Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Serious disruptions to Member States’ control systems and food sovereignty – E-002563/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. Since Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council on official controls on the agri-food chain[1] does not define what constitutes a ‘serious disruption’ of a Member State’s control system, the Commission uses a wide range of evidence on the implementation of Union legislation by Member States to evaluate their official control systems. Such evidence includes the reports of the Commission’s audits, data from information technology (IT) systems managed by the Commission and from Member States’ annual reports, and information related to financial support for actions carried out by Member States. So far, a serious disruption has only been found in the specific situation of the COVID-19 pandemic[2].

    2. Consignments entering the Union from non-EU countries are subject to a robust system of official controls based on harmonised EU legislation, notably Regulation (EU) 2017/625, which aims to ensure that only safe commodities may enter the EU. In cases of identified ‘trade risks’, a number of effective measures are available which include intensified official controls at entry into the Union for products of animal origin[3], the imposition of treatments to ensure the absence of health risks, sampling and testing and controls performed by the country of origin, emergency measures including the suspension of entry of commodities[4] and the de-listing of non-EU countries’ establishments, regions or of whole non-EU countries, so that import of concerned agri-food products is to be restricted.

    • [1] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/625/oj
    • [2] No longer in force, date of end of validity: 01/09/2021: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2020/466/oj
    • [3] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2019/1873/oj
    • [4] Example: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/478/oj
    Last updated: 30 January 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Lithuania financing from EIB Group totals €449 million in 2024, boosting business and green investments

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EIB Group financing in Lithuania last year totalled €449 million, bolstering business and green investments nationwide.
    • Funding supported 1,200 Lithuanian companies and sustained 19,000 jobs.
    • Energy storage and clean railways among key 2024 projects.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group’s financing in Lithuania last year amounted to €449 million, spurring business investments and accelerating the country’s green transition. The total for 2024 includes €240 million from the EIB and €209 million from the European Investment Fund (EIF), which targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

    The EIB Group pledges last year in Lithuania supported 1,200 SMEs and Mid-Caps, sustained 19,000 jobs and covered 21 investment projects across the country.  Top operations included EIB loans of €105 million to Lithuanian utility Ignitis Group for expanding a pumped storage hydroelectric power plant and €100 million to national railway service LTG Link for buying electric and battery trains.

    “Lithuania’s commitment to sustainability is inspiring,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “Our investments in the country in 2024 underscore our dedication to supporting Lithuania’s green transition and economic resilience. We are helping to build a sustainable future for all Lithuanians.”

    The level of EIB Group financing in Lithuania in 2024 was broadly in line with the organisation’s average annual commitments of €562 million in the country over the past five years. For example, EIB Group financing in Lithuania totalled €654 million in 2023 and €219 million in 2022. 

    Energy and transport projects

    The €105 million EIB loan last year to Ignitis Group is for expanding the Kruonis Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant and making it one of Europe’s largest energy-storage facilities. The goal is to increase Lithuania’s energy independence and help the country achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030.

    The €100 million EIB loan to LTG Link is for replacing a third of the company’s train fleet. The aim is to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from trains, shorten rail-travel times and improve passenger accessibility.

    Also in the area of energy, the EIB last year signed a €35 million loan to district utility Kauno Energija for upgrading the heating and hot water system of the city of Kaunas by refurbishing pipelines, adding heat storage tanks and integrating renewable sources. This project will boost energy efficiency, diversify the energy mix and reduce reliance on imported natural gas, benefiting around 400,000 residents and businesses.

    Supporting small companies

    The EIF’s pledges in Lithuania last year included nearly €129 million to businesses through deals with various banks and financial institutions including AB Mano Bankas, AB SEB Bankas, Swedbank Bank Lithuania, UAB SME Bank, Lithuanian Central Credit Union, Taurus Fondas UAB and UAB Heavy Finance.

    These agreements unlock loans to Lithuanian SMEs at preferential terms to support growth, create jobs and speed up the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

    In 2024, the EIF also invested €50 million in IAM CEE Student Housing Fund, an infrastructure fund committed to building housing for up to 3,500 students in Central-Eastern European countries including Lithuania, and €30 million in INVL Private Equity Fund II, a private equity fund dedicated to boosting investments in high-growth SMEs mainly in Lithuania.

    Background information     

    EIB

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed a total of €88 billion in new financing for over 900 projects in 2023. These commitments are expected to mobilise around €320 billion in investment, supporting 400 000 companies and 5.4 million jobs.  

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Accord. The EIB Group does not fund investments in fossil fuels. We are on track to deliver on our commitment to support  €1 trillion in climate and environmental sustainability investment in the decade to 2030 as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Over half of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.  

    Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower. This underscores the Bank’s commitment to fostering inclusive growth and the convergence of living standards. 

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Finland financing from EIB Group more than doubles in 2024 to €2.3 billion

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EIB Group investments in Finland rose to €2.3 billion in 2024 from €992 million the year before.
    • Financing boost of 132% supported 1,800 Finnish SMEs and Mid-Caps and sustained 40,000 jobs in the country.
    • Most funding went to green projects and business innovation.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group’s financing in Finland more than doubled to €2.3 billion in 2024, with the bulk of funds aimed at accelerating the green transition and business innovation in the country. The EIB Group’s pledges last year represent a 132% increase from €992 million in 2023.

