Latest news with #874
Barnama
3 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
CPO FUTURES SLIP ON WEAK SOYBEAN OIL, SNAPPING 5-DAY RALLY
WORLD By Siti Noor Afera Abu KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 (Bernama) -- The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives snapped its five-day rally to close lower on Friday, dragged down by weakness in the soybean oil market, said palm oil trader David Ng. He noted that key support and resistance levels are seen at RM3,800 and RM4,000 per tonne respectively. Meanwhile, Fastmarkets Palm Oil Analytics senior analyst Dr Sathia Varqa said CPO futures close lower as traders booked their profits ahead of the long weekend. At the close, the spot month June 2025 contract lost RM41 to RM3,888 per tonne, July 2025 decreased by RM51 to RM3,491 per tonne, and August 2025 went down RM54 to RM3,878 per tonne. September 2025 was RM51 lower at RM3,870 per tonne, October 2025 slid by RM49 to RM3,870 per tonne, and November 2025 eased RM46 to RM3,874 per tonne. Trading volume fell to 59,698 lots from 69,553 lots yesterday, while open interest narrowed to 241,994 contracts from 244,448 contracts previously. The physical CPO price for June South fell by RM30 to RM3,930 per tonne. Bursa Malaysia Bhd and its subsidiaries will be closed on June 2 in conjunction with the official birthday of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia and would resume operations on June 3 (Tuesday).
TimesLIVE
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Russell says F1 drivers want less talk, more action from FIA boss
George Russell said Formula One drivers wanted more than words from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in a lukewarm response to a mooted change in the rules concerning punishment for misconduct, including swearing. Ben Sulayem, the Emirati head of the governing body, said on Instagram this week he was considering "improvements" to appendix B of the FIA's International Sporting Code after feedback from drivers across several series. Rally drivers had been up in arms over stiff fines imposed for swearing, as had their F1 contemporaries. Asked at the Miami Grand Prix on Thursday if he saw Ben Sulayem's words as a positive step, Mercedes driver Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), replied: "Conceptually, yes. "But obviously we want to see these things put into action rather than saying 'we're considering things'. We all consider a lot of things. "We're clear we want changes. Once they are implemented, then we'll comment on it. But for the time being it's being considered. The words don't mean anything until the change has been made." Appendix B covers stewards' penalty guidelines, setting out punishments for misconduct including words, deeds or writings that might have caused moral injury to the FIA or motorsport in general. A first offence in Formula One incurs a €40,000 (R836,937) fine, rising to €80,000 (R1,673,874) for the second and €120,000 (R2,510,395) with a one-month suspension and deduction of championship points for a third breach. Ben Sulayem's term in office runs out this year and he is expected to seek renewal. No rival candidate has emerged to date. "It'll be great if changes were made and the drivers were at least heard," said Russell. "I think it's in the best interest for the sport and ensuring some common sense is sort of applied to these situations," he added. " I think all of us can comment on it when we see the action being taken, rather than the consideration." Russell said the GPDA was set up to talk about safety rather than politics. but he was talking more and more about other subjects. "We find ourselves in a time where we're not focused on why we're all here," he said "We're here to go racing, we're here to create the best show for the fans, to have the fastest cars, the safest cars, the best technology, the best engineering, and yet we talk about fines and punishments and swearing."
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Borregaard ASA (FRA:BO4) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Record EBITDA and Strategic ...
