Good morning. As audit committees confront a rapidly expanding risk landscape, their role in corporate governance is being reshaped. Boards have often turned to current and former CFOs as independent directors, particularly for audit committees, because of their ability to translate complex operational and financial realities into effective oversight.For example, this month, J. Michael Hansen, former EVP and CFO of Cintas Corporation, was appointed to the audit committee at Paychex. In July, Britt Vitalone, ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - **Industry Focus**: Thermal Coal in China - **Data Source**: Sxcoal, a consultant tracking high-frequency demand trends in China Core Insights - **Production Trends**: - Thermal coal output from 100 sample mines was **12,187 kt** for the week of December 4-10, 2025 - This represents a **0.5% decrease week-over-week (WoW)**, a **3.6% decrease year-over-year (YoY)**, and a **3.1% decrease YoY on the lunar calendar** [2] - Breakdown of output by region: - Shanxi: **2,960 kt** (-0.9% WoW, -1.1% YoY) - Shaanxi: **3,516 kt** (-1.1% WoW, -9.5% YoY) - Inner Mongolia: **5,711 kt** (+0.1% WoW, -0.9% YoY) [2] - **Utilization Ratios**: - Overall utilization ratio for sample mines was **90.2%**, down **0.5 percentage points (ppt) WoW** and **3.4 ppt YoY** - Regional utilization ratios: - Shanxi: **86.0%** (-0.8 ppt WoW, -1.0 ppt YoY) - Shaanxi: **89.7%** (-1.0 ppt WoW, -9.4 ppt YoY) - Inner Mongolia: **93.0%** (+0.1 ppt WoW, flat YoY) [3] - **Inventory Levels**: - Total coal inventory in sample mines was **3,253 kt** on December 10, 2025, reflecting a **1.4% increase WoW** but a **2.8% decrease YoY** - Regional inventory levels: - Shanxi: **866 kt** (+1.4% WoW, -1.0% YoY) - Shaanxi: **698 kt** (+2.0% WoW, -15.4% YoY) - Inner Mongolia: **1,689 kt** (+1.1% WoW, +2.5% YoY) [4] Investment Recommendations - **Top Picks in the Sector**: - Hongqiao - Chalco H/A - Zijin Mining H/A - CATL-A [1] Risks Identified - **Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco)**: - Target price for A-share: **Rmb14.77**, based on **2.93x 2026E PB** - Risks include lower-than-expected aluminum prices, higher costs, and potential government policy changes [14][15] - **Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL)**: - Target price: **Rmb571/share**, based on **17.3x 2026E EV/EBITDA** - Risks include lower EV demand and increased competition in the battery market [18] - **China Hongqiao**: - Target price: **HK$36.0/share**, based on **11.4x 2026E PE** - Risks include cost overruns and economic slowdown [19][20] - **Zijin Mining**: - Target price for A-share: **Rmb35.5/share**, based on DCF valuation - Risks include lower gold and copper prices and capex overruns [22][25] Additional Notes - **Market Positioning**: The report indicates a pecking order of demand across various sectors, with aluminum and copper leading, followed by battery materials and coal [1] - **Year-to-Date (YTD) Production**: YTD thermal coal output was **606 million tonnes (mnt)**, reflecting a **2.4% increase YoY** [2]

The global financial stability watchdog have vowed to double down on efforts to better assess the risk from private credit and stablecoins in 2026 and explore ways to modernize financial regulation in general. https://t.co/pt2uTrA3Qx ...

🚨 NEW: S&P Global Ratings partnered with Chainlink to bring its Stablecoin Stability Assessments on-chain for real-time stablecoin risk data access. https://t.co/7AYsa5mtFF ...

The US Government Accountability Office is assessing the risks posed by private credit, in a sign that Washington is further scrutinizing the impact of the $1.7 trillion industry on the broader economy https://t.co/IkfF0nzeio ...

Market Risk Assessment - Default rates of bonds and leveraged loans are becoming harder to predict [1] - Increased debt restructuring by companies makes accurate risk assessment difficult for investors [1]

Risk Assessment - Catastrophe modeling has improved since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 [1] - Experts say risk assessments are still plagued by blind spots [1]

Risk Assessment - DEXs 上交易的资产可能由于流动性和交易量而面临更高的市场风险 [1] - 用户在使用 State Pricing 时必须进行自己的风险评估，以确定 feeds 是否满足其要求，并相应地调整协议参数 [2]

Risk Assessment & Screening - A risk assessment test score above 20% indicates the need for more proactive screening beyond annual tests [1][2] - The lifetime risk for women in America is 13%, prompting proactive measures when exceeding 20% [2] - Supplemental screening includes breast MRI, mammogram, and ultrasound, ideally conducted every six months for surveillance [2] Financial & Resource Constraints - Insurance companies may deny coverage for supplemental screening, leading to out-of-pocket expenses [2] - Lack of resources can prevent individuals from accessing necessary, but potentially expensive, screening tests [3] Alternative Screening Access - Breast surgeons, specializing in breast care, often conduct screening programs for at-risk patients [3] - Breast surgeons may be more successful in obtaining insurance coverage for tests through aggressive appeals [3][4]

Core Viewpoint - Centene experienced a significant drop in stock price, closing down over 40% on July 2, resulting in a loss of over $11 billion in market capitalization, with competitors also facing declines [1][2][5] Group 1: Financial Impact - The drop in Centene's shares was primarily due to the withdrawal of its 2025 full-year guidance, indicating a more challenging financial outlook [2][4] - The company received data indicating lower growth in the ACA exchange market and higher morbidity among enrollees, leading to fewer and sicker patients [3][4] - The expected impact on Centene's 2025 diluted earnings per share (EPS) is a reduction of $2.75, which is 38% of the previously expected EPS of greater than $7.25 [4][5] Group 2: Market Valuation - Despite the significant stock sell-off, Wall Street analysts see a more attractive valuation for Centene, with a 12-month price target of $68.87, implying a potential upside of 108.31% from the current price [5][6] - The average price target post-guidance withdrawal is $51, suggesting a 53% upside, which is higher than the 32% average upside prior to the drop [6][7] Group 3: Regulatory Environment - The recent legislation signed into law includes $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, which accounted for approximately 46% of Centene's revenue last quarter, potentially leading to 10.3 million to 11.8 million fewer Medicaid recipients over the next decade [8][9] - The reduction in expected Medicaid users could have a more significant and lasting impact on Centene compared to the ACA exchange enrollment issues, which only made up 20% of the firm's total revenue last quarter [9]