If you’re a Microsoft 365 user, this Monday may have been a little more frustrating for you than usual.
The product family of software announced early Monday morning that it is investigating an issue impacting Exchange Online and Microsoft Teams users. Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook and Teams, are heavily relied on by many places of work around the world.
In an afternoon update, Microsoft 365 said it is “facing delays” in its effort to address the issues.
‘We understand the significant impact of this event to your businesses and are working to provide relief as soon as possible,’ Microsoft said on X.
Downdetector, an online platform that monitors website and service outages, says user reports indicate issues with Microsoft 365, Outlook and Teams. Problem reports for the services seemed to spike just before 1 p.m.
Users posted in the comment sections on the Downdetector website to share the issues they’ve been facing this work day.
‘It is almost 2:00 PM EST. I am still unable to get access to Outlook,’ one commenter wrote in the Microsoft 365 comment section.
Another commenter from Michigan said their Outlook account has been down since around 10 a.m. EST.
This is developing story. Please check back in for updates.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will provide rebates to residents if President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration does away with a federal tax credit for electric vehicles.
In a news release issued Monday, Newsom said he would restart the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which provided financial incentives on more than 590,000 vehicles before it was phased out late 2023.
‘We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California,’ Newsom said. ‘We’re not turning back on a clean transportation future — we’re going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don’t pollute.’
The federal rebates on new and used electric vehicles were implemented in the Inflation Reduction Act that President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022. When Trump’s second term in office begins next year, he could work with Congress to change the rules around those rebates. Those potential changes could limit the federal rebates, including by reducing the amount of money available or limiting who is eligible.
Limiting federal subsidies on electric vehicle purchases would hurt many American automakers, including Ford, General Motors and the EV startup Rivian. Tesla, which also builds its automobiles in the United States, would take a smaller hit since that company currently sells more EVs and has a higher profit margin than any other EV manufacturer.
Newsom also announced earlier this month that he will convene a special sessionin December ‘to protect California values,’ including fundamental civil rights and reproductive rights, that he said ‘are under attack by this incoming administration.’
‘Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate action — we refuse to turn back the clock and allow our values and laws to be attacked,’ Newsom said on X on Nov. 7.
A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This isn’t the first time California will be taking action against the Trump’s administration concerning clean transportation legislation.
In 2019, California and 22 other states sued his administration for revoking its ability to set standards for greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards for vehicles, The Associated Press reported.
California sued the Trump administration over 100 times during his first term, primarily on matters including gun control, health care, education and immigration, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Macy’s on Monday said an employee responsible for managing accounting for small package deliveries concealed up to $154 million in expenses over the course of nearly three years.
The person who allegedly hid the money is no longer with the company, the department store operator said Monday morning, ahead of its third-quarter earnings report. The company, whose statement on the matter didn’t say when the person left the job, declined to comment beyond the announcement.
The news comes at a difficult time for Macy’s, which is indelibly tied to the holiday season through the film “Miracle on 34th Street” and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, while investors look for clues about how consumers are shopping for the holidays. Macy’s sales have slumped as the company has underperformed for the past decade.
The company was due to deliver results before U.S. stock markets opened Tuesday morning, but it has delayed releasing its full results until Dec. 11 to allow an independent investigation to wrap up.
Macy’s said it discovered the issue while preparing its financial report for the quarter ending Nov. 2. It did release preliminary findings for the period, saying overall net sales declined 2.4% year-over-year.
The company said the employee, who was responsible for the accounting of small package delivery expenses, ‘intentionally made erroneous accounting accrual entries’ to hide about $132 million to $154 million from the fourth quarter of 2021 through the most recently completed quarter. That is small relative to the $4.36 billion in overall delivery expenses Macy’s recorded during that period. However, it is greater than the $105 million in net profit the company recorded for its full fiscal year that ended Feb. 3.
The independent investigation hasn’t identified any other Macy’s employee, the company said.
‘At Macy’s, Inc., we promote a culture of ethical conduct. While we work diligently to complete the investigation as soon as practicable and ensure this matter is handled appropriately, our colleagues across the company are focused on serving our customers and executing our strategy for a successful holiday season,” CEO Tony Spring said in a statement Monday morning.
