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Rosneft, a Russian oil company, says its Q1 net income was $2.2 billion less than a half-year ago.
Rosneft, Russia's biggest oil producer, reported a net profit Friday of 170 billion Russian roubles (2.19 billion dollars). This is less than half the level from a year ago due to higher interest rates, sanctions, and a stronger ruble. Igor Sechin has been a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin and Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin. He has often criticised the Russian central bank's tight monetary policies. Since October, the central bank has maintained its key rate at 21% as it has fought against persistently high inflation. The rate has increased since the early 2000s when Russia was still recovering after the chaos of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Sechin stated in a press release that "during the reporting period the company operated under conditions of a further deterioration in the macroeconomic climate, including a decline in the price for Russian Urals oil, an expansion of discounts to global oil benchmarks, new sanctions as well as the strengthening of the Russian rouble." Rosneft reported that interest costs increased by 1.8 times in the first quarter. Rosneft didn't provide a comparison to the net income of the previous year, but it did report last year that its first-quarter net income for 2024 reached 399 billion Russian roubles. The company reported a net profit increase from 158 billion Russian roubles during the previous three-month period. The company also reported that the revenue for the quarter of January-March decreased by 8.5% compared to the previous one to 2.3 trillion Russian roubles, due to the lower oil prices in roubles. Rosneft reported that the EBITDA (earnings before taxes, depreciation, and amortization) fell by 15.5% compared to the previous quarter, falling to 598 billion Russian roubles.
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Moody's raises Nigeria's rating from 'B3' to 'B3' due to its improved external and fiscal position
Moody's, the credit rating agency, upgraded Nigeria's ratings by a notch from "Caa1", citing significant improvement in the country's fiscal and external positions. The World Bank announced earlier this month that Nigeria's economy had achieved its highest growth rate in about a decade, in 2024. This was due to a strong quarter and a better fiscal position. It warned, however, that high inflation is still a problem. Moody's stated that the recent overhaul of Nigeria's Foreign Exchange Management Framework... had markedly improved the CBN's reserves of foreign currency and bolstered its balance of payments. Moody's says that the inflationary risk in Nigeria has decreased due to policy changes. The nascent signs that inflation and borrowing costs will be easing are boosting confidence in these policy changes. The agency revised Nigeria’s outlook from “positive” to “stable”, as it expects the recent progress in external and fiscal areas to continue at a slower rate if oil prices drop. Moody's stated that "the stable outlook reflects Moody's expectations that external and fiscal improvement will decelerate, but not reverse completely." (Reporting and editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi in Bengaluru, Nishara K.P.
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Stocks end lower but still post a strong gain for the month despite tariff concerns
The global stock market ended Friday with a loss, but it also recorded a gain for the week and the largest monthly increase since the end of 2023. This was despite the markets being roiled by the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration's policies on tariffs. At the beginning of the week, sentiments were initially boosted by signs that trade tensions had eased between the U.S. Investors then focused on the earnings of artificial-intelligence chipmaker Nvidia which posted better-than expected results mid-week. The markets were temporarily shaken by an unexpected ruling of the U.S. Court of International Trade that struck down Trump's so called Liberation Day Tariffs. This triggered a court drama which saw an appeals court temporarily reinstate these tariffs. Trump claimed on Friday that China violated an agreement between the U.S. and China to roll back trade restrictions and tariffs for essential minerals. He also issued a new, veiled threat of getting tougher with Beijing. Mark Malek is chief investment officer of Siebert. "Within four day we got a compressed edition of what we had for an entire month - the tug-of war between forces that drove the markets higher last year, and the year before - namely AI and technology growth stock - and this looming problem we have with these administration tariffs." Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index and Nasdaq ended lower due to weakness in consumer discretionary, technology and energy stocks. The Dow finished higher after erasing its early losses. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes registered their largest monthly percentage gains since November 2023. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.13% to 42,270.07; the S&P 500 dropped 0.01% to 5911.69 and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.32% at 19,113.77. European shares ended the week with a gain of 0.14%. They also added 4% to their monthly total for May. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan closed higher overnight by 0.74%, ending the week with a lower closing price but adding nearly 5% to the month. This is the largest monthly gain since September 20,24. MSCI's world index fell 0.07%, to 879.63. However, it gained 1.32% in a week and 5.53% for May - its biggest monthly gain since Nov. 2023. Malek continued, "We thought that the markets would be numb by now to all of this tariff talk and that it had been factored into a great deal. But that is not true." The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, closely watched, rose by 0.1% in April. This was in line with expectations. Trump and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell met for the first time on Thursday. A Fed statement stated that Powell did not mention his expectations regarding monetary policy, except to emphasize that the direction of policy would depend on the incoming information about the economy and its implications for the future. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. notes dropped 2.6 basis points, to 4,398%. After reversing previous losses, the 30-year bond yield increased 0.2 basis point to 4.9254%. The dollar rose against other major currencies, including the euro. It is on course to gain a month-long amount against the Japanese yen. The dollar fell 0.15% against the Japanese yen to 143.95, while the euro dropped 0.12% to $1.135050. The dollar index (which measures the greenback versus a basket including the yen, the euro and other currencies) rose by 0.14%, to 99.394. Tariff uncertainty was weighing down the market, and it was heading for a fifth consecutive month of losses. Investors are weighing the possibility of a larger OPEC+ production increase for July. Brent crude futures ended the day down 0.39%, at $63.90 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate finished at $60.79 per barrel, down by 0.25%. The dollar rose as gold prices fell. Spot gold dropped 0.7% to $3.292.78 per ounce. U.S. Gold Futures closed 0.9% lower, at $3315.40.