    The financing in Finland last year included €1.7 billion from the EIB and €606 million from the European Investment Fund (EIF) arm, which focuses on supporting Europe’s micro companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

    The EIB Group’s funding in Finland in 2024 supported 1,800 SMEs and Mid-Caps, sustained 40,000 jobs and covered 21 investment initiatives across the country. The amount is expected to trigger €5.1 billion of total investment, equivalent to 1.9% of Finnish gross domestic product (GDP).

    “Our significant investments in 2024 underscore our unwavering commitment to Finland’s economic growth and resilience,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “By financing a diverse array of projects from cutting-edge healthcare to pioneering renewable-energy solutions, we are not just supporting Finland’s present needs but also building a brighter, more sustainable future. “

    Driving innovation and sustainability

    In 2024, half of the EIB Group’s funding in Finland was allocated to the green transition and a third to business innovation. This marks a 215% rise in support for Finnish sustainability and innovation compared with the previous year.

    “Finland stands as a leading example of innovation and sustainability in Europe,” said Östros.

    The EIB Group’s financing in Finland last year targeted a range of sectors including industrial investments, energy, education and healthcare.

    Key green transition and innovation projects

    Green transition and innovation projects backed by the EIB last year included a €168 million investment in the Keliber lithium project to enhance the EU’s battery material supply for electric vehicles and high-tech industries. Additionally, Prysmian’s factory in Pikkala received more than €221 million in EIB funding to expand its production of extra-high-voltage submarine power cables, supporting the EU’s clean energy-transmission goals.

    Furthermore, the EIB invested €150 million to replace Helsinki’s fossil-based heating plants with renewable energy, supporting the city’s sustainability and carbon-reduction efforts as part of REPowerEU. In addition, the EIB provided a €435 million loan to Stora Enso for producing sustainable packaging at the Oulu factory, promoting a circular economy with renewable materials.

    Lastly, Swappie received a €14 million venture-debt loan to refurbish and resell iPhones, reducing electronic waste and extending the lifecycle of devices, making high-quality technology more accessible.

    Empowering SMEs and Mid-Caps

    The EIB Group’s support for Finnish SMEs and Mid-Caps last year included a €200 million partnership with Finnvera. This initiative aimed to tackle barriers to accessing finance by sharing risks associated with economic uncertainties such as inflation, high interest rates, limited external growth opportunities, and unpredictable energy supplies.

    For its part, the EIF collaborated with leading Finnish banks to provide over €560 million in loan guarantees last year. This substantial financing empowers SMEs, small Mid-Caps and housing associations to advance Finland’s climate goals, promote environmental sustainability and invest in innovation and digitalisation. In addition, the EIF made two new commitments in Finnish venture capital and private equity funds.

    Investing in public infrastructure

    The EU bank prioritised healthcare and education infrastructure in 2024, making significant investments in Finland’s public sector. A €100 million loan will upgrade Helsinki’s Laakso hospital, providing state-of-the-art medical services. Thousands of children in Tuusula will benefit from modern schools funded by a €105 million EIB loan. Additionally, the EIB is financing water-infrastructure projects in the Helsinki area, promoting sustainable water management, one of the key priorities of the bank.

    Over the past five years, the EIB Group has provided nearly €8.6 billion in financing for Finland, highlighting the organisation’s dedication to the country’s economic growth and development.

    For more information on EIB Group results in 2024, please click here.

    Background information     

    EIB

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality. 

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed a total of €88 billion in new financing for over 900 projects in 2023. These commitments are expected to mobilise around €320 billion in investment, supporting 400 000 companies and 5.4 million jobs.  

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Accord. The EIB Group does not fund investments in fossil fuels. We are on track to deliver on our commitment to support  €1 trillion in climate and environmental sustainability investment in the decade to 2030 as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Over half of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.  

    Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower. This underscores the Bank’s commitment to fostering inclusive growth and the convergence of living standards. 

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Estonia financing from EIB Group totals €498 million in 2024, fuelling business innovation and green growth

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EIB Group financing in Estonia totalled €498 million last year.
    • Funding supported 800 Estonian companies and sustained 4,300 jobs.
    • The level of EIB Group funding in Estonia was among the highest in the EU as a share of GDP.
    • Most support directed towards green innovation and urban sustainability.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group’s financing in Estonia last year amounted to €498 million, representing 1.3% of Estonia’s GDP. This was the second highest in the European Union as a share of gross domestic product (GDP). This support helped hundreds of businesses grow and contributed to making the country greener, generating nearly €2.2 billion in additional investments.

    The EIB Group commitments last year in Estonia supported 800 SMEs as well as Mid-Caps and sustained 4,300 jobs across the country. The main operation was a €400 million EIB loan to the Estonian government for EU grants co-financing, including for green and digital initiatives.

    “Estonia’s dedication to innovation and sustainability is an example for all,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “Our financing in the country last year highlights our commitment to propelling Estonian economic, green and digital advances.”

    The level of EIB Group funding in Estonia last year exceeded an annual average of €433 million in the country over the past five years. For example, EIB Group financing in Estonia amounted to €540 million in 2023 and €111 million in 2022.   

