Category: Asia Pacific

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MIL-Evening Report: Rules for calculating climate risk in financial reporting by NZ businesses need revisiting – new research

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martien Lubberink, Associate Professor of Accounting and Capital, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

The recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on climate action marked a significant step forward in formalising an idea many already accept: climate inaction is not merely a policy failure, but potentially a breach of legal duty by governments.

The court’s opinion is not legally binding but establishes global expectations. Crucially, the court confirmed environmental protection includes a duty to regulate private businesses and organisations.

In New Zealand, large organisations already have to list climate-related risks in their annual reports and regulatory filings under the External Reporting Board’s Climate Standards.

But our latest research suggests the benefits of mandatory climate reporting regulation in New Zealand may not be as straightforward as they appear.

Extreme weather, limited financial impact

We analysed how New Zealand’s stock market responds to extreme weather events (heavy rain, windstorms, snow, temperature spikes and thunderstorms) using data curated by Earth Sciences New Zealand.

Climate risk is widely assumed to have an impact on markets. So, we expected investors would respond to damaging weather with selloffs or price adjustments.

Instead, we found most extreme weather events had little to no impact on the share prices of New Zealand’s 50 largest listed companies, those on the NZX50.

Even firms directly exposed to these events – airlines, utilities, logistics companies – showed only muted reactions, if any.

It may be that markets already price in these risks. Or that firms have managed them effectively through infrastructure investment and planning.

What is more, the location and severity of extreme weather in New Zealand have remained relatively stable over the past three decades.

Using a statistical analysis, we found no evidence of accelerating trends typically attributed to global warming. This technique assessed whether a particular extreme weather event can be linked to human-induced climate change.

New Zealand’s extreme weather events tend to involve cold, rain and wind – unlike the heatwaves, wildfires and droughts that dominate international headlines.

What this means for disclosure mandates

If markets are already efficiently pricing in these risks – or if the risks are genuinely immaterial for the company – the benefits of mandatory disclosure may be overstated.

Our study suggests the case for universal, mandatory disclosure of extreme weather events under the climate board’s standards may not be strong. If financial impacts are already reflected in stock prices, the current voluntary framework may suffice for many firms.

This is not an argument against disclosure broadly. While our study did not assess other climate-related risks – such as supply chain disruption or chronic sea level rises – these may well be material for some organisations, especially unlisted or regionally exposed firms.

But for the NZX50, where climate regulation is currently focused, the value of standardised extreme weather events disclosures seems limited.

Global principles, local realities

None of this contradicts the ICJ’s opinion.

The court emphasised that states must act, not only to reduce emissions but to protect against climate-related harm. That includes harm caused by private actors, who must be subject to effective regulation.

But the ICJ also recognises the importance of national circumstances. While bound by international obligations, each country still needs to tailor its climate policies to the actual risks it faces.

To do otherwise risks shifting government energy and private capital towards compliance that offers little benefit to investors, the public or the climate.

New Zealand at a crossroads

The ICJ decision comes as New Zealand’s climate ambition appears to be softening.

The government recently released an updated emissions pledge that barely improves on its predecessor. At the same time, it is also reviving offshore oil and gas exploration, expanding coal production and backing legislation to shield carbon-intensive firms from environmental, suitability and governance aligned lending decisions by banks.

Such moves may be politically popular in some quarters, but they sit uneasily with both the ICJ’s vision and New Zealand’s obligations under the Paris Agreement and various trade deals.

If New Zealand wants to avoid being seen as lagging – or worse, a bad-faith actor – it must reconcile its domestic policies with international decision-making.

That does not mean copying regulation from other countries. But it does mean being honest about what is material, what is symbolic and what actually helps reduce emissions or build resilience.

Regulation needs to be smart, not just visible

The ICJ opinion should not be used to justify every climate policy proposal. Rather, it should encourage governments to develop regulation that is meaningful, proportionate and based on evidence.

Our study offers one such piece of evidence. In terms of financial market impacts, New Zealand’s extreme weather may not justify the same disclosure obligations as those in countries where the physical risks are more severe or more clearly linked to climate change.

This is not a reason to do less. It is a reason to do better. Policy needs to target disclosure where it matters, to focus adaptation spending where it is needed and to measure the impact of climate policies not only by their intentions, but by their outcomes.

In short, the ICJ has spoken. Now it is up to each country to act wisely.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Rules for calculating climate risk in financial reporting by NZ businesses need revisiting – new research – https://theconversation.com/rules-for-calculating-climate-risk-in-financial-reporting-by-nz-businesses-need-revisiting-new-research-262024

MIL-OSI: FormFactor, Inc. Reports 2025 Second Quarter Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LIVERMORE, Calif., July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FormFactor, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORM) today announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 ended June 28, 2025. Quarterly revenues were $195.8 million, an increase of 14.3% compared to $171.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, and a decrease of 0.8% from $197.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2024.

Anticipated strength in HBM and Foundry & Logic probe cards drove sequentially stronger second-quarter revenue
FormFactor is now shipping in volume to all three major HBM manufacturers
Closed acquisition of Farmers Branch manufacturing facility, providing significant operational flexibility in lower operating cost region

“FormFactor reported sequentially stronger second-quarter revenue that exceeded the high end of our outlook range, due to higher-than-anticipated growth in our probe-card business,” said Mike Slessor, CEO of FormFactor, Inc. “Despite this revenue strength, non-GAAP gross margin and overall profitability fell short of our outlook, mainly caused by an unfavorable shift in product mix and unforecasted ramp-up costs for a second HBM DRAM customer.”

Second Quarter Highlights

On a GAAP basis, net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $9.1 million, or $0.12 per fully-diluted share, compared to net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 of $6.4 million, or $0.08 per fully-diluted share, and net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 of $19.4 million, or $0.25 per fully-diluted share. Gross margin for the second quarter of 2025 was 37.3%, compared with 37.7% in the first quarter of 2025, and 44.0% in the second quarter of 2024.

On a non-GAAP basis, net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $21.2 million, or $0.27 per fully-diluted share, compared to net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 of $18.0 million, or $0.23 per fully-diluted share, and net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 of $27.3 million, or $0.35 per fully-diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin for the second quarter of 2025 was 38.5%, compared with 39.2% in the first quarter of 2025, and 45.3% in the second quarter of 2024.

GAAP net cash provided by operating activities for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $18.9 million, compared to $23.5 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2025, and $21.9 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2024. Free cash flow for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was negative $47.1 million, compared to free cash flow for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 of $6.3 million, and free cash flow for the second quarter of 2024 of $14.2 million.

A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures is provided in the schedules included below.

Outlook

Dr. Slessor added, “In the current third quarter, we expect to deliver revenue comparable to the second quarter, with slightly higher gross margin and operating profit.”

For the third quarter ending September 27, 2025, FormFactor is providing the following outlook*:

	GAAP	Reconciling Items**	Non-GAAP
Revenue	$200 million +/- $5 million	—	$200 million +/- $5 million
Gross Margin	38.5% +/- 1.5%	$3 million	40% +/- 1.5%
Net income per diluted share	$0.14 +/- $0.04	$0.11	$0.25 +/- $0.04
This outlook assumes consistent foreign currency rates. *Reconciling items are stock-based compensation, amortization of intangible assets and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions, and restructuring charges, net of applicable income tax impacts.

We posted our revenue breakdown by geographic region, by market segment and with customers with greater than 10% of total revenue on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.formfactor.com. We will conduct a conference call at 1:25 p.m. PT, or 4:25 p.m. ET, today.

The public is invited to listen to a live webcast of FormFactor’s conference call on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.formfactor.com. A telephone replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call. The replay will be available on the Investor Relations section of our website, www.formfactor.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information:

To supplement our condensed consolidated financial results prepared under generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, we disclose certain non-GAAP measures of non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income and free cash flow, that are adjusted from the nearest GAAP financial measure to exclude certain costs, expenses, gains and losses. Reconciliations of the adjustments to GAAP results for the three and six months ended June 28, 2025, and for outlook provided before, as well as for the comparable periods of fiscal 2024, are provided below, and on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.formfactor.com. Information regarding the ways in which management uses non-GAAP financial information to evaluate its business, management’s reasons for using this non-GAAP financial information, and limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial information, is included under “About our Non-GAAP Financial Measures” following the tables below.

About FormFactor:

FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full semiconductor product life cycle – from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design de-bug, to qualification and production test. Semiconductor companies rely upon FormFactor’s products and services to accelerate profitability by optimizing device performance and advancing yield knowledge. The Company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.formfactor.com.

Forward-looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the federal securities laws, including with respect to the Company’s future financial and operating results, and the Company’s plans, strategies and objectives for future operations. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs as of the date of this release, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future financial and operating results, including under the heading “Outlook” above, and the Company’s performance, and other statements regarding the Company’s business. Forward-looking statements may contain words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” “continue,” and “prospect,” and the negative or plural of these words and similar expressions, and include the assumptions that underlie such statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in and impacts from export control, tariffs and other trade barriers; changes in demand for the Company’s products; customer-specific demand; market opportunity; anticipated industry trends; the availability, benefits, and speed of customer acceptance or implementation of new products and technologies; manufacturing, processing, and design capacity, goals, expansion, volumes, and progress; difficulties or delays in research and development; industry seasonality; risks to the Company’s realization of benefits from acquisitions; reliance on customers or third parties (including suppliers); changes in macro-economic environments; events affecting global and regional economic and market conditions and stability such as tariffs, military conflicts, political volatility, infectious diseases and pandemics, and similar factors, operating separately or in combination; and other factors, including those set forth in the Company’s most current annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other filings by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, there are varying barriers to international trade, including restrictive trade and export regulations such as the US-China restrictions, dynamic tariffs, trade disputes between the U.S. and other countries, and national security developments or tensions, that may substantially restrict or condition our sales to or in certain countries, increase the cost of doing business internationally, and disrupt our supply chain. No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements within this press release will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company. Unless required by law, the Company is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or revise its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

FORMFACTOR, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended							Six Months Ended
	June 28, 2025			March 29, 2025		June 29, 2024		June 28, 2025		June 29, 2024
Revenues	$	195,798		$	171,356	$	197,474	$	367,154	$	366,199
Cost of revenues		122,860			106,833		110,574		229,693		216,561
Gross profit		72,938			64,523		86,900		137,461		149,638
Operating expenses:
Research and development		28,793			27,800		31,564		56,593		60,191
Selling, general and administrative		31,839			33,454		37,874		65,293		70,953
Total operating expenses		60,632			61,254		69,438		121,886		131,144
Gain on sale of business		—			—		310		—		20,581
Operating income		12,306			3,269		17,772		15,575		39,075
Interest income, net		2,642			3,317		3,415		5,959		6,571
Other income (expense), net		(6	)		890		360		884		880
Income before income taxes		14,942			7,476		21,547		22,418		46,526
Provision for income taxes		2,372			1,075		2,155		3,447		5,353
Loss from equity investment		3,484			—		—		3,484		—
Net income	$	9,086		$	6,401	$	19,392	$	15,487	$	41,173
Net income per share:
Basic	$	0.12		$	0.08	$	0.25	$	0.20	$	0.53
Diluted	$	0.12		$	0.08	$	0.25	$	0.20	$	0.52
Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculations:
Basic		77,107			77,345		77,235		77,226		77,343
Diluted		77,527			77,884		78,717		77,721		78,746

FORMFACTOR, INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATIONS (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	June 28, 2025			March 29, 2025			June 29, 2024			June 28, 2025			June 29, 2024
GAAP Gross Profit	$	72,938		$	64,523		$	86,900		$	137,461		$	149,638
Adjustments:
Amortization of intangibles and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions		528			542			545			1,070			1,131
Stock-based compensation		1,690			2,005			1,932			3,695			3,860
Restructuring charges		183			60			39			243			83
Non-GAAP Gross Profit	$	75,339		$	67,130		$	89,416		$	142,469		$	154,712

GAAP Gross Margin		37.3	%		37.7	%		44.0	%		37.4	%		40.9	%
Adjustments:
Amortization of intangibles and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions		0.3	%		0.3	%		0.3	%		0.3	%		0.3	%
Stock-based compensation		0.8	%		1.2	%		1.0	%		1.0	%		1.1	%
Restructuring charges		0.1	%		—	%		—	%		0.1	%		—	%
Non-GAAP Gross Margin		38.5	%		39.2	%		45.3	%		38.8	%		42.3	%

GAAP operating expenses	$	60,632		$	61,254		$	69,438		$	121,886		$	131,144
Adjustments:
Amortization of intangibles		(191	)		(191	)		(191	)		(382	)		(382	)
Stock-based compensation		(7,701	)		(7,791	)		(8,277	)		(15,492	)		(16,754	)
Restructuring charges		(195	)		(2,823	)		(49	)		(3,018	)		(98	)
Costs related to sale and acquisition of businesses		(55	)		(217	)		(43	)		(272	)		(689	)
Non-GAAP operating expenses	$	52,490		$	50,232		$	60,878		$	102,722		$	113,221

GAAP operating income	$	12,306		$	3,269		$	17,772		$	15,575		$	39,075
Adjustments:
Amortization of intangibles and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions		719			733			736			1,452			1,513
Stock-based compensation		9,391			9,796			10,209			19,187			20,614
Restructuring charges		378			2,883			88			3,261			181
Gain on sale of business, net of costs and acquisition related expenses		55			217			(267	)		272			(19,892	)
Non-GAAP operating income	$	22,849		$	16,898		$	28,538		$	39,747		$	41,491

FORMFACTOR, INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATIONS (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	June 28, 2025			March 29, 2025			June 29, 2024			June 28, 2025			June 29, 2024
GAAP net income	$	9,086		$	6,401		$	19,392		$	15,487		$	41,173
Adjustments:
Amortization of intangibles and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions		719			733			736			1,452			1,513
Stock-based compensation		9,391			9,796			10,209			19,187			20,614
Restructuring charges		378			2,883			88			3,261			181
Gain on sale of business and assets, net of costs and acquisition related expenses		3,460			217			(267	)		3,677			(19,892	)
Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments		(1,812	)		(2,026	)		(2,835	)		(3,838	)		(1,922	)
Non-GAAP net income	$	21,222		$	18,004		$	27,323		$	39,226		$	41,667

GAAP net income per share:
Basic	$	0.12		$	0.08		$	0.25		$	0.20		$	0.53
Diluted	$	0.12		$	0.08		$	0.25		$	0.20		$	0.52

Non-GAAP net income per share:
Basic	$	0.28		$	0.23		$	0.35		$	0.51		$	0.54
Diluted	$	0.27		$	0.23		$	0.35		$	0.50		$	0.53

GAAP net cash provided by operating activities	$	18,893		$	23,539		$	21,878		$	42,432		$	54,890
Adjustments:
Sale of business and acquisition related payments in working capital		168			1,221			630			1,389			677
Cash paid for interest		95			92			101			187			201
Capital expenditures		(66,256	)		(18,584	)		(8,398	)		(84,840	)		(21,834	)
Free cash flow	$	(47,100	)	$	6,268		$	14,211		$	(40,832	)	$	33,934

GAAP net cash used in investing activities	$	(78,553	)	$	(84,660	)	$	(6,140	)	$	(163,213	)	$	(9,960	)
GAAP net cash used in financing activities	$	(4,214	)	$	(2,964	)	$	(4,934	)	$	(7,178	)	$	(19,426	)

FORMFACTOR, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) (Unaudited)

	Six Months Ended
	June 28, 2025			June 29, 2024
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$	15,487		$	41,173
Selected adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation		17,051			14,563
Amortization		1,339			1,280
Stock-based compensation expense		19,187			20,614
Provision for excess and obsolete inventories		6,695			6,277
Loss from equity investment		3,484			—
Gain on sale of business and assets		(103	)		(20,581	)
Non-cash restructuring charges		2,160			—
Other activity impacting operating cash flows		(22,868	)		(8,436	)
Net cash provided by operating activities		42,432			54,890
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment		(84,840	)		(21,834	)
Proceeds from sale of business and assets		103			21,585
Purchase of equity investment		(67,156	)		—
Purchases of marketable securities, net		(11,320	)		(9,711	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(163,213	)		(9,960	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Purchase of common stock through stock repurchase program, including excise tax paid		(24,586	)		(20,271	)
Proceeds from issuances of common stock		21,576			4,948
Principal repayments on term loans		(549	)		(534	)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards		(3,619	)		(3,569	)
Net cash used in financing activities		(7,178	)		(19,426	)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		1,658			(2,826	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(126,301	)		22,678
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period		197,206			181,273
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$	70,905		$	203,951

FORMFACTOR, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands) (Unaudited)

	June 28, 2025		December 28, 2024
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	67,380	$	190,728
Marketable securities		181,949		169,295
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses		115,199		104,294
Inventories, net		110,789		101,676
Restricted cash		1,061		3,746
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		48,884		35,389
Total current assets		525,262		605,128
Restricted cash		2,464		2,732
Operating lease, right-of-use-assets		19,475		22,579
Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation		259,288		210,230
Equity investment		67,264		—
Goodwill		200,858		199,171
Intangibles, net		9,017		10,355
Deferred tax assets		94,795		92,012
Other assets		3,185		4,008
Total assets	$	1,181,608	$	1,146,215

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	59,932	$	62,287
Accrued liabilities		38,545		43,742
Current portion of term loan, net of unamortized issuance costs		1,121		1,106
Deferred revenue		16,450		15,847
Operating lease liabilities		7,919		8,363
Total current liabilities		123,967		131,345
Term loan, less current portion, net of unamortized issuance costs		11,644		12,208
Long-term operating lease liabilities		15,231		17,550
Deferred grant		18,000		18,000
Other liabilities		22,743		19,344
Total liabilities		191,585		198,447

Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock		77		77
Additional paid-in capital		850,064		837,586
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		3,450		(10,840	)
Accumulated income		136,432		120,945
Total stockholders’ equity		990,023		947,768
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	1,181,608	$	1,146,215

About our Non-GAAP Financial Measures:

We believe that the presentation of non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income and free cash flow provides supplemental information that is important to understanding financial and business trends and other factors relating to our financial condition and results of operations. Non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, and non-GAAP operating income are among the primary indicators used by management as a basis for planning and forecasting future periods, and by management and our board of directors to determine whether our operating performance has met certain targets and thresholds. Management uses non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, and non-GAAP operating income when evaluating operating performance because it believes that the exclusion of the items indicated herein, for which the amounts or timing may vary significantly depending upon our activities and other factors, facilitates comparability of our operating performance from period to period. We use free cash flow to conduct and evaluate our business as an additional way of viewing our liquidity that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provides a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our cash flows. Many investors also prefer to track free cash flow, as opposed to only GAAP earnings. Free cash flow has limitations due to the fact that it does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures, and therefore it is important to view free cash flow as a complement to our entire consolidated statements of cash flows. We have chosen to provide this non-GAAP information to investors so they can analyze our operating results closer to the way that management does, and use this information in their assessment of our business and the valuation of our Company. We compute non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, and non-GAAP operating income, by adjusting GAAP net income, GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, GAAP gross profit, GAAP gross margin, GAAP operating expenses, and GAAP operating income to remove the impact of certain items and the tax effect, if applicable, of those adjustments. These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, GAAP, and may be materially different from other non-GAAP measures, including similarly titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies. The presentation of this additional information should not be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, net income, net income per basic and diluted share, gross profit, gross margin, operating expenses, or operating income in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations in that they do not reflect certain items that may have a material impact upon our reported financial results. We may expect to continue to incur expenses of a nature similar to the non-GAAP adjustments described above, and exclusion of these items from our non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, and non-GAAP operating income should not be construed as an inference that these costs are unusual, infrequent or non-recurring. For more information on the non-GAAP adjustments, please see the table captioned “Non-GAAP Financial Measure Reconciliations” included in this press release.

Investor Contact:
Stan Finkelstein
Investor Relations
(925) 290-4273
ir@formfactor.com

Source: FormFactor, Inc.
FORM-F

MIL-OSI: AMSC Reports First Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results and Business Outlook

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

First Quarter Financial Highlights:

Increased Revenue by 80% Year Over Year to Above $70 Million
Reported Net Income of Over $6 Million and Non-GAAP Net Income Exceeding $11 million
Achieved Gross Margin Greater than 30%

Company to host conference call tomorrow, July 31, at 10:00 am ET

AYER, Mass., July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AMSC (Nasdaq: AMSC), a leading system provider of megawatt-scale power resiliency solutions that orchestrate the rhythm and harmony of power on the grid™ and protect and expand the capability and resiliency of our Navy’s fleet, today reported financial results for its first quarter of fiscal year 2025 ended June 30, 2025.

Revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 were $72.4 million compared with $40.3 million for the same period of fiscal 2024. The year-over-year increase was driven by organic growth and the acquisition of NWL, Inc.

AMSC’s net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 was $6.7 million, or $0.17 per share, compared to a net loss of $2.5 million, or $0.07 per share, for the same period of fiscal 2024. The Company’s non-GAAP net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 was $11.6 million, or $0.30 per share, compared with a non-GAAP net income of $3.0 million, or $0.09 per share, in the same period of fiscal 2024. Please refer to the financial table below for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results.

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash on June 30, 2025, totaled $213.4 million, compared with $85.4 million at March 31, 2025.

“We’ve kicked off fiscal 2025 with accelerated growth, delivering a standout first quarter marked by significant progress and exceptional execution that surpassed our expectations,” said Daniel P. McGahn, Chairman, President and CEO, AMSC. “AMSC grew fiscal first quarter revenue by 80% year-over-year, generated net income of over $6 million marking our fourth consecutive quarter of profitability, and achieved expanded gross margins surpassing 30%. Strength in the semiconductor market—driven by growing demand for applications such as artificial intelligence and data centers—contributed to our momentum, while bookings and backlog remained steady. These results highlight our continued progress in scaling the business, diversifying revenue streams, and driving outstanding financial performance. We approach the remainder of fiscal 2025 with confidence in our team and business.”

Business Outlook
For the second quarter ending September 30, 2025, AMSC expects that its revenues will be in the range of $65.0 million to $70.0 million. The Company’s net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 is expected to exceed $2.0 million, or $0.05 per share. The Company’s non-GAAP net income (as defined below) is expected to exceed $6.0 million, or $0.14 per share.

Conference Call Reminder
In conjunction with this announcement, AMSC management will participate in a conference call with investors beginning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, July 31, 2025, to discuss the Company’s financial results and business outlook. Those who wish to listen to the live or archived conference call webcast should visit the “Investors” section of the Company’s website at https://ir.amsc.com. The live call can be accessed by dialing 1-844-481-2802 or 1-412-317-0675 and asking to join the AMSC call. A replay of the call may be accessed 2 hours following the call by dialing 1-877-344-7529 and using conference passcode 4291224.

About AMSC (Nasdaq: AMSC)
AMSC generates the ideas, technologies and solutions that meet the world’s demand for smarter, cleaner … better energy™. Through its Gridtec™ Solutions, AMSC provides the engineering planning services and advanced grid systems that optimize network reliability, efficiency and performance. Through its Marinetec™ Solutions, AMSC provides ship protection systems and is developing propulsion and power management solutions designed to help fleets increase system efficiencies, enhance power quality and boost operational safety. Through its Windtecc™ Solutions, AMSC provides wind turbine electronic controls and systems, designs and engineering services that reduce the cost of wind energy. The Company’s solutions are enhancing the performance and reliability of power networks, increasing the operational safety of navy fleets, and powering gigawatts of renewable energy globally. Founded in 1987, AMSC is headquartered near Boston, Massachusetts with operations in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. For more information, please visit www.amsc.com.