EBITDA (Q4 2024): NOK398 million, up from NOK327 million in Q4 2023. Full Year EBITDA (2024): NOK1,874 million, compared to NOK1,781 million in 2023. Return on Capital Employed (2024): 17.1%, down from 18.3% in 2023. Dividend Proposal (2024): NOK4.25 per share, a 13% increase from last year, representing 52% of net earnings. BioSolutions Sales Volume (Q4 2024): Increased by 7%. BioMaterials Sales Volume (Full Year 2024): 160,000 tons, 11% higher than 2023. Fine Chemicals Sales (Q4 2024): NOK138 million, lower than historical context. Operating Revenues (Q4 2024): 9% higher than Q4 2023. EBITDA Margin (Q4 2024): 22.8%, 2.4 percentage points above Q4 2023. Earnings Per Share (Q4 2024): NOK1.30, up from NOK1.20 in Q4 2023. Full Year Operating Revenues (2024): NOK7.6 billion, a 7% increase from 2023. BioSolutions EBITDA (Q4 2024): NOK251 million, NOK79 million above Q4 2023. BioMaterials EBITDA (Full Year 2024): NOK434 million, compared to NOK534 million in 2023. Fine Chemicals EBITDA (Full Year 2024): NOK336 million, slightly above 2023. Cash Flow from Operating Activities (Q4 2024): NOK314 million. Investments (Full Year 2024): NOK861 million. Net Interest-Bearing Debt (End of 2024): Increased by NOK449 million. Equity Ratio (End of 2024): 53%. Leverage Ratio (End of 2024): 1.20. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 1 Warning Sign with BOM:533519. Release Date: January 29, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Borregaard ASA (FRA:BO4) achieved an all-time high EBITDA of NOK1,874 million for the full year, driven by increased specialization and strong results in BioSolutions. The company reported a 9% increase in operating revenues for the fourth quarter compared to the same period in 2023, mainly due to higher sales. BioSolutions segment saw a 7% increase in volume in the fourth quarter, with strong sales into agriculture, contributing to a robust performance. The Board proposed a 13% increase in dividends to NOK4.25 per share, reflecting a commitment to stable and progressive dividends. Borregaard ASA (FRA:BO4) is investing in environmental projects, such as the air preheater technology, which will reduce CO2 emissions by 7,000 tons and improve energy efficiency. Higher wood costs offset the positive results in BioMaterials, impacting overall profitability. Fine Chemicals segment experienced low deliveries in the fourth quarter, resulting in lower operating revenues compared to historical levels. The company's return on capital employed decreased to 17.1% from 18.3% in the previous year. Depreciation increased due to higher investments and leased assets, impacting earnings per share. The net currency impact was slightly negative for the full year, affecting overall financial performance. Q: Why was there no significant release in net working capital in Q4 2024, given it was the weakest movement since 2018? A: Per Lyngstad, Chief Financial Officer: The strong sales and production towards the end of the year increased inventories, which affected net working capital. Despite this, the average net working capital decreased for the year, indicating normal fluctuations within expected ranges. Q: What caused the increase in depreciation, and is it a permanent change? A: Per Lyngstad, Chief Financial Officer: The increase is due to higher investments and increased depreciation on leased assets, including storage. While depreciation related to leasing may decrease over time, increased investments will continue to raise depreciation levels. Q: How has Borregaard managed to keep wood costs stable despite rising commodity prices? A: Per Sorlie, President, Chief Executive Officer: Borregaard sources wood from a mix of geographies and types, including wood chips and pulpwood. Logistics costs, which account for about 25% of wood costs, also play a significant role in maintaining stable costs. Q: Will the sales prices for Borregaard's bioethanol in 2025 be similar to 2022 levels, and how will this affect EBITDA? A: Per Sorlie, President, Chief Executive Officer: While prices may align with 2022 levels, other factors like volume growth in Fine Chemical intermediates and bioethanol will positively impact EBITDA, making direct comparisons to 2022 challenging. Q: Why is Borregaard guiding for only 1% volume growth in BioSolutions for 2025 despite strong growth in 2024? A: Per Sorlie, President, Chief Executive Officer: The focus remains on improving the product mix and increasing sales of specialties, which drive profitability more than overall volume growth. The 2025 guidance reflects a normalized supply level. Q: How will the new investment impact LNG consumption? A: Knut-Harald Bakke, Director of Investor Relations: The investment will further reduce Borregaard's dependency on LNG, which has already decreased significantly since the energy crisis in 2022-2023. Increased electricity contracts will also contribute to reduced LNG consumption. Q: What triggered the NOK30 million environmental provision in Q4, and are all environmental liabilities covered? A: Per Lyngstad, Chief Financial Officer: The provision addresses legacy issues from a former mercury-based chlor-alkali plant. While not all liabilities are fully covered, Borregaard has made provisions based on current estimates and continues to monitor environmental issues. Q: What are the main drivers behind the increasing wood prices, and will this trend reverse in 2025? A: Per Sorlie, President, Chief Executive Officer: Factors include reduced wood supply due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and sustainability pressures. While Borregaard can manage these costs, the trend's reversal depends on global demand and supply dynamics. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
