Core Insights - Sprott Critical Materials ETF (SETM) has reached $100 million in assets under management as of September 23, 2025, and is the only ETF providing pure-play exposure to critical materials and mining equities essential for energy generation, transmission, and storage [1][2]. Investment Opportunity - The growing gap between supply and demand for materials essential to electrification is prompting nations to focus on energy security and resource nationalism, creating investment opportunities in the critical materials sector [2]. - SETM's index methodology ensures that only companies with a majority of their business operations related to critical materials are included, focusing on those involved in mining, exploration, development, production, recycling, refining, or smelting [2]. ETF Suite Overview - SETM is part of a suite of seven Sprott Critical Materials ETFs, which combine the benefits of ETFs with exposure to various critical materials and their miners [3]. - The suite includes ETFs focused on uranium, copper, lithium, nickel, and other critical materials, each designed to track specific indices related to their respective sectors [3][4]. Company Background - Sprott Asset Management USA, Inc. is a global asset manager specializing in precious metals and critical materials investments, with a focus on providing in-depth knowledge and experience in the sector [6].

Industry Impact - Ukrainian drone strikes are expected to suppress Russia's refinery processing rates until at least mid-2026 [1]

Summary of Key Takeaways from Brazilian Corporates Conference Call Industry Overview - **Investor Trip**: BofA's 12th Brazil investor trip highlighted a stark sectoral divide and a defensive corporate posture among Brazilian corporates, with a focus on deleveraging and liquidity preservation in a challenging environment [1][2][3] - **Corporate Bond Performance**: Brazilian corporate bonds (EBRZ index) have underperformed with a total return of +3.5% YTD compared to LatAm (+8.9%) and EM (+7.5%) [1] Core Themes - **Deleveraging Strategy**: Companies are prioritizing deleveraging due to increased leverage and high local interest rates (15%), leading to postponed investments and accelerated asset sales [3][4] - **Sectoral Divide**: Sectors like Oil & Gas services, protein, and logistics are performing well, while industrial sectors such as steel and petrochemicals face margin compression due to low-cost imports, particularly from China [4][11] Credit Events and Market Sentiment - **Contagion Fears**: Recent credit events at Ambipar and Braskem have heightened investor scrutiny on balance sheets, potentially leading to a broader repricing of risk [2][4] - **Investor Preferences**: There is a growing emphasis on transparent governance and conservative financial policies among investors [2] Sector-Specific Insights - **Pulp & Paper**: The sector is navigating a downturn in pulp prices, with Suzano taking a leadership role through capacity cuts and diversification into consumer tissue [10] - **Metals & Mining**: The steel market is under pressure from Chinese oversupply, impacting CSN and Gerdau, while Vale remains focused on shareholder returns [11] - **Banking**: A bifurcation in credit quality is evident, with Itaú managing risks effectively while Banco do Brasil faces challenges in its agribusiness portfolio [12][51] - **Oil & Gas**: Petrobras is balancing investments with shareholder returns amid volatile Brent prices, while companies like Acelen are experiencing operational momentum [13][26] - **Agribusiness**: Adecoagro is facing significant margin squeezes despite high production volumes, with a focus on strategic acquisitions [19][37] Financial Health and Projections - **Banco do Brasil**: NPLs in agribusiness have reached 3.5%, prompting increased provisions to R$56 billion, with government intervention expected to stabilize the situation [51][52] - **Braskem**: The company is in crisis management mode, facing a prolonged downturn and cash burn estimated at $1 billion for 2025 [55][57] - **Acelen**: The refinery reported a significant reduction in operating costs from over $12/bbl in 2022 to $7.8/bbl in 1H25, with a positive outlook for diesel prices [26][27][33] Strategic Initiatives - **Acelen Renewables**: Plans for a $3 billion refinery project to produce sustainable aviation fuel and hydrotreated vegetable oil are underway [36] - **Adecoagro's Acquisition**: The acquisition of a stake in Profertil is seen as strategically beneficial despite potential near-term credit pressures [39][40] Conclusion - The Brazilian corporate landscape is characterized by a defensive posture, aggressive deleveraging strategies, and a clear sectoral divide influenced by both domestic and global economic factors. Investors are increasingly cautious, focusing on governance and financial health as key determinants for future investments.

