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Car Buyers Are Showing Up to Auto Lots With Cash to Spend

Car Buyers Are Showing Up to Auto Lots With Cash to Spend

The consumer economy is cooling and car prices remain vastly higher from just a few years ago. But there is little sign that sticker shock at dealers' lots is straining affordability, according to the head of auto lending at JPMorgan's commercial bank.
Despite the dual sting of more than three years of above-trend inflation and a cooling labor market, household finances are still in solid shape, Chase Auto chief Leslie Wims Morris said in an interview. That has helped car buyers weather a brutal combination of higher vehicle prices and steep borrowing costs.
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Trending tickers: latest investor updates on Intel, Tilray, monday.com, Equillium and AMC
Trending tickers: latest investor updates on Intel, Tilray, monday.com, Equillium and AMC

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trending tickers: latest investor updates on Intel, Tilray, monday.com, Equillium and AMC

Intel (INTC) Shares in the chipmaker were higher in pre-market trading as US president Donald Trump signalled he was open to working with Intel (INTC) boss Lip-Bu Tan to explore how the US government could help the company. This was a softening of his previous stance that the tech executive should quit his job. In a post to Trump-affiliated social media network Truth Social, the president said that Tan's 'success and rise is an amazing story', a sharp contrast to a post he made on Thursday calling Tan 'highly CONFLICTED' and calling on the CEO to 'resign, immediately". In the latest post, Trump said his meeting with Tan, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and treasury secretary Scott Bessent 'was a very interesting one". Tan and members of the Trump cabinet 'are going to spend time together, and bring suggestions to me during the next week", the president wrote. Intel (INTC) also released a statement acknowledging that the two met and saying they had "a candid and constructive discussion on Intel's commitment to strengthening US technology and manufacturing leadership". Tilray Brands (TLRY) Shares in cannabis company Tilray Brands (TLRY) surged by 14% ahead of the US opening bell, after soaring by 41% on Monday's session after reports that Trump is contemplating reclassifying marijuana, a move that could significantly impact the industry. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump last week told attendees at a fundraising dinner that he was interested in reclassifying the drug. While cannabis is fully legal, including for recreational use, in 24 US states, the use and possession of the drug is illegal at the federal level. Cannabis is currently classified as a Schedule I drug in the US, putting it in the same category as heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said he would make a determination on the legal classification of the drug over the next few weeks. Read more: Mag 7 stocks deliver earnings beats but results get mixed market response "We're looking at reclassification and we'll make a determination over the next —. I would say over the next few weeks, and that determination hopefully will be the right one. It's very complicated subject," Trump said. The reclassification, specifically moving marijuana to a Schedule III drug classification, would ease federal restrictions and potentially make the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry more profitable. This is because it would allow cannabis companies to take normal business tax deductions, a benefit they are currently denied under the existing tax code. (MNDY) Shares in didn't have a good Monday, plunging nearly 30% during the session. However, they managed a slight recovery in pre-market trading, ticking up 2.6%. The software maker reported second-quarter earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street consensus estimates. The main concern for investors was the company's third-quarter revenue guidance of $311m to $313m (£231m to £236m). The midpoint of this range fell just short of Wall Street's forecast and signalled a potential slowdown in growth. This overshadowed the company's revenue and profit beats in the second quarter. For the quarter ending on 30 June, the maker of project management software reported a profit of $1.09 a share on an adjusted basis, up 16% from a year earlier. Revenue rose 27% to $299m. Equillium (EQ) Shares in the biotechnology company surged by 78% on Monday and were still trending ahead of the US opening bell as it secured $50m to advance new drug trials. Equillium (EQ) secured a private placement from a group including ADAR1 Capital Management and Janus Henderson Investors, raising essential funding for its drug pipeline. The deal's first tranche brings in $30m for about 52.6 million shares or pre-funded warrants, with another $20m on the table if development milestones are reached. This cash injection will allow Equillium to launch clinical trials of EQ50, a novel treatment for ulcerative colitis and pouchitis, by mid-2026. 'We're delighted to have the support of such a strong syndicate of top-tier biotech investors who share our vision for advancing transformative therapies for patients,' said CEO Bruce Steel. 'This funding marks a significant milestone for Equillium, enabling us to accelerate the clinical development of EQ504 into a Phase 1 proof-of-mechanism study in mid-2026, with data expected to follow approximately six months thereafter.' At under $1, the company has featured in most promising penny stocks to consider list of several analysts. AMC (AMC) Shares in US cinema chain AMC (AMC) were in the red in pre-market trading, despite surpassing Wall Street estimates for second-quarter revenue. The operator on Monday reported a loss of $4.7m, or 1 cent a share, compared with a loss of $32.8m, or 10 cents a share, a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, AMC (AMC) broke even, beating analyst expectations for a 7-cent loss, according to FactSet. Adjusted earnings per share came in at break-even on revenue of $1.4bn, beating expectations for a loss per share of 7 cents on revenue of $1.3bn "Clearly, moviegoing guests prefer to see their favourite films in the most immersive, most spectacular formats possible," CEO Adam Aron said. "Our premium auditoriums are operating at close to three times the occupancy of a regular auditorium and command a healthy price premium to boot." Attendance grew 26% to 62.8 million, with US moviegoers making up nearly three-quarters of the total. Admissions revenue per patron topped $12 for the first time, and food and beverage sales per guest jumped to a record $7.95, Aron in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Smithfield Foods' Strategy Execution and Agile Business Model Drive Strong Second Quarter Results
Smithfield Foods' Strategy Execution and Agile Business Model Drive Strong Second Quarter Results