    To deepen its relationship with Estonia, the EIB Group plans to open an office in Tallinn in 2025.

    “This shows our long-term commitment to Estonia’s economic development and our desire to be closer to the communities we serve,” said Östros.

    Key operations

    The €400 million EIB loan to the Estonian government aims to boost green and digital initiatives and deliver multiple benefits, including energy efficiency improvements and the digitalisation of public and private organisations. This credit marks the second and final tranche of a €700 million EIB loan to bolster the Estonian economy.

    In a venture capital deal last year, the EIB provided UP Catalyst with an €18 million loan to scale up the converting of industrial emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon-neutral graphite and nanotubes – high-performance materials used in batteries, electronics, paints, coatings, polymers and concrete.

    Additionally, as part of multi-country operations in 2024, the EIB offered Finland-based iPhone refurbisher Swappie €1.4 million of financing in Estonia to refurbish and resell handsets and provided €2.4 million in funding to Italian automotive company SAPA to develop sustainable vehicle parts in Estonia.

    Notable European Investment Fund (EIF) operations in Estonia last year included support for businesses through deals with various banks and financial institutions, such as LHV Pank, Swedbank, and Hüpoteeklaen. These operations are expected to leverage almost €600 million in financing to support business growth, create jobs, and accelerate the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

    For more information on EIB Group results in 2024, please click here.

    Background information     

    EIB

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, high-impact investments outside the EU, and the Capital Markets Union.   

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 projects in 2024. These commitments are expected to mobilise around €350 billion in investment, supporting 400 000 companies and 5.8 million jobs.   

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Accord and the EIB Group does not fund investments in fossil fuels. We are on track to deliver on our commitment to support  €1 trillion in climate and environmental sustainability investment in the decade to 2030 as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.   

    Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average. This underscores the Bank’s commitment to fostering inclusive growth and the convergence of living standards.  

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB Group achieves record results in 2024, targets €95 billion in investments for 2025

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • The EIB Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024.
    • A record of nearly 60% of all EIB Group financing supported the green transition, climate action and environmental sustainability.
    • There was a sharp increase in higher-risk activities, with a record €8 billion committed for equity and quasi-equity investment.
    • Financing for security and defence projects doubled to €1 billion in 2024, with a further doubling planned in 2025.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group signed €89 billion in new financing last year. The Group made more investments than ever before to strengthen EU energy security, mobilising over €100 billion for projects in new and upgraded infrastructure such as grids and interconnectors, renewables, net-zero industries, efficiency and storage. Nearly 60% of the total financing supported the green transition, climate action and environmental sustainability.

    Our preliminary results once again signal robust profitability. At the same time, higher-risk EIB operations to back Europe’s most innovative companies have sharply increased. A record €8 billion in equity and quasi-equity investment from the EIB and the European Investment Fund (EIF) is expected to mobilise €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers.

    Eligible security and defence investment doubled in 2024, and the goal is to double this figure again this year. Furthermore, the EIB Group significantly extended its eligible investments in dual-use projects, which now include border protection, military mobility, de-mining and de-contamination, space, cybersecurity, anti-jamming equipment, seabed and critical infrastructure protection, research and development, and drones.  

    Looking ahead, the EIB Group plans to increase its overall investments to €95 billion in 2025, with flagship initiatives to support European tech champions and a dedicated TechEU programme, critical raw materials, water management, the energy efficiency of small and medium-sized companies, and a dedicated platform to promote sustainable and affordable housing.

    In parallel with increasing its investment capacity and impact, the EIB Group is making significant progress in cutting red tape for clients and has shortened the time to market required to approve and deploy new investments. During 2024, it introduced simplified appraisal procedures covering more than 40% of its operations.

    “We have broken records with our financing in 2024. We have made ourselves ready to support EU priorities in this new political mandate. And we will play an even more relevant role in 2025 – building on the excellent performance of the EIB Group to increase our impact, bolstering Europe’s security and competitiveness with strategic and ambitious investments,” said EIB Group President Nadia Calviño as she presented the annual operational results of the EIB Group in Brussels.

    Making records

    The EIB Group financing committed in 2024 is expected to power almost 15 million households with clean energy, create up to 1.5 million new jobs in Europe over the next few years, advance therapies against cancer, and help secure affordable housing from Croatia to Latvia.

    In more detail, highlights from last year include:

