American Rare Earths Limited (ARR:AU) has announced Metallurgical Update – Halleck Creek
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Lode Gold Resources Inc. (TSXV: LOD) (OTCQB: LODFF) (‘Lode Gold’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that a shareholder meeting has been scheduled to approve the plan of arrangement for the tax-efficient spinout of Gold Orogen. The meeting will take place on Monday, March 10, 2025, at 10:00 AM MST. Details regarding Lode Gold’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) are available on our website: https:lode-gold.cominvestors2024-agm.
The two companies will trade as separate entities upon court filing with the court, 5 to 10 days after shareholder and TSX-V approval.
Before the Record Date, all Lode Gold shareholders will receive Gold Orogen spinout shares. The Company plans to close its private placement by March 10, 2025. Each $0.18 unit includes one common share and a warrant, allowing the holder to buy a share at $0.35 for three years after closing.
Upon completion of the spin-off, the Companies will be structured as follows:
Gold Orogen (Spin Co.)
Gold Orogen is an exploration pure play with two choice assets. Both assets are located in highly prospective areas and each can potentially be a company maker and a standalone asset.
Asset 1:
Confirmed on WIN:
Asset 2:
Lode Gold (Parent): Underground Mine Potential (previously mined at 10.7 g/t Au)
The Fremont Gold project is located on the Mother Lode Belt Lode Gold on patented private land in Mariposa County. Lode Gold is the first owner since mining suspension in 1942, to evaluate the project as an underground opportunity.
About Lode Gold
Lode Gold (TSXV: LOD) is an exploration and development company with projects in highly prospective and safe mining jurisdictions in Canada and the United States.
In Canada, its Golden Culvert and WIN Projects in Yukon, covering 99.5 km2 across a 27-km strike length, are situated in a district-scale, high grade gold mineralized trend within the southern portion of the Tombstone Gold Belt. A total of four RIRGS targets have been confirmed on the property. A NI 43-101 technical report has been completed in May 2024.
In New Brunswick, Lode Gold has created one of the largest land packages with its Acadian Gold JV Co; consisting of an area that spans 445 km2 and a 44 km strike. McIntyre Brook covers 111 km2 and a 17-km strike in the emerging Appalachian/Iapetus Gold Belt; it is hosted by orogenic rocks of similar age and structure as New Found Gold’s Queensway Project. Riley Brook is a 335 km2 package covering a 26 km strike of Wapske formation with its numerous felsic units. A NI 43-101 technical report has been completed in August 2024.
In the United States, the Company is advancing its Fremont Gold project. This is a brownfield project with over 43,000 m drilled and 23 km of underground workings. It was previously mined at 10.7 g/t Au in the 1930’s.
Mining was halted in 1942 due the gold mining prohibition in World War Two (WWII) just as it was ramping up production. Unlike typical brownfield projects that are mined out, only 8% of the veins have been exploited. The Company is the first owner to investigate an underground high grade mine potential at Fremont.
The project is located on 3,351 acres of private and patented land in Mariposa County. The asset is a 4 km strike on the prolific 190 km Mother Lode Gold Belt, California that produced over 50,000,000 oz of gold and is instrumental in the creation of the towns, the businesses and infrastructure in the 1800s gold rush. It is 1.5 hours from Fresno, California. The property has year-round road access and is close to airports and rail.
Previously, in March 2023 the company completed an NI 43 101 Preliminary Economic Assessment (‘PEA’). A sensitivity to the March 31, 2023 PEA at USD $2,000/oz gold gives an after-tax NPV of USD $370M and a 31% IRR over an 11-year LOM. At $1,750 /oz gold, NPV (5%) is $217M. The project hosts an NI 43-101 resource of 1.16 Moz at 1.90 g/t Au within 19.0 MT Indicated and 2.02 Moz at 2.22 g/t Au within 28.3 MT Inferred. The MRE evaluates only 1.4 km of the 4 km strike of Fremont property. Three step-out holes at depth (up to 1200 m) hit structure and were mineralized.