Associated Press

time7 minutes ago

  • Associated Press

Smithfield Foods' Strategy Execution and Agile Business Model Drive Strong Second Quarter Results

SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: SFD), an American food company and an industry leader in value-added packaged meats and fresh pork, today reported results for its fiscal 2025 second quarter ended June 29, 2025. Second Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights First Six Months Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights CEO Perspective 'Our strong second quarter results demonstrate the agility and resilience of our business as we navigate a dynamic macroeconomic environment. Through our iconic and diversified brand portfolio, our Packaged Meats segment is delivering on consumers' needs for quality protein at a great value. Our Fresh Pork segment is adeptly navigating a dynamic tariff environment, and our Hog Production segment continues to grow profitability,' said Smithfield President and CEO Shane Smith. 'With a solid first half company performance and improved outlook for the Hog Production segment, we have raised our full-year adjusted operating profit outlook,' added Smith. 'Our strong financial position continues to enable us to invest in our growth strategies and generate value for shareholders over the long term.' Review of Financial Results Results of Operations Sales Operating Profit Financial Position As of June 29, 2025, we had $3,225 million of available liquidity consisting of $928 million in cash and cash equivalents and $2,297 million of availability under our committed credit facilities. We ended the second quarter with a ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations (1) on a trailing twelve months basis of 0.7x. ________________ (1) A non-GAAP measure. Please see the table in the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section for a reconciliation of the ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations to the most comparable GAAP measure. Dividend Update On April 22, 2025 and May 29, 2025, we paid dividends of $0.25 per share to shareholders. On July 31, 2025, we announced a dividend of $0.25 per share to be paid to shareholders on August 28, 2025. We anticipate the remaining quarterly dividend for fiscal 2025 will be $0.25 per share, resulting in an annual dividend rate in fiscal 2025 of $1.00 per share. The declaration of dividends is subject to the discretion of our Board and depends on various factors, including our net income, financial condition, cash requirements, business prospects, and other factors that our Board deems relevant to its analysis and decision making. FY 2025 Outlook For Fiscal Year 2025, the Company is increasing its outlook originally provided on March 25, 2025 as follows: Conference Call Information A conference call to discuss the second quarter 2025 financial results is scheduled for today, August 12, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A live audio webcast of the conference call, together with related materials, will be available online at or by dialing 844-539-3338 (international callers please dial 412-652-1269). A recorded replay of the conference call is expected to be available approximately three hours after the conclusion of the call and can be accessed both online at and by dialing 877-344-7529 (international callers please dial 412-317-0088). The pin number to access the telephone replay is 9318100. The replay will be available until August 19, 2025. About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: SFD) is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. With a diverse brand portfolio and strong relationships with U.S. farmers and customers, we responsibly meet demand for quality protein around the world. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release includes certain financial information that is not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ('GAAP'), including (1) adjusted net income from continuing operations attributable to Smithfield, (2) adjusted net income from continuing operations per common share attributable to Smithfield, (3) EBITDA from continuing operations, (4) adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations, (5) adjusted EBITDA margin from continuing operations, (6) adjusted operating profit, (7) adjusted operating profit margin, (8) net debt and (9) ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations. We refer to these measures as 'non-GAAP' financial measures. (1) Adjusted net income from continuing operations attributable to Smithfield is defined as net income (loss), excluding the effects of legal settlements (both gain and loss) and loss contingencies, transactions or events that are not part of our core business activities or are unusual in nature (whether gains or losses) and the tax effects of the foregoing items. We believe that adjusted net income from continuing operations attributable to Smithfield is a useful measure because it excludes the effects of discontinued operations, non-operating gains and losses and other items that are unusual in nature, infrequent in occurrence or otherwise stem from strategic decisions to restructure our operations. (2) Adjusted net income from continuing operations per common share attributable to Smithfield is defined as adjusted net income from continuing operations attributable to Smithfield divided by total outstanding common shares. (3) EBITDA from continuing operations is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. We believe that EBITDA is a useful measure because it excludes the effects of financing and investing activities by eliminating interest and depreciation costs to provide a comparable year-over-year analysis. (4) Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations is defined as EBITDA further adjusted for legal settlements (both gain and loss) and loss contingencies and transactions or events that are not part of our core business activities or are unusual in nature (whether gains or losses). We believe that adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations is a useful measure because it excludes the effects of discontinued operations, non-operating gains and losses and other items that are unusual in nature, infrequent in occurrence or