Macy’s is attempting a turnaround amid broader shifts in the retail industry, particularly as shoppers buy more online. In February, the retail chain said it would close 150 stores nationwide in a reorganization initiative to focus on luxury sales.
The move will leave 350 Macy’s locations, as well as Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury beauty and skin care stores, which the company said have been “outperformers” within the Macy’s portfolio.
A federal judge said Monday he may hold an evidentiary hearing next month to help determine whether to approve the sale of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ media company to satirical publication The Onion.
Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston clarified the sale, which comes after a Nov. 13 auction, remains in limbo until such a hearing, when interested parties can make their case and he can decide which of Jones’ assets, if any, can be sold. A date was not immediately set.
He also declined to immediately rule on Jones’ request for a temporary restraining order to disqualify the Onion’s bid, and said ‘whatever was status quo pre-auction remains status quo’ — essentially allowing Jones to remain broadcasting from his flagship platform, Infowars, for the time being.
‘Firing folks a week before Thanksgiving is not what we do, but it sounds like that’s not what occurred,’ Lopez said. ‘Folks are continuing to work.’
Another bidder, First United American Companies, a limited liability company affiliated with Jones’ dietary supplements business, had challenged the results of the auction after it said it bid twice as much cash as the Onion.
At stake is the ownership of Infowars’ intellectual property, including its website — the prized asset in the auction in which proceeds are largely meant to help satisfy defamation verdicts awarded to several families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The families won lawsuits against Jones in 2022 after he repeatedly called the massacre that left 20 children and six staff members dead in Newtown, Connecticut, a ‘hoax’ on his Infowars broadcast. He filed for bankruptcy in his home state of Texas in the wake of the nearly $1.5 billion in legal judgments.
Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems, was set to go to the Onion, which has often mocked him in its faux news coverage, after bankruptcy trustee Christopher Murray announced the winning bid.
But First United American Companies quickly contested the results, saying in an emergency filing attempting to block the sale that it had offered $3.5 million in cash — compared to the Onion’s $1.75 million.
The auction process approved by Lopez did not require Murray to automatically select the bidder that submitted the highest amount, and the trustee could reject the bid that was ‘contrary to the best interests’ of the estate creditors.
Lopez said Monday that the focus of an evidentiary hearing will be on Murray’s business judgment in regard to how the auction was held. He said he may decide to approve the sale, order another auction or hold additional hearings.
‘I want a fair and transparent process, and let’s see where that process goes,’ Lopez said, adding, ‘Everyone will have their day in court.’
At a prior court hearing following the auction, Murray said, ‘the creditors ended up significantly better off’ under the Onion’s bid. He also explained in a filing that the majority of Sandy Hook families were willing to forgo their share of the sale proceeds and instead take a percentage from future revenues from a revamped Infowars, which would allow the other creditors to collect more money.
The Onion estimates its total bid value is $7 million.
But Walter Cicack, a lawyer for First American United Companies, said in its filing that the arrangement amounts to a ‘Monopoly’ money bid since any future revenues are undetermined.
‘This was not simply collaboration,’ he said of the Onion’s support from Sandy Hook families, ‘this was outright collusive bid rigging.’
Chris Mattei, an attorney for some of the victims’ families, said in a previous statement that the Onion did ‘a public service’ by spearheading the purchase and ‘will meaningfully hinder Jones’ ability to do more harm.’
Lawyers for the Onion said in a filing Sunday that the company has been ‘harassed and threatened by the Debtor and members of his audience since their winning bid was announced.’ They argued that the sale should proceed, writing that a joint bid ‘does not amount to collusion’ and disputing the idea that there was a lack of transparency because the auction used a sealed bid process.
‘Sealed bids maintain the competitive tension between bidders and force bidders to offer up their best terms irrespective of where other bids sit,’ the lawyers wrote, adding, ‘Far from maintaining this process in secrecy, once the Trustee selected the Successful Bidder, the Trustee publicly disclosed all information about the Qualified Bids, including by disclosing copies of the initial and final bids submitted by each Qualified Bidder.’