All NI 43-101 technical reports are available on the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and the Company’s website (www.lode-gold.com)
ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY
Wendy T. Chan, CEO & Director
Information Contact
Winfield Ding
CFO
info@lode-gold.com
+1-604-977-4653
Kevin Shum
Investor Relations
kevin@lode-gold.com
+1 (647) 725-3888 ext. 702
Cautionary Note Related to this News Release and Figures
This news release contains information about adjacent properties on which the Company has no right to explore or mine. Readers are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Company’s properties.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release includes ‘forward-looking statements’ and ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements with respect to the use of proceeds, advancement and completion of resource calculation, feasibility studies, and exploration plans and targets. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘plan’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘potential’, ‘target’, ‘budget’ and ‘intend’ and statements that an event or result ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘should’, ‘could’ or ‘might’ occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.
Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which the Company operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic, and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies. These include assumptions regarding, among other things: the status of community relations and the security situation on site; general business and economic conditions; the availability of additional exploration and mineral project financing; the supply and demand for, inventories of, and the level and volatility of the prices of metals; relationships with strategic partners; the timing and receipt of governmental permits and approvals; the timing and receipt of community and landowner approvals; changes in regulations; political factors; the accuracy of the Company’s interpretation of drill results; the geology, grade and continuity of the Company’s mineral deposits; the availability of equipment, skilled labour and services needed for the exploration and development of mineral properties; currency fluctuations; and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations include a deterioration of security on site or actions by the local community that inhibits access and/or the ability to productively work on site, actual exploration results, interpretation of metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, unknown impact related to potential business disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak, or another infectious illness, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, including those described under the heading ‘Risks and Uncertainties’ in the Company’s most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable law.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/241602
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Red Metal Resources Ltd. (CSE: RMES) (OTC Pink: RMESF) (FSE: I660) (‘Red Metal’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that it is planning a Phase 1 work program and data compilation for its recently acquired, 100% owned, portfolio of highly prospective mineral claims and mineral claim applications, consisting of seven separate claim packages, covering 172 mineral claims and totaling over 4,546 hectares.
These highly prospective claim packages are located to the North, Northeast and the Southwest of Quebec Innovative Materials Corp.’s (‘QIMC’) recent hydrogen-in-soil discovery in the Saint-Bruno-de-Guigues area, of over 1,000 ppm, announced on September 4th 2024, as well as covering similar geology to the west located in the Larder Lake Mining District of Ontario, along the Quebec border near the town of Ville-Marie, QC.
Figure 1. RMES 7 Mineral Claim blocks in Ontario and Quebec in proximity to recent Hydrogen discovery
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These claim blocks are contiguous on three sides to Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. and cover possible extensions in multiple directions. To date, 164 of the 172 claims have been approved by the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests and the Ontario Ministry of mines.
Ontario’s Firstbrook Township hosts documented occurrences of copper, lead, cobalt, silver and kimberlite. The area boasts excellent infrastructure, including power and easy road access.
Geologic or white hydrogen offers a clean, renewable and potentially abundant source of energy with a range of environmental and economic benefits. Its carbon-free nature, high energy density and compatibility with existing infrastructure make it a promising solution for meeting future energy needs and achieving global climate goals.
Red Metal Resources President and CEO, Caitlin Jeffs stated,‘We have established a significant and highly prospective claim package covering 172 mineral claims and totaling over 4,546 hectares to the North, Northeast and the Southwest of Quebec Innovative Materials Corp.’s (‘QIMC’) recent hydrogen-in-soil discovery in both Quebec and directly across the border in Ontario. Red Metal is actively planning a Phase 1 work program to encompass its Quebec and Ontario claims and highlight the potential for new discoveries of hydrogen as well as base and precious metals as we continue to advance our Carrizal Copper/Gold property in Cordillera, Chile.’
Red Metal Resources is planning an initial exploration program that could include but not limited to:
Gas sampling from the soil and underwater surveys in Timiskaming Lake. These surveys can be used to locate degassing zones associated with faults in the Timiskaming rift.
Gravimetry and audiomagnetotellurism (AMT) geophysics to assess variations in the thickness of local sedimentary rock deposits (gravity troughs) over the Archean basement. AMT data will assist in locating graben-related faults in the St-Bruno-de-Guigue area that are covered by quaternary sediments.
Regional remote sensing gas surveys to identify specific targets to provide useful remote sensing data for hydrogen and helium exploration.
Fieldwork can be carried out with access to properties through main roads and paved highways.
The Company is currently reviewing regional geologic data to assist in the evaluation of potential additional acquisitions in the immediate area as well as the formulation of an initial exploration plan with further details to be provided in due course.
This news release contains information about adjacent properties on which the Company has no right to explore or mine. Investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Company’s properties.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Caitlin Jeffs, P. Geo, who is a Qualified Person (‘QP’) as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Red Metal Resources Ltd.
