I've previously mentioned this briefly. Might be good to...

I've previously mentioned this briefly. Might be good to reiterate that it's prudent to maintain a balanced view between the minutae of an investment company's operations and the big political/economic/financial picture that inevitably impacts on the company as well. That way, one may avoid falling into the echo chamber trap, which gives rise to confirmation bias, irrational decisions, etc.

Some of the recent big picture events that impact on the battery metals industry are:

• ALB's takeover offer for LTR - advantage is Li resource size/grade.
• JRV's halting its Idaho Cobalt Operations (ICO) due to financing - disadvantage is Co price drop.
• Twiggy's on-market takeover attempt on MCR - advantage is Ni/Co resource size/grade.
• CYM's suspension of trading due to financing - vs. advantage is Cu resource size/grade.
• BSX's delays to partnerships, project development and financing - vs. advantage is Ni/Cu resource size/grade.

In addition, BHP is watched because of its huge war chest available for acquisition of Cu and Ni resources via takeovers. Recently, it also launched its BHP Xplor program, which grants funding and support:

"...to help provide participants with the opportunity to accelerate their growth and the potential to establish a long-term partnership with BHP and our global network of partners. The program will offer candidates funding, in-kind services, mentorship and coaching, and opportunities with BHP’s network of suppliers and service providers".

"The first cohort of seven [companies] has been selected out of hundreds of applications received from all around the world, all focused on discovering the copper, nickel and other critical minerals needed to support the energy transition."

What these mean for ARL is that project partnership, funding and the very attractive resource size/grade are of paramount importance under current circumstances. Based on the presentations by AP, it is reassuring to know that ARL is already focussing on these priorities.