Industry News - Damen delivers two yachts to Monaco [1]

Industry Trend - South Korean shipyards are expected to benefit from Seoul's $150 billion commitment to revitalize US shipbuilding [1] - The alliance between South Korea and the US shipbuilding industries may pose a challenge to China's dominance in the shipbuilding sector [1]

South Korea’s ambition of leveraging its shipbuilders to help revive America’s struggling sector threatens the profitability of the Asian country’s own yards, according to Nomura https://t.co/wOiDoEnh4D ...

🎙️ Shipyards across South Korea are busier than they’ve been in years, thanks, in part, to a $150 billion commitment by Seoul to revive America’s shipbuilding industry.Could the alliance help counter China’s maritime dominance? Listen to the Big Take Asia Podcast. ⤵️ https://t.co/xpSDLQHek1 ...

Company Overview - Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII) has a subsidiary, Fleet Support Group LLC, which secured a contract for global engineering and technical support for the overhaul and repair of equipment related to west coast aircraft carriers and surface ships [1][2] - The contract is valued at $16.8 million and is expected to be completed by July 2026, with work executed in San Diego, CA; Bremerton, WA; and Yokosuka, Japan [2] Industry Position - HII is recognized as a premier supplier of naval ships, playing a critical role in the U.S. naval defense sector, which is vital for national security [3][4] - The company has designed and built over 31 aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy since 1933, including all 10 Nimitz-class carriers currently in service, and is now constructing the next generation of Gerald R. Ford-class carriers [4][5] Growth Potential - Increasing geopolitical tensions and territorial disputes are driving nations to enhance their naval capabilities, leading to increased spending on naval warships [6] - The global naval vessels and surface combatant market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6% from 2023 to 2030, which is expected to benefit HII as the largest military shipbuilder in the U.S. [7] Competitive Landscape - Other defense companies that may benefit from the expanding shipbuilding market include General Dynamics Corporation (GD), BAE Systems (BAESY), and Lockheed Martin (LMT), each with significant growth rates and market positions [8][9][10] Stock Performance - HII shares have increased by 55.3% over the past six months, outperforming the industry average rise of 18.9% [12]

While there are countries that produce much larger yachts on average, like The Netherlands and Germany, for example, Italy leads in terms of sheer units. (Photo: Sanlorenzo) https://t.co/zENtRfA8QR https://t.co/oW3A4EjUHM ...

US-China Trade Relations - The US is seeking to limit the amount of Chinese content in East Asian exports to the US, potentially requiring businesses to create separate supply chains for the US [2] - President Trump is threatening a 200% tariff on China if no magnets, leading to concerns about further economic repercussions [11][17] - China's cargo volume emanating from China to the Port of Los Angeles has decreased from 60% in 2018 to 45% currently, indicating a shift to Southeast Asia [13] - China has been diversifying its trade, import sources, and export destinations for a long time, reducing its dependence on the American market [15] - China views potential charges on Chinese ships docking in the US as an offensive move, even with South Korean investment in US shipbuilding [6][7] South Korea-US Trade and Investment - South Korea has committed to invest $350 billion in the US, including in shipbuilding, in return for matching auto tariffs secured by Japan at 15% [4][5] - South Korea's investment in US shipbuilding is seen as a welcome move to increase US shipbuilding capabilities [6] Potential Multilateral Meetings - The possibility of a US, South Korea, and China trilateral meeting, potentially including Kim Jong-un, was discussed, but its likelihood depends on significant diplomatic groundwork and concrete outcomes [7][8][10] - President Xi Jinping is unlikely to engage in any meeting with President Trump unless a deal is already agreed upon [8] Impact on Businesses and Ports - The ongoing trade disputes and uncertainties are a continuing source of concern for businesses, including the Port of Los Angeles [19] - The US has trade tensions with other countries like Brazil and India, adding to the overall uncertainty [19]