Onion CEO Ben Collins — who previously covered disinformation and conspiracy theories for NBC News — had said on social media that while ‘the judge had some questions about process and assets,’ its ‘bid with the families is clearly the best.’
Collins also wrote that the Onion plans to relaunch Infowars as ‘the dumbest website on the internet.’ A person with knowledge of the sale told NBC News the new platform will include well-known internet humor writers and content creators.
A poster for The Onion on a wall in Manhattan’s East Village on Nov. 17.Samuel Rigelhaupt / Sipa USA via AP
In announcing the sale, the Onion put out a news release written in the voice of a satirical CEO of Global Tetrahedron, the publication’s Chicago-based parent company.
Infowars was briefly shut down after the sale was announced before it resumed operating with Jones, who claimed the site was ‘hijacked.’
Meanwhile, Jones — who built a small media empire off of promoting conspiracy theories and misinformation — has claimed that Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump are investigating the bankruptcy auction in his favor after Musk’s X Corp. filed a notice of appearance in the case. X Corp. is presumed to be an interested party because Jones uses X to broadcast his show and the case involves the potential transfer of Jones’ X handle in the sale.
Lawyers for Jones filed a request last week for a temporary restraining order to invalidate the Onion’s bid, and asserted that First United American Companies should be the successful bidder. Jones described the auction process as ‘fraudulent,’ but told his audience that regardless of what happens with Infowars, he won’t be silenced.
Alrosa (MCX:ALRS), Russia’s state-owned diamond miner, plans to suspend certain operations and reduce its workforce in 2025 as it confronts falling global diamond prices and the impact of international sanctions.
CEO Pavel Marinychev outlined the measures during an interview with local media in Yakutia, the company’s primary production hub, as reported by Reuters on Thursday (November 21).
The global diamond industry is experiencing a downturn, with Marinychev describing the situation as a ‘deep crisis.’
Prices for the gems have declined for the second consecutive year, a situation that Marinychev said has been further exacerbated for Alrosa by sanctions from the G7 nations and EU. Together, they instituted a direct ban on Russian diamond imports at the start of 2024, and added an indirect ban at the beginning of March.
Alrosa is targeting a 10 percent reduction in labor costs next year, which will affect its 35,000 employees.
Marinychev stated that areas of production deemed less profitable will be paused, though operations in these regions could be resumed swiftly if diamond market conditions improve. ‘We are currently in a rather difficult situation. Our task is to endure and wait out this period, to wait for prices to start rising again,’ he explained.
The company has not published sales data since 2022, the year Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian government, which occasionally buys diamonds from Alrosa to support the industry, plans to continue these purchases in 2025. Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev confirmed that the government’s budget for 2025 to 2027 includes US$1.55 billion allocated for acquiring precious metals and gemstones.
This measure is intended to stabilize the diamond market and alleviate pressure from oversupply.
Given the diamond market’s challenges, Alrosa has sought to diversify its revenue. In July, the company finalized the acquisition of the Degdekan gold ore field in Russia’s Magadan region through its subsidiary, Almazy Anabara.
The US$276 million purchase, part of a broader strategy to enhance financial stability, marks Alrosa’s entry into the gold sector. Degdekan is expected to yield approximately 3.3 metric tons of gold annually starting in 2030.
Alrosa’s investment in the project underscores its intention to leverage synergies within its mining operations while reducing dependency on diamond revenue, particularly in light of sanctions targeting its primary export markets.
While diversifying into gold mining, Alrosa remains committed to its core operations in diamond production.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
First Helium Inc. (‘First Helium’ or the ‘Company’) (TSXV: HELI) (OTCQB: FHELF) (FRA: 2MC) today announced that it has completed its field survey activities and selected the surface location for its Leduc anomaly test well planned for drilling this winter. The survey will be used to prepare necessary regulatory applications for drilling approval. The well location has been selected based on a thorough evaluation of recently acquired proprietary 3D seismic data where the Company has identified a significant anomaly in the Leduc Formation which it believes to be prospective for oil. To date, the Company has drilled two successful Leduc oil wells at Worsley, including the 1-30 and 4-29 Leduc oil pool discoveries, respectively, which together have produced more than 113,000 barrels of light oil, generating in excess of $13 million in revenue and $8 million in cash flow.