Red Metal Resources is a mineral exploration company focused on growth through acquiring, exploring and developing clean energy and strategic minerals projects. The Company’s portfolio of projects include seven separate mineral claim blocks and mineral claim applications, highly prospective for Hydrogen, covering 172 mineral claims and totaling over 4,546 hectares, located in Ville Marie, Quebec and Larder Lake, Ontario, Canada. As well, the Company has a Chilean copper project, located in the prolific Candelaria iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) belt of Chile’s coastal Cordillera. Red Metal is quoted on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol RMES, on OTC Link alternative trading system on the OTC Pink marketplace under the symbol RMESF and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol I660.
For more information, visit www.redmetalresources.com
Contact:
Red Metal Resources Ltd.
Caitlin Jeffs, President & CEO
1-866-907-5403
invest@redmetalresources.com
www.redmetalresources.com
Forward-Looking Statements – All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Red Metal provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the ability to raise adequate financing, receipt of required approvals, as well as those risks and uncertainties identified and reported in Red Metal’s public filings under its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Red Metal has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Red Metal disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/241568
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Asara Resources Limited (ASX: AS1; Asara or Company) is pleased to announce that it has signed a binding Subscription Agreement with Barbet L.L.C FZ (Barbet) to raise $2.3m (Placement) which affirms Barbet’s commitment to the Company and its flagship asset, the Kada Gold Project in Guinea (Kada).
Following completion of the Placement, Mr. Timothy Strong has stepped down as Managing Director and Mr. Matthew Sharples has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Strong will remain on the Board as Executive Director – Corporate Strategy & Affairs.
Executive Director, Tim Strong commented:
‘’We are pleased that Barbet have continued to show their commitment to the Company and its flagship Kada project by participating in a further Placement. This Placement will allow the Company to fastrack its exploration efforts.
I am also delighted to welcome Matt Sharples to the management team. Matt, who joined the Company as a consultant in October 2024, has been instrumental in recommencing operations at Kada. Matt provides a wealth of knowledge, and an undeniable passion for Guinea and I look forward to supporting him as we move the Kada project through the value chain towards a feasibility study. Both Matt and I are confident of the resource potential of Massan and the surrounding areas which will be drill tested in the coming months.’’
Placement Details
The Placement is comprised of the issue of 104,517,541 fully paid ordinary shares (Placement Shares) at an issue price of $0.022 raising $2,299,385.90 (before costs). per share. Following the Placement, Barbet holds 19.89% of the Company.
The proceeds of the Placement will be applied towards an upcoming drill program and exploration activities at Kada and general working capital. The Placement Shares will be issued under the Company’s existing placement capacity under ASX Listing Rule 7.1, and accordingly no shareholder approval is required. The Placement Shares will rank pari passu with existing securities on issue.
Executive Changes
Chief Executive Officer
Matthew has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective 14 February 2025. Matthew Sharples is a mining professional with over 20 years of experience in mine development, investment consulting and M&A. Matt specialises in the geological evaluation and development of gold projects, with a particular focus on project development from the initial stage to production.
Matt was Co-Founder and CEO of the private mining fund Sycamore Mining. Under his stewardship, the group’s flagship asset, the Kiniero Mine (Guinea), grew from a total resource base of 1.5Moz Au to 3.5Moz Au (JORC) and was sold to Robex Resources in 2022 for a project valuation of US$160m. Matt has worked worldwide in the mining and resources industry, in the UK, Africa, Asia and Australia, with Robex, Sycamore, Wood Mackenzie, Xstrata and BHP Billiton.
Matt holds an MSc in Basin Evolution and Dynamics, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom, and a BSc in Geology, University of Durham, United Kingdom. Matt is a director and shareholder of substantial shareholder, Barbet L.L.C FZ.
The material terms of Matthew Sharple’s employment agreement are as follows:
Click here for the full ASX Release
StrategX Elements Corp. (CSE: STGX) (‘StrategX’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce the discovery of high-grade copper mineralization at its East Arm Copper Project (‘East Arm’). Recent surface sampling has returned copper values ranging from 1% to 10%, underscoring significant exploration potential within a 2-km corridor of sedimentary-hosted mineralization accessible from the Great Slave Lake. Encouraged by these results, the Company has expanded its property position by staking an additional 6,425 hectares in the area.