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Northern Manitobans fleeing wildfires head south
Winnipeg, Canada's provincial capital, scrambled Friday to provide housing and care to the thousands of people who fled areas devastated by wildfires. Fires have erupted across large areas of the western part of Canada's North due to unusually dry and hot conditions. The flames are devouring hundreds of thousands hectares (hectares) of bushland and forest that is as dry as tinder. "It's hard on everybody," said school maintenance technician Richard Korte, who had fled to Winnipeg from Flin Flon, a regional centre of 5,000 people on the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, and wondered where his family would sleep that night. Both the neighbouring provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan in western Canada have declared states of emergencies to combat the fires that have spread across remote and sparsely populated areas. Chris Schultz, an evacuee, sat in the cab with his dog Stella and hoped to see friends and family arriving at a Winnipeg temporary emergency shelter in a hockey hall. Korte, his friend, had spent hours in the center trying to find housing for his entire family, which included his son with special needs, who cannot remain in an arena. As fires approach, people from Indigenous communities in the north are fleeing and their few routes south are blocked. Several communities have evacuated the most vulnerable members of their community by air, but at least one airport has been closed due to smoke. Manitoba Premier Wab Knew stated that about 17,000 Manitobans have fled the fires due to the hot, dry weather. Kinew said in a Friday afternoon press conference, "We must stay calm." He thanked the U.S. and Quebec for sending 125 firefighters to Manitoba. We cannot thank other jurisdictions for their support enough. George Fontaine, the mayor of Flin Flon, said that the weather forecast indicated that the fire would likely blow into the town. Fontaine told CBC News Network that such a scenario could be "very catastrophic". According to data from the provinces, there are currently 23 active fires burning in Manitoba and fourteen in Saskatchewan. Alberta, which is a province that produces oil, also has 51 fires active. Oil companies are evacuating their workers. Wildfires destroyed Jasper, an important tourist destination in the Canadian Rockies, last year. Schultz warned that he could cry in his truck. He hoped that Stella, his dog, would bring a smile to the faces of his fellow evacuatees.
