By Rae Wee and Alun John SINGAPORE/LONDON (Reuters) -The Australian dollar tumbled on Tuesday, while the safe-haven Swiss franc and Japanese yen strengthened as renewed signs of strains in U.S.-China trade relations dented risk sentiment and left investors ducking for cover. Trade and tariffs have been the main focus since dramatic market moves on Friday when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to slap additional 100% tariffs on goods from China, in response to Beijing's curbing of exports of critical ...

Core Viewpoint - The ongoing situation regarding India's purchase of Russian oil is creating tension in global trade, particularly with the United States expressing displeasure over India's decision to continue these imports for consumer benefit [1]. Group 1: India's Oil Imports - India is the second largest buyer of Russian crude oil, purchasing approximately 1.8 million barrels per day, which is significant for its refining business [3]. - The refineries in India are optimized for the type of crude oil that Russia produces, making it challenging for India to switch to other sources like those from the Arab Gulf [4]. Group 2: Market Volatility - The situation is introducing considerable volatility in the oil markets due to supply uncertainty stemming from Russia [2]. - Market participants are uncertain about whether India or the U.S. will make concessions regarding the oil trade, leading to fluctuating market sentiments [4]. Group 3: Future Outlook - It is anticipated that India may reduce its imports of Russian oil slightly to ease tensions but is unlikely to cease purchases entirely, risking potential sanctions from the U.S. [5].

Core Insights - Rising global trade tensions and increasing fiscal debt are driving investors towards safe-haven assets, particularly gold, leading to upgraded price forecasts by analysts [1][4] Gold Price Forecasts - The median forecast for gold in 2025 has increased to $3,220 per troy ounce from $3,065, while the 2026 projection has risen to $3,400 from $3,000 [2] - Spot gold has gained 27% year to date, reaching a record $3,500 per ounce in April amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions [2] Demand Drivers - Investor demand for gold is fueled by uncertainty over trade deadlines and growing fiscal fears, exacerbated by the passage of Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," which is expected to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt [4] - Central bank buying is a significant factor in gold's strength, with China increasing its gold reserves for eight consecutive months and nearly 40% of central banks acquiring gold due to geopolitical risks [6] Market Dynamics - Despite gold's recent gains, it remains below its April highs, with analysts noting a short-term market consolidation and a lack of immediate catalysts for a rally [5] Investment Opportunities - Investors can consider gold ETFs such as SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), iShares Gold Trust (IAU), and mining ETFs like VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) as attractive entry points [7]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported second quarter net income of $242 million or $2.67 per share, an increase from $199 million or $2.20 per share in 2024 [4] - Excluding special items, net income was $224 million or $2.48 per share compared to $199 million or $2.20 per share in 2024, reflecting a $0.28 per share increase driven by higher prices and lower fiber costs [4][5] - Second quarter net sales were $2.2 billion in 2025, up from $2.1 billion in 2024 [4] - Total company EBITDA for the second quarter, excluding special items, was $451 million in 2025 compared to $400 million in 2024 [4] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the Packaging segment, EBITDA excluding special items was $453 million with sales of $2 billion, resulting in a margin of 22.6%, compared to last year's EBITDA of $400 million and sales of $1.9 billion with a margin of 21% [5][6] - The Paper segment reported EBITDA excluding special items of $30 million with sales of $146 million, yielding a margin of 20.8%, compared to $31 million and $150 million in sales in 2024 [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Domestic containerboard and corrugated products prices and mix were $0.95 per share above 2024, with export containerboard prices up $0.03 per share versus last year's second quarter [8] - Export containerboard sales were lower, with a production of 85,000 fewer tons than in 2024 [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company announced an agreement to acquire the Greif containerboard business, which is expected to provide a strong growth platform for both containerboard and corrugated products [7][10] - The acquisition is anticipated to be completed by the end of the third quarter, subject to regulatory approval [7] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that while corrugated customers remained cautious, there was steady improvement in bookings and shipments as July progressed [15] - The company expects higher corrugated shipments and containerboard production in the third quarter, despite lower export containerboard sales due to the global trade environment [15][16] - Management expressed optimism about potential upside if global trade issues and tariffs are resolved [70] Other Important Information - Cash provided by operations was $300 million in the quarter, with free cash flow of $130 million [13] - The company has a quarter-end cash balance, including marketable securities, of $956 million, with liquidity of approximately $1.3 billion [14] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you talk about bookings and billings to start the new quarter? - Bookings are trending at 2% over Q2 2024, with a good start compared to last year's strong performance [23] Question: What was behind the better performance in operations? - The company operated at approximately 99% uptime performance, executing efficiently despite some downtime due to demand [25] Question: Can you clarify the impact of export sales on revenue and EBITDA? - The increase in revenue and EBITDA per ton is primarily due to price increases rather than mix changes [29] Question: What is the outlook for e-commerce growth? - Customers in the e-commerce sector are still growing mid-single digits, with more growth expected in the second half of the year [79] Question: How will the Greif acquisition impact recycled mix and customer sets? - The recycled mix is expected to increase from around 20% to approximately 30% post-acquisition, providing better opportunities in the market [86] Question: What is the expected marginal cost of the new debt from the Greif acquisition? - The company is modeling about a 5.5% interest rate on the new debt, resulting in around $100 million incremental interest [100]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Westlake Partners reported a net income of $5 million or $0.14 per unit for Q1 2025, which is $10 million lower than Q1 2024 due to lower production and sales volume from the planned turnaround at Petro one [6][7] - Consolidated net income, including OpCo's earnings, was $42 million on consolidated net sales of $238 million [7] - Distributable cash flow for the quarter was $5 million or $0.13 per unit, a decrease of $12 million compared to Q1 2024 [7][8] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The planned turnaround at the Petro one ethylene unit in Lake Charles, Louisiana, resulted in lower production and sales volume, impacting overall earnings [6][7] - The partnership maintained a strong leverage ratio of approximately one times, with long-term debt at $400 million [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted that global trade tensions have intensified, creating uncertainty for businesses and investors, which may lead to market volatility [10][11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to evaluate growth opportunities through increasing ownership interest in OpCo, acquiring other qualified income streams, and organic growth opportunities such as facility expansions [11] - The ethylene sales agreement provides a predictable fee-based cash flow structure, supporting financial performance and distributions [10][11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the stability of cash flows due to the fixed margin ethylene sales agreement, which mitigates market volatility [6][10] - The company anticipates solid production levels following the successful completion of the Petro one turnaround [10] Other Important Information - The partnership has maintained a cumulative distribution coverage ratio of approximately 1.1 times since its IPO in 2014, with 43 consecutive quarterly distributions [8][9] - The first quarter distribution of $0.04 per unit will be paid on May 29, 2025 [9] Q&A Session Summary Question: The financial impact of the Q1 turnaround at TETRA one seems significant. Can you explain? - Management indicated that the impact was as planned, with the unit down for February and March, and elevated interest rates may also be a factor affecting financial performance [15][16] Question: Is there still enough valuation difference to justify keeping Westlake healthy around? - Management noted that while the parent company has seen some valuation compression, the value proposition remains strong over the business cycle [17][18]

