And it has nothing to do with the resolution of the US debt ceiling crisis.

At the time of writing the RedFlow share price is up 43%, trading for 26 cents per share, having earlier posted gains of 49%.

(*Note, that big dip in late November represents a share split.)

Here's what's driving investor interest in this ASX share today.

What's lifting the ASX battery share?

The RedFlow share price is soaring after the company reported its scalable and sustainable flow batteries were approved for use in a large-scale solar and storage project in the United States.

The project will provide power for the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, located in California. The California Energy Commission (CEC) is providing the funding from part of its US$140 million long-duration energy storage grant program.

The ASX share is getting a big boost from management's expectations of some US$12 million in revenue from the project. This is expected to be paid progressively on commencement, delivery of batteries and completion of various milestones.

According to RedFlow, the 20 MWh long-duration energy storage system will be one of the largest zinc-based battery projects in the world. It's also the largest single sale and deployment of batteries globally RedFlow has achieved to date.

Commenting on the approval sending the ASX share rocketing today, RedFlow CEO Tim Harris said:

This 20 MWh project is one of several large-scale opportunities in our pipeline and represents the start of the next phase of our growth strategy, validating our focus on large-scale systems in the US and Australia.

Harris noted that the state of California "is leading the development and support of non-lithium technologies to achieve its net-zero goals".

Jonah Steinbuck, director of Energy Research and Development at CEC called the project "an important step in California's clean energy transition."

The 2,000 ZBM3 batteries will be manufactured in the company's ISO9001 accredited factory in Thailand.

Practical completion and commissioning of the system is expected in Q1 FY25.

RedFlow share price snapshot

With today's big boost factored in, the ASX share has recouped its 2023 losses to be up 20% year to date.

The post This ASX battery share just rocketed 49%. Here's why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In other words, investors were competing with private equity when it came to renewable energy shares last year. Many of the companies that delivered shareholders with positive returns ended up being acquired in 2021. To provide a clear picture of the sector we've included acquired companies in this list.

Here are the ASX renewable shares that powered investor portfolios throughout 2021.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)

Although it's hard to argue Origin Energy is a renewable energy company, it does hold a significant renewable footprint.

During FY21, Origin installed 74 megawatts of solar on Australian homes and businesses. Additionally, the energy company progressed its assessment of renewable hydrogen and renewable ammonia opportunities in Bell Bay, Tasmania.

Alongside this, Origin holds a 20% equity interest in UK-based renewable energy provider Octopus Energy.

Shares in Origin climbed 10% higher by the end of 2021. Accompanying this gain was a respectable 20 cents per share in dividends for shareholders.

Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT)

The next company making the top 5 best performing ASX renewables shares is Infratil. This infrastructure company used to own a substantial chunk of Tilt Renewables before it was acquired during the year. However, Infratil's portfolio of investments still maintains a 21% allocation across renewables.

At the end of September 2021, renewable investments in the Infratil portfolio included Trust Power, Longroad Energy, Gurin Energy, and Galileo Green Energy.

The Infratil share price was pushed higher, boosted by achieving a record net surplus for its shareholders in 2021. Investors who stuck with this ASX renewable share enjoyed a 12.2% gain by the end of the year.

Tilt Renewables Ltd (ASX: TLT)

As I alluded to earlier, Tilt Renewables was one ASX renewables share that was gobbled up before the year was over.

The New Zealand-based electricity producer was essentially as much of a pure-play renewables company as one could get — with a number of wind and solar assets across Australia. This attracted interest from Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX: MCY) and Powering Australian Renewables (PowAR), which ended up acquirer the company's assets.

When the final deal was done, Tilt shareholders walked away with NZ$8.10 per share, reflecting a gain of ~27% in 2021.

Spark Infrastructure Group (ASX: SKI)

Spark Infrastructure is another ASX renewable share that wasn't able to see in 2022 as a public company. Unlike some of the other companies, Spark operates in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity — operating throughout New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

Unfortunately for would-be renewable investors, Spark is now off the table after being acquired by a consortium of investors late last year. For a total consideration of $2.95 per security, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, and Public Sector Pension Investors acquired the previously listed energy company.

In turn, shareholders bagged an astounding return of 39.8% during the year. That reflects a ~27% outperformance of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

Redflow Ltd (ASX:RFX)

Finally, the last ASX renewable share on the list is more on the speculative end of the scale. Redflow is a small-cap battery storage company.

As renewable energy sources rise to prominence methods for adding security and storing the energy produced are becoming more important. While some renewable methods, such as hydropower, naturally incorporate energy storage, other options, such as wind and solar, require another way of managing the supply and demand of the network. As such, grid-tier batteries provide a way for renewable electricity generation to be managed.

The Redflow share price travelled from 2 cents per share to 5 cents per share by the end of the year — representing an increase of 150%.

The post In the green: the 5 best ASX renewable shares of 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It's worth noting that when news broke out, Redflow shares surged to as much as 9.1 cents, reflecting a 68.5% increase.

What's pushing the Redflow share price higher?

The Redflow share price reached astronomical highs today as investors welcomed the company's latest update.

