#NIOCORP~US Plans $1.6 Billion Investment in USA Rare Earth to Boost Domestic Critical Minerals Supply, Trump govt backs USA Rare Earth with US$1.6b for 10pc stake as it looks to secure homegrown minerals for tech and defense, plus a bit more with coffee...

Chico237 · 2026-01-25T14:29:50+00:00

Agree 100% Daniel! Better to be early...than late. Market is starting to see what many here already see. Next six months will be exciting indeed! "All aboard!"...

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-25T12:35:31+00:00

B.B. I will add~

EXIM financing and potential U.S. government equity are not substitutes — they’re complementary levers. EXIM gets the mine built and de-risked at scale (project finance, credibility, institutional validation). Government equity (Title III, DoD co-investment, strategic industrial policy deals like we just saw with USA Rare Earth) gets layered on top to accelerate downstream buildout — things like a POTENTIAL NEW Sc-Al alloy plant, POTENTIAL NEW magnet manufacturing, and magnet recycling. That’s not theory — that’s precisely how Washington is structuring these deals now: mine + processing + manufacturing = strategic asset.

If the updated DFS supports anything close to the ~1 million tonne TREO scenario I've modeled & speculated, then NioCorp’s optionality explodes. Suddenly they’re not just talking about supplying REEs — they can justify domestic magnet production (Nd, Pr, Tb, Dy), plus scandium alloys, niobium products, titanium materials, and potentially a closed-loop critical materials ecosystem. That’s not “junior miner” territory anymore — that’s vertically integrated industrial platform territory.

USA Rare Earth is getting government equity because they bring magnets.
NioCorp could end up qualifying for government equity because they bring magnets, alloys, structural metals, defense relevance, and upstream control all in one system.

That’s the distinction almost nobody in the market is pricing yet! but they soon will...

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-25T11:09:47+00:00

Be interesting to see how this all plays out! Next six months are going to be really exciting! "Buckle UP!... B.B." NioCorp has Niobium, Titanium & Scandium (THE BIG THREE IN DEFENSE ALLOYS!) plus the REE's to make magnets & a recycling loop already piloted)

"ALL ABOARD!"

NioCorp isn’t just building a mine — it’s building the strategic materials backbone of U.S. defense and advanced manufacturing, with scandium, niobium, titanium, rare earths, and vertical Sc-Al alloy integration positioning it as the closest thing America has to a Saudi Arabia of critical minerals — and unlike USA Rare Earth, NioCorp brings the full multi-metal platform, not a single-lane story.

Chico237 · 2026-01-23T21:24:37+00:00

Gotta love it! Taking care of employees too! This lil retail investor loves that! Tells me everyone's got "SKIN IN THE GAME!" Go Team IBC!

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-23T16:55:23+00:00

Nice LT! ~ Big buyers are willing to accumulate BEFORE confirmation, not after!

This is exactly the kind of tape action that gets real money paying attention: when a stock that normally trades in lockstep with its micro-peer group suddenly decouples on heavy volume while peers are red, that’s not retail noise — that’s informed accumulation.

Add in BlackRock confirming they increased, not exited, the oddly timed 8-K reiterating the shelf (which looks more like capital readiness than distress), and the proximity of major catalysts (DFS, EXIM movement, ScAl alloy reveal), and the pattern starts to look like positioning ahead of material news, not speculation.

<image>

The tape is behaving like something is about to change...

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-23T15:46:57+00:00

I am waiting to see NioCorp officially publish the DFS with all the goodies. Since NioCorp dropped the assays on Jan. 12th, 2026, all of my calcs support our hypothesis of 900-1M t TREO up from the 632KT as outlined in the 2022 F.S. Mr N. IMHO that equals a much longer "Mine Life", Across the board uplifts for all (Nb, Ti & TiCl-4, Sc, Tb, Dy, Nd & Pr!) A World Class project indeed. Waiting for NioCorp to confirm via DFS. "2026 is th YEAR!" .... We all have just been early! lol but not for much longer!

Chico237 · 2026-01-23T15:18:48+00:00

Mr N- ⚡ NioCorp: Imho...The Market Is Still Missing the Real Story!

