Critical Metals Corp (NASDAQ: CRML) experienced a downturn in share price on Thursday, reversing the gains made during Wednesday's trading session. The pullback follows the announcement of encouraging assay results from drilling activities at the company's Tanbreez rare earths deposit located in Greenland.
The drill program uncovered intervals grading between 0.40% and 0.47% total rare earth oxides (TREO). Notably, heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) accounted for approximately 26% to 27% of the composition across various drill holes. This compositional breakdown is vital given the higher value and strategic importance of heavy rare earths within the broader rare earth element suite.
Company management indicated that these updated findings will feed into a revised mineral resource estimate and will support ongoing optimization studies. These efforts are viewed as essential steps to facilitate subsequent project financing and eventual construction phases, signaling a progression toward advancing the Tanbreez project toward development.
In addition to rare earth elements, the drill campaign verified economically significant concentrations of by-products such as gallium and hafnium. These additions enhance the project's profile as a multi-commodity deposit, potentially improving its overall economic viability. The presence of these by-products suggests a larger and more economically mineable body of mineralization than earlier models had indicated, prompting a reassessment by investors concerning Critical Metals' future cash flow potential from the deposit.
Despite the fundamental progress, Critical Metals' stock performance presents a mixed technical picture. The shares are currently trading approximately 76.9% above their 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 79.8% above their 100-day SMA, reflecting sustained upward momentum over an extended period. Over the prior 12 months, the stock price has risen by 125.54% and remains closer to its 52-week peak than to its low.
However, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 76.21, indicating that the stock is in an overbought condition. This level typically denotes that a pullback or consolidation could occur as traders take profits or reassess positions. Concurrently, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is positioned above its signal line, suggesting persistent bullish momentum.
The combination of an overbought RSI and a positive MACD yields a nuanced momentum profile. While the stock has demonstrated robust gains and maintains bullish technical signals, the elevated RSI warns investors to exercise caution due to possible near-term price corrections.
Key technical resistance for Critical Metals is identified at $17.50, with support levels near $15.00. Shares were recorded at $17.17 during Thursday trading, down 4.13% as per Benzinga Pro data at the time of publication.
Further insights from Benzinga Edge highlight the stock's momentum score of 98.86, categorizing it as bullish and indicating performance superior to the general market. Despite this strength, the high momentum reading paired with overbought conditions suggests a watchful approach for investors considering new positions or managing existing ones.
In summary, Critical Metals has reached critical development milestones with recent drilling outputs that enhance confidence in the Tanbreez project's resource base and multi-commodity potential. Nevertheless, from a trading perspective, signs of elevated technical strength coupled with overextension point to careful navigation ahead.