Redflow advised that it has entered into an agreement with international waste recovery company Anergia to supply batteries to its Rialto Bioenergy Facility, located east of Los Angeles. The deal will see Redflow supply Anaergia an energy storage system consisting of 192 zinc-bromine flow batteries. This will enable the facility to store and supply a maximum of two megawatt hours of energy, reducing pressure off the system during peak times.

Once operational, the Rialto Bioenergy Facility will convert 700 tonnes of organic waste and 300 tonnes of biosolids per day into renewable natural gas and fertiliser for farms and vegetable gardens. Redflow stated that it will be North America's largest landfill diverted organic waste digester facility.

The deal will generate total revenue, excluding taxes, of more than $1.2 million for Redflow. It will be paid in various stages once certain fulfilments have been met. They include signing, shipment, delivery of goods, and contract completion, which is expected to occur sometime in the third quarter of 2021.

What did management say?

Redflow managing director and CEO Tim Harris hailed the company's largest ever single sale and deployment of batteries. He said:

Anaergia's Rialto Bioenergy Facility provides the ideal use case for Redflow zinc-bromine flow batteries. Our batteries thrive on heat and hard work, which is exactly what Anaergia requires from them.

This project also enables Redflow to establish a presence in California, where we can offer commercially-proven zinc-bromine flow battery solutions to the broader Californian and US energy market, which is expected to rapidly transition to renewable energy. We are very excited about the potential for Redflow in California and the broader US market.

The Redflow share price is up over 95% in the past 12-month period, and 160% year-to-date.

The post Why the Redflow (ASX:RFX) share price skyrocketed 50% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The energy storage company's shares jumped as much as 39% to a 52-week high of 10 cents at one stage.

The Redflow share price ultimately ended the day 35% higher at 9.7 cents.

Why did the Redflow share price rocket higher?

Investors were fighting so hard to get hold of the company's shares this morning that it received a speeding ticket from the ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX).

And just like Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) said when it received its own speeding ticket today, Redflow advised that it was "not aware of any information concerning it that has not been announced to the market which, if known by some in the market, could explain the recent trading in its securities."

As with Zip, the company pointed to a recent announcement as a possible reason for the strong rise in the Redflow share price.

What was the announcement?

Redflow told the Australian Stock Exchange operator that its announcement on 11 February 2021 was positively received at the time.

That announcement revealed that it has partnered with telco giant Optus to deploy Redflow batteries as part of the Australian Government's Mobile Network Hardening Program.

The Australian Government announced the $13.2 million program last December to enable Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS), Optus, and TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) to extend the battery backup at 467 mobile phone towers for a minimum of 12 hours. This is in recognition that most power outages occur during emergencies.

Last week, Optus installed its first Redflow battery system under the Government's program at a black spot site in Lexton, Victoria. The telco is now planning to deploy Redflow batteries in at least 56 black spot sites as part of the program. Optus has also used Redflow batteries in the environmentally sensitive Daintree Forest in Queensland since 2019.

Redflow's Managing Director and CEO, Tim Harris, believes Redflow's battery design was ideally suited for the Mobile Network Resiliency Program.

He commented: "Redflow's solution is suited to warm climates, has lower fire risk than other battery chemistries, is easily integrated with existing batteries, has an energy-saving standby power mode and carries strong environmental credentials. Redflow batteries will play an important role in improving the resiliency of networks, particularly in bushfire-prone areas."

Following today's gain, the Redflow share price is up a whopping 273% since the start of the year.

The post Why the Redflow (ASX:RFX) share price rocketed 39% higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

VERIS FFO (ASX: VRS)

The VERIS FFO share price climbed almost 8 per cent on Tuesday with stock in the company now trading for about 18 cents.

The company has announced that it was awarded a contract by the Cross Yarra Partnership to work on the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project.

The Cross Yarra Partnership is a consortium consisting of Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC), John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital.

VERIS is contracted to deliver early survey works to facilitate design development and site investigations.

Major construction of the tunnel is expected to commence in 2018 and is due for completion in 2026 with surveying and related services for the project likely to exceed $100 million over 10 years.

Redflow Ltd (ASX: RFX)

Redflow Ltd's share price gained more than 9 per cent on Tuesday in what would have come as a welcome reprieve for the battery maker which has seen its stock sink by almost 60 per cent in a year.

Tuesday's gains came as the company announced it had started manufacturing core components for its zinc-bromine flow batteries at its new production facility in Thailand.

Redflow CEO Richard Aird said the company is "on track to produce full battery stacks" from the factory in Thailand in January.

Redflow shares are trading for 12 cents, a long way off the $1.20 mark they were going for in 2011.

Kidman Resources Ltd (ASX: KDR)

The Kidman Resources Ltd resources share price was up again on Tuesday, gaining about 3 per cent before closing at $1.92.

It's likely the latest gains were prompted by an announcement concerning the company's recent drilling results at its Bounty lithium project.

Kidman Resources Managing Director Martin Donohue said the early indications at Bounty are "extremely encouraging with the intersections demonstrating the hallmarks of a potentially significant discovery in its own right".

Kidman's share price has gained more than 220 per cent in the past year.