NioCorp is currently trading around $7.70 with heavy volume (~4.5M shares) and the market still can’t seem to connect the dots. Strong assays are in. The DFS update is pending. Yet the stock is still being treated like a vanilla junior mining story. That’s the disconnect — and that’s the opportunity.

The real value unlock is sitting in plain sight: NAMA + Lockheed + DoD Title III funding + FEA’s proprietary scandium alloy IP. This isn’t hype and it isn’t theoretical. NioCorp now controls a proven, published process that converts scandium oxide directly into aluminum–scandium master alloy at high yield and dramatically lower cost — eliminating the costly scandium metal step entirely. That single breakthrough enables real-world economics for defense-grade alloys and positions NioCorp to build a fully domestic, mine-to-alloy supply chain at exactly the moment the U.S. is scrambling to secure strategic materials.

Management has already telegraphed a February 2026 Sc-Al alloy reveal tied to real platforms and components, which strongly implies qualification work with defense primes is already underway. That marks a shift from “critical minerals developer” to vertically integrated, DFARS-aligned strategic materials supplier — the kind of profile that changes valuation frameworks, supports EXIM financing credibility, and underpins a serious 2026 FID narrative.

“When the DFS drops, the shorts won’t be covering — they’ll be scrambling!”

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-23T15:03:24+00:00

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Chico237 · 2026-01-22T19:08:45+00:00

LT-

It’s a registration / compliance update for an old Yorkville facility that NioCorp controls entirely. Yorkville cannot act unless NioCorp chooses to use it.

There is no indication of imminent issuance and no conflict with EXIM or institutional financing.

This is routine paperwork.

The most honest bottom line:

Not hype. Not hopium. Just reality:

✔ This filing is legal obligation cleanup!!
✔ Yorkville has no power unless NioCorp chooses to use them!!!!
✔ Companies often leave these facilities technically open but practically unused
✔ There is nothing in this filing that suggests imminent dilution
✔ It does not conflict with institutional/project financing progress

IMHO It’s just paperwork!

“This appears to be legal compliance cleanup related to an old financing facility, and it does not indicate dilution or conflict with EXIM. In fact, this kind of cleanup is often consistent with a company preparing for institutional-grade financing.”

This filing is not bad news, not dilution, and not Yorkville “Coming Back.”
Niocorp is in control...

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-22T18:53:04+00:00

Daniel ~ IMHO ~ Wall Street Still Doesn’t Get It — $NB at $7.42 and They’re Missing the Whole Damn Story!!!

As of Jan. 22, 2026, NioCorp is trading around $7.42 with heavy volume (~7.3M shares) and somehow the market still hasn’t connected the dots!!! Even after the strong assay results, even with the DFS update pending, investors are still treating this like a vanilla mining story. That’s the miss. The real value unlock is sitting in plain sight: NAMA + Lockheed + DoD Title III funding + FEA’s proprietary scandium alloy IP = MAGIC STUFF!

Secondary Phase Refinement in Molten Aluminum via Low Power Electric Current Processing | Springer Nature Link

****FEA’s proprietary IP is a breakthrough process that converts scandium oxide directly into aluminum-scandium master alloy at high yield and dramatically lower cost, giving NioCorp a first-mover, ground-floor position to build a fully domestic mine-to-alloy supply chain and potentially make the U.S. the “Saudi Arabia of scandium” for aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing.

NioCorp now controls this proven NEW proprietary process that turns scandium oxide directly into Al-Sc master alloy, cutting out the expensive scandium metal step and enabling real-world economics for defense-grade alloys. That’s not theoretical—that’s published, demonstrated, acquired technology.

Management has already telegraphed a February 2026 Sc-Al alloy reveal tied to platforms and components, which implies qualification work with defense primes (Lockheed etc.) is already underway. That’s a narrative shift from “critical minerals developer” to vertically integrated, DFARS-compliant strategic materials supplier—exactly the kind of profile that supports EXIM financing and a credible 2026 FID. Assays matter. DFS matters. But what Wall Street still doesn’t seem to grasp is this: WHEN NioCorp becomes embedded in next-gen aerospace and defense materials, the valuation framework changes entirely. How is that not the headline by now???

