Financial Wire - Financial News

The North West Company Q4 Adjusted Earnings Lower

The North West Company (NWC.TO), up near 6% on last look, on Wednesday reported lower fourth-quarter adjusted earnings.The company, which operates grocery stores in Canada's North and the Caribbean, said adjusted earnings, excluding most one-time items, edged down to $43.5 million, from $44.6 million, in the prior year period. The company did not provide per share amounts.Sales for the fourth quarter rose 0.1% to $675.5 million. Analysts polled by FactSet had forecast sales of $658.0 million. Higher sales in the company's international operations sales were largely offset by lower sales in Canada.Canadian same store sales , down 2.8% compared to very strong same store sales gains last year of 6.7%, were negatively impacted by a decrease in the distribution of funding to individuals from First Nations Child and Family Services programs, North West added.North West also said refinanced its $400.0 million and US$52.0 million loan facilities that were originally maturing March 1, 2027. The loan facilities, refinanced with existing lenders, will now mature April 8, 2031.The company will pay a regular quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share on April 24, to shareholders of record on April 15.North West Company shares were last seen up $3.03 to $55.25 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.Price: $55.21, Change: $+2.99, Percent Change: +5.73%

$NWC.TO

US-Iran Truce Outlook Unclear, Analysts Caution Amid Reports of Ceasefire Violations

Markets hailed a two-week pause in hostilities between the US and Iran, though analysts raised questions about the durability of the truce, with ceasefire violations already making headlines.Global equity markets rallied Wednesday and oil prices plunged below $100 per barrel following an agreement between Washington and Tehran to pause their military conflict that had spread across the Middle East.Trump, who had set an 8 pm ET deadline on Tuesday for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, agreed to suspend planned attacks on Iran for two weeks upon Pakistan's request. Tehran said it would allow "safe passage" through the key trading route, subject to coordination with Iranian authorities."While markets are hailing the agreement as cause for celebration, it remains to be seen if the ceasefire will hold, and if flows resume through the Strait of Hormuz," Stifel Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza said in a report.Reports about ceasefire violations kept investors on the edge, signifying the possible fragile nature of the pact.Iran halted oil tanker traffic through the waterway after Israel attacked Lebanon, CNN reported, citing semi-official news agency Fars. Separately, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reportedly said they were targeted with Iranian drones and missiles.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who along with Field Marshal Asim Munir helped broker the truce, said in a post on X that ceasefire violations "undermine the spirit of peace process.""The ceasefire effectively halts imminent large-scale strikes and creates space for negotiations, but it does not resolve the underlying conflict or infrastructure damage," said Suvro Sarkar, head of energy, renewables and infra research at DBS Bank, said. "Two weeks is a very narrow window, and the structural damage to supply chains runs deep."The focus shifts to Iran's 10-point proposal to the US, which includes the lifting of sanctions against Iran, recognition of Iran's enrichment program and continued control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to media reports."If this is truly the basis of negotiation, talks will likely be difficult as some (of) these terms, particularly control of the strait, are likely unpalatable for regional powers with it being reported that Iran still intends to charge a toll for passage," Tudor Pickering Holt analyst Matt Portillo said in a note e-mailed to.

Treasury8d ago

Share of Canada's Exports to The U.S. Is Gradually Trending Lower, Says Scotiabank

