Global Urea Prices Surge as Some Mideast Producers Halt Output
Nearly half of world's urea exports are sourced from manufacturing facilities on the Persian Gulf, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, with recent strikes putting those supplies at risk. Egypt and Iran have already curtailed production, which alone were responsible for almost 20% of global urea trade last year, according to Chris Lawson, head of fertilizers at consulting firm CRU Group.
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Archer Aviation, Heico and General Dynamics
For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – August 8, 2025 – announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Archer Aviation ACHR, Heico Corp. HEI and General Dynamics GD. Here are highlights from Thursday's Analyst Blog: 2 Defense Stocks Poised to Surpass Q2 Earnings Estimates The second-quarter 2025 reporting cycle for defense stocks, housed within the broader Zacks Aerospace sector, has already started with a major cohort of S&P 500 defense contractors having delivered their results. Impressively, prominent defense primes like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Textron, and General Dynamics came up with better-than-expected earnings numbers. Taking a look at the whole picture, we remain optimistic about the second-quarter results of the remaining defense majors, as escalating geopolitical tensions worldwide continue to fuel the demand for defense products and related services. This, in turn, has been boosting order growth and thereby revenue expansion, which should duly get reflected in the defense stocks' upcoming operating results. To this end, it is imperative to mention that a couple of defense stocks, like Archer Aviation and Heico Corp., which are set to release their quarterly financial results soon, are likely to beat on earnings this reporting cycle. Factors Likely to Have Influenced Defense Stocks' Q2 Growth Many countries have been ramping up their defense spending amid heightened global geopolitical instability, exacerbated by frequent conflicts in the Middle East. As the world's largest defense exporter, the United States has always remained at the forefront of this trend, with its government playing a critical role in supporting the nation's defense industry. Notably, in May 2025, U.S. President Trump reportedly proposed an increase of 13% in the nation's defense spending (to $1.01 trillion) for fiscal 2026. Such increases in budget allocation often translate into greater order volumes from the Pentagon and allied governments, potentially boosting the backlogs and thereby revenue generation prospects for major U.S. defense contractors. This impact is expected to become more apparent as other defense players report their second-quarter results. Prolonged conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Iran wars, have also played a role in bolstering defense sector revenues. As of March 2025, the U.S. administration provided $66.9 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and approximately $69.7 billion in military assistance since Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014. On the other hand, as of April 2025, the United States had 751 active Foreign Military Sales ('FMS') cases valued at $39.2 billion with Israel, involving critical defense programs like F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft; CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopters; KC-46A Aerial Refueling Tankers; and precision-guided munitions. These substantial aid packages inevitably lead to increased order growth for U.S. defense manufacturers, bolstering their revenues. For industry players like General Dynamics (GD), which have significant exposure in commercial aerospace, apart from core defense space, are also benefiting from the steadily growing global air travel. Notably, General Dynamics registered solid 4.1% year-over-year growth in its Aerospace segment. Other defense stocks, with commercial aerospace products in their portfolio, may also reflect similar growth trends. However, persistent headwinds like skilled labor shortages and supply-chain disruptions, along with fresh challenges in the form of enhanced import tariffs recently imposed by the U.S. government on almost all its trading partners, might have posed threats to production and delivery timelines, weighing on the overall second-quarter performance of defense firms to some extent. Q4 Projections Per our latest Earnings Outlook, second-quarter earnings for the Aerospace sector are expected to surge 11.5% year over year on 24.8% sales growth. Zacks Methodology Given the high degree of diversity in the defense space, finding the right stocks with the potential to beat estimates might be quite a daunting task. However, our proprietary Zacks methodology makes it fairly simple. We are focusing on stocks that have the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that for stocks with this combination, the chances of an earnings beat are as high as 70%. Earnings ESP provides the percentage difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Our Choices Below, we present two stocks that are expected to come up with an earnings beat this reporting cycle. Archer Aviation, although more widely known for its Midnight (eVTOL) Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft to be used as an urban air taxi, is also involved in the defense side of the aerospace business. Notably, ACHR is currently working with UK-based Anduril Industries to jointly develop a next-generation aircraft for defense applications. In February 2025, the company raised $301.8 million in funds for the development of its hybrid aircraft platform for the defense market. We can expect further updates on this once the company reports its second-quarter results. ACHR, with an Earnings ESP of +2.70% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present, is set to release earnings on Aug. 11. