Elena Iakovleva/iStock via Getty Images Koppers Holdings ( KOP ) released 1Q26 results. The results were good, in line with a positive outlook for the year provided in Q4. Specifically, Performance Chemicals, the company's star segment and the one most pressured last year by new competition, recovered strongly. At the same time, the company is facing several cost headwinds, including oil, lumber, ...
Elena Iakovleva/iStock via Getty Images Koppers Holdings ( KOP ) released 1Q26 results. The results were good, in line with a positive outlook for the year provided in Q4. Specifically, Performance Chemicals, the company's star segment and the one most pressured last year by new competition, recovered strongly. At the same time, the company is facing several cost headwinds, including oil, lumber, and copper. The end-market segments, mainly housing, are also pressured. Tactically, I believe the downstream situation will be more pressured than what management expects. On a cyclical basis, I also continue to believe Koppers has above-average earnings power. For these reasons, I maintain a Hold rating. 1Q26 results Koppers' results were mixed by segment, but better than I expected. Sales were basically flat, but adjusted EBITDA fell 10% from $56 million to $49 million. However, not all segments saw diminishing profits. The most positive and important data point was PC. This segment had been pressured last year because of new competition and lost volumes. I was concerned that the hit could be more permanent, because PC is Koppers' best business, with higher margins and better structural characteristics than the other segments. However, in 1Q26, PC sales increased almost 20%, and adjusted EBITDA increased almost 30% to $26 million. The segment's volumes improved 15%, from a mix of gaining market share and customer inventory build (as commented in the call ). It is possible that smaller competitors are getting squeezed. The segment's end market (construction activity, mainly wood products), however, is still very pressured. Management confirmed in the call that the most relevant end demand indicators for the business, like mortgage rates, housing turnover, and repair and remodeling spending, are still lagging. The relevant point, therefore, is that the results reduce the probability that the new competitor created a permanent impairment in PC. The segment still looks like ...
(RTTNews) - Sysmex (6869.T) reported fiscal year profit attributable to owners of the parent of 35.5 billion yen, a decline of 33.9% from prior year. Operating profit was 51.83 billion yen, down 40.8%. Earnings per share was 56.89 yen compared to 86.05 yen. For the fiscal year en
(RTTNews) - Sysmex (6869.T) reported fiscal year profit attributable to owners of the parent of 35.5 billion yen, a decline of 33.9% from prior year. Operating profit was 51.83 billion yen, down 40.8%. Earnings per share was 56.89 yen compared to 86.05 yen. For the fiscal year en
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that U.S. President Donald Trump "asked me to come" to the China summit in Beijing, when asked by reporters about his trip. Huang was a later addition to the high-stakes trip on Tuesday, after his name was noticably absent from a list of executives making the trip, shared by a White House official on Monday . "This is an incredible opportunity for me to represent the U...
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that U.S. President Donald Trump "asked me to come" to the China summit in Beijing, when asked by reporters about his trip. Huang was a later addition to the high-stakes trip on Tuesday, after his name was noticably absent from a list of executives making the trip, shared by a White House official on Monday . "This is an incredible opportunity for me to represent the United States of course, and to come support President Trump in one of the most important summits in human history," Huang told reporters on the sidelines of the event on Thursday. "The two presidents, President Xi and President Trump have such a wonderful relationship, this is an incredible opportunity for us to rely on the relationships to build a much, much better partnership," he added. After seeing the media coverage of Huang's absence from the delegation, Trump called the Nvidia executive and asked him to join, a source familiar with the situation told CNBC on Wednesday. Huang flew to Alaska to board Air Force One, the source said. In a social media post, Trump confirmed Huang was on board Air Force One and denied that the Nvidia boss had not been invited, as reported by media outlets including CNBC. watch now VIDEO 2:21 02:21 Jensen Huang joins Trump in visit to Beijing following last-minute call Closing Bell Trade key focus Trade is top of the agenda in Beijing, with Trump commenting that opening up China for U.S. businesses would be his "first request" to Xi. "I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to 'open up' China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People's Republic to an even higher level!" Trump said, referring to the wider delegation of U.S. business representatives. The delegation includes Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock's CEO Larry Fink and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, among others. "Today's morning ceremony was very uplifting. President Xi was very inspiring, very welcoming,...