‘The completion of our recent financing will allow us to proceed with a number of operations this winter, which include testing the large 3D seismic anomaly targeting Leduc oil, and completing the previously drilled Blue Ridge horizontal well targeting helium-enriched natural gas. If successful, these operations will set the stage for immediate cash flow for the Company, coupled with the accelerated development of oil and helium enriched natural gas at Worsley, executed alone or with larger partners,’ said Ed Bereznicki, President & CEO of First Helium.
‘These operations represent a very important next step for the Company in de-risking the Leduc and Blue Ridge plays, respectively. Each has the potential to unlock significant, follow up development drilling on the Company’s 53,000-acre, 100% owned land base’, added Mr. Bereznicki.
Highlights of the Worsley Winter Program
This winter, the Company is planning to undertake a number of significant operations at Worsley, including:
Leduc Formation:
The Company has also selected surface locations on three additional Leduc drill targets identified on proprietary 3D seismic, including one drilling location (‘7-30’) which was assigned ‘proved plus probable undeveloped’ oil reserves of 196,700 barrels 1 by Sproule, its independent evaluator. Depending on timing, and capital availability, the Company may elect to pursue one or more of these additional Leduc drill targets.
Figure 1:
First Helium Worsley Proprietary 3D Seismic Leduc Interpretation
Blue Ridge Formation:
Completion and testing of the previously drilled 5-27 horizontal Blue Ridge well is planned (see Figure 2) to establish a repeatable, high margin, helium-enriched natural gas play targeted to deliver significant volumes of helium gas production. The project’s potential scale and enhanced profitability will serve to attract partnership opportunities.
Figure 2:
West Helium Worsley Blue Ridge Development Scenario
Together, the vertical Leduc play, along with the Blue Ridge play combine to provide tremendous opportunity for scalability and future growth, all on existing (100 per-cent) Company held lands. Given the large potential opportunity of the Worsley project, the Company will continue to explore potential partnerships to accelerate the development of its rich asset base.
Notes:
(1)
Gross Proved plus Probable Undeveloped reserves, per Sproule Associates Limited (‘Sproule’), Evaluation of the P&NG Reserves of First Helium Inc. in the Beaton Area of Alberta (as of March 31, 2023). See First Helium’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca .
ABOUT First Helium
Led by a core Senior Executive Team with diverse and extensive backgrounds in Oil & Gas Exploration and Operations, Mining, Finance, and Capital Markets, First Helium seeks to be one of the leading independent providers of helium gas in North America.
First Helium holds over 53,000 acres along the highly prospective Worsley Trend in Northern Alberta which has been the core of its exploration and development drilling activities to date.
Building on its successful 15-25 helium discovery well at the Worsley project, the Company has identified numerous follow-up drill locations and acquired an expansive infrastructure system to facilitate future exploration and development across its Worsley land base. Cash flow from its successful oil wells at Worsley has helped support First Helium’s ongoing exploration and development growth strategy. Further potential oil drilling locations have also been identified on the Company’s Worsley land base.
For more information about the Company, please visit www.firsthelium.com .
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Edward J. Bereznicki President, CEO and Director
CONTACT INFORMATION
First Helium Inc. Investor Relations Email: ir@firsthelium.com Phone: 1-833-HELIUM1 (1-833-435-4861)
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words ‘anticipate’, ‘plan’, ‘continue’, ‘expect’, ‘estimate’, ‘objective’, ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘project’, ‘should’, ‘predict’, ‘potential’ and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward looking statements concerning the completion of future planned activities. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company cannot give any assurance that they will prove correct. Since forward looking statements address future events and conditions, they involve inherent assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of assumptions, factors and risks. These assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to, assumptions and risks associated with the state of the equity financing markets and regulatory approval.
Management has provided the above summary of risks and assumptions related to forward looking statements in this press release in order to provide readers with a more comprehensive perspective on the Company’s future operations. The Company’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive from them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.