AMSC, American Superconductor, D-VAR, D-VAR VVO, Gridtec, Marinetec, Windtec, Neeltran, NEPSI, NWL, Smarter, Cleaner … Better Energy, and Orchestrate the Rhythm and Harmony of Power on the Grid are trademarks or registered trademarks of American Superconductor Corporation. All other brand names, product names, trademarks or service marks belong to their respective holders.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Any statements in this release regarding execution of our goals and strategies, including scaling our business and diversifying revenue streams; growing demand for applications such as artificial intelligence and data centers; backlog; expectations regarding the second quarter of fiscal 2025; our expected GAAP and non-GAAP financial results for the quarter ending September 30, 2025; and other statements containing the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “will” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements represent management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. There are a number of important factors that could materially impact the value of our common stock or cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These important factors include, but are not limited to: We have not been historically profitable, which may recur in the future. Our operating results may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and may fall below expectations in any particular fiscal quarter; While we generated positive operating cash flow in fiscal 2024 and the prior year, we have a history of negative operating cash flows, and we may require additional financing in the future, which may not be available to us; Our technology and products could infringe intellectual property rights of others, which may require costly litigation and, if we are not successful, could cause us to pay substantial damages and disrupt our business; Changes in exchange rates could adversely affect our results of operations; If we fail to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce accurate and timely financial statements could be impaired and may lead investors and other users to lose confidence in our financial data; We may be required to issue performance bonds, which restricts our ability to access any cash used as collateral for the bonds; We may not realize all of the sales expected from our backlog of orders and contracts; If we fail to implement our business strategy successfully, our financial performance could be harmed; We rely upon third-party suppliers for the components and subassemblies of many of our Grid and Wind products, making us vulnerable to supply shortages and price fluctuations, which could harm our business; Our contracts with the U.S. and Canadian governments are subject to audit, modification or termination by such governments and include certain other provisions in favor of the governments. The continued funding of such contracts may remain subject to annual legislative appropriation, which, if not approved, could reduce our revenue and lower or eliminate our profit; Changes in U.S. government defense spending could negatively impact our financial position, results of operations, liquidity and overall business; Our business and operations may be materially adversely impacted in the event of a failure or security breach of our or any critical third parties’ IT Systems or Confidential Information; Failure to comply with evolving data privacy and data protection laws and regulations or to otherwise protect personal data, may adversely impact our business and financial results; Our success is dependent upon attracting and retaining qualified personnel and our inability to do so could significantly damage our business and prospects; We may acquire additional complementary businesses or technologies, which may require us to incur substantial costs for which we may never realize the anticipated benefits; A significant portion of our Wind segment revenues are derived from a single customer. If this customer’s business is negatively affected, it could adversely impact our business; Our success in addressing the wind energy market is dependent on the manufacturers that license our designs; Many of our revenue opportunities are dependent upon subcontractors and other business collaborators; Problems with product quality or product performance may cause us to incur warranty expenses and may damage our market reputation and prevent us from achieving increased sales and market share; Many of our customers outside of the United States may be either directly or indirectly related to governmental entities, and we could be adversely affected by violations of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti-bribery laws outside the United States; We have had limited success marketing and selling our superconductor products and system-level solutions, and our failure to more broadly market and sell our products and solutions could lower our revenue and cash flow; We or third parties on whom we depend may be adversely affected by natural disasters, including events resulting from climate change, and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not adequately protect us or our value chain from such events; Uncertainty surrounding our prospects and financial condition may have an adverse effect on our customer and supplier relationships; Pandemics, epidemics, or other public health crises may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations; Adverse changes in domestic and global economic conditions could adversely affect our operating results; Our international operations are subject to risks that we do not face in the United States, which could have an adverse effect on our operating results; Our products face competition, which could limit our ability to acquire or retain customers; We have operations in, and depend on sales in, emerging markets, including India, and global conditions could negatively affect our operating results or limit our ability to expand our operations outside of these markets. Changes in India’s political, social, regulatory and economic environment may affect our financial performance; Industry consolidation could result in more powerful competitors and fewer customers; Our success could depend upon the commercial adoption of the REG system, which is currently limited, and a widespread commercial market for our REG products may not develop; Increasing focus and scrutiny on environmental sustainability and social initiatives could adversely impact our business and financial results; Growth of the wind energy market depends largely on the availability and size of government subsidies, economic incentives and legislative programs designed to support the growth of wind energy; Lower prices for other energy sources may reduce the demand for wind energy development, which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to grow our Wind business; We may be unable to adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information; Our patents may not provide meaningful or long-term protection for our technology, which could result in us losing some or all of our market position; Third parties have or may acquire patents that cover the materials, processes and technologies we use or may use in the future to manufacture our Amperium products, and our success depends on our ability to license such patents or other proprietary rights; There are a number of technological challenges that must be successfully addressed before our superconductor products can gain widespread commercial acceptance, and our inability to address such technological challenges could adversely affect our ability to acquire customers for our products; Our common stock has experienced, and may continue to experience, market price and volume fluctuations, which may prevent our stockholders from selling our common stock at a profit and could lead to costly litigation against us that could divert our management’s attention; Unfavorable results of legal proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition and the other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in Part 1. Item 1A of our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, and our other reports filed with the SEC. These important factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements made herein and presented elsewhere by management from time to time. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.


UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2025		2024
Revenues
Grid	$	60,087	$	32,336
Wind		12,271		7,954
Total revenues		72,358		40,290

Cost of revenues		47,869		28,065

Gross margin		24,489		12,225

Operating expenses:
Research and development		4,304		2,286
Selling, general and administrative		14,204		8,898
Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles		337		412
Change in fair value of contingent consideration		—		3,920
Total operating expenses		18,845		15,516

Operating income (loss)		5,644		(3,291	)

Interest income, net		932		1,120
Other income (expense), net		347		(160	)
Income (loss) before income tax expense		6,923		(2,331	)

Income tax expense		199		193

Net income (loss)	$	6,724	$	(2,524	)

Net income (loss) per common share
Basic	$	0.17	$	(0.07	)
Diluted	$	0.17	$	(0.07	)

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
Basic		38,875		35,676
Diluted		39,742		35,676

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except per share data)

	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	207,890		$	79,494
Accounts receivable, net		54,684			46,186
Inventory, net		71,602			71,169
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		13,332			8,055
Restricted cash		1,349			1,613
Total current assets		348,857			206,517

Property, plant and equipment, net		38,521			38,572
Intangibles, net		5,579			5,916
Right-of-use assets		4,041			3,829
Goodwill		48,164			48,164
Restricted cash		4,180			4,274
Deferred tax assets		1,262			1,178
Equity-method investments		1,406			1,113
Other assets		836			958
Total assets	$	452,846		$	310,521

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	$	38,401		$	32,282
Lease liability, current portion		854			685
Deferred revenue, current portion		66,055			66,797
Total current liabilities		105,310			99,764

Deferred revenue, long term portion		9,836			9,336
Lease liability, long term portion		2,906			2,684
Deferred tax liabilities		1,647			1,595
Other liabilities		31			28
Total liabilities		119,730			113,407

Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 75,000,000 shares authorized; 45,564,273 and 39,887,536 shares issued and 45,160,922 and 39,484,185 shares outstanding at June 30, 2025 and March 31, 2025, respectively		456			399
Additional paid-in capital		1,388,948			1,259,540
Treasury stock, at cost, 403,351 at June 30, 2025 and March 31, 2025		(3,765	)		(3,765	)
Accumulated other comprehensive income		1,378			1,565
Accumulated deficit		(1,053,901	)		(1,060,625	)
Total stockholders’ equity		333,116			197,114
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	452,846		$	310,521

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands)

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2025			2024
Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income (loss)	$	6,724		$	(2,524	)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operations:
Depreciation and amortization		1,229			1,008
Stock-based compensation expense		4,526			1,229
Provision for excess and obsolete inventory		711			503
Amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets		243			192
Deferred income taxes		7			(2	)
Earnings from equity method investments		(293	)		—
Change in fair value of contingent consideration		—			3,920
Other non-cash items		140			(3	)
Changes in operating asset and liability accounts:
Accounts receivable		(8,512	)		2,786
Inventory		(1,046	)		(3,799	)
Prepaid expenses and other assets		(5,084	)		(3,099	)
Operating leases		(64	)		(195	)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses		6,321			(1,734	)
Deferred revenue		(777	)		5,127
Net cash provided by operating activities		4,125			3,409

Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment		(814	)		(265	)
Change in other assets		79			245
Net cash used in investing activities		(735	)		(20	)

Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of debt		—			(16	)
Employee taxes paid related to net settlement of equity awards		—			(126	)
Proceeds from public equity offering, net of offering expenses		124,577			—
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		124,577			(142	)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash		71			(4	)

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		128,038			3,243
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period		85,381			92,280
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$	213,419		$	95,523

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET INCOME (LOSS) TO NON-GAAP NET INCOME (In thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2025		2024
Net income (loss)	$	6,724	$	(2,524	)
Stock-based compensation		4,526		1,229
Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles		337		412
Change in fair value of contingent consideration		—		3,920
Non-GAAP net income	$	11,587	$	3,037

Non-GAAP net income per share – basic	$	0.30	$	0.09
Non-GAAP net income per share – diluted	$	0.29	$	0.08
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic		38,875		35,676
Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted		39,742		37,032

Reconciliation of Forecast GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income (In millions, except per share data)

	Three Months Ending
	September 30, 2025
Net income		$	2.0
Stock-based compensation			3.7
Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles			0.3
Non-GAAP net income		$	6.0
Non-GAAP net income per share		$	0.14
Shares outstanding			43.5

Note: Non-GAAP net income is defined by the Company as net income before stock-based compensation; amortization of acquisition-related intangibles; change in fair value of contingent consideration, other non-cash or unusual charges, and the tax effect of adjustments calculated at the relevant rate for our non-GAAP metric. The Company believes non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per share assist management and investors in comparing the Company’s performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by excluding these non-cash, non-recurring or other charges that it does not believe are indicative of its core operating performance. Actual GAAP and non-GAAP net income for the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2025, including the above adjustments, may differ materially from those forecasted in the table above. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s performance, financial position or cash flow that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP measure included in this release, however, should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, net income or other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP net income is set forth in the table above.

Contacts:

AMSC Director, Communications:
Nicol Golez
978-399-8344
Nicol.Golez@amsc.com

Investor Relations:
Carolyn Capaccio
Phone: (212) 838-3777
amscIR@allianceadvisors.com

Public Relations:
Joe Luongo
(914) 906-5903
jluongo@rooneypartners.com

MIL-OSI USA: Coons, Schumer, Murray, Shaheen, Reed, Warner, Schatz, Kaine, Duckworth, Kelly, Bennet, Slotkin, Kim release joint statement to raise alarm about President Trump’s steep concessions to Beijing

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Senate Defense Appropriator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.), Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Ranking Member Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Senate Armed Services Committee member Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Senate Intelligence Committee member Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Senate Armed Services Committee member Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Senate Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance Ranking Member Andy Kim (D-N.J.) released the following statement about public reporting that President Trump is pausing export controls on critical technology sold to China as part of an effort to secure a trade deal with Beijing:

“President Trump has spent the past six months eroding our advantages over China, but recent developments make clear how willing his administration is to sacrifice American economic and technological leadership for symbolic “wins” with China in its self-inflicted trade war.

“In just the last two days, we have seen reporting that the Trump administration has cancelled a long-planned high-level security dialogue with Taiwan and denied the president of Taiwan the ability to transit the United States—a longstanding tradition respected by administrations of both parties. These developments come right on the heels of a decision to pave the way for the sale of advanced AI chips to China and to freeze export controls on additional American technologies enabling them to now flow to China, even as Beijing tightens export controls on the United States. Independent media reports today suggest these moves are an attempt to secure trade concessions, curry favor with President Xi Jinping, and ensure President Trump gets a visit to China. The president is demonstrating to Beijing that he can be cajoled into giving up America’s core interests.

“In the face of lackluster domestic economic forecasts and anemic interest from Beijing in achieving a real breakthrough in talks, President Trump and his economic team have ceded leverage and negotiating power to Beijing in a desperate attempt to lure President Xi to a meeting with President Trump. Even more dangerously, they risk putting American national security, technological advantage, and economic prosperity on the chopping block in order to do so.

“President Trump is handing our primary geopolitical adversary the keys to the castle of 21st century global technological dominance. Doing so will enable Chinese leadership in artificial intelligence, infusing the Chinese military with the technological advantage it needs to continue hostile operations across the globe. He is signaling his ambivalence about standing with Taiwan, our long-term partner in the region and a powerhouse of the global economy. And he is emboldening Beijing to take aggressive actions and seek even more aggressive concessions in whatever trade negotiations may follow.

“President Trump and this administration must reset their dangerously weak approach to China and make clear they will no longer accept symbolic wins in exchange for steep American concessions. An administration convinced it can renegotiate the world order needs to stop negotiating against itself.”

MIL-OSI USA News: Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries

Source: US Whitehouse

class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Background. In Executive Order 14193 of February 1, 2025 (Imposing Duties To Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border), I declared a national emergency regarding the unusual and extraordinary threat to the safety and security of Americans, including the public health crisis caused by fentanyl and other illicit drugs and the failure of Canada to do more to arrest, seize, detain, or otherwise intercept drug trafficking organizations, other drug and human traffickers, criminals at large, and illicit drugs. In that order, I determined that it was necessary and appropriate to, among other things, suspend duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) for articles described in section 2(a) and section 2(b) of that order. In Executive Order 14226 of March 2, 2025 (Amendment to Duties To Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border), I paused the suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment on such articles until I received a notification from the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) that adequate systems are in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect duties for such articles that would otherwise be eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment.

In Executive Order 14194 of February 1, 2025 (Imposing Duties To Address the Situation at Our Southern Border), I declared a national emergency regarding the unusual and extraordinary threat to the safety and security of Americans, including the public health crisis caused by fentanyl and other illicit drugs and the failure of Mexico to do more to arrest, seize, detain, or otherwise intercept drug trafficking organizations, other drug and human traffickers, criminals at large, and illicit drugs. In that order, I determined that it was necessary and appropriate to, among other things, suspend duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) for articles described in section 2(a) of that order. In Executive Order 14227 of March 2, 2025 (Amendment to Duties To Address the Situation at Our Southern Border), I paused the suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment on such articles until I received a notification from the Secretary that adequate systems are in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect duties for such articles that would otherwise be eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment.

In Executive Order 14195 of February 1, 2025 (Imposing Duties To Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China), I declared a national emergency regarding the unusual and extraordinary threat from the failure of the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to arrest, seize, detain, or otherwise intercept chemical precursor suppliers, money launderers, other transnational criminal organizations, criminals at large, and illicit drugs. In that order, I determined that it was necessary and appropriate to, among other things, suspend duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) for articles described in section 2(a) of that order. In Executive Order 14200 of February 5, 2025 (Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China), I paused the suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment for articles described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195 until I received a notification from the Secretary that adequate systems are in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect duties for such articles that would otherwise be eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment.

I subsequently received notification from the Secretary that adequate systems have been established to process and collect duties for articles of the PRC and Hong Kong that would otherwise be eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment, and in Executive Order 14256 of April 2, 2025 (Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China as Applied to Low-Value Imports), I suspended duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) for products of the PRC and Hong Kong described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228 (Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China). In addition, I instructed the Secretary to submit a report regarding the impact of Executive Order 14256 on American industries, consumers, and supply chains and to make recommendations for further action as he deems necessary.

In Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025 (Regulating Imports With a Reciprocal Tariff To Rectify Trade Practices That Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits), I declared a national emergency with respect to underlying conditions indicated by the large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits. I also provided that duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) would remain available for products described in section 3(a) of that order until I received a notification by the Secretary that adequate systems are in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect duties applicable for articles otherwise eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment.

The Secretary has notified me that adequate systems are now in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect duties for articles otherwise eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment on a global basis, including for products described in section 2(a) and section 2(b) of Executive Order 14193, section 2(a) of Executive Order 14194, and section 3(a) of Executive Order 14257.

In my judgment, I determine that it is still necessary and appropriate to suspend duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) in the manner and for the articles described below to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threats, which have their source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.

I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to suspend duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) for certain Canadian goods to deal with the emergency declared in Executive Order 14193, as amended. In my judgment, this suspension is necessary and appropriate to ensure that the tariffs imposed by Executive Order 14193, as amended, are effective in addressing the emergency declared in Executive Order 14193 and that the purpose of this action and other actions to address the emergency declared in Executive Order 14193 is not undermined. For example, many shippers go to great lengths to evade law enforcement and hide illicit substances in imports that go through international commerce. These shippers conceal the true contents of shipments sent to the United States through deceptive shipping practices. Some of the techniques employed by these shippers to conceal the true contents of the shipments, the identity of the distributors, and the country of origin of the imports include the use of re-shippers in the United States, false invoices, fraudulent postage, and deceptive packaging. The risks of evasion, deception, and illicit-drug importation are particularly high for low-value articles that have been eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment.

Independently, I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to suspend duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) for certain Mexican goods to deal with the emergency declared in Executive Order 14194, as amended. In my judgment, and for substantially similar reasons as above, this suspension is necessary and appropriate to ensure that the tariffs imposed by Executive Order 14194, as amended, are effective in addressing the emergency declared in Executive Order 14194 and that the purpose of this action and other actions to address the emergency declared in Executive Order 14194 is not undermined.

Independently, and after considering information newly provided by the Secretary, among other things, I determine that it is still necessary and appropriate to continue to suspend duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) for certain goods of the PRC and Hong Kong to deal with the emergency declared in Executive Order 14195, as amended. In my judgment, and for substantially similar reasons as above, this suspension is still necessary and appropriate to ensure that the tariffs imposed by Executive Order 14195, as amended, are effective in addressing the emergency declared in Executive Order 14195 and that the purpose of this action and other actions to address the emergency declared in Executive Order 14195 is not undermined.

Also independently, I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to suspend duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) on a global basis to deal with the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257, as amended. In my judgment, this suspension is necessary and appropriate to ensure that the tariffs imposed by Executive Order 14257, as amended, are not evaded and are effective in addressing the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257 and that the purpose of this action and other actions to address the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257 is not undermined.

Each of my determinations to suspend or continue to suspend duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) are independent from the other. And each determination is made only for the purpose to deal with the respective emergency and not for the purpose of dealing with another emergency.

Sec. 2. Suspension of Duty-Free de minimis Treatment. (a) The duty-free de minimis exemption provided under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall no longer apply to any shipment of articles not covered by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b), regardless of value, country of origin, mode of transportation, or method of entry. Accordingly, all such shipments, except those sent through the international postal network, shall be subject to all applicable duties, taxes, fees, exactions, and charges. International postal shipments not covered by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b) shall be subject to the duty rates described in section 3 of this order. Entry for all shipments that — prior to the effective date of this order — qualified for the de minimis exemption, except for shipments sent through the international postal network, shall be filed using an appropriate entry type in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) by a party qualified to make such entry.

(b) Shipments sent through the international postal network that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall pass free of any duties except those specified in section 3 of this order, and without the preparation of an entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), until such time as CBP establishes a new entry process and publishes that process in the Federal Register.

Sec. 3. Duty Rates for International Postal Shipments. (a) Transportation carriers delivering shipments to the United States through the international postal network, or other parties if qualified in lieu of such transportation carriers, must collect and remit duties to CBP using the methodology described in either subsection (b) or (c) of this section. Each transportation carrier shall apply the same methodology across all covered shipments during any given period but may change its methodology no more than once per calendar month, or on another schedule determined to be appropriate by CBP, upon providing at least 24 hours’ notice to CBP.

(b) A duty equal to the effective IEEPA tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product shall be assessed on the value of each dutiable postal item (package) containing goods entered for consumption.

(c) A specific duty shall be assessed on each package containing goods entered for consumption, based on the effective IEEPA tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product as follows:

(i) Countries with an effective IEEPA tariff rate of less than 16 percent: $80 per item;

(ii) Countries with an effective IEEPA tariff rate between 16 and 25 percent (inclusive): $160 per item; and

(iii) Countries with an effective IEEPA rate above 25 percent: $200 per item.

(d) For all international postal shipments subject to the methodologies described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the country of origin of the article must be declared to CBP.

(e) The specific duty methodology provided for in subsection (c) of this section shall be available for transportation carriers to select for a period of 6 months from the effective date of this order. After such time all shipments to the United States through the international postal network must comply with the ad valorem duty methodology in subsection (b) of this section.

(f) Shipments sent through the international postal network that are subject to antidumping and countervailing duties or a quota must continue to be entered under an appropriate entry type in ACE to the extent required by all applicable regulations.

Sec. 4. Implementation. (a) The requirements and procedures established by sections 2 and 3 of this order shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on August 29, 2025.

(b) The provisions of this order supersede section 2 of Executive Order 14256, as amended, with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on August 29, 2025.

(c) Consistent with applicable law, the Secretary of Homeland Security is directed and authorized to take all necessary actions to implement and effectuate this order — including through temporary suspension or amendment of regulations or through notices in the Federal Register and by adopting rules, regulations, or guidance — and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement and effectuate this order. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), shall determine whether modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States are necessary to effectuate this order and may make such modifications through notice in the Federal Register. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall consult with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Commerce, the United States Trade Representative, the ITC, and the Postmaster General, where appropriate. The Secretary of Homeland Security may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions within the Department of Homeland Security. All executive departments and agencies shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to implement this order.

(d) To ensure remittance of duties in accordance with this order, and to assure compliance with other legal requirements, CBP is authorized to require a basic importation and entry bond as described in 19 C.F.R. 113.62 for informal entries valued at or less than $2,500. Any carrier that transports international postal shipments to the United States, by any mode of transportation, must have an international carrier bond as described in 19 C.F.R. 113.64 to ensure payment of the duties described in section 3 of this order. CBP is authorized to ensure that the international carrier bonds required by this subsection are sufficient to account for the duties described in section 3 of this order.

Sec. 5. Definition. As used in this order, the term “effective IEEPA tariff rate” means the total duty rate imposed on articles to address a national emergency declared under IEEPA, including Executive Order 14257, as amended; Executive Order 14193; as amended, Executive Order 14194, as amended; and Executive Order 14195, as amended, in accordance with the stacking rules set out in Executive Order 14289 of April 29, 2025 (Addressing Certain Tariffs on Imported Articles), and any subsequent order or proclamation addressing stacking or the applicability of tariffs imposed under IEEPA.

Sec. 6. Severability. (a) If any provision of this order or the application of any provision of this order to any individual or circumstance is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other individuals or circumstances shall not be affected.

(b)(i) If the additional duties imposed under Executive Order 14193, as amended, Executive Order 14194, as amended, Executive Order 14195, as amended, or Executive Order 14257, as amended, are held to be invalid, the suspension of, or continued suspension of, duty-free de minimis treatment, as detailed in this order, shall not be affected. Duty-free de minimis treatment would still be suspended, whether pursuant to my authority under 50 U.S.C. 1702(a)(1)(B) to “regulate . . . importation” or my authority under that provision to “nullify” or “void” “exercising any right . . . or privilege with respect to . . . any property,” in the way and to the extent explained in this order, to deal with the emergencies declared in Executive Order 14193, as amended, Executive Order 14194, as amended, Executive Order 14195, as amended, or Executive Order 14257, as amended. Such suspensions are still necessary and appropriate to address the unusual and extraordinary threats to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Each determination to suspend or continue to suspend duty-free de minimis treatment is still independent from the other determination and made only with the purpose to deal with the respective emergency and not for the purpose of dealing with another emergency. CBP is directed and authorized to take all necessary actions consistent with applicable law to implement and effectuate this order in line with this section ‑- including through temporary suspension or amendment of regulations or through notices in the Federal Register and by adopting rules, regulations, or guidance — and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement and effectuate this order in line with this section.

(ii) Duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall remain available for postal shipments until notification by the Secretary to the President that adequate systems are in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect duties applicable for postal shipments otherwise eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment. After such notification, duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall not be available for postal shipments.

Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive

department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Homeland Security.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,

July 30, 2025.

MIL-OSI: EZCORP Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Results Continued Top-line Momentum Drives Exceptional Earnings Growth

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

AUSTIN, Texas, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ: EZPW), a leading provider of pawn transactions in the United States and Latin America, today announced results for its third quarter ended June 30, 2025.

Unless otherwise noted, all amounts in this release are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and comparisons shown are to the same period in the prior year.

THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Pawn loans outstanding (PLO) increased 11% to $291.6 million.
Net income increased 48% to $26.5 million. On an adjusted basis¹, net income increased 46% to $25.2 million.
Diluted earnings per share increased 36% to $0.34. On an adjusted basis, diluted earnings per share increased 38% to $0.33.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 42% to $45.2 million.
Total revenues increased 11% to $311.0 million, while gross profit increased 10% to $183.6 million.
Grew our footprint by 52 stores, including 40 stores acquired in Mexico on June 17, 2025.

CEO COMMENTARY AND OUTLOOK

Lachie Given, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “This quarter showcased continued strong momentum in our business, disciplined execution from our team, and the scalability of our platform. We delivered record Q3 revenue and achieved all-time high PLO as demand remains strong for immediate cash solutions and secondhand goods. When combined with meaningful efficiency gains throughout the organization, we turned top-line momentum into exceptional earnings growth, as reflected by a 42% increase in adjusted EBITDA and 36% growth in diluted EPS.

“During the quarter, we grew our footprint by 52 stores, including 49 in LatAm and 3 in the US, 1 of which is a luxury store in Miami Beach. We continue to focus on strategic expansion to scale our business, as well as exceptional operating performance across geographies. In the U.S., disciplined expense management and store level execution drove a 32% increase in segment contribution. In Latin America, we delivered over 30% growth in contribution on a constant currency basis, resulting from both organic growth and a partial quarter benefit from acquired stores.

“Our recently strengthened balance sheet with $472 million in liquidity enables us to fund accelerated growth, organically and through strategic acquisitions. Our pipeline of M&A prospects is compelling, and we are ideally positioned to capitalize on attractive scale opportunities. Looking ahead, we remain highly focused on disciplined capital allocation, operational excellence, and delivering long-term value for our shareholders.”

