Singapore said it ran a trade deficit with the US in 2024, disputing figures published by Washington that showed the city-state posted a surplus and challenging suggestions that it is contributing to global manufacturing overcapacity. The dispute surfaced after the Office of the US Trade Representative announced this week that it had launched investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 19...
Singapore said it ran a trade deficit with the US in 2024, disputing figures published by Washington that showed the city-state posted a surplus and challenging suggestions that it is contributing to global manufacturing overcapacity. The dispute surfaced after the Office of the US Trade Representative announced this week that it had launched investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into the acts, policies and practices of 16 economies, including Singapore. The probes are focused on structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors. In a Federal Register notice, the USTR highlighted Singapore as having a bilateral trade surplus with the US in both goods and services amounting to $27 billion in 2024. Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a statement on Thursday that isn’t borne out by the US’s own data. Citing figures from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, the ministry said Singapore had a $1.7 billion goods trade deficit and a $25.1 billion services trade deficit with the US in 2024 — leaving it with a total trade deficit of about $27 billion. Read more: US Starts Trade Probe Into China, EU as Trump Revives Duties The US notice also suggested Singapore has continued expanding manufacturing capacity despite falling industrial occupancy rates. The ministry rejected that characterization, saying industrial space occupancy rates are “very healthy at around 90% and have been consistently so.” It added that land is scarce and the amount set aside for industrial use has declined over time because of competing needs. Singapore said it has provided the USTR with its data and will engage the agency to seek clarification on the trade figures and the basis of the Section 301 investigations. It will provide further updates when available and invited businesses and stakeholders to submit feedback. The exchange underscores the widening scope of Washington’s latest trade offensive. Section 301 investigations can pave the way for reta...
Karat Packaging NASDAQ: KRT executives said the company delivered “profitable growth” in the fourth quarter of 2025 despite what CEO Alan Yu described as ongoing trade volatility, highlighting double-digit volume growth across major markets and an improvement in pricing for the first time since early 2023. Get Karat Packaging alerts: Sign Up Fourth-quarter sales rose 13.7% on volume and pricing Ch...
Karat Packaging NASDAQ: KRT executives said the company delivered “profitable growth” in the fourth quarter of 2025 despite what CEO Alan Yu described as ongoing trade volatility, highlighting double-digit volume growth across major markets and an improvement in pricing for the first time since early 2023. Get Karat Packaging alerts: Sign Up Fourth-quarter sales rose 13.7% on volume and pricing Chief Financial Officer Jian Guo reported fourth-quarter net sales of $115.6 million, up 13.7% from $101.6 million a year earlier. Guo attributed the increase primarily to $8.2 million of volume growth and a $6.3 million favorable impact from pricing and product mix. By channel, sales to chain accounts and distributors—Karat’s largest sales channel—rose 17.5% year over year. Online sales increased 1.9%, while retail channel sales declined 4.8% versus the prior-year quarter. Management said it continued to adjust its online approach to improve profitability, shifting away from online sales fulfilled by Amazon and toward driving traffic through the company’s own Lollicup store and fulfilling its own orders on third-party platforms. Guo said the company achieved “significantly higher contribution margin” in online sales due to reduced platform fees and marketing costs. Tariffs pressured gross margin, but operating income increased Guo said cost of goods sold rose 23.4% to $76.3 million, driven by sales growth and higher import costs. Within import costs, duty and tariff costs increased $8.4 million due to higher tariff rates, plus a $0.4 million adjustment to a duty reserve on certain imports. Gross profit was $39.3 million, compared with $39.8 million a year earlier. Gross margin declined to 34.0% from 39.2%, as import costs rose to 14.5% of net sales from 8.3% in the prior-year quarter. Management said it partially offset the headwind with more favorable vendor pricing and product mix and lower logistics expenses as a percentage of net sales. Operating expenses fell to $30.9 m...
Conglomerate Swire Pacific has sold part of its stake in Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways for HK$1.8 billion to raise working capital. The group revealed on Friday that it sold 153.05 million shares at HK$11.74 each the previous day. This marks a 9.6 per cent discount to the last traded price of HK$12.99 on Wednesday. It marked the latest shareholder to reduce its stake in Cathay, fol...
