Boskalis Orderbook Down, Outlook Unchanged
Dutch dredging and marine services company Boskalis said on Tuesday revenue was virtually unchanged in the first quarter and that its orderbook had slipped slightly from the end of 2014. The company said in a trading update it could not provide any clear guidance for 2015, but that the contribution from "possible exceptional items will be substantially lower in 2015 than the 200 million euros" in 2014. Boskalis is one of the world's largest dredging and port services companies, with 2014 net profit of 490 million euros ($550.50 million) on sales of 3.2 billion euros. In Tuesday's statement, it repeated its earlier forecast of a mixed outlook for the offshore energy sector, and for the dredging and towing markets to be stable in 2015.
Cargill Earnings Hit by Commodity Market Disruptions
Cargill Inc said on Tuesday its quarterly earnings fell 28 percent, making it one of the largest companies yet to demonstrate how big commodity market disruptions this year have hurt its bottom line. Minneapolis-based Cargill, a top global commodities trader, was hit by a triple-whammy of unexpected events, including a surge in energy prices in January, rail backlogs, and the rejection of U.S. corn shipments by China. The problems are likely to have also hit Cargill peers such as Archer Daniels Midland Co and Bunge Ltd, which are due to report financial results in the coming weeks. The coldest winter in 30 years catapulted regional U.S. natural gas prices to record highs, while power markets gyrated as producers struggled to keep supplies flowing to consumers.
Keppel Corp. Year End Results for 2010
The Directors of Keppel Corporation Limited advise the following unaudited results of the Group for the full year ended 31 December 2010. The FY 2010 Report Card and the Address by Mr Choo Chiau Beng, Chief Executive Officer, are below. The full set of financial documents for the results and the Address by Mr Teo Soon Hoe, Senior Executive Director and Group Finance Director, are attached and also available for download below. 1. Net profit before exceptional items improved 12% to S$1,419 million, compared to FY 2009's S$1,265 million. 2. Earnings Per Share of 88.7 cents, up 12% from FY 2009's 79.4 cents. 3. ROE remained above 20%. 4. Economic Value Added before exceptional items increased from S$1,026 million to S$1,035 million.
Offshore Market: Oil Prices Skyrocket but Rig Demand in the Doldrums
Worldwide demand for mobile offshore drilling units remains essentially flat, according to Houston-based offshore industry analyst ODS-Petrodata, although offshore drilling activity is expected to increase modestly in certain areas as the year progresses. U.S. Gulf of Mexico rig demand has fallen by eight rigs since December, but some indicators point to an increase in Gulf rig demand over the summer months. North Sea rig owners are facing a tough year, and more rigs are expected to leave the area. Other rig markets present a mixed outlook, with only West Africa likely to show a clear, sustained trend to increased rig demand over the next three to six months. U.S. The most encouraging sign for U.S.
