The seed round was led by Radicle Growth, with strong ties to the U.S. corn and bio-ethanol industries, based on New Iridium being a finalist in the Corn Value Chain Challenge sponsored by U.S. corn farmers, with significant prior investment from CIRI Ventures, and participation from Evergreen Climate Innovations, and Climate Insiders. "This funding accelerates our mission to build a scalable platform for producing low-cost, sustainable alternatives to fossil-based chemicals," said Dr. Chern-Hooi Lim, Found ...

Core Viewpoint - Oil-Dri of America (ODC) stock is considered an attractive investment opportunity due to its low valuation relative to its operational performance and financial stability [2][11]. Financial Performance - ODC has experienced significant revenue growth, with an average increase of 12.9% over the past three years, compared to 5.5% for the S&P 500 [5]. - The company's revenues rose from $430 million to $465 million in the last 12 months, reflecting an 8.2% increase, while quarterly revenues increased by 10.6% to $117 million [6]. - ODC's operating income totaled $62 million over the previous four quarters, with an operating margin of 13.3% [7]. - The net income for ODC was $46 million, resulting in a net income margin of 9.8%, which is lower than the S&P 500's 11.6% [7]. Valuation Metrics - ODC's price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is 1.5, compared to 3.0 for the S&P 500, indicating a lower valuation [6]. - The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for ODC stands at 15.5, significantly lower than the S&P 500's 26.4 [6]. - The price-to-free cash flow (P/FCF) ratio is 9.5, compared to 20.5 for the S&P 500, further highlighting ODC's attractive valuation [6]. Financial Stability - ODC's debt was reported at $58 million, with a market capitalization of $762 million, resulting in a low debt-to-equity ratio of 8.3% [8]. - The company's cash and cash equivalents amount to $23 million, leading to a cash-to-assets ratio of 6.4% [8]. Downturn Resilience - ODC stock has shown resilience during economic downturns, performing better than the S&P 500 in several instances [9]. - During the inflation shock in 2022, ODC stock dropped 41.5%, recovering fully by March 2023, while the S&P 500 experienced a peak-to-trough decline of 25.4% [10]. - In the COVID-19 pandemic, ODC stock decreased by 24.6% but also fully recovered by March 2021 [10]. - The stock declined 49.4% during the global financial crisis in 2008 but recovered by June 2010, outperforming the S&P 500's decline of 56.8% [11]. Overall Assessment - ODC's performance across growth, profitability, financial stability, and downturn resilience indicates a strong operational performance, making it a wise investment choice given its low valuation [11][13].

Tronox Holdings (NYSE: TROX ) is one of the world’s largest vertically integrated producers of TiO2 pigment . The company owns mineral sands operations as well as smelting facilities in Australia and South Africa that produce the feedstock material that can beHe is the leader of the investment group European Small Cap Ideas which offers exclusive access to actionable research on appealing Europe-focused investment opportunities not found elsewhere. The a focus is on high-quality ideas in the small-cap space ...

Core Insights - LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (LYB) has entered into an agreement with AEQUITA to divest select olefins and polyolefins assets in Europe, including sites in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain [1][8] - The transaction will enhance AEQUITA's operational base and support LYB's transformation towards value creation and renewable solutions [3][8] - The deal is structured as a put option deed, with completion expected by the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals [3] Financial Performance - LYB's stock has decreased by 34.8% over the past year, compared to a 23.6% decline in the industry [4] - The company anticipates stronger seasonal demand in the second quarter, driven by lower U.S. feedstock and crude oil costs, with improved margins expected for oxyfuels [5] Market Position - LYB's focus on circular and renewable solutions aligns with its strategy to enhance its market position in Europe [3][8] - The company currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [6]

Company Performance - Dow Inc. closed at $29.39, with a daily increase of +2.94%, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 0.09% [1] - Over the past month, Dow Inc. shares have decreased by 3.15%, while the Basic Materials sector and the S&P 500 have increased by 4.01% and 7.21%, respectively [1] Financial Projections - The upcoming earnings per share (EPS) for Dow Inc. is projected to be $0, indicating a 100% decrease from the same quarter last year [2] - Revenue is estimated at $10.39 billion, down 4.84% from the prior-year quarter [2] - For the full year, analysts expect earnings of $0.42 per share and revenue of $41.71 billion, reflecting changes of -75.44% and -2.91% from last year [3] Analyst Estimates and Rankings - Recent changes in analyst estimates for Dow Inc. are crucial as they indicate near-term business trends, with positive revisions suggesting analyst optimism [4] - The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from 1 (Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell), currently ranks Dow Inc. at 4 (Sell) [6] - Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has decreased by 36.12% [6] Valuation Metrics - Dow Inc. has a Forward P/E ratio of 68.22, significantly higher than the industry average of 14.38, indicating a premium valuation [7] - The company also has a PEG ratio of 7.8, compared to the Chemical - Diversified industry's average PEG ratio of 1.84 [8] Industry Context - The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector, holding a Zacks Industry Rank of 187, placing it in the bottom 24% of over 250 industries [9] - Research indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [9]

