Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>WTR-CMI last week. After the momentous US election, the stock market has rallied on expectations of lower regulations, lower taxes, and a more confrontational approach to China and other geopolitical adversaries.</li><li>Last week saw some profit taking across the market, with the Russell 2000, which we view as a better proxy for the broader market, declining 4%, with the large- cap, tech-heavy S&amp;P 500 posting a 2.1% decline.</li><li>Our WTR-CMI Index of 30 specialty chemicals and materials companies fared similarly, losing 2.2% of its value. </li></ul>

WTR-CMI last week. After the momentous US election, the stock market has rallied on expectations of lower regulations, lower taxes, and a more confrontational approach to China and other geopolitical adversaries.Last week saw some profit taking across the market, with the Russell 2000, which we view as a better proxy for the broader market, declining 4%, with the large- cap, tech-heavy S&amp;P 500 posting a 2.1% decline.Our WTR-CMI Index of 30 specialty chemicals and materials companies fared similarly, losing 2.2% of its value. 

Mat-Chem Notes - Growth Remains Elusive as Geopolitics of Battery Metals Heats Up

<ul><li>Elections have consequences. The November 2024 elections in the US have ushered in not just a change in political landscape for the country and the makeup of the federal government but are likely to result in material changes to government policies and priorities for 2025 and beyond.</li><li>These include international trade, the federal regulatory environment, and tax policies that can affect consumer sentiment, company strategies when it comes to capital deployment, and end market dynamics.</li><li>While specifics could emerge in the coming months, we expect modest inflationary pressures from expected tariffs on imported goods to be largely offset by more constructive energy policies, tax incentives, and a reduced federal regulatory burden, along with a reduced federal government role in economic decision-making to lead to an improvement in economic growth in 2025.</li></ul>

Elections have consequences. The November 2024 elections in the US have ushered in not just a change in political landscape for the country and the makeup of the federal government but are likely to result in material changes to government policies and priorities for 2025 and beyond.These include international trade, the federal regulatory environment, and tax policies that can affect consumer sentiment, company strategies when it comes to capital deployment, and end market dynamics.While specifics could emerge in the coming months, we expect modest inflationary pressures from expected tariffs on imported goods to be largely offset by more constructive energy policies, tax incentives, and a reduced federal regulatory burden, along with a reduced federal government role in economic decision-making to lead to an improvement in economic growth in 2025.

The US Elections' Impact on 2025 Outlook - November 13, 2024

<ul><li>WTR-CMI this week. In a tough week for the market, the WTR- CMI Index of 30 specialty chemicals and materials technology stocks dipped 0.6%, while the large-cap heavy S&amp;P 500 declined 1.4%, with the Russell 2000 inching up 0.1%.</li><li>Strong rebounds in NGVT, ECVT, LAC, PLL, and AXTA nearly offset sharp declines in EAF, CMP, and HXL. YTD, our index is slightly outperforming the Russell 2000, increasing 10.4% versus the broader index’s 9.0% improvement, although both trail the S&amp;P 500’s 20.1% increase.</li><li>On a Y/Y basis, the WTR-CMI Index has narrowed the performance gap with the S&amp;P 500, improving 32.9% versus the large-cap index’s 35.2% appreciation, with the Russell 2000 bringing up the rear with a 32.4% rebound.</li></ul>

WTR-CMI this week. In a tough week for the market, the WTR- CMI Index of 30 specialty chemicals and materials technology stocks dipped 0.6%, while the large-cap heavy S&amp;P 500 declined 1.4%, with the Russell 2000 inching up 0.1%.Strong rebounds in NGVT, ECVT, LAC, PLL, and AXTA nearly offset sharp declines in EAF, CMP, and HXL. YTD, our index is slightly outperforming the Russell 2000, increasing 10.4% versus the broader index’s 9.0% improvement, although both trail the S&amp;P 500’s 20.1% increase.On a Y/Y basis, the WTR-CMI Index has narrowed the performance gap with the S&amp;P 500, improving 32.9% versus the large-cap index’s 35.2% appreciation, with the Russell 2000 bringing up the rear with a 32.4% rebound.

Mat-Chem Notes - Supply-Demand Balancing Act and Geopolitics of Energy Transition

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Solactive has announced the constituent changes for the Global Lithium Index. There are 3 adds and 3 deletes with implementation at the close on 31 October.</li>
<li>Estimated one-way turnover is 13.8% and will result in a one-way trade of US$174m. There are a few stocks with over 1x ADV to trade.</li>
<li>The index is not very widely tracked and there could be big moves in some stocks over the next few days - especially where there is multiple days ADV.</li>
</ul>


Solactive has announced the constituent changes for the Global Lithium Index. There are 3 adds and 3 deletes with implementation at the close on 31 October.
Estimated one-way turnover is 13.8% and will result in a one-way trade of US$174m. There are a few stocks with over 1x ADV to trade.
The index is not very widely tracked and there could be big moves in some stocks over the next few days - especially where there is multiple days ADV.


Solactive Global Lithium Index Rebalance: 28% Turnover & US$350m Trade

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>The WTR Sustainable Index was up 0.6% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (up 0.2%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 0.5%) and the Nasdaq Index (up 0.1%).</li><li>Energy Technology (13.2% of the index) was down 1.6%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (46.3% of the index) was up 0.5%, ClimateTech Mining was up 0.7%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions (21.2% of index) was up 2.0%.</li><li><p>Top 10 Performers: PEV, EVGO, NXH, EAF, CRE, AZRE, SPI, BNET, GIGA, PLL</p><p></p></li></ul>

The WTR Sustainable Index was up 0.6% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (up 0.2%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 0.5%) and the Nasdaq Index (up 0.1%).Energy Technology (13.2% of the index) was down 1.6%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (46.3% of the index) was up 0.5%, ClimateTech Mining was up 0.7%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions (21.2% of index) was up 2.0%.Top 10 Performers: PEV, EVGO, NXH, EAF, CRE, AZRE, SPI, BNET, GIGA, PLL

Sustainable Investing Surveyor -  Focus on Verde Clean Fuels, Inc. (VGAS)

United States

Piedmont Lithium Inc operates as a mineral exploration company. The Company explores and develops lithium projects, as well as manages drill, land expansion, and sampling programs. Piedmont Lithium serves customers worldwide.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Piedmont Lithium (PLL US)

Mat-Chem Notes - Growth Remains Elusive as Geopolitics of Battery Metals Heats Up

After the momentous US election, the stock market has rallied on expectations of lower regulations, lower taxes, and a more confrontational...

Water Tower Research

The US Elections' Impact on 2025 Outlook - November 13, 2024

While specifics could emerge in the coming months, we expect modest inflationary pressures from expected tariffs on imported goods to be largely...

Water Tower Research

Mat-Chem Notes - Supply-Demand Balancing Act and Geopolitics of Energy Transition

In a tough week for the market, the WTR- CMI Index of 30 specialty chemicals and materials technology stocks dipped 0.6%, while the large-cap heavy...

Water Tower Research

Solactive Global Lithium Index Rebalance: 28% Turnover & US$350m Trade

There are 3 adds/3 deletes for the Solactive Global Lithium Index resulting in an estimated one-way turnover of 13.8% and in a one-way trade of...

Brian Freitas

Sustainable Investing Surveyor - Focus on Verde Clean Fuels, Inc. (VGAS)

The WTR Sustainable Index was up 0.6% W/W versus the S&P 500 Index (up 0.2%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 0.5%) and the Nasdaq Index (up 0.1%).

Water Tower Research

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)