StrategX’s copper targets at East Arm are situated along a major continental-scale craton margin, hosted in Paleoproterozoic sediments, and occur on trend with the Pine Point Zinc mine, currently being developed by Osisko Metals. For further details, refer to Figures 1-4.
Key Highlights:
A summary of the recent high-grade copper assay results from the Company’s sampling program is presented in Table 1.
Table 1 – StrategX Assay Results (2024) | ||||
Northing | Easting | Silver (Ag) ppm |
Copper (Cu) ppm |
Copper (Cu) % |
488362 | 6903463 | 24.9 | >10000 | 1.28 |
488374 | 6903459 | 54.5 | >10000 | 5.11 |
488415 | 6903479 | 7.0 | >10000 | 6.05 |
488440 | 6903303 | 0.7 | 336 | 0.03 |
488395 | 6903282 | 1.9 | 267 | 0.03 |
488384 | 6903272 | 1.4 | 661 | 0.06 |
488376 | 6903258 | 2.8 | 1320 | 0.13 |
488432 | 6903261 | 1.1 | 52.5 | 0.01 |
488444 | 6903278 | 0.6 | 249 | 0.03 |
488483 | 6903343 | 10.0 | >10000 | 2.65 |
488559 | 6903391 | 42.6 | >10000 | 10.10 |
488585 | 6903403 | 33.2 | >10000 | 2.91 |
East Arm Copper Project Overview
The East Arm Copper Project is easily accessible, located 315 km northeast of Hay River Harbour, a major transportation hub connecting to Alberta via highway. StrategX’s mineral claims can be reached by boat, with the nearest community, Łutselk’e, accessible via a 45-minute scheduled flight from Yellowknife (see Figure 1).
Recent fieldwork on the westernmost area of East Arm has confirmed high-grade copper hosted in brecciated sediments, expanding the known footprint of copper showings (Figures 2 & 3). The area has not been explored since the 1970s, when isolated historical blasted trenches revealed highly anomalous copper values. Historical reports also describe extensive chalcopyrite, bornite, and chalcocite mineralization, though no assay data was recorded. Figure 4 provides photos of high-grade copper mineralization observed in recent surface rock samples collected by the Company.
Figure 1: Location of the East Arm Copper Project and recent staking completed in the Murky Channel high-grade copper target area
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Figure 2: Location of high-grade copper showings at Murky Channel area.
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Figure 3: A view to the northeast of the East Arm Copper showings along the Murky Channel Fault.
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Figure 4: Photos 1, 2, 3a-b are referenced in Figure 2 as to their location in the field.
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https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8512/241584_figure4.jpg
Next Steps
StrategX is excited to advance field exploration at East Arm in the coming months, with the goal of defining drill targets and potentially discovering a significant high-grade copper deposit in the Northwest Territories.
Importance of Copper
Key to the Green Energy Transition – Copper is essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and global electrification, playing a crucial role in building a sustainable future.
Rising Demand vs. Limited Supply – Global demand for copper is projected to significantly exceed supply, driven by infrastructure expansion, electrification, and technological advancements.
Aging Mines & the Need for New Discoveries – Many of the world’s largest copper mines are reaching depletion, increasing the urgency for new high-grade deposits.
Scarcity of High-Grade Copper – Industry experts highlight that high-grade copper deposits are becoming increasingly rare, making new discoveries highly valuable.
Market Growth & Investment Potential – Copper prices have trended upward again, above US$4 per lb (the record all-time high was $5.20 per lb in May of 2024), fueled by supply shortages, growing industrial demand, and its critical role in the global economy.
Qualified Person
The geological and technical data contained in this press release were reviewed and approved by the Vice President – Exploration for StrategX, Gary Wong, P.Eng., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Analytical Methods & QA/QC Protocols
Grab samples, by their nature, are selected samples and may not be indicative of underlying mineralization.
The analytical work reported herein was performed by ALS Global (‘ALS’), Vancouver, Canada. ALS is an ISO-IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015 accredited geochemistry laboratory and is independent of the Company and the QP.
Samples were crushed entirely to 70% passing – 2mm, 250g split off and pulverized to better than 85% passing 75 microns. Multi-Element Ultra Trace uses a four-acid digestion performed on 0.25g sample to quantitatively dissolve most geological materials, culminating in analytical analysis performed with a combination of ICP-AES and ICP-MS (method ME-MS61). Overlimit samples (> 10,000 ppm Cu) were then subjected to Cu-OG62 method, which uses a four-acid digestion and an ICP finish on a 0.4g sample.