SOURCE: First Helium Inc.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
Graphene is often heralded as the “wonder material” of the 21st century, and investing in graphene companies offers investors exposure to a growing number of graphene applications across a diverse set of industries.
In terms of size, Grand View Research is forecasting that the global graphene market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 35.1 percent between 2024 and 2030 to reach US$1.61 billion. The firm says that revenue for electronics industry applications will be a major contributor to the growth in demand for graphene.
Demand for graphene coatings and composites will come from the energy storage, aerospace and automotive industries industries, among others. Graphene coatings are used in batteries, conductors and generators to improve energy efficiency and performance, while lightweight graphene composites are being used in aircraft and automobiles.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the graphene market is mainly being driven by demand from the Asia-Pacific region, due in large part to favorable government policies, academic researching and increasing graphene investment. Rising demand from the automotive, marine, aerospace and defense industries in this region are also important factors.
For those interested in how to invest in graphene, here’s a look at seven publicly traded graphene companies making moves in the market today, based on research gleaned from intelligence firms Grand View Research and Fortune Business Insights.
These top graphene stocks are listed in alphabetical order, and all data was accurate as of September 25, 2024.
1. Black Swan Graphene (TSXV:SWAN)
Press ReleasesCompany Profile
Market cap: C$14.4 million
Black Swan Graphene describes itself as an emerging powerhouse in the bulk graphene business. UK-based global chemicals manufacturer Thomas Swan & Co. holds a 15 percent interest in Black Swan and brings a portfolio of patents and intellectual property related to graphene production. Through this partnership, Black Swan is building out a fully integrated supply chain from mine to graphene products.
Black Swan has launched a number of new graphene products in 2024, such as its GraphCore 01 family of graphene nanoplatelets products, which includes powders and polymer-ready masterbatches designed for the polymer industry.
In June, the company announced a commercial partnership with advanced materials engineering company Graphene Composites that will see Black Swan’s graphene used in the fabrication of GC Shield, a patented ballistic protection technology.
The following month, the company secured a distribution and sales agreement with UK-based manufacturer of plastic materials Broadway Colours. Under the agreement, Broadway will incorporate Black Swan’s graphene nanoplatelets in the manufacture of graphene enhanced masterbatches for plastic manufacturing.
2. CVD Equipment (NASDAQ:CVV)
Company Profile
Market cap: US$22.29 million
CVD Equipment produces chemical vapor deposition, gas control and other types of equipment and process solutions for developing and creating materials and coatings for a range of industrial applications, including aerospace engine components, medical implants, semiconductors, battery nanomaterials and solar cells.
CVD processing can be used to produce graphene and nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and silicon nanowires. Its PVT200 system is designed to grow silicon carbide crystals for the manufacture of 200 millimeter wafers. The company’s first half of the year saw orders worth US$16.9 million, up from US$15.8 million in the same period in 2023.
Orders from key customers included an order for its PVT200 system from a new customer as well as a multi-system order from an industrial customer for its silicone carbide CVD coating reactors.
3. Directa Plus (LSE:DCTA)
Company Profile
Market cap:GBP 16.7 million
Leading graphene nanoplatelet producer Directa Plus makes products designed for commercial applications such as textiles and composites. The Italy-based firm has developed a patented graphene material named G+ Graphene Plus, which is both portable and scalable. Directa Plus casts a wide net, even using its graphene for golf balls with the aim of improving users’ control and swings using elasticity.
Directa Plus inked in December 2023 what it called a ‘landmark agreement’ to acquire a proprietary system for preparing graphene compounds for market-ready battery and polymer applications, opening up two more potential markets for Directa Plus products.
In April 2024, the company announced the installation of its GiPave high-tech asphalt at the Imola Circuit for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix held in May 2024 as part of the Formula 1 World Championship. GiPave uses graphene and recycled plastics to create a cleaner, more sustainable asphalt product.
4. First Graphene (ASX:FGR,OTCQB:FGPHF)
Company Profile
Market cap: AU$31.22 million
First Graphene is an advanced materials company that has developed an environmentally sound method of converting ultra-high-grade graphite into the competitively priced, high-quality graphene in bulk quantities.
