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Aramco's first-quarter profits drop by nearly 5%
Aramco, the Saudi oil giant, reported on Sunday a drop of 4.6% in its first-quarter profits due to lower sales. The top oil exporter in the world reported a net profit of 97.54 riyals (about $26,01 billion) for the three-month period ended March 31. This was higher than the median estimate of 16 analysts, which was $25.36 billion. Aramco has confirmed the previously announced $21.36 billion total dividends for first quarter. Of this, $219 millions were performance-linked dividends. This mechanism was introduced in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine and oil prices soared. Aramco said in March that it would declare a total dividend of $85.4 billion by 2025. This is a sharp drop from the $124 billion payout last year, which was based upon 2023 and 2024 earnings. Performance-linked dividends, which totalled $43.1bn last year, were slashed by 98% due to a lack of free cash flow. In the first quarter of 2018, free cash flow decreased by 15.8% compared to a year earlier. Amin Nasser, the Chief Executive of Aramco, said that "global trade dynamics affected the energy markets in the 1st quarter of 2025 with economic uncertainty affecting oil prices." He added that Aramco’s results demonstrated the value of low-cost operations. "Such periods highlight the importance disciplined capital planning, execution and our long-term perspective. Aramco’s resilience is what drives both its financial performance as well as our progressive and sustainable base dividend in volatile times. The capital expenditure in the first quarter was $12.5 billion, an increase of 15.9% over a year ago. (1 dollar = 3.7507 Riyals) (Reporting and editing by Edmund Klamann, Elaine Hardcastle and Yousef SABA)
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Chinese passenger vehicle sales rose for the third consecutive month in April
China's car sales in April rose for a third month, up 14.8% from a year earlier, as government-subsidised auto trade-ins mitigated the impact of U.S. tariffs on consumer sentiment. The China Passenger Car Association reported on Sunday that passenger vehicle sales for the month of December totaled 1.78 million vehicles, and the first four months in 2025 saw an 8.2% increase from the same period a decade earlier. Last month, sales of new energy vehicles (electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and other electric vehicles) increased by 33.9% on an annual basis, making up 50.8%. Official data shows that the government program which offers larger subsidies to those who trade in their old cars for electric vehicles than they do for gasoline cars, covered 2,71 million cars by April 24. This scheme has helped cushion the blow on consumer confidence due to the increased U.S. trade tariffs against Chinese exports. CPCA data show that car exports fell 2.2% from a month earlier in April, extending a 8% drop in March. According to the association, automated driving systems are losing their appeal as a sales catalyst among domestic buyers. After BYD announced its intention to make its "God's Eye", driver-assistance technology, standard across all of its models in February, the focus shifted from years-long price competition in the largest auto market in terms of automated driving features. The fervor to promote driver-assistance technology is cooling after a crackdown by the government on marketing terms such as "smart" and "autonomous", which were used to describe their technologies following a fatal accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 car in March. The car caught fire seconds after the driver attempted to take control of the vehicle using the assisted-driving feature. Reporting by David Kirton and Jenny Wang; Editing by Edmund Klamann, Christian Schmollinger and Qiaoyi LI
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Mogadishu: Seven people killed by heavy rains on Friday
According to a government spokesperson, at least seven people were killed in Mogadishu's two districts after heavy rains triggered a flood that swept the nation east of Africa on Friday night. "We can confirm that seven people, including two females, have died." Saleh Hassan said that the rain collapsed nine homes and filled 200 houses. According to Hassan, some infrastructure, including six main roads in Somalia's Capital, has also been damaged, causing a disruption in the movement of people. A young boy was among the dead, whose body was found in the rubble on one of the streets damaged on Saturday. "I hoped the water would spit out his body but it was all in vain." My friends and I removed his body this morning with spades and hammers, said local resident Nuradin Muhammad on Saturday. (Reporting and writing by AbdiSheikh, Editing by Tomaszjanowski)
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CIP Sells 10% Stake in Fengmiao I Offshore Wind Farm to MOL
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of its fund Copenhagen Infrastructure V (CI V), has entered into an agreement to divest a 10% stake in the 495MW Fengmiao I offshore wind farm in Taiwan to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL).The transaction, for which no further details were revelaed, is subject to customary closing conditions, filing for Foreign Investment Approval and filings with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan R.O.C.Following closing of the transaction, CI V will remain the controlling shareholder and operator of Fengmiao I.Fengmiao I is CIP’s third offshore wind project in Taiwan and is located off the coast of Taichung County.Construction of Fengmiao I was initiated following financial close in March 2025, and the offshore wind farm is on track for completion of construction by the end of 2027.CIP Reaches Financial Close for Offshore Wind Farm in TaiwanGoogle Signs PPA with CIP for Taiwanese Offshore Wind FarmCIP Orders Vestas Offshore Wind Turbines for 495MW Taiwanese ProjectFengmiao I is financed through a combination of equity and senior loans from a consortium of 27 international and Taiwanese banks and financial institutions, partly guaranteed by four export credit agencies and Taiwan’s National Credit Guarantee Administration.Once operational, the 495 MW offshore wind farm will deliver much-needed clean energy to a group of six large local and international energy users in Taiwan who have entered into long-term power purchase agreements with Fengmiao I for its entire capacity.“We are delighted to welcome MOL as co-investor in Fengmiao – and I am confident that we together will bring a project of the highest standards to commercial operation. The transaction recognizes the value created by CIP during the development phase as well as CIP’s strong offshore wind track record in Taiwan,” said Thomas Wibe Poulsen, Partner and Head of Asia-Pacific at CIP.