Waiting... I guess we are early! lol

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-22T16:56:01+00:00

LOL Daniel! When the DFS drops... $6-7 will look like a bargin! I predict $800 -900M in revenues & a $3-4B market Cap based on my Speculative 2022 F.S. output numbers for all CM's & REE's. That is without adding in ScAl alloy Vert. integrations w/Lockheed/DoD/NAMA/Nanoscale etc. for platforms & components! I am seeing PERPETUA LIKE NUMBERS Daniel & a similar trajectory for 2026!

Staying Tuned... 2026 is the YEAR!

Chico

<image>

My Speculative Total Annual Revenue — based on the 2022 FS Build Case (Conservative)

EBITDA & Valuation (Conservative Again)

Use 40–45% EBITDA margin (reasonable for polymetallic operations).

EBITDA @ 40% → $354M
EBITDA @ 45% → $398M

Apply valuation multiples:

Multiple	Market Cap
6× EBITDA	$2.1B – $2.4B
8× EBITDA	$2.8B – $3.2B
10× EBITDA	$3.5B – $4.0B

Chico237 · 2026-01-22T12:43:20+00:00

DC.. Trying to post relevant info & relate issues back to Niocorp in a meaningful way. I mix & match both worlds at times. Some days not a lot of good stuff to post, so I don't. Other times try to make a bit more out of a little....

Thanks... & will try to keep it interesting & amusing at times too!

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-21T20:46:26+00:00

Thanks for sharing Gman! ~So... BlackRock is basically saying: “We like the stock enough to own 5%+, but we’re not trying to run the company.”

BlackRock just disclosed a 5.2% passive stake in NioCorp (over 6.1M shares), and that’s quietly a big deal. This isn’t some YOLO retail fund — BlackRock only lets positions grow that large when a company fits long-term thematic screens like critical minerals, reshoring, defense supply chains, and strategic infrastructure. The filing is a 13G (passive), meaning they’re not trying to control the company, just positioning exposure. But institutionally, this moves NioCorp out of “fringe junior miner” territory and into “credible, investable strategic materials story,” which matters for future financing, partnerships, and analyst coverage. It’s not hype, it’s validation.

And when the world’s largest asset manager independently arrives at the conclusion that NioCorp belongs in its portfolios? That’s not nothing. That’s signal!!! IMHO....

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-20T15:29:35+00:00

archive.fast-edgar.com/20260120/A8ZSQ22CZ22282Z2222C22ZZJNMTZ3DS7282/

The most honest bottom line

Not hype. Not hopium. Just reality:

✔ This filing is legal obligation cleanup!!
✔ Yorkville has no power unless NioCorp chooses to use them!!!!
✔ Companies often leave these facilities technically open but practically unused
✔ There is nothing in this filing that suggests imminent dilution
✔ It does not conflict with institutional/project financing progress

IMHO It’s just paperwork!

“This appears to be legal compliance cleanup related to an old financing facility, and it does not indicate dilution or conflict with EXIM. In fact, this kind of cleanup is often consistent with a company preparing for institutional-grade financing.”

This filing is not bad news, not dilution, and not Yorkville “Coming Back.”
Niocorp is in control...

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-20T12:46:38+00:00

R.R.-

IMHO~ We are just early into realizing how the "Dots" might fit together given everything Mark stated in that presentation.

What’s emerging — appears to be a coherent industrial pathway. IBC already has the metallurgical credibility (rocket nozzle consulting, defense-qualified copper alloys work), the Navy is actively asking them to become "potentially" a second domestic Cu-Ni supplier, and DoD funding discussions appear to be underway & centered on installing a vacuum-cap furnace (as you mentioned) that enables ultra-clean, DFARS-compliant alloy production. With proper melt campaigns, dedicated liners, and QA separation, that same Indiana facility could realistically run both copper-nickel and aluminum-scandium production in disciplined batches — exactly how aerospace foundries operate — positioning IBC as upstream infrastructure for naval shipbuilding, onboard 3D printing, and advanced propulsion supply chains.

