Bitcoin surges to all-time peak as crypto sentiment improves
LONDON/NEW YORK: Bitcoin rose to its highest level on record on Wednesday, eclipsing the previous high from January, as risk sentiment continues to improve after last month's tariff-induced selloff.
The world's largest cryptocurrency touched a high of $109,760.08, and was last up 1.1% at $108,117.
Its ascent was driven by a combination of factors including easing trade tension between the United States and China and Moody's downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt which has prompted investors to seek alternative investment sources to the dollar.
'Now that January's high has been surpassed - and the 50 percent upside from April's lows has been achieved - bitcoin enters blue sky territory with tailwinds in the form of institutional momentum and a favorable U.S. regulatory environment,' Antoni Trenchev, co-founder of digital asset trading platform Nexo, said in an emailed comment.
Bitcoin at times trades in a similar fashion to tech stocks and other assets that rise in value when investor sentiment is high. The tech-heavy Nasdaq is up 30% from its early April low.
That has also coincided with continued weakness in the dollar, a further boost for bitcoin's exchange rate against the U.S. currency.
Crypto market participants often point to increased involvement from traditional financial firms as reasons for its gains. This week they have referenced JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, a longtime crypto skeptic, who said the bank will let clients buy bitcoin. Earlier this month, crypto exchange Coinbase was added to the S&P 500 index. Coinbase said on Monday the U.S. Department of Justice has opened a probe into a recent data breach at the company.
'We're still in year four of the bitcoin price cycle - the year after the bitcoin halving when miner rewards are slashed in half - which historically means its best days are still ahead of it and - while macro uncertainty and the threat of further volatility remains, a target of $150,000 in 2025 is still very much on the cards,' Trenchev said.
Meanwhile, ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, surprisingly did not rise in tandem with bitcoin. It was last down 0.5% at $2,513.
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Free Malaysia Today
5 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
US banks tiptoe toward crypto, awaiting more green lights from regulators
New regulators under US President Donald Trump have signaled more bank-friendly crypto policies. (Envato Elements pic) NEW YORK : Big US banks are holding internal discussions about expanding into cryptocurrencies as they get stronger endorsements from regulators, but initial steps will be tentative, centering on pilot programmes, partnerships or limited crypto trading, according to four industry executives. Wall Street giants that had been largely blocked from many crypto activities by strict regulations are poised to grow quickly. Yet the biggest lenders are still hesitant to be the first among rivals to expand too heavily into crypto in case they fall afoul of changing rules, said the four executives, who declined to be identified since they were discussing internal business plans. 'If a major firm expands without issues, others will be fast followers to run small-scale pilot projects and weigh other business prospects,' the executives said. Jamie Dimon, CEO of the largest US bank, JPMorgan Chase, ruled out getting into custody – storing crypto assets for clients – or expanding significantly even if regulations ease. 'When I look at the bitcoin universe, the leverage in the system, the misuse in the system, the money laundering issues, trafficking, I'm not a fan of it,' Dimon, a longtime crypto skeptic, told investors last week. 'We're going to allow you to buy it, we're not going to custody it. … I don't think you should smoke, but I defend your right to smoke. I defend your right to buy bitcoin,' he added. US President Donald Trump vowed to become the first 'crypto president' before he took office. He has since wooed the industry's elite at the White House, promised to boost the adoption of digital assets and said he aims to create a strategic bitcoin reserve. While there are welcoming signs, banks are seeking even clearer guidelines from the government clarifying what they can do in crypto, more than half a dozen industry executives said. 'The shift in the stance is encouraging for traditional lenders, but they are still approaching it with caution and viewing the changes in regulation as an opportunity to engage and not a free pass,' said Dario de Martino, A&O Shearman M&A partner who works on crypto-related issues. Custody businesses to store and manage crypto assets are promising, bankers and executives said, but they have thin margins and potentially pose high risks. 'Most banks are likely to enter custody businesses through partnerships with existing crypto firms,' sources said. Charles Schwab CEO Rick Wurster told Reuters earlier this month that the traffic lights from financial regulators were flashing 'pretty green' for large firms to grow in crypto. 