CVR Energy outlook revised to stable by Moody’s, B2 rating affirmed

Investing.com – Brazil stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Real Estate, Electric Power and Public Utilities sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Sao Paulo, the Bovespa gained 0.28%.

The best performers of the session on the Bovespa were MRV Engenharia e Participacoes SA (BVMF:MRVE3), which rose 4.65% or 0.39 points to trade at 8.77 at the close. Meanwhile, Sendas Distribuidora SA (BVMF:ASAI3) added 3.77% or 0.34 points to end at 9.35 and Magazine Luiza SA (BVMF:MGLU3) was up 3.43% or 0.33 points to 9.96 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were CSN Mineracao SA (BVMF:CMIN3), which fell 5.72% or 0.32 points to trade at 5.27 at the close. Cvc Brasil ON (BVMF:CVCB3) declined 4.92% or 0.09 points to end at 1.74 and Raizen SA Preferred (BVMF:RAIZ4) was down 1.20% or 0.01 points to 0.82.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the B3 Stock Exchange by 504 to 423 and 47 ended unchanged.

Shares in MRV Engenharia e Participacoes SA (BVMF:MRVE3) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 4.65% or 0.39 to 8.77. Shares in Raizen SA Preferred (BVMF:RAIZ4) fell to all time lows; losing 1.20% or 0.01 to 0.82.

The CBOE Brazil Etf Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Bovespa options, was down 6.44% to 31.26.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 1.06% or 43.75 to $4,159.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 1.95% or 1.13 to hit $58.94 a barrel, while the March US coffee C contract rose 2.21% or 8.15 to trade at $377.60 .

USD/BRL was down 0.20% to 5.39, while EUR/BRL fell 0.09% to 6.22.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.01% at 100.10.

Investing.com -- KULR Technology Group Inc (NYSE American:KULR) stock rose 4.6% on Monday after the company announced it is developing a next-generation 400V battery system for a Counter-UAS Directed Energy System.

The company said it delivered a complete design package and prototype in just five weeks after receiving the purchase order. The system is scheduled to enter production in 2026.

KULR leveraged its experience in mission-critical battery design to create a battery capable of meeting the power requirements of advanced energy weapon platforms. The company utilized model-based electrical and thermal simulations, a proprietary cell selection process, and design-for-safety architecture in the development process.

"KULR is expanding its KULR ONE Guardian (K1G) platform with enhanced solutions engineered specifically for defense applications requiring the rigorous performance standards of MIL-STD-810H," said Peter Hughes, VP of Engineering at KULR Technology Group.

The directed energy weapons market is projected to grow from approximately $7.9 billion to $39.9 billion over the next decade, representing a 17.6% CAGR. This growth is driven by increasing global defense budgets and the need for advanced countermeasures against missiles and drones.

KULR’s engineering approach focuses on modular design principles, advanced modeling, and rapid prototyping workflows that allow simultaneous progress across multiple domains. The company manufactures these systems at its Webster, Texas facility.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com – Spain stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Building & Construction, Consumer Services and Financial Services & Real Estate sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Madrid, the IBEX 35 rose 1.09%.

The best performers of the session on the IBEX 35 were ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA (BME:ACS), which rose 4.56% or 3.30 points to trade at 75.60 at the close. Meanwhile, Unicaja Banco SA (BME:UNI) added 3.51% or 0.08 points to end at 2.47 and Ferrovial (BME:FER) was up 3.47% or 1.88 points to 56.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Indra A (BME:IDR), which fell 1.29% or 0.58 points to trade at 44.48 at the close. Endesa SA (BME:ELE) declined 0.78% or 0.24 points to end at 30.64 and Telefonica (BME:TEF) was down 0.76% or 0.03 points to 3.65.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Madrid Stock Exchange by 139 to 50 and 15 ended unchanged.

Shares in Ferrovial (BME:FER) rose to all time highs; gaining 3.47% or 1.88 to 56.00.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.34% or 14.05 to $4,130.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 1.18% or 0.68 to hit $58.49 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.60% or 0.37 to trade at $62.31 a barrel.