otherwise stem from strategic decisions to restructure our operations. (5) Adjusted EBITDA margin from continuing operations is defined as adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations divided by total sales. We believe that adjusted EBITDA margin from continuing operations is a useful measure because it evaluates overall operating performance, ability to pursue and service possible debt opportunities and possible future investment opportunities. (6) Adjusted operating profit is defined as operating profit, excluding items that are unusual in nature, infrequent in occurrence or otherwise stem from strategic decisions to restructure our operations. (7) Adjusted operating profit margin is adjusted operating profit expressed as a percentage of revenues. We believe that adjusted net income from continuing operations attributable to Smithfield, adjusted net income from continuing operations per common share attributable to Smithfield, adjusted operating profit and adjusted operating profit margin provide a better understanding of underlying operating results and trends of established, ongoing operations of our business. (8) Net debt is defined as long-term debt and finance lease obligations, including the current portion, minus cash and cash equivalents. We believe that net debt is a useful measure because it helps to give investors a clear understanding of our financial position and is also used to calculate certain leverage ratios. (9) Ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations is defined as net debt divided by adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations. We believe that ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations is a useful measure because it monitors the sustainability of our debt levels and our ability to take on additional debt against adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations, which is used as an operating performance measure. Although these non-GAAP measures are frequently used by investors and securities analysts in their evaluations of companies in industries similar to ours, these non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools, are not measurements of our performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to operating profit, net income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP and should not be used by investors or other users of our financial statements in isolation for formulating decisions, as such non-GAAP measures exclude a number of important cash and non-cash charges. You should be aware that our presentation of these and other non-GAAP financial measures in this press release may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. A reconciliation of each of these non-GAAP measures to its most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is provided in this release. The Company's outlook for fiscal year 2025 includes adjusted operating profit and adjusted segment operating profit. The Company is not able to reconcile its fiscal year 2025 projected adjusted results to its fiscal year 2025 projected GAAP results because certain information necessary to calculate such measures on a GAAP basis is unavailable or dependent on the timing of future events outside of our control. Therefore, because of the uncertainty and variability of the nature of and the amount of any potential applicable future adjustments, which could be significant, the Company is unable to provide a reconciliation for these forward-looking non-GAAP measures without unreasonable effort. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our strategy, future financial condition, future operations, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management, and expected market growth, are forward- looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as 'may,' 'will,' 'shall,' 'should,' 'expects,' 'plans,' 'anticipates,' 'intends,' 'projects,' 'contemplates,' 'believes,' or 'estimates' or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. Specific forward-looking statements in this press release include our ability to invest in growth and increase value for our shareholders; our financial outlook for 2025; and the anticipated payment of annual dividends of $1.00 per share in 2025. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this press release primarily on our current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this press release, the results, events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results, events or circumstances could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no duty to update any statement made in this press release in light of new information or future events. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could affect our current expectations and our actual results, including, among others: (i) the cyclical nature of our operations and fluctuations in commodity prices; (ii) our dependence on third- party suppliers; (iii) our ability to execute on our strategy to optimize the size of our hog production operations; (iv) our ability to navigate geopolitical risks including increased tariffs on our exports, (v) our ability to mitigate higher input costs through productivity improvements in our operations, procurement strategies and the use of derivative instruments; (vi) our ability to compete successfully in the food industry; (vii) our ability to anticipate and meet consumer trends and interests through product innovation; (viii) compliance with laws and regulations, including environmental, cybersecurity and tax laws and regulations in the United States and Mexico; (ix) our ability to defend litigation brought against us and the sufficiency of our accruals for related contingent losses; (x) our ability to prevent cyberattacks, security breaches or other disruptions of our information technology systems; (xi) future investments in our business, our anticipated capital expenditures and our estimates regarding our capital requirements; (xii) our dividend policy and our ability to pay dividends; and (xiii) our status as a 'controlled company' and any resulting potential conflicts of interest. A detailed discussion of these factors and other risks that affect our business is contained in our SEC filings, including our reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, particularly