'The signals have reinforced Schwab's plans to offer spot crypto trading within a year,' he said. New regulators under Trump have also signaled more bank-friendly crypto policies. The US office of the comptroller of the currency paved the way for lenders to engage in some crypto activities, such as custody, some stablecoin activities and participation in distributed ledger networks. The Securities and Exchange Commission also scrapped earlier accounting guidance that made it expensive for banks to deal in crypto. Bank of America could launch stablecoins, its CEO Brian Moynihan said earlier this year, and the US banking industry will embrace cryptocurrencies for payments if regulations permit them. 'Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley wants to work with regulators to see how it can be a middleman for crypto-related transactions,' CEO Ted Pick said earlier this year. 'The lender is also exploring adding crypto to its e-trade platform,' a source said. 'Some of the large banks are also exploring issuing a joint stablecoin, with the conversations in initial stages,' another banking source said. Big banks seek more clarity around anti-money laundering rules and supervision before diving deeper into crypto. They are also asking for consistent guidelines across banking and market regulators before launching new businesses in digital assets, whose values are volatile. For now, banks are weighing their crypto prospects and running small-scale pilot programmes. 'While a much-improved environment, banks will continue to have concerns around anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance,' said Matthew Biben, co-head of the global financial services group at law firm King & Spalding. Shifting landscape 'Banks want to understand if they can engage in crypto lending, or if they are allowed to become market makers for digital assets,' one of the banking sources said. The rules for traditional banking businesses are very well defined and there is complete clarity over what a bank is allowed to do and what is outside their ambit, similar well-defined guidelines are needed for digital assets too. 'The working group on crypto under David Sacks, the Trump-appointed crypto czar, has no representation from banking regulators, which needs to be amended if the big banks are allowed to play any meaningful role in the business,' two banking sources said.
Malaysian Reserve
6 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
ITURAN PRESENTS FIRST QUARTER 2025 RESULTS
Surpasses 2.5 million subscriber milestone with 99,000 net adds in the quarter; raises 2025 net subscriber-add forecast to 220,000–240,000; AZOUR, Israel, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ituran Location and Control Ltd. (NASDAQ: ITRN) today announced its consolidated financial results for the first quarter 2025. Highlights of the First Quarter of 2025 Added a record 99,000 net subscribers in the quarter. Revenue of $86.5 million, a 2% increase year-over-year. Operating income of $18.7 million, a 10% increase year-over-year. Net income increased to $14.6 million, a 12% increase year-over-year. EBITDA grew to $23.3 million, a 4% increase year-over-year. The Board declared a quarterly dividend of $10 million, or $0.50 per share. Management Comment Eyal Sheratzky, Co-CEO of Ituran said, 'We are very pleased with our strong start to 2025, marked by continued revenue and profit growth. Significantly, Ituran reached a major milestone in the quarter, crossing 2.5 million subscribers, ahead of plan. During the quarter, the higher than typical subscriber growth was due to an additional contribution from a new telematics service agreement signed with Stellantis. Stellantis is the largest car manufacturer in Latin America, which includes car brands Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and many others. As an initial part of our agreement, in March, Stellantis switched its SVR subscriber base to Ituran and Ituran began providing services to their subscribers. As such, we increase our expectations for 2025 subscriber growth to between 220,000 and 240,000 net new subscribers.' Mr. Sheratzky continued, 'We continue to work on developing attractive new and advanced telematics products and services adding value to our large and growing customer base through cutting-edge technologies. We see good performance from our stolen vehicle recovery business as well as solid traction for our new products – especially telematic services for motorcycle and financing products in Latin America. All this has been contributing to our accelerating subscriber growth. Overall, 2025 is shaping up to be another year of solid growth and profitability for Ituran.' First Quarter 2025 Results Revenues for the quarter were $86.5 million, a 2% increase compared with $85.0 million in the first quarter of 2024. 