Group 1 - The Chairman and CEO of ESGL Holdings Limited, Mr. Quek Leng Chuang, acquired 336,134 ordinary shares at an average price of $2.25 per share, increasing his ownership to approximately 8.2% [1][2] - This acquisition reflects Mr. Quek's confidence in the company's long-term strategy and performance, aligning leadership interests with shareholder value creation [2] - Other officers and directors may consider acquiring additional shares through private transactions or open market purchases [2] Group 2 - ESGL is advancing its proposed business combination with De Tomaso Automobili, which is progressing through regulatory and shareholder approval processes [3] - The completion of this transaction is expected to enhance ESGL's portfolio and long-term growth strategy [3] Group 3 - ESGL Holdings Limited is a leader in sustainable circular solutions for the chemicals, electronics, and manufacturing sectors, focusing on transforming waste into high-value circular products [4]

Core Insights - Stepan Company has appointed Corning Painter as a Director, effective immediately [1] - Corning Painter is currently the CEO of Orion S.A. and has extensive experience in the chemical industry [2] - The Chairman of Stepan, F. Quinn Stepan, Jr., expressed confidence in Painter's strategic and operational expertise [3] Company Profile - Stepan Company is a major manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals across various industries [3] - The company is a leading producer of surfactants, essential for cleaning, disinfection, and agricultural solutions [3] - Stepan is also a significant supplier of polyurethane polyols for the thermal insulation market and CASE industries [3] - The company operates modern production facilities in North and South America, Europe, and Asia [4] - Stepan's common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol SCL [4]

Group 1 - AMG Critical Materials N.V. has appointed Mr. Thomas Swoboda as the new global Head of Investor Relations, succeeding Ms. Michele Fischer who has transitioned to Head of Human Resources [1] - Mr. Swoboda brings over 18 years of international capital market experience, previously serving as Director of Equity Research at Société Generale/Bernstein and as a Senior Equity Analyst at MainFirst Bank/Stifel [2] - He holds a degree in Business Administration from Mannheim University and is multilingual, proficient in German, English, and Portuguese [2] Group 2 - AMG's mission focuses on providing critical materials and related process technologies to promote a less carbon-intensive world, emphasizing energy storage materials like lithium, vanadium, and tantalum [4] - The company is a market leader in recycling vanadium from oil refining residues and operates in advanced metallurgy, serving the aerospace engine sector globally [5] - AMG has approximately 3,600 employees and operates production facilities in multiple countries including Germany, the UK, France, the US, China, Mexico, Brazil, India, and Sri Lanka [6]

Recent EU and to a lesser extent US economic data have surprised to the upside - our proprietary economic risk measure now less negative vs. 3m ago - challenging our initial recessionary scenario (Scenario 1 - here). While some front-loading of exports might be temporarily boosting Q2'25 EU growth, we expect momentum to fade later this year, aligning with our base case of weaker growth in Q3-Q4'25. With the US administration considering a 50% tariff on EU goods, our downside scenario implies an effective ta ...

Core Viewpoint - Dow Inc. is facing significant challenges, with its stock price down approximately 50% since its spin-off in April 2019, and currently yielding 10.3%, the highest in the S&P 500 [1][17] Industry Overview - Dow operates in the commodity chemicals sector, producing a wide range of products used across various industries, including electronics, food packaging, textiles, and healthcare [4] - The company lacks pricing power due to the commoditized nature of its products, similar to the oil and gas industry, necessitating scale and operational efficiency to remain competitive [5] Economic Challenges - Recent economic conditions have led to low demand for Dow's products, driven by high borrowing costs and slowing growth in key markets, particularly Europe [6] - Increased competition from China, which is investing heavily in manufacturing, poses a threat to Dow's market share and pricing [7] Financial Performance - Dow's latest quarter showed a 3% decline in net sales despite a sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year volume growth, indicating competitive pressures [9] - The company's operating margin has decreased significantly from pre-pandemic levels of around 8% to just 3.3% currently, with a profit margin of less than 1% [9][11] Cash Flow and Dividend Sustainability - Dow is currently free-cash-flow negative, relying on asset sales and debt to cover its dividend expenses [11][12] - The company has paused its Path2Zero project to save $1 billion, reducing enterprise spending from $3.5 billion to $2.5 billion [8] - A recent asset sale netted Dow $2.4 billion, covering dividend expenses for approximately five quarters [13][14] Future Outlook - Dow is projected to receive around $6 billion in additional cash or cost savings, which may help support its dividend in the short term [15] - The company has manageable debt levels, with only $500 million maturing in 2025, but continued low margins may necessitate a dividend cut [16] - Dow's long-term goal is for its dividend to represent 45% of operating income, which may require either margin improvements or a reduction in the dividend payout [19][20]