under the heading 'Risk Factors.' Copies of these filings are available online from the SEC or by contacting Smithfield's Investor Relations Department at [email protected] or by clicking on SEC Filings on the Smithfield Investor Relations website at Investor Contact: Julie MacMedan Email: [email protected] Media Contact: Ray Atkinson Email: [email protected] Cell: 757.576.1383 (Financial Tables Follow) Non-GAAP Financial Measures Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations Attributable to Smithfield and Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations per Common Share Attributable to Smithfield The following table provides a reconciliation of net income from continuing operations attributable to Smithfield to adjusted net income from continuing operations attributable to Smithfield. ________________ (1) Consists of severance costs associated with a workforce reduction initiative. Total severance costs round up to $9 million. (2) Consists of severance costs associated with the planned closure of our satellite offices in Lisle, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri. (3) Consists of contract termination costs, employee termination benefits and accelerated depreciation charges associated with our Hog Production Reform initiative. (4) Represents the recognition of employee retention tax credits received under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ('CARES') Act. (5) Consists of gains recognized in connection with settlements of insurance claims, including: (1) a gain recognized in the second quarter of 2025 related to a claim against an insurance carrier for losses incurred in connection with past litigation and (2) a gain recognized in the first quarter of 2025 in connection with a 2021 fire at our Tar Heel, North Carolina rendering facility. (6) Represents the tax effects of the non-GAAP adjustments based on a statutory tax rate of 25.7%. EBITDA from Continuing Operations, Adjusted EBITDA from Continuing Operations and Adjusted EBITDA Margin from Continuing Operations The following table provides a reconciliation of net income from continuing operations to EBITDA from continuing operations and adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations. ________________ (1) Consists of severance costs associated with a workforce reduction initiative. Total severance costs round up to $9 million. (2) Consists of severance costs associated with the planned closure of our satellite offices in Lisle, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri. (3) Excludes accelerated depreciation charges in the amount of $1 million recognized in the first six months of 2025 as such charges are included in the depreciation and amortization line in this table. (4) Consists of contract termination costs and employee termination benefits charges associated with our Hog Production Reform initiative. Excludes accelerated depreciation charges of $1 million and $2 million recognized in the first quarter of 2025 and the last six months of 2024, respectively, as such charges are included in the depreciation and amortization line in this table. (5) Includes a $32 million gain on the sale of our Utah hog farms and a $6 million gain on the sale of breeding stock to Murphy Family Farms in the fourth quarter of 2024. (6) Represents the recognition of employee retention tax credits received under the CARES Act. (7) Consists of gains recognized in connection with settlements of insurance claims, including: (1) a gain recognized in the second quarter of 2025 related to a claim against an insurance carrier for losses incurred in connection with past litigation and (2) a gain recognized in the first quarter of 2025 in connection with a 2021 fire at our Tar Heel, North Carolina rendering facility. Net Debt and Ratio of Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA from Continuing Operations The following table provides a reconciliation of total debt and finance lease obligations to net debt, the ratio of total debt and finance lease obligations to net income from continuing operations, and the ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted Operating Profit and Adjusted Operating Profit Margin The following table provides a reconciliation of operating profit to adjusted operating profit. Adjusted operating profit and adjusted operating profit margin are non-GAAP measures. _______________ (1) Includes our Mexico and Bioscience operations. (2) Represents general corporate expenses for management and administration of the business. (3) Includes certain costs of sales, SG&A and operating gains that we do not allocate to our segments. (4) Consists of severance costs associated with the planned closure of our satellite offices in Lisle, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri. (5) Represents the recognition of employee retention tax credits received under the CARES Act. (6) Consists of a gain recognized in the second quarter of 2025 for the settlement of a claim with an insurance carrier to recover losses incurred in connection with past litigation. _______________ (1) Includes our Mexico and Bioscience operations. (2) Represents general corporate expenses for management and administration of the business. (3) Includes certain costs of sales, SG&A and operating gains that we do not allocate to our segments. (4) Consists of severance costs associated with a workforce reduction initiative. (5) Consists of severance costs associated with the planned closure of our satellite offices in Lisle, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri. (6) Represents the recognition of employee retention tax credits received under the CARES Act. (7) Consists of gains recognized in connection with settlements of insurance claims, including: (1) a gain recognized in the second quarter of 2025 related to a claim against an insurance carrier for losses incurred in connection with past litigation and (2) a gain recognized in the first quarter of 2025 in connection with a 2021 fire at our Tar Heel, North Carolina rendering facility. (8) Consists of contract termination costs, employee termination benefits and accelerated depreciation charges associated with our Hog Production Reform initiative.

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