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

Three Months Ended June 30	As Reported				Adjusted¹
in millions, except per share amounts		2025		2024		2025		2024

Total revenues	$	311.0	$	281.4	$	319.9	$	281.4
Gross profit	$	183.6	$	166.7	$	188.4	$	166.7
Income before tax	$	34.7	$	23.0	$	34.0	$	22.9
Net income	$	26.5	$	18.0	$	25.2	$	17.2
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.34	$	0.25	$	0.33	$	0.24
EBITDA (non-GAAP measure)	$	45.7	$	31.8	$	45.2	$	31.7

PLO increased 11% to $291.6 million, up $29.9 million. On a same-store² basis, PLO increased 9% due to increase in average loan size, continued strong pawn demand and improved operational performance.
Total revenues increased 11% and gross profit increased 10%, reflecting improved pawn service charge (PSC) revenues due to higher average PLO.
PSC increased 7% as a result of higher average PLO.
Merchandise sales gross margin remained consistent at 36%. Aged general merchandise improved to 2.3% of total general merchandise inventory, down 83 basis points.
Net inventory increased 31%, as a result of an increase in PLO, layaways and purchases and a decrease in inventory turnover to 2.4x, from 2.7x.
Store expenses increased 2% and 1% on a same-store basis.
General and administrative expenses increased 9% primarily due to labor, with approximately 50% due to long term incentive compensation.
Income before taxes was $34.7 million, up 51% from $23.0 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased 42% to $45.2 million.
Diluted earnings per share increased 36% to $0.34. On an adjusted basis, diluted earnings per share increased 38% to $0.33.
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter was $472.1 million, up from $170.5 million as of September 30, 2024. The increase was due primarily to $300.0 million (less issuance costs) from the issuance of the Senior Notes due 2032 offset by an increase in earning assets.

SEGMENT RESULTS

U.S. Pawn

PLO ended the quarter at $221.1 million, an increase of 11% on a total and same-store basis due to increase in average loan size, strong loan demand and improved operational performance.
Total revenues increased 11% and gross profit increased 12%, driven by increased PSC, merchandise sales and scrap sales.
PSC increased 8% as a result of higher average PLO, partially offset by lower PLO yield.
Merchandise sales increased 4%, on a total and same-store basis, and sales gross margin increased by 80 bps to 38.5%. Aged general merchandise decreased by 260 basis points to 2.5%, or $1.2 million of total general merchandise inventory. Excluding our Max Pawn luxury stores, aged general merchandise was 1.8%.
Net inventory increased 36% due to increase in PLO, layaways and purchases and a decrease in inventory turnover to 2.1x, from 2.6x.
Store expenses increased 3% on a total and same-store basis.

Segment contribution increased 32% to $47.6 million.
Segment store count increased by 3 to 545, due to acquisitions, including 1 luxury store in Miami Beach.

Latin America Pawn

PLO improved to $70.6 million, an increase of 13% (16% on constant currency basis). On a same-store basis, PLO increased 2% (4% increase on a constant currency basis). The difference is driven primarily by our recent acquisition.
Total revenues increased 11% (21% on constant currency basis), and gross profit increased 6% (16% on a constant currency basis), primarily due to increased merchandise sales and pawn service charges.
PSC increased to $31.4 million, an increase of 3% (13% on a constant currency basis) as a result of higher average PLO.
Merchandise sales increased 12% (23% on constant currency basis) and increased 8% on a same-store basis (19% increase on a constant currency basis). Merchandise sales gross margin decreased to 31% from 32%. Aged general merchandise increased to 2.2% from 0.9% of total general merchandise inventory.
Net inventory increased 18% (21% on a constant currency basis) due to an increase in PLO and decrease in inventory turnover to 3.0x, from 3.1x. On a same-store basis, net inventory increased by 10% (13% on a constant currency basis). The difference is driven primarily by our recent acquisition.
Store expenses increased 1% (12% increase on a constant currency basis) and decreased 3% on a same-store basis (7% increase on a constant currency basis). The constant currency increase was due primarily to increased labor, in line with store activity and minimum wage increases.
Segment contribution increased 20% to $12.4 million (30% on a constant currency basis to $13.5 million).
Segment store count increased by 49 to 791, primarily due to the acquisition of 40 stores, the addition of 10 de novo stores and the consolidation of 1 store.

FORM 10-Q

EZCORP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The report is available in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at http://investors.ezcorp.com. EZCORP shareholders may obtain a paper copy of the report, free of charge, by sending a request to the investor relations contact below.

CONFERENCE CALL

EZCORP will host a conference call on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 8:00 am Central Time to discuss Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 results. Analysts and institutional investors may participate on the conference call by registering online at https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI4f3cd4b3bf1d44a198c59f67b0acdc6f. Once registered you will receive the dial-in details with a unique PIN to join the call. The conference call will be webcast simultaneously to the public through this link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/hqptihjy. A replay of the conference call will be available online at http://investors.ezcorp.com shortly after the end of the call.

ABOUT EZCORP

Formed in 1989, EZCORP has grown into a leading provider of pawn transactions in the United States and Latin America. We also sell pre-owned and recycled merchandise, primarily collateral forfeited from pawn lending operations and merchandise purchased from customers. We are dedicated to satisfying the short-term cash needs of consumers who are both cash and credit constrained, focusing on an industry-leading customer experience. EZCORP is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol EZPW and is a member of the S&P 1000 Index and Nasdaq Composite Index.

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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements regarding the Company’s strategy, initiatives and expected performance. These statements are based on the Company’s current expectations as to the outcome and timing of future events. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, including all statements regarding the Company’s strategy, initiatives and future performance, that address activities or results that the Company plans, expects, believes, projects, estimates or anticipates, will, should or may occur in the future, including future financial or operating results, are forward-looking statements. Actual results for future periods may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to a number of uncertainties and other factors, including operating risks, liquidity risks, legislative or regulatory developments, market factors, current or future litigation and risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For a discussion of these and other factors affecting the Company’s business and prospects, see the Company’s annual, quarterly and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time.

Contact:
Email: Investor_Relations@ezcorp.com
Phone: (512) 314-2220

EZCORP, Inc. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Nine Months Ended June 30,
(in thousands, except per share amounts)		2025			2024			2025			2024
Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	168,624		$	158,140		$	524,434		$	502,230
Jewelry scrapping sales		26,970			15,395			64,640			43,191
Pawn service charges		115,339			107,830			348,262			321,442
Other revenues		48			56			131			188
Total revenues		310,981			281,421			937,467			867,051
Merchandise cost of goods sold		108,226			101,211			341,605			322,680
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		19,116			13,483			48,367			37,479
Gross profit		183,639			166,727			547,495			506,892
Operating expenses:
Store expenses		119,123			116,335			352,101			341,472
General and administrative		21,780			20,060			60,089			54,869
Depreciation and amortization		8,003			8,158			24,358			24,942
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets and other		—			20			25			(149	)
Other operating income		(1,262	)		—			(1,262	)		(765	)
Total operating expenses		147,644			144,573			435,311			420,369
Operating income		35,995			22,154			112,184			86,523
Interest expense		8,458			3,539			14,886			10,381
Interest income		(5,440	)		(2,931	)		(9,408	)		(8,452	)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates		(1,200	)		(1,263	)		(4,180	)		(4,135	)
Other (income) expense		(536	)		(191	)		377			(627	)
Income before income taxes		34,713			23,000			110,509			89,356
Income tax expense		8,210			5,050			27,600			21,457
Net income	$	26,503		$	17,950		$	82,909		$	67,899

Basic earnings per share	$	0.45		$	0.33		$	1.47		$	1.23
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.34		$	0.25		$	1.08		$	0.89

Weighted-average basic shares outstanding		59,134			54,898			56,308			55,022
Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding		82,918			83,008			83,144			84,309

EZCORP, Inc. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)

(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)	June 30, 2025			June 30, 2024			September 30, 2024

Assets:
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	472,088		$	218,038		$	170,513
Short-term restricted cash		9,609			9,204			9,294
Pawn loans		291,634			261,720			274,084
Pawn service charges receivable, net		45,410			40,638			44,013
Inventory, net		225,489			171,937			191,923
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		43,417			40,391			39,171
Total current assets		1,087,647			741,928			728,998
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates		13,753			12,297			13,329
Other investments		51,903			51,220			51,900
Property and equipment, net		67,439			59,926			65,973
Right-of-use assets, net		236,064			235,030			226,602
Long-term restricted cash		5,380			—			—
Goodwill		321,907			308,847			306,478
Intangible assets, net		57,960			60,164			58,451
Deferred tax asset, net		25,841			25,245			25,362
Other assets, net		15,174			15,506			16,144
Total assets	$	1,883,068		$	1,510,163		$	1,493,237

Liabilities and equity:
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt, net	$	—		$	137,326		$	103,072
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities		78,756			69,742			85,737
Customer layaway deposits		33,336			20,067			21,570
Operating lease liabilities, current		60,183			58,905			58,998
Total current liabilities		172,275			286,040			269,377
Long-term debt, net		517,601			223,998			224,256
Deferred tax liability, net		2,017			416			2,080
Operating lease liabilities		184,295			188,996			180,616
Other long-term liabilities		16,822			9,258			12,337
Total liabilities		893,010			708,708			688,666
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Class A Non-voting Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share; shares authorized: 100 million; issued and outstanding: 57,992,965 as of June 30, 2025; 51,771,917 as of June 30, 2024; and 51,582,698 as of September 30, 2024		580			518			516
Class B Voting Common Stock, convertible, par value $0.01 per share; shares authorized: 3 million; issued and outstanding: 2,970,171		30			30			30
Additional paid-in capital		448,073			347,082			348,366
Retained earnings		586,549			493,830			507,206
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(45,174	)		(40,005	)		(51,547	)
Total equity		990,058			801,455			804,571
Total liabilities and equity	$	1,883,068		$	1,510,163		$	1,493,237

EZCORP, Inc. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)

	Nine Months Ended June 30,
(in thousands)		2025			2024

Operating activities:
Net income	$	82,909		$	67,899
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		24,358			24,942
Amortization of deferred financing costs		1,238			1,212
Non-cash lease expense		43,889			43,999
Deferred income taxes		(542	)		438
Other adjustments		(1,877	)		69
Provision for inventory reserve		39			589
Stock compensation expense		9,213			7,945
Equity in net income from investment in unconsolidated affiliates		(4,180	)		(4,135	)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of business acquisitions:
Pawn service charges receivable		(364	)		(1,593	)
Inventory		(9,205	)		(2,775	)
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and other assets		(74	)		(3,625	)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities		(58,023	)		(65,396	)
Customer layaway deposits		11,276			1,055
Income taxes		(927	)		(360	)
Net cash provided by operating activities		97,730			70,264
Investing activities:
Loans made		(738,670	)		(683,121	)
Loans repaid		417,734			391,297
Recovery of pawn loan principal through sale of forfeited collateral		291,903			272,781
Capital expenditures, net		(23,051	)		(16,870	)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		(17,093	)		(11,963	)
Proceeds from note receivable		241			1,100
Investment in unconsolidated affiliate		(718	)		(993	)
Investment in other investments		—			(15,000	)
Dividends from unconsolidated affiliates		3,614			3,535
Net cash used in investing activities		(66,040	)		(59,234	)
Financing activities:
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards		(3,971	)		(3,253	)
Proceeds from borrowings		300,000			—
Debt issuance cost		(7,563	)		—
Payments on assumed debt		(6,410	)		—
Purchase and retirement of treasury stock		(6,000	)		(9,009	)
Payments of finance leases		(450	)		(386	)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		275,606			(12,648	)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash		(26	)		(108	)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		307,270			(1,726	)
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period		179,807			228,968
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$	487,077		$	227,242

EZCORP, Inc. OPERATING SEGMENT RESULTS

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
(in thousands)	U.S. Pawn		Latin America Pawn			Other Investments			Total Segments			Corporate Items			Consolidated

Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	112,249	$	56,375		$	—		$	168,624		$	—		$	168,624
Jewelry scrapping sales		23,750		3,220			—			26,970			—			26,970
Pawn service charges		83,930		31,409			—			115,339			—			115,339
Other revenues		31		17			—			48			—			48
Total revenues		219,960		91,021			—			310,981			—			310,981
Merchandise cost of goods sold		69,084		39,142			—			108,226			—			108,226
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		16,814		2,302			—			19,116			—			19,116
Gross profit		134,062		49,577			—			183,639			—			183,639
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Store expenses		83,778		35,345			—			119,123			—			119,123
General and administrative		—		—			—			—			21,780			21,780
Depreciation and amortization		2,651		2,156			—			4,807			3,196			8,003
Other operating income		—		—			—			—			(1,262	)		(1,262	)
Interest expense		—		71			—			71			8,387			8,458
Interest income		—		(427	)		(604	)		(1,031	)		(4,409	)		(5,440	)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliates		—		—			(1,409	)		(1,409	)		209			(1,200	)
Other expense (income)		—		(12	)		—			(12	)		(524	)		(536	)
Segment contribution	$	47,633	$	12,444		$	2,013		$	62,090
Income (loss) before income taxes									$	62,090		$	(27,377	)	$	34,713

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2024 (Unaudited)
(in thousands)	U.S. Pawn			Latin America Pawn			Other Investments			Total Segments			Corporate Items			Consolidated

Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	107,849		$	50,291		$	—		$	158,140		$	—		$	158,140
Jewelry scrapping sales		13,757			1,638			—			15,395			—			15,395
Pawn service charges		77,416			30,414			—			107,830			—			107,830
Other revenues		28			28			—			56			—			56
Total revenues		199,050			82,371			—			281,421			—			281,421
Merchandise cost of goods sold		67,229			33,982			—			101,211			—			101,211
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		11,887			1,596			—			13,483			—			13,483
Gross profit		119,934			46,793			—			166,727			—			166,727
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Store expenses		81,441			34,894			—			116,335			—			116,335
General and administrative		—			—			—			—			20,060			20,060
Depreciation and amortization		2,408			2,090			—			4,498			3,660			8,158
(Gain) loss on sale or disposal of assets and other		(2	)		22			—			20			—			20
Interest expense		—			—			—			—			3,539			3,539
Interest income		—			(370	)		(605	)		(975	)		(1,956	)		(2,931	)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliates		—			—			(1,406	)		(1,406	)		143			(1,263	)
Other (income) expense		—			(184	)		12			(172	)		(19	)		(191	)
Segment contribution	$	36,087		$	10,341		$	1,999		$	48,427
Income (loss) before income taxes										$	48,427		$	(25,427	)	$	23,000

	Nine Months Ended June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
(in thousands)	U.S. Pawn			Latin America Pawn			Other Investments			Total Segments			Corporate Items			Consolidated

Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	357,964		$	166,470		$	—		$	524,434		$	—		$	524,434
Jewelry scrapping sales		56,146			8,494			—			64,640			—			64,640
Pawn service charges		259,354			88,908			—			348,262			—			348,262
Other revenues		82			49			—			131			—			131
Total revenues		673,546			263,921			—			937,467			—			937,467
Merchandise cost of goods sold		225,412			116,193			—			341,605			—			341,605
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		42,017			6,350			—			48,367			—			48,367
Gross profit		406,117			141,378			—			547,495			—			547,495
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Store expenses		250,399			101,702			—			352,101			—			352,101
General and administrative		—			—			—			—			60,089			60,089
Depreciation and amortization		8,050			6,191			—			14,241			10,117			24,358
Loss on sale or disposal of assets and other		17			8			—			25			—			25
Other operating income		—			—			—			—			(1,262	)		(1,262	)
Interest expense		—			71			—			71			14,815			14,886
Interest income		—			(966	)		(1,803	)		(2,769	)		(6,639	)		(9,408	)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliates		—			—			(4,898	)		(4,898	)		718			(4,180	)
Other expense (income)		(7	)		(220	)		—			(227	)		604			377
Segment contribution		147,658			34,592		$	6,701		$	188,951
Income (loss) before income taxes										$	188,951		$	(78,442	)	$	110,509

	Nine Months Ended June 30, 2024 (Unaudited)
(in thousands)	U.S. Pawn			Latin America Pawn			Other Investments			Total Segments			Corporate Items			Consolidated

Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	348,211		$	154,019		$	—		$	502,230		$	—		$	502,230
Jewelry scrapping sales		39,258			3,933			—			43,191			—			43,191
Pawn service charges		236,499			84,943			—			321,442			—			321,442
Other revenues		94			59			35			188			—			188
Total revenues		624,062			242,954			35			867,051			—			867,051
Merchandise cost of goods sold		218,736			103,944			—			322,680			—			322,680
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		33,965			3,514			—			37,479			—			37,479
Gross profit		371,361			135,496			35			506,892			—			506,892
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Store expenses		239,536			101,936			—			341,472			—			341,472
General and administrative		—			—			—			—			54,869			54,869
Depreciation and amortization		7,548			6,821			—			14,369			10,573			24,942
(Gain) loss on sale or disposal of assets and other		(6	)		(240	)		—			(246	)		97			(149	)
Other operating income		—			—			—			—			(765	)		(765	)
Interest expense		—			—			—			—			10,381			10,381
Interest income		—			(1,398	)		(1,811	)		(3,209	)		(5,243	)		(8,452	)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliates		—			—			(4,278	)		(4,278	)		143			(4,135	)
Other (income) expense		—			(231	)		27			(204	)		(423	)		(627	)
Segment contribution	$	124,283		$	28,608		$	6,097		$	158,988
Income (loss) before income taxes										$	158,988		$	(69,632	)	$	89,356

EZCORP, Inc. STORE COUNT ACTIVITY (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2025
	U.S. Pawn	Latin America Pawn		Consolidated

As of March 31, 2025	542	742		1,284
New locations opened	—	10		10
Locations acquired	3	40		43
Locations combined or closed	—	(1	)	(1	)
As of June 30, 2025	545	791		1,336

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2024
	U.S. Pawn	Latin America Pawn	Consolidated

As of March 31, 2024	535	711	1,246
New locations opened	1	6	7
Locations acquired	5	—	5
As of June 30, 2024	541	717	1,258

	Nine Months Ended June 30, 2025
	U.S. Pawn	Latin America Pawn		Consolidated

As of September 30, 2024	542	737		1,279
New locations opened	—	23		23
Locations acquired	3	41		44
Locations combined or closed	—	(10	)	(10	)
As of June 30, 2025	545	791		1,336

	Nine Months Ended June 30, 2024
	U.S. Pawn		Latin America Pawn		Consolidated

As of September 30, 2023	529		702		1,231
New locations opened	1		20		21
Locations acquired	12		—		12
Locations combined or closed	(1	)	(5	)	(6	)
As of June 30, 2024	541		717		1,258

Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

In addition to the financial information prepared in conformity with accounting U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we provide certain other non-GAAP financial information on a constant currency (“constant currency”) and adjusted basis. We use constant currency results to evaluate our Latin America Pawn operations, which are denominated primarily in Mexican pesos, Guatemalan quetzales and other Latin American currencies. We believe that presentation of constant currency and adjusted results is meaningful and useful in understanding the activities and business metrics of our operations and reflects an additional way of viewing aspects of our business that, when viewed with GAAP results, provides a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business. We provide non-GAAP financial information for informational purposes and to enhance understanding of our GAAP consolidated financial statements. We use this non-GAAP financial information primarily to evaluate and compare operating results across accounting periods.

Readers should consider the information in addition to, but not instead of or superior to, our financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. This non-GAAP financial information may be determined or calculated differently by other companies, limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes.

Constant currency results reported herein are calculated by translating consolidated balance sheet and consolidated statement of operations items denominated in local currency to U.S. dollars using the exchange rate from the prior-year comparable period, as opposed to the current period, in order to exclude the effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations. In addition, we have an equity method investment that is denominated in Australian dollars and is translated into U.S. dollars. We used the end-of-period rate for balance sheet items and the average closing daily exchange rate on a monthly basis during the appropriate period for statement of operations items. The end-of-period and approximate average exchange rates for each applicable currency as compared to U.S. dollars as of and for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 were as follows:

	June 30,		Three Months Ended June 30,		Nine Months Ended June 30,
	2025	2024	2025	2024	2025	2024

Mexican peso	18.8	18.3	19.5	17.2	20.0	17.3
Guatemalan quetzal	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.6
Honduran lempira	25.8	24.3	25.7	24.3	25.2	24.3
Australian dollar	1.5	1.5	1.6	1.5	1.6	1.5

Our statement of operations constant currency results reflect the monthly exchange rate fluctuations and so are not directly calculable from the above rates. Constant currency results, where presented, also exclude the foreign currency gain or loss.

Miscellaneous Non-GAAP Financial Measures

	Three Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)		2025			2024

Net income	$	26.5		$	18.0
Interest expense		8.5			3.5
Interest income		(5.4	)		(2.9	)
Income tax expense		8.2			5.0
Depreciation and amortization		8.0			8.2
EBITDA	$	45.7		$	31.8

	Total Revenues		Gross Profit		Income Before Tax			Tax Effect			Net Income			Diluted EPS			EBITDA

2025 Q3 Reported	$	311.0	$	183.6	$	34.7		$	8.2		$	26.5		$	0.34		$	45.7
Corporate lease termination		—		—		(1.3	)		(0.3	)		(1.0	)		(0.01	)		(1.3	)
FX impact		—		—		(0.2	)		—			(0.2	)		—			(0.2	)
Non-recurring foreign tax expense		—		—		—			0.8			(0.8	)		(0.01	)		—
Constant Currency		8.9		4.8		0.8			0.1			0.7			0.01			1.0
2025 Q3 Adjusted	$	319.9	$	188.4	$	34.0		$	8.8		$	25.2		$	0.33		$	45.2

	Total Revenues		Gross Profit		Income Before Tax			Tax Effect		Net Income			Diluted EPS			EBITDA

2024 Q3 Reported	$	281.4	$	166.7	$	23.0		$	5.0	$	18.0		$	0.25		$	31.8
Non-recurring foreign tax expense		—		—		—			0.7		(0.7	)		(0.01	)		—
FX impact		—		—		(0.1	)		—		(0.1	)		—			(0.1	)
2024 Q3 Adjusted	$	281.4	$	166.7	$	22.9		$	5.7	$	17.2		$	0.24		$	31.7

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2025				Nine Months Ended June 30, 2025
(in millions)	U.S. Dollar Amount		Percentage Change YOY		U.S. Dollar Amount		Percentage Change YOY

Consolidated revenues	$	311.0	11	%	$	937.5	8	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		8.9				30.9
Constant currency consolidated revenues	$	319.9	14	%	$	968.4	12	%

Consolidated gross profit	$	183.6	10	%	$	547.5	8	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		4.8				16.1
Constant currency consolidated gross profit	$	188.4	13	%	$	563.6	11	%

Consolidated net inventory	$	225.5	31	%	$	225.5	31	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		1.3				1.3
Constant currency consolidated net inventory	$	226.8	32	%	$	226.8	32	%

Latin America Pawn gross profit	$	49.6	6	%	$	141.4	4	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		4.8				16.1
Constant currency Latin America Pawn gross profit	$	54.4	16	%	$	157.5	16	%

Latin America Pawn PLO	$	70.6	13	%	$	70.6	13	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		1.5				1.5
Constant currency Latin America Pawn PLO	$	72.1	16	%	$	72.1	16	%

Latin America Pawn PSC revenues	$	31.4	3	%	$	88.9	5	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		2.9				9.6
Constant currency Latin America Pawn PSC revenues	$	34.3	13	%	$	98.5	16	%

Latin America Pawn merchandise sales	$	56.4	12	%	$	166.5	8	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		5.7				20.2
Constant currency Latin America Pawn merchandise sales	$	62.1	23	%	$	186.7	21	%

Latin America Pawn segment profit before tax	$	12.4	20	%	$	34.6	21	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		1.1				3.0
Constant currency Latin America Pawn segment profit before tax	$	13.5	30	%	$	37.6	32	%

MIL-OSI USA: Warner and Colleagues Release Joint Statement to Raise Alarm about President Trump’s Steep Concessions to Beijing

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ranking Senate Defense Appropriator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Ranking Member Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Senate Armed Services Committee member Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Senate Intelligence Committee member Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Senate Armed Services Committee member Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Senate Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance Ranking Member Andy Kim (D-N.J.) released the following statement about public reporting that President Trump is pausing export controls on critical technology sold to China as part of an effort to secure a trade deal with Beijing:

“President Trump has spent the past six months eroding our advantages over China, but recent developments make clear how willing his administration is to sacrifice American economic and technological leadership for symbolic “wins” with China in its self-inflicted trade war.

“In just the last two days, we have seen reporting that the Trump administration has cancelled a long-planned high-level security dialogue with Taiwan and denied the president of Taiwan the ability to transit the United States—a longstanding tradition respected by administrations of both parties. These developments come right on the heels of a decision to pave the way for the sale of advanced AI chips to China and to freeze export controls on additional American technologies enabling them to now flow to China, even as Beijing tightens export controls on the United States. Independent media reports today suggest these moves are an attempt to secure trade concessions, curry favor with President Xi Jinping, and ensure President Trump gets a visit to China. The president is demonstrating to Beijing that he can be cajoled into giving up America’s core interests.

“In the face of lackluster domestic economic forecasts and anemic interest from Beijing in achieving a real breakthrough in talks, President Trump and his economic team have ceded leverage and negotiating power to Beijing in a desperate attempt to lure President Xi to a meeting with President Trump. Even more dangerously, they risk putting American national security, technological advantage, and economic prosperity on the chopping block in order to do so.

“President Trump is handing our primary geopolitical adversary the keys to the castle of 21st century global technological dominance. Doing so will enable Chinese leadership in artificial intelligence, infusing the Chinese military with the technological advantage it needs to continue hostile operations across the globe. He is signaling his ambivalence about standing with Taiwan, our long-term partner in the region and a powerhouse of the global economy. And he is emboldening Beijing to take aggressive actions and seek even more aggressive concessions in whatever trade negotiations may follow.

