers, especially potash, supported by the strength in global agriculture markets. It is expected to gain from strong potash sales volumes this year on the back of solid domestic and overseas demand.

The company is also well placed to gain from acquisitions, cost efficiency, and increased adoption of its digital platform. It also continues to expand its footprint in Brazil through acquisitions, including Tec Agro.

Nutrien is also gaining from higher net realized selling prices for crop nutrients as witnessed in the last reported quarter. Potash prices have strengthened on the back of robust global demand, aided by strong grower economics, higher crop prices and low global inventory levels. Tight availability along with firm demand is also driving up phosphate prices globally. Lower global supply availability stemming from reduced operating rates and a spike in energy prices are also likely to boost nitrogen prices. Higher prices are expected to drive the company’s sales and margins in 2021.

The company is also taking actions to boost potash production in the wake of tightening global potash market conditions. The move is in response to strong market fundamentals and is geared to enable its customers have the crop inputs they require to feed a growing population. The company expects to produce one million tons of incremental potash in 2021 as a result of this move.

Nutrien, on its second-quarter call, raised its adjusted net earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA guidance to $4.60-$5.10 (from $2.55-$3.25) and $6-$6.4 billion (from $4.4-$4.9 billion), respectively, for full-year 2021. The revision reflects higher expected results across its business and the benefits of increasing its potash sales guidance for 2021 by one million tons.

Nutrien Ltd. Price and Consensus

Nutrien Ltd. price-consensus-chart | Nutrien Ltd. Quote

Other Stocks to Consider

Some other top-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include The Mosaic Company MOS, United States Steel Corporation X, and Olympic Steel, Inc. ZEUS, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Mosaic has an expected earnings growth rate of 472.9% for the current year. The stock has also rallied around 77% over a year.

U.S. Steel has a projected earnings growth rate of 360.6% for the current year. The company’s shares have shot up around 215% in a year.

Olympic Steel has an expected earnings growth rate of 2,362.2% for the current year. The company’s shares have rallied around 108.9% in the past year.

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Edmonton, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – September 15, 2021) – Grizzly Discoveries Inc. (TSXV: GZD) (OTCQB: GZDIF) (FSE: G6H) ("Grizzly" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that phase 1 sampling results targeting existing anomaly areas and new high-priority conductivity anomalies in the search for Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu) and Silver (Ag) mineralization that have been received at its Robocop Property.

The rock grab samples delivered results with up to 3.35% copper (Cu) and 196 ppm Co (Figure 1 below). The Company has isolated multiple high-priority geophysical targets that are supported by anomalous copper-cobalt geochemistry along a 7 km trend (Figures 1 & 2 below). The anomalous trend includes multiple geophysical anomalies that measure 200 to 600 m strike length. The Robocop Property is 100% owned by Grizzly and is easily road accessible in Southeast British Columbia (the "Property"), near the hamlets of Grasmere and Roosville.

Brian Testo, CEO of Grizzly commented, "It is great to find a high grade sample of battery metals associated with a new anomaly at the Robocop. The Property has significant potential for new copper-cobalt discoveries. The team is looking forward to drilling this new discovery and other promising anomalies, this year."

Fig 1. 2021 and historical Cu in rocks & soils (bright samples are 2021 results).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4488/96661_4646a9f2345dfb3b_002full.jpg

The follow-up Phase 1 ground geochemical survey was designed to extend known anomalous areas and targets, and test a number of high and secondary priority geophysical anomalies identified by the 2021 VTEM survey in the vicinity of the "Discovery Area" (See Figures 1 & 2) and across the property. The Discovery Area has provided historical anomalous trench and core intersections of up to 0.134% Co, 1.19% Cu and 33.8 grams per tonne (g/t) Ag over 1.23 m. Over the course of the three-week program a total of 530 soil samples and 16 rock samples were collected from across the property (see Figure 2 below). Outcrop of the targeted favourable horizon is poor.

Fig 2. Property wide rock and Soil sample results over conductivity from 2021 (bright samples are 2021 results).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4488/96661_4646a9f2345dfb3b_003full.jpg

A rock grab sample of malachite-bearing arkosic sandstone float material (See Figure 3 below) on a south facing slope approximately 340 m west of the Discovery area returned 3.35% Cu and 196 ppm Co and represents a new discovery of copper and cobalt. Coincident Cu and Co in soils in the area indicates that Roo Formation sandstones, host to Cu- and Co-bearing mineralization, likely continue well west of the known trenched and drilled mineralization at the Discovery area (Figure 1). The rock grab sample was collected immediately down slope from the up-hill high priority conductive anomaly 15-3. VTEM conductive anomalies 14-3 and 16-3 in the immediate vicinity also are coincident with significantly anomalous Cu and Co in soils (Figure 1). None of these VTEM conductive anomalies have been drill tested. The historical drilling to date is comprised of 15 holes in three locations over a strike length of 1.1 km from the Discovery area to the southeast towards a tributary that flows into Phillipps Creek without testing any of the VTEM anomalies. The 2021 soil sampling program has extended the known length of anomalous Cu and Co to over 7 km of strike length up Phillipps Creek to the southeast (Figures 1 and 2).