Cannes film festival: Young indie film-maker Kris tracks down Anderson’s Final Girl for a remake of a beloved horror, to find fantasy and reality collapsed Jane Schoenbrun unveils a very enjoyable display of transformative ecstasy and submissive rapture, treating us to a bizarre pop-cultural black mass of fiercely believed-in trash and kink. As before with Schoenbrun’s films, I found myself thinki...
Cannes film festival: Young indie film-maker Kris tracks down Anderson’s Final Girl for a remake of a beloved horror, to find fantasy and reality collapsed Jane Schoenbrun unveils a very enjoyable display of transformative ecstasy and submissive rapture, treating us to a bizarre pop-cultural black mass of fiercely believed-in trash and kink. As before with Schoenbrun’s films, I found myself thinking of Gore Vidal’s (still unfashionable) Myra Breckinridge novel. This is a film that somehow persuades you that the 80s slasher genre is an exalting and liberatingly progressive experience. As before, in her We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021) and I Saw the TV Glow (2024), Schoenbrun pulls off the trick of inventing an imaginary media phenomenon and treating it with complete fan-seriousness – an online horror game and cult scary TV show in the first two films and now a slasher movie franchise called Camp Miasma about a teen transgender killer called Little Death wearing a ceiling vent as a mask (why is never explained) who periodically emerges from a lake in a sleepaway camp where scantily clad young people will be brutally speared. The opening credits wittily walk us through the franchise’s initial wild success and slump in the later movies, the merch and the video games and the insufferable cultural studies discourse about its “problematic” treatment of gender. Now young indie film-maker Kris (Hannah Einbinder) has been hired to direct a lucrative origin-story reboot of Camp Miasma, a dream job as she has been obsessed with this series since illicitly watching the first movie at the age of eight, thrilled by feelings she still can’t understand by the Final Girl’s mortal jeopardy, preparing to die while somehow experiencing the killer’s point-of-view: feelings that Kris’s unhappy, painful experiences with sex have never equalled. Continue reading...
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, known for his unyielding stance, has maintained that he was undaunted by public sentiment throughout his decades-long career, even if his pursuit of Malaysia’s welfare earned him the label of “dictator”. From his ascent to the country’s top political post to his tumultuous relationship with protege turned critic and now Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir...
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, known for his unyielding stance, has maintained that he was undaunted by public sentiment throughout his decades-long career, even if his pursuit of Malaysia’s welfare earned him the label of “dictator”. From his ascent to the country’s top political post to his tumultuous relationship with protege turned critic and now Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir recounted his political odyssey in a Malaysian documentary chronicling his professional life and...
BING-JHEN HONG Foxconn's ( FXCOF ) first quarter net profit jumped 19% year-over-year, driven by strong demand for AI products. Q1 Metrics The Apple ( AAPL ) and Nvidia ( NVDA ) supplier — which is formally known as Hon Hai Precision ( HNHAF ) ( HNHPF ) — saw net profit attributable to the parent company increase to NT$49.92B (about $1.58B). The figure beat an LSEG consensus estimate of NT$48.88,...
BING-JHEN HONG Foxconn's ( FXCOF ) first quarter net profit jumped 19% year-over-year, driven by strong demand for AI products. Q1 Metrics The Apple ( AAPL ) and Nvidia ( NVDA ) supplier — which is formally known as Hon Hai Precision ( HNHAF ) ( HNHPF ) — saw net profit attributable to the parent company increase to NT$49.92B (about $1.58B). The figure beat an LSEG consensus estimate of NT$48.88, according to a report from Reuters. In the first quarter ended March, revenue surged 29% year-over-year to NT$2.12T, reaching a record high, according to the Taiwan-based company. Faced with sustained, strong demand for the company's AI business, Foxconn Rotating CEO Michael Chiang said that with the information and communications technology, or ICT, industry entering the traditional off-season in the first quarter, along with rapid growth in AI server demand, the Cloud and Networking product segment now accounts for nearly 50% of revenue. The company added that this shows that its AI strategy has already brought about a structural transformation, helping to mitigate the seasonality of the ICT industry. At the same time, with a more diversified AI customer base, the group’s product portfolio has become more balanced, Foxconn added. In addition, Foxconn said that its second-generation low Earth orbit, or LEO, satellites, PEARL, successfully launched on May 3 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, entering their designated orbit. The company added that it will continue to accelerate its expansion in the space sector, focusing on diverse application scenarios like mobile communication supplements, direct-to-device satellite connectivity, and connectivity in remote areas, further expanding opportunities in LEO satellite technology and smart communications integration. Outlook For the second quarter performance, Foxconn said that although the quarter is traditionally a slow season for the ICT industry, expectations are for maintaining an uptrend, with significant growth quarter-on-qu...