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US Judge halts land swap for Rio Tinto copper mining opposed by Native Americans
A U.S. Federal Judge on Friday temporarily stopped the Trump Administration from transferring land for a copper mining project to Rio Tinto or BHP, which Native Americans opposed. The judge cited the Supreme Court’s ongoing deliberations. The Resolution Copper project has been a long-running battle between the San Carlos Apaches of Arizona and Washington, who want to increase minerals production while also protecting the religious rights. In an 18-page ruling, U.S. district judge Steven Logan stated that the Apache Stronghold (a nonprofit group comprised of Apaches and their allies) is likely to be dissolved. The Supreme Court of Canada has heard the appeal and ruled in favor of the plaintiff The land transfer should therefore be stopped for the time being. Logan stated that it was "clear that the balance is in favor of (Apache Stronghold) and that, even in the short-term, there's a high probability of irreparable damage if the transfer proceeds." The conflict centers around the federally-owned Oak Flat Campground, where many Apaches worship their deities. The site is located on top of a copper reserve that contains more than 40 billion lbs (18.1 million tons). Copper is a key component in electric vehicles and electronic devices. If the Resolution project were to be built, it would create a crater that was 2 miles wide (3 km) and 1,000 feet deep (304 m), which would slowly swallow up this worship site. The Apache has been unable to stop the transfer since 2021. The rulings Deferred to 2014 The U.S. Congress, and President Barack Obama at the time, made this statement. President Donald Trump Start the Land Transfer In his first term, the move undone Now, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether or not to accept the case. The Supreme Court has stated at least thirteen times that it will continue deliberating on the appeal request. This is an unusually lengthy timeframe. Meanwhile, Trump last month Restart the land transfer Logan was contacted by his administration to expedite the process. His administration is aiming to finish it as early as June 16. Logan stated in his ruling on Friday that "there are good reasons to anticipate" the Supreme Court taking the case. He added that Rio's and BHP’s promises that they would maintain the public access to land as long as it is safe to do so "are inadequate," since they are not legally bound. Logan dismissed the testimony of a Rio executive - given at a Hearing earlier in the week The company has "voluntarily" chosen to spend an extra $11 million per month on maintenance on top of the $2.7 billion it has spent so far on Resolution. Rio issued a press release to say that it would be reviewing the ruling of the district court. Rio's spokesperson said that "this short-term order... does not change anything about the merits" of the legal questions currently before the Supreme Court. BHP, who owns 45% to Rio's 50% of the project, has not responded to a comment request immediately. Wendsler Norsie, one Apache Stronghold leaders, expressed his gratitude that "the judge stopped this land take in its tracks, so that the Supreme Court can have time to protect Oak Flat against destruction."
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Brazil's Unigel approves Petrobras deal on fertilizer plants
Petrobras confirmed a report from Friday that Brazilian chemical company Unigel had approved a Petrobras deal to settle legal disputes relating to two fertilizer factories in the northeastern Brazil. The agreement would allow Petrobras, the state-owned fertilizer company to resume operations at the two plants located in the states Sergipe and Bahia. This is part of President LuizInacio Lula Da Silva's efforts to reduce Brazil's dependence on imported fertilizer. Petrobras leased two nitrogen fertilizer facilities to Unigel under a 10-year contract in 2019. However, both plants have been closed since 2023. Unigel has cited unfeasible conditions for operating due to the high natural gas price in Brazil. Petrobras announced in a filing that the deal, which is still subject to arbitration court approval, restores Petrobras ownership of the two plants. It added that operations will resume following a bid process for contracting services to operate and maintain the plants. Reporting by Marta Nogueira, Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Gabriel Araujo. Writing by Chizu Nomiyama; Editing and proofreading by Rosalba o'Brien and Rosalba Nomiyama.
