Industry Overview - The Australian construction and materials sector is experiencing a divergence, with public investment booming while private building activity is declining [1][5] - The overall construction market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.31% from 2025 to 2030, driven by varying factors [1] Public Investment - Public infrastructure and energy spending are significant growth drivers, with record funding committed for major projects [2][7] - Deloitte estimates that the total value of investment projects under construction rose by 13.6% to $473.8 billion as of March 2025, with major transport initiatives leading the way [3][4] Private Sector Challenges - The private construction sector is facing challenges due to high interest rates, rising material costs, and builder administrations, leading to a 9% decline in total building activity in FY24 [5][6] - Companies heavily reliant on private work are encountering a more difficult environment, contrasting sharply with the public sector's stability [5] Labor Market and Cost Pressures - The construction sector is experiencing a skilled labor shortage, needing an additional 90,000 workers by the end of 2025, which could rise to 130,000 by 2029 [11] - Building construction prices have increased by 31.1% from September 2020 to June 2024, while house construction costs rose by 40.8%, impacting private sector confidence [4][5] Decarbonization and Technology - Decarbonization and the energy transition are creating long-term growth opportunities, insulated from the volatility of private construction [13] - Adoption of digital solutions like Building Information Modelling (BIM) and modular construction is enhancing efficiency and reducing reliance on scarce labor [14] Company-Specific Insights - **Downer EDI (ASX: DOW)**: Transitioning to urban services with a strong backlog of government contracts, FY25 results showed an 81.6% increase in NPAT and a 46.5% dividend increase, indicating a stable growth outlook [20][21][23] - **Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC)**: Undergoing a strategic overhaul, the company reported a return to profitability but faces a challenging market, with a "Sell" rating due to elevated risks and execution uncertainty [26][30] - **Seven Group Holdings (ASX: SGH)**: The acquisition of Boral has strengthened its position in construction materials, with FY25 results showing revenue growth and improved cash generation, making it a stock to watch [32][34] - **Maas Group Holdings (ASX: MGH)**: Achieved a 38% EBITDA growth in its Construction Materials division, supported by strong demand in infrastructure and renewable energy sectors, rated as a "Buy" [36][39][40] - **James Hardie Industries (ASX: JHX)**: Facing a credibility crisis with a 12% decline in North American sales volumes, the company is rated as a "Sell" due to operational fragility and legal investigations [43][44][47] - **Fletcher Building (ASX: FBU)**: In a multi-year strategic reset, the company reported a 9% revenue decline and a net loss, but is making progress on legacy issues, rated as a "Hold" [50][52][54] - **Reliance Worldwide Corporation (ASX: RWC)**: Despite a 5.5% increase in net sales, profitability is under pressure, leading to a "Hold" rating as the company navigates a slower growth environment [57][59]

Group 1 - Lactalis plans to invest €1bn ($1.18bn) to modernize its manufacturing sites in France by 2030 [1] - The company operates 69 dairies in France and offers around 6,000 SKUs [1] - Investment will focus on production equipment, innovation, and decarbonization [1] Group 2 - Lactalis is expanding its Petit Basque cheese production plants and adding new production lines in Bouvron and Bayeux [2] - The French dairy market is described as "in flux," influenced by environmental constraints and international competition [2] - Lactalis reported a 1.4% increase in sales volumes in France, outperforming the national market in certain categories [2] Group 3 - The cheese business has seen growth due to demand for products used in hot dishes [3] - The Lactel brand is gaining market share in a declining milk category, aided by the performance of the new Vita' Vie product [3] - Lactalis's revenue exceeded €30bn for the first time, growing by 2.8% last year [3] Group 4 - Operating income increased by 4.3%, while net income decreased from €428m to €359m [4]