    • Stepped up higher-risk activities, expected to mobilise about €110 billion in new investments. This includes a record €7.2 billion of investments by the EIF in the equity funds ecosystem, and €1 billion in venture debt by the EIB.
    • More than €14 billion in total investment deployed by the EIF to support Europe’s small businesses and innovators, including in 102 venture capital funds, such as a dedicated fund to back women-owned and gender-balanced startups in space and deep tech.
    • A record €51 billion – around 60% of last year’s investments – to support the green transition, climate action and environmental sustainability, from the world’s first zero-emissions tyre factory in Romania to support for sustainable mobility in Valencia, keeping the EIB Group well on track to meet its target of supporting €1 trillion in climate and environmental sustainability investment in the critical decade to 2030.
    • A record €31 billion to back EU energy security, including for efficiency, renewables, storage and electricity grids, which is expected to support over €100 billion in investment. Flagship initiatives include counter-guarantees to bolster European wind manufacturers, electric vehicle battery manufacturing in France and the Princess Elisabeth Island in Belgium. For grids and storage, financing rose to a record €8.5 billion, mobilising 40% of Europe’s total investment in that sector in 2024, including transmission network upgrades and interconnectors in Spain, Czechia and Germany.
    • Support for eligible security and defence projects doubled to €1 billion, including the deployment of dual-use satellites in Poland, port upgrades to meet the needs of NATO vessels in Denmark and investment by the EIF in dedicated private investment funds. A further doubling of annual investments to €2 billion is expected this year.
    • A record €38 billion to accelerate social and territorial cohesion, including credit lines for farmers in Romania, innovative startups in Greece and just transition projects in Estonia.
    • The EIB Group has also provided financial support to boost climate resilience and adaptation from post-landslide reconstruction in Italy to recovery investments in European regions affected by devastating floods.
    • With more than €2.2 billion disbursed since 2022, EIB Group investments in Ukraine are helping to repair schools, kindergartens and hospitals, upgrade transport and protect energy infrastructure, as well as support the private sector.

    Beyond Ukraine, the EIB Group’s operations outside the European Union are supporting stability in the EU neighbourhood and partner countries on their path to EU membership, including with rail upgrades in countries such as Albania and Montenegro.

    Supporting EU global priorities and helping strengthen Europe’s voice in the world, EIB Group financing also helps drought-stricken countries like Jordan to manage water supplies. Thanks to reinforced partnerships inside and outside the European Union, EIB investments are helping eliminate diseases like polio and support sustainable infrastructure around the world from Vietnam to India.

    Ready for the challenges ahead

    Under President Calviño, who took office in January 2024, the EIB Group has updated its internal policies and investment strategy to maximise impact and scale up support for shared European priorities.

    Changes include:

    • A Strategic Roadmap, aligned with EU policies and agreed by the EU 27 Member States (the EIB’s shareholders) to focus resources on impactful investment on eight core priorities.
    • A revamped framework expanding the EIB Group’s activity in the areas of security and defence, with streamlined internal procedures and new partnerships with external stakeholders, such as the NATO Innovation Fund and the European Defence Agency.
    • EIB governors approved the increase of the gearing ratio, an outdated limit on EIB Group’s investments.[1] This will enable the EIB Group to make the necessary strategic investments to deliver on EU policy goals while preserving its leverage and capital ratios.
    • An action plan with building blocks for a deeper capital markets union.
    • Actions and proposals to cut red tape, improve the usability of EU sustainability reporting rules and optimise the use of EU budget instruments.
    • A stepped up time to market initiative to simplify internal processes and boost efficiency, enabling much faster approvals for new financing.
    • An action plan to improve transparency, accountability and well-being in the workplace, including the appointment of an ombudsperson to swiftly address common workplace issues and improve the working environment.

    More relevant than ever in 2025

    Looking ahead, the EIB Group Operational Plan covers up to €95 billion in new investment in 2025, supported by the Group’s stellar credit rating and strong capital position.

    New initiatives aligned with the priorities of the new European Commission expected to be rolled out in 2025 include:

    • Maintaining a 60% green finance target.
    • Scaling up support for leading technologies, including clean-tech, artificial intelligence, chips, high-performance and quantum computing, health sciences and medical technologies, and Europe’s cutting-edge industrial capacity.
    • An exit platform to facilitate the listing of European scale-ups in EU markets or the acquisition of these promising innovators by European companies.
    • An extension of the highly successful European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI) as part of the broader goal to boost equity and venture debt investments to scale up Europe’s innovative startups.
    • Further doubling of support for Europe’s security and defence industry
    • A pan-European investment platform for affordable and sustainable housing, together with the European Commission and increased financing for the housing sector.
    • Increasing investment for critical raw materials projects, such as the Keliber lithium production facility in Finland agreed last year.
    • A dedicated water programme of about €4.5 billion to focus investment on flood resilience, and to address water scarcity amid intensifying droughts.
    • New support for Europe’s farmers through agricultural insurance and other de-risking schemes, building on a €3 billion facility to improve access to financing for young farmers and women.
    • A €2.5 billion programme to scale up energy efficiency investments by small and medium-sized companies so they can lower their CO2 emissions and electricity bills.

    EIB Group press conference on annual results

    Background information

    The EIB Group is the financing institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It supports investment contributing toward EU policy goals, including sustainable growth, social and territorial cohesion, innovation and security. It finances its operations in global capital markets and has been consistently profitable in its operations since its inception. The EIB Group is the pioneer and one of the largest issuers of green bonds, while all of its operations are aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement.


    [1] Subject to final approval by the Council of the European Union.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President von der Leyen launches Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Automotive Industry and announces Action Plan

    Source: EuroStat – European Statistics

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 30 Jan 2025 This dialogue marks the start of an inclusive and collaborative process aimed at addressing critical challenges facing the sector and ensuring its continued success as a major driver of the European economy.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI: Grayscale Launches Grayscale® Bitcoin Miners ETF (Ticker: MNRS)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Grayscale, an asset management firm with extensive experience in crypto investing, today announced the launch of Grayscale® Bitcoin Miners ETF (Ticker: MNRS) (the “Fund”).