Conglomerate Swire Pacific has sold part of its stake in Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways for HK$1.8 billion to raise working capital. The group revealed on Friday that it sold 153.05 million shares at HK$11.74 each the previous day. This marks a 9.6 per cent discount to the last traded price of HK$12.99 on Wednesday. It marked the latest shareholder to reduce its stake in Cathay, following Air China’s sale in January for HK$1.32 billion. Advertisement In a Hong Kong stock exchange filing, Swire said it intended to use the proceeds from the sale for working capital. It noted that following the transaction, the company would hold about 45.12 per cent of Cathay’s shares. Swire’s sale is expected to generate a HK$365 million gain. Advertisement The share sale came a day after Cathay announced a 9.5 per cent rise in net profit to HK$10.82 billion for 2025, driven by higher capacity and strong cargo demand. However, it warned of headwinds from the US-Israel strikes on Iran.
CALGARY, Alberta, March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bonterra Energy Corp. (TSX: BNE; OTCID: BNEFF) (“Bonterra” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025, achieving a record annual production, together with highlights of an independent oil and gas reserves evaluation (the “Sproule Report”) prepared by Sproul...
CALGARY, Alberta, March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bonterra Energy Corp. (TSX: BNE; OTCID: BNEFF) (“Bonterra” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025, achieving a record annual production, together with highlights of an independent oil and gas reserves evaluation (the “Sproule Report”) prepared by Sproule International Limited (“Sproule”), effective December 31, 2025. The related financial statements and notes, as well as management’s discussion and analysis along with the annual information form for the period ended December 31, 2025, are available on SEDAR+ www.sedarplus.ca and on our website www.bonterraenergy.com. Record annual production of 15,513 BOE per day , exceeding revised guidance and representing a 5% increase from the prior year , exceeding revised guidance and representing a 5% increase from the prior year Expanded Charlie Lake core area through the closing of the previously announced Bonanza asset acquisition, consisting of low-decline oil pools producing approximately 760 BOE per day (3) and 21 top-tier drilling locations through the closing of the previously announced Bonanza asset acquisition, consisting of low-decline oil pools producing approximately 760 BOE per day and 21 top-tier drilling locations Achieved reserves growth across Total Proved (“TP”) and Total Proved Plus Probable (“TPP”) reserve categories of 3%, underpinning TPP Reserve Life Index of 19.4 years; Reduced TP and TPP F&D costs (2) to $12.72/BOE and $14.93/BOE driving recycle ratios (2) of 2.1x and 1.8x, respectively across Total Proved (“TP”) and Total Proved Plus Probable (“TPP”) reserve categories of 3%, underpinning TPP Reserve Life Index of 19.4 years; Reduced TP and TPP F&D costs to $12.72/BOE and $14.93/BOE driving recycle ratios of 2.1x and 1.8x, respectively Capital spending of $69.9 million , in line with guidance , in line with guidance Adjusted Free Funds Flow (1) of $17.2 m...
Galeanu Mihai/iStock via Getty Images The following segment was excerpted from the Royce Smaller-Companies Growth Fund FY 2025 Commentary. Nine of the portfolio’s 10 equity sectors made a positive impact on calendar year performance, with Health Care, Industrials, and Materials making the largest positive contributions while the only negative impact came from Consumer Staples. At the industry leve...
Galeanu Mihai/iStock via Getty Images The following segment was excerpted from the Royce Smaller-Companies Growth Fund FY 2025 Commentary. Nine of the portfolio’s 10 equity sectors made a positive impact on calendar year performance, with Health Care, Industrials, and Materials making the largest positive contributions while the only negative impact came from Consumer Staples. At the industry level, health care providers & services (Health Care), aerospace & defense (Industrials), and pharmaceuticals (Health Care) contributed most, while software (Information Technology), commercial services & supplies (Industrials), and food products (Consumer Staples) were the largest detractors. Our top-contributing position was Palvella Therapeutics (PTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapies to treat patients suffering from serious, rare genetic skin diseases for which there are no FDA-approved therapies. Palvella is developing a broad pipeline of product candidates based on its patented QTORIN platform—a proprietary technology that focuses on delivering highly targeted technologies directly to the disease source. Palvella’s shares appreciated significantly in 2025 as investors grew more confident in the company’s pipeline following a grant from the FDA, patent wins, expanded indications and programs, and a positive Phase II readout, with an additional Phase III readout expected in 1Q26. QTORIN rapamycin has the potential to be the only approved therapy in multiple rare disease settings, supporting a potential $2 billion+ commercial opportunity. Palvella has recently expanded its pipeline to address additional opportunities across rare skin diseases. We began building a position in February of 2025, when it was a mostly undiscovered, and uncovered, company, with just a few sell side analysts covering the stock; today, there are 15. Hims & Hers Health ( HIMS ) operates a telehealth consultation platform that provide...