Core Viewpoint - Sasol Limited is expected to report a significant decline in financial performance for the six months ended December 31, 2025, with adjusted EBITDA projected between R19 billion and R23 billion, a decrease of 4% to 21% compared to the prior period [1] Financial Performance Summary - Adjusted EBITDA is anticipated to be between R19 billion and R23 billion, down from R24 billion in the prior period, reflecting a decrease of 4% to 21% [1] - Headline earnings per share (HEPS) is expected to range from R8.50 to R10.00, a decline of 29% to 40% from R14.13 in the previous period [1] - Earnings per share (EPS) is projected to be between R0.10 and R0.80, representing a drastic decrease of 89% to 99% from R7.22 in the prior period [1] Factors Influencing Earnings - The decrease in earnings is primarily attributed to impairments totaling R7.8 billion (before tax), compared to R5.7 billion in the prior period [1] - A 3% decrease in the average US dollar per ton chemicals basket price contributed to the earnings decline [1] - A 17% decline in the average Rand per barrel Brent crude oil price also impacted earnings negatively [1] - The decline in earnings was partially mitigated by disciplined cost management and a 3% increase in sales volumes due to improved operational performance [1] Impairment Details - Significant impairments include R3.9 billion related to the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) development in Mozambique, influenced by a revision of the expected production profile and the strengthening of the Rand against the US Dollar [1] - The Secunda liquid fuels refinery cash generating unit remains fully impaired, with R3 billion in capitalized costs impaired during the current period [1] Cash Flow and Expenditure - Overall free cash flow generation is expected to improve compared to the prior period, despite lower earnings, due to reduced capital expenditure [1]

Group 1: J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc - J.B. Hunt reported fourth-quarter revenue of $3.097 billion, slightly below estimates of $3.099 billion [2] - The company reported earnings of $1.90 per share for the fourth quarter, beating estimates of $1.77 per share [2] - Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport fell 4.2% to $197.86 in pre-market trading [2] Group 2: Other Stocks in Pre-Market Trading - TryHard Holdings Limited fell 16.4% to $6.35 in pre-market trading after a 76% drop on Thursday due to a joint venture announcement [3] - High Roller Technologies, Inc. declined 12.9% to $20.64 in pre-market trading after a 25% increase on Thursday following a non-binding Letter of Intent [3] - Ambitions Enterprise Management Co. L.L.C fell 10.9% to $26.17 in pre-market trading after a 90% jump on Thursday [3] - Sasol Limited fell 4.9% to $6.80 in pre-market trading after a 4% decline on Thursday [3] - QXO Inc dipped 3.5% to $24.14 in pre-market trading after announcing a $750 million common stock offering and reporting preliminary fourth-quarter net sales of $2.19 billion [3] - Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. fell 3.5% to $10.64 in pre-market trading [3] - NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. shares declined 3.2% to $12.29 in pre-market trading [3]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of looking beyond U.S. large caps for investment opportunities, particularly in undervalued international stocks [1][3][9] - The Benzinga Value Ranking is introduced as a systematic, numbers-driven tool to identify the cheapest stocks globally based on multiple valuation metrics [2][5] Investment Strategy - Investors are encouraged to focus on the top decile of the Benzinga Value Ranking, specifically targeting non-U.S. stocks to access the cheapest part of the global market [7][9] - The current market environment is characterized by extreme valuation dispersion outside the U.S., with many profitable companies trading at low earnings multiples [4][6] Company Highlights - **POSCO Holdings (NYSE:PKX)**: A leading steel producer in South Korea, trading at discounted multiples despite controlling high-quality assets [11] - **Sasol Ltd. (NYSE:SSL)**: An integrated energy and chemicals company in South Africa, generating substantial cash flow but heavily discounted due to past operational issues [12] - **Korea Electric Power Corp. (NYSE:KEP)**: The backbone of South Korea's power system, facing extreme low valuation multiples due to government pricing controls [13] - **LuxExperience (NYSE:LUXE)**: A niche luxury travel company in the Netherlands, undervalued due to lack of investor attention rather than demand collapse [14] - **Gerdau (NYSE:GGB)**: Brazil's largest long steel producer, trading at low multiples despite consistent cash flow generation [15] - **Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC)**: A global manufacturing leader in Japan, undervalued due to lack of hype around its steady profits and cash flow [16] - **SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM)**: South Korea's largest wireless carrier, undervalued due to low growth expectations despite reliable cash generation [18] - **Jiayin Group (NASDAQ:JFIN)**: A Chinese fintech company facing regulatory uncertainty, leading to extreme valuation discounts [19] - **FinVolution Group (NYSE:FINV)**: Another Chinese fintech platform, similarly undervalued due to regulatory challenges and investor distrust [20] - **KT Corp. (NYSE:KT)**: A leading telecommunications provider in South Korea, generating stable cash flow but facing compressed valuation multiples [21]