The post 3 companies that could mover higher in 2018 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four shares which haven't let that hold them back are listed below. Here's why they surged higher:

The Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK) share price is up 5% to $6.53 following the release of a trading update at today's AGM. According to the update, management expects its cost reduction and margin improvement initiatives to offset weaker sales growth and lead to first-half profit growth of between 10% and 15%. While I do like Nick Scali, cost reductions can only go so far. So I'm going to hold off an investment until sales growth starts to improve.

The RedFlow Ltd (ASX: RFX) share price has surged higher by 13.5% to 9.2 cents after the battery maker advised that it has started to install equipment at its new factory in Thailand. Redflow expects to commence operations at the factory by the end of the year. Investors appear to believe that this will reduce manufacturing costs and improve profitability.

The Shaver Shop Group Ltd (ASX: SSG) share price has climbed 8% to 46 cents after the specialty retailer provided a trading update and revealed plans to buy up to 10% of its outstanding shares on-market. The embattled retailer appears to be taking advantage of its sharp share price decline to buy back shares at a good price.

The Zenitas Healthcare Ltd (ASX: ZNT) share price is up 6% to $1.26 following the release of its latest quarterly update. Thanks to a positive start to the year, management reaffirmed its full-year EBITDA guidance of between $13 million and $13.5 million. This will be significantly higher than FY 2017's EBITDA of $7 million and is thanks largely to recent acquisitions. I think Zenitas is a great long-term buy and hold investment option.

The post Why these 4 ASX shares surged higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Energy and insurance companies have driven the index higher, while the big four banks have also seen price rises of between 0.6% and 1.4%. A 2.4% rise for our giant telco Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) has also helped.

These 4 companies posted even better gains…

RedFlow Ltd (ASX: RFX) share price zoomed 12.2% to $0.46. The Australian battery manufacturer offers zinc bromide storage batteries and plans to capitalise on the booming demand for household energy storage. The company says it plans to enter the residential market at the end of this month, with retail solar panel installers likely to offer the company's battery products. Investors are clearly anticipating huge demand for Redflow's batteries – one reason why the share price is up 67% in just the past month.

Independence Group NL (ASX: IGO) saw its share price gain 9.5% to $3.23, following a company presentation today. Independence is a diversified miner with exposure to gold, nickel, zinc, copper and cobalt. The company has three producing mines and another one under construction (the ex-Sirius Resources Nova nickel/copper project). Nova is expected to begin production in December 2016.

Clearly investors are excited about that prospect, and Independence's share price may regain some of the 40% it is still down since a year ago.

Speedcast International Ltd's (ASX: SDA) share price rose 6.4% to $4.67, and the shares have now doubled since March 2015. They are also a fair way ahead of the 2014 IPO price of $1.96, and I'm regretting my decision not to follow my own advice at the time. The satellite broadband provider announced today that it was being added to the S&P/ASX 300 (Index: ^AXKO) (ASX: XKO) at the close of market on March 18, 2016.

Getting added to the index, especially a major ASX index usually means more analyst coverage and better exposure to institutional investors, not to mention a host of index funds that will be forced to now buy shares in the company.

Netcomm Wireless Ltd's (ASX: NTC) share price gained 7.8% to $2.90. The maker of wireless broadband devices has seen demand for its products soar – both in Australia and globally, which is reflected in recent results. Revenues for the first half of 2016 soared 53%, while net profit was up 539%. Netcomm is also a recent addition to the All Ordinaries index – generally a positive sign for the same reasons as Speedcast above.

The post 4 ASX shares soaring today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

However, these 4 companies are seeing their share prices soar…

Farm Pride Foods Ltd (ASX: FRM) share price has rocketed up 23% to $2.00, following a profit upgrade late last week. The national egg supplier also said it was using its improved cash flow to pay down debt – something the company has been doing consistently for the past 4 years. Investors are clearly expecting bigger and better things  from Farm Pride Foods in the years ahead.

Vmoto Ltd (ASX: VMT) share price has jumped 4 cents or 13.3% to 34 cents. The electric-powered motor scooter manufacturer today said it sold more than 23,300 units in the fourth quarter of 2015 – up 18% over the previous year. The company has also launched its range in Australia and secured an order to supply 300 units to a large European supermarket group. Vmoto also says it is on track to report around $5 million in underlying net profit for 2015.

Redflow Ltd (ASX: RFX) share price is up 10% at 22 cents. The maker of zinc-bromine liquid batteries is attempting to compete with Tesla's Powerwall energy battery for home energy storage. Redflow is gearing up to test its batteries with executive chairman Simon Hackett installing two at his Adelaide home, according to The Australian. Redflow says its batteries are better for home use than Tesla's, lasting longer and storing more power.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price has jumped 3.2% to $1.64, after the iron ore spot price gained 1.9% to US$43.84 a tonne, maintaining a solid base over the past week. That has seen Fortescue's share price gain 7.2% in the past five business days. Still, the iron ore miner's shares are down more than 30% over the past year as the iron ore price plunged, and the miner worked frantically to lower its production costs.