No external QA/QC samples were inserted because of the relatively small program size and the fact that these were field grab samples.
About StrategX
StrategX is an exploration company focused on discovering critical metals in northern Canada. With projects located on the East Arm of the Great Slave Lake (Northwest Territories) and the Melville Peninsula (Nunavut), the Company is pioneering new discoveries in these underexplored regions. By integrating historical data with modern exploration techniques, StrategX provides investors with a unique opportunity to participate in new critical metal district discoveries. These essential metals play a key role in global electrification, the green energy transition, and national supply chain security. For the latest updates and insights, visit our Investor Portal.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Darren G. Bahrey
CEO, President & Director
For further information, please contact:
StrategX Elements Corp.
info@strategXcorp.com
Phone: 604.379.5515
For further information about the Company, please visit our website at www.strategXcorp.com
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
All statements included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects, believes, or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections, and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company’s control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/241584
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Coca-Cola is launching a prebiotic soda brand called Simply Pop, taking on upstarts Olipop and Poppi.
Starting in late February, consumers on the West Coast and in the Southeast will be able to try Coke’s iteration of the trendy drink.
Soda consumption has broadly fallen in the U.S. over the last two decades, hurt by health concerns and an increase in alternatives on the market, from cold brew to energy drinks to water. But in the last five years, sodas containing prebiotics have taken off, thanks to industry newcomers Olipop and Poppi.
Olipop recently raised $50 million at a valuation of $1.85 billion, the company announced Wednesday. And Poppi made its second straight Super Bowl appearance in this year’s game, shelling out up to $8 million to reach the game’s record audience.
Digestive health soft drinks have grown from a $197 million category in the U.S. in 2020 to one of roughly $440 million in 2024, according to Euromonitor International data. Still, it’s a fraction of the overall soda market, which is worth billions of dollars.
Simply Pop’s first product lineup leans fruity, in a nod to Coke’s Simply juice brand. Flavors include pineapple mango, lime, strawberry, fruit punch and citrus punch.
“We went out and really listened to consumers. They love this space, they’re really looking for stuff that tastes good, and that’s something we know how to deliver on at Simply and at Coke,” said Becca Kerr, CEO of Coke’s North American nutrition unit, which includes its Simply and Fairlife brands.
Simply Pop drinks have no added sugar and contain 25% to 30% real fruit juice, the company said. They also contain vitamin C and zinc, which can boost the immune system.
They also have six grams of prebiotic fiber — triple Poppi’s fiber content but less than Olipop’s nine grams.
Prebiotics have taken off thanks to claims that they can boost “gut health” by helping beneficial bacteria grow in the gut. Their health benefits haven’t been conclusively proven.
“We do see that there tends to be an appetite for these type of products with younger consumers, like millennial and Gen Z,” Kerr said. “We see an interest in these types of products from multicultural consumers.”
But health claims can prompt pushback. Poppi is in settlement talks over a lawsuit filed in late May that challenges the company’s marketing, arguing that Poppi’s products are not as healthy for the gut as advertised.
Coke has had the prebiotic soda category on its radar for several years, according to Kerr. Olipop CEO and co-founder Ben Goodwin told CNBC in 2023 that both Coke and PepsiCo had already approached the company about a potential sale. Pepsi is reported to be planning its own prebiotic soda launch in 2025.
While it’s a newcomer to the segment, Coke has some obvious advantages: more than 100 years dominating the soda category, marketing and distribution muscle, and $47 billion in revenue in 2024 — compared with the more than $400 million in sales that Olipop netted in 2024.
Still, Coke has failed before when trying to chase a drink trend. It pulled its Coke Spiced flavor off the shelves in 2024 just months after declaring it a permanent addition. And in 2023, it slashed distribution of its Aha sparkling water brand after the product failed to take off with consumers.
Sentiment among the nation’s single-family homebuilders dropped to the lowest level in five months in February, largely due to concern over tariffs, which would raise their costs significantly.
The National Association of Home Builders’ Housing Market Index (HMI) dropped a sharp 5 points from January to a reading of 42. Anything below 50 is considered negative sentiment. Last February, the index stood at 48.
“While builders hold out hope for pro-development policies, particularly for regulatory reform, policy uncertainty and cost factors created a reset for 2025 expectations in the most recent HMI,” said NAHB Chairman Carl Harris, a home builder from Wichita, Kansas.