The firm is working with three Australian universities on developing graphene products and associated intellectual properties, including PureGRAPH, its graphene powder. First Graphene is vertically integrated, and applications for its products extend to fire retardancy, energy storage and concrete, among others.
In May, the company secured a distribution agreement with global distributor Bisley & Company. The agreement is initially for the Australian and New Zealand markets with the potential for additional markets. The five-year contract represents a significant milestone for the commercialization of First Graphene’s PureGRAPH material, according to the press release.
First Graphene joined a nine-member consortium in July to develop and commercialize lightweight impermeable cryogenic all-composite tanks for the safe storage and transport of liquid hydrogen. The next month, the company secured funding for a collaborative research project aimed at commercializing its Kainos technology for the production of ‘high-quality, battery-grade synthetic graphite and pristine graphene from petroleum feedstock using a scalable hydrodynamic cavitation manufacturing process.’
Through its subsidiaries, Haydale Graphene Industries designs, develops and commercializes advanced materials. The company has developed a patented proprietary and scalable plasma process that’s aimed at functionalizing graphene and other nanomaterials. Using the technology, Haydale is able to supply tailored solutions to both raw materials suppliers and product manufacturers.
Haydale has a partnership with the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), through which it is researching and developing graphene-based innovations such as conductive ink heating applications for the automotive and future homes sectors.
In July, Haydale announced that a feasibility study has shown initial indications that Haydale’s plasma-functionalized graphene can capture carbon dioxide.
6. NanoXplore (TSXV:GRA,OTCQX:NNXPF)
Company Profile
Market cap: C$378.75 million
Established in 2011, NanoXplore is able to produce high volumes of graphene at affordable prices due to its unique and environmentally friendly production process. The company’s GrapheneBlack graphene powder can be used in plastic products to greatly increase their reusability and recyclability.
NanoXplore is also targeting lithium-ion batteries with its patented SiliconGraphene battery anode material solution, which employs GrapheneBlack as a coating agent around silicon to make a safer, more reliable cell. NanoXplore’s graphene products are also being used in internal combustion engine vehicles.
Earlier this year, as part of its five year strategic plan, NanoXplore increased the production capacity at its St-Clotilde, Québec plant. The capacity expansion will enable the company to meet increased demand for its graphene-enhanced composite products.
In its Q4 and full year 2024 financials, the company reported record total revenues of C$38.13 million for the quarter, up 14 percent from the same quarter in the previous year; and record total revenues of C$129.99 million for the full year, up 5 percent over its fiscal 2023.
8. Talga Group (ASX:TLG,OTC Pink:TLGRF)
Company Profile
Market cap: AU$154.35 million
Talga Group is a vertically integrated battery anode and materials company, mining its own graphite and producing anodes. It has operations in Sweden, Japan, Australia, Germany and the UK. The company also produces graphene additives for use by materials manufacturers in applications such as concrete, coatings, plastics and energy storage.
Talga has the Talphite and Talphene lines of graphene products, which include conductive additives for battery cathode and anode products, solid-state anodes and graphite recycling.
The company is currently undertaking a scoping study to assess expansion options at its Vittangi graphite project in Sweden in an effort to better address the global battery anode market.
Private graphene companies
The graphene stocks listed above are by no means the only graphene-focused companies. Investors interested in graphene would also do well to learn more about the private companies focused on graphene technology, including ACS Material, Advanced Graphene Products, Graphene Platform, Graphenea, Grafoid and Universal Matter.
FAQs for graphene
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. First produced in 2004, when professors at England’s University of Manchester used Scotch tape to peel flakes of graphene off of graphite, the material is 200 times stronger than steel and thinner than a single sheet of paper. Graphene has many possible applications in various fields, such as batteries, sensors, solar panels, electronics, medical equipment and sports gear.
What are some good properties of graphene?
Graphene’s outstanding properties include high thermal and electrical conductivity, high elasticity and flexibility, high hardness and resistance, transparency and the ability to generate electricity via exposure to sunlight.
What is the difference between graphene and graphite?
