Australians are going so mad for Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) shares that there are now more shareholders than customers in this country.

On one trading platform alone, Stake, more than 17,000 Australians have bought a stake in Tesla. Stake’s research suggests about 10,000 Australians actually own a Tesla car.

Stake chief executive Matt Leibowitz told The Motley Fool the electric vehicle sector is hot with Australian investors now.

“Tesla is undeniably the market leader with approximately 3 times larger market share than 2nd placed Volkswagen.”

More than $442 million has been transacted for Tesla shares through Stake this year. That’s 1840% up on last year’s $22.8 million.

Tesla’s cultural cache

The Tesla brand has built up a “cultural cache”, according to Leibowitz, and this stirs up passions that raw financial figures can never replicate.

“Whether it be selling Tequila or short-shorts for $69.420, it’s become the sort of brand that recruits loyal followers not just transactional customers — Apple-esque.”

Tesla shares started the year at US$86.05. It is now at $555.38 — multiplying 6.5 times in just 11 months, notwithstanding a COVID-19 market crash.

The incredible rise has made its boss Elon Musk the second wealthiest person in the world this week.

The Motley Fool asked Leibowitz how much higher the share price can go when the inflation is all based on potential future earnings.

“While the market prices in future potential, no one actually has a crystal ball,” he said.

“Tesla’s been driving itself for many years but now the category is taking on a life of its own. Modern players like Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) and Electrameccanica Vehicles Corp (NASDAQ: SOLO) are creating excitement — these are also amongst Stake most traded — and this lifts the whole category.”

Electric vehicles finally take centre stage

Leibowitz said the public is only just starting to understand the potential market for electric vehicles.

“For example, cars aside, Business Wire have estimated the charging infrastructure market alone to be a US$112 billion business by 2027,” he said.

“This is one of those industries that is really poised to completely disrupt and overhaul its predecessors and when you’re at the beginning of that inflection point, potential growth is enormous.”

Taking advantage of the cult status of the brand, Stake has partnered with the official Tesla Owner’s Club in Australia to put on an electric vehicle time trial event on Monday.

The event is claiming to be a world first, and has ambitions to insert itself as an annual fixture in the Australian motorsport calendar.

“It’s these category-and-culture leading brands that can really stir the popularity of investors the world over.”

More reading

• Here are the US shares that CommSec customers are buying
• Tesla stock could surge 104% to $1,000, according to this analyst
• Elon Musk is now the world’s second richest person
• It’s official: Like it or not, millions will own Tesla stock soon
• Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) share price zooms 8% on S&P 500 news

Tony Yoo owns shares of NIO Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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The Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN) share price is trading higher today despite receiving a downgrade by ratings agency Fitch Ratings. Fitch has placed Crown Resorts’ BBB rating on ‘rating watch negative’, after the NSW gaming authority delayed the December opening of Crown’s Sydney casino until February 2021.

However, the Crown Resorts share price was up 5.93% at $10.19 in closing trade. Could shares in the company be buoyed by the opening of its Melbourne casino today?

Why Crown Resorts has been downgraded

Fitch Ratings said the downgrade reflected its opinion that the Sydney opening ban highlighted an “increased risk” of severe regulatory action being taken by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA). The ratings agency said this risk could potentially include a loss of licence.

According to Fitch, the ban in NSW has also heightened the potential for further regulatory action by the Victorian and Western Australian regulators. That possibility would have a “significant” impact on Crown’s business, the company says. 

Fitch’s downgrade follows the steps of Moody’s Investors Services on 20 November, when it downgraded the issuer rating of Crown Resorts from Baa2 to Baa3. Moody’s also said that ILGA’s decision to delay the Sydney opening was instrumental in its decision to downgrade. 

In response to the Moody’s downgrade, Crown advised the ASX on Friday that interest costs associated with its Euro Medium Term Notes would subsequently lift by about US$1 million per annum.

What issues has Crown been facing

Crown Resorts has been on the regulator’s radar after it was revealed that the casino paid illegal junket operators to attract high rollers from mainland China. These accusations have been investigated by AUSTRAC, the Australian government intelligence agency set up to monitor money laundering, organised crime, and fraud. 

It is alleged that junket operators based in Macau and Hong Kong are suspected to have links with Chinese organised crime groups. Known as triads, they in turn are said to provide the junkets with capital, protection, drugs, prostitutes and debt collection services.