The post 4 shares zooming higher on the ASX today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here are 10 of the top movers and shakers on the ASX today starting with 5 gainers…

Beadell Resources Ltd (ASX: BDR) share price soared 22.7% to $0.14, after announcing a maiden mineral resource for its Urucum underground mine of 634,000 ounces of gold at relatively high grades.

AWE Limited (ASX: AWE) share price rocketed 16.1% to $0.72, on the back of surging oil prices.

Ausdrill Limited (ASX: ASL) share price climbed 13.5% to $0.29, but shares in the mining services company are still down more than 70% over the past 12 months.

RedFlow Ltd (ASX: RFX) share price gained 10% to $0.22.

Urbanise.com Ltd (ASX: UBN) share price rose 10% to $0.82, as director Arlene Tansey picked up 71,428 shares on market – usually a good sign.

And here's five companies that were heavily sold off…

Tap Oil Limited (ASX: TAP) share price crashed 18.2% to $0.18, despite the surging oil price.

Migme Ltd (ASX: MIG) share price sunk 6.9% to $1.02, after completing its $10 million capital raising at $1.00 per share. Migme is a social media entertainment platform, including messaging, chat, games, emoticons and stickers.

Australian Careers Network Ltd (ASX: ACO) share price dived 5.9% to $2.70 with the education provider embroiled in alleged rorts in the Federal government's vocational education sector.

Kathmandu Holdings Ltd (ASX: KMD) share price fell 5.8% to $1.31, with increasing uncertainty over the outcome of the takeover offer on the table from New Zealand's Briscoe Group. Briscoe appears to be having problems acquiring shares and says it won't raise offer.

Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX: SPL) share price dropped 5.6% to $0.68. Shares in the biotech stock soared earlier this month as we reported here, but it's been all downhill from there.

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In a very interesting piece of research by Deutsche Bank, the authors have suggested that within 20 years the global solar energy market will generate an incredible cumulative $5 trillion in revenues!

The detailed study reportedly has numerous fascinating findings including a forecast that 25% of India's energy needs will be sourced from solar by 2022 and that cost-competitive solar power energy storage is just around the corner, which the investment bank described as the "next killer app."

There are a number of takeaways from Deutsche Bank's report:

Be wary of the outlook for coal mines. The beaten-down state of the sector might entice some investors who expect a return to a higher price level, however if the Deutsche analysts' predictions are accurate then there could be further headwinds facing the sector.

Companies with leading solar technologies such as Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) could be well positioned to become major providers to the industry if widespread adoption occurs.

When it comes to a company with that "killer app" – a rechargeable, cost-effective battery – Redflow Ltd (ASX: RFX) could be just the ticket. After years in development, the group recently sold its first commercial large-scale zinc-bromide flow battery system.

AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) has already invested over $3 billion in renewable energy including landfill gas, biomass, biogas, solar, wind and hydroelectricity. This investment has made AGL a leading provider of renewables in general and specifically solar where the group has a 155 megawatt (MW) solar farm at Nyngan and a 53 MW farm at Broken Hill.

While no doubt there will be many twists and turns over the coming decades as companies jockey for position in an evolving energy landscape, investors who accurately identify winning companies early on stand to reap the greatest rewards.

The post Which stocks will profit from the coming solar energy boom? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

If Australia goes the same way that the USA is headed then structural decline could well be the case!

According to a recent article on business news site CNBC, within 25 years it will be significantly easier to take a house (or a building or a suburb) 'off-grid', thereby allowing consumers to cut their ties with utility companies. Referencing a report by Morningstar, the article suggested off-grid generation capabilities could mean "the end of utilities as we know them today."

This scenario, which should make shareholders consider the potential for disruptive changes in what has previously been considered a defensive industry, is largely premised on improvements expected to occur in renewable energy technology.

Solar, Wind, Geothermal

With improvements expected to occur in all three renewable sources, the key factor becomes their availability close to the source of consumption. For this to occur efficiently, battery quality needs to rise.

While 'old world' electricity utility companies could find themselves structurally defunct, if they see the writing on the wall and move quickly it's possible they could reinvent themselves as market leaders in the 'off-grid' space. There are some signs that AGL is alert to this and moving in the right direction.

Given their significant sunk costs in generation and transmission assets however, the more likely path is that most established providers will defend their turf till the end.

For investors looking to position their portfolios for this structural change, there are a handful of companies with exciting technologies and skills.

Geodynamics Limited (ASX: GDY) is a leader in geothermal exploration and development. Redflow Limited (ASX: RFX) is developing state-of-the-art batteries capable of delivering significant wattage of continuous power. Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (ASX: CFU) is attempting to commercialise technology which allows a home or business to generate electricity and heat on site from natural gas and renewable fuels, while Energy Developments Limited (ASX: ENE) has experience in building off-grid remote power supplies as well as experience in producing renewable energy from landfill gas.

The post 4 stocks set to benefit from this disruptive technology appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That has offset some of the falls during the week, with most indices ending the week slightly up. The near correction (a fall of 10%) we experienced in October appears long forgotten.