“President Trump and this administration must reset their dangerously weak approach to China and make clear they will no longer accept symbolic wins in exchange for steep American concessions. An administration convinced it can renegotiate the world order needs to stop negotiating against itself.”

MIL-OSI: Tenaris Announces 2025 Second Quarter Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

The financial and operational information contained in this press release is based on unaudited consolidated condensed interim financial statements presented in U.S. dollars and prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standard Board and adopted by the European Union, or IFRS. Additionally, this press release includes non-IFRS alternative performance measures i.e., EBITDA, Free Cash Flow, Net cash / debt and Operating working capital days. See exhibit I for more details on these alternative performance measures.

LUXEMBOURG, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tenaris S.A. (NYSE and Mexico: TS and EXM Italy: TEN) (“Tenaris”) today announced its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 in comparison with its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Summary of 2025 Second Quarter Results

(Comparison with first quarter of 2025 and second quarter of 2024)

	2Q 2025	1Q 2025		2Q 2024
Net sales ($ million)	3,086	2,922	6%	3,322	(7%)
Operating income ($ million)	583	550	6%	512	14%
Net income ($ million)	542	518	5%	348	56%
Shareholders’ net income ($ million)	531	507	5%	335	59%
Earnings per ADS ($)	0.99	0.94	5%	0.59	68%
Earnings per share ($)	0.50	0.47	5%	0.29	68%
EBITDA* ($ million)	733	696	5%	650	13%
EBITDA margin (% of net sales)	23.7%	23.8%		19.6%

_{* EBITDA in 2Q 2024 includes a $171 million loss from the provision for ongoing litigation related to the acquisition of a participation in Usiminas. If this charge was not included EBITDA would have amounted to $821 million, or 24.7% of sales.}

In the second quarter, our sales rose 6% sequentially reflecting an increase in North American OCTG prices and stable volumes. EBITDA and net income also rose. Margins remained in line with those of the previous quarter as cost of sales rose 5%, principally reflecting product mix differences and higher tariff payments.

Our free cash flow for the quarter amounted to $538 million and, after spending $600 million on dividends and $237 million on share buybacks, our net cash position amounted to $3.7 billion at June 30, 2025.

Market Background and Outlook

Oil prices have softened as OPEC+ accelerates the unwinding of its 2.2 Mb/d voluntary production cuts and demand growth is subdued amidst a high level of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Drilling activity, however, has remained relatively resilient, although there has been some reduction in oil drilling in the United States, Canada and Saudi Arabia. Mexico, with the recent financing of Pemex, may start to recover some activity after its extended decline.

Following the recent increase in tariffs on imports of steel products from 25% to 50%, we expect U.S. OCTG imports to reduce from the high levels of the first half and U.S. OCTG prices to increase over time.

For the second half, as anticipated in our last conference call, our sales will show a moderate decline compared to the first half reflecting lower drilling activity and a lower contribution from line pipe projects. Our margins will also be affected by the recent increase in tariff costs.

Analysis of 2025 Second Quarter Results

Tubes

The following table indicates, for our Tubes business segment, sales volumes of seamless and welded pipes for the periods indicated below:

Tubes Sales volume (thousand metric tons)	2Q 2025	1Q 2025			2Q 2024
Seamless	803	775	4%	805		0%
Welded	179	212	(16%)	228		(21%)
Total	982	987	(1%)	1,033		(5%)

The following table indicates, for our Tubes business segment, net sales by geographic region, operating income and operating income as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated below:

Tubes	2Q 2025	1Q 2025			2Q 2024
(Net sales – $ million)
North America	1,403	1,244	13%	1,439		(2%)
South America	531	552	(4%)	599		(11%)
Europe	215	208	3%	269		(20%)
Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa	771	761	1%	823		(6%)
Total net sales ($ million)	2,920	2,765	6%	3,130		(7%)
Services performed on third party tubes ($ million)	110	101	8%	102		7%
Operating income ($ million)	554	514	8%	459		21%
Operating margin (% of sales)	19.0%	18.6%		14.7%

Net sales of tubular products and services increased 6% sequentially and decreased 7% year on year. Sequentially, a 1% decline in volumes sold was offset by a 6% increase in average selling prices. In North America sales increased due to higher OCTG prices in the region and higher shipments to the US offshore. In South America sales decreased following a reduction in shipments to the Raia offshore project in Brazil compensated by the start of shipments for the Vaca Muerta Sur pipeline in Argentina and higher coating services in the Caribbean. In Europe sales were stable sequentially however year on year we had lower sales of offshore line pipe. In Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa sales were stable as we had lower sales in Saudi Arabia, compensated by higher sales of offshore line pipe and coating services in sub-Saharan Africa and for a gas processing plant in Algeria.

Operating results from tubular products and services amounted to a gain of $554 million in the second quarter of 2025 compared to a gain of $514 million in the previous quarter and a gain of $459 million in the second quarter of 2024. Despite the increase in average selling prices margins remained in line with those of the previous quarter as cost of sales rose 5%, principally reflecting product mix differences and higher tariff payments.

Others

The following table indicates, for our Others business segment, net sales, operating income and operating income as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated below:

Others	2Q 2025	1Q 2025		2Q 2024
Net sales ($ million)	166	157	6%	192	(14%)
Operating income ($ million)	29	36	(21%)	52	(45%)
Operating margin (% of sales)	17.3%	23.1%		27.3%

Net sales of other products and services increased 6% sequentially and decreased 14% year on year. Sequentially, sales increased mainly due to higher sales of oilfield services in Argentina, excess raw materials and energy sold to third parties which had a lower margin.

Selling, general and administrative expenses, or SG&A, amounted to $484 million, or 15.7% of net sales, in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $457 million, 15.6% in the previous quarter and $497 million, 15.0% in the second quarter of 2024. Sequentially, the increase in SG&A is mainly due to higher services and fees, taxes, and other expenses.

Other operating results amounted to a loss of $6 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to a gain of $6 million in the previous quarter and a $170 million loss in the second quarter of 2024. In the second quarter of 2024 we recorded a $171 million loss from provision for ongoing litigation related to the acquisition of a participation in Usiminas.

Financial results amounted to a gain of $32 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to a gain of $35 million in the previous quarter and a gain of $57 million in the second quarter of 2024. Financial result of the quarter is mainly attributable to a $54 million net finance income from the net return of our portfolio investments partially offset by foreign exchange and derivatives results.

Equity in earnings (losses) of non-consolidated companies generated a gain of $33 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to a gain of $14 million in the previous quarter and a loss of $83 million in the second quarter of 2024. These results are mainly derived from our participation in Ternium (NYSE:TX) and in the second quarter of 2024 were negatively affected by an $83 million loss from the provision for ongoing litigation related to the acquisition of a participation in Usiminas on our Ternium investment.

Income tax charge amounted to $105 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $81 million in the previous quarter and $138 million in the second quarter of 2024. Sequentially, the higher income tax charge reflects better results at several subsidiaries.

Cash Flow and Liquidity of 2025 Second Quarter

Net cash generated by operating activities during the second quarter of 2025 was $673 million, compared to $821 million in the previous quarter and $0.9 billion in the second quarter of 2024. During the second quarter of 2025 cash generated by operating activities includes a net working capital reduction of $26 million.

With capital expenditures of $135 million, our free cash flow amounted to $538 million during the quarter. Following a dividend payment of $600 million and share buybacks of $237 million in the quarter, our net cash position amounted to $3.7 billion at June 30, 2025.

Analysis of 2025 First Half Results

	6M 2025	6M 2024	Increase/(Decrease)
Net sales ($ million)	6,008	6,763	(11%)
Operating income ($ million)	1,133	1,323	(14%)
Net income ($ million)	1,060	1,098	(4%)
Shareholders’ net income ($ million)	1,038	1,072	(3%)
Earnings per ADS ($)	1.94	1.87	4%
Earnings per share ($)	0.97	0.93	4%
EBITDA* ($ million)	1,429	1,637	(13%)
EBITDA margin (% of net sales)	23.8%	24.2%

_{* EBITDA in 6M 2024 includes a $171 million loss from the provision for ongoing litigation related to the acquisition of a participation in Usiminas. If this charge was not included EBITDA would have amounted to $1,808 million, or 26.7% of sales.}

Our sales in the first half of 2025 decreased 11% compared to the first half of 2024 as volumes of tubular products shipped decreased 5% and tubes average selling prices decreased 7% due to price declines in North America. Following the decrease in sales, EBITDA margin declined from 26.7%, excluding a $171 million provision, to 23.8% and EBITDA declined 21%. While net income declined 4% year on year, earnings per share increased 4% following the reduction of outstanding shares due to the share buyback.

Cash flow provided by operating activities amounted to $1.5 billion during the first half of 2025, including a reduction in working capital of $250 million. After capital expenditures of $309 million, our free cash flow amounted to $1.2 billion. Following a dividend payment of $600 million and share buybacks for $474 million in the semester, our net cash position amounted to $3.7 billion at the end of June 2025.

The following table shows our net sales by business segment for the periods indicated below:

Net sales ($ million)	6M 2025		6M 2024		Increase/(Decrease)
Tubes	5,686	95%	6,421	95%	(11%)
Others	322	5%	342	5%	(6%)
Total	6,008		6,763		(11%)

Tubes

The following table indicates, for our Tubes business segment, sales volumes of seamless and welded pipes for the periods indicated below:

Tubes Sales volume (thousand metric tons)	6M 2025	6M 2024	Increase/(Decrease)
Seamless	1,578	1,582	0%
Welded	390	496	(21%)
Total	1,969	2,078	(5%)

The following table indicates, for our Tubes business segment, net sales by geographic region, operating income and operating income as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated below:

Tubes	6M 2025	6M 2024	Increase/(Decrease)
(Net sales – $ million)
North America	2,647	3,028	(13%)
South America	1,083	1,216	(11%)
Europe	423	522	(19%)
Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa	1,532	1,656	(7%)
Total net sales ($ million)	5,686	6,421	(11%)
Services performed on third parties tubes ($ million)	211	294	(28%)
Operating income ($ million)	1,068	1,245	(14%)
Operating margin (% of sales)	18.8%	19.4%

Net sales of tubular products and services decreased 11% to $5,686 million in the first half of 2025, compared to $6,421 million in the first half of 2024 due to a 5% decrease in volumes and a 7% decrease in average selling prices due to price declines in North America. Average drilling activity in the first half of 2025 decreased 4% in the United States and Canada and 7% internationally compared to the first half of 2024.

Operating results from tubular products and services amounted to a gain of $1,068 million in the first half of 2025 compared to a gain of $1,245 million in the first half of 2024. In first six months of 2024 our Tubes operating income included a $171 million charge for litigations related to the acquisition of a participation in Usiminas and a $39 million gain from the positive resolution of legal claims in Mexico and Brazil. The decline in operating results is mainly due to the decline in average selling prices and the corresponding impact on margins.

Others

The following table indicates, for our Others business segment, net sales, operating income and operating income as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated below:

Others	6M 2025	6M 2024	Increase/(Decrease)
Net sales ($ million)	322	342	(6%)
Operating income ($ million)	65	78	(17%)
Operating margin (% of sales)	20.2%	23.0%

Net sales of other products and services decreased 6% to $322 million in the first half of 2025, compared to $342 million in the first half of 2024. The decline in sales is related to lower sales of sucker rods, coiled tubing and excess raw materials, partially offset by an increase in the sale of oilfield services in Argentina.

Operating results from other products and services amounted to a gain of $65 million in the first half of 2025, compared to a gain of $78 million in the first half of 2024. Results were mainly derived from our oilfield services business in Argentina and from the sale of sucker rods.

Selling, general and administrative expenses, or SG&A, declined from $1,005 million in the first half of 2024 to $941 million in the first half of 2025, however they increased from 14.9% to 15.7% of sales. The decline in SG&A expenses is mainly due to lower taxes, labor costs and depreciation and amortization.

Other operating results amounted to a loss of $50 thousand in the first half of 2025, compared to a loss of $157 million in the first half of 2024. In the first six months of 2024 we recorded a $171 million loss from provision for ongoing litigation related to the acquisition of a participation in Usiminas.

Financial results amounted to a gain of $67 million in the first half of 2025, compared to a gain of $32 million in the first half of 2024. While net finance income increased in the first six months of 2025 due to a stronger net financial position, foreign exchange results were negative, compared to the positive impact recorded in the same period of 2024. In the first half of 2024 other financial results were negatively affected by a cumulative loss of the U.S. dollar denominated Argentine bond previously recognized in other comprehensive income.

Equity in earnings (losses) of non-consolidated companies generated a gain of $47 million in the first half of 2025, compared to a loss of $34 million in the first half of 2024. These results were mainly derived from our equity investment in Ternium (NYSE:TX) and in the first six months of 2024 were negatively affected by an $83 million loss from the provision for ongoing litigation related to the acquisition of a participation in Usiminas on our Ternium investment.

Income tax amounted to a charge of $187 million in the first half of 2025, compared to $223 million in the first half of 2024. The lower income tax charge reflects the reduction in results at several subsidiaries.

Cash Flow and Liquidity of 2025 First Half

Net cash provided by operating activities during the first half of 2025 amounted to $1.5 billion (including a reduction in working capital of $250 million), compared to cash provided by operations of $1.8 billion (net of a reduction in working capital of $276 million) in the first half of 2024.

Capital expenditures amounted to $309 million in the first half of 2025, compared to $333 million in the first half of 2024. Free cash flow amounted to $1.2 billion in the first half of 2025, compared to $1.5 billion in the first half of 2024.

Following a dividend payment of $600 million in May 2025 and share buybacks of $474 million during the first half of 2025, our net cash position amounted to $3.7 billion at the end of June 2025.

Conference call

Tenaris will hold a conference call to discuss the above reported results, on July 31, 2025, at 08:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). Following a brief summary, the conference call will be opened to questions.

To listen to the conference please join through one of the following options:
ir.tenaris.com/events-and-presentations or
https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/dy4pxaxk

If you wish to participate in the Q&A session please register at the following link:
https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI13b7d2b9dcce43d79257fc8cfbdde30c

Please connect 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.

A replay of the conference call will also be available on our webpage at: ir.tenaris.com/events-and-presentations

Some of the statements contained in this press release are “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. These risks include but are not limited to risks arising from uncertainties as to future oil and gas prices and their impact on investment programs by oil and gas companies.

Consolidated Condensed Interim Income Statement

(all amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars)	Three-month period ended June 30,		Six-month period ended June 30,
	2025	2024	2025	2024
	(Unaudited)		(Unaudited)
Net sales	3,085,672	3,321,677	6,007,884	6,763,221
Cost of sales	(2,013,639)	(2,143,614)	(3,934,494)	(4,277,666)
Gross profit	1,072,033	1,178,063	2,073,390	2,485,555
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(483,633)	(496,688)	(940,698)	(1,004,820)
Other operating income	4,317	9,461	16,105	25,485
Other operating expenses	(9,983)	(179,127)	(16,150)	(182,847)
Operating income	582,734	511,709	1,132,647	1,323,373
Finance Income	63,669	68,884	142,113	125,173
Finance Cost	(9,712)	(15,722)	(21,457)	(36,305)
Other financial results, net	(22,294)	4,021	(53,735)	(56,447)
Income before equity in earnings of non-consolidated companies and income tax	614,397	568,892	1,199,568	1,355,794
Equity in earnings (losses) of non-consolidated companies	32,651	(82,519)	46,686	(34,340)
Income before income tax	647,048	486,373	1,246,254	1,321,454
Income tax	(105,342)	(138,147)	(186,684)	(223,003)
Income for the period	541,706	348,226	1,059,570	1,098,451

Attributable to:
Shareholders’ equity	531,323	335,186	1,038,254	1,072,166
Non-controlling interests	10,383	13,040	21,316	26,285
	541,706	348,226	1,059,570	1,098,451

Consolidated Condensed Interim Statement of Financial Position

(all amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars)	At June 30, 2025		At December 31, 2024
	(Unaudited)
ASSETS
Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	6,168,254		6,121,471
Intangible assets, net	1,362,262		1,357,749
Right-of-use assets, net	147,197		148,868
Investments in non-consolidated companies	1,575,101		1,543,657
Other investments	1,009,677		1,005,300
Deferred tax assets	835,954		831,298
Receivables, net	152,215	11,250,660	205,602	11,213,945
Current assets
Inventories, net	3,486,537		3,709,942
Receivables and prepayments, net	244,958		179,614
Current tax assets	415,626		332,621
Contract assets	60,182		50,757
Trade receivables, net	1,892,116		1,907,507
Derivative financial instruments	2,676		7,484
Other investments	2,482,514		2,372,999
Cash and cash equivalents	572,289	9,156,898	675,256	9,236,180
Total assets		20,407,558		20,450,125
EQUITY
Shareholders’ equity		16,583,542		16,593,257
Non-controlling interests		211,117		220,578
Total equity		16,794,659		16,813,835
LIABILITIES
Non-current liabilities
Borrowings	4,361		11,399
Lease liabilities	94,170		100,436
Derivative financial instruments	1,552		–
Deferred tax liabilities	472,640		503,941
Other liabilities	296,990		301,751
Provisions	61,746	931,459	82,106	999,633
Current liabilities
Borrowings	319,919		425,999
Lease liabilities	53,917		44,490
Derivative financial instruments	9,254		8,300
Current tax liabilities	298,803		366,292
Other liabilities	792,982		585,775
Provisions	156,387		119,344
Customer advances	139,751		206,196
Trade payables	910,427	2,681,440	880,261	2,636,657
Total liabilities		3,612,899		3,636,290
Total equity and liabilities		20,407,558		20,450,125

Consolidated Condensed Interim Statement of Cash Flows

(all amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars)	Three-month period ended June 30,		Six-month period ended June 30,
	2025	2024	2025	2024
	(Unaudited)		(Unaudited)
Cash flows from operating activities
Income for the period	541,706	348,226	1,059,570	1,098,451
Adjustments for:
Depreciation and amortization	150,002	138,509	296,408	313,951
Bargain purchase gain	–	(2,211)	–	(2,211)
Provision for the ongoing litigation related to the acquisition of participation in Usiminas	8,650	170,610	18,527	170,610
Income tax accruals less payments	(36,660)	(84,340)	(90,793)	(113,562)
Equity in earnings (losses) of non-consolidated companies	(32,651)	82,519	(46,686)	34,340
Interest accruals less payments, net	(4,616)	(14,573)	(13,039)	(2,635)
Changes in provisions	628	(6,277)	(1,765)	(4,732)
Changes in working capital	26,499	285,066	250,316	275,518
Others, including net foreign exchange	19,589	17,672	21,609	52,448
Net cash provided by operating activities	673,147	935,201	1,494,147	1,822,178

Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures	(135,454)	(161,318)	(309,292)	(333,415)
Changes in advances to suppliers of property, plant and equipment	(18,769)	(13,467)	(5,853)	(10,515)
Cash decrease due to deconsolidation of subsidiaries	(1,848)	–	(1,848)	–
Acquisition of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired	–	25,946	–	25,946
Loan to joint ventures	–	(1,391)	(1,359)	(2,745)
Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets	56,829	723	57,729	6,135
Dividends received from non-consolidated companies	41,348	53,136	41,348	53,136
Changes in investments in securities	94,299	(277,085)	(131,337)	(1,036,752)
Net cash used in investing activities	36,405	(373,456)	(350,612)	(1,298,210)

Cash flows from financing activities
Dividends paid	(600,317)	(458,556)	(600,317)	(458,556)
Dividends paid to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	(27,264)	–	(27,264)	–
Changes in non-controlling interests	–	(5)	–	1,115
Acquisition of treasury shares	(236,744)	(492,322)	(473,932)	(803,386)
Payments of lease liabilities	(15,392)	(16,614)	(30,047)	(33,382)
Proceeds from borrowings	128,874	365,149	476,443	1,195,096
Repayments of borrowings	(145,831)	(418,521)	(574,956)	(1,172,599)
Net cash used in financing activities	(896,674)	(1,020,869)	(1,230,073)	(1,271,712)

Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(187,122)	(459,124)	(86,538)	(747,744)

Movement in cash and cash equivalents
At the beginning of the period	758,952	1,323,056	660,798	1,616,597
Effect of exchange rate changes	(338)	(15,237)	(2,768)	(20,158)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(187,122)	(459,124)	(86,538)	(747,744)
At June 30,	571,492	848,695	571,492	848,695

Exhibit I – Alternative performance measures

Alternative performance measures should be considered in addition to, not as substitute for or superior to, other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

EBITDA, Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization.

EBITDA provides an analysis of the operating results excluding depreciation and amortization and impairments, as they are recurring non-cash variables which can vary substantially from company to company depending on accounting policies and the accounting value of the assets. EBITDA is an approximation to pre-tax operating cash flow and reflects cash generation before working capital variation. EBITDA is widely used by investors when evaluating businesses (multiples valuation), as well as by rating agencies and creditors to evaluate the level of debt, comparing EBITDA with net debt.

EBITDA is calculated in the following manner:

EBITDA = Net income for the period + Income tax charges +/- Equity in Earnings (losses) of non-consolidated companies +/- Financial results + Depreciation and amortization +/- Impairment charges/(reversals).

EBITDA is a non-IFRS alternative performance measure.

(all amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars)	Three-month period ended June 30,		Six-month period ended June 30,
	2025	2024	2025	2024
Income for the period	541,706	348,226	1,059,570	1,098,451
Income tax charge	105,342	138,147	186,684	223,003
Equity in earnings (losses) of non-consolidated companies	(32,651)	82,519	(46,686)	34,340
Financial Results	(31,663)	(57,183)	(66,921)	(32,421)
Depreciation and amortization	150,002	138,509	296,408	313,951
EBITDA	732,736	650,218	1,429,055	1,637,324

Free Cash Flow

Free cash flow is a measure of financial performance, calculated as operating cash flow less capital expenditures. FCF represents the cash that a company is able to generate after spending the money required to maintain or expand its asset base.

Free cash flow is calculated in the following manner:

Free cash flow = Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities – Capital expenditures.

Free cash flow is a non-IFRS alternative performance measure.

(all amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars)	Three-month period ended June 30,		Six-month period ended June 30,
	2025	2024	2025	2024
Net cash provided by operating activities	673,147	935,201	1,494,147	1,822,178
Capital expenditures	(135,454)	(161,318)	(309,292)	(333,415)
Free cash flow	537,693	773,883	1,184,855	1,488,763

Net Cash / (Debt)

This is the net balance of cash and cash equivalents, other current investments and fixed income investments held to maturity less total borrowings. It provides a summary of the financial solvency and liquidity of the company. Net cash / (debt) is widely used by investors and rating agencies and creditors to assess the company’s leverage, financial strength, flexibility and risks.

Net cash/ debt is calculated in the following manner:

Net cash = Cash and cash equivalents + Other investments (Current and Non-Current)+/- Derivatives hedging borrowings and investments – Borrowings (Current and Non-Current).

Net cash/debt is a non-IFRS alternative performance measure.

(all amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars)	At June 30,
	2025	2024
Cash and cash equivalents	572,289	850,236
Other current investments	2,482,514	2,452,375
Non-current investments	1,002,523	1,120,834
Derivatives hedging borrowings and investments	(3,698)	–
Current borrowings	(319,919)	(559,517)
Non-current borrowings	(4,361)	(21,386)
Net cash / (debt)	3,729,348	3,842,542

Operating working capital days

Operating working capital is the difference between the main operating components of current assets and current liabilities. Operating working capital is a measure of a company’s operational efficiency, and short-term financial health.

Operating working capital days is calculated in the following manner:

Operating working capital days = [(Inventories + Trade receivables – Trade payables – Customer advances) / Annualized quarterly sales ] x 365.

Operating working capital days is a non-IFRS alternative performance measure.

(all amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars)	At June 30,
	2025	2024
Inventories	3,486,537	3,834,623
Trade receivables	1,892,116	2,185,425
Customer advances	(139,751)	(298,158)
Trade payables	(910,427)	(1,020,453)
Operating working capital	4,328,475	4,701,437
Annualized quarterly sales	12,342,688	13,286,708
Operating working capital days	128	129

Giovanni Sardagna
Tenaris
1-888-300-5432
www.tenaris.com

MIL-OSI: EZCORP Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

AUSTIN, Texas, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ: EZPW), a leading provider of pawn transactions in the United States and Latin America, today announced results for its third quarter ended June 30, 2025.

Unless otherwise noted, all amounts in this release are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and comparisons shown are to the same period in the prior year.

THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Pawn loans outstanding (PLO) increased 11% to $291.6 million.
Net income increased 48% to $26.5 million. On an adjusted basis¹, net income increased 46% to $25.2 million.
Diluted earnings per share increased 36% to $0.34. On an adjusted basis, diluted earnings per share increased 38% to $0.33.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 42% to $45.2 million.
Total revenues increased 11% to $311.0 million, while gross profit increased 10% to $183.6 million.
Grew our footprint by 52 stores, including 40 stores acquired in Mexico on June 17, 2025.