In response to allegations, Crown has suspended all junket relationships until mid 2021. The ongoing inquiry into Crown’s dealings will decide whether Crown is fit to hold a license in NSW. 

How did the Crown share price perform in 2020

The Crown Resorts share price has dropped by 15% in 2020. The share price began the year at $12.04 before dropping to $6 as the Government put COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in place. It has since risen to $10.19 today. The company commands a market cap of $6.5 billion.

More reading

• ASX 200 rises again on Monday
• Why the Crown (ASX:CWN) share price is dropping lower again today
• Why a2 Milk, Crown, Immutep, & Suncorp shares are dropping lower
• ASX 200 down 0.3%: Altium FY 2021 guidance, Crown drops, insurance shares sink
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Motley Fool contributor Eddy Sunarto has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Crown Resorts Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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The Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS) share price was out of form on Wednesday and dropped lower.

The financial technology company’s shares fell 2.5% to $3.35.

Why did the Bravura share price drop lower?

Today’s decline appears to have been driven by concerns over the company’s ability to deliver on its guidance for FY 2021.

Yesterday at its annual general meeting, management revealed that it was facing sizeable headwinds due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit and thus was forecasting a flat full year profit.

However, it was the significant weighting to the second half which is likely to have spooked investors.

Bravura’s chief executive officer, Tony Klim, explained: “In October 2020, we also flagged that the second wave UK lockdowns and stalling Brexit negotiations have increased uncertainty and are slowing the progress of pipeline opportunities in the UK. As a result, Bravura expects FY21 NPAT to be weighted approximately 80% to the second half of FY21.”

Is this share price weakness a buying opportunity?

One broker that sees the weakness in the Bravura share price as a buying opportunity is Goldman Sachs.

This morning the broker retained its buy rating and $4.50 price target on the company’s shares, even though it expects it to fall short of its guidance.

It commented: “In conjunction with its 2020 AGM, BVS further specified that it expects FY21 NPAT to be c.80% weighted to 2H21. We forecast FY21E NPAT of A$38.2mn, down 5% from A$40.1mn in FY20E, comprised of A$10.9mn in 1H21E and A$27.2mn in 2H21E (71% weighted to 2H). Note, our forecasts exclude the impact of the Delta acquisition, which we previously published could be EPS accretive.”

Why does Goldman like Bravura?

The broker’s buy rating is based on four key reasons.

They are its strong market position in existing product offerings (with a high degree of recurring revenue), the emerging microservices ecosystem strategy, a net cash position that provides its with a buffer in uncertain times and flexibility to invest and pursue further acquisitions, and its undemanding valuation.

More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Why Coles and this ASX dividend share are buys for income investors
• Here’s why the Bravura Solutions (ASX:BVS) share price raced higher today
• 2 cheap ASX shares to buy right now
• Fund managers have been buying Kogan (ASX:KGN) and this ASX share

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Bravura Solutions Ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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The Platinum Asset Management Ltd (ASX: PTM) share price is on fire today, rising 6.71% at the time of writing to $3.89 a share. Platinum shares closed at $3.66 yesterday afternoon before opening at $3.79 this morning and climbed as high as $3.94 today before settling at their current level. By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is also up today, but only by 0.73% to 6,692.8 points.

Today’s move caps off what has been a stellar week and month for the company. Platinum shares are up more than 11% over the past 5 trading days, and up more than 26% since the start of November.

Who is Platinum Asset Management?

Platinum is one of the most famous asset managers on the ASX, despite only starting out in 1994. Platinum made a name for itself by focusing on companies listed outside Australia’s ASX, one of the first ASX fundies to do so.

Platinum was co-founded by ASX investor and billionaire Kerr Neilson, with financial backing from the famous American billionaire (and the ‘man who broke the Bank of England’) George Soros.

Mr. Neilson sat at the helm of the company for almost 2 decades before stepping down as chief investment officer in 2013. He remained the chief executive officer of Platinum until 2018, when he handed the role to the current occupant Andrew Clifford. Mr. Clifford also serves as the current chief investment officer. Mr. Neilson remains at Platinum in the capacity of executive director though, and, according to the company, “remains fully engaged in the business and continues to work on the generation of investment ideas”.