Of the index’s three components, current sales conditions fell 4 points to 46, buyer traffic fell 3 points to 29 and sales expectations in the next six months plunged 13 points to 46. That last component hit its lowest level since December 2023.
Builders are already facing elevated mortgage rates. The average rate on the 30-year fixed was over 7% for January and February after earlier being in the 6% range. Home prices are also higher than they were a year ago, weakening affordability further.
While President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico, originally proposed to take effect in early February, were delayed roughly a month, builders are still expecting higher costs.
“With 32% of appliances and 30% of softwood lumber coming from international trade, uncertainty over the scale and scope of tariffs has builders further concerned about costs,” said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz.
Homebuilder sentiment had been gaining steadily since August on the expectation of lower mortgage rates and, as the builders noted, potential pro-development policies. Single-family housing starts are trending lower than they were a year ago, despite a lean supply of existing homes for sale.
The drop in builder sentiment, coming right before the all-important spring market, signals potentially even less supply in the market. Several homebuilders have noted the pullback in buyer demand in recent earnings reports.
“Despite Federal Reserve actions to lower short-term interest rates, mortgage interest rates remained elevated in the fourth quarter, which impacted buyer demand as homebuyers continue to face affordability challenges,” said Ryan Marshall, CEO of PulteGroup, in its fourth-quarter earnings release.
The share of builders lowering prices dropped to 26% in February, down from 30% in January and the lowest share since May 2024. Other sales incentives also fell.
This may be because incentives are becoming less effective at attracting buyers, since high prices and high rates have reduced the pool of buyers for whom these benefits move the needle, according to the NAHB.
When a buyer is solidly priced out, no incentive helps, and with rates remaining higher, the pool of marginal buyers may be shrinking. Offering incentives to buyers who would buy regardless of price or rates is of diminishing value for builders.
KFC is leaving Kentucky.
The fried chicken chain’s U.S. headquarters will move from Louisville, Kentucky, to Plano, Texas, owner Yum Brands said Tuesday.
About 100 KFC U.S. employees will be required to relocate over the next six months.
The relocation is part of Yum’s broader plan to have two corporate headquarters: one in Plano, the other in Irvine, California. KFC and Pizza Hut’s global teams are already based in Plano, while Taco Bell and the Habit Burger & Grill’s teams are located in Irvine.
Additionally, Yum’s U.S. remote workforce, roughly 90 workers, will also be asked to move to the campus where their work is based.
But Yum isn’t entirely abandoning Kentucky. The company and the KFC Foundation plan to maintain corporate offices in Louisville. Plus, KFC still plans to build a new flagship restaurant in its former hometown.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many employers have been rethinking the location of their corporate headquarters, often spurred to move because of lower taxes and changes to office space needs due to the hybrid or remote workforce. With its business-friendly policies, Texas has been the most popular relocation choice, according to a 2023 report from CBRE.
In 2020, Yum rival Papa Johns moved its headquarters from Louisville to Atlanta. It later canceled plans to sell its old headquarters, instead opting to hold on to the building for the corporate workers who stayed in Louisville.
Argentine President Javier Milei is facing withering criticism, including some calls for impeachment, after promoting a new cryptocurrency on his social media account.
In a since-deleted post from his personal account on X on Feb. 14, Milei shared a link to a site where users could purchase a cryptocurrency called $LIBRA, a coin attached to a new initiative called Project Libertad, whose website indicates funds from the coin launch were designed to support Argentine businesses.
In his post, Milei indicated the coin and the project would help the country’s economy and small businesses.
Soon after launching, the coin’s price rose from about $0.22 to more than $5. Yet within an hour of the launch, buyers began to notice sales from early purchasers, and the price tanked some 70%.
According to crypto analytics firm LookOnChain, eight digital wallets linked to early trading of the coin cashed out a total of $107 million, while data reported by crypto news site ICOBench showed some 60 individual traders each lost more than $500,000, while 24 traders lost at least $1 million.
Today, LIBRA coin is worth about $0.30 according to CoinMarketCap.com.
The timeline of events has led to accusations on social media that the coin’s developers, or those with early awareness of the project, executed a “rug pull” on later buyers, to whom they knew they could sell at a higher price.
Representatives for the project did not respond to a request for comment.