CEO COMMENTARY AND OUTLOOK

Lachie Given, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “This quarter showcased continued strong momentum in our business, disciplined execution from our team, and the scalability of our platform. We delivered record Q3 revenue and achieved all-time high PLO as demand remains strong for immediate cash solutions and secondhand goods. When combined with meaningful efficiency gains throughout the organization, we turned top-line momentum into exceptional earnings growth, as reflected by a 42% increase in adjusted EBITDA and 36% growth in diluted EPS.

“During the quarter, we grew our footprint by 52 stores, including 49 in LatAm and 3 in the US, 1 of which is a luxury store in Miami Beach. We continue to focus on strategic expansion to scale our business, as well as exceptional operating performance across geographies. In the U.S., disciplined expense management and store level execution drove a 32% increase in segment contribution. In Latin America, we delivered over 30% growth in contribution on a constant currency basis, resulting from both organic growth and a partial quarter benefit from acquired stores.

“Our recently strengthened balance sheet with $472 million in liquidity enables us to fund accelerated growth, organically and through strategic acquisitions. Our pipeline of M&A prospects is compelling, and we are ideally positioned to capitalize on attractive scale opportunities. Looking ahead, we remain highly focused on disciplined capital allocation, operational excellence, and delivering long-term value for our shareholders.”

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

Three Months Ended June 30	As Reported				Adjusted¹
in millions, except per share amounts		2025		2024		2025		2024

Total revenues	$	311.0	$	281.4	$	319.9	$	281.4
Gross profit	$	183.6	$	166.7	$	188.4	$	166.7
Income before tax	$	34.7	$	23.0	$	34.0	$	22.9
Net income	$	26.5	$	18.0	$	25.2	$	17.2
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.34	$	0.25	$	0.33	$	0.24
EBITDA (non-GAAP measure)	$	45.7	$	31.8	$	45.2	$	31.7

PLO increased 11% to $291.6 million, up $29.9 million. On a same-store² basis, PLO increased 9% due to increase in average loan size, continued strong pawn demand and improved operational performance.
Total revenues increased 11% and gross profit increased 10%, reflecting improved pawn service charge (PSC) revenues due to higher average PLO.
PSC increased 7% as a result of higher average PLO.
Merchandise sales gross margin remained consistent at 36%. Aged general merchandise improved to 2.3% of total general merchandise inventory, down 83 basis points.
Net inventory increased 31%, as a result of an increase in PLO, layaways and purchases and a decrease in inventory turnover to 2.4x, from 2.7x.
Store expenses increased 2% and 1% on a same-store basis.
General and administrative expenses increased 9% primarily due to labor, with approximately 50% due to long term incentive compensation.
Income before taxes was $34.7 million, up 51% from $23.0 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased 42% to $45.2 million.
Diluted earnings per share increased 36% to $0.34. On an adjusted basis, diluted earnings per share increased 38% to $0.33.
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter was $472.1 million, up from $170.5 million as of September 30, 2024. The increase was due primarily to $300.0 million (less issuance costs) from the issuance of the Senior Notes due 2032 offset by an increase in earning assets.

SEGMENT RESULTS

U.S. Pawn

PLO ended the quarter at $221.1 million, an increase of 11% on a total and same-store basis due to increase in average loan size, strong loan demand and improved operational performance.
Total revenues increased 11% and gross profit increased 12%, driven by increased PSC, merchandise sales and scrap sales.
PSC increased 8% as a result of higher average PLO, partially offset by lower PLO yield.
Merchandise sales increased 4%, on a total and same-store basis, and sales gross margin increased by 80 bps to 38.5%. Aged general merchandise decreased by 260 basis points to 2.5%, or $1.2 million of total general merchandise inventory. Excluding our Max Pawn luxury stores, aged general merchandise was 1.8%.
Net inventory increased 36% due to increase in PLO, layaways and purchases and a decrease in inventory turnover to 2.1x, from 2.6x.
Store expenses increased 3% on a total and same-store basis.

Segment contribution increased 32% to $47.6 million.
Segment store count increased by 3 to 545, due to acquisitions, including 1 luxury store in Miami Beach.

Latin America Pawn

PLO improved to $70.6 million, an increase of 13% (16% on constant currency basis). On a same-store basis, PLO increased 2% (4% increase on a constant currency basis). The difference is driven primarily by our recent acquisition.
Total revenues increased 11% (21% on constant currency basis), and gross profit increased 6% (16% on a constant currency basis), primarily due to increased merchandise sales and pawn service charges.
PSC increased to $31.4 million, an increase of 3% (13% on a constant currency basis) as a result of higher average PLO.
Merchandise sales increased 12% (23% on constant currency basis) and increased 8% on a same-store basis (19% increase on a constant currency basis). Merchandise sales gross margin decreased to 31% from 32%. Aged general merchandise increased to 2.2% from 0.9% of total general merchandise inventory.
Net inventory increased 18% (21% on a constant currency basis) due to an increase in PLO and decrease in inventory turnover to 3.0x, from 3.1x. On a same-store basis, net inventory increased by 10% (13% on a constant currency basis). The difference is driven primarily by our recent acquisition.
Store expenses increased 1% (12% increase on a constant currency basis) and decreased 3% on a same-store basis (7% increase on a constant currency basis). The constant currency increase was due primarily to increased labor, in line with store activity and minimum wage increases.
Segment contribution increased 20% to $12.4 million (30% on a constant currency basis to $13.5 million).
Segment store count increased by 49 to 791, primarily due to the acquisition of 40 stores, the addition of 10 de novo stores and the consolidation of 1 store.

FORM 10-Q

EZCORP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The report is available in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at http://investors.ezcorp.com. EZCORP shareholders may obtain a paper copy of the report, free of charge, by sending a request to the investor relations contact below.

CONFERENCE CALL

EZCORP will host a conference call on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 8:00 am Central Time to discuss Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 results. Analysts and institutional investors may participate on the conference call by registering online at https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI4f3cd4b3bf1d44a198c59f67b0acdc6f. Once registered you will receive the dial-in details with a unique PIN to join the call. The conference call will be webcast simultaneously to the public through this link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/hqptihjy. A replay of the conference call will be available online at http://investors.ezcorp.com shortly after the end of the call.

ABOUT EZCORP

Formed in 1989, EZCORP has grown into a leading provider of pawn transactions in the United States and Latin America. We also sell pre-owned and recycled merchandise, primarily collateral forfeited from pawn lending operations and merchandise purchased from customers. We are dedicated to satisfying the short-term cash needs of consumers who are both cash and credit constrained, focusing on an industry-leading customer experience. EZCORP is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol EZPW and is a member of the S&P 1000 Index and Nasdaq Composite Index.

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EZCORP LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ezcorp/

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements regarding the Company’s strategy, initiatives and expected performance. These statements are based on the Company’s current expectations as to the outcome and timing of future events. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, including all statements regarding the Company’s strategy, initiatives and future performance, that address activities or results that the Company plans, expects, believes, projects, estimates or anticipates, will, should or may occur in the future, including future financial or operating results, are forward-looking statements. Actual results for future periods may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to a number of uncertainties and other factors, including operating risks, liquidity risks, legislative or regulatory developments, market factors, current or future litigation and risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For a discussion of these and other factors affecting the Company’s business and prospects, see the Company’s annual, quarterly and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time.

Contact:
Email: Investor_Relations@ezcorp.com
Phone: (512) 314-2220

EZCORP, Inc. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Nine Months Ended June 30,
(in thousands, except per share amounts)		2025			2024			2025			2024
Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	168,624		$	158,140		$	524,434		$	502,230
Jewelry scrapping sales		26,970			15,395			64,640			43,191
Pawn service charges		115,339			107,830			348,262			321,442
Other revenues		48			56			131			188
Total revenues		310,981			281,421			937,467			867,051
Merchandise cost of goods sold		108,226			101,211			341,605			322,680
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		19,116			13,483			48,367			37,479
Gross profit		183,639			166,727			547,495			506,892
Operating expenses:
Store expenses		119,123			116,335			352,101			341,472
General and administrative		21,780			20,060			60,089			54,869
Depreciation and amortization		8,003			8,158			24,358			24,942
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets and other		—			20			25			(149	)
Other operating income		(1,262	)		—			(1,262	)		(765	)
Total operating expenses		147,644			144,573			435,311			420,369
Operating income		35,995			22,154			112,184			86,523
Interest expense		8,458			3,539			14,886			10,381
Interest income		(5,440	)		(2,931	)		(9,408	)		(8,452	)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates		(1,200	)		(1,263	)		(4,180	)		(4,135	)
Other (income) expense		(536	)		(191	)		377			(627	)
Income before income taxes		34,713			23,000			110,509			89,356
Income tax expense		8,210			5,050			27,600			21,457
Net income	$	26,503		$	17,950		$	82,909		$	67,899

Basic earnings per share	$	0.45		$	0.33		$	1.47		$	1.23
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.34		$	0.25		$	1.08		$	0.89

Weighted-average basic shares outstanding		59,134			54,898			56,308			55,022
Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding		82,918			83,008			83,144			84,309

EZCORP, Inc. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)

(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)	June 30, 2025			June 30, 2024			September 30, 2024

Assets:
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	472,088		$	218,038		$	170,513
Short-term restricted cash		9,609			9,204			9,294
Pawn loans		291,634			261,720			274,084
Pawn service charges receivable, net		45,410			40,638			44,013
Inventory, net		225,489			171,937			191,923
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		43,417			40,391			39,171
Total current assets		1,087,647			741,928			728,998
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates		13,753			12,297			13,329
Other investments		51,903			51,220			51,900
Property and equipment, net		67,439			59,926			65,973
Right-of-use assets, net		236,064			235,030			226,602
Long-term restricted cash		5,380			—			—
Goodwill		321,907			308,847			306,478
Intangible assets, net		57,960			60,164			58,451
Deferred tax asset, net		25,841			25,245			25,362
Other assets, net		15,174			15,506			16,144
Total assets	$	1,883,068		$	1,510,163		$	1,493,237

Liabilities and equity:
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt, net	$	—		$	137,326		$	103,072
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities		78,756			69,742			85,737
Customer layaway deposits		33,336			20,067			21,570
Operating lease liabilities, current		60,183			58,905			58,998
Total current liabilities		172,275			286,040			269,377
Long-term debt, net		517,601			223,998			224,256
Deferred tax liability, net		2,017			416			2,080
Operating lease liabilities		184,295			188,996			180,616
Other long-term liabilities		16,822			9,258			12,337
Total liabilities		893,010			708,708			688,666
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Class A Non-voting Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share; shares authorized: 100 million; issued and outstanding: 57,992,965 as of June 30, 2025; 51,771,917 as of June 30, 2024; and 51,582,698 as of September 30, 2024		580			518			516
Class B Voting Common Stock, convertible, par value $0.01 per share; shares authorized: 3 million; issued and outstanding: 2,970,171		30			30			30
Additional paid-in capital		448,073			347,082			348,366
Retained earnings		586,549			493,830			507,206
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(45,174	)		(40,005	)		(51,547	)
Total equity		990,058			801,455			804,571
Total liabilities and equity	$	1,883,068		$	1,510,163		$	1,493,237

EZCORP, Inc. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)

	Nine Months Ended June 30,
(in thousands)		2025			2024

Operating activities:
Net income	$	82,909		$	67,899
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		24,358			24,942
Amortization of deferred financing costs		1,238			1,212
Non-cash lease expense		43,889			43,999
Deferred income taxes		(542	)		438
Other adjustments		(1,877	)		69
Provision for inventory reserve		39			589
Stock compensation expense		9,213			7,945
Equity in net income from investment in unconsolidated affiliates		(4,180	)		(4,135	)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of business acquisitions:
Pawn service charges receivable		(364	)		(1,593	)
Inventory		(9,205	)		(2,775	)
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and other assets		(74	)		(3,625	)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities		(58,023	)		(65,396	)
Customer layaway deposits		11,276			1,055
Income taxes		(927	)		(360	)
Net cash provided by operating activities		97,730			70,264
Investing activities:
Loans made		(738,670	)		(683,121	)
Loans repaid		417,734			391,297
Recovery of pawn loan principal through sale of forfeited collateral		291,903			272,781
Capital expenditures, net		(23,051	)		(16,870	)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		(17,093	)		(11,963	)
Proceeds from note receivable		241			1,100
Investment in unconsolidated affiliate		(718	)		(993	)
Investment in other investments		—			(15,000	)
Dividends from unconsolidated affiliates		3,614			3,535
Net cash used in investing activities		(66,040	)		(59,234	)
Financing activities:
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards		(3,971	)		(3,253	)
Proceeds from borrowings		300,000			—
Debt issuance cost		(7,563	)		—
Payments on assumed debt		(6,410	)		—
Purchase and retirement of treasury stock		(6,000	)		(9,009	)
Payments of finance leases		(450	)		(386	)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		275,606			(12,648	)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash		(26	)		(108	)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		307,270			(1,726	)
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period		179,807			228,968
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$	487,077		$	227,242

EZCORP, Inc. OPERATING SEGMENT RESULTS

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
(in thousands)	U.S. Pawn		Latin America Pawn			Other Investments			Total Segments			Corporate Items			Consolidated

Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	112,249	$	56,375		$	—		$	168,624		$	—		$	168,624
Jewelry scrapping sales		23,750		3,220			—			26,970			—			26,970
Pawn service charges		83,930		31,409			—			115,339			—			115,339
Other revenues		31		17			—			48			—			48
Total revenues		219,960		91,021			—			310,981			—			310,981
Merchandise cost of goods sold		69,084		39,142			—			108,226			—			108,226
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		16,814		2,302			—			19,116			—			19,116
Gross profit		134,062		49,577			—			183,639			—			183,639
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Store expenses		83,778		35,345			—			119,123			—			119,123
General and administrative		—		—			—			—			21,780			21,780
Depreciation and amortization		2,651		2,156			—			4,807			3,196			8,003
Other operating income		—		—			—			—			(1,262	)		(1,262	)
Interest expense		—		71			—			71			8,387			8,458
Interest income		—		(427	)		(604	)		(1,031	)		(4,409	)		(5,440	)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliates		—		—			(1,409	)		(1,409	)		209			(1,200	)
Other expense (income)		—		(12	)		—			(12	)		(524	)		(536	)
Segment contribution	$	47,633	$	12,444		$	2,013		$	62,090
Income (loss) before income taxes									$	62,090		$	(27,377	)	$	34,713

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2024 (Unaudited)
(in thousands)	U.S. Pawn			Latin America Pawn			Other Investments			Total Segments			Corporate Items			Consolidated

Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	107,849		$	50,291		$	—		$	158,140		$	—		$	158,140
Jewelry scrapping sales		13,757			1,638			—			15,395			—			15,395
Pawn service charges		77,416			30,414			—			107,830			—			107,830
Other revenues		28			28			—			56			—			56
Total revenues		199,050			82,371			—			281,421			—			281,421
Merchandise cost of goods sold		67,229			33,982			—			101,211			—			101,211
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		11,887			1,596			—			13,483			—			13,483
Gross profit		119,934			46,793			—			166,727			—			166,727
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Store expenses		81,441			34,894			—			116,335			—			116,335
General and administrative		—			—			—			—			20,060			20,060
Depreciation and amortization		2,408			2,090			—			4,498			3,660			8,158
(Gain) loss on sale or disposal of assets and other		(2	)		22			—			20			—			20
Interest expense		—			—			—			—			3,539			3,539
Interest income		—			(370	)		(605	)		(975	)		(1,956	)		(2,931	)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliates		—			—			(1,406	)		(1,406	)		143			(1,263	)
Other (income) expense		—			(184	)		12			(172	)		(19	)		(191	)
Segment contribution	$	36,087		$	10,341		$	1,999		$	48,427
Income (loss) before income taxes										$	48,427		$	(25,427	)	$	23,000

	Nine Months Ended June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
(in thousands)	U.S. Pawn			Latin America Pawn			Other Investments			Total Segments			Corporate Items			Consolidated

Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	357,964		$	166,470		$	—		$	524,434		$	—		$	524,434
Jewelry scrapping sales		56,146			8,494			—			64,640			—			64,640
Pawn service charges		259,354			88,908			—			348,262			—			348,262
Other revenues		82			49			—			131			—			131
Total revenues		673,546			263,921			—			937,467			—			937,467
Merchandise cost of goods sold		225,412			116,193			—			341,605			—			341,605
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		42,017			6,350			—			48,367			—			48,367
Gross profit		406,117			141,378			—			547,495			—			547,495
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Store expenses		250,399			101,702			—			352,101			—			352,101
General and administrative		—			—			—			—			60,089			60,089
Depreciation and amortization		8,050			6,191			—			14,241			10,117			24,358
Loss on sale or disposal of assets and other		17			8			—			25			—			25
Other operating income		—			—			—			—			(1,262	)		(1,262	)
Interest expense		—			71			—			71			14,815			14,886
Interest income		—			(966	)		(1,803	)		(2,769	)		(6,639	)		(9,408	)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliates		—			—			(4,898	)		(4,898	)		718			(4,180	)
Other expense (income)		(7	)		(220	)		—			(227	)		604			377
Segment contribution		147,658			34,592		$	6,701		$	188,951
Income (loss) before income taxes										$	188,951		$	(78,442	)	$	110,509

	Nine Months Ended June 30, 2024 (Unaudited)
(in thousands)	U.S. Pawn			Latin America Pawn			Other Investments			Total Segments			Corporate Items			Consolidated

Revenues:
Merchandise sales	$	348,211		$	154,019		$	—		$	502,230		$	—		$	502,230
Jewelry scrapping sales		39,258			3,933			—			43,191			—			43,191
Pawn service charges		236,499			84,943			—			321,442			—			321,442
Other revenues		94			59			35			188			—			188
Total revenues		624,062			242,954			35			867,051			—			867,051
Merchandise cost of goods sold		218,736			103,944			—			322,680			—			322,680
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold		33,965			3,514			—			37,479			—			37,479
Gross profit		371,361			135,496			35			506,892			—			506,892
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Store expenses		239,536			101,936			—			341,472			—			341,472
General and administrative		—			—			—			—			54,869			54,869
Depreciation and amortization		7,548			6,821			—			14,369			10,573			24,942
(Gain) loss on sale or disposal of assets and other		(6	)		(240	)		—			(246	)		97			(149	)
Other operating income		—			—			—			—			(765	)		(765	)
Interest expense		—			—			—			—			10,381			10,381
Interest income		—			(1,398	)		(1,811	)		(3,209	)		(5,243	)		(8,452	)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliates		—			—			(4,278	)		(4,278	)		143			(4,135	)
Other (income) expense		—			(231	)		27			(204	)		(423	)		(627	)
Segment contribution	$	124,283		$	28,608		$	6,097		$	158,988
Income (loss) before income taxes										$	158,988		$	(69,632	)	$	89,356

EZCORP, Inc. STORE COUNT ACTIVITY (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2025
	U.S. Pawn	Latin America Pawn		Consolidated

As of March 31, 2025	542	742		1,284
New locations opened	—	10		10
Locations acquired	3	40		43
Locations combined or closed	—	(1	)	(1	)
As of June 30, 2025	545	791		1,336

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2024
	U.S. Pawn	Latin America Pawn	Consolidated

As of March 31, 2024	535	711	1,246
New locations opened	1	6	7
Locations acquired	5	—	5
As of June 30, 2024	541	717	1,258

	Nine Months Ended June 30, 2025
	U.S. Pawn	Latin America Pawn		Consolidated

As of September 30, 2024	542	737		1,279
New locations opened	—	23		23
Locations acquired	3	41		44
Locations combined or closed	—	(10	)	(10	)
As of June 30, 2025	545	791		1,336

	Nine Months Ended June 30, 2024
	U.S. Pawn		Latin America Pawn		Consolidated

As of September 30, 2023	529		702		1,231
New locations opened	1		20		21
Locations acquired	12		—		12
Locations combined or closed	(1	)	(5	)	(6	)
As of June 30, 2024	541		717		1,258

Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

In addition to the financial information prepared in conformity with accounting U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we provide certain other non-GAAP financial information on a constant currency (“constant currency”) and adjusted basis. We use constant currency results to evaluate our Latin America Pawn operations, which are denominated primarily in Mexican pesos, Guatemalan quetzales and other Latin American currencies. We believe that presentation of constant currency and adjusted results is meaningful and useful in understanding the activities and business metrics of our operations and reflects an additional way of viewing aspects of our business that, when viewed with GAAP results, provides a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business. We provide non-GAAP financial information for informational purposes and to enhance understanding of our GAAP consolidated financial statements. We use this non-GAAP financial information primarily to evaluate and compare operating results across accounting periods.

Readers should consider the information in addition to, but not instead of or superior to, our financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. This non-GAAP financial information may be determined or calculated differently by other companies, limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes.

Constant currency results reported herein are calculated by translating consolidated balance sheet and consolidated statement of operations items denominated in local currency to U.S. dollars using the exchange rate from the prior-year comparable period, as opposed to the current period, in order to exclude the effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations. In addition, we have an equity method investment that is denominated in Australian dollars and is translated into U.S. dollars. We used the end-of-period rate for balance sheet items and the average closing daily exchange rate on a monthly basis during the appropriate period for statement of operations items. The end-of-period and approximate average exchange rates for each applicable currency as compared to U.S. dollars as of and for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 were as follows:

	June 30,		Three Months Ended June 30,		Nine Months Ended June 30,
	2025	2024	2025	2024	2025	2024

Mexican peso	18.8	18.3	19.5	17.2	20.0	17.3
Guatemalan quetzal	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.6
Honduran lempira	25.8	24.3	25.7	24.3	25.2	24.3
Australian dollar	1.5	1.5	1.6	1.5	1.6	1.5

Our statement of operations constant currency results reflect the monthly exchange rate fluctuations and so are not directly calculable from the above rates. Constant currency results, where presented, also exclude the foreign currency gain or loss.

Miscellaneous Non-GAAP Financial Measures

	Three Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)		2025			2024

Net income	$	26.5		$	18.0
Interest expense		8.5			3.5
Interest income		(5.4	)		(2.9	)
Income tax expense		8.2			5.0
Depreciation and amortization		8.0			8.2
EBITDA	$	45.7		$	31.8

	Total Revenues		Gross Profit		Income Before Tax			Tax Effect			Net Income			Diluted EPS			EBITDA

2025 Q3 Reported	$	311.0	$	183.6	$	34.7		$	8.2		$	26.5		$	0.34		$	45.7
Corporate lease termination		—		—		(1.3	)		(0.3	)		(1.0	)		(0.01	)		(1.3	)
FX impact		—		—		(0.2	)		—			(0.2	)		—			(0.2	)
Non-recurring foreign tax expense		—		—		—			0.8			(0.8	)		(0.01	)		—
Constant Currency		8.9		4.8		0.8			0.1			0.7			0.01			1.0
2025 Q3 Adjusted	$	319.9	$	188.4	$	34.0		$	8.8		$	25.2		$	0.33		$	45.2

	Total Revenues		Gross Profit		Income Before Tax			Tax Effect		Net Income			Diluted EPS			EBITDA

2024 Q3 Reported	$	281.4	$	166.7	$	23.0		$	5.0	$	18.0		$	0.25		$	31.8
Non-recurring foreign tax expense		—		—		—			0.7		(0.7	)		(0.01	)		—
FX impact		—		—		(0.1	)		—		(0.1	)		—			(0.1	)
2024 Q3 Adjusted	$	281.4	$	166.7	$	22.9		$	5.7	$	17.2		$	0.24		$	31.7

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2025				Nine Months Ended June 30, 2025
(in millions)	U.S. Dollar Amount		Percentage Change YOY		U.S. Dollar Amount		Percentage Change YOY

Consolidated revenues	$	311.0	11	%	$	937.5	8	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		8.9				30.9
Constant currency consolidated revenues	$	319.9	14	%	$	968.4	12	%

Consolidated gross profit	$	183.6	10	%	$	547.5	8	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		4.8				16.1
Constant currency consolidated gross profit	$	188.4	13	%	$	563.6	11	%

Consolidated net inventory	$	225.5	31	%	$	225.5	31	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		1.3				1.3
Constant currency consolidated net inventory	$	226.8	32	%	$	226.8	32	%

Latin America Pawn gross profit	$	49.6	6	%	$	141.4	4	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		4.8				16.1
Constant currency Latin America Pawn gross profit	$	54.4	16	%	$	157.5	16	%

Latin America Pawn PLO	$	70.6	13	%	$	70.6	13	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		1.5				1.5
Constant currency Latin America Pawn PLO	$	72.1	16	%	$	72.1	16	%

Latin America Pawn PSC revenues	$	31.4	3	%	$	88.9	5	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		2.9				9.6
Constant currency Latin America Pawn PSC revenues	$	34.3	13	%	$	98.5	16	%

Latin America Pawn merchandise sales	$	56.4	12	%	$	166.5	8	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		5.7				20.2
Constant currency Latin America Pawn merchandise sales	$	62.1	23	%	$	186.7	21	%

Latin America Pawn segment profit before tax	$	12.4	20	%	$	34.6	21	%
Currency exchange rate fluctuations		1.1				3.0
Constant currency Latin America Pawn segment profit before tax	$	13.5	30	%	$	37.6	32	%

MIL-OSI: JD.com Announces Decision to Make a Voluntary Public Takeover Offer and Strategic Investment Partnership with CECONOMY

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

BEIJING, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — JD.com, Inc. (“JD.com” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: JD and HKEX: 9618 (HKD counter) and 89618 (RMB counter)), a leading supply chain-based technology and service provider, today announced that it decided to make a voluntary public takeover offer, through a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary JINGDONG Holding Germany GmbH (the “Bidder”), to all shareholders of CECONOMY AG (“CECONOMY”) (XETRA: CEC), the parent company of leading European consumer electronics retailers MediaMarkt and Saturn, to acquire all issued and outstanding bearer shares in CECONOMY (the “CECONOMY Shares”) for a cash consideration of EUR 4.60 per share (the “Takeover Offer”).