Core Insights - ExxonMobil has restarted the gasoline-producing fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) at its Beaumont, Texas refinery after a brief unexpected shutdown [1][2] Group 1: Incident Overview - The FCCU, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, went offline due to a malfunction, causing visible flaring across the refinery [2] - The shutdown lasted approximately two days, with the unit brought back online late Thursday [2][3] Group 2: Refinery Significance - The Beaumont facility is one of the largest in the U.S., currently operating at 612,000 barrels per day, producing significant volumes of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel [3] - The FCCU plays a crucial role in converting heavy gas oils into high-value gasoline blendstocks for U.S. fuel markets [3] Group 3: Market Implications - Any prolonged outage could disrupt gasoline supply chains, especially as inventories are tight heading into the winter blend transition [4] - Current Gulf Coast gasoline stockpiles are near their five-year average, and refiners are preparing for seasonal maintenance amid weaker demand signals [4] - Market reaction to the incident was muted, indicating expectations for a quick normalization of output [4][5] Group 4: Industry Context - The incident highlights the finely tuned nature of U.S. refining capacity, where even minor mechanical failures can impact market stability [5] - The Beaumont complex's recent expansion to process more domestic light crude is critical for maintaining balance in the refining sector [5][6]

Core Viewpoint - PBF Energy Inc. has underperformed in the market this year, with a nearly 10% decline in share value due to a challenging refining environment, although conditions have recently improved [1] Financial Performance - The financial results of PBF Energy have been negatively impacted by a weak refining environment during the winter months [1] - A significant fire at one of its refineries has also contributed to the company's financial strain [1]

Core Insights - Nayara Energy, a Russian-owned refinery in India, has significantly increased its use of rail transport for fuel shipments due to sanctions, moving more than double its previous volume to domestic markets and seeking new export customers [1][6] - The Indian government is providing support to Nayara to keep it operational while navigating the complexities of international sanctions [2][4] - Nayara's reliance on Russian oil has intensified following the EU sanctions, making it vulnerable to further disruptions in supply [3][10] Government Support and Challenges - The Indian government has facilitated Nayara's operations by providing tanker trains and approving coastal vessels for product transport, while also being cautious of potential Western backlash [2][7] - Nayara is seeking additional government assistance to source equipment for maintenance, which has been complicated by sanctions [8][12] Operational Adjustments - Nayara has reduced its refinery capacity utilization from 104% to 70-80% due to challenges in finding export buyers and banking support [6][12] - The refinery has redirected its output to domestic markets and is exploring alternative shipping methods, including the use of sanctioned vessels [7][14] Export Dynamics - Prior to sanctions, Nayara exported about 30% of its output, primarily to Western and Asian markets, but has since shifted its focus to the Middle East, Turkey, Taiwan, and Brazil [14] - In September, Nayara's exports dropped to 2.23 million barrels, down from an average of 3.3 million barrels per month earlier in the year [15]

Group 1: Shell (SHEL) - Scotiabank maintains a "Buy" rating for Shell with a price target of $80.00, which was raised from $70.00 on July 11, 2025 [1][2] - The "Outperform" rating reflects Scotiabank's confidence in Shell's performance potential [1] - The price target has been consistently maintained since the update on August 1, 2025 [1] Group 2: TotalEnergies SE (TTE) - Scotiabank reiterates a "Hold" rating for TotalEnergies with a price target of $65.00, raised from $60.00 on July 11, 2025 [3][4] - The "Sector Perform" rating indicates expectations for TotalEnergies to perform in line with industry peers [3] - TotalEnergies has a market capitalization of approximately $151.63 billion, highlighting its significant presence in the energy sector [4] Group 3: Market Dynamics - The adjustments for Shell and TotalEnergies are part of Scotiabank's broader review of price targets across the U.S. Integrated Oil, Refining, and Large Cap Exploration and Production sector [2][7] - Scotiabank's evaluations reflect ongoing assessments of market conditions and sector dynamics affecting major energy players [4][7]

Group 1 - CVR Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CVI) shares have increased by 46% over the past year [1] - The company previously suspended its dividend due to a challenging refining environment [1] - Recent favorable regulatory activities have improved market optimism regarding the company [1]

Core Viewpoint - Chevron is actively working to restart processing units that were shut down due to a fire at its El Segundo refinery last week [1] Company Summary - Chevron is addressing operational disruptions caused by a fire incident at its El Segundo refinery [1]

Company Overview - Thai Oil Public Company Limited is Thailand's largest refinery and supplier of petroleum products, with a market capitalization of US$2,501 million [1] - The company is part of the Thai government-controlled PTT Group and has a current refining capacity of 275,000 barrels per day [1] - Thai Oil also engages in related businesses including aromatics, lube-base oil, power generation, marine and pipeline transport, and solvents [1] Performance Metrics - The company's Profitable Growth rank is 9, which is a decline from the previous period's rank of 8, indicating poor performance compared to 290 large energy companies worldwide [5] - The Profitability rank is 8, which remains unchanged from the prior period, but is still below average performance compared to peers [5] - The Growth rank of 9 has decreased from the previous period's rank of 8, further highlighting poor performance relative to industry peers [5]