    Grayscale® Bitcoin Miners ETF is Grayscale’s latest exchange-traded product offering investors exposure to Bitcoin miners and the Bitcoin mining ecosystem. The Fund specifically invests in companies that comprise the Indxx Bitcoin Miners Index, a proprietary index designed to measure the performance of global Bitcoin mining companies that generate the majority of their revenue from Bitcoin mining activities or mining-related hardware, software, services, and/or projects.

    The Bitcoin mining industry is crucial for maintaining the Bitcoin network’s transparency and long-term security and the new Fund offers investors a way to gain exposure to companies supporting this mining ecosystem. This can be appealing to those seeking an alternative to direct Bitcoin investment, as well as to those who lack access or are not yet ready to invest directly in Bitcoin or digital assets but still want exposure to companies that, we believe are correlated to Bitcoin’s price in a familiar ETF wrapper.

    “Grayscale® Bitcoin Miners ETF offers investors targeted exposure to Bitcoin Miners and the global Bitcoin Mining industry in a passively managed, rules-based, and index-tracked fund designed to evolve with the industry,” said David LaValle, Global Head of ETFs at Grayscale. “Bitcoin Miners, the backbone of the network, are well-positioned for significant growth as Bitcoin adoption and usage increases, making MNRS an appealing option for a diverse range of investors.”

    For more information about MNRS, please visit: https://etfs.grayscale.com/mnrs

    Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please call (8CC)-775-0313 or visit our website at etfs.grayscale.com/mnrs. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

    Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal. Shares of ETFs may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value.

    The Fund will not invest in digital assets directly or through the use of derivatives. The Fund also will not invest in initial coin offerings. The Fund may, however, have indirect exposure to digital assets by virtue of its investments in companies that use one or more digital assets as part of their business activities or that hold digital assets as proprietary investments. Because the Fund will not invest directly in any digital assets, it will not track price movements of any digital assets.

    MNRS is distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC and Grayscale Advisors, LLC is the adviser.

    About Grayscale

    Grayscale Operating, LLC (“GSO”) enables investors to access the digital economy through a family of future-forward investment products. Founded in 2013, GSO has a decade-long track record and deep expertise as an asset management firm focused on crypto investing. Investors, advisors, and allocators turn to Grayscale for single asset, diversified, and thematic exposure. For more information, please follow @Grayscale or visit grayscale.com. GSO is the parent company of Grayscale Advisors, LLC.

    Media Contact

    press@grayscale.com

    Client Contact

    866-775-0313

    info@grayscale.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: CSW Industrials Reports Record Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CSW Industrials, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSWI or the “Company”) today reported record results for the fiscal 2025 third quarter period ended December 31, 2024.

    Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Highlights (comparisons to fiscal 2024 third quarter)

    • Total revenue increased 10.7% to a third quarter record of $193.6 million, driven by inorganic growth of 8.7% from the recent acquisitions of Dust Free, PSP Products, and PF WaterWorks, and organic growth of 1.9%
    • Net income attributable to CSWI of $26.9 million, or $24.9 million adjusted, increased 48.9% to a third quarter record, compared to $16.7 million
    • Earnings per diluted share (“EPS”) of $1.60, or $1.48 adjusted, increased 38.2% to a third quarter record, compared to $1.07
    • Adjusted EBITDA grew 14.2% to a third quarter record of $42.0 million, including margin expansion for the third quarter of 70 bps to 21.7%

    Fiscal 2025 Year-to-Date Highlights (comparisons to fiscal 2024 year-to-date period)

    • Total revenue increased 11.3% to $647.8 million, of which $34.1 million, or 5.9%, was inorganic growth from recent acquisitions, and 5.5%, or $31.7 million was organic growth
    • Net income attributable to CSWI of $101.6 million, or $99.5 million adjusted, increased 28.6% as compared to $77.4 million
    • EPS of $6.30, or $6.17 adjusted, improved 24.2% compared to $4.97
    • Adjusted EBITDA increased 16.6% to $168.1 million, including margin expansion of 120 bps to 26.0%
    • Invested $84.5 million in acquisitions and $11.7 million in organic capital expenditures, while returning total cash of $24.3 million to shareholders through share repurchases of $13.7 million and dividends of $10.6 million

    Comments from the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

    Joseph B. Armes, CSW Industrials’ Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “I am very pleased to announce record revenue for the fiscal third quarter driven by the strategic acquisitions of Dust Free, PSP Products, and PF WaterWorks during the last twelve months as well as organic volume growth. Impressively, the team also achieved record net income, adjusted earnings per diluted share, and adjusted EBITDA for the fiscal third quarter.”

    Armes continued, “During the quarter, our disciplined allocation of capital continued with the acquisition of PF WaterWorks, bringing innovative, eco-friendly drain management solutions within the profitable plumbing end market to the CSWI family. The addition of these new products to our current portfolio fuels inorganic growth, additional organic growth over time, and increased market share.”

    Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Consolidated Results

    Fiscal third quarter revenue was $193.6 million, a $18.7 million or 10.7% increase over the prior year period. Total revenue growth included $15.3 million or 8.7% inorganic growth contributed by the Dust Free, PSP, and PF WaterWorks acquisitions, which are all reported within the Contractor Solutions segment, with the remaining $3.4 million or 1.9% related to organic growth contributed from all three operating segments.