The Bidder and CECONOMY have also signed an investment agreement regarding the Takeover Offer and their intended cooperation after completion of the Takeover Offer. Furthermore, regarding their future cooperation, the Bidder and CECONOMY’s largest shareholder group comprising Convergenta Invest GmbH and related shareholders (together, “Convergenta”) entered into a shareholders’ agreement, effectiveness of which is subject to the completion of the Takeover Offer. As a result, post the completion of the Takeover Offer, Convergenta will hold 25.35% of the CECONOMY Shares, reducing its current shareholding in CECONOMY from 29.16% by an irrevocable undertaking to accept the Takeover Offer with respect to 3.81% of the CECONOMY Shares. The Bidder has also entered into agreements with several shareholders of CECONOMY, under which those shareholders have irrevocably undertaken to accept the Takeover Offer with respect to 31.7% of the CECONOMY Shares in total (including 3.81% from Convergenta), securing a total shareholding of 57.1% in combination with the retained stake of JD.com’s future partner Convergenta ahead of the launch of the Takeover Offer.

CECONOMY is a European retail leader in the field of consumer electronics. Its main brands MediaMarkt and Saturn operate omni-channel retail businesses, combining strong e-commerce presence with more than 1,000 retail stores in 11 countries. Under the strategic investment agreement, the Company and CECONOMY aim to drive CECONOMY’s growth as a stand-alone business and accelerate CECONOMY’s transformation into Europe’s leading omni-channel consumer electronics platform. JD.com, renowned for its superior customer experience and industry-leading e-commerce logistics service standards, will contribute its advanced technology, leading omni-channel retail expertise, and logistics and warehouse capabilities to the partnership. This will strengthen CECONOMY’s capabilities and further develop its core business and capitalize on its market position. As part of the strategic roadmap, CECONOMY will remain a stand-alone business in Europe with a local independent technology stack, and no changes are planned to the workforce, employee agreements and sites. CECONOMY’s Supervisory Board and Management Board fully support the public Takeover Offer.

“This partnership with CECONOMY will build Europe’s leading next-generation consumer electronics platform,” said JD.com CEO Sandy Xu. “CECONOMY’s market-leading position, strong customer relationships and growth are impressive, and we are firmly committed to investing in its people and distinct culture to build on this success. We will work with the team to strengthen the capabilities, while applying our advanced technology capabilities to accelerate CECONOMY’s ongoing transformation. Our goal is to further grow CECONOMY’s platform across Europe and create long-term value for customers, employees, investors and local communities. We have full confidence in the management team of CECONOMY and look forward to working together to initiate the next phase of growth.”

CECONOMY CEO Dr. Kai-Ulrich Deissner said, “With JD.com’s outstanding retail, logistics, and technology capabilities, we can further accelerate our successful growth trajectory and go beyond our current strategic goals. Thanks to the tremendous dedication and commitment of our entire team, CECONOMY operates from a position of strength. Given the constantly evolving customer expectations and market dynamics, standing still is not an option. In the coming years, we don’t just want to keep pace with the transformation in European retail – we want to continue leading it. JD.com is the right partner for this. We share a passion for our customers and a firm belief that our employees, trusted partnerships with international brand manufacturers, and the combination of digital and brick-and-mortar business are the keys to success. We partner with JD.com to strengthen European retail, based on complementary strengths and shared values.”

“We fully support the strategic investment agreement and takeover offer and are confident that it represents the best opportunity to further drive the successful transformation of CECONOMY,” said Jürgen Kellerhals of anchor shareholder Convergenta. “The management team of CECONOMY has a clear strategic vision, and JD.com brings the resources and expertise required to accelerate the company’s (CECONOMY’s) next phase of growth. The technological expertise of JD.com is world-leading, as demonstrated by its success in other markets. As the long-term anchor investor, we believe this is the right step at the right time for the business, our employees, and our customers.”

The Takeover Offer will be subject to customary conditions, including, among others, merger control, foreign direct investment and foreign subsidies clearances. The Takeover Offer will not be subject to a minimum acceptance rate. The transaction will be financed through a combination of acquisition loan and the Company’s cash on balance sheet. The closing of the Takeover Offer is expected to take place in the first half of 2026.

The Offer Document (in German and a non-binding English translation) which will set forth the detailed terms and conditions of the Takeover Offer, as well as further information relating thereto, will be published by the Bidder following approval by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) on the internet at the website www.green-offer.com.

This announcement and the information within it are not intended to, and do not, constitute or form part of any offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell the CECONOMY Shares. Investors and holders of CECONOMY Shares are strongly advised to read the Offer Document and all other documents relating to the Takeover Offer as soon as they have been made public, as they will contain important information.

About JD.com, Inc.

JD.com is a leading supply chain-based technology and service provider. The Company’s cutting-edge retail infrastructure seeks to enable consumers to buy whatever they want, whenever and wherever they want it. The Company has opened its technology and infrastructure to partners, brands and other sectors, as part of its Retail as a Service offering to help drive productivity and innovation across a range of industries.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. JD.com may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in announcements made on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about JD.com’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: JD.com’s growth strategies; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; its ability to attract and retain new customers and to increase revenues generated from repeat customers; its expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services; trends and competition in China’s e-commerce market; changes in its revenues and certain cost or expense items; the expected growth of the Chinese e-commerce market; laws, regulations and governmental policies relating to the industries in which JD.com or its business partners operate; potential changes in laws, regulations and governmental policies or changes in the interpretation and implementation of laws, regulations and governmental policies that could adversely affect the industries in which JD.com or its business partners operate, including, among others, initiatives to enhance supervision of companies listed on an overseas exchange and tighten scrutiny over data privacy and data security; risks associated with JD.com’s acquisitions, investments and alliances, including fluctuation in the market value of JD.com’s investment portfolio; natural disasters and geopolitical events; change in tax rates and financial risks; intensity of competition; and general market and economic conditions in China and globally. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JD.com’s filings with the SEC and the announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided herein is as of the date of this announcement, and JD.com undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations
Sean Zhang
+86 (10) 8912-6804
IR@JD.com

Media Relations
+86 (10) 8911-6155
Press@JD.com

MIL-OSI: SEACOR Marine Announces Second Quarter 2025 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HOUSTON, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SMHI) (the “Company” or “SEACOR Marine”), a leading provider of marine and support transportation services to offshore energy facilities worldwide, today announced results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2025.

SEACOR Marine’s consolidated operating revenues for the second quarter of 2025 were $60.8 million, operating income was $6.1 million, and direct vessel profit (“DVP”)⁽¹⁾ was $11.3 million. This compares to consolidated operating revenues of $69.9 million, operating loss of $3.9 million, and DVP of $20.3 million in the second quarter of 2024, and consolidated operating revenues of $55.5 million, operating loss of $5.3 million, and DVP of $13.6 million in the first quarter of 2025.

Notable second quarter items include:

13.0% decrease in revenues from the second quarter of 2024 and a 9.6% increase from the first quarter of 2025.
Average day rates of $19,731, a 3.1% increase from the second quarter of 2024, and a 4.8% increase from the first quarter of 2025.
68% utilization, a decrease from 69% in the second quarter of 2024 and an increase from 60% in the first quarter of 2025.
DVP margin of 18.6%, a decrease from 29.1% in the second quarter of 2024 and a decrease from 24.5% in the first quarter of 2025, due in part to $9.2 million of drydocking and major repairs during the second quarter of 2025 compared to $8.5 million in the second quarter of 2024 and $5.2 million in the first quarter of 2025, all of which are expensed as incurred.
During the second quarter of 2025, the Company completed the sale of two platform supply vessels (“PSVs”) and one fast supply vessel (“FSV”) for total proceeds of $33.4 million and a gain of $19.1 million. Approximately $12.9 million of the proceeds were used to fund the repurchase of shares and warrants from Carlyle, and the remainder was held as restricted cash to partially fund future milestone payments for the construction of two new PSVs scheduled to deliver in the fourth quarter of 2026 and first quarter of 2027.

For the second quarter of 2025, net loss was $6.7 million ($0.26 loss per basic and diluted share). This compares to a net loss for the second quarter of 2024 of $12.5 million ($0.45 loss per basic and diluted share). Sequentially, the second quarter 2025 results compare to a net loss of $15.5 million ($0.56 loss per basic and diluted share) in the first quarter of 2025.

Chief Executive Officer John Gellert commented:

“The second quarter results reflect the changes to our fleet as we continued to implement our asset rotation and repositioning strategy.

Our PSV fleet saw substantial improvement on average rates and utilization, achieving a 30.3% DVP margin, even with two of our premium PSVs being out of the market the entire quarter for repairs; one of which also received a hybrid power management upgrade. The two PSVs that we sold during the quarter were sold at compelling values and were some of our first-generation handy size vessels targeting the shallow water market, which is seeing increased vertical integration in some geographic markets. PSVs contributed greatly to our results in Latin America and West Africa, as well as in the Middle East where we operate two of our PSVs in a walk-to-work configuration outfitted with motion compensated gangways owned by SEACOR Marine.

In the Middle East, the results were largely affected by repairs to one of our premium liftboats for almost the entire quarter. These repairs are ongoing as the scope and cost has exceeded our initial expectations, with the liftboat expected to return to service in September 2025. Despite these challenges, activity in the Middle East market continues to be healthy, and we recently mobilized an additional FSV to respond to market demand.

In the U.S., we saw a noticeable improvement driven mostly by higher day rates and utilization for our liftboats, offset by higher drydocking expense and the layup of our three FSVs in the region. We anticipate redeploying these FSVs to international markets during the third and fourth quarter of 2025.

As previously announced, on April 4, 2025, we repurchased shares and warrants representing 9.1% of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, assuming the full exercise of the warrants, from Carlyle. The aggregate purchase price was approximately $12.9 million. This was a unique opportunity to buy back a significant number of shares and warrants in a single block, and to simplify our capital structure by eliminating all outstanding warrants.

We will continue to adapt and reposition SEACOR Marine into markets and assets with lower volatility and better returns over the coming quarters and ahead of our new PSV deliveries in 2026 and 2027. We have one of the youngest fleets in the sector and will continue to demonstrate the embedded value of our assets.”
___________________

(1

)

Direct vessel profit (defined as operating revenues less operating costs and expenses, “DVP”) is the Company’s measure of segment profitability. DVP is a critical financial measure used by the Company to analyze and compare the operating performance of its regions, without regard to financing decisions (depreciation and interest expense for owned vessels vs. lease expense for lease vessels). DVP is also useful when comparing the Company’s global fleet performance against those of our competitors who may have differing fleet financing structures. DVP has material limitations as an analytical tool in that it does not reflect all of the costs associated with the ownership and operation of our fleet, and it should not be considered in isolation or used as a substitute for our results as reported under GAAP. See page 4 for reconciliation of DVP to GAAP Operating Income (Loss), its most comparable GAAP measure.

SEACOR Marine provides global marine and support transportation services to offshore energy facilities worldwide. SEACOR Marine operates and manages a diverse fleet of offshore support vessels that deliver cargo and personnel to offshore installations, including offshore wind farms; assist offshore operations for production and storage facilities; provide construction, well work-over, offshore wind farm installation and decommissioning support; and carry and launch equipment used underwater in drilling and well installation, maintenance, inspection and repair. Additionally, SEACOR Marine’s vessels provide emergency response services and accommodations for technicians and specialists.

Certain statements discussed in this release as well as in other reports, materials and oral statements that the Company releases from time to time to the public constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “believe,” “plan,” “target,” “forecast” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements concern management’s expectations, strategic objectives, business prospects, anticipated economic performance and financial condition and other similar matters. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected by the management of the Company. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual events or results may differ significantly from these statements. Actual events or results are subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control and are described in the Company’s filings with the SEC. It should be understood that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Given these risk factors, investors and analysts should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are made. The Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to provide any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which the forward-looking statement is based, except as required by law. It is advisable, however, to consult any further disclosures the Company makes on related subjects in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K (if any). These statements constitute the Company’s cautionary statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Please visit SEACOR Marine’s website at www.seacormarine.com for additional information.
For all other requests, contact InvestorRelations@seacormarine.com

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS) (in thousands, except share data)
	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six months ended June 30,
	2025			2024			2025			2024
Operating Revenues	$	60,810		$	69,867		$	116,309		$	132,637
Costs and Expenses:
Operating		49,493			49,520			91,421			97,619
Administrative and general		11,998			10,889			23,484			22,806
Lease expense		325			486			662			967
Depreciation and amortization		12,090			12,939			24,900			25,821
		73,906			73,834			140,467			147,213
Gains on Asset Dispositions and Impairments, Net		19,163			37			24,972			36
Operating Income (Loss)		6,067			(3,930	)		814			(14,540	)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest income		372			445			808			1,038
Interest expense		(8,844	)		(10,190	)		(18,430	)		(20,499	)
Derivative gains (losses), net		87			104			212			(439	)
Foreign currency losses, net		(2,119	)		(560	)		(3,315	)		(640	)
Other, net		—			—			—			(95	)
		(10,504	)		(10,201	)		(20,725	)		(20,635	)
Loss Before Income Tax Expense (Benefit) and Equity in Earnings (Losses) of 50% or Less Owned Companies		(4,437	)		(14,131	)		(19,911	)		(35,175	)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		2,508			(682	)		3,412			243
Loss Before Equity in Earnings (Losses) of 50% or Less Owned Companies		(6,945	)		(13,449	)		(23,323	)		(35,418	)
Equity in Earnings (Losses) of 50% or Less Owned Companies		218			966			1,107			(134	)
Net Loss	$	(6,727	)	$	(12,483	)	$	(22,216	)	$	(35,552	)

Net Loss Per Share:
Basic	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.45	)	$	(0.83	)	$	(1.29	)
Diluted	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.45	)	$	(0.83	)	$	(1.29	)
Weighted Average Common Stock and Warrants Outstanding:
Basic		25,686,560			27,729,033			26,791,291			27,536,319
Diluted		25,686,560			27,729,033			26,791,291			27,536,319

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS) (in thousands, except statistics and per share data)
				Three Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2025			Mar. 31, 2025			Dec. 31, 2024			Sep. 30, 2024			Jun. 30, 2024
Time Charter Statistics:
Average Rates Per Day	$	19,731		$	18,825		$	18,901		$	18,879		$	19,141
Fleet Utilization		68	%		60	%		72	%		67	%		69	%
Fleet Available Days ⁽²⁾		4,310			4,583			4,870			5,026			4,994
Operating Revenues:
Time charter	$	57,673		$	51,933		$	66,095		$	63,313		$	65,649
Bareboat charter		838			708			364			372			364
Other marine services		2,299			2,858			3,349			5,231			3,854
		60,810			55,499			69,808			68,916			69,867
Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel		18,969			18,537			20,365			21,940			21,566
Repairs and maintenance		13,648			8,520			10,433			9,945			10,244
Drydocking		5,143			3,869			2,467			6,068			6,210
Insurance and loss reserves		2,982			2,153			2,473			2,584			3,099
Fuel, lubes and supplies		4,296			4,546			4,884			6,574			3,966
Other		4,455			4,303			6,104			5,796			4,435
		49,493			41,928			46,726			52,907			49,520
Direct Vessel Profit ⁽¹⁾		11,317			13,571			23,082			16,009			20,347
Other Costs and Expenses:
Lease expense		325			337			347			364			486
Administrative and general		11,998			11,486			10,888			11,019			10,889
Depreciation and amortization		12,090			12,810			12,879			12,928			12,939
		24,413			24,633			24,114			24,311			24,314
Gains (Losses) on Asset Dispositions and Impairments, Net		19,163			5,809			11,624			1,821			37
Operating (Loss) Income		6,067			(5,253	)		10,592			(6,481	)		(3,930	)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest income		372			436			372			358			445
Interest expense		(8,844	)		(9,586	)		(10,001	)		(10,127	)		(10,190	)
Derivative gains (losses), net		87			125			(536	)		67			104
Loss on debt extinguishment		—			—			(31,923	)		—			—
Foreign currency (losses) gains, net		(2,119	)		(1,196	)		1,308			(1,717	)		(560	)
Other, net		—			—			187			29			—
		(10,504	)		(10,221	)		(40,593	)		(11,390	)		(10,201	)
Loss Before Income Tax Expense (Benefit) and Equity in Earnings (Losses) of 50% or Less Owned Companies		(4,437	)		(15,474	)		(30,001	)		(17,871	)		(14,131	)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		2,508			904			(2,345	)		(513	)		(682	)
Loss Before Equity in Earnings (Losses) of 50% or Less Owned Companies		(6,945	)		(16,378	)		(27,656	)		(17,358	)		(13,449	)
Equity in Earnings (Losses) of 50% or Less Owned Companies		218			889			1,430			1,012			966
Net Loss	$	(6,727	)	$	(15,489	)	$	(26,226	)	$	(16,346	)	$	(12,483	)

Net Loss Per Share:
Basic	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.56	)	$	(0.94	)	$	(0.59	)	$	(0.45	)
Diluted	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.56	)	$	(0.94	)	$	(0.59	)	$	(0.45	)
Weighted Average Common Stock and Warrants Outstanding:
Basic		25,687			27,908			27,773			27,773			27,729
Diluted		25,687			27,908			27,773			27,773			27,729
Common Shares and Warrants Outstanding at Period End		26,976			29,488			28,950			28,950			28,941

__________________
(1) See full description of footnote above.
(2) Includes available days for a bareboat charter for one PSV, which has been excluded from days worked and average day rates.

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED DIRECT VESSEL PROFIT (“DVP”) BY SEGMENT (in thousands, except statistics)
				Three Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2025			Mar. 31, 2025			Dec. 31, 2024			Sep. 30, 2024			Jun. 30, 2024
*United States, primarily Gulf of America*
Time Charter Statistics:
Average rates per day worked	$	25,262		$	23,874		$	26,116		$	17,188		$	22,356
Fleet utilization		48	%		25	%		45	%		42	%		37	%
Fleet available days		1,007			1,121			920			920			921
Out-of-service days for repairs, maintenance and drydockings		144			153			75			116			179
Out-of-service days for cold-stacked status ⁽²⁾		270			173			184			175			127
Operating Revenues:
Time charter	$	12,205		$	6,765		$	10,744		$	6,593		$	7,697
Other marine services		1,175			235			1,114			1,188			480
		13,380			7,000			11,858			7,781			8,177
Direct Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel		6,854			6,486			6,097			6,297			6,284
Repairs and maintenance		1,950			1,479			1,680			1,655			1,879
Drydocking		3,684			1,066			1,451			2,615			2,570
Insurance and loss reserves		1,067			702			854			799			943
Fuel, lubes and supplies		1,010			819			854			964			866
Other		631			349			229			225			226
		15,196			10,901			11,165			12,555			12,768
Direct Vessel (Loss) Profit ⁽¹⁾	$	(1,816	)	$	(3,901	)	$	693		$	(4,774	)	$	(4,591	)
Other Costs and Expenses:
Lease expense	$	139		$	136		$	136		$	140		$	141
Depreciation and amortization		3,203			3,705			3,196			3,194			3,194

*Africa and Europe*
Time Charter Statistics:
Average rates per day worked	$	19,140		$	17,294		$	16,895		$	18,875		$	18,580
Fleet utilization		77	%		70	%		73	%		77	%		74	%
Fleet available days		1,668			1,710			1,856			1,990			1,969
Out-of-service days for repairs, maintenance and drydockings		248			382			180			203			203
Out-of-service days for cold-stacked status		—			—			—			58			91
Operating Revenues:
Time charter	$	24,535		$	20,835		$	22,999		$	28,809		$	27,047
Other marine services		806			852			1,027			3,048			1,028
		25,341			21,687			24,026			31,857			28,075
Direct Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel		5,515			5,183			5,654			6,083			4,969
Repairs and maintenance		4,646			3,462			3,712			3,455			3,161
Drydocking		901			1,241			835			681			1,226
Insurance and loss reserves		899			594			577			599			819
Fuel, lubes and supplies		1,714			2,180			2,226			2,514			1,170
Other		2,357			2,727			3,748			3,975			2,801
		16,032			15,387			16,752			17,307			14,146
Direct Vessel Profit ⁽¹⁾	$	9,309		$	6,300		$	7,274		$	14,550		$	13,929
Other Costs and Expenses:
Lease expense	$	51		$	63		$	82		$	75		$	172
Depreciation and amortization		4,263			4,402			4,477			4,540			4,565

__________________
(1) See full description of footnote above.
(2) Includes three FSVs cold-stacked in this region as of June 30, 2025.

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED DIRECT VESSEL PROFIT (“DVP”) BY SEGMENT (continued) (in thousands, except statistics)
				Three Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2025			Mar. 31, 2025			Dec. 31, 2024			Sep. 30, 2024			Jun. 30, 2024
*Middle East and Asia*
Time Charter Statistics:
Average rates per day worked	$	15,506		$	17,848		$	17,337		$	17,825		$	17,083
Fleet utilization		73	%		75	%		88	%		71	%		82	%
Fleet available days		1,089			1,170			1,266			1,288			1,296
Out-of-service days for repairs, maintenance and drydockings		204			82			30			229			168
Operating Revenues:
Time charter	$	12,365		$	15,710		$	19,385		$	16,411		$	18,073
Other marine services		432			292			635			375			619
		12,797			16,002			20,020			16,786			18,692
Direct Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel		4,511			4,927			5,470			5,769			6,930
Repairs and maintenance		6,338			2,505			3,574			3,318			3,443
Drydocking		13			1,031			(226	)		832			707
Insurance and loss reserves		842			702			804			927			798
Fuel, lubes and supplies		1,279			883			840			1,043			1,103
Other		1,104			881			1,305			1,131			989
		14,087			10,929			11,767			13,020			13,970
Direct Vessel Profit ⁽¹⁾	$	(1,290	)	$	5,073		$	8,253		$	3,766		$	4,722
Other Costs and Expenses:
Lease expense	$	72		$	83		$	72		$	73		$	71
Depreciation and amortization		3,227			3,230			3,272			3,261			3,247

*Latin America*
Time Charter Statistics:
Average rates per day worked	$	23,764		$	22,084		$	21,390		$	21,984		$	22,437
Fleet utilization		66	%		67	%		73	%		63	%		71	%
Fleet available days ⁽²⁾		546			582			828			828			808
Out-of-service days for repairs, maintenance and drydockings		26			—			20			94			41
Operating Revenues:
Time charter	$	8,568		$	8,623		$	12,967		$	11,500		$	12,832
Bareboat charter		838			708			364			372			364
Other marine services		(114	)		1,479			573			620			1,727
		9,292			10,810			13,904			12,492			14,923
Direct Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel		2,089			1,941			3,144			3,791			3,383
Repairs and maintenance		714			1,074			1,467			1,517			1,761
Drydocking		545			531			407			1,940			1,707
Insurance and loss reserves		174			155			238			259			539
Fuel, lubes and supplies		293			664			964			2,053			827
Other		363			346			822			465			419
		4,178			4,711			7,042			10,025			8,636
Direct Vessel Profit ⁽¹⁾	$	5,114		$	6,099		$	6,862		$	2,467		$	6,287
Other Costs and Expenses:
Lease expense	$	63		$	55		$	57		$	76		$	102
Depreciation and amortization		1,397			1,473			1,934			1,933			1,933

__________________
(1) See full description of footnote above.
(2) Includes available days for a bareboat charter for one PSV, which has been excluded from days worked and average day rates.