Despite this blue-blooded reputation, Platinum has been struggling in recent years. The company’s shares were trading as high as $9 back in 2015, and as high as $8.72 as recently as 2018. That means Platinum shares are down almost 56% from these 2018 highs on current levels. That doesn’t compare well with other large ASX fund managers.

As an example, take another ASX fund manager, run by another famous billionaire investor in Hamish Douglass, and with a similar focus on global shares to Platinum – the Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG). The Magellan share price has risen close to 150% over the same period Platinum shares have fallen almost 56%.

So why has Platinum been underperforming so drastically in recent years?

Underperformance dogs Platinum

Platinum follows a ‘value investing’ philosophy in a similar vein to the legendary Warren Buffett. It offers a range of unlisted managed funds, as well as some listed investment companies (LICs).

The company describes its methodology as a “contrarian, long-term investing philosophy”, seeking out “companies whose true worth and prospects are yet to be fully recognised by the market”. Platinum tells investors that “we look beyond short-term market turbulence caused by events of a transient nature to seek out ‘unfashionable’ companies whose actual worth is greater than the value implied in their present share price.”

Value investing not so valuable

However, value investing has faced many problems in recent years, having to navigate a market that has been more willing to reward a ‘growth investing style’, especially in the tech space.

We can see this reflected in the performance of some of Platinum’s flagship funds. For example, the Platinum Capital Ltd (ASX: PMC) LIC has returned an average of just 4.3% per annum over the past 5 years, compared with 8.5% p.a. for its benchmark, the MSCI AC World Net Index. The unlisted Platinum International Fund has fared even worse against the same benchmark, delivering just 0.1% in returns per annum over the past 5 years.

This underperformance is likely the reason why Platinum has been dealing with fund outflows for a while now, and presently manages just under $22 billion in assets. In contrast, Magellan now manages more than $100 billion.

My Fool colleague Tony Yoo reported on this phenomenon of value underperformance in September, and quoted Betashares senior investment specialist Cameron Gleeson:

Falling rates increase the present value of future cash flows, and this typically will have an especially positive impact for companies with strongly growing earnings… with the benefit of hindsight it’s perhaps not surprising that we have seen growth outperform value for over 10 years now.

What about the recent gains?

Although Platinum has evidently been struggling in recent years, the company’s recent share price performance would certainly be encouraging for investors.

In the company’s recent annual general meeting, Platinum reported that its funds under management had increased by 1.9% between 30 June and 31 October 2020. This was on the back of some recent good performance from its funds, as well as a rising tide on global share markets. Thus, it’s likely that investors who are watching the markets climb higher and higher this week are assuming the benefits will disproportionally benefit Platinum.

More reading

• US markets hit record high, is the ASX 200 next?
• Why the Regis (ASX:RRL) share price is up today despite sliding gold price
• 3 ASX shares with large dividend yields
• 2 quality ASX cyclical shares to buy today
• ASX 200 up 0.8%: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare impresses, Harvey Norman’s profits surge

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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Fund manager 360 Capital Group Ltd (ASX: TGP) today says it expects earnings to double in FY21, as the company aims to scale up its private equity business and expand its businesses across the investment strategies. The 360 Capital share price rose by 2.5% to 82 cents after the announcement.

What else was said by 360 Capital today?

360 Capital is forecasting a distribution of 4 cents per share in FY21. As such, the company expects its earnings per share (EPS) to be above 4 cents, but more clarity around these figures will be announced in its half year FY21 results in February 2021.

The company says its focus in FY21 is to continue to scale each of the funds under its management, and to start getting efficiencies from scaling up the platform.

360 Capital says its balance sheet remains in a strong (but inefficient) position with approximately $80 million in cash and no debt. The company aims to scale up investments on this free cash going forward, which it hopes will boost its earnings in FY21.

What is 360 Capital and what does it own?

360 Capital was established in 2006 by current chief executive, Tony Pitt. The company is a funds manager that invests in ASX-listed companies as well as private companies under its private equity business. The company has built its investment strategy around four key assets: real assets, private equity, public equity, and credit.

Some of the company’s achievements in the past have been the $300 million listing of Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP) in 2012, the $45 million initial public offering (IPO) of 360 Capital REIT (ASX: TOT) in 2015, and its own $71 million backdoor listing of 360 Capital Group via Trafalgar Corporate Limited in 2013. 

