British Virgin Islands, Bolivia Placed on Watchdog's ‘Gray List'
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The British Virgin Islands and Bolivia were added to a global financial watchdog's 'gray list' for shortcomings in combating illicit flows, a move that may hamper investor confidence and heighten bank scrutiny.
Tanzania, Mali and Croatia were removed from the same list, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force said in a statement at the end of its joint plenary with the Council of Europe 's anti-money-laundering body Moneyval. Bloomberg News reported on the anticipated moves late last month.
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Helios Towers PLC (HTWSF) (H1 2025) Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Tenancy Growth and ...
Release Date: July 31, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Positive Points Helios Towers PLC (HTWSF) reported strong tenancy growth with over 1,200 additions year-to-date, including 190 new sites. EBITDA increased by 9% year on year, reflecting strong financial performance. The company achieved a free cash flow of $30 million, marking a $40 million improvement year on year. Net leverage decreased to 3.8%, showing effective debt management and financial stability. Moody's affirmed a B1 rating with a positive outlook, and Fitch upgraded the company, indicating improved creditworthiness. Negative Points The company faces challenges from macroeconomic shocks such as inflation and currency fluctuations. There is a potential risk of market saturation in some regions, such as Oman, which may impact future growth. The cost of debt remains relatively high, although it has been reduced from 7.2% to 6.9%. The company is heavily reliant on a few large markets like DRC and Tanzania for growth, which could pose concentration risks. Despite strong growth, the company must continue to navigate competitive pressures and technological changes in the telecom industry. Q & A Highlights Warning! GuruFocus has detected 9 Warning Signs with HTWSF. Q: Can you provide some early commentary on whether Helios Towers plans to continue expansion projects or focus more on organic growth within existing geographies? A: Tom Greenwood, CEO: Our capital allocation framework prioritizes organic growth in existing markets, which currently offers the highest returns. We are focusing on supporting our customers' network expansions and technology upgrades, including the rollout of 5G. M&A remains under review, but the current focus is on organic growth and leveraging existing opportunities. Q: Are there any discussions about Helios Towers offering RA as a service, similar to other tower companies? A: Tom Greenwood, CEO: While the concept is being discussed in the industry, we have not yet found the right opportunity for us. Our core business remains passive infrastructure, co-locations, and build-to-suit projects, which we believe offer the best returns and long-term cash flow. Q: How do you view the risk outlook for the next decade compared to the past, given the growth projections? A: Tom Greenwood, CEO: Despite past global shocks like COVID and inflation, our business model has proven resilient. We are confident in the demand driven by mega trends such as population growth and increased data consumption. Our focus is on meeting this demand and ensuring network quality for our customers. Q: Can you update us on what you're hearing from your customers regarding their growth plans? A: Tom Greenwood, CEO: Our customers are investing in new coverage areas and capacity due to network congestion from increased data usage. There is a significant push for 4G and early-stage 5G rollouts, which will keep us busy for the foreseeable future. Q: How does the return on investment for organic growth compare with buying back stock at current levels? A: Tom Greenwood, CEO: We will discuss this more in November, but our focus is on investments that provide the best returns for the business and investors, whether through organic growth or other capital allocation strategies. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