EUR/USD was unchanged 0.01% to 1.15, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.08% to 0.88.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.09% at 100.21.

Investing.com -- Goldman Sachs said Europe’s premium automakers Mercedes-Benz and BMW remain its preferred picks as the sector contends with tighter CO₂ rules, falling share in China’s electric-vehicle market and rising tariff exposure. 

The brokerage said both manufacturers benefit from stronger balance sheets, product-cycle support and more flexibility to shift production across regions.

Goldman Sachs said emissions compliance remains less challenging for premium brands than for mass-market peers. 

BMW is expected to meet its 2025-27 targets under the EU’s three-year averaging mechanism, supported by higher battery-electric vehicle penetration.

The brokerage said concerns about German automakers’ falling Chinese market share overlook that most of the loss is concentrated in the BEV segment, where domestic manufacturers have moved faster. 

Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen have improved their pure-ICE market shares over the past five years. 

Premium brands have lost about 0.5 percentage points of total market share since 2019, compared with a 5-point drop for Volkswagen and an 8-point fall for Japanese OEMs.

Goldman Sachs said upcoming platform launches at both Mercedes and BMW could lift competitiveness. 

Mercedes’ MMA and MB.EA architectures are expected to cut battery costs by about 30% per kWh, while BMW’s Neue Klasse, featuring Gen6 eDrive and cylindrical cells, targets a 30% increase in range, 30% faster charging and a 20% reduction in manufacturing costs.

The analysts noted that Mercedes, BMW and Renault continue to hold strong net cash and financing-unit equity positions even as core auto valuations have weakened sharply over the past decade.

Goldman Sachs said implied enterprise values for BMW, Mercedes and Renault’s core auto operations are now negative.

The brokerage said it views Mercedes, BMW and Renault as better positioned than other European automakers across key sector risks, with the premium brands benefiting from strong product pipelines and solid cash generation.

Investing.com -- Fitch Ratings has revised Hasbro, Inc.’s outlook to positive from stable while affirming its Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ’BBB-’.

The rating agency cited Hasbro’s progress in improving EBITDA to approximately $1.2 billion from about $700 million in 2023, along with strong free cash flow and EBITDA leverage in the high-2x range.

A potential upgrade would depend on continued growth in the Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming business, with EBITDA sustained above $1.2 billion and leverage maintained below 3x.

The ratings reflect Hasbro’s substantial growth and profit concentration, with Wizards making up about 85% of profit. Fitch views Wizards as Hasbro’s primary growth engine, supported by resilient margins and expanding engagement.

Magic: The Gathering set releases are adding players and monetizing effectively, with Wizards Play Network locations now exceeding 9,500. Organized play has increased significantly, driving recurring demand that is less seasonal than traditional toys.

While Fitch expects continued Wizards sales and earnings growth, execution risk remains. Magic set releases must resonate to sustain engagement and spending, and video game launches carry elevated execution risk.

Fitch forecasts annual EBITDA of $1.2 billion-$1.3 billion and expects leverage to be around 2.9x at year-end 2025, trending in the high-2x range afterward. Hasbro has reduced debt by around $150 million since year-end 2023.

The company’s Consumer Products segment has seen sales decline nearly 40% since 2019 while the toy industry has grown. Operating margin in this segment has fallen from about 8% to roughly 4% over the same period.

Fitch expects Consumer Products sales could stabilize at about $2.4 billion in 2026, primarily supported by scheduled entertainment releases. However, tariffs, cautious retailer ordering, and discretionary category softness present risks.

Hasbro’s product mix shift toward Wizards has elevated margins, with EBITDA margin rising from about 19% in 2019 to about 26% expected in 2025. For 2026, Fitch expects EBITDA margin to remain roughly flat.

The rating agency projects annual free cash flow of about $150 million-$225 million, with liquidity further supported by an undrawn $1.25 billion revolver. The company pays an annual dividend of about $390 million.

Fitch expects capital expenditure intensity to increase to about 5.5% in 2026 from around 4.8% in 2024 due to in-house digital production, and forecasts a resumption of share repurchases in 2026.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.