In its private equity business, the company currently owns stakes in four different companies. One of them is in a private company that owns a 19.55% stake in the E&P Financial Group Ltd (ASX: EP1).

Earlier this month, 360 Capital announced in a letter to shareholders that it sought to explain why it has acquired 19.55% of E&P, and why it has made a conditional offer to acquire the remaining shares with the intention of taking E&P private.

In that letter, 360 Capital argues that E&P should be privatised because it would give it greater flexibility to manage its capital base, and respond faster to opportunities by removing the complexities associated with public listing. Those discussions are still ongoing. 

How has the 360 Capital share price performed in 2020?

The 360 Capital share price has been one of the casualties of the 2020 pandemic, as its listed property investments were hit hard. The share price has lost more than 24% in 2020 and, at the current price of 82 cents, the company has a market capitalisation of $185 million. 

More reading

• 6 major events for ASX shares this week
• Why the Evans Dixon (ASX:ED1) share price is up 7% as the All Ords slides

Motley Fool contributor Eddy Sunarto has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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The Clean TeQ Holdings Limited (ASX: CLQ) share price is down 10.3% today. This as the company emerges from a 2-day trading halt to announce a $19 million capital raising via a private share placement.

Although well down from its 8 September 2020 highs of 38 cents per share, at today’s 26 cents, the Clean TeQ share price remains up 18.2% year-to-date.

By comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 1.3% so far in 2020.

What does Clean TeQ do?

Based in Melbourne, Clean TeQ Holdings provides services in metals recovery and industrial water treatment. The company applies its proprietary continuous ion exchange technology via its wholly owned subsidiary, Clean TeQ Water.

Clean TeQ also owns 100% of the Clean TeQ Sunrise Project in New South Wales. The company counts this amongst the largest cobalt deposits outside of Africa. It also has some of the largest and highest-grade accumulations of scandium on the planet.

Why did the Clean TeQ share price plummet today?

Co-chair Robert Friedland and CEO Sam Riggall told the ASX today that a private placement at 25 cents per share had been subscribed for institutional and sophisticated investors out of Australia, Asia, Israel and North America.

The share placement, which will raise $19 million in capital, comes at a 13.8% discount to Clean TeQ’s 29 cent share price at market close on Friday. Clean TeQ was in a trading halt this week on Monday and Tuesday and expects settlement to occur this Friday, 27 November.

Management also announced that eligible shareholders would be able to apply for up to $30,000 worth of shares at the 25-cent placement price. Clean TeQ’s roughly 7,000 shareholders will be able to do so without paying any brokerage or other transaction costs.

Among other allocations, the new capital will be used to fund ongoing development and growth of the company’s water purification business.

The capital will also fund additional mineral exploration at the company’s tenements. These include the Phoenix Platinum Zone beneath the Sunrise laterite and the Minore Project in New South Wales. Clean TeQ is progressing a six-hole diamond core drill program targeting platinum group metals.

More reading

• APA Group (ASX:APA) share price flat despite major project news
• Why the Tower (ASX:TWR) share price is up 4% today
• Why the Next Science (ASX:NXS) share price dropped 9% today
• Recce (ASX:RCE) share price shoots up 5% on new patent approval
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX continues to climb, despite outage

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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The APA Group (ASX: APA) share price has had a mixed day of trading today after the company announced a new project in Western Australia. Shares in the gas distributing giant are currently trading flat at $10.59, the same price as yesterday’s close. However, the APA Group share price was as high as $10.78 in early morning trade.

What is the new project?

The APA Group announced an investment of up to $460 million to construct a 580km, 12″ pipeline in Western Australia. The new pipeline will connect emerging gas fields in the Perth Basin to the resource rich Goldfields region, forming an interconnected WA gas grid.

The company said the new pipeline would be connected to its existing pipeline. In doing so, this would create a gas pipeline system in WA covering 2690km. Called the Northern Goldfields Interconnect (NGI) pipeline, the project is expected to be operational around mid 2022. 

As part of the NGI commitment, APA Group advised it would divest 50% of its share in the Mid West Pipeline, to be advanced in the coming months. The transfer is not expected to have a material impact on APA’s financial performance or operations.