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED PERFORMANCE BY VESSEL CLASS (in thousands, except statistics)
				Three Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2025			Mar. 31, 2025			Dec. 31, 2024			Sep. 30, 2024			Jun. 30, 2024
*AHTS*
Time Charter Statistics:
Average rates per day worked	$	—		$	—		$	10,410		$	10,316		$	8,125
Fleet utilization		—	%		—	%		79	%		46	%		49	%
Fleet available days		—			—			178			334			364
Out-of-service days for repairs, maintenance and drydockings		—			—			28			87			29
Out-of-service days for cold-stacked status		—			—			—			58			91
Operating Revenues:
Time charter	$	(22	)	$	15		$	1,465		$	1,576		$	1,459
Other marine services		(9	)		9			—			13			219
		(31	)		24			1,465			1,589			1,678
Direct Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel	$	9		$	1		$	595		$	981		$	1,045
Repairs and maintenance		255			38			128			239			465
Drydocking		—			—			5			436			280
Insurance and loss reserves		(4	)		—			49			66			97
Fuel, lubes and supplies		(125	)		66			25			90			69
Other		(4	)		12			210			263			230
		131			117			1,012			2,075			2,186
Other Costs and Expenses:
Lease expense	$	—		$	—		$	7		$	4		$	164
Depreciation and amortization		3			4			122			175			175

*FSV*
Time Charter Statistics:
Average rates per day worked	$	13,468		$	13,786		$	13,643		$	13,102		$	12,978
Fleet utilization		67	%		71	%		72	%		81	%		80	%
Fleet available days		1,935			1,980			2,024			2,024			2,002
Out-of-service days for repairs, maintenance and drydockings		181			135			118			96			128
Out-of-service days for cold-stacked status		270			90			92			83			36
Operating Revenues:
Time charter	$	17,573		$	19,357		$	19,992		$	21,606		$	20,698
Other marine services		516			762			416			1,012			516
		18,089			20,119			20,408			22,618			21,214
Direct Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel	$	4,526		$	4,933		$	5,078		$	5,637		$	5,829
Repairs and maintenance		3,542			2,983			4,480			4,378			4,572
Drydocking		666			353			426			448			457
Insurance and loss reserves		683			517			422			532			546
Fuel, lubes and supplies		1,449			1,173			1,586			1,962			993
Other		1,428			1,782			2,456			2,238			1,850
		12,294			11,741			14,448			15,195			14,247
Other Costs and Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	$	4,703		$	4,932		$	4,746		$	4,744		$	4,746

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED PERFORMANCE BY VESSEL CLASS (continued) (in thousands, except statistics)
				Three Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2025			Mar. 31, 2025			Dec. 31, 2024			Sep. 30, 2024			Jun. 30, 2024
*PSV*
Time Charter Statistics:
Average rates per day worked	$	22,231		$	19,424		$	17,912		$	21,819		$	20,952
Fleet utilization		68	%		55	%		72	%		58	%		66	%
Fleet available days ⁽¹⁾		1,738			1,890			1,932			1,932			1,900
Out-of-service days for repairs, maintenance and drydockings		247			396			117			349			291
Operating Revenues:
Time charter	$	26,440		$	20,286		$	24,865		$	24,488		$	26,390
Bareboat charter		838			708			364			372			364
Other marine services		433			508			1,561			2,855			2,266
		27,711			21,502			26,790			27,715			29,020
Direct Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel	$	8,567		$	8,351		$	8,999		$	9,360		$	8,979
Repairs and maintenance		3,799			3,949			4,101			3,798			3,151
Drydocking		1,993			2,513			1,046			2,629			2,616
Insurance and loss reserves		906			631			618			636			1,037
Fuel, lubes and supplies		1,858			2,594			2,379			3,594			1,575
Other		2,199			2,018			2,566			2,821			1,850
		19,322			20,056			19,709			22,838			19,208
Other Costs and Expenses:
Lease expense	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	(3	)	$	3
Depreciation and amortization		3,943			4,133			4,122			4,117			4,128

__________________
(1) Includes available days for a bareboat charter for one PSV, which has been excluded from days worked and average day rates.

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED PERFORMANCE BY VESSEL CLASS (continued) (in thousands, except statistics)
				Three Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2025			Mar. 31, 2025			Dec. 31, 2024			Sep. 30, 2024			Jun. 30, 2024
*Liftboats*
Time Charter Statistics:
Average rates per day worked	$	31,904		$	39,559		$	39,326		$	36,423		$	43,204
Fleet utilization		67	%		44	%		68	%		58	%		54	%
Fleet available days		637			713			736			736			728
Out-of-service days for repairs, maintenance and drydockings		194			87			41			109			143
Out-of-service days for cold-stacked status		—			83			92			92			91
Operating Revenues:
Time charter	$	13,682		$	12,275		$	19,773		$	15,643		$	17,102
Other marine services		1,168			1,289			1,177			1,142			666
		14,850			13,564			20,950			16,785			17,768
Direct Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel	$	5,673		$	5,247		$	5,678		$	5,926		$	6,842
Repairs and maintenance		6,022			1,571			1,722			1,531			2,054
Drydocking		2,484			1,003			990			2,555			2,857
Insurance and loss reserves		1,376			1,241			1,384			1,334			1,482
Fuel, lubes and supplies		1,114			712			894			928			1,329
Other		803			482			860			473			519
		17,472			10,256			11,528			12,747			15,083
Other Costs and Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization		3,424			3,719			3,866			3,866			3,865

*Other Activity*
Operating Revenues:
Other marine services	$	191		$	290		$	195		$	209		$	187
		191			290			195			209			187
Direct Costs and Expenses:
Operating:
Personnel	$	194		$	5		$	15		$	36		$	(1,129	)
Repairs and maintenance		30			(21	)		2			(1	)		2
Insurance and loss reserves		21			(236	)		—			16			(63	)
Fuel, lubes and supplies		—			1			—			—			—
Other		29			9			12			1			(14	)
		274			(242	)		29			52			(1,204	)
Other Costs and Expenses:
Lease expense	$	325		$	337		$	340		$	363		$	319
Depreciation and amortization		17			22			23			26			25

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands)
	Jun. 30, 2025			Mar. 31, 2025			Dec. 31, 2024			Sep. 30, 2024			Jun. 30, 2024
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	34,381		$	42,988		$	59,491		$	35,601		$	40,605
Restricted cash		17,174			2,440			16,649			2,263			2,255
Receivables:
Trade, net of allowance for credit loss		63,287			63,946			69,888			76,497			70,770
Other		10,439			8,811			7,913			7,841			6,210
Tax receivable		507			1,602			1,601			983			983
Inventories		2,539			2,827			2,760			3,139			3,117
Prepaid expenses and other		4,716			6,075			4,406			4,840			5,659
Assets held for sale		—			12,195			10,943			—			500
Total current assets		133,043			140,884			173,651			131,164			130,099
Property and Equipment:
Historical cost		887,408			881,961			900,414			921,445			921,443
Accumulated depreciation		(377,265	)		(365,422	)		(367,448	)		(362,604	)		(349,799	)
		510,143			516,539			532,966			558,841			571,644
Construction in progress		31,772			27,248			11,904			11,935			11,518
Net property and equipment		541,915			543,787			544,870			570,776			583,162
Right-of-use asset – operating leases		1,179			3,293			3,436			3,575			3,683
Right-of-use asset – finance leases		25			28			36			19			28
Investments, at equity, and advances to 50% or less owned companies		2,310			4,507			3,541			2,046			2,641
Other assets		1,558			1,665			1,577			1,864			1,953
Total assets	$	680,030		$	694,164		$	727,111		$	709,444		$	721,566
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Current portion of operating lease liabilities	$	543		$	540		$	606		$	494		$	861
Current portion of finance lease liabilities		11			11			17			17			26
Current portion of long-term debt		30,000			30,000			27,500			28,605			28,605
Accounts payable		26,737			28,445			29,236			22,744			17,790
Other current liabilities		24,182			16,414			27,683			28,808			23,795
Total current liabilities		81,473			75,410			85,042			80,668			71,077
Long-term operating lease liabilities		812			2,926			2,982			3,221			3,276
Long-term finance lease liabilities		14			17			20			4			5
Long-term debt		310,980			310,108			317,339			272,325			277,740
Deferred income taxes		18,330			20,312			22,037			26,802			30,083
Deferred gains and other liabilities		625			1,356			1,369			1,416			1,447
Total liabilities		412,234			410,129			428,789			384,436			383,628
Equity:
SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. stockholders’ equity:
Common stock		281			293			287			287			286
Additional paid-in capital		468,669			480,904			479,283			477,661			476,020
Accumulated deficit		(202,816	)		(196,089	)		(180,600	)		(154,374	)		(138,028	)
Shares held in treasury		(9,639	)		(9,628	)		(8,110	)		(8,110	)		(8,110	)
Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax		10,980			8,234			7,141			9,223			7,449
		267,475			283,714			298,001			324,687			337,617
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries		321			321			321			321			321
Total equity		267,796			284,035			298,322			325,008			337,938
Total liabilities and equity	$	680,030		$	694,164		$	727,111		$	709,444		$	721,566

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands)
							Three Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2025			Mar. 31, 2025			Dec. 31, 2024			Sep. 30, 2024			Jun. 30, 2024
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net Loss	$	(6,727	)	$	(15,489	)	$	(26,226	)	$	(16,346	)	$	(12,483	)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		12,090			12,810			12,879			12,928			12,939
Deferred financing costs amortization		43			43			254			298			297
Stock-based compensation expense		1,510			1,627			1,622			1,604			1,587
Debt discount amortization		232			226			1,799			2,061			1,993
Allowance for credit losses		(213	)		(407	)		59			101			39
(Gains) losses from equipment sales, retirements or impairments		(19,163	)		(5,809	)		(11,624	)		(1,821	)		(37	)
Losses on debt extinguishment		—			—			28,252			—			—
Derivative (gains) losses		(87	)		(125	)		536			(67	)		(104	)
Interest on finance lease		1			1			2			—			1
Settlements on derivative transactions, net		—			(373	)		—			—			—
Currency losses (gains)		2,119			1,196			(1,308	)		1,717			560
Deferred income taxes		(1,982	)		(1,725	)		(4,766	)		(3,281	)		(3,790	)
Equity (earnings) losses		(218	)		(889	)		(1,430	)		(1,012	)		(966	)
Dividends received from equity investees		3,199			—			—			1,498			1,418
Changes in Operating Assets and Liabilities:
Accounts receivables		284			5,333			5,448			(7,411	)		(6,928	)
Other assets		1,901			(1,681	)		1,338			1,032			(2,395	)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		4,934			(6,204	)		1,693			9,325			(4,378	)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities		(2,077	)		(11,466	)		8,528			626			(12,247	)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchases of property and equipment		(10,213	)		(20,795	)		(3,010	)		(210	)		(658	)
Proceeds from disposition of property and equipment		31,592			8,472			22,441			2,331			86
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		21,379			(12,323	)		19,431			2,121			(572	)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Payments on long-term debt		(7,500	)		(5,000	)		(2,479	)		(7,770	)		(6,533	)
Payments on debt extinguishment		—			—			(328,712	)		—			—
Payments on debt extinguishment cost		—			—			(3,671	)		—			—
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt, net of debt discount and issuance costs		8,097			(396	)		345,192			—			—
Payments on finance leases		(4	)		(9	)		(13	)		(10	)		(9	)
Payments for repurchase of common stock		(7,089	)		—			—			—			—
Payments for repurchase of warrants		(6,668	)		—			—			—			—
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and warrants		—			—			—			38			102
Tax withholdings on restricted stock vesting		(11	)		(1,518	)		—			—			(39	)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		(13,175	)		(6,923	)		10,317			(7,742	)		(6,479	)
Effects of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents		—			—			—			(1	)		(1	)
Net Change in Cash, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents		6,127			(30,712	)		38,276			(4,996	)		(19,299	)
Cash, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Period		45,428			76,140			37,864			42,860			62,159
Cash, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Period	$	51,555		$	45,428		$	76,140		$	37,864		$	42,860

SEACOR MARINE HOLDINGS INC. UNAUDITED FLEET COUNTS
	Owned		Managed		Total
June 30, 2025
AHTS		—		1		1
FSV		21		1		22
PSV		19		—		19
Liftboats		7		—		7
		47		2		49
December 31, 2024
AHTS		—		2		2
FSV		22		1		23
PSV		21		—		21
Liftboats		8		—		8
		51		3		54

MIL-Evening Report: The Man from Hong Kong at 50: how the first ever Australian–Hong Kong co-production became a cult classic

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Ferris, Senior Lecturer, Media Arts & Production, University of Technology Sydney

LMPC via Getty Images

A cinematic firecracker of a film exploded onto international screens 50 years ago this week, blending martial arts mayhem, Bond-esque set pieces, casual racism – and a distinctly Australian swagger.

From its audacious visual style; to its complex, life-threatening stunts; to its pioneering status as an international co-production, Brian Trenchard-Smith’s The Man from Hong Kong has solidified its place as a cult classic.

The plot is deceptively simple. A Sydney-based crime lord’s activities come under the scrutiny of a determined Hong Kong detective, Inspector Fang Sing Leng. A fiery East-meets-West martial arts showdown explodes across the Australian landscape, pushing both sides to their limits.

Jimmy Wang Yu (known at the time as Asia’s Steve McQueen) plays Inspector Fang Sing Leng. Fang delivers justice with his fists and uses his wits navigating greater Sydney, with help from the local constabulary and its adoring female population.

The movie is a playful pastiche that confidently combines martial arts action, police procedurals, spy thrillers, and Westerns, all filtered through a distinctly Australian “crash-zoom” lens.

An Australia–Hong Kong co-production

The Man from Hong Kong was the first official Australia–Hong Kong co-production, uniting Hong Kong’s Golden Harvest studio with Australian producer John Fraser.

This model would pave the way for numerous future collaborations – the film demonstrating that Australia was open for international (film) business, albeit with some constraints, such as shooting locales.

In The Man from Hong Kong’s case, the financial arrangement was 50/50. As a result, half of the film had to be shot in Hong Kong, despite 85% of the storyline being set in Australia. Many of the interiors were filmed in Hong Kong studios to meet this production requirement.

An example of this is the interrogation scene, which alternates between its Sydney exteriors and a fight scene taking place in the interior film set shot thousands of miles away at the Golden Harvest studios.

In a genius bit of montage, the scene jumps from a shot of a kick in the crotch to a close-up of pool balls breaking on a table.

A film of cunning stunts

The Man from Hong Kong served as a reunion of sorts for many of the cast and crew, either starring in Stone (1974) or featuring in Trenchard-Smith’s documentary about martial arts films, Kung Fu Killers (1974).

The film was an influence to Quentin Tarantino and paved the way for films such as Mad Max (1979), particularly in what Trenchard-Smith and his partner in film, stunt legend Grant Page, might call its “cunning stunts”.

The elaborate car chases and explosive stunt setups in The Man from Hong Kong served as prototypes for iconic sequences that would inspire the Mad Max films, among others, a testament to a bygone era of practical effects and thrill seeking audacity.

Car crashes and other explosive stunts were executed without permits or road closures. This sense of chaos is heightened by the stunts being performed by the actors themselves, adding a sense of immediacy and peril.

An example of this is set on the cliffs at Stanwell Park. Wang Yu drives at speed towards the waiting Caroline, executing a precision gravel slide that misses Caroline’s car by under a metre, the shot continuing as he exits the car to greet her.

Part character, and part tourism advert

Trenchard-Smith’s script wasn’t shy in its depiction of culture clash, especially when it came to the racist attitudes of the Australian characters.

But as Trenchard-Smith recalls:

Our lead character, a Chinese Dirty Harry/James Bond upends these racial stereotypes by being smarter, sexier, and tougher than his opponents.

Cinematographer Russell Boyd brings a sharp, dynamic (did I mention the crash-zooms?) visual style to the film that deftly matches the on-screen action.

The film’s Australian setting is part character and part tourism advert – from the “Ayers Rock” (Uluru) cold opener, to the cafe scene on the Opera House forecourt.

Pure cinema

Stunt legend Grant Page appears in multiple villainous roles throughout the film, with the martial arts choreography handled by the legendary director Sammo Hung, who also played the role of Win Chan.

The cast was a fascinating mix of talent and personality. Wang Yu, a martial arts icon, was also an established film director, leading to creative clashes on set with Trenchard-Smith.

Playing the film’s villain is George Lazenby, whose casting added another layer of meta-textual intrigue, positioning him as an antagonist to a character who was explicitly a Bond villain archetype.

The Man from Hong Kong remains an exhilarating piece of pure cinema, despite its relatively small budget. It’s an exemplar (and occasional cautionary tale) for filmmakers in terms of international co-production, its cunning stunts, and genre blending.

The film is a testament to a moment when Australian cinema was confidently looking outwards, ready to take on the world, one explosive car crash at a time.

Gregory Ferris does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The Man from Hong Kong at 50: how the first ever Australian–Hong Kong co-production became a cult classic – https://theconversation.com/the-man-from-hong-kong-at-50-how-the-first-ever-australian-hong-kong-co-production-became-a-cult-classic-260306

MIL-Evening Report: How migrant business owners turn their identity into an asset, despite some bumps along the way

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shea X. Fan, Associate Professor, Human Resource Management, Deakin University

Odua Images/Shutterstock

Too often, it’s anti-immigration sentiment dominating headlines in Australia. But a quieter story is going untold. Migrants are not just fitting into Australian society, they’re actively reshaping it through entrepreneurship.

Starting a business is difficult for anyone. But migrant entrepreneurs often do so without the networks, credit history, or local knowledge many Australian-born business owners take for granted.

Our new research drew on interviews with 38 migrant business owners from 25 different countries, who had all lived in Australia for at least five years.

We found many are able to turn everyday exclusion into entrepreneurial fuel.
Many have been able to survive – even thrive – by turning their identity into an asset.

Yet there is still more we can do to take migrant entrepreneurship seriously and make it a core part of our economic and social planning.

Key challenges

Our research reveals migrant business owners face many forms of marginalisation. Some of these are well-understood among the public, others less so.

One of the biggest is social. Arriving in a new country without established relationships in the community or financial sector, many struggle to gain customer trust or secure loans. It can also mean having less of a safety net.

As one interviewee put it:

I don’t have networks built up over the generations to sustain me and give me time to jump back out [of financial difficulties] […] For migrant entrepreneurs, we often do not have such a structure to absorb risks.

Cultural stereotypes also hinder migrant entrepreneurs, and negative media portrayals can reinforce these biases. Even with local qualifications, they are often perceived as less professional or competent due to race, religion, accent or appearance.

Many interviewees spoke of constantly having to prove their legitimacy – being overlooked, second-guessed or treated as representatives of their ethnic group rather than as individual business people.

Establishing social networks in a new country can be difficult.
Peterfz30/Shutterstock

Structural barriers

While the lack of networks and cultural acceptance undermines confidence and connection, structural barriers directly constrain access to the resources needed to survive and expand.

Without a local credit history or collateral, many are ineligible for loans, yet need those very funds to build their credit standing. Even long-settled migrants found Australia’s legal, bureaucratic and financial systems difficult to navigate.

Language barriers and unfamiliar regulations can add layers of complexity to this problem. While government support programs exist, they are often inaccessible, or the availability of those programs are poorly communicated to culturally diverse communities.

These social and systemic disadvantages can push migrant business owners into informal markets or ethnic enclaves, where opportunities are fewer and risks higher.

Turning identity into an asset

Despite these barriers, migrant entrepreneurs often find ways to survive. One key strategy is to turn marginalised identities into business strengths.

Our research found some migrants begin by serving customers from their own ethnic communities, leveraging shared language, culture and trust. Once established, they expand to other migrant groups or the broader public.

In sectors such as food, fashion and wellness, cultural authenticity can be a competitive advantage.

One hairdresser from Korea, for example, drew clients by offering Korean styling techniques popularised by the global rise of the Korean popular music style K-pop. She said this gave her work appeal among other migrant groups:

Korean hairdressers are actually attractive to other Asian countries because Korean hairstyles are considered fashionable and detailed. It’s getting popular here too. This is like free marketing for me.

One interviewee said her connection to Korea had turned into a business asset.
kikujungboy CC/Shutterstock

And rather than simply competing on price, many migrant businesses offer something different: handmade, ethical, sustainable or culturally-rooted products. An Indian small business owner started her business by selling curry pastes made from her own family recipes, telling us:

I use my family’s traditional Indian recipes to create small spice packs, making it easy for Australians, mostly non-Indian customers, to cook authentic dishes at home.

Such ventures create not only economic value, but also spaces of cultural exchange and community belonging.

There’s more we can do

The most recent figures show migrant entrepreneurs make up one in three small business owners in Australia. Research conducted in 2017 found the vast majority of migrant entrepreneurs had not owned a business before migration.

With fewer systemic barriers and better support, their potential to contribute would be even greater. There are a range of actions policymakers, local councils, support organisations and local businesses could take.

First, access could be expanded to small business grants by removing overly complex eligibility and documentation barriers.

We should also support migrants to navigate collectively “gatekeeping” practices that lock them out of lending, investment and business certification.

That could include developing alternative credit assessment tools for migrants without a local credit history. There are already some microloan schemes tailored to new migrants or visa holders, including Thrive Refugee Enterprise.

At the same time, we need to ensure such schemes are being effectively communicated to the communities they’re intended to serve.

And we need media narratives and public campaigns that highlight successful migrant businesses. Crucially, both policy and practice must be informed by the voices and experiences of migrant entrepreneurs themselves, not just as case studies, but as co-designers of better systems.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How migrant business owners turn their identity into an asset, despite some bumps along the way – https://theconversation.com/how-migrant-business-owners-turn-their-identity-into-an-asset-despite-some-bumps-along-the-way-261948

Oliver Rossi/Getty Images

MIL-Evening Report: More than 2 in 5 young Australians are lonely, our new report shows. This is what could help

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle H. Lim, Associate Professor, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney

Loneliness is not a word often associated with young people. We tend to think of our youth as a time spent with family, friends and being engaged with school and work activities. Loneliness is an experience we may be more likely to associate with older people.

In a new report looking at loneliness in young Australians, we found 43% of people aged 15 to 25 feel lonely. That’s more than two in five young people.

While one in four felt lonely when asked, one in seven had felt lonely for at least two years (what we call persistent loneliness).

There’s more we should be doing in Australia to address loneliness among young people and more broadly.

What else did we find?

In this report, we analysed data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey from 2022–23. This helped us understand what sort of factors increase the risk of loneliness among young people.

We found having poor physical health and mental health can double (or more) the likelihood of persistent loneliness among young people.

Life circumstances, as well as socioeconomic and behavioural factors, also play a role, as shown below.

Worryingly, young people who report persistent loneliness are over seven times more likely to experience high or very high psychological distress compared to those who aren’t lonely.

But loneliness in young people should not be seen just as a mental health issue. Research shows it can have consequences for physical health too. For example, a study published in 2024 found loneliness is linked to early signs of vascular dysfunction (functional changes to the arteries) in adults as young as 22.

Why does loneliness persist?

As well as analysing data, we also interviewed young people aged 16 to 25 from diverse backgrounds about what helps them make healthy social connections, and what hinders them.

One of the things they flagged was a need for safe community spaces. A male participant from metro New South Wales, aged between 22 and 25, said:

After lectures, someone’s hungry, you go to eat together. We used to go to [Name of restaurant] after almost every lecture. Talk or discuss somethings so it gave us that extra opportunity to mingle amongst each other and take that next step towards building a good friendship.

We found technology could both help and hinder social connections. A female from regional Victoria, aged 22 to 25, who identified as LGBTIQ+, told us:

If you’re in school or something like that and you don’t really have […] many people within your community to look to, it’s really nice being able to connect with people and make those friends online.

On the flip side, a female participant from metropolitan Victoria, aged between 16 and 18, said:

a lot of maybe like mean stuff or like bullying and stuff happens over the Internet […] there’s a big group chat and like everyone’s texting on it or something. And then a lot of the time, people will break off into a smaller chat […] or they’ll break off into one on one and be like, ohh, do you see what she said?

The high cost of living was also regarded as a hindrance to maintaining social connections. As a male aged 22 to 25 from metro NSW told us:

you’ll go on [a] drive [with friends] or whatever […] but that is so like incredibly expensive. Having to pay for your own car and like petrol and insurance and maintenance. Sometimes it’s hard to […] even like […] sit down in peace and have a chat. All the cafes will close at 2 and by the time everyone gets out of their jobs, you’re having to go to a restaurant and [you’re] spending 50 dollars.

So what can we do?

Loneliness has long been treated as a personal issue but it’s increasingly clear we have to shift our approach to include community-wide and systemic solutions.

The World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Connection recently released a report pointing to loneliness as a public health, social, community and economic issue.

In Australia, the economic burden of loneliness stands at A$2.7 billion each year for associated health-care costs including GP and hospital visits.

And there are additional costs including lower workforce productivity and educational outcomes that have yet to be accounted for.

Some countries have already developed and implemented strategies to address loneliness. In 2023, Denmark, for example, commissioned the development of a national loneliness action plan led by a consortium of organisations. This was underpinned by an investment of around 21 million Danish kroner (roughly A$5 million) over 2023–25.

Australia now stands at a crossroads.

Australia needs a national loneliness strategy

A national strategy underpinned by evidence and by lived experience is crucial to effectively address loneliness. This approach would:

coordinate efforts across sectors: health, education, social services and business
identify effective strategies that should be included in a comprehensive response, and the principles to guide their delivery in communities and other settings
highlight sub-groups at risk of persistent loneliness who should be prioritised within population-wide strategies
commit to the delivery of a national awareness campaign that can educate the public and reduce stigma around loneliness.

With the right national strategy, we will be able to increase our capacity to help all Australians, not just young people, connect in meaningful ways.

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can learn more about youth loneliness and how to help at Ending Loneliness Together.

Michelle H. Lim is the CEO and Scientific Chair of Ending Loneliness Together. She is also the Vice-Chair of the International Scientific Board of the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection, and is part of the Technical Advisory Group – Social Connection at the World Health Organization.