Financial Performance - ASM International reported Q1 2025 results with new orders of €834 million, a 14% increase year-on-year at constant currencies, and a 20% increase as reported, driven by strong GAA 2nm orders and contributions from the Chinese market [1][3] - Revenue for Q1 2025 reached €839 million, reflecting a 26% increase at constant currencies and a 31% increase as reported, surpassing the guidance midpoint of €810-850 million [1][2] - Gross profit margin improved to 53.4%, up from 52.9% in Q1 2024 and 50.3% in Q4 2024, attributed to a favorable product and customer mix [1][4] - Adjusted operating result margin increased to 32.3%, a rise of 2.3 percentage points year-on-year and 4.2 percentage points quarter-on-quarter, due to higher gross profit margins and reduced operating expenses [1][4] Market Conditions - Demand in AI-related segments, particularly in leading-edge logic/foundry and DRAM HBM memory, remained strong, while other market segments were sluggish [3][4] - The cash position improved to over €1.1 billion, supported by robust free cash flow of €264 million [3] Outlook - For 2025, ASM expects sales to grow by a double-digit percentage range of 10-20% year-on-year at constant currencies, outpacing the WFE market, which is forecasted to grow slightly [5] - Q2 2025 sales are anticipated to increase by 1% to 6% compared to Q1, indicating continued double-digit year-on-year growth [6] - The company remains confident in strong GAA sales for 2025, with healthy memory sales expected, although lower than the strong levels seen in 2024 [7][8] Corporate Actions - ASM announced a regular dividend proposal of €3.00 per common share at the upcoming Annual General Meeting scheduled for May 12, 2025 [9] - A new share repurchase program of up to €150 million for the 2025/2026 period was authorized, set to commence on April 30, 2025 [10]