Greif has reported a net income of $176.6m, or $3.00 per share, for the fiscal first quarter (Q1) 2026, up from $6.6m, or $0.13 per share, for the same period last year. Excluding adjustments, net income climbed to $26.6m, or $0.48 per share, marking a year-on-year rise of 146.3%. The company cited advancements in managing manufacturing expenses and reductions in selling, general and administrative costs as key factors, recording $65m in annualised cost savings so far out of a targeted $120m. Adjusted ...

A Southwest Airlines aircraft parks at Gate B33 while its tail sticks into the sunlight at Boston Logan International Airport in Boston, MA, on December 22, 2025.Southwest Airlines on Wednesday forecast a surge in 2026 profits well above analysts' expectations as the carrier has overhauled its half-century-old business model to include new moneymakers like bag and seat assignments.The airline expects to earn at minimum, an adjusted $4 a share this year, exceeding the $3.19 analysts expected, according to es ...

Summary of Shanghai Jahwa United (600315.SS) Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Shanghai Jahwa United - **Industry**: Cosmetics Key Takeaways 1. Brand Outlook & Key Initiatives for 2026 - Shanghai Jahwa identifies three brands as key growth pillars for skincare by 2026: Herborist, Dr.Yu, and Liushen - Herborist aims to exceed Rmb1 billion in sales, driven by products like "Dabai Mud" (Rmb300 million) and "Herbal Oil" (Rmb100 million) with projected high double-digit growth [1][2] - Dr.Yu also targets over Rmb1 billion in sales, focusing on sensitive skin creams and new product launches, including a large-molecule sunscreen and Artemisia annua essence [2] - Liushen expects significant growth from its Mosquito Repellent Egg, projected to reach Rmb100 million in sales by 2025, with over 50% growth anticipated [2] 2. Channel Strategy - The company expects Douyin's growth to surpass Tmall's in 2026, enhancing channel efficiency through in-house content creation [1][6] - Current sales distribution: Herborist (60% online), Dr.Yu (80% online), and Liushen (80% offline) with plans to reduce offline sales to 70% by 2026 [9] 3. Profitability and ROE Outlook - After a projected loss in 2024 and a bottoming out in 2025, profit growth is expected to outpace revenue growth in 2026, supported by economies of scale and cost optimization [1][6] - The company plans to achieve growth without significant capital expenditure or increased headcount, leveraging existing factory capacity [6] 4. Long-Term Ambition - Shanghai Jahwa aims for Rmb20 billion in revenue, targeting top-three market share in niche categories like mud, oil, and shower gel [1][7] - Specific long-term targets include Liushen at 10% CAGR, Herborist and Dr.Yu each at Rmb3 billion, and Shuangmei at Rmb1 billion [7] 5. Financial Projections - 12-month price target set at Rmb28, representing a 20.2% upside from the current price of Rmb23.29 [10] - Revenue projections for 2026 estimate Rmb7.1 billion, with EBITDA expected to grow significantly [10] 6. Key Risks - Potential impairment losses from overseas business due to shrinking demand and competition [9] - Risks associated with store closures for Herborist if offline sales continue to decline [9] - Lower-than-expected sales growth for Dr.Yu and execution challenges in online channels [9] Additional Insights - The company is strategically focusing on less competitive niche segments to enhance market share and profitability [1] - Management emphasizes the importance of brand and product development in the near term to achieve long-term goals [1][6]

Core Insights - Persimmon reported a strong performance in 2025, with a 12% growth in completions and expects underlying profit before tax at the upper end of expectations, driven by outlet expansion and a robust fourth quarter [5][7][21] Sales and Pricing - Forward sales increased by 2% in value terms, with private forward sales up 4%, although PRS forward sales value declined due to fourth-quarter disruptions [1] - Average selling prices (ASP) rose, with private ASP up 5% and affordable ASP up 4%, leading to a blended ASP growth of 4% overall [3][7] - Pricing incentives have remained stable at around 4% to 5% for the last 18 months, with regional variations noted [2] Completions and Growth - Completions growth was driven by a mix shift across channels, with affordable completions up 30%, PRS up 20%, and private completions up 6% [4] - The company expects around 12,000 completions for FY2026, although growth is anticipated to slow compared to 2025 [10][8] Market Conditions and Land Opportunities - Management highlighted an excellent pipeline of land opportunities, with improved access attributed to better partnerships and brand rehabilitation [12][11] - Recent government progress on planning and infrastructure is seen as positive, although real-world impediments remain [11] Cost Pressures and Margin Outlook - Key cost headwinds include a significant increase in landfill tax and the upcoming Building Safety Levy, which will impact cash costs [6][14] - Despite these pressures, the company expects margin progression in 2026 to be similar to that of 2025 [17] Remediation and Capital Allocation - The company is nearing completion of remediation works, with 90% of known developments either completed or contracted [18][19] - Management anticipates a reduction in remediation provisions over time, although the process may be uneven [19][20]