    Gross profit in the fiscal third quarter was $80.1 million, representing 8.3% growth over $74.0 million in the prior year period. Gross margin contracted 90 bps to 41.4%, compared to 42.3% in the prior year period. The gross margin decrease was primarily a result of increased freight expense.

    Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue were 26.1% or 25.6% adjusted to exclude the $0.9 million acquisition broker fee in the current period, which was lower than the prior year period of 26.5%. Operating expenses were $50.5 million or $49.7 million adjusted in the current year period, compared to $46.4 million in the prior year period, with leverage of revenue growth through the absorption of expenses related to recent acquisitions, additional spend on acquisition integration, and investments in team members to support ongoing revenue growth.

    Operating income in the current period was $29.6 million or $30.5 million adjusted to exclude the acquisition broker fee, compared to $27.6 million in the prior year period. Operating income as a percentage of revenue was 15.3% or 15.7% adjusted, compared to 15.8% in the prior year period. The main driver of the slight decrease in operating margin was a result of the previously mentioned contraction in the gross margin, which was partially offset by improved leverage on operating expenses.

    Interest income was $2.0 million, compared to interest expense of $2.8 million in the prior year period. The $4.8 million shift from interest expense to interest income was a result of having no debt outstanding during the quarter, as the outstanding balance on our revolver was fully repaid in second fiscal quarter 2025, augmented by interest income earned on the balance of net proceeds from the equity offering closed in the second fiscal quarter 2025.

    Other expense was $0.3 million, compared to other expense of $8.4 million in the prior year period. A $0.9 million tax indemnification asset was released in the current period, as compared to $8.5 million of tax indemnification assets released in the prior year period.

    Net income attributable to CSWI (net of non-controlling interest in the joint venture) increased to $26.9 million, compared to the prior year period of $9.2 million. Adjusted to exclude the release of the tax indemnification assets and uncertain tax position accruals in the current and prior periods, as well as the acquisition broker fee in the current period, adjusted net income was $24.9 million and adjusted EPS of $1.48 vs. $16.7 million and $1.07, an increase over the prior year period of 48.9% and 38.2%, respectively.

    Fiscal 2025 third quarter adjusted EBITDA increased 14.2% to $42.0 million, up from $36.8 million in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 70 bps to 21.7%, compared to 21.0% in the prior year period.

    The quarterly cash flows from operations of $11.6 million, compared to $47.0 million in the prior year period, were lower primarily due to a previously disclosed $16.8 million tax payment deferral from fiscal first half 2025 to fiscal third quarter 2025 under a temporary federal tax relief related to the severe storms and flooding in Texas in early calendar 2024. Additionally, increased investment in inventory during the third fiscal quarter 2025, compared to the prior year period, resulted from actions taken to mitigate certain supply chain issues that were expected to potentially arise in the first calendar quarter of 2025.

    Following quarter-end, the Company announced its twenty-fourth consecutive regular quarterly cash dividend in the amount of $0.24 per share, which will be paid on February 14, 2025, to shareholders of record on January 31, 2025.

    The Company’s effective tax rate for the fiscal third quarter was 13.8%, or 24.5% adjusted, as compared to 43.2% or 32.5% adjusted in the prior year period, when adjusted to exclude the previously disclosed release of tax indemnification assets and the uncertain tax position accruals for acquisitions in both periods, as well as the acquisition broker fee and related tax impact in the current period. The decrease in the adjusted tax rate was driven by a favorable foreign currency rate impact on the cumulative unrepatriated foreign earnings and an increased benefit related to vesting of employee equity awards.

    Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Segment Results

    Contractor Solutions segment revenue was $132.2 million, a $16.7 million or 14.5% increase over the prior year period, comprised of inorganic growth of $15.3 million from the recent acquisitions of Dust Free, PSP Products, and PF WaterWorks (91.4% of the $16.7 million growth) and organic growth of $1.4 million from increased organic unit volumes. As compared to the prior year period, net revenue growth was driven by the HVAC/R, plumbing, and electrical end markets. Segment operating income improved to $26.8 million or $27.6 million adjusted to exclude the $0.9 million acquisition broker fee, compared to $25.8 million in the prior year period. The incremental profit resulted from revenue growth and the inclusion of recently acquired businesses and was partially offset by increased freight, including a freight expense alignment in the quarter and increased spending on business integrations. Segment operating income margin in the fiscal third quarter was 20.2% or 20.9% adjusted, compared to 22.3% in the prior year period. Segment adjusted EBITDA in the fiscal third quarter was $37.5 million, or 28.4% of revenue, compared to $33.0 million, or 28.6% of revenue in the prior year period.

    Specialized Reliability Solutions segment revenue was $34.6 million, a $0.9 million or 2.5% increase from the prior year period. The increased net revenue was driven by growth in the general industrial and rail end markets. Segment operating income improved to $5.2 million, as compared to $3.7 million in the prior year period, an increase of 40.1%. Segment operating income margin for the fiscal third quarter improved to 15.2%, compared to the prior year period of 11.1% as a result of manufacturing efficiencies and management of operating expenses. Segment EBITDA improved by 26.5% to $6.6 million in the fiscal third quarter, with an EBITDA margin of 19.1% as compared to 15.4% in the prior year period.