Core Thesis - Sasol Limited (SSL) is viewed as a contrarian standout in the chemical sector, demonstrating resilience and disciplined execution following a multi-year restructuring [2][5] Financial Performance - As of November 28th, Sasol's share price was $6.50, with trailing and forward P/E ratios of 10.58 and 7.81 respectively [1] - Free cash flow surged 75% year-over-year to R12.6 billion, driven by margin discipline, asset divestitures, and one-off windfalls such as the $4.3 billion Transnet settlement and R2.9 billion environmental liability reduction [2] - Turnover slightly declined to R249 billion, while net debt improved to $3.7 billion, alleviating long-standing investor concerns [3] Valuation Metrics - Sasol trades at an EV/EBITDA of 3.1x and a price/book ratio of 0.4x, with an implied upside of 55% to the median analyst price target of $9.73, and aggressive scenarios projecting up to $25.43 per ADR [4] - Forecasted free cash flow is robust, with projections reaching R15.4–19.4 billion by 2028, supporting potential re-rating and shareholder returns through debt reduction and dividends [4] Strategic Positioning - The company's approach to ESG includes R723 million in carbon credits and expanding renewable capacity, illustrating a pragmatic strategy that allows it to remain cash-generative while positioning for the energy transition [3] - Despite short-term volatility from ESG and regulatory headlines, disciplined capital allocation, margin expansion, and operational improvements position Sasol as a cash machine poised for recovery [5]

Core Points - Sasol held its annual general meeting on November 14, 2025, where all resolutions were passed by the requisite majority of voting rights exercised [1] - The audited annual financial statements for the financial year ended June 30, 2025, were presented [1] Remuneration Policy - Non-binding advisory resolution number 1 endorsed the Company's remuneration policy with 93.93% votes in favor [2] - Non-binding advisory resolution number 2 endorsed the implementation report of the Company's remuneration policy with 97.43% votes in favor [2] Climate Change Strategy - Non-binding advisory resolution number 3 endorsed Sasol's climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy with 85.30% votes in favor [3] Director Elections - Mr. S Baloyi was re-elected as a director with 99.84% votes in favor [3] - Mr. M J Cuambe was re-elected as a director with 99.54% votes in favor [3] - Ms. M B N Dube was re-elected as a director with 97.74% votes in favor [3] - Dr. M Flöel was re-elected as a director with 99.50% votes in favor [3] Audit Committee Appointments - KPMG Inc. was appointed as the independent auditor with 99.90% votes in favor [4] - Several members were elected to the Audit Committee with high approval rates, including Mr. D G P Eyton (99.20%), Ms. K C Harper (99.55%), and Ms. G M B Kennealy (99.19%) [4][5] Safety, Social and Ethics Committee Appointments - Members elected to the Safety, Social and Ethics Committee included Mr. S Baloyi (99.42%), Ms. M B N Dube (98.07%), and Dr. M Flöel (99.30%) [5] Special Resolutions - Special resolution number 1 to approve remuneration for non-executive directors received 98.07% votes in favor [5] - Special resolution number 2 to authorize the Board for general share repurchase received 77.63% votes in favor [5]

Group 1 - The author works on the buy-side in Fixed Income and has a special interest in the Mining and Real Estate sectors [1] - The article emphasizes the importance of protecting investments, encapsulated in the phrase "Always Protect Your Nuts!" [1] Group 2 - There are no disclosed stock, option, or derivative positions in any mentioned companies, nor plans to initiate such positions in the near future [2] - The article expresses the author's personal opinions and is not influenced by compensation from any company [2]

Group 1 - The article does not provide any specific content related to a company or industry [1]