Despite the index gains, these 5 stocks were hammered today…

Vocation Ltd (ASX: VET) continues to plummet, losing another 15.3% today, to close at 66.5 cents. It's a far cry from its 52-week high of $3.40, with much of the blame laid at the feet of the company's management. Last week the company announced that it had lost close to $20 million in government funding, surprising the market, and investors appear to have lost faith in the company. Further falls from here appear likely.

Gold miner Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG) saw its shares drop 13.5% to 22.5 cents today, after the company announced that it was raising up to $25 million via a convertible note issue, with a face value of $1.00. Funds raised will be used to undertake feasibility studies on 3 projects, drilling programs and to "maintain ongoing operations". That suggests the company may be operating at a loss in the face of gold prices at their lowest since April 2010.

RedFlow Ltd (ASX: RFX) saw its shares drop to 29.5 cents, losing 9.2%. Redflow is developing zinc-bromine batteries that can be used to store and provide energy. But it may just be investors taking some profits, with Redflow shares jumping more than 150% this year. Zinc-bromide batteries are reportedly ideal for storage of renewable energy, as well as supporting off-grid or micro-grid power systems.

UGL Limited (ASX: UGL), the engineering services company also appears to have lost investor faith, falling another 7.3% today to $5.46. Yesterday UGL's shares dropped 14%, after the company announced its Joint Venture partner was likely to take provisions on a power station project of $85 million this quarter. What is concerning is that the partner CH2M had raised the potential issue as far back as August, but UGL management did not raise it as an issue, despite a number of opportunities to do so.

SMS Management & Technology Limited (ASX: SMX) saw its shares drop 6.9% to $3.63 today, although there was no news from the company. Shares in SMS have dropped 21.7% so far this year, although have recovered from a fall to $3.12 in May this year. The IT services and consulting company reported a disappointing 2014 financial year with net profit falling 40%.

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While these are extreme examples, let's take a look at what we can learn about long-term trends, and what lesser-known stocks might be ready to benefit.

As regular readers know, I describe my style of value investing as tailwind investing. That means I combine valuation with looking for long-term trends, including technology advances. While I doubt I'll ever earn returns of 700% within a year (unless I get really lucky), more than one of my picks using this philosophy has doubled in 12 months.

So without further ado, let's start examining some of the transformative technologies that are changing the world.

One of the disruptive technologies McKinsey covered was Energy Storage. "On the power grid," they write, "advanced battery storage systems can help with the integration of solar and wind power, handle peak loads, and reduce costs by enabling utilities to postpone infrastructure expansion. In developing economies, battery/solar systems have the potential to bring reliable power to places it has never reached."

So who will benefit from this trend? The most likely ASX beneficiary is Redflow Limited (ASX: RFX). Basically, the company makes batteries that are appropriate for most of the applications above, and the stock has soared over 100% in recent months.

High expectations are built into the current price, and I've covered the company in more depth in this article. Overall though it's evident that if battery storage makes solar powered remote grids a common reality, companies like Redflow have massive futures.

Another technology trend McKinsey mentions has already played out in Australia – and many investors have made big returns already!

I'm talking about mobile internet. To quote McKinsey: "In just a few years, Internet-enabled portable devices have gone from a luxury for a few to a way of life."

Many Australian investors made money from this by investing in Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS), which is up 34% in the last two years, excluding dividends. As the largest mobile provider, the smart-phone roll out has been a big boost to Telstra's bottom line! While Telstra remains a good business, I do not find it an attractive company to buy at current prices.

The third disruptive technology I'd like to talk about is advanced materials. McKinsey says that: "Advanced nanomaterials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes could drive particularly significant impacts. For example, graphene and carbon nanotubes could help create new types of displays and super-efficient batteries and solar cells."

Graphene is made from graphite, so arguably graphite miners such as Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) and Triton Minerals Ltd (ASX: TON) stand to benefit. Lo and behold, they are up 43% and 541% in the last year.

However, if I wanted to speculate on graphene, I would prefer Talga Resources Ltd (ASX: TLG), which can actually make graphene. In fact that stock is already up 700% in the last year.

However, all of these graphite stocks are speculative in nature and are quite hyped up at the moment, so I would not buy at current prices.

The post Can you get rich from these 3 tech meta-trends? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The name of the game is to find investments that have an asymmetric risk and return profile. That means you're looking for companies that have a solid chance of extreme growth but are quite unlikely to fail completely, even if that is a possibility.

One such company is Analytica Limited (ASX: ALT), a medical device maker that is expected to launch its product in Australia later this calendar year. The company has seen its share price rise over 10% in the last few days on the back of a positive market update and a broker report, albeit one paid for in part by the company.

Analytica is attempting to sell the PeriCoach, a device that is designed to assist with the strengthening of the pelvic floor muscle, because a weak or damaged pelvic floor muscle is the main cause for urinary incontinence in older women. Personally, my view is that it would be very difficult to market such a device, but a phone survey commissioned by the company suggested a decent proportion of women would buy the product, which measures their pelvic floor muscle strength, and gives feedback via a smart phone.

While the potential market for the PeriCoach is enormous, Analytica will face a multitude of challenges along the way and may require more capital at some point, so I've only taken a very small position. I wonder whether baby boomer women will use the device, or if they would prefer incontinence pads, or to exercise without electronic feedback, which is said to motivate patients.