A number of additional priority 1 and 2 VTEM anomalies to the southeast including 13-3, 58-3, 57-3, 55-3, 60-3, 45-3, 78-2 and 8-2 are spatially co-incident with Cu and Co in soil anomalies, both in historical sampling and 2021 sampling. None of these anomalies nor the anomalous soils associated with them have been drill tested. The 2021 soil sampling program has identified that the Phillipps Creek Cu and Co soil anomaly can be traced continuously from the Discovery area up Phillipps Creek for close to 7 km (Figures 1 and 2). A 2021 rock grab sample from altered arkosic sandstone retuned 1.4% Cu approximately 4.3 km east of the Discovery area up Phillipps Creek (Figures 1 and 2).

A Notice of Work land use permit application for drilling a number of the VTEM anomalies from the Discovery area up Phillipps Creek has been submitted to Front Counter BC's Cranbrook Office with approval and anticipated drill testing sometime in fall, 2021. Funding permitting, ground geophysical TDEM or IP surveys will be used as a Phase 2 program to test and firm up targets for drilling in fall 2021. Additional soil and rock sampling may also be conducted as part of the Phase 2 work.

Fig 3. Strong malachite staining on metasiltstone-sandstone float found during the field program in June 2021.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4488/96661_4646a9f2345dfb3b_004full.jpg

The property is hosted within a similar geological setting to the Idaho Cobalt-Copper belt where conductivity (EM) and magnetic surveying techniques along with soil and rock geochemistry have been used previously to successfully guide drilling of prospective targets and assist in making new metal discoveries.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE ROBOCOP PROPERTY

The Robocop Project is comprised of 9,053acres (3,663 ha) in five mineral claims that are all road accessible, just off Provincial Highway 93 in southeast B.C.
Initial surface trenching in the late 1980's to early 1990's yielded up to 0.06% Co and 1.93% Cu over 6 metres (m) in one trench, and in a separate trench up to 0.146% Co, 1.8% Cu and 5.3 grams per tonne (g/t) Ag over 5 m in sediment-hosted sulphide mineralization within middle Proterozoic Purcell Group rocks (Thomson, 1990).
A total of 15 drill holes in the area between 1990 and 2008 have yielded several intersections of near surface Co-Cu-Ag mineralization with grades of up to 0.134% Co, 1.19% Cu and 33.8 g/t Ag over 1.23 m core length in hole R-1990-5 and 0.14% Co, 0.9% Cu and 2.7 g/t Ag over 3.1 m core length in hole R-1990-6 (Thomson, 1990), along with an intersection of 0.18% Co, 0.28% Cu and 4.1 g/t Ag over 1 m core length in hole R-2008-02 (Pighin, 2009).
All but one of the historical drillholes tested a single target in an area about 500 m by 350 m. The Property is approximately 10 km in length and 3.5 km in width and contains numerous untested anomalous soil +/- rock geochemical targets.
Sediment hosted Co-Cu-Ag mineralization is similar in style, age and host rocks to mineralization at Jervois Mining Ltd.'s Idaho Cobalt project and Hecla's Revett Formation hosted mineralization near Troy, Montana.

The Property has yielded significant historical cobalt, copper and silver results and presents an opportunity to discover battery and electrification metals as the world shifts to electric vehicles, sustainable practices and greener alternatives. The macroeconomic outlook for battery metals such as Co and Cu remains strong with the ongoing shift to electric vehicles. It is estimated that the battery sector accounts for approximately 57% of current Co demand; this is expected to grow over the next five years to 72% and will require an additional 100,000 tonnes/annum of Cobalt to meet demand.¹

The technical content of this news release and the Company's technical disclosure has been reviewed and approved by Michael B. Dufresne, M. Sc., P. Geol., P.Geo., who is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

ABOUT GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.
Grizzly is a diversified Canadian mineral exploration company with its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange, with 90 million shares issued, focused on developing its over 160,000 acres of precious and base metals properties in southeastern British Columbia. Grizzly is run by a highly experienced junior resource sector management team, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from early exploration stage through to feasibility stage.

On behalf of the Board,

GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.
Brian Testo, CEO, President

For further information, please visit our website at www.grizzlydiscoveries.com or contact:
Chris Beltgens
Corporate Development
Tel: 604 347 9535
Email: cbeltgens@grizzlydiscoveries.com

Neither the 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.

Caution concerning forward-looking information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Grizzly in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Grizzly's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon.

Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management's Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. Grizzly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required by law.

¹ Cobalt's Price Rises Highlight Shift to Battery-Driven Pricing Dynamics, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, November 19^th, 2021

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/96661

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