Ann: Kibaran appoints experienced graphite specialist to Board-KNL.AX, page-94

Bladerunner, I believe there’s a couple factors at play;

1. It’s perception, graphite is sexy right now and those selling sex are doing really well, those selling graphite, less so.
2. This is similar to the above, but KNL doesn’t market themselves. I remember TON when it was running high and hard and they were getting spruiked by the plethora of online sites because they spent a fortune on advertising. We all know how this ended.
3. KNL have gone about the business of business. They have prepared a plan to bring the first operational graphite mine onto the market outside of China for decades and chosen a stepped, measured and methodical approach. The punters want to hear about 200ktpa, or 500ktpa, not State One of 44ktpa with a ramp up to 80ktpa before then moving to 100-110ktpa. Which is the smart and cost effective approach which is what investors should be concerned with.
4. Many fund managers have a minimum investment criteria, many have policies forbidding them from investing in companies with a market capitalisations less than $200m. The odd one considers companies down to $50m. Some have an edict which means they hold everything in the top 200, which is why SYR is so heavily held and held up.
5. Finally I believe psyche plays a large part. I believe Australians are accustomed to 1moz/gold/pa, or 280mt/Iron ore/pa and it is this type of investor which is yet to understand the graphite industry. Part of the reason I like KNL isn’t just management but the posters. It is obvious there’s a lot of intelligent people on these threads and they understand it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Some of the best investment stories go unnoticed/untold. Just FYI, I’m a banker for an unlisted non-conforming HL lender which is owned by three of the largest banks in Australia (we’ve never been listed and I doubt many would have ever heard of us). I know for a fact that the reason we aren’t listed is because we’re simply too profitable to spin off to the market. My point, quiet business with focus on the business thereof is smart business.

I believe the market will catch up, I just don’t know when or what the trigger will be. But I take comfort in an old TISIM line; “you’re only as good as your fans”. With investment bankers, geologists with Tanzanian experience and sophisticated investors on this thread I have comfort we’re onto a winner. Combine that with the German government, Sojitz, ThyssenKrupp and an EGT and it’s hard to argue otherwise.