Who knew llamas could be so calming? (If you ignore the spitting that is)
One llama, who goes by the name “Caesar the No Drama Llama” has managed to quiet protestors in Portland, Oregon with his “emotional-support hugs”, The Washington Post reported this week.
This six-year-old 5-foot-8, 350-pound package of fur can calm even the toughest of men, according to his caretaker Larry McCool.
“I don’t care how big, how staunch, how intense that somebody is — it could be a big marcher in total riot gear, and he will come up and give Caesar a big hug,” McCool, 66, told The Washington Post.
“It’s all I can do to just keep him from snuggling.”
Now, here’s what you might have missed on Stockhead this week, but everyone else didn’t, and liked the most.
1. Investors are chasing ASX silver stocks as the price takes off
For those that think gold is just a tad pricey for them now, perhaps silver is the place to look.
Gold’s poorer cousin is finally getting a bit of the price action that its much more popular counterpart has been witnessing for some time now.
While investors have been glued to gold since the start of 2020, silver stocks have started to become more popular with thousands of ordinary Australian investors getting in on the price action.
But if you want to find quality pure play silver stocks on the ASX there aren’t too many ways to play it. Find out who’s in the game.
2. RockTalk: Why silver is no longer the poor man’s gold
This week silver definitely rules the roost.
Our latest RockTalk delves into why silver is no longer the poor man’s gold.
Peter Strachan gets into the nitty gritty with Impact Minerals (ASX:IPT) and Silver Mines (ASX:SLV).
The group discusses the history of silver, the growing market, new thematics driving demand and much more.
3. V-Con: Copper on the march
It turns out our subscribers don’t just love silver and gold; they are also very much into copper.
COVID-19’s impact on the global economy has prompted governments to roll out trillions of dollars of stimulus to ignite things like infrastructure spend.
European governments, meanwhile, are working to secure their EV supply chains, injecting billions of dollars into the economy, after the pandemic shone a light on just how fragile they can be.
Add to that the fact that mines in heavily COVID impacted regions like Chile and Panama have been forced to close temporarily, disrupting supply, and you have the perfect storm for copper prices to start heading north.
4. StockDoc Podcast: How this fintech scored a 5-year global deal with Visa
Investors have responded well to 9Spokes (ASX:9SP) landing a five-year deal with credit card giant Visa.
This week Dr Nigel Finch got the lowdown on the deal from CEO Adrian Grant.
The deal with Visa will help 9Spokes achieve its goal of becoming a scalable business-to-business (B2B) software platform.
5. How tech is changing healthcare, and where professional ASX investors are looking
By ASX sector, healthcare is one of the most open to disruption from technology.
But in picking the next market leader, the sector also poses some unique challenges — stricter regulatory criteria (for obvious reasons) and scalability chief among them.
The COVID-19 disruption has also created some strong talking points, most notably the shift to telehealth solutions.
6. Gold Digger: Here’s how 164 Aussie gold stocks performed over the past week
Spot gold prices keep breaking new records.
And this bullish (some say overheated) gold price environment has lit the fuse under an increasing number of ASX-listed gold stocks, small and large.
Over the past year, 128 of the 164 gold stocks on our list have made gains; 58 of those by 100 per cent or more.
Find out who these lucky sods are.
7. Will it take a pandemic to make Aussie secondary markets successful?
A viable alternative to the ASX has long been a goal for several business groups, but trading markets for companies that have not, or will never list may be the understudy that finally reaches the main stage.
Equity crowdfunding platform Birchal is considering offering low-volume markets for crowdfunded companies that are not ready or do not wish to undergo a public market listing.
And Primary Markets is pitching itself as an alternative to an IPO.
8. Guy on Rocks: It’s risk-on again for investors, Elon Musk gives nickel a kick-along
It’s risk-on for investors again as inflation becomes deflation.
And that means investors are rushing to pick up undervalued resources stocks.
Tesla bigwig Elon Musk also did the nickel market a solid by calling for miners to produce more of the metal.
“Thanks to Elon for that little kick along,” former geologist and experienced stockbroker Guy Le Page says.
Find out who his hot stocks to watch are if you didn’t catch it the first time around.
9. These 5 junior explorers could be dialling in on the next big gold discovery
The gold space is very crowded right now… not really surprising.
Gold has been on a winning streak not seen in years, prompting RBC Capital Markets to launch a new ‘high’ scenario where gold crosses $US3,000/oz ($4,216/oz).
And these five gold hopefuls are making hay while the sun shines.
10. How to win at Monopoly: Just buy everything that tries to land on YOU!
This week The Secret Broker delves into the seedy underworld of real-life monopolies.
This latest yarn takes aim at the big boys and their antics to stomp out their competition.
TSB even likens Jeff Bezos to Bond villain Blofeld.
Have a good weekend!