President Trump says the US will be buying ships from South Korea, during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung https://t.co/RoIFg6yhIz ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The report focuses on the positioning of nearly 300 active Global Emerging Markets (GEMs) funds with a combined assets under management of USD617 billion [2][22]. Key Insights on GEMs Fund Positioning Mainland China - Mainland China accounts for approximately 28% of GEMs fund portfolios, an increase from 22.5% in August 2024 [2]. - Despite this increase, GEMs funds remain 340 basis points underweight relative to the benchmark, with only 15% of funds currently overweight in the market [2]. - Demand for mainland China has improved since April, with the underweight closing by approximately 60 basis points [2]. - Significant rotations into tech and consumer names have been observed, with Alibaba, Xiaomi, and BYD seeing ownership increases of 7.1%, 7.1%, and 6.1% respectively year-to-date [2][15]. Asia Excluding China - There is renewed interest in Korea, with GEMs funds showing their smallest underweight in Korea (-87 basis points) since 2013 [3]. - Foreign investors have purchased nearly USD8 billion in Korean stocks since late April, primarily after the Korean elections in early June [3]. - The financial sector in Korea is notably overweight by 25 basis points compared to the benchmark, with active buying in shipbuilding, defense, and tech sectors [3]. EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) - In Poland, after a 60% rally in equities year-to-date, there are signs of profit-taking, with the percentage of GEMs funds owning Polish equities declining from 74% in April to 71% [4]. Latin America - Latin America remains a consensus overweight, with GEMs funds being 260 basis points overweight in Brazil and 80 basis points overweight in Mexico [5]. - The overweight positions in both countries are concentrated in popular stocks such as Banorte, MercadoLibre, Itau, Walmex, and Raia Drogasil [5]. Sector Preferences - Capital Goods is the largest sector overweight, with marginal increases over the last six months [26]. - Funds are heavily positioned in Consumer Services, Consumer Durables & Apparel, Food Beverage & Tobacco, and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment, while being underweight in Technology Hardware & Equipment, Banks, and Materials [26]. Stock Insights - The largest active overweight among the most overowned names is MercadoLibre, with 45% of GEMs funds owning the stock and an overweight of 96 basis points [28]. - The largest active underweight among the most underowned names is Inner Mongolia Yitai Coal B, with only 2% of GEMs funds owning the stock [28]. - Notable increases in fund ownership have been seen in Alibaba Group Holding, Xiaomi B, and BYD H, with ownership rising by 6-8 percentage points over the last six months [28]. - Conversely, stocks like BeOne Medicines, Hapvida, and Hypera have seen significant decreases in fund ownership, dropping by 9-14 percentage points [28]. Conclusion - The positioning data indicates a shift in GEMs fund strategies, with increased interest in specific markets and sectors, particularly in mainland China and Korea, while also highlighting profit-taking in Poland and a consistent overweight in Latin America [2][3][4][5].

Company Overview & Strategy - Saronic aims to redefine maritime superiority for the US and its allies, scaling from a 6-foot mini jetski to a 150-foot autonomous vessel in under three years [2] - The company's fundamental principle is to build in large quantities (hundreds or thousands) to achieve dominance [4] - Saronic focuses on dual-use products for both defense and commercial sectors to diversify revenue, invest in R&D, and build robust supply chains [21] - Vertical integration is a key differentiator, with the company handling everything from contracting raw materials to final assembly [23][24] Shipbuilding & Manufacturing - Saronic is constructing a 150-foot Marauder autonomous surface vessel [1] - The company acquired a shipyard in Louisiana four months ago and plans to have the Marauder in the water before the end of the year [3] - The Louisiana shipyard in Franklin spans 100 acres, with planned investments of $500 million to $1 billion to build up the site and achieve a capacity of 50 ships per year [7] - A secondary site, Port Alpha, is planned to be ten times larger than the Franklin site (1000 acres) with a multi-billion dollar investment over 5-10 years [8] - The company has over 500,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Austin, with the capacity to build 500 smaller vessels annually, ramping up to 2000 and then 4000 [18] Market & Competitive Landscape - The US shipbuilding industry has significantly declined compared to China, with China delivering 972 commercial ships in 2023 versus the US's seven [6] - Saronic aims to deliver 50 unmanned vessels per year from its Louisiana site [6] - The commercial maritime market is estimated to be worth over $100 billion [20] Government & Investment - Saronic has raised over $1 billion in private capital in the past year [13] - The company is receiving support from the government, which is moving faster to adopt new technologies due to potential threats [9][10][17]