72% of revenues were from location-based service subscription fees, and 28% were from product revenues. It is noted that the first quarter strength of the US dollar versus the various local currencies in which the Company operates compared to the year-ago US dollar level, impacted the revenue growth when translated into US dollars. In local currencies, revenues grew by 7% year-over-year. Revenues from subscription fees for the quarter were $62.2 million, an increase of 2% over the first quarter of 2024. In local currencies, subscription revenue grew by 9% year-over-year. The subscriber base surpassed Ituran's 2.5 million milestone during the quarter, and expanded to 2,508,000 by the end of March 2025, marking a quarterly increase of 99,000. The significant growth in the subscriber base during the quarter was partially due to the contribution from a new telematics service agreement signed with Stellantis. As an initial part of this agreement, in March, Stellantis switched their SVR subscriber base to Ituran and Ituran began providing services to these subscribers. Product revenues for the quarter were $24.3 million, an increase of 1% year-over-year. In local currencies, product revenue grew by 3% year-over-year. Gross profit for the quarter was $42.0 million (48.6% of revenues), a 6% increase compared with $39.5 million (46.5% of revenues) in the first quarter of 2024. In local currencies, gross profit grew by 10% year-over-year. Gross margin on subscription revenues improved to 58.3%, compared to 58.1% in Q1 2024. The gross margin on product revenues improved to 23.6%, compared to 17.1% last year. The variance in the product gross margin between quarters was due to the change in the product mix sold. Operating income for the quarter was $18.7 million (21.6% of revenues), representing a 10% increase compared to $17.0 million (20.0% of revenues) in Q1 2024. In local currencies, operating income grew by 17% year-over-year. EBITDA for the quarter was $23.3 million (26.9% of revenues), up 4% from $22.3 million (26.3% of revenues) in the first quarter of last year. In local currencies, EBITDA grew by 12% year-over-year. Net income for the quarter was $14.6 million (16.9% of revenues), or diluted earnings per share of $0.73, an increase of 12% compared to $13.0 million (15.3% of revenues), or $0.66 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2024. In local currencies, net income grew by 20% year-over-year. Cash flow from operations for the quarter was $15.5 million. On the balance sheet, as of March 31, 2025, the Company had net cash, including marketable securities, of $75.7 million, which includes no debt. This is compared with net cash, including marketable securities, of $77.2 million, as of year-end 2024. Dividend The Board of Directors declared a dividend of $10 million for the quarter. The current dividend takes into account the Company's continuing strong profitability, ongoing positive cash flow, and strong balance sheet. The Company will also be hosting a video conference call via the Zoom platform later today, Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 9am Eastern Time and 4pm Israel time. On the call, management will review and discuss the results and will be available to answer investor questions. To participate in the Zoom call, please register at the following link. For those unable to listen to the live call, a replay of the call will be available from the day after the call in the investor relations section of Ituran's website. Certain statements in this press release are 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements contained in this report that are not historical facts as well as statements identified by words such as 'expects', 'anticipates', 'intends', 'plans', 'believes', 'seeks', 'estimates' or words of similar meaning. These statements are based on our current beliefs or expectations and are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and changes in circumstances, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory factors, as well as factors related to the global COVID-19 pandemic. About Ituran Ituran is a leader in the emerging mobility technology field, providing value-added location-based services, including a full suite of services for the connected-car. Ituran offers Stolen Vehicle Recovery, fleet management as well as mobile asset location, management & control services for vehicles, cargo and personal security for the retail, insurance, financing industries and car manufacturers. Ituran is the largest OEM telematics provider in Latin America. Its products and applications are used by customers in over 20 countries. Ituran is also the founder of the Tel-Aviv based DRIVE startup incubator to promote the development of smart mobility technology. Ituran's subscriber base has been growing significantly since the Company's inception to over 2.5 million subscribers using its location-based services with a market leading position in Israel and Latin America. Established in 1995, Ituran has approximately 2,800 employees worldwide, with offices in Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Columbia, India, Canada and the United States. For more information, please visit Ituran's website, at: Company Contact Udi Mizrahi udi_m@ Deputy CEO & VP Finance, Ituran (Israel) +972 3 557 1348 International Investor Relations Ehud Helft ituran@ EK Global Investor Relations (US) +1 212 378 8040 ITURAN LOCATION AND CONTROL LTD. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS US dollars March 31, December 31, (In thousands) 2025 2024 (unaudited) Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 75,683 77,357 Investments in marketable securities 2 10 Accounts receivable (net of provision for credit loss) 54,217 47,688 Other current assets 48,182 46,067 Inventories 23,281 23,434 201,365 194,556 Long-term investments and other assets Investments in affiliated companies 479 519 Investments in other companies 1,530 1,491 Other non-current assets 5,891 5,853 Deferred income taxes 12,585 12,273 Funds in respect of employee rights upon retirement 21,690 21,823 42,175 41,959 Property and equipment, net 35,951 33,080 Operating lease right-of-use assets, net 9,115 8,947 Intangible assets, net 8,686 9,011 Goodwill 39,257 39,325 Total assets 336,549 326,878 ITURAN LOCATION AND CONTROL LTD. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (cont.) US dollars March 31, December 31, (In thousands) 2025 2024 (unaudited) Current liabilities Credit from banking institutions – 114 Accounts payable 20,040 18,847 Deferred revenues 24,338 22,857 Other current liabilities 48,962 45,904 93,340 87,722 Long-term liabilities Liability for employee rights upon retirement 28,070 27,593 Deferred income taxes 439 418 Deferred revenues 11,701 12,231 Operating lease liabilities, non-current 5,358 5,562 Other non-current liabilities 2,125 2,095 47,693 47,899 Stockholders' equity 190,674 185,227 Non-controlling interests 4,842 6,030 Total equity 195,516 191,257 Total Liabilities and equity 336,549 326,878 ITURAN LOCATION AND CONTROL LTD. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME US dollars Three months periodended March 31, (in thousands, except per share data) 2025 2024 Revenues: Telematics services (unaudited) 62,180 60,935 Telematics products 24,275 24,091 86,455 85,026 Cost of revenues: Telematics services 25,899 25,521 Telematics products 18,537 19,962 44,436 45,483 Gross profit 42,019 39,543 Research and development expenses 4,862 4,523 Selling and marketing expenses 4,259 3,574 General and administrative expenses 14,238 14,456 Other expenses (income), net 6 (39) Operating income 18,654 17,029 Financing income, net 546 75 Income before income tax 19,200 17,104 Income tax expenses (4,066) (3,430) Share in losses of affiliated companies, net (34) (81) Net income for the period 15,100 13,593 Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interest (508) (557) Net income attributable to the company 14,592 13,036 Basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to Company's stockholders 0.73 0.66 Basic and diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding (in thousands) 19,894 19,894 ITURAN LOCATION AND CONTROL LTD. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS US dollars Three months periodended March 31, (in thousands) 2025 2024 (unaudited) Cash flows from operating activities Net income for the period 15,100 13,593 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 4,628 5,298 Loss (gain) in respect of trading marketable securities and other investments 8 (104) Increase in liability for employee rights upon retirement 1,031 762 Share in losses of affiliated companies, net 34 81 Deferred income taxes (85) (790) Capital loss on sale of property and equipment, net 31 36 Increase in accounts receivable (6,564) (4,840) Increase in other current and non-current assets (22) (3,485) Decrease (increase) in inventories (130) 521 Increase (decrease) in accounts payable 269 (470) Increase in deferred revenues 747 1,264 Increase (decrease) in other current and non-current liabilities 412 (464) Net cash provided by operating activities 15,459 11,402 Cash flows from investment activities Increase in funds in respect of employee rights upon retirement, net of withdrawals (292) (707) Capital expenditures (6,610) (3,131) Return from (investments in) affiliated and other companies, net (4) 138 Repayment of (Investment in) long-term deposit (84) 64 Proceeds from sale of property and equipment 300 156 Net cash used in investment activities (6,690) (3,480) Cash flows from financing activities Short term credit from banking institutions, net (114) (273) Dividend paid (7,758) (4,774) Dividend paid to non-controlling interests (1,677) (1,630) Net cash used in financing activities (9,549) (6,677) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (894) (644) Net change in cash and cash equivalents (1,674) 601 Balance of cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 77,357 53,434 Balance of cash and cash equivalents at end of period 75,683 54,035 Supplementary information on investing and financing activities not involving cash flows: In February 2025, the Company declared a dividend in an amount of US$ 10 million. The dividend was paid in April 2025. Logo – View original content:
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New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- New Straits Times
MARKET PULSE PM MAY 28, 2025 [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: News on stock, crypto and ringgit moves. Bursa Malaysia closed lower today, pressured by selling activity amid cautious market sentiment as investors await key US economic data releases later this week. The FBM KLCI was unable to sustain an early recovery attempt despite Wall Street's strong overnight rally. Meanwhile, the ringgit strengthened against the US dollar at 4.2240. In the crypto market, Bitcoin continued its downtrend, falling to RM461,836. Ethereum slipped to RM11,179, while Solana declined to RM736. That wraps up today's Market Pulse.