Graphene and graphite are both allotropes of carbon, meaning they are structurally different forms of the same element. A key difference between them is that graphene is a single layer of graphite.
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
The box office this weekend will be painted pink and green, with a splash of red.
Universal’s “Wicked” and Paramount’s “Gladiator II” arrive ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and are expected to tally more than $200 million in combined ticket sales this weekend.
″‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ are the kind of counter-programming duo punch movie theaters and audiences have been eagerly anticipating,” said Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory. “This fall’s box office has seen its share of ups and downs as usual, but these two films are on course to kickstart a potentially historic holiday corridor with ‘Moana 2’ also ready to deliver big results during Thanksgiving next week.”
“Wicked” has already tallied $19.2 million at the domestic box office from advance screenings held during the week. Amazon Prime members doled out $2.5 million at 750 theaters in the U.S. on Monday, and another $5.7 million was collected from around 2,000 theaters on Wednesday in the U.S. and Canada. “Wicked” snared an additional $11 million from standard Thursday night preview screenings at around 3,300 theaters.
Tracking projections for “Wicked” started around $80 million in late October, but have since risen to a range of $120 million to $140 million, with some projecting an even higher three-day total for the film’s debut weekend.
Hollywood has struggled to market and make a profit on movie musicals in recent years. However, the industry has also seen fan-favorite IP-driven titles outperform. With “Wicked” being based on one of Broadway’s most popular musicals, box office analysts are finding it tricky to predict where it will land.
Heading into its opening, “Wicked” held a 92% “Fresh” rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes from more than 160 critics. Its popcornmeter, a metric the site uses to calculate what percentage of verified movie ticket holders rated the film with 3.5 stars or higher, stands at 99% with more than 2,500 ratings.
Whatever it hauls in for the weekend, “Wicked” should debut as the highest-opening Broadway adaptation in cinematic history. The current record holder is Disney’s “Into the Woods,” which secured $31 million during its first three days in theaters in 2014, according to data from Comscore.
Meanwhile, “Gladiator II” tallied $6.5 million from Thursday previews and is expected to add between $60 million and $80 million to the domestic weekend tally. The film, which arrives 24 years after the original, has secured a 73% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 200 reviews. For comparison, “Gladiator” snared $34.8 million during its opening weekend back in May 2000.
“The so-called ‘Glicked’ movie mashup is reminiscent of the ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon and is creating a cultural buzz,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “And though not quite at that level, has certainly raised the profile of both films and that combined with overwhelming positive reviews has positioned these two very different movies for opening weekend glory and more importantly long-term playability through the holidays.”
Between “Wicked,” “Gladiator II” and previously released films still in theaters, box office analysts foresee a weekend of ticket sales between $200 million and $250 million. While impressive, that would still fall outside of the top 20 highest-grossing weekends of all time, according to data from Comscore.
The “Barbenheimer” weekend of July 21, 2023, topped $311 million, the fourth-highest weekend haul of all time.
“It’s not all about the first hours or days, though,” Robbins noted. “These films can and probably will play well for weeks to come, especially if word of mouth mirrors that of critics’ reactions.”
This weekend’s tally will help bolster the overall annual box office, which lags 11% behind 2023 levels during the same period. And the moviegoers coming to theaters will be treated to advertisements for other films coming in December and later in 2025.
“Our job is to maximize what’s coming in that door,” said Greg Marcus, CEO of Marcus Corporation, owner of Marcus Theatres and Marcus Hotels and Resorts. “Take care of our customers. Give the customers that show up a great experience. Make sure that lines are as moving as quickly as we can, so that we can serve them, literally and figuratively, and show them what a great time it is to go to the movies and enjoy something with other people.”
Marcus Theatres alongside dozens of other cinema chains, big and small, are offering guests drink and food specials, themed popcorn buckets and beverage containers as well as other movie merchandise at their locations.
Cinemark has a “Gladiator II” popcorn bucket shaped like the Colosseum and a gladiator helmet that fits over its drink cups to hold popcorn. Regal has a witch hat-shaped cup. AMC’s menu features pink and green candy-coated popcorn as well as a collection of themed drinks like green apple ICEE, Sprite variants called Ozdust Punch and Emerald Elixir and alcoholic beverages named Popular Pink and Gravity Green.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, CNBC, Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes. NBCUniversal is the distributor of “Wicked.”