The situation has drawn some parallels with President Donald Trump’s promotion of a cryptocurrency just prior to taking office; that coin, TRUMP, has fallen in value by some 80% to about $16 from its immediate post-launch high of nearly $78.
However, while early backers of TRUMP coin also saw large windfalls, the project was more transparent about its ownership structure.
In a post on X, Hayden Davis, an American, denied accusations of wrongdoing in launching LIBRA and accused Milei himself of reneging on the project.
“It is crucial to recognize that memecoin investments are driven by trust and endorsement,” Davis wrote. “When Milei and his team deleted their posts, investors who had purchased the token based on their trust in his endorsement felt betrayed. This led to a wave of panic selling, further exacerbating the situation. The sudden loss of confidence had a catastrophic impact on the token’s market stability.”
Davis did not respond to a request for additional comment.
On Saturday, Milei’s official account posted a lengthy description of what had occurred, stating that Milei himself has since invoked Argentina’s anti-corruption investigator to look into the matter, including the president’s own involvement.
In a television interview Monday, Milei admitted he had likely erred in promoting the coin.
“I’m a techno-optimist . . . and this was proposed to me as an instrument to help fund Argentine projects,” he said according to the Financial Times. “It’s true that in trying to help out those Argentines, I took a slap in the face.”
His office said that while he had met twice with representatives of the project, he was never involved in its development.
“The most interesting lesson is that . . . I need to put up more filters, it can’t be so easy for people to reach me,” Milei said in the interview.
While some analysts say getting enough votes to pass impeachment articles may be unlikely, Milei’s opposition is already pouncing on the incident, with one coalition calling it “a scandal without precedent” and another group for the creation of an independent commission, according to The New York Times.
Milei was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after the November election, and has developed what some have called a “bromance” with Elon Musk. Milei pioneered a new government agency, the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation, last year that has parallels with the Department of Government Efficiency Musk has spearheaded.
Milei took office in December 2023 promising to tackle his country’s longtime inflation woes. Although some progress has been made, the country’s poverty rate has also increased.
Trump Media and its fellow conservative-oriented social media company Rumble on Wednesday sued a Brazil Supreme Court justice whose clash last year with Elon Musk led to the blocking of Musk’s own social media firm, X, in that country.
The Tampa, Florida, federal court lawsuit accuses Justice Alexandre de Moraes of allegedly illegal attempts to censor a “well-known politically outspoken user” of Rumble with orders to suspend that user’s U.S.-based accounts.
The new lawsuit suit notes that Trump Media’s social media site Truth Social “relies on Rumble’s cloud-based hosting and video streaming infrastructure to deliver multimedia content to its user base.”
“If Rumble were to be shut down, that shut down would necessarily interfere with Truth Social’s operations, as well,” the suit says.
The suit was filed a day after Brazil’s prosecutor-general charged the country’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, with an attempted coup as he tried to remain in office following his 2022 election loss. Bolsonaro — who was invited to President Donald Trump’s inauguration last month — is accused of participating in a plot with nearly three dozen other people, which allegedly planned to poison current Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and kill Moraes.
Trump had been the majority owner of Trump Media stock shares. In December, the then-president-elect transferred his entire stake of shares to a revocable trust of which he is the sole beneficiary.
The suit mentions Musk’s feud with Moraes, when the justice suspended X in Brazil for Musk’s defiance of requests to ban some user accounts and remove content that Moraes said violated the country’s laws.
Brazil’s Supreme Court also suspended bank accounts in that country of X and Starlink, the satellite internet service provider owned by Musk’s company SpaceX, as part of that battle.
Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla, has been tasked by Trump to oversee a wide-ranging effort to cut federal government suspending and employee headcount.
Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes in a statement Wednesday on the suit said that the company “is firmly committed to upholding the right to free expression.”
“This is not just a slogan, it’s the core mission of this company,” Nunes said. “We’re proud to join our partner Rumble in standing against unjust demands for political censorship regardless of who makes them.”
Trump Media last week reported a net loss of nearly $401 million for 2024, and revenue of just $3.6 million.
The company in a statement last week said that about half of the $61 million in cash used in operating activities in 2024 “comprised legal expenses including costs related to the Company’s March 2024 merger with a special purpose acquisition company.”
“Partly as a result of obstruction by the Biden-era Securities and Exchange Commission, which turned the process into one of the longest SPAC mergers in history, [Trump Media] incurred significant legal expenses related to its merger and has brought litigation seeking to recoup its damages,” the suit said.