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US Approves Environmental Review for Michigan Nuclear Plant Restart
The U.S. on Friday said Holtec's planned restart of the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan would not harm the environment, a needed step in its plan to become the first such plant to return from permanent shutdown. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission conducted the environmental review of the Palisades reactor restart with the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office. Opponents of the restart had expressed concerns that steam generator tubes at Palisades are degraded because standard maintenance procedures were not followed when the plant went into shutdown. Holtec says it is plugging the tubes. The LPO, which supports nuclear projects that are unable to get bank loans, closed a $1.52 billion loan guarantee for the Palisades restart in September 2024. President Donald Trump's administration provided the third disbursement of that financing, nearly $47 million, in April. Power company Entergy shut the 800-megawatt Palisades reactor in 2022, two weeks ahead of schedule over a glitch with a control rod. It had generated electricity for more than 50 years. Holtec bought the plant to decommission it, but now hopes to reopen it. U.S. power demand has been rising for the first time in two decades on the boom in data centers and artificial intelligence. Holtec says Palisades could reopen as soon as October. But it needs additional permits from the NRC. "Pending all federal reviews and approvals, our restart project is on track and on budget to bring Palisades back online by the fourth quarter of the year," said Holtec spokesperson Nick Culp. Alan Blind, engineering director at the plant from 2006 to 2013, said in an editorial this month that if steam generator problems lead to a shutdown, it would "erode public confidence, damage investor trust, and raise serious safety concerns." The NRC is reviewing Holtec's proposed repairs, said Scott Burnell, an agency spokesperson. "Holtec must demonstrate the Palisades steam generators will fulfill their safety functions before the plant restarts," Burnell said. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by David Gregorio)
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Japan wants another round of tariffs in June, despite its refusal to make concessions on US tariffs
Japan's top trade negotiator announced that the U.S. and Japan agreed on Friday to continue their trade negotiations ahead of next month's G7 summit. He stressed that any deal would require concessions from Washington on all tariffs including those on automobiles. In Washington, Japan's Economy minister Ryosei Acazawa spent 130 minutes with U.S. Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent and U.S. Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick for a fourth round in the trade negotiations. Akazawa, speaking to Japanese journalists gathered in the Japanese Embassy in Washington, said that the two countries agreed to speed up the talks and have another round before the G7 Summit in June. Japan will be subject to a 24% tariff starting in July, if it cannot reach a deal with America. The Japanese government is also trying to negotiate with Washington so that its automakers are exempted from the 25% tariffs on cars, Japan's largest industry. Akazawa stated that Japan's position on tariffs has not changed and he "strongly urges" the U.S. immediately reconsider the issue and remove all tariffs including those levied against automobiles, auto components, aluminum, and steel. Akazawa said to Japanese media at the Japanese Embassy in Washington that if their requests were met, they might be able come to an understanding. If that's not possible, it will be hard for us to come to an agreement. Before the last meeting, Japanese government sources stated that a quick deal was unlikely as they would not rush to seal a deal if it did not benefit Japan and especially the automotive sector. Akazawa refused to reveal details about the latest discussions but stated that trade expansion, non tariff barriers, and cooperation on economic security were all discussed at each meeting. He added that the supply chain of semiconductors and rare earths were among economic security issues. He said that despite closely monitoring Nippon Steel’s potential deal with U.S. Steel he couldn't comment yet due to the lack of an official announcement by the U.S. Government. Reporting by Makiko Yazaki in Tokyo, Nathan Layne in New York and David Gregorio in editing.
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Automakers warn that China magnet pinch is a threat to car production
U.S. auto executives have warned of an imminent shortage of rare-earth magnetic materials from China, which are used in everything from anti-lock brake sensors to windshield-wipermotors. This could lead to the closing of automobile factories within weeks. In an unreported letter to Trump Administration officials dated May 9, the head of the group representing General Motors (GM), Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and other major automakers expressed urgent concerns. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation sent a letter to the Trump Administration stating that "Without reliable and consistent access to these magnets and elements, automotive suppliers won't be able to produce critical automotive parts, such as automatic transmissions and throttle bodies. They will also not be able to manufacture various motors and sensors, seatbelts, speakers and lights, motors and power steering. The letter was also signed by MEMA The Vehicle Suppliers Association. It added that without these essential automotive components it would be only a matter time before U.S. car factories were disrupted. The groups stated that in severe cases it may be necessary to reduce production volumes, or even shut down vehicle assembly lines. On Friday, both Alliance CEO John Bozzella as well as MEMA CEO Bill Long said that the situation was still not resolved and remained an issue. They thanked the Trump administration for its high-level involvement in preventing disruptions to U.S. automotive production and supply chain. Bozzella said that the automotive topic was discussed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer and their Chinese counterparts at the Geneva talks