In this StockCharts TV video, Mary Ellen reviews the broad-based rally that pushed the Equal-Weighted SPX to new highs. She also shared base breakouts and downtrend reversal candidates in the now hot Retail space, and takes a close look at 3 old school stocks that are seeing AI-related growth.
New videos from Mary Ellen premiere weekly on Fridays. You can view all previously recorded episodes at this link.
If you’re looking for stocks to invest in, be sure to check out the MEM Edge Report! This report gives you detailed information on the top sectors, industries and stocks so you can make informed investment decisions.
In a truncated trading week, the Indian equities closed the week with gains thanks to a robust technical rebound that it witnessed on Friday. The Nifty continued to wear a corrective look for three days; on the last trading day of the week, the Index managed to get itself into positive territory at close. Had it not been for the technical rebound on Friday, the Index would have been heading to yet another negative weekly close. The trading range stayed wider on the anticipated lines, and the Nifty oscillated in the 692.95 points range over the past four trading sessions. The volatility edged higher; the IndiaVIX surged and closed 8.95% higher at 16.10 on a weekly basis. The headline index closed with a net weekly gain of 374.55 points (+1.59%).
The markets saw some important technical levels getting tested. The Nifty tested and violated the 200-DMA, presently placed at 23593. It also tested the 50-week MA, which is currently at 23312. Thanks to the rebound seen on Friday, the Nifty managed to rebound from these levels and close above the 200-DMA. However, the Nifty is testing the crucial pattern resistance levels and is not entirely out of the woods yet. We also enter the expiry week of the monthly derivative series; the coming days will likely remain influenced by rollover-centric activities. In any case, 23500-23300 is a crucial support zone for the Index; as long as this zone stays defended, we are unlikely to see any further downside. However, if this zone gets violated, we will be in for an extended corrective period.
We are likely to see a stable start for the coming week. The levels of 24150 and 24300 shall act as resistance levels. Supports are likely to come in at 23650 and 23500 levels.
The weekly RSI stands at 47.59; it remains neutral and does not show any divergence against the price. The weekly MACD is bearish and trades below the signal line. The PPO is negative.
The weekly chart pattern analysis indicates that the Nifty is supported by an extended trendline, which aligns with the 50-week moving average currently at 23312. This level is a crucial support for the Nifty, and a breach of this point would weaken the markets further.
Despite a robust technical rebound after testing the 50-week MA, the Nifty is not yet out of the woods. The Nifty will have to defend the 23300 on a closing basis; it will also need to cross above the 24150-24300 to confirm a base formation at the current lows. Market participants need to guard their profits at higher levels. A cautious outlook is advised for the week; keep leveraged exposure at modest levels.
Sector Analysis for the Coming Week
In our look at Relative Rotation Graphs®, we compared various sectors against CNX500 (NIFTY 500 Index), which represents over 95% of the free float market cap of all the stocks listed.
Relative Rotation Graphs (RRG) show a lack of leadership as only Nifty IT, Financial Services, and Services Sector indices are inside the leading quadrant. However, these groups are expected to outperform the broader markets relatively.
The Nifty Pharma Index has rolled inside the weakening quadrant. The Nifty Midcap 100 and Consumption Index are also inside the weakening quadrant.
The FMCG Index has rolled inside the weakening quadrant. The Nifty Auto, Energy, Commodities, PSE, Infrastructure, and Media Indices are inside the weakening quadrant and may relatively underperform the broader markets. However, the PSE and the Infrastructure indices are improving relative momentum against the broader Nifty 500 index.
The Nifty Realty Index has rolled inside the improving quadrant, potentially signaling the onset of a phase of relative outperformance. The Metal, Nifty, Bank, and PSU indices are also in the improving quadrant.
Important Note: RRG charts show the relative strength and momentum of a group of stocks. In the above chart, they show relative performance against NIFTY500 Index (Broader Markets) and should not be used directly as buy or sell signals.
