Latest news with #investments
Bloomberg
12 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Retailer's Refinancing Caps Revival Under Croatian Tycoon
Hi, this is Jasmina Kuzmanovic in Zagreb. Welcome to our weekly newsletter on what's shaping economics and investments from the Baltic Sea to the Balkans. You can subscribe here. When the biggest food producer and retailer in the Balkans unraveled in 2017, the Croatian government had to step in to salvage the company from near-bankruptcy and oust the man who owned it. In doing so, it helped save the biggest employer in Croatia and the surrounding region, not to mention a network of suppliers.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Can Philip Morris Rely on Pricing to Drive 2025 EPS Growth?
Philip Morris International PM continues to lean on pricing as a key earnings driver. The company delivered a strong first quarter of 2025, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) rising 12.7% year over year to $1.69. Pricing contributed 6 percentage points to organic revenue growth of 10.2%, supported by an 8.3% increase in combustible pricing and around 3% in smoke-free products, excluding devices. The company has raised its full-year EPS forecast to $7.36-$7.49. The question is whether pricing alone can sustain that pointed to continued pricing strength in markets like Turkey, Poland and Germany. However, it also noted that gross pricing and negative geographic mix are expected to moderate over the remainder of the year. In the smoke-free category, gross margins expanded 670 basis points to surpass 70%, now standing more than five points above combustibles at the current product and geographic mix. ZYN, a key contributor to smoke-free profit growth, saw shipment volumes rise 63% in the quarter, reinforcing the segment's scale and strategic so, Philip Morris delivered a 180-basis-point gross margin boost from pricing alone, reflecting the effectiveness of its pricing strategy. While pricing gains may be less pronounced in the second half, Philip Morris emphasized continued investments behind its smoke-free growth. With volume and mix improvements already visible in the first quarter, the company appears positioned to support earnings growth through a combination of pricing and product performance. Altria Group MO reported a 10.8% rise in net price realization for combustibles, which supported operating income growth despite steep volume declines. Yet, MO is facing consumer pressure, with many smokers trading down to discount brands, limiting pricing flexibility. In oral nicotine, Altria Group's on! posted 18% shipment growth alongside higher retail prices, but category competition and cost-conscious behavior remain visible Point Brands TPB saw explosive growth in its modern oral segment, with pouch sales increasing nearly tenfold year over year. However, this growth came with mix-driven margin pressure. Turning Point Brands' gross margin declined 220 basis points and it acknowledged the need for further investment to scale brands and improve profitability. With rising freight and tariff costs also in play, Turning Point Brands' pricing power remains limited without additional volume leverage. Shares of Philip Morris have gained 4.9% in the past month compared with the industry's growth of 5.1%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, PM trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.19X, up from the industry's average of 15.64X. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PM's 2025 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 13.7%, whereas its 2026 earnings estimate indicates a year-over-year uptick of 11.7%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research PM stock currently holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Altria Group, Inc. (MO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Turning Point Brands, Inc. (TPB) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
18 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Rural Bank Plans Return to Japan Bonds After Winning on Nvidia
A Japanese regional bank that has stood out among its peers for making money on assets ranging from US Treasuries to Nvidia Corp. is now looking closer to home for investments. Iyogin Holdings Inc., which shunned Japanese government bonds during the era of negative interest rates, is ready to jump back in once a rise in yields runs its course, said Chief Executive Officer Kenji Miyoshi.
Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
Musk's X to offer investment, trading in 'super app' push, FT reports
X CEO Linda Yaccarino has said users will soon be able to make investments or trades on the social media platform, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, a move to support billionaire owner Elon Musk's vision to create an "everything app." In an interview with the publisher, Yaccarino said the company was exploring the introduction of an X credit or debit card, which could come as soon as this year. Musk, who in April 2022 clinched a $44 billion deal to buy Twitter and later rebranded it as X, has signaled plans to model it as a "super app," similar to China's WeChat. The social media platform did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. "2025 X will connect you in ways never thought possible. X TV, X Money, Grok and more," Yaccarino wrote in a post in December last year. Payments giant Visa and X partnered to offer direct payment solutions to customers of the social media app, a person familiar with the matter said earlier this year. A super app, or what Musk refers to as an "everything app," has been described as the Swiss army knife of mobile apps, offering a suite of services for users such as messaging, social networking, payments and e-commerce shopping. X hired NBCUniversal advertising chief Yaccarino as CEO in 2023 amid advertiser exodus from the platform as they worried that their ads could appear next to inappropriate content. Yaccarino said that 96% of X's ad clients prior to acquisition had now come back to the platform, the Financial Times report said. The company is poised for its first year of ad revenue growth this year since its acquisition by Musk, according to data from research firm Emarketer in March. X had filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas against the World Federation of Advertisers, accusing them of unlawfully conspiring to boycott the site and causing it to lose revenue. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Dream Industrial REIT Announces June 2025 Monthly Distribution
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 19, 2025-- DREAM INDUSTRIAL REIT (TSX: (the 'Trust') announced today its June 2025 monthly distribution in the amount of 5.833 cents per Unit (70 cents annualized). The June distribution will be payable on July 15, 2025 to unitholders of record as at June 30, 2025. Dream Industrial REIT is an owner, manager, and operator of a global portfolio of well-located, diversified industrial properties. As at March 31, 2025, Dream Industrial REIT has an interest in and manages a portfolio which comprises 336 industrial assets (549 buildings) totalling approximately 72.6 million square feet of gross leasable area in key markets across Canada, Europe, and the U.S. Dream Industrial REIT's objective is to deliver strong total returns to its unitholders through secure distributions as well as growth in net asset value and cash flow per unit underpinned by its high-quality portfolio and an investment grade balance sheet. Dream Industrial REIT is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust. For more information, please visit our website at View source version on CONTACT: For further information, please contact: DREAM INDUSTRIAL REIT Alexander Sannikov President and Chief Executive Officer (416) 365-4106 [email protected] Lenis Quan Chief Financial Officer (416) 365-2353 [email protected] KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMMERCIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY REIT SOURCE: Dream Industrial REIT Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/19/2025 10:03 AM/DISC: 06/19/2025 10:03 AM
