Parabel Inc. (fka PABL)

[dazetrader]

Petroalgae: $1.8 Billion Market Cap With No Revenues

Jun. 1, 2011 7:51 AM ET|4 comments| About: Parabel Inc. (PABL), Includes: AMFW, REFG, XOM

Petroalgae (PALG.PK) has a current market cap of $1.8B, net debt of $57M, total assets of only $4M, and last 12 months' net loss of -$38M. Petroalgae has not generated any revenues since inception in 2006.

Management is well compensated. The CEO's 2010 salary was $486k, and five other senior managers earned over $200k. Five senior officers also received an $11.4M accelerated stock vesting in the fourth quarter of 2010, although that was based on the current high stock valuation.

Petroalgae is developing a process to produce bio-fuels from algae and other micro-organisms. In open-pond bioreactors, the company or future licensees grow aquatic microorganisms at accelerated rates, enabling the production of two end-products: a fuel feedstock that can be used in refineries, and secondarily, a protein that can be added to animal or human food.

Biofuels have a lot of potential. It is a renewable energy source that is in ample supply. As fossil fuel supplies may diminish in the decades to come, biomass fuels (converting bio-waste to energy, or algae to energy) become more attractive.

Petroalgae's stock hit an all-time high of $33 back in 2009, when Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) announced that it would spend $600 million to study the feasibility of algae-based fuels, although none of those funds have been directed towards Petroalgae. Since then, Petroalgae has announced some corporate partners, most notably Foster Wheeler (FWLT), although monetization of these agreements have not yet occurred. In fact, one recent licensee, requested a refund of its $2M escrowed license fee, which was refunded in January 2011.

Read the full article here: https://seekingalpha.com/article/272698-petroalgae-1_8-billion-market-cap-with-no-revenues