One concern is that smart phone usage is less prevalent amongst older generations, although one positive is that smart phones are increasingly common across all generations. I find Analytica hard to value and I would recommend interested investors wait until the excitement dies down before considering a purchase.

Another interesting speculative stock, Mint Wireless Limited (ASX:MNW), has come back to earth after having its share price pumped to irrational heights last year. The company provides mobile payment systems that allow merchants and tradespeople to take electronic payments with the assistance of a portable device and a smartphone. Although the major banks offer similar systems, the application process for Mint's system is easier and the costs are more transparent.

While this is clearly a growth area, I think Mint Wireless may still be overvalued because it faces tough competition from a similar company called Quest Payments that seems to offer a similar service for slightly lower prices. For example, the EFTPOS transactions cost at least 28c with Mint, but only 25c with Quest. Perhaps Mint's best advantage is that it offers a white label solution. Indeed, it has already signed Bank of New Zealand as a white label customer.

Finally, I must mention Redflow Limited (ASX: RFX), a battery manufacturer that has seen its shares shoot up 37% in the last two days, and is now up 125% since I said it could be a big winner. In case you're wondering, I don't own shares, unfortunately. I'm not buying at the moment because I don't want to buy while sentiment is so positive.

The most recent good news is that the company has successfully charged and discharged 4 strings of 12 batteries, running through a 144kW inverter. For those of you who prefer plain English, that means that the batteries are probably suitable for storing solar energy and stabilising renewable energy powered micro-grids.

This bodes extremely well for the company because solar plus storage is likely to be cheaper than grid connected energy in many locations. Shareholders will be hoping that Redflow's batteries find a market in Europe, since the company recently signed a distribution agreement with an Austrian company.

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Here are four stocks that are soaring today…

Redflow Limited (ASX: RFX) has seen its shares soar more than 20% to 32 cents in trading so far today, after announcing that it had conducted successful trials with its prototype large scale energy storage system. The company, which develops zinc-bromide batteries, says that despite no marketing it is already in early discussions with potential customers. Back in July, my colleague Claude Walker mentioned Redflow as a 'compelling stock'.

Shares in oil and gas producer AWE Limited (ASX: AWE) have climbed 16% to $1.95, after the company announced the discovery of what could be Western Australia's largest onshore gas discovery since the 1960s. With its partner Origin Energy Limited (ASX: ORG), AWE says its Senecio-3 well found gas deeper down, and together with the new Waitsia field, could potentially hold as much as 1.17 trillion cubic feet of gas.

OrotonGroup Limited (ASX: ORL) appears to have shrugged off the loss of its Ralph Lauren contract in July last year, with a 16% jump in net profit after tax for the 2014 financial year. The fashion label says this financial year will be a year of transformation as it moves ahead with three major brands under its bonnet, Oroton, GAP and Brooks Brothers. Shares in OrotonGroup surged 12.6% to $4.11 in mid-afternoon trading, and you can read more on the result here.

iProperty Group Ltd (ASX: IPP) has seen its shares rocket up 12.4% to $2.99, despite no official news from the company. Mind you, shares in the real estate portals company dropped 8% yesterday, again on no news. While iProperty has yet to report a profit, revenues and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) are growing strongly, while its Hong Kong business recently reached profitability.

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The share price is up another 9% today, on the basis of an announcement by the company that it will sell its batteries to Austrian energy storage integrator BlueSky Energy GmbH. Much of today's share price rise can be attributed to the statement, by BlueSky's Managing Director Hansjorg Weisskopf that:

"The Redflow battery and the containerized offering is well suited for the German and other European markets. The installed solar base is very high in Germany in particular and we believe the Redflow battery will suit this market." [My emphasis].

Germany is likely to get from 5%-6% of its power from solar in the current year. However, to quote renewable energy expert Craig Morris, "the limits of solar in Germany without storage are coming fast." That's because solar panels put out much more energy on a sunny day in summer, and you can see why in the picture below. For the solar revolution to continue, we need better storage.

It's interesting to note that the two money managers I know who currently hold Redflow shares are a momentum trader (who has taken some profits) and an investor who specialises in environmentally positive investments. The chart below compares Redflow with a number of other speculative clean energy stocks. It shows just how difficult it has been to pick a winner in that field.

Source: Google Finance

The chart above compares Redflow to Carnegie Wave Energy Limited (ASX: CWE), Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (ASX: CFU), Infigen Energy Ltd (ASX: IFN) and Geodynamics Limited (ASX: GDY). I'm always interested in these companies, and I want them to succeed, but they face great challenges without proper government support.

As you might guess, Carnegie is developing wave power technology and Ceramic Fuel Cells sells fuel cells that convert natural gas into electricity and heat on-site. That heat can then be used to heat water or replace a boiler, so arguably it is a more efficient technology. Infigen owns wind farms and Geodynamics had a shot at making hot rock geothermal work in Australia (before essentially giving up.) In one way or another, all of these companies have benefitted from clean energy incentives put in place by past governments.