Climate Risk and Adaptation - Australia has committed 6 billion USD over the next five years to climate adaptation spending [1] - The potential damage bill to infrastructure and property could run into the hundreds of billions of dollars [3] - The amount of adaptation spending required is determined by the amount of warming Australia and the world faces [4] Emissions Targets and Decarbonization - Australia is committed to achieving a 43% reduction on 2005 level greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 [6] - The Climate Change Authority has recommended a target between 65% to 75% below 2005 levels by 2035 [7] - To stay on a pathway of about 1.75 degrees Celsius of warming, Australia's energy-related emissions would need to fall by about 70% on 2005 levels by 2035 [8] Economic Opportunities and Risks - A higher emissions reduction target of 75% versus 65% would reap additional benefits to the Australian economy [12] - Australia has huge resources in lithium and other critical minerals, setting it up to become a clean energy superpower [14] - Insurance costs in Australia due to extreme weather events are around billions of dollars [17] - Extreme weather events have had a real drag on the nation's economy, which will become unmanageable by late this century if action isn't taken [18]

Wind and solar energy group Greencoat Renewables said it generated a total of 1,830 GWh of renewable electricity in the six months to the end of June, down from 1.927 GWh the same time last year.Greencoat Renewables said the period under review was statistically a low-wind year across Northern Europe.It reported gross cash generation of €68.7m, down from €113.6m the same time last year.It added that dividends of 3.41 cents per share will be paid or declared with respect to the period, in line with the full ...

Core Viewpoint - The European Union's aluminium sector is advocating for the imposition of approximately 30% duties on scrap metal exports to prevent domestic shortages and maintain competitiveness against Asian buyers [1][2][3]. Group 1: Export Trends and Economic Impact - EU aluminium scrap exports reached a record 1.26 million metric tons in 2024, marking a 50% increase compared to five years ago, with a significant portion directed towards Asia [1]. - The situation has deteriorated due to U.S. import tariffs, which are set at 50% for aluminium but only 15% for scrap, leading to increased scrap imports into the U.S. and a shift in focus for Asian buyers towards EU supplies [2]. Group 2: Policy and Industry Response - European Aluminium and Eurofer have engaged with the European Commission to advocate for an export levy, emphasizing the need for public policy to address market failures and protect Europe's strategic interests [3]. - The EU has begun monitoring scrap exports since July and plans to evaluate the necessity of action by the end of the third quarter [3]. Group 3: Recycling and Environmental Considerations - Scrap is crucial not only for domestic producers but also for the sector's decarbonization efforts, as recycling aluminium consumes 95% less energy than producing it from mined bauxite [4]. - European companies have invested €700 million (approximately $821 million) to enhance recycling furnace capacity to 12 million tons [4]. Group 4: Global Context and Domestic Challenges - Many non-EU countries, including India and China, already impose restrictions on metal scrap exports, highlighting a global trend towards limiting such exports [5]. - The recycling industry has pointed out that the rise in scrap exports is due to low domestic demand and inadequate capacity to process mixed scrap, such as that from shredded vehicles [6].

Core Insights - Power companies are experiencing relief after years of tough market conditions, with capacity returning and competition among insurers intensifying, leading to easing pricing that favors buyers [1][2] - Insurers are competing actively, resulting in mid to high double-digit rate reductions for property damage and business interruption for power and utilities companies [2] - Long-term agreements and no-claims bonuses are re-emerging, while local markets are gaining underwriting authority, enhancing responsiveness and competition [2] Industry Challenges and Opportunities - The energy sector faces challenges from geopolitical volatility, climate-driven disruptions, underfunded transmission networks, and aging infrastructure, despite increasing demand [3][5] - Future-ready power companies are leveraging insurance strategically in the current soft market to optimize risk strategies, control costs, and position capital for sustainable growth [3] - Nuclear energy is identified as a key solution for the power needs of data centers, providing clean, reliable, and scalable electricity to support the digital economy [5] Market Dynamics - The international power liability market is softening, with Lloyd's reporting its third consecutive year of underwriting profit, although climate change and decarbonization pressures are affecting insurer appetite [5]