Ben Smith is a member of the Management Committee and Scientific Advisory Board of Ending Loneliness Together. He is also the Conjoint Chair of Public Health with the Western Sydney Local Health District.

– ref. More than 2 in 5 young Australians are lonely, our new report shows. This is what could help – https://theconversation.com/more-than-2-in-5-young-australians-are-lonely-our-new-report-shows-this-is-what-could-help-261260

MIL-Evening Report: Progress on Closing the Gap is stagnant or going backwards. Here are 3 things to help fix it

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeleine Pugin, Research Fellow, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University

The Productivity Commission’s latest data on Closing the Gap progress represents an unsurprisingly grim overview of the socioeconomic inequalities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Closing the Gap is the plan federal and state governments have to address Indigenous socioeconomic disadvantage. It sets specific targets across a range of areas.

This edition annual data report paints a concerning picture of Indigenous peoples’ quality of life across the states and territories. Despite 17 years of Closing the Gap policy, First Nations communities continue to face significant disadvantage. Of the 19 targets, 16 have been assessed, with four targets worsening. They are:

adult imprisonment
children in out-of-home care
suicide
children developmentally on track.

There have been some successes. Four targets are on track to be met: preschool enrolment, employment, and land and water rights. Although the latter targets are likely to be achieved, the Queensland and Northern Territory governments are walking away from plans for Treaty. This could undercut efforts for increased Indigenous rights recognition.

There is also improvement in six other target areas, but they are still not on track to be met by 2031:

life expectancy
healthy birthweights
year 12 or equivalent qualifications
youth engagement
appropriately sized housing.

Time for change

Year after year, Closing the Gap reporting offers little hope for meaningful change. It also falls short of providing crucial insights into what is working, what isn’t, and where resources and expertise should be directed to address unmet targets.

We must ask ourselves: when is it time to pursue a different approach?

These are complex issues with no simple solutions, but that must not deter us from pursuing every possible avenue for change. As the worsening suicide target shows, lives depend on it.

Nonetheless, there is little evidence to suggest governments are being impelled to act on the transformational changes required to implement the four priority reforms.

Since the failed Voice referendum, there has been little will from all levels of government to radically transform their way of working with First Nations communities. The gaps in outcomes are unlikely to close with this business-as-usual approach.

So what could be changed to help improve the lives of Indigenous people? Here are three ideas.

1. A national action plan, driven by human rights

Australia has no comprehensive Indigenous rights framework. Currently, recognition of Indigenous rights in existing Australian laws is “piecemeal” and inconsistent across jurisdictions.

Adopting a rights-based approach to the Closing the Gap framework could provide one way forward. The realisation of rights is central to genuine self-determination for Indigenous peoples.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which Australia endorsed in 2009, outlines the minimum standards of human rights relating to Indigenous peoples.

A 2023 report looking at how UNDRIP works in Australia contains a list of recommendations, with the first being:

that the Commonwealth Government ensure its approach to developing legislation and policy on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (including, but not limited to, Closing the Gap initiatives) be consistent with the Articles outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

UNDRIP’s core principals of self-determination and participation in decision-making directly align with what communities and experts have been calling for on Closing the Gap reform. At a minimum, the federal government should meaningfully negotiate a national action plan to implement the declaration.

Such a plan would help drive community-led solutions, empowering Indigenous peoples at local and regional levels. Bottom-up grassroots approaches are vital to Closing the Gap.

2. An independent oversight body

Despite the failure of the Voice referendum, an independent representative body is still needed at the national level. It would provide strategic oversight and accountability for implementation of the Closing the Gap policy at the local and regional levels.

This body could also provide much-needed political and policy advocacy to hold governments to their commitments.

There is the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which Commonwealth, state, territory governments are a party to, as well as the Coalition of Peak Indigenous bodies and the Australian Local Government Association.

Yet some governments are enacting policies and laws which are inconsistent with the agreement. Queensland and the Northern Territory, for instance, have ceased involvement in Treaty processes and turned toward stricter penalties in response to youth offending – moves criticised by human rights commissions.

An independent representative body would help shed light on these inconsistencies and better hold governments accountable.

3. A bigger role for local government

What is often missing from the conversation is the crucial role local governments play in implementing policies that shape outcomes on the ground.

As frontline service providers, local governments are positioned to engage with communities on a direct, day-to-day basis, which can be responsive to the everyday needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In a first for local implementation of Closing the Gap, Tamworth Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and Tamworth Regional Council entered an agreement to work together towards addressing key aspects of initiative.

There are strong reasons for local governments to take a more central leadership role in trying to meet the Closing the Gap targets. To do so effectively, however, they require adequate resourcing and sustained funding to support community-driven programs.

Additionally, embedding Indigenous rights and interests in local government planning and policy would significantly enhance their capacity to contribute meaningfully.

Bartholomew Stanford receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC).

Madeleine Pugin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Progress on Closing the Gap is stagnant or going backwards. Here are 3 things to help fix it – https://theconversation.com/progress-on-closing-the-gap-is-stagnant-or-going-backwards-here-are-3-things-to-help-fix-it-262042

MIL-Evening Report: Big tech says AI could boost Australia’s economy by $115 billion a year. Does the evidence stack up?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Uri Gal, Professor in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney

Imaginima / Getty Images

AI is on the agenda in Canberra. In August, the Productivity Commission will release an interim report on harnessing data and digital technology such as AI “to boost productivity growth, accelerate innovation and improve government services”. Shortly afterward, the government will host an Economic Reform Roundtable where AI policy will be up for discussion.

AI developers are aggressively pursuing influence over the new rules. The Chinese government wants to include AI in trade deals. Meanwhile, as the US government seeks to “win the AI race”, US-based tech companies are making their own overtures.

The most ambitious intervention has come from ChatGPT developer OpenAI, which recently hired former Tech Council chief executive Kate Pounder as its local policy liaison. Pounder is also a former business partner of Assistant Minister for the Digital Economy Andrew Charlton.

OpenAI’s AI Economic Blueprint for Australia makes bold projections about the new technology’s impact on the country’s economy, accompanied by a host of policy proposals. However, these claims warrant careful scrutiny, particularly given the company’s clear commercial interests in shaping Australian regulation.

The gap between promise and evidence

OpenAI claims AI could boost Australia’s economy by A$115 billion annually by 2030. It attributes most of this to productivity gains in business, education and government. However, the supporting evidence is thin.

For instance, the report notes Australian workers have lower productivity than their US counterparts and then claims (without evidence) this is because Australia has invested less in digital technologies such as AI. However, it ignores numerous other factors affecting productivity, from industrial structure to regulatory environments.

The report also describes supposed AI-driven productivity gains in companies such as Moderna and Canva. However, these narratives lack any data about improved organisational or individual performance.

Perhaps more concerning is the report’s uniformly optimistic tone, which overlooks significant risks. These include organisations struggling with costly AI projects, massive job displacements, worsening labour conditions, and concentrating wealth.

Most problematically, OpenAI’s blueprint assumes AI adoption and its economic benefits will materialise rapidly across the economy. However, evidence suggests a different reality.

Economic impact from AI will unfold gradually

Recent evidence suggests AI’s economic impact may take decades to fully materialise. Studies report some 40% of US adults use generative AI yet this translates to less than 5% of work hours and an increase of less than 1% in labour productivity.

AI may not spread much faster than past technologies. The limiting factor will be how quickly individuals, organisations and institutions can adapt.

Even when AI tools are available, meaningful adoption requires time. People must develop new skills, change the way they work, and integrate the new technologies into complex organisations. The economic impacts of earlier general-purpose technologies such as computers and the internet took decades to fully materialise, and there’s little reason to believe AI will be fundamentally different.

The educational risk

Like Google, OpenAI is also aggressively pushing for AI adoption in education. It has teamed up with edtech companies and launched a new “study mode” in ChatGPT.

The push for AI tutoring and automated educational tools raises profound concerns about human development and learning.

Early evidence suggests over-reliance on AI tools may condition people to depend on them. When students routinely turn to AI, they risk avoiding the mental effort required to build critical thinking skills, creativity and independent inquiry. These capacities form the foundation of a thriving democracy and innovative economy.

Students who become accustomed to AI-assisted thinking may struggle to develop intellectual independence. This is needed for innovation, ethical reasoning and creative problem-solving.

AI applications that help teachers personalise instruction or identify learning gaps may be useful. But systems that substitute for students’ own cognitive effort and development should be avoided.

A multi-partner infrastructure strategy

Australia’s digital strategy will undoubtedly include significant investment in AI infrastructure such as data centres. One challenge for Australia is to avoid concentrating our investment around a single technology provider. Doing so would be a mistake that could compromise both economic competitiveness and national sovereignty.

Amazon plans to spend $20 billion on local data centres. Microsoft Azure already has significant local capacity, as does Australian company NextDC. This diversity provides a foundation, but maintaining and expanding it requires deliberate policy choices.

Maintaining multiple data centre suppliers helps keep computing power that is independent of foreign governments or single companies. This approach will give Australia more bargaining power to ensure lower prices, greener power and local skills quotas.

Diversification provides regulatory leverage as well. Australia can enforce common security standards knowing no single supplier can threaten an investment strike.

Australia’s AI future

AI technology is developing rapidly, driven by large corporations wielding vast amounts of capital and political influence. It presents real opportunities for economic growth and social benefit that Australia can’t afford to squander.

However, if the government uncritically accepts corporate advocacy, these opportunities may be captured by foreign interests.

Australia’s approach to AI policy should maintain human-centred values alongside technological advancement. This balance requires resisting the siren call of corporate promises.

The decisions made today will shape Australia’s future for decades. These choices should be guided by independent analysis, empirical evidence, and a commitment to outcomes for all Australians.

The Australian government must resist the temptation to let Silicon Valley write our digital future, no matter how persuasive their lobbyists or how impressive their promises. The stakes are simply too high to get this wrong.

Uri Gal does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Big tech says AI could boost Australia’s economy by $115 billion a year. Does the evidence stack up? – https://theconversation.com/big-tech-says-ai-could-boost-australias-economy-by-115-billion-a-year-does-the-evidence-stack-up-260705

MIL-OSI USA: On the 60th Anniversary of the Creation of Medicaid and Medicare, Luján, Leader Schumer, and Senate Democrats Introduce Legislation to Reverse Devastating Health Care Cuts in Republicans’ Budget Betrayal

US Senate News:

Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

WATCH HERE: Senator Luján Delivers Floor Speech on Effort to Reverse Devastating Health Care Cuts in Republicans’ Budget Betrayal

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), led their Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing the Protecting Health Care And Lowering Costs Act.

This legislation would reverse all of the health care cuts in the “Big, Ugly Betrayal,” including those to Medicaid, and would permanently extend the ACA premium tax credits. After Republicans passed legislation earlier this month that would kick nearly 15 million people off their health insurance and totals more than one trillion dollars in health care cuts, Senate Democrats are fighting back and pushing to reverse these devastating cuts and extend tax credits to make health care affordable.

Today marks 60 years since Medicaid and Medicare was created on a bipartisan basis as a promise to the American people that we would stick by the poorest and most disadvantaged among us and take care of the elderly who paid into a system their whole lives. Democrats will be crisscrossing the country to make sure that the American people know it is Congressional Republicans who are reneging on that promise, ripping away health care from millions so they can give tax cuts to billionaires.

“Sixty years after Medicare and Medicaid opened the door to health care for millions, Congressional Republicans slammed it shut with their Budget Betrayal – ripping coverage from 15 million Americans, including over 100,000 New Mexicans,” said Senator Luján. “Their cuts target children, families, and seniors who depend on Medicaid to survive, and could force rural clinics and hospitals to close their doors. While Republicans gut health care, Senate Democrats are fighting to restore it and protect the people we represent.”

“For many, the “Big, Ugly Betrayal” is quite literally a matter of life and death. Too many will now have to make the heartbreaking decision between financial ruin and going without care. Already the effects of this bill are being felt. Already hospitals and health care systems are in jeopardy because of this legislation that passed just mere weeks ago,” said Leader Schumer. “Let’s be crystal clear: to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, millions of people are going to lose their health care. That’s the Republicans agenda right there. Well not on our watch. Democrats are fighting this tooth and nail. And today we are proud to introduction legislation which would reverse these devastating cuts and permanently extend the ACA premium tax credits. It is not too late for the Republicans to reverse course and save healthcare for millions.”

“Trump and Republicans in Congress have been actively misleading the American public. Americans were never told that this flawed bill will punch a hole in a lot more than Medicaid,” said Senator Wyden, Ranking Member of the Finance Committee. “There is simply no way to cut more than $1 trillion from the health care system without taking a deep toll on Americans of all stripes from coast to coast. The more Americans hear about this bill, the less they like it. It’s time to scrap Trumpcare and put America back on a path to affordable health care.”

“If Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of the year, 20 million Americans will see their health care costs skyrocket at a time when they’re already struggling with increased prices. That pain will be felt almost immediately,” said Senator Shaheen. “That’s on top of the unprecedented health care cuts to Medicaid that were passed in the ‘Big Beautiful Betrayal’. We need to take action now to permanently extend those tax credits so that people know they can count on them.”

“Congressional Republicans betrayed hardworking families earlier this month when they chose to stand with billionaires by gutting Medicaid and kicking more than 15 million people off their health insurance,” said Senator Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee. “Republicans have the opportunity to right this wrong by supporting our bill that will reverse these devastating cuts and prevent health care costs from skyrocketing across the country. On this 60th Anniversary of the enactment of Medicaid and Medicare, Democrats are fighting for an economy where families thrive and billionaires finally pay their fair share.”

The entire Democratic caucus has signed on to co-sponsor the legislation.

The legislation has been endorsed by American Civil Liberties Union, AFL-CIO. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services, All* Above All , Alliance for Retired Americans, American Association on Health and Disability, American Heart Association, American Nurses Association, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, ACLU, Can’t Wait Coalition, Care in Action, Caring Across Generations, Center for American Progress, Center for Medicare Advocacy, CEO Commission for Disability Employment, Children’s Hospital Association, Communication Workers of America, Community Catalyst, Disability Policy Consortium, Disability Rights and Defense Fund, Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC), FamiliesUSA, First Focus for Children, Guttmacher Institute, Health Care for America Now, Ibis Reproductive Health, Justice in Aging, Kids Can’t Wait, Lakeshore Foundation, Little Lobbysists, MoveOn.org, National Abortion Federation, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Alliance for Direct Service Professionals, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), National Disability Rights Network, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Hispanic Council on Aging, National Health Law Program (NHeLP), National Immigration Law Center, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Protect Our Care, Public Citizens, SEIU, Social Security Works, The Arc of the United States, UNIDOS US, United Mine Workers of America, Vizient, Inc., Well Spouse Association, Healthcare Association of New York and Texas Kids Can’t Wait.

The full text of the legislation can be seen here.

MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: U.S. Marines Mobilize Without Delay: Shift from Exercise to Crisis Response

Source: United States Marines

U.S. Marines postured around the globe serve as America’s rapid crisis response force, ready to meet the Nation’s needs at a moment’s notice. On July 26 Marine Corps readiness was on display, when U.S. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363, operating under Marine Rotational Force–Darwin, deployed four MV-22B Ospreys more than 1,950 nautical miles from Darwin, Australia, to Clark Air Base, Philippines.

MIL Security OSI –

MIL-OSI United Nations: Update 306 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The IAEA team based at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) carried out independent measurements today to confirm that there had been no increase in radiation levels at the site, contrary to some social media posts overnight, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

Using IAEA monitoring equipment, the team members measured only normal levels during a site walkdown. Their measurements confirmed other data collected separately at the site, as well as information provided by the plant itself.

“The team took immediate action after becoming aware of these social media reports, enabling us to provide assurances that radiation levels remained unchanged. Once again, this shows the importance of the IAEA’s presence at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and Ukraine’s other nuclear power sites. Thanks to this presence, we can provide timely, factual and impartial technical information to the public about nuclear safety and security in Ukraine,” Director General Grossi said.

The general nuclear safety situation at the ZNPP remains precarious, however, with the plant continuing to rely on one single power line for the electricity it needs to cool its reactors and for other essential nuclear safety and security functions. Before the conflict, it had access to 10 external power lines.

In addition, the IAEA team reported hearing military activities almost every day over the past week, at different distances from the site, which is located on the frontline.

Earlier this week, the team members performed a walkdown of a turbine hall of one reactor unit where they were once again denied access to the western part of the hall.

The IAEA teams present at Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) — Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs – and the Chornobyl NPP site reported hearing air raid alarms nearly every day over the past week. At Khmelnytskyy, the team had to shelter twice on 28 July.

Three of Ukraine’s nine operating reactor units continued to be in shutdown for refuelling and maintenance, including work on some of the off-site power lines.

As part of the IAEA’s comprehensive assistance programme to support nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, the Slavutych City Hospital this week received mobile radiography equipment and the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center and Hydrometeorological organizations of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine received laboratory equipment. These deliveries were funded by Australia, the European Union and Norway.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Killing weeds and wildings for economic growth

Source: New Zealand Government

Tourism and rural businesses will benefit from Government action to eradicate invasive weeds from popular landscapes including progressing the development of world-leading early detection technology, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

The Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai is New Zealand’s biggest tourism provider – conservation tourism is worth $3.4 billion a year – but the ongoing protection of our iconic landscapes is facing significant financial and environmental challenges,” Mr Potaka says.

“Tourism is a key part of our plan to grow the economy to create jobs, lift wages and help Kiwis get ahead. Through the International Visitor Levy (IVL), we’re providing $10 million over the next three years to ensure our popular mountains, parks, and islands, remain beautiful for years to come.

“Locations include Abel Tasman, Aoraki / Mt Cook, Tongariro, Stewart Island, Mackenzie Basin, Molesworth, and Te Paki and North Cape / Otou near Cape Reinga.

“In Aotearoa New Zealand, nearly two million hectares are affected by wilding pines. Without intervention, these trees can spread at a rate of five per cent per year. The cost of this to New Zealand’s nature, productivity and economy can grow exponentially over time.

“I’ve announced an extra $3 million to the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme, led by Biosecurity New Zealand, for important control work in the Molesworth and Mackenzie Basin areas. This builds on significant previous IVL investments to urgently tackle wilding conifers across Canterbury, Marlborough, Otago and on Rangitoto in the Hauraki Gulf.

“A further $7.45 million will go towards managing other significant weeds. For example in Rakiura, Abel Tasman, Te Paki, and North Cape/Otou, such as marram, spartina, and pampas grasses that affect natural dune and estuary ecosystems, and our coastal scenery.

“When it comes to tackling invasive weeds, taking early action is essential. IVL funding will also go towards the development and rollout of an innovative, smart software tool to detect weeds when they first invade.

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard highlighted the annual boost in funding to combat wilding pines, which threaten farmland, water catchments, and native biodiversity, while increasing the risk of wildfires.

“The Government is focused on protecting the productive heart of our economy – our rural communities. That’s why there has been significant investment into the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme, including an extra $2 million announced in Budget and annual $10 million baseline funding.

“Since 2016, the Government has committed more than $150 million to the fight to contain and control the spread of wilding pines, alongside more than $33 million contributed by partners and communities.”

“This year’s investment continues to support the people doing the work alongside Government – regional councils, Iwi, farmers, researchers, and volunteers, whose combined effort has pushed back some of the worst infestations and protected key landscapes,” says Mr Hoggard.

Notes to editor: The funding covers work across the next three years (2025 –2028) and comes from money raised under the new $100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy rate.

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Heritage tourism boost to support local economies

Source: New Zealand Government

A $4.5 million investment to develop tourism at places with unique cultural heritage will help create jobs and boost incomes in rural economies, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

“This investment over the next three years from the International Visitor Levy will expand Tohu Whenua experiences to more regions with Manawatū-Whanganui and Murihiku Southland next,” Mr Potaka says.

“Tohu Whenua is a tourism and regional economic development programme that helps create jobs, boost incomes, and connect visitors to places with unique cultural heritage.

“Sites which received Tohu Whenua status previously have seen increases of up to 150 per cent in visitation in their first year in the programme.

“Expansion of the programme across more regions will support high-quality authentic visitor experiences with enhanced storytelling, information and facilities.

“Recently added sites include Kate Sheppard House, and Kaikōura Peninsula in Canterbury. They joined others including the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art Centre in Timaru, and Historic Hayes in Otago.

“DOC is responsible for over 15,000 heritage places across New Zealand, from pā to whaling stations, light houses, WWII defences and mining relics. Tourism to these places is estimated to be worth around $1.3 billion per year.

“I encourage everyone to look out for Tohu Whenua sites around Aotearoa New Zealand. These offer rich stories, variety and cultural exchange, encouraging visitors to stay longer in a region and delve deeper. In turn, they support local economies by spending more on attractions, accommodation, hospitality and retail.”

Notes to editor:

Tohu Whenua is a partnership between Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and DOC, with support from Te Puni Kōkiri, Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture & Heritage and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Tohu Whenua currently includes 39 sites. Many of these are in public conservation areas. Launched in 2016, the programme is successfully operating in four regions:

Northland Te Tai Tokerau (9 sites)
Otago (12 sites)
West Coast Te Tai Poutini (7 sites)
Canterbury Waitaha (11 sites launched in June 2025).

The programme is working towards nation-wide coverage and will be rolling out to Manawatū-Whanganui and Murihiku Southland next.

Figures for Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga properties show the increase in visitors in the first year of becoming a Tohu Whenua site:

Clendon House                                          61% increase
Pompallier Mission and Printery        35% increase
Māngungu Mission                                    156% increase
Waitangi Treaty Grounds                        7% increase
Historic Hayes                                            10% increase

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Strengthening sustainable tourism at iconic sites

Source: New Zealand Government

A $17.5 million investment into strengthening sustainable tourism at some of the country’s most popular natural attractions will support jobs and incomes for regional economies, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

“Our beautiful Conservation lands are one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s biggest drawcards, attracting $3.4 billion into our economy from tourism a year. However, the ongoing protection of our landscapes is facing financial and environmental challenges.

“$13.6 million over three years will improve visitor planning and management at the beautiful Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, Piopiotahi Milford Sound and Matiu / Somes Island on Wellington’s doorstep.

“This investment ensures the conservation areas and facilities that attract tourists to our regions continues to deliver on its promise of stunning nature.

“This includes more dedicated staff at visitor centres during peak times. It means more summer rangers to look after facilities, share information about the outdoors, wildlife and history and ensure people are visiting responsibly.

“$3.9 million over two years will go to improving service and management of some of New Zealand’s popular Great Walks and Department of Conservation campsites.

“As well as offering so much to New Zealanders, public conservation lands and water support around 2,000 tourism concessions. For example, there are currently more than 560 active guiding permits.

“Conservation areas, tracks and facilities are also vital for local economies right across the country, like Mautohe Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel Peninsula, and Tuatapere in Southland.

“Tourism is a crucial part of the Government’s focus on economic growth, with domestic and international tourism expenditure at $44.4 billion and supporting more than 300,000 jobs.”

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stronger accountability for your rates

Source: New Zealand Government

Key metrics published today show how much councils are spending and what they are spending it on, which has a direct impact on your rates, Local Government Minister Simon Watts says.

“We know it is really tough out there and the cost of living is the biggest worry for households. Councils need to show they are wisely spending ratepayers’ hard-earned money.

“Ratepayers place immense trust in their local councils who make key decisions on local infrastructure, fiscal management, and how their community operates on a day-to-day basis on their behalf.

“Some ratepayers are getting more and more fed up with rising rates hitting pockets harder than ever. This isn’t fair during a cost-of-living crisis where many Kiwis are doing it tough. It is important that ratepayers can see how their council is performing and what it is delivering for their community.

“That’s why the Government is putting clear facts and figures directly into the hands of ratepayers. When ratepayers know more about how their council is performing and where their money is going, they can engage more effectively and ask the tough questions.

“For instance, communities can now compare how much their council spends on core essentials like infrastructure and see whether their rates are going up more than average.

“We have been clear that we want to see councils get back to basics, focusing on delivering essential services and infrastructure, improving local decision-making, and supporting their communities through the cost of living – not adding to it.

“Releasing these performance metrics aligns with our commitment to lifting the performance of local government. It is an opportunity for councils that are focused on their core functions to highlight their efficiency and value to their communities.”

The Government is also actively exploring a rates capping system.

“Given the current pressures on households, the degree of rates increases is a massive worry. We’re actively exploring a rates capping system to ensure councils are spending ratepayers’ money responsibly,” Mr Watts says.

The metrics include information on council demographics, rates revenue, debt, staffing and expenditure, with benchmarking based on groupings of similar councils.

As an annual publication, the information will be developed over time to paint a fuller picture of council performance across New Zealand.

This year’s council profiles and group comparison tables are available on https://www.dia.govt.nz/local-government-performance-metrics.

MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marines Mobilize Without Delay: Shift from Exercise to Crisis Response

Source: United States Marines

U.S. Marines postured around the globe serve as America’s rapid crisis response force, ready to meet the Nation’s needs at a moment’s notice. On July 26 Marine Corps readiness was on display, when U.S. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363, operating under Marine Rotational Force–Darwin, deployed four MV-22B Ospreys more than 1,950 nautical miles from Darwin, Australia, to Clark Air Base, Philippines.

MIL Security OSI –