Zip Co Ltd (ZIP) - Zip Co Ltd has seen a share price increase of 12.8% since the beginning of 2025, indicating positive market sentiment towards the company [1] - Zip specializes in buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services, providing customers with the ability to make purchases instantly and pay in interest-free installments [2] - The company operates globally, partnering with over 79,300 retailers and serving more than 6 million customers [2] - Zip's revenue has grown at a rate of 75.7% per year since 2021, reaching $868 million in FY24, while net profit has improved from -$678 million to $6 million during the same period [6] - The return on equity (ROE) for Zip is reported at 1.8% [6] Scentre Group (SCG) - Scentre Group is a real estate company focused on shopping centers, managing a portfolio of 42 centers valued at over $34 billion, with an occupancy rate exceeding 99% [3][4] - The company attracts more than half a billion visitors annually, indicating strong consumer interest [3] - In CY23, Scentre Group reported a debt/equity ratio of 87.3%, suggesting that the company has more equity than debt [7] - SCG has maintained an average dividend yield of 4.8% per year since 2020, which is attractive for income-focused investors [8] - The ROE for Scentre Group in CY23 is reported at 1.0%, which is below the expected threshold of 10% for a mature business [8]

Core Viewpoint - Top Wealth Group Holding Limited anticipates a positive profit outlook for the financial year ending December 31, 2025, projecting total net profits of not less than $4 million, a significant recovery from a $2 million loss in the previous year [2][3]. Company Overview - Top Wealth Group Holding Limited is a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, with operations conducted through its subsidiary in Hong Kong, Top Wealth Group (International) Limited [4]. - The company specializes in supplying premium-class sturgeon caviar and fine winery products, with its caviar products endorsed by CITES permits [4]. - Top Wealth offers caviar under private labels for customers and also markets its own brand, "Imperial Cristal Caviar," which has seen substantial sales growth since its launch [4]. Financial Performance - The anticipated net profit of at least $4 million for the financial year ending December 31, 2025, indicates a turnaround driven by improvements in business operations throughout the year [2][3]. - This marks a recovery from a $2 million loss during the same period last year, highlighting the effectiveness of the company's operational enhancements [2]. Management Commentary - The CEO of Top Wealth, Mr. Kim Kwan Kings, expressed satisfaction with the company's efforts to enhance business performance, noting that these efforts are yielding positive results [3].

Core Insights - Naspers Limited and Prosus N.V. are anticipating substantial increases in key earnings metrics for the six-month period ended 30 September 2025, with a strong focus on profitability and operational performance [1][2][12] Financial Performance - The trading statements indicate a powerful financial performance, with earnings per share (EPS) expected to rise between 30.2% and 37.2%, core headline earnings per share (CHEPS) projected to increase between 20.8% and 27.8%, and headline earnings per share (HEPS) expected to grow between 5.6% and 12.6% [5][7] - For Naspers, EPS is expected to increase between 33.3% and 40.5%, CHEPS between 21.5% and 28.5%, and HEPS between 6.5% and 13.5% [5][7] Strategic Growth - The companies attribute their strong growth to revenue and profitability from consolidated Ecommerce businesses and equity-accounted investments, particularly Tencent [3][4] - The adoption of "The Prosus Way" culture emphasizes discipline and innovation, contributing to long-term growth and a combined ecosystem serving approximately 2 billion consumers [4] Adjusted Metrics and Non-Operational Gains - The significant increase in EPS is influenced by a one-off event related to the sale of Tencent shares, which is excluded from the lower headline and core headline earnings figures [8][12] - A distinction exists between HEPS and CHEPS due to currency fluctuations, with CHEPS showing higher growth as it excludes foreign currency translation losses [9][10] Complexity of Earnings Definitions - Core Headline Earnings (CHEPS) is a non-IFRS performance measure that involves numerous adjustments to headline earnings, excluding specific non-operating items [10][12] - The adjustments include excluding fair-value adjustments, one-off gains and losses, and amortization of intangible assets [13]

