One of my interests outside the stock market is classic rock music, and it has to be said that with just a little more talent, and given even half a chance, this is an area I would have loved to have been a contender in.
Alas, I am not one of the Beatles, and instead the only live venues I am to be seen at on a regular basis are growth company presentations. I probably notch up two or three events per week, and it is surprising that one does see the same faces in the audience and very often the same companies presenting.
One's first reaction might be to be somewhat cynical of the whole process involved in such events. But over the years I have grown to appreciate them. In property it is location, in investment it is education that matters.
First-hand research
This is particularly said after chatting to many of the attendees and getting to know them quite well. They realise the importance of first-hand research and how actually being in the presence of the management of a particular firm and looking into the whites of their eyes can really make a difference in terms of whether one is happy to be a shareholder or not.
At the same time, you get to trust the judgement of your fellow investor, and realise who has done their homework best. Of course there is also an element of showbiz in the whole process, something which harks back to my interest in rock 'n' roll.
There is nothing quite like being in the presence of a company which has really captured the imagination of private investors and looks set to deliver significant returns.
A company which is certainly built up quite a following over the course of 2017 to date is URU Metals (LON:URU). Even though it has a relatively small market capitalisation of £20mln, and the main focus is on its Zebediela Project in South Africa, the company already has the makings of a mini conglomerate.
That is not to say that the potential here is small, given the way that it would appear that the is evidence its main asset is of the magnitude of hundreds of millions of dollars. The only real question, as is often the case is how smooth the journey from where we are now in the life cycle of this company will be?
Not a one-trick pony
Perhaps the most intriguing part of the whole equation is the way that this company is not just a one trick pony sitting on a project with great potential. It does have other strings to its bow including Uranium, Lithium and Gold assets as well as a stake in Management Resources Solutions (LON:MRS). Each of these areas could mean that as the stock market cliche goes, this situation is significantly undervalued.
Indeed, the only thing which really dampens one's ardour regarding this play is the degree of enthusiasm private investors currently have. It is usually the case that the best growth situations are those where people keep their feet on the ground even though as it is said in the world of entertainment, they are reaching for the stars.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the latest presentation of the company by URU Metals CEO John Zorbas was his reminder of the attitudes towards mining stocks at different parts of the cycle. For instance as little as 18 months ago before the big turnaround in the sector there was absolutely no interest in the Zebediela, no matter what the size of the asset may be. Now there is near euphoria. From a small cap investors perspective it appears to be best to steer clear of emotional extremes however good the investment looks to be.
Zak Mir is a Presenter at TipTV, Senior Journalist at WhyMedia.com, and columnist at Yahoo! Finance UK