This has not been a happy situation for shareholders. As the political situation has changed or, in the case of Geodynamics, as the technology has failed to live up to expectations, the share prices have been hit hard. In the last five years Infigen shares are down over 80%, Geodynamics shares are down 95%, Ceramic Fuel Cell shares are down 94%, and Carnegie Wave shares are down 80%. Redflow is down 75% since it listed at the end of 2010.

I hope that all of these companies become an Australian success story, but without government support, the odds are against them. Industries such as mining, farming, science and technology, and even manufacturing all enjoy significant subsidies from the government. Australian clean tech companies will struggle to compete with foreign companies if politicians fail to support the industry.

Although Redflow is likely to need to raise capital again, if the manufacturing arrangement with Flextronics (NASDAQ: FLEX) runs smoothly and the various trials go well, it should be easy to find more investors. Redflow might well succeed on a global stage, and although I wouldn't be buying shares at current prices, it is certainly on my watchlist.

The post Is Redflow Limited the best clean energy investment? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's our view of four companies thrashing the market today…

Scantech Limited (ASX: SCD) provides a number of products to miners to monitor the quality of ore such as iron ore and coal, and today saw its share price soar 33.3% to 60 cents. A fairly illiquid stock, just 19 trades were made in the stock today, perhaps the major reason for the price move. The company's most recent results weren't great – a net loss after tax, but the company is confident in the future.

Valence Industries Ltd (ASX: VXL), a resources company, is attempting to restart production at its Uley Graphite Mine in South Australia. Shares have soared 15.3% today to 82 cents. The company released its annual report on Friday, which noted that its recent drilling program has identified significantly higher grades with the potential to significantly increase production capacity.

Panorama Synergy Limited (ASX: PSY) continues its strong run, rising 15% today to 46 cents. The company has now risen 91% since last week! The reason appears to be investors having fallen in love with the company's business – micro machines which the company says represent the 'things' in the 'Internet of Things'.

RedFlow Ltd (ASX: RFX) gained 7% today to close at 30 cents, and shares are up 39% since last week. Redflow has developed a zinc-bromine battery that could have major implications for the renewable energy sector. Last week, RedFlow announced an agreement with Blue Sky Energy to offer European clients the Redflow battery.

All of these companies are highly speculative, with all but Scantech yet to make a profit – but that doesn't mean they can't be successful in future. The major risk is that they fail to live up to their potential.

The post 4 ASX stocks smashing the ASX today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

One company that has seen its boss buy on market recently is Paragon Care Ltd. (ASX: PGC), a growing supplier of surgical instruments, medical equipment and medical consumable products. In the last nine months the Managing Director, Mark Simari, has bought almost $50,000 worth of shares (though in July last year a different director sold far more – at slightly above current prices). Director Mark Newton has also been buying small parcels of shares.

The company is in the process of integrating its recent acquisition, and says that the current annualised EBITDA of the business is approximately $2.8m. If you set aside $800,000 for Interest, Depreciation and Amortisation, this suggests annualised earnings would be around $2 million, considering the company has accumulated losses, and may not have to pay much tax. At a glance, it looks quite cheap with a market cap of $18 million plus debt of around $4 million. Pleasingly for shareholders, the company has begun paying a dividend.

My main concern with Paragon is that future cashflows and dividends are hard to predict because sales are primarily driven by capital expenditure orders and therefore quite lumpy. Certainly, the indifference of the federal government to healthcare needs does not bode well, in the short term.

I think the company's strategy to acquire other medical suppliers is sensible, because it will bring synergies and economies of scale. However, it is important that the price paid is reasonable, especially given the company has stated its intention to take on more debt to fund "a key acquisition" after undertaking due diligence. I don't like debt funded acquisition strategies as a general rule, although the low interest rate environment should help.

Personally, I'm more excited about Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME), a healthcare-focused software engineering company that sells Picture Archive Communication Systems (PACS) and Radiology Information Systems (RIS). Director Roderick Lyle bought over $15,000 worth of shares at the end of 2012, and in April this year, chairman Peter Kempen bought about $25,000 worth. CEO Sam Hupert bough $28,000 worth less than two months ago, albeit at slightly below today's prices.

One of the main reasons I like the company is that 80% of its revenues are recurring in nature. Also, the PACS system is perfect for an environment where medical image file sizes are continually increasing, because it allows physicians to view the images without downloading them to their particular device. The company already pays a dividend and can afford to keep paying that dividend as it has over $15 million in cash. Finally, cashflow is considerably stronger than actual earnings, due to significant amortisation.

However, there are significant risks because the company faces deep-pocketed competitors like Siemens, General Electric, Phillips, and McKesson Corporation. Furthermore, governments often try to restrict diagnostic imaging because it is expensive (and they want to reduce public health expenditure). Of course, this often backfires because it can delay treatment where it is required. Do recall that the company is priced for growth.

Finally, Redflow Limited (ASX: RFX) looks like it may succeed in commercialising its zinc-bromine battery modules. A recent oversubscribed capital raising saw three out of four directors participate. Director Richard Aird spent $50,000 on new shares while chairman Howard Stack spent over $230,000. There is no doubt he is a champion of the new technology. Please note that these purchases were made at 11c – less than half the current share price.