Financial Performance - SCEE achieved record revenue of $801.5 million in FY25, a 45.2% increase compared to $551.9 million in FY24[11, 13, 80] - Record EBITDA reached $54.8 million, up 36.6% from $40.1 million in the previous year[11, 13, 80] - The company reported record EBIT of $45.9 million, a 40.4% increase from $32.7 million in FY24[11, 13, 80] - Record NPAT was $31.7 million, up 44.5% from $21.9 million in the prior year[11, 13, 80] Order Book and Sector Diversification - The order book stood at $685 million, a 4.9% decrease from $720 million in the previous year[11, 80] - Infrastructure sector contributed 63.8% of total revenue, amounting to $511.6 million, more than doubling from $233.7 million in FY24[11, 13] - Commercial sector revenue was $152.5 million, compared to $171.1 million in FY24[13] - Resources sector revenue was $137.4 million, compared to $147.0 million in FY24[13] Acquisitions and Strategy - SCEE's strategy involves diversifying into adjacent disciplines and servicing infrastructure, commercial, and resources sectors[6, 8] - The acquisition of Force Fire was completed on April 1, 2025, contributing to the final quarter results[11, 36, 80] - The company is exploring multiple further acquisition targets to enhance geographic diversification and capabilities[8, 45, 74, 81] Future Outlook - FY26 EBITDA guidance is projected to be in the range of $65 million to $68 million, representing an 18-24% growth on FY25 EBITDA[29, 81]

Core Insights - Vow ASA has initiated a profit improvement program aimed at enhancing cost control, profitability, and operational efficiency, alongside a strategic review [1][4] Financial Performance - In Q2 2025, Vow reported revenues of NOK 227.6 million, a decrease of NOK 25.0 million compared to Q2 2024, with a 9% increase in the Maritime Solutions segment and an 8% increase in Aftersales, while the Industrial Solutions segment saw a 5% decline [2] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2025 was negative NOK 33.0 million, down from negative NOK 20.5 million in Q2 2024, significantly affected by NOK 35 million in negative catch-up effects [3] - The total order backlog at the end of Q2 2025 reached NOK 1.4 billion, an increase from NOK 1.1 billion a year earlier, providing good visibility with contracts extending through to 2033 [3] Strategic Initiatives - The company plans to revisit its overall strategy in the second half of the year, reviewing market developments and adjusting investment priorities, while maintaining healthy cruise-related operations and focusing on profitability enhancements [4] - Vow received NOK 35.1 million from the sale of shares in Vow Green Metals, which was used to repay part of a term loan, and obtained a formal waiver for covenant breaches for the reporting period ending June 30, 2025 [5] Company Overview - Vow ASA and its subsidiaries focus on preventing pollution through advanced technologies that convert biomass and waste into valuable resources and clean energy, supporting industry decarbonization and material recycling [7][8]

Core Insights - GXO Logistics and B&Q are collaborating to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in B&Q's logistics operations by 2040, with significant advancements in alternative fuel usage and AI technology [1][2][3] Group 1: Partnership and Goals - The partnership between GXO and B&Q began in 2015, managing B&Q's retail transport network and focusing on sustainability and innovation in logistics [2] - B&Q aims to decarbonize its logistics fleet, with a comprehensive roadmap called the B&Q Sustainability Glidepath launched in 2022, targeting a 40% reduction in emissions by 2024 [3] Group 2: Fleet Transformation - B&Q has deployed 105 Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) vehicles since 2019, now holding the second-largest LNG fleet in the UK, which has reduced carbon emissions by 16,000 tonnes [4] - All remaining vehicles and 80 refrigerated trailers were converted to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) by December 2024, achieving up to 90% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to diesel [4] Group 3: Electrification and Operational Efficiency - The current electric vehicle (EV) fleet includes five electric vans and two electric HGVs, with plans to add 55 more EVs over the next five years, projected to save 250 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually [5] - Initiatives to reduce road miles include backhaul optimization, saving 104 tonnes of Scope 3 emissions in 2024, and a 9.5% reduction in fleet size since 2021 through improved scheduling [5] Group 4: AI and Future Innovations - B&Q is piloting GXO's AI-powered transport optimization platform, which is expected to save 240,000 kilometers and 150 tonnes of CO₂ annually, with full implementation planned for 2025 [7] - In Q1 2025, 35 new LNG-powered Volvo FH Aero tractor units were introduced, improving fuel efficiency by 3% and saving an estimated 100 tonnes of CO₂ annually [6]

Clean Energy Transition - Britain aims to lead in clean power, demonstrating painless grid decarbonization without relying on cheap solar power [1] - The clean-power push carries the risk of failure in decarbonizing the grid [1]