Stevia, Corp. (OTCMKTS:STEV) Rises on Hemp Subsidiary Announcement
Stevia, Corp. (OTCMKTS:STEV) is looking more and more enticing, as the price showed strength for a few days following the announcement that STEV would be adding cannabis to its crop operations. STEV jumped by more than 26% on Thursday, to $0.227, on buying volumes of $1.19 million. 
The news that helped STEV upward was the formal registration of its wholly owned subsidiary Real Hemp LLC, the division that would be dealing with hemp products and derivatives. So far, STEV has shown intentions to grow the hemp plant for textiles or other derivatives, and we don’t have details on whether there are plans to continue with medical or recreational marijuana products. Still, STEV is aiming at an eco-minded market for users of fabrics and cosmetics that are in short supply due to bans on mass growing of the hemp plant. Now, STEV will have to rely on imports to deliver only end products to the US market. 
To grab a piece of the hemp market, STEV has the following resources, according to its latest filings:
- $85,366 cash
- $2.13 million total current assets
- $2.5 million total current liabilities
- $388,746 annual revenues
- $857,342 net loss
While the report contains serious deficits, the mood around STEV on investors’ forums is for a longer-term ownership. The current trend is rather steep and may come in with a correction, but STEV may also succeed in becoming one of the better known names in the cannabis boom.
The drawback is that STEV uses much hype to further its position, and the last time its price shot upward was among a boom in stevia companies. At a total of $18 million market cap, STEV does not seem too overpriced, but individual shares at 22 cents could indeed continue with their gains, as have other selections that caught more attention.
STEV has the advantage of being among companies with a clearer business model, focused on a central part of the hemp sector- growing, and supplying marketable products. The model proved extremely successful for Growlife, Ing. (OTCMKTS:GRNH), which moved out of the very low positions. Currently GRNH is stuck around 45 cents, but it is still far from the depressed positions that it dragged before coming center-stage. GRNH is also a part of the Cannabis index, and this gives it extra exposure.
It was exposure that helped TerraTech Corp. (OTCBB:TRTC), which continues its climb, though slower, and gained toward $0.56.
If you like STEV for its longer-term potential, keep in mind that even the pot stock sector has its weak days or even weeks, so plan your timing accordingly.