Market Overview - Despite markets hovering near all-time highs, there is a shift from exuberance to cautious optimism, influenced by weak U.S. employment numbers and the potential economic impact of a federal government shutdown [1] - The market has not seen a 10% correction in over six months, leading investors to brace for a potential drawdown instead of a year-end rally [2] Value Stocks - Investors sitting on significant unrealized gains may consider reallocating to value stocks to minimize losses and generate income through dividends [2] - Five value stocks with a market cap of $3 billion or higher and a Benzinga Edge Value score of at least 90 are highlighted for portfolio protection in volatile environments [3] Sasol Ltd. - Sasol Ltd. has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 99.66, with a market cap of $3.94 billion, trading at 10 times earnings, a P/B value of 0.4, and a P/S ratio of 0.27, indicating it is undervalued compared to U.S. and emerging market peers [4] - The stock has shown volatility but has evidence of upward momentum, with key technical levels to watch for a potential breakout [6] Gerdau SA - Gerdau has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 97.67, with a market cap of $7 billion, trading at 8 times forward earnings, a P/B value of 0.70, and a P/S ratio of 0.37, along with a 3.27% dividend [7] - The stock has been trending higher since a Golden Cross in August, currently over 10% above its 50-day SMA, indicating bullish momentum [9] Ecopetrol SA - Ecopetrol has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 97.47, with a market cap of $19 billion and annual sales exceeding $30 billion, showing a nearly 20% increase year-to-date [10] - The stock's fundamentals and technical trends are favorable, with a P/E ratio of 6.55 and a P/S ratio of 0.64, and bullish momentum is building [12] Seaboard Corp. - Seaboard has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 94.03, with a market cap of $3.5 billion and annual sales over $9 billion, trading at 9 times earnings, a P/S ratio of 0.36, and a P/B ratio of 0.71 [13] - Recent signals indicate a revival in bullish momentum, with a significant rally taking the share price above the 50-day SMA [15] Fluor Corp. - Fluor has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 91.46, with a market cap of $7 billion and annual sales exceeding $16 billion, trading at just 2 times earnings and a P/S ratio of 0.47 [16] - The stock has seen a 15% increase in the last three months, breaking above its 50- and 200-day SMAs, indicating a potential momentum reversal [18]

Core Insights - Sasol is making solid progress on its Capital Market's Day plans to strengthen its foundation business amid macroeconomic volatility, global tariffs, and geopolitical tensions [2] - The company reported a fatality at the Thubelisha Colliery in September 2025, despite achieving a fatality-free financial year in mining [2] Business Performance - In Southern Africa, the ramp-up of the destoning plant is on track, resulting in average sinks for Q1 FY26 reducing below 14%, which has enabled increased coal production [3] - Both Natref and Sasolburg showed improved operational performance, with higher sales volumes for Fuels and growth in the higher-margin mobility channel [3] - Chemicals Africa sales volumes remained consistent with the prior year, but revenue decreased due to lower sales prices amid market softness [3] - International Chemicals revenue increased in Q1 FY26 compared to the previous quarter, driven by margin optimization initiatives and higher sales volumes in the US [3] - Revenue and adjusted EBITDA were significantly higher compared to Q1 FY25, reflecting improved unit margins and operational excellence initiatives [3] Business Updates - The second of three new low-carbon boilers at Natref was successfully commissioned, enhancing steam reliability and supporting decarbonization objectives [4] - Sasol is taking measures to ensure operational continuity at the Natref refinery following the business rescue filing by Prax South Africa [5] - The mothballing of certain plants is progressing as planned, with clean-up activities completed for specific plants in Germany and the US [5] Outlook - Performance across all business segments is within market guidance, with good progress towards FY26 financial targets [6] - The Southern Africa value chain breakeven oil price for Q1 FY26 is in line with market guidance of US$55 - 60 per barrel, supported by higher production volumes [6] - International Chemicals is on track to meet the adjusted EBITDA target of US$450 - 550 million [6] Challenges - Despite progress, Sasol faces macroeconomic headwinds, including recent tariff changes impacting financial performance [7] - The company is actively assessing potential impacts on operations, supply chain, and pricing strategies due to global market adjustments [7]

Core Insights - Sasol International Chemicals has launched a bio-circular, palm and deforestation-free surfactant derived from insect oils, named LIVINEX IO 7, marking a significant innovation in the cleaning markets [1] Company Summary - The new product, LIVINEX IO 7, is the first nonionic surfactant of its kind in the fabric, home care, industrial, and institutional cleaning markets, indicating a pioneering step in sustainable product offerings [1] Industry Summary - The introduction of LIVINEX IO 7 aligns with growing trends towards sustainability and eco-friendly products in the cleaning industry, potentially setting a new standard for surfactants [1]