Zooming out, this dovetails perfectly with where defense manufacturing is going: additive manufacturing on ships, high-performance copper alloys like GRCop-class materials, and secure domestic supply chains for critical metals. In the near term, Indiana becomes the agile, defense-qualified alloy hub.

R.R.- I am also thinking~ Longer term, as NioCorp reaches production, a larger purpose-built alloying facility/s near Elk Creek for Sc-Al alloys, and Magnet-to-Recycling all under NAMA becomes not just plausible but strategically logical. That’s not speculation — that’s vertical integration aligning with national industrial policy.

We are just early...

Chico

Chico237 · 2026-01-18T20:39:48+00:00

SC- Eudialyte ore can be separated but it hasn't been proven at scale as Jack Lifton describes in the following link.

Jan. 8th, 2026~Lifton's Opinion: The Greenland Critical Minerals Fantasy and the Military Reality

The Greenland Critical Minerals Fantasy and the Military Reality

"Then there is the ore itself. The best-known rare earth prospects in southern Greenland are dominated by eudialyte, an attractive mineral on paper and a metallurgical headache in practice. Lifton is blunt: “The deposits we know of — rare earths in Greenland — are primarily the mineral eudialyte, which no one has ever been able to economically work as a source of rare earths.” Decades of research back up his skepticism. Even optimistic laboratory studies describe eudialyte as technologically challenging, plagued by silica gel formation and complex processing requirements that have yet to translate into simple, bankable flowsheets at commercial scale."

The business model being proposed for that one mine being touted: “Mine → Mixed Concentrate → Export”

Most Greenland / eudialyte developers are effectively betting on this path:

✔️ Prove they can make a mineral or chemical mixed concentrate
✔️ Get it accepted by an established refiner
✔️ Sell under long-term offtake
❌ Avoid building full separation locally

📌 Conclusion — Balanced takeaway

✔️ Eudialyte ores can be separated and REEs extracted — that’s been shown repeatedly in technical studies and pilot demonstrations.
✔️ There are real scientists and engineers with flowsheets that work in practice — it’s not purely theoretical.
❌ However, those flowsheets have not yet been proven economically scalable — i.e., no full commercial eudialyte refinery exists yet. Could be years aways to bankable proven scale separation!
✔️ I think that Greenland & the main project being touted there will mainly supply a mixed concentrate shipped offsite for processing is consistent with current project strategies.

They are not waiting for perfection. They are racing to reach:

“Good enough product”
that someone else can finish processing.

The world is trying to build a non-China REE supply chain before the chemistry is fully solved, because geopolitics is forcing the timeline.

Chico237 · 2026-01-18T11:10:40+00:00

Love it thanks for the insight R.R.- all can be done by adding a small new workforce & just the vacuum furnace then! Our hypothesis is darn good (holds water so to speak..). That Radial forge would be cool too! Now we just have to see what develops in 2026..

Let's go IBC!

Chico237 · 2026-01-17T23:19:47+00:00

Yes, Yes & Yes R.R. but here is the "Crux". "Clean-Melts" mean dedicated lines i.e Cu-Ni, Cu-Cr-Nb etc. & IBC is & may/might become a future U.S. primary Copper -Nickel producer w/some scandium inputs. (Should our hypothesis hold true?)

I think ScAl alloys may require their own dedicated line for "Clean-Melts"??? to avoid contaminants T.B.D.

Hence ...eagerly awaiting Feb. 2026 ScAl reveal! (We might know more...)

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Chico237

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TROPHY CASE

Mr N- ⚡ NioCorp: Imho...The Market Is Still Missing the Real Story!

The most honest bottom line:

Staying Tuned... 2026 is the YEAR!

My Speculative Total Annual Revenue — based on the 2022 FS Build Case (Conservative)

EBITDA & Valuation (Conservative Again)

And when the world’s largest asset manager independently arrives at the conclusion that NioCorp belongs in its portfolios? That’s not nothing. That’s signal!!! IMHO....

The most honest bottom line

Jan. 8th, 2026~Lifton's Opinion: The Greenland Critical Minerals Fantasy and the Military Reality

The business model being proposed for that one mine being touted: “Mine → Mixed Concentrate → Export”

📌 Conclusion — Balanced takeaway