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Source: Nippon Steel executive headed to Washington next Week in order to push for US Steel agreement
Nippon Steel Vice Chair Takahiro Muri will be in Washington next week to try to get approval for its $15 billion offer to buy U.S. Steel, according to a source familiar with the situation. Semaphor reported the news first, and cited sources to say that Mori will meet with officials of the Trump administration during his trip. U.S. Steel & Nippon Steel didn't immediately respond to comments. The former president Joe Biden, citing concerns about national security that were not specified and related to the national security review conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US on the deal in January, blocked the proposed tie up. The two companies then sued CFIUS (which examines foreign investments to determine if they pose a national security risk), claiming that Biden had influenced the committee's decisions and violated their right to an impartial review. Biden, they claimed, did this in 2024 when he expressed opposition to the agreement while running for reelection in Pennsylvania (a swing state), where U.S. Steel has its headquarters. The Biden administration defended the review, claiming it was essential for protecting infrastructure, security and supply chains. In April, Donald Trump was elected President CFIUS was asked to conduct a new review The merger will be evaluated to determine if “further action” is necessary, raising the hope that the deal may finally get the green light. Since then, Trump has doubled down On comments opposing the deal, he said later that month he didn't believe a foreign company could control U.S. Steel. This dimmed hopes of approval. Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Arsheeya Bjwa, both in Washington; editing by Shilpa Majumdar and Chizu Niyama
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Sources: Brazil's Unigel approves Petrobras' deal on fertilizer factories
Two sources familiar with this matter say that the board of directors at Brazilian chemical company Unigel approved on Friday a deal proposed to them by Petrobras in order to settle legal disputes relating fertilizer plants located in the northeastern part of Brazil. The agreement would allow Petrobras, the state-run fertilizer company to resume operations at the two plants located in the states Sergipe and Bahia. This is part of President LuizInacio Lula Da Silva's efforts to reduce Brazil's dependence on imported fertilizer. Petrobras leased two nitrogen fertilizer facilities to Unigel under a 10-year contract in 2019. However, both plants have been closed since 2023. Unigel has cited unfeasible conditions for operating due to the high natural gas price in Brazil. According to Petrobras, the deal will reestablish Petrobras ownership over the two facilities, and operations are set to resume following a process of contracting services to operate and maintain them. Reporting by Marta Nogueira, Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Gabriel Araujo. Editing by Leslie Adler, Chizu Nomiyama and Leslie Adler.
Wall St pulls back amid mixed revenues, oil extends slide
U.S. stocks turned lower on Tuesday as investors inspected a wave of business earnings while crude extended its slide due to alleviating supply worries and deteriorating demand.
The 3 significant U.S. indexes hovered in early trading before heading lower, with the S&P 500 and the Dow relieving back from Monday's record closing highs.
Financial companies Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Bank of America all published better-than-expected profit, while healthcare business UnitedHealth and Johnson && . Johnson results underwhelmed financiers.
The stock exchange had a quite strong day the other day, and at. the minute (stocks are) near all-time highs, stated Tim Ghriskey,. senior portfolio strategist Ingalls & & Snyder in New York. The. focus here is on revenues ... and, as typical, incomes will be. somewhat combined.
This is a waiting period and the market is stuck in neutral. before we see more incomes reports, Ghriskey included.
Energy stocks, pulled lower by moving crude prices,. suffered the steepest percentage drop.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 141.91 points,. or 0.33%, to 42,923.71, the S&P 500 fell 20.63 points, or. 0.35%, to 5,839.44 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 146.31. points, or 0.79%, to 18,357.27.
European stocks edged method from Monday's two-week high,. dragged lower by mining and energy stocks, while financiers. scrutinized business revenues and kept their concentrate on the. European Reserve bank's rate choice on Thursday.
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe. fell 3.29 points, or 0.36%, to 854.06.
The STOXX 600 index fell 0.55%, while Europe's. broad FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 13.20 points, or. 0.63%.
Emerging market stocks fell 10.33 points, or. 0.89%, to 1,149.73. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares. outside Japan closed 0.83% lower 0.83%, at. 608.61, while Japan's Nikkei rose 304.75 points, or. 0.77%, to 39,910.55.
Oil costs moved to a near two-week low, extending Monday's. losses in the middle of easing supply pressures occurring from the conflict in. the Middle East, and growing indications of deteriorating demand.
Moving oil prices are disinflationary which's a. favorable for the more comprehensive economy, Ghriskey stated. What you're. seeing now is the speculation that Middle East oil properties. are going to be exempt from attack.
And falling oil rates does say something about international. need.
U.S. crude fell 5.11% to $70.05 a barrel and Brent. was up to $73.71 per barrel, down 4.84% on the day.
Standard U.S. Treasury yields edged lower as the bond. market resumed trading following its three-day Columbus Day. weekend.
The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes fell. 2.8 basis points to 4.045%, from 4.073% late on Friday.
The 30-year bond yield fell 4.2 basis points to. 4.3398% from 4.382% late on Friday.
The 2-year note yield, which normally relocates. step with interest rate expectations, rose 0.2 basis indicate. 3.943%, from 3.941% late on Friday.
The dollar was nominally lower against a basket of world. currencies amid wagers that the Federal Reserve will proceed. with modest rate cuts in the near term.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback. against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro,. fell 0.07% to 103.11, with the euro down 0.06% at. $ 1.0902.
Versus the Japanese yen, the dollar damaged 0.37%. to 149.16.
Gold gained traction as the dollar lost some momentum.
Area gold increased 0.32% to $2,659.48 an ounce. U.S. gold. futures NOT AVAILABLE to $2,647.80 an ounce.
(source: Reuters)