If your life seems to move at lightning speed, you're definitely living in the 21 st century. No matter how busy you are, though, it's a good idea to slow down enough to ensure your retirement plans are on track. You've probably heard that the very best way to maximize Social Security benefits is to wait until age 70 to claim them. While waiting until 70 is typically a smart move, it doesn't work ...
If your life seems to move at lightning speed, you're definitely living in the 21 st century. No matter how busy you are, though, it's a good idea to slow down enough to ensure your retirement plans are on track. You've probably heard that the very best way to maximize Social Security benefits is to wait until age 70 to claim them. While waiting until 70 is typically a smart move, it doesn't work for everyone. In fact, the 2025 Schroders U.S. Retirement Survey found that only 10% of non-retired Americans intend to wait that long to claim benefits. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Whoever wins the Labour leadership tussle, the chancellor’s prospects for staying inpost have risen given the surprise GDP boost Business live – latest updates UK economy records surprise 0.3% growth despite Iran war The message from Rachel Reeves is clear. After Britain’s economy defied the predictions for a slump in March, despite the fallout from the Iran war, why put things at risk with a roll...
Whoever wins the Labour leadership tussle, the chancellor’s prospects for staying inpost have risen given the surprise GDP boost Business live – latest updates UK economy records surprise 0.3% growth despite Iran war The message from Rachel Reeves is clear. After Britain’s economy defied the predictions for a slump in March, despite the fallout from the Iran war, why put things at risk with a roll of the dice in domestic politics? Responding to bumper growth of 0.3% in March – much stronger than City economists’ forecasts for a 0.2% contraction – the chancellor said the figures showed she had the right economic plan, in a comment laced with subtext. Continue reading...
A Hong Kong court has ordered the freezing of properties and assets worth more than HK$9 billion (US$1.15 billion) held by detained Chinese-born Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi and his associated companies and individuals, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source told the SCMP on Thursday that the High Court had ordered a restriction on such properties earlier this month following an appl...
A Hong Kong court has ordered the freezing of properties and assets worth more than HK$9 billion (US$1.15 billion) held by detained Chinese-born Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi and his associated companies and individuals, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source told the SCMP on Thursday that the High Court had ordered a restriction on such properties earlier this month following an application from the Department of Justice involving Chen, who is accused of running a sprawling online...
Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with registration letters VT-ANB flies over Tokyo, Japan, April 27, 2025 in this picture obtained from social media. Koki Takagi | Via Reuters Singapore Airlines-backed Air India will substantially cut international flights during the peak June to August travel period, as the Iran war-led airspace restrictions and record-high jet fuel prices weigh on the ca...
Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with registration letters VT-ANB flies over Tokyo, Japan, April 27, 2025 in this picture obtained from social media. Koki Takagi | Via Reuters Singapore Airlines-backed Air India will substantially cut international flights during the peak June to August travel period, as the Iran war-led airspace restrictions and record-high jet fuel prices weigh on the carrier's operational viability. The Airline is cutting nearly 140 flights per week, which roughly translates to 27% of its total international flights, according to aviation sector experts. "These changes are aimed at improving network stability and reducing last-minute inconvenience to passengers," Air India said in a statement on Wednesday. Air India, co-owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, will fly fewer flights to North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company is India' second-largest airline , with 3.6 million seats and a 14% share of the market, according to aviation industry data provider OAG. watch now VIDEO 2:31 02:31 The fuel paradox facing Indian airlines Inside India Indian carriers have been among the worst affected by the conflict in the Middle East, experts said, as they face closure of airspace over Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. The country was already facing airspace usage curbs in Pakistan, as well as China, highlighted Sanjay Lazar, aviation expert and chief executive at Avialaz Consultants. "Increased flying hours and added crew costs plus extra fuel used for the trip," have made the sector totally unviable now, Lazar said, adding that jet fuel in India is up to 40% more expensive than in global hubs, due to local taxes. Last month, the Federation of Indian Airlines had warned that carriers in the country were " under extreme stress and on the verge of closing down or stopping operations," as per local media reports. To offset the impact of falling currency and rising jet fuel costs, Indian carriers will need to raise pri...