    Engineered Building Solutions segment revenue was $28.8 million, a 3.4% increase compared to $27.9 million in the prior year period. Segment operating income was $3.6 million, or 12.6% of revenue, as compared to the prior year period of $3.5 million, or 12.7% of revenue. Segment EBITDA and EBITDA margin improved slightly to $4.1 million and 14.2%, respectively, in the fiscal third quarter, compared to $4.0 million and 14.2%, respectively, in the prior year period.

    Fiscal 2025 Year-to-Date Consolidated Results

    Fiscal year-to-date revenue was $647.8 million, representing 11.3% growth over $582.0 million in the prior year period, with growth in all three reporting segments. Of the $65.8 million total growth, $31.7 million (5.5% of the 11.3% total growth) resulted from organic growth, with the remainder ($34.1 million) contributed by the Dust Free, PSP Products, and PF WaterWorks acquisitions.

    Gross profit in the fiscal year-to-date period was $291.4 million, representing $34.3 million or 13.3% growth from $257.1 million in the prior year period, with the incremental profit resulting predominantly from revenue growth driven by increased organic unit volumes, a slight increase from pricing actions, and the recent acquisitions. Gross margin was 45.0%, compared to 44.2% in the prior year period. The gross margin improvement was a result of leveraging the volume increase, favorable product mix, and a slight favorable impact from pricing actions.

    Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue were 24.0% or 23.8% adjusted, compared to 24.5% in the prior year period, as the increase in revenue growth outpaced the increase in operating expenses. Operating expenses in the current year period were $155.2 million or $154.4 million adjusted to exclude the $0.9 million acquisition broker fee, compared to $142.3 million in the prior year period. The additional expenses were related to employee compensation and recent acquisition expenses including amortization of intangible assets, business development expenses, and integration costs.

    In the current period, operating income was $136.2 million or $137.1 million adjusted, compared to $114.8 million in the prior year period. The incremental operating income resulted from the gross profit increase, partially offset by the operating expense increase detailed above. Operating income margin in the current period improved to 21.0% or 21.2% adjusted, compared to the prior year period of 19.7%. During the comparative periods, the strengthened operating margin was due to the improvement in gross margin combined with the management of operating expenses.

    Interest expense was $1.9 million, compared to interest expense of $10.1 million in the prior year period. The decrease of $8.2 million was a result of a lower debt balance throughout the first half of the year, then fully repaying the outstanding balance borrowed against our revolver during the second fiscal quarter 2025. Additionally, during the second and third fiscal quarters, the Company recognized interest income earned from the remaining net proceeds of the equity offering that closed in second fiscal quarter 2025.

    Other expense was $0.7 million, compared to $6.2 million in the prior year period. The change in other expense of $5.5 million was primarily due to a $0.9 million tax indemnification asset was released in the current period, as compared to $8.5 million of tax indemnification assets released in the prior period, in addition to a gain of $1.4 million reported in the prior year period in connection with the sale of a property previously held for investment that did not recur. The remaining variance is a result of foreign currency impact related to transactions in currencies other than functional currencies.

    In the current period, reported net income attributable to CSWI improved 45.4% to $101.6 million, or $6.30 per diluted share. Adjusted net income attributable to CSWI was $99.5 million, or $6.17 per diluted share. In the prior year period, adjusted net income attributable to CSWI was $77.4 million, or $4.97 per diluted share.

    Fiscal 2025 year-to-date adjusted EBITDA increased 16.6% to $168.1 million from $144.2 million in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue improved 120 bps to 26.0%, compared to 24.8%, in the prior year period.

    Net cash provided by operating activities for the fiscal 2025 year-to-date period was $141.1 million, compared to $141.9 million in the prior year-to-date period, a 0.6% decrease compared to the prior year period. The Company paid down all $166.0 million of debt in the first half utilizing our record cash flow from operations and net proceeds from the follow-on equity offering, while also returning a total of $24.3 million in cash to shareholders through $10.6 million in dividends and $13.7 million in share repurchases utilizing our outstanding cash flow from operations.

    The Company’s effective tax rate for the fiscal year-to-date period was 23.3% on a GAAP basis, and 25.8% as adjusted.

    Fiscal 2025 Year-to-Date Segment Results

    Contractor Solutions segment revenue was $451.4 million, a $56.1 million or 14.2% increase from the prior year period. Revenue growth was comprised of inorganic growth from Dust Free, PSP Products, and PF WaterWorks acquisitions ($34.1 million, or 8.6%, of the total growth), and organic growth of $22.1 million (5.6% of the total 14.2% growth) due to increased unit volumes and a slight increase from pricing actions. As compared to the prior year period, net revenue growth was driven primarily by the HVAC/R, plumbing, and electrical end markets. Segment operating income in the current year period was $122.9 million or $123.8 million adjusted to exclude the $0.9 million acquisition broker fee, compared to $104.4 million in the prior year period. The incremental profit resulted from the increased unit volumes, favorable product mix, pricing actions, and the inclusion of recent acquisitions. This growth was partially offset by increased freight expense, increased employee compensation expense, and business integration costs as the segment builds out the infrastructure to support continued growth, and increased expenses related to the inclusion of Dust Free, PSP Products, and PF WaterWorks in the current period, including amortization of intangible assets.