The share of Canadian exports bound for the United States is gradually trending lower, averaging 76% in 2024 and 72% last year, and coming in at 66% in February 2026, said Scotiabank.This has been driven by a decline in exports to the United States and increasing exports to other regions, mainly Europe, noted the bank in a note published last week.In February, exports to the U.S. rose 4.4% month over month but were down 10.4% compared with 2024. Exports to other countries rose 10.5% after a weak January and were up 42.4% from 2024, though much of this has been driven by elevated overseas exports of gold. On the import side, the share of Canadian imports from the U.S. was down slightly in February to 59% from 62% in 2024.Canada continues to benefit from a relatively low effective tariff rate on total exports. 3.1% is Scotiabank's latest estimate, based on pre-tariff trade flows, of the increase in tariffs since end 2024, thanks to most of Canada's trade with the U.S. continuing on a tariff-free basis under CUSMA. This is down from 4.5% in February due to the country-specific U.S. IEEPA tariffs being replaced by a 10% global tariff.The reported average actual duties paid on U.S. goods imports from Canada was slightly above 3% for the third month in a row, down from close to 4% six months ago. This could tick lower in March, given the tariff changes in late February. The proportion of Canadian goods imported into the U.S. facing tariffs has settled around 10%, pointed out the bank.The U.S. trade deficit is back close to its pre-tariff level. U.S. trade saw significant volatility early in 2025 in response to the tariffs, before stabilizing later in the year. In February, U.S. exports rose 4.2% and imports increased 4.3%, resulting in an increase in the trade deficit to US$57 billion, down from around US$70 billion in 2024.The U.S. import tariffs continue to create inflationary pressures in that country, with the latest estimate of the cumulative impact of the tariffs on the U.S. consumer price index reaching nearly a full percentage point and clouding the outlook for U.S. interest rate cuts, especially given recent increases in oil prices.Tariffs and uncertainty continue to be elevated and dynamic, according to Scotiabank. Although the replacement of the U.S. IEEPA tariffs with the temporary global tariff of 10% was positive for Canada, the vast majority of Canadian trade has been compliant and, as such, exempt from those tariffs. The sectoral tariffs are by far the most impactful for Canada, and haven't been affected by the recent changes.

$$CXY

US Markets8d ago

Delta Air Lines First-Quarter Results Top Views; Sees Fuel Expense Increase of Over $2 Billion

Delta Air Lines (DAL) on Wednesday reported better-than-expected first-quarter results amid robust corporate and leisure demand, although the carrier flagged a fuel expense increase of more than $2 billion in the current three-month period due to the Middle East war.The company posted adjusted earnings of $0.64 a share for the March quarter, up from $0.45 the year before, topping the FactSet-polled consensus of $0.58. Operating revenue climbed 13% to $15.85 billion. Total passenger revenue gained by 7% while cargo inclined 9%."We delivered earnings that were more than 40% higher than last year, even with a significant increase in fuel costs and operational disruptions across the industry," Chief Executive Ed Bastian said in a statement. The stock jumped 12% in the most recent premarket activity.Operating revenue improved 9.4% to $14.2 billion on an adjusted basis in the first quarter, ahead of the average analyst estimate for $14.05 billion. The metric grew amid "broad demand strength across corporate and leisure," Chief Commercial Officer Joe Esposito said. Adjusted total revenue per available seat mile grew 8.2% on a yearly basis, with gains across all regions.The airline is taking measures to protect its margins and cash flow, including "meaningfully reducing capacity growth with a downward bias until the fuel environment improves, and moving quickly to recapture higher fuel costs," Bastian said.The US and Iran on Tuesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire, having been in a military conflict since the end of February. The war spread across the Middle East and curtailed shipments through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, driving up energy prices.For the ongoing quarter, Delta anticipates fuel at the forward curve as of April 2, resulting in a projected all-in price of about $4.30 per gallon, pushing fuel costs up by more than $2 billion. In the previous quarter, adjusted fuel price increased 7% year over year to $2.62 per gallon.Adjusted EPS is pegged at $1 to $1.50 for the second quarter on low-teens revenue growth, according to Delta. The Street is looking for non-GAAP EPS of $1.56 and revenue of $17.21 billion. Capacity is expected to be flat year over year amid the airline's capacity reduction and fuel recapture efforts, Esposito said."In the June quarter, we expect to lead the industry with $1 billion of profit," according to Bastian. "And while the recent fuel spike is currently impacting earnings, I'm confident this environment ultimately reinforces Delta's leadership and accelerates long-term earnings power."

$DAL

Financial News

The North West Company Q4 Adjusted Earnings Lower

US-Iran Truce Outlook Unclear, Analysts Caution Amid Reports of Ceasefire Violations

The North West Company Q4 Adjusted Earnings Lower

US-Iran Truce Outlook Unclear, Analysts Caution Amid Reports of Ceasefire Violations

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