Investment Rating - The report assigns a "Buy" rating for Damai Entertainment Holdings (1060.HK) with a target price of HK$1.30, representing an upside of 38.3% from the current price of HK$0.94 [1][4][20]. Core Insights - Damai Entertainment announced a positive profit alert for 1HFY26, with net profit attributable to owners expected to be no less than Rmb500 million, which is at least 7% above the forecasted Rmb468 million, indicating a year-on-year growth of over 49% [1]. - The significant growth in net profit is attributed to strong year-on-year growth in the Alifish business and a reduction in investment losses [1]. - For the upcoming 1HFY26E results, total revenue is forecasted to be Rmb3.7 billion, reflecting a 20% year-on-year increase, driven by an 84% growth in the IP segment [2]. - The IP segment is expected to benefit from strong contributions from Sanrio China and newly onboarded IPs, which are anticipated to double the GMV for AliFish [2]. - Adjusted EBITA is projected to be Rmb525 million, representing a 9% year-on-year increase when excluding a one-off write-back of bad debt from the Film segment in 1HFY25 [3]. - Key areas to monitor include the growth momentum of the IP business, updates on the Damai ticketing business, and margin dynamics for Damai's international business investments [4]. Financial Projections - Revenue projections for Damai Entertainment are as follows: Rmb6,702.3 million for FY25, Rmb7,620.5 million for FY26E, Rmb9,049.0 million for FY27E, and Rmb10,308.6 million for FY28E [7]. - EBITDA is expected to grow from Rmb756.2 million in FY25 to Rmb1,842.0 million by FY28E [7]. - The report anticipates a significant increase in EPS from Rmb0.02 in FY26E to Rmb0.05 in FY28E [7]. - The company is projected to achieve a net income margin of 14.2% by FY28E, up from 5.4% in FY25 [17].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net sales for Q3 2025 were $1.8 billion, down 3% year-over-year, with gross profit dollars decreasing by 5% and gross margins slightly lower at 25.1% [16][18] - Reported and adjusted operating income were $249 million and $254 million, respectively [16] - Year-to-date cash from operations was $539 million, with capital expenditures net of disposals at $298 million [21][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Texture and Healthful Solutions net sales increased by 1%, driven by a 4% sales volume growth [16][17] - Food and Industrial Ingredients LATAM reported a net sales decrease of 6%, primarily due to weaker brewing demand and macroeconomic conditions [17][18] - Food and Industrial Ingredients U.S./Canada net sales declined by 7%, with a 5% decline in sales volume attributed to production challenges at the Argo plant [17][18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - LATAM market showed signs of weakening demand due to higher inflation and interest rates impacting consumer spending [9][10] - In the U.S., demand for sweeteners decreased in July and August but recovered in September [27][28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on driving profitable growth, particularly in Texture and Healthful Solutions, with an emphasis on clean-label ingredients [11][12] - Innovation remains a key pillar, with ongoing development of cost-effective ingredient solutions to help customers maintain quality while reducing costs [12][13] - Operational excellence initiatives are expected to yield significant savings, with a target of over $55 million in run-rate savings by the end of 2025 [14][15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the diversified business portfolio despite recent challenges, anticipating operating income growth for the full year [4][5] - The outlook for 2025 includes expectations for net sales to be flat to down low single digits, with adjusted operating income expected to increase low to mid-single digits [22][23] Other Important Information - The company has authorized a new share repurchase program of up to eight million shares over the next three years, reflecting confidence in future growth [25][60] - The effective tax rate for 2025 is projected to be between 25.5% and 26.5% [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Demand environment and stabilization signs - Management noted that inflation and high interest rates in LATAM are impacting consumer spending, with GDP growth forecasts for Mexico and Brazil being low [27][28] Question: Texture and Healthful Solutions segment outlook - The outlook change is driven by a diverse customer base and strong demand in food service and private label sectors [29][30] Question: Volume impacts from macro weakening and company-specific events - Approximately 12 million of the decline in U.S. Canada F&I was attributed to Argo plant issues, with the remainder related to market weakness [31][34] Question: Fourth-quarter contracting season and price-cost dynamics - Management anticipates that contracting will be influenced by inflationary pressures and higher input costs, with a cautious outlook for 2026 [37][38] Question: LATAM market and taxation impacts - The proposed sweetness tax in Mexico is expected to impact consumer behavior, but management believes the company is well-positioned to adapt [41][44] Question: Share repurchase strategy - The company plans to exceed $200 million in share repurchases in 2025, with a healthy cash balance supporting this strategy [60][61]

Core Insights - Ryanair reported a stronger-than-expected first-half profit, driven by robust summer demand and improved aircraft deliveries from Boeing [1] Financial Performance - The airline's first-half profit exceeded expectations, indicating strong operational performance [1] - The increase in profit is attributed to high demand during the summer season [1] Operational Highlights - Improved aircraft deliveries from Boeing have positively impacted Ryanair's operations [1] - The airline has raised its full-year passenger guidance, reflecting confidence in continued demand [1]