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ACHR's earnings is pinned at a loss of 19 cents per share, implying an improvement from the year-ago quarter's loss of 24 cents. Archer Aviation Inc. price-eps-surprise | Archer Aviation Inc. Quote Heico manufactures various types of electronic equipment for the aviation as well as defense industries. As a U.S. Department of Defense Prime Contractor, HEI provides critical support to government programs — including the design and supply of aircraft engines and component parts, FAA-approved parts, military-grade insulation products, batteries, and comprehensive repair and return services. We can expect its Defense and Space business unit to duly reflect solid growth in the upcoming quarterly results, backed by growing demand for military jets and associated weapons. HEI, with an Earnings ESP of +1.16% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present, is expected to release its quarterly numbers soon. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HEI's earnings is pinned at $1.12 per share, implying a 15.5% year-over-year improvement. The consensus mark for sales is pinned at $1.11 billion, suggesting a rise of 12.2% year over year. Heico Corporation price-eps-surprise | Heico Corporation Quote Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks? Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation. See Stocks Free >> Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@ Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report General Dynamics Corporation (GD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Heico Corporation (HEI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Archer Aviation Inc. (ACHR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error 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
Bloomberg
8 hours ago
- Bloomberg
China Loosens Urea Exports to India in Sign of Thawing Tensions
China has eased curbs on urea shipments to India, in the latest indication of a thaw in tensions between Beijing and New Delhi as US President Donald Trump's trade policies target the two Asian nations. India, the world's top importer of the crop nutrient, could take as much as 300,000 tons, according to people familiar with the matter. They asked not to be identified as they were not authorized to talk to the media. China is typically a major exporter of the nitrogen-based fertilizer, although it has restricted sales in recent years.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ships Carrying Chinese Cars Aren't Being Targeted By Houthi Militia
Starting in November 2023, the Houthi militia in Yemen started attacking or capturing commercial ships sailing through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, as a matter of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. According to a new report, however, the rebel group suddenly started making a very specific exception this summer. Since June, certain car-carrier ships dared to make the voyage, and none of them were messed with. What did all these ships have in common? They were only carrying cars made in China. As the New York Times reports, this almost certainly means that China cut a back-channel deal with the Houthis, either directly or through their main sponsor, Iran. The latter is an oil power; crude exports are 6% of its whole economy. Who buys all that oil? Almost entirely China. So the Asian superpower has a lot of pull here. Strangely, this new arrangement does seem to be particular: they're ships carrying Chinese cars. A handful of non-Chinese ships, but also carrying such cars, have made it through. Conversely, all Chinese cargo ships that aren't carrying cars are still avoiding the route. Read more: These Are The Worst Tire Recalls In Recent History China's Push Into The European Automotive Market China's presence in the European automotive market has been growing by leaps and bounds. In April, Chinese cars made up nearly 5% of the entire thing, double what it was only a year earlier. Some estimates have that going all the way up to 10% by 2034, per S&P Global. In response, the European Union has slapped tariffs onto Chinese cars that receive subsidies from the Chinese government, going as high as 35%. Since cheap prices are one of the core draws of these vehicles, it makes sense that companies would be pretty desperate to find ways to compensate for the tariffs. They might have found one. Avoiding the Red Sea adds 14 to 18 days to the voyage, which means a bunch of extra costs for fuel, crew, and maintenance. That works out to a few hundred dollars per car; since some of China's massive new ships can carry 5,000 cars each, the financial hit is in the millions. If those ships can literally take a shortcut, that's a huge savings for carmakers that they can either pocket or pass on to consumers. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
