simonkr/E+ via Getty Images Intro Our last commentary on Cabot Corporation ( CBT ) was in early January this year, when we maintained our bearish stance on the specialty chemicals and performance materials outfit due to sustained volume pressure in both of its segments, resulting in a guidance cut. Many times, companies gloss over fundamental concerns, especially when they know the fundamentals ma...
simonkr/E+ via Getty Images Intro Our last commentary on Cabot Corporation ( CBT ) was in early January this year, when we maintained our bearish stance on the specialty chemicals and performance materials outfit due to sustained volume pressure in both of its segments, resulting in a guidance cut. Many times, companies gloss over fundamental concerns, especially when they know the fundamentals may paint a different picture. Still, Cabot's management was very candid with its shareholders on the Q4 earnings call , citing sustained trade turbulence as the chief reason why earnings will most likely remain soft for the foreseeable future. The lasting ill effects of automotive production, sluggish PMI trends, and a stagnant construction sector were all called out by management on the Q4 earnings call, so for this, the company must be commended for being loyal to its shareholders. Although the stock is more or less flat since our bearish rating earlier this year, the release of the company's first quarter earnings report (Released 2/3/2026) once more highlighted the concerns we have with this play. Although Battery Materials revenue was definitely a bright spot in the first quarter ending 12/31/2025, volumes came in down in both the Reinforcement Materials and Performance Chemicals, highlighting sustained macro-led pressure. Reinforcement Materials' EBIT Drops $22 Million In Q1 As we see below, Cabot's biggest segment is "Reinforcement Materials," where the segment's EBIT dropped by approximately $28 million in the first quarter to come in at $102 million. Although EBIT in "Performance Chemicals" grew by $3 million in Q1 to come in at $48 million, its gains are not enough at this juncture to compensate for the poor production levels in the tire space, considering its margins are on an even keel with "Reinforcement Materials." Cabot Q1 Earnings Presentation (StockCharts.com) Downsizing Operations To Align With New Normal Although management pointed to cash-flow trends, bat...
The wheat complex found some renewed strength on Thursday. Chicago SRW futures were 4 ½ to 7 ¼ cents higher in the front months on the day. KC HRW futures saw 4 to 9 cent gains on the Thursday session. MPLS spring wheat was up 4 ¼ to 5 cents...
The wheat complex found some renewed strength on Thursday. Chicago SRW futures were 4 ½ to 7 ¼ cents higher in the front months on the day. KC HRW futures saw 4 to 9 cent gains on the Thursday session. MPLS spring wheat was up 4 ¼ to 5 cents...
Cotton futures closed out the Thursday session with contracts 21 to 123 points higher across the board. The US dollar index was $0.296 higher at $99.695. Crude oil was up $3.46 on the day to $93.79. Export Sales data showed 202,444 RB of 2025/26 cotton sold in the week ending...
Cotton futures closed out the Thursday session with contracts 21 to 123 points higher across the board. The US dollar index was $0.296 higher at $99.695. Crude oil was up $3.46 on the day to $93.79. Export Sales data showed 202,444 RB of 2025/26 cotton sold in the week ending...
BYD Co. shares are on track for their best month in over a year, as surging oil prices due to the Iran war brighten the outlook for electric vehicle sales. The Hong Kong-listed stock is up 8% in March, one of the top performers on the Hang Seng Tech Index along with EV peers Nio Inc. and Zhejiang Leapmotor Technologies Ltd. The sector had slumped in recent months on worries over sluggish demand an...
BYD Co. shares are on track for their best month in over a year, as surging oil prices due to the Iran war brighten the outlook for electric vehicle sales. The Hong Kong-listed stock is up 8% in March, one of the top performers on the Hang Seng Tech Index along with EV peers Nio Inc. and Zhejiang Leapmotor Technologies Ltd. The sector had slumped in recent months on worries over sluggish demand and tough price competition in China. BYD’s guidance for the current year along with its results due Friday will provide clues for investors on the chances for an export-led recovery. Its overseas sales for the first two months surged 50% from a year ago, and customer traffic has been brisk at its dealerships across Asia in March as gas prices climb. “We’ve seen stories out of the Philippines and Indonesia where locals are queuing up to buy an electric vehicle,” said Leonid Mironov , a portfolio manager at Gavekal Capital Ltd. “Longer term, this will help re-establish the EV narrative and consumer mindshare, especially in developed markets.” Read more: BYD Showrooms Are Bustling Across Asia After Iran Oil Shock Overseas sales accounted for about half of January-February sales volume for the Shenzhen-based automaker, which is also seeing a flood of orders from Central and South America. Likely rollouts featuring BYD’s new proprietary charging technology may help speed EV adoption in foreign markets where charging speed and infrastructure remain key bottlenecks. “Overseas expansion has become a necessity for Chinese automakers,” said Rosalie Chen, an analyst at Third Bridge . BYD’s in-house battery production and cost advantages can help it achieve strong profitability on exports and “effectively capture demand shifts driven by rising oil prices.” Challenges remain in the home market, which Chen described as “highly saturated”. Discount battles with rivals and a tapering of stimulus from Beijing have dragged on the domestic business, with BYD poised to report its slowest annual...
Shares of NextDecade (NASDAQ: NEXT) popped on Thursday, following reports of insider buying. By the close of trading, NextDecade's stock price was up more than 11%. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Shares of NextDecade (NASDAQ: NEXT) popped on Thursday, following reports of insider buying. By the close of trading, NextDecade's stock price was up more than 11%. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Anthropic PBC won a court order blocking a Trump administration ban on government use of the company’s artificial intelligence technology, after the Claude chatbot maker argued the move could cost it billions in lost revenue. US District Judge Rita F. Lin issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday, pausing the administration’s plan to sever all ties with Anthropic while a legal fight plays out in...
Anthropic PBC won a court order blocking a Trump administration ban on government use of the company’s artificial intelligence technology, after the Claude chatbot maker argued the move could cost it billions in lost revenue. US District Judge Rita F. Lin issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday, pausing the administration’s plan to sever all ties with Anthropic while a legal fight plays out in San Francisco federal court. She questioned the government’s rationale for the ban, saying it didn’t appear to be directed at its stated national security interests. “If the concern is the integrity of the operational chain of command, the Department of War could just stop using Claude,” the judge wrote. “Instead, these measures appear designed to punish Anthropic.” Such a move, she wrote, “is classic illegal First Amendment retaliation.” The company sued earlier this month to block a declaration by the Defense Department that Anthropic posed a threat to the US supply chain, escalating a high-stakes dispute over safeguards on AI technology used by the military. The startup demanded assurances that its AI wouldn’t be used for mass surveillance of Americans or autonomous weapons deployment, while the government cited national security in arguing it couldn’t accept any restrictions. Lin said the Justice Department had no “legitimate basis” to determine that Anthropic’s firm stance regarding restrictions on the usage of its AI technology could lead it to “become a saboteur.” A spokesperson for Anthropic didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The case is Anthropic v. US Department of War, 26-cv-01996 , US District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).