What management said

APA Group CEO Rob Wheals said:

Having developed an interconnected gas grid on the East Coast that flexibly and seamlessly moves gas throughout eastern Australia, we are thrilled to now be creating one for Western Australia.

By connecting existing pipelines, our investment decision to build the NGI will not only add capacity to the system but will also increase gas supply options for customers. This will open up new regions for development supporting thousands of jobs both during and post-construction.

About the APA Group share price

Shares in the natural gas transmission company dropped as low as $8.06 in the March COVID-19 market crash. The APA Group share price has recovered somewhat, down 4.25% since January. In comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 1.28%.

More reading

• Why the Tower (ASX:TWR) share price is up 4% today
• Why the Next Science (ASX:NXS) share price dropped 9% today
• Recce (ASX:RCE) share price shoots up 5% on new patent approval
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX continues to climb, despite outage
• The Auroch (ASX:AOU) share price rocketed 11% higher today. Here’s why.

Motley Fool contributor Daniel Ewing has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of APA Group. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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Every week, we look at the United States shares Commonwealth Bank of Australia‘s (ASX: CBA) CommSec brokering platform tells us are proving popular with its customers.

As CommSec is one of the largest online brokers in the country, this data can be indicative of general investing trends in our market. This week’s data covers 16-20 November.

So here are the top 10 US shares that CommSec customers were buying last week:

Most traded US shares on the ASX

According to CommSec, the 5 most traded international shares last week were the following:

1. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) – representing 7.7% of total trades with a 67%/33% buy-to-sell ratio.
2. Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) – representing 4.8% of total trades with a 71%/29% buy-to-sell ratio.
3. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) – representing 2.7% of total trades with a 91%/9% buy-to-sell ratio.
4. Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) – representing 2.4% of total trades with a 52%/48% buy-to-sell ratio.
5. Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE: PLTR) – representing 2% of total trades with a 91%/9% buy-to-sell ratio.

The next 5 most traded shares were these:

1. Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE)
2. Moderna Inc (NASDAQ: MRNA)
3. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT)
4. Boeing Co (NYSE: BA)
5. Teladoc Health Inc (NYSE: TDOC)

What can we learn from these trades?

Another fascinating set of numbers to peruse this week, to be sure. Last week, we noted how the frantic buying pressure we saw in October has dampened into a more even buy/sell spread. That trend seems to be continuing this week, with a far more even split between buyers and sellers for Apple and Tesla especially. However, we also see that trades of Alibaba and Palantir are remaining very lopsided towards the buying end.

Interestingly, some investors seem to be very keen to take profits off the table with Tesla, given the stock has climbed close to 40% since the start of the month (although 67% of traders are still evidently hoping they are not too late to jump on this train). However, the Apple share price is pretty much flat over the month, despite 48% of traders also taking cash off the table there.

Turning to Alibaba and Palantir, the shares investors are scrambling to buy, Palantir is up 126% since the start of the month, whereas Alibaba is down more than 8%.

Another stock to note here is Boeing – the giant US aerospace and weapons manufacturer. Boeing has not appeared on this list for months (at least to my knowledge), and yet makes the No. 9 spot this week. Again, it’s probably got something to do with Boeing stock rising more than 50% in November so far.

We also see continued interest in pharmaceutical/vaccine companies like Pfizer and Moderna, which continues the trend we have seen in recent weeks as well.

A final trend we see continuing from last week is the absence of the FAANG stocks (aside from Apple) that often appear at the summit of these lists. Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) didn’t even make the top 10 (they were 11 and 18 respectively), whereas Google parent Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) couldn’t even cut the top 20.

More reading

• Dubber (ASX:DUB) share price shoots up 14%, nears 52-week high
• Tesla stock could surge 104% to $1,000, according to this analyst
• Elon Musk is now the world’s second richest person
• ASX energy shares surge ahead as oil rises to 9-month high
• Here’s why Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine could outsell Pfizer’s

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Alphabet (A shares), Boeing, Facebook, Pfizer, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Teladoc Health, and Tesla and recommends the following options: long January 2021 $85 calls on Microsoft, short January 2021 $115 calls on Microsoft, short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon, and long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, and Facebook. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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The Cann Group Ltd (ASX: CAN) share price has continued its sensational run and is rocketing higher again on Wednesday.

In afternoon trade the cannabis company’s shares are up a further 12% to 56.5 cents.

