Why did the Cobalt Blue share price come off the boil in April?

The miner is enjoying a rare good day after weeks of losses.

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Key points

  • Cobalt Blue has blown off steam during the last month of trade with its share price cooling down off 52-week highs in April
  • Shares are trading down and losses have extended into May, however, the price of cobalt remains buoyant at $82,000 per tonne
  • The Cobalt Blue share price has soared to 128% higher in the last 12 months of trade

The Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX: COB) share price has taken a hit these past few weeks.

After a strong start to 2022 – shares are up 60% this year to date – the Cobalt Blue share price swept 10% into the red during April.

In the first part of this week, the shares fell another 12% between Friday's close and Wednesday's close. However, they have rebounded today and are currently up 6.67% at 80 cents.

What's been happening at Cobalt Blue?

April was a fairly quiet month for the miner. Early on, investors bid up its share price amid an update to its Broken Hill Cobalt Project (BHCP), released the month earlier.

By that time, Cobalt Blue had surged 79% in the month to April 5, propelled by a substantial lunge in the price of cobalt.

These pricing strengths have extended into today's market, holding the line at over $80,000 per tonne.

"Cobalt futures were hovering above the $80,000 per tonne level in May, their highest since June 2018 and up 16% this year and around amid continued strong demand from the electric vehicle sector," Trading Economics reports.

On the supply side, cobalt production has been pushed to its limits as any nation producing electronics is a cobalt buyer. On top of that, mounting sanctions on Russia, which account for roughly 4% of the world's cobalt production, for invading Ukraine intensified concerns over the commodity's supply.

Aside from that, the company was awarded a $15 million critical minerals accelerator initiative grant in late April, after a relatively quiet month.

"The Broken Hill Cobalt Project has received a significant boost by being awarded $15 million via the Australian Government's Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative," chairman Rob Baincardi said.

"We applaud the Australian Government's support in assisting mid-stage critical minerals projects overcome the substantial technical, regulatory and financial barriers for the establishment of greenfield projects such as the BHCP."

That announcement came a day after the company's quarterly activities and cash flow report.

Cobalt Blue share price snapshot

The Cobalt Blue share price has soared 128% higher in the last 12 months of trade, although has struggled in more recent times.

Over the past month, shares have slipped 20%, coming off a three-month high of $1.03 on 4 April.

Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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