earlier this month. Greer said on CNBC that China agreed to lift the restrictions on exports of rare earth magnets to U.S. firms, but was not moving quickly enough to allow access to key U.S. industry sectors. "We haven’t seen the flow" of critical minerals that they should be. China, which controls 90% of the global processing capacity for magnets used everywhere from cars and fighter jets to household appliances, imposed export restrictions in April that required exporters to get licenses from Beijing. Exports of rare-earth magnets from China have halved since April, as companies struggled to deal with an opaque process of obtaining permits that can require hundreds of pages. While some licenses were granted to Volkswagen suppliers and others, Indian automakers claim they have not received any. They will be forced to cease production at the beginning of June. The German auto parts maker Bosch stated this week that the more stringent procedures in China to obtain export licenses have slowed down its suppliers. A Bosch spokesperson called the process "complex and lengthy, in part due to the requirement to collect and supply a great deal of information." (Reporting and editing by David Shepardson, Kevin Krolicki, Sandra Maler;
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Stocks fall but are still set to gain in the month despite tariff concerns
The global stock market was down on Friday, but it is expected to post a weekly increase as well as its largest monthly gain since late 2023. This is despite the markets being roiled by the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration's policies regarding tariffs. At the beginning of the week, sentiments were initially boosted by signs that trade tensions had eased between the U.S. Investors then focused on the earnings of artificial-intelligence chipmaker Nvidia. The company reported better than expected results in mid-week. The markets were temporarily shaken by an unexpected ruling of the U.S. Court of International Trade that struck down Trump's so called Liberation Day Tariffs. This triggered a court drama which saw an appeals court temporarily reinstate these tariffs. Trump claimed on Friday that China violated a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and China to roll back tariffs, trade restrictions and other measures for essential minerals. He also issued a new threat to be more aggressive with Beijing. Mark Malek said, "It has been a busy week." Mark Malek is the chief investment officer of SiebertNXT. "In just four days, we saw a compressed version what we had been experiencing for the whole month - the tug-of-war between the forces that drove the markets higher in the past year and prior year. That is AI and technology stocks. And then we faced the looming challenge of all the administration tariffs. All three major Wall Street indexes traded lower during the session due to weakness in consumer discretionary, technology and energy stocks. The S&P 500 was expected to finish the week and month on a positive note. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.24% to 42111.71. The S&P 500 declined 0.61% at 5,875.91. And the Nasdaq Composite was down 1.16% at 18,952.93. European shares ended the week with a gain of 0.14%. This represents 4% growth for May. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan closed up by 0.72% over night, ending the week with a lower value but adding nearly 5% to the month. MSCI's world index fell 0.37%, to 877. However, it was on course to gain over 1% in the coming week and over 5% for May. This would be the largest monthly gain since November 20,23. The closely-watched Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCEPI) rose by 0.1% in April. This was in line with the expectations. Trump and Fed chair Jerome Powell met for the first time on Thursday. A Fed statement stated that Powell did not discuss expectations for monetary policies, except to emphasize that the direction of policy would depend on the incoming economic data and its implications for the outlook. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. notes dropped 0.8 basis points, to 4.416%. After reversing previous losses, the 30-year bond yield increased 1.2 basis point to 4.9346%. The dollar rose against other major currencies, including the euro. It is on course to gain against the Japanese currency for the month. The dollar fell 0.23% against the Japanese yen to 143.83, while the euro dropped 0.01% to $1.1364. The dollar index (which measures the greenback versus a basket including the yen, the euro and other currencies) rose by 0.05%, to 99.30. Tariff uncertainty was weighing down the market, and it was set to suffer its fifth consecutive month of losses. Investors are weighing up the possibility of a larger OPEC+ production increase in July. Oil prices have fallen and could be headed for a weekly loss for a second time. Brent crude futures dropped 0.439% to $63.90 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude fell 0.53% at $60.63 per barrel. The dollar rose, and gold prices fell. Spot gold dropped 0.7% to $3.292.54 per ounce. U.S. Gold Futures dropped 0.81% to an ounce of $3,290.10.
After a dry spell, conditions for French crops improve slightly
The conditions of French soft wheat have improved in the week ending March 31. According to FranceAgriMer, the farm office said that the recent dry weather has helped the crops in many areas of the country.
Heavy rains in France have delayed planting and stunted early growth. This has raised fears that the harvest will be smaller than last year, when heavy rains caused the crop to be hit by the worst rains since the 1980s.
The ratings of soft wheat showed that by March 31 in France, which is the largest producer of soft grain in the European Union (76% were in excellent or good condition, up from 74% one week earlier, and higher than the four-year low of 65% at the same point last year.
FranceAgriMer said that 71% of the winter barley was in excellent or good condition. This is up from 70% one week ago, but down from 66% during the same week in 2024.
Durum wheat was in very good to good condition 81%, up from 80% one week ago.
FranceAgriMer's first estimate of spring barley showed 86% in excellent or good condition, compared to 61% the year before. Reporting by Anna Peverieri in Gdansk, and Alban Kach in Paris. Editing by Jan Harvey & David Goodman.
(source: Reuters)