This means the Cann Group share price is now up an incredible 76% week to date.

Why is the Cann Group share price rocketing higher this week?

Investors have been fighting to get hold of the company’s shares this week after the release of an update on its debt facility.

On Monday, Cann revealed that it has received credit approval from National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) for a $50 million secured debt facility.

These funds will be used to complete the first stage of its state-of-the-art medicinal cannabis production site near Mildura. The first stage has an estimated nine month build time, with its first product expected to be processed and released by March 2022.

Once complete, the first stage of the project will provide annual capacity to produce 12,500 kgs of dry flower equivalent.

Work is expected to be underway in February 2021, with the total project cost estimated to be $112 million. Approximately $53 million has already spent on site works and the facility superstructure. The company plans to fund the balance with the new bank loan facility and its current cash reserves.

Why is the Cann Group share price smoking the market today?

There’s no point building such an enormous facility if you don’t have licences, right?

The good news is that this afternoon the company received notice from the Australian Department of Health’s Office of Drug Control (ODC) that its existing licences (for cultivation and production of medicinal cannabis, research activities in relation to medicinal cannabis, and manufacture of medicinal cannabis products) can be extended to its new Mildura facility.

Each ODC Licence includes a condition that Cann Group must provide the ODC with evidence that an independent security assessment has been undertaken on the Mildura facility, once it has been constructed.

Cann Group’s CEO, Peter Crock, believes that in addition to having the finance in place to build the state-of-the-art facility near Mildura, having the requisite licences in place will enable the Mildura facility’s production to come on-line from a regulatory perspective.

He commented: “The variation to our licences will enable us to proceed with certainty in respect of the building of the facility and moving into cultivation, production and manufacture from the facility seamlessly. We are on track to be processing and releasing material from our Mildura facility by the end of the first quarter of calendar year 2022.”

More reading

• Cann (ASX:CAN) share price flying after AGM
• Cann Group (ASX:CAN) share price rockets on NAB (ASX:NAB) update
• Why Ampol, Cann, Fortescue, & Mesoblast shares are surging higher
• Why ASX shares are in awesome shape vs overseas markets
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX continues to climb, despite outage

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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We had some big news overnight. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) – the United States’ oldest and most famous market index – hit 30,000 points for the first time in history. It ended up closing at 30,046 points this morning (our time). That means the Dow is now up more than 4% year to date, up more than 1.5% from the pre-crash highs we saw in February, and up more than 61% from the lows we saw on 23 March. The other major US indexes – namely the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ: .IXIC) – are also at, or very close to, all-time highs themselves.

And, with the exception of the Nasdaq, these indexes don’t even include (yet, anyway) the US’s highest-flying stock right now, Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA), which soared another 6.43% last night.

Keep in mind this is all happening in the year of a global pandemic and a nasty worldwide recession.

ASX 200 joins the Dow party

Over on the ASX today, the markets are also breaking records. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has today risen another 0.56% to 6,693.20 points at the time of writing, after climbing as high as 6,710 points earlier today. This puts the ASX 200 past the 6,690 point level it began 2020 at, meaning all the losses the onset of the coronavirus pandemic brought to the markets in 2020 have been erased. Yes, the ASX 200 is now up more than 47% from the lows of 23 March.

Sure, the ASX 200 isn’t doing quite as well as the US markets have been. We are still around 6.5% off of the February high (and all-time high) of 7,162 points the ASX 200 hit on 20 February, whereas the US has already eclipsed this milestone. But if things keep going the way they have been in November so far (the ASX 200 is up nearly 13% since 30 October), we won’t have to wait too long.

So what’s driving this rally? As I pontificated last week, the ASX 200 index is heavily influenced by the performance of the big four banks, which make up roughly 20% of the entire index’s weighting. Well, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) is up more than 18% over the past month, as is Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ). National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) is up more than 23% over the same period. Thus, we can probably thank the ASX banking sector for a large part of the ASX 200’s success in November so far.

More reading

• Why the Regis (ASX:RRL) share price is up today despite sliding gold price
• 2 quality ASX cyclical shares to buy today
• ASX 200 up 0.8%: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare impresses, Harvey Norman’s profits surge
• Why these ASX 200 shares just hit record highs
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday

Sebastian Bowen owns shares of National Australia Bank Limited and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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