Redflow's share price is up a whopping 50% since I mentioned its prospects about two weeks ago. I would not rush in while the shares are hyped up (i.e. now), but I do have to say that the recent master supply agreement with Schneider Electric bodes well. The fact that Redflow has also done trials with Emerson Network Power and Raytheon suggests that its battery technology has practical (and profitable) uses.

The post 3 compelling growth stocks that directors are buying appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

One speculative company that has good form in that regard is eServGlobal Limited (ASX: ESV), which provides mobile payment and finance solutions. While the company has not had positive operating cashflow since 2008, it does have a history of returning cash to shareholders when it can. For example, when it sold a business in 2011, it paid out a whopping 29c to shareholders. The company is advancing its newer HomeSend product by forming a joint venture with Mastercard and telecommunications company BICS. This will result in an one-off accounting profit of over $33 million in the current financial year, but the real cashflows might still be a while away.

One of the most impressive growing microcaps on the ASX is mobile payments and digital advertising company Mobile Embrace Limited (ASX: MBE). The company has seen its shares rocket over 970% in the past year as it transitions from speculative micro-cap to growing small-cap. Some people I know have made a ten-bagger out of Mobile Embrace. At just over 20c per share, Mobile Embrace trades at around 20 times my (very) approximate estimate of FY 2014 free cashflow. Should it drop about 25%, I would be sorely tempted to buy, because although it operates in a rapidly changing and hard to predict industry, it has a strong tailwind since mobile advertising (and commerce) is becoming more important.

Redflow Limited (ASX: RFX) is exciting conscious capitalists with its battery technology that is increasingly useful in the renewable energy era for obvious reasons. Because the electricity grid is so expensive it will, in my opinion, be slowly supplemented with solar and battery storage. I would also imagine Redflow's batteries have value as a backup power source for data-centres and in remote locations (with solar). However, it's essential to realise that the company is not cashflow positive and is currently raising cash at 11c per share – it last traded at 16c.

One growing small cap that is no longer speculative is RXP Services Ltd (ASX: RXP), which provides technology consulting services. The company is a collection of smaller businesses, and is making acquisitions quite rapidly. This makes it very difficult to discern organic growth and the underlying performance of the businesses. Nonetheless, directors have made share purchases on market at above current prices, and I was heartened to see that the company provided a conference presentation to the ASX the day before it was made in April. While it does look a tad too expensive at 68c, shares recently dropped under 60c, which is a tempting price for me. The company says that, "the momentum we built up in the first half combined with a number of new client wins will see strong second-half FY 2014 results."

This contrasts with the speculative pearl producer Atlas Pearls and Perfumes Ltd (ASX: ATP), which provided to the ASX a presentation that was apparently out of date, quoting the share price before it rose over 40% in less than a week. An investor relations firm representing Atlas Pearls focussed my attention on the company by pointing out that it is well positioned to profit from an increase in pearl prices. However, I'd need a hefty discount to net tangible assets to be buying Atlas Pearls shares – I feel far more comfortable with the attitude demonstrated by RXP Services.

The post 5 growing small-caps that could be big winners appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

One paper cited was – What happens when we un-plug? The authors Szatow and Moyse suggest that as soon as 2020, technology could be far enough advanced to allow individual homes to viably produce their power independently. It appears the key to this thesis is an expectation that cost-effective battery technology will soon become a reality.

In the words of Szatow and Moyse:

"A new era of local, cheap, clean energy is dawning. It is backed by an irresistible intersection of falling energy storage costs, cheap solar energy, rising energy prices and high levels of customer dissatisfaction with energy companies."

Accurately predicting how the future of energy supply will unfold as clean, renewable sources become price competitive is mind-bogglingly complex. While I wouldn't be ringing the death knell of AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGK) and Origin Energy Limited (ASX: ORG) just yet, the potential for disruptive technologies to cause electricity generation plants to become structurally redundant is worth being aware of.

If a mass move "off-grid" was to become a reality it would also likely affect the utility providers of electricity transmission such as Spark Infrastructure Group (ASX: SKI) and SP AusNet (ASX: SPN). Szatow and Moyse's paper did suggest there would likely still be a role for gas to the home in a future "off-grid" world, which is good news for investors in gas pipeline owner and operator APA Group (ASX: APA).

While it appears a bold call to suggest a large number of homes could become self-sufficient and affect the economics of current electricity suppliers, there are bound to be technological innovators which succeed to some degree. Two micro-caps that investors might take a closer look at are RedFlow Ltd (ASX: RFX) which is developing a high quality battery and Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (ASX: CFU) which is commercialising technology which will allow a household to generate electricity from natural gas and renewable fuels.

Foolish takeaway

Recent data from Roy Morgan Research shows that 16% of Australian households have solar electric panels. With the cost of solar panels continuing to decline and their efficiency going up, the development of a small, cheap and effective battery coupled with households looking to cut their ever rising electricity bills, makes the case for consumers moving "off-grid" not so far-fetched.

The post Are AGL Energy Ltd and Origin Energy Limited under threat from new age technologies? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.