    Contractor Solutions segment operating income margin was 27.2% or 27.4% adjusted, compared to 26.4% in the prior year period, an increase of 80 bps, driven primarily by increased operating leverage from the additional volume, favorable product mix and pricing actions, combined with the management of operating expenses. Segment adjusted EBITDA in the current period was $149.4 million, or 33.1% of revenue, compared to $126.4 million, or 32.0% of revenue in the prior year period.

    Specialized Reliability Solutions segment revenue grew to $109.9 million, a $1.9 million or 1.7% increase over the prior year period of $108.0 million, primarily due to increased unit volumes, with growth in the rail transportation and industrial end markets offset by a decrease in mining and energy end markets. In the current year period, segment operating income improved by 17.2% to $18.2 million, or 16.6% of revenue, compared to the prior year period of $15.5 million, or 14.4% of revenue. Improved segment operating income was primarily a result of a favorable inventory adjustment as well as the increased volume. Segment EBITDA in the current period was $22.2 million, or 20.2% of revenue, compared to $19.9 million, or 18.5% of revenue in the prior year period.

    Engineered Building Solutions segment revenue was $92.4 million, a $7.7 million or 9.1% increase over the prior year period, primarily due to the conversion of backlog into revenue and market expansion. Segment operating income increased 18.6% to $15.5 million, or 16.7% of revenue, compared to the prior year period of $13.0 million, or 15.4% of revenue, due to the increased net revenue and improved operating leverage, offset by increased employee expenses to support revenue growth. Segment EBITDA in the current period was $16.9 million, or 18.3% of revenue, compared to $14.4 million, or 17.0% of revenue in the prior year period.

    All percentages are calculated based upon the attached financial statements. Share count used in determining the diluted EPS is based on a weighted average of outstanding shares throughout the reporting period.

    Conference Call Information

    The Company will host a conference call today at 10:00 a.m. ET to discuss the results, followed by a question-and-answer session for the investment community. A live webcast of the call can be accessed at https://cswindustrials.gcs-web.com/. To access the call, participants may dial 1-877-407-0784, international callers may use 1-201-689-8560, and request to join the CSW Industrials earnings call.

    A telephonic replay will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and until Thursday, February 13, 2025. Participants may access the replay at 1-844-512-2921, international callers may use 1-412-317-6671 and enter access code 13750887. The call will also be available for replay via webcast link on the Investors portion of the CSWI website www.cswindustrials.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Words or phrases such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “could,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “forecasts,” “predicts” or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which include, without limitation, earnings forecasts, effective tax rate, statements relating to our business strategy and statements of expectations, beliefs, future plans and strategies and anticipated developments concerning our industry, business, operations, and financial performance and condition.

    The forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on our current expectations, projections, estimates, and assumptions. These statements are only predictions, not guarantees. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from what is forecast in such forward-looking statements, and include, without limitation, the risk factors described from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

    All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement except as may be required by law.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release includes an analysis of adjusted diluted earnings per share attributable to CSWI, adjusted net income attributable to CSWI, adjusted effective tax rate, adjusted operating income and free cash flows, which are non-GAAP financial measures of performance. Attributable to CSWI is defined to exclude the income attributable to the non-controlling interest in the Whitmore JV.

    CSWI utilizes adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) as an additional consolidated, non-GAAP financial measure, which consists of consolidated net income including income attributable to the non-controlling interest in the Whitmore JV, adjusted to remove the impact of income taxes, interest expense, depreciation, amortization and impairment, and significant nonrecurring items.

    For a reconciliation of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures and for a discussion of why we consider these non-GAAP measures useful, see the “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures” section of this release.

    About CSW Industrials, Inc.

    CSW Industrials is a diversified industrial growth company with industry-leading operations in three segments: Contractor Solutions, Specialized Reliability Solutions, and Engineered Building Solutions. CSWI provides niche, value-added products with two essential commonalities: performance and reliability. The primary end markets we serve with our well-known brands include: HVAC/R, plumbing, electrical, general industrial, architecturally-specified building products, energy, mining, and rail transportation. For more information, please visit www.cswindustrials.com.

    Investor Relations

    Alexa Huerta
    Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasurer
    214-489-7113
    alexa.huerta@cswindustrials.com

     
    CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended
    December 31,
      Nine Months Ended
    December 31,
    (Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)     2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Revenues, net   $ 193,649     $ 174,967     $ 647,752     $ 581,980  
    Cost of revenues     (113,543 )     (100,986 )     (356,324 )     (324,873 )
    Gross profit     80,106       73,981       291,428       257,107  
    Selling, general and administrative expenses     (50,511 )     (46,400 )     (155,224 )     (142,327 )
    Operating income     29,595       27,581       136,204       114,780  
    Interest income (expense), net     1,976       (2,765 )     (1,884 )     (10,080 )
    Other expense, net     (298 )     (8,428 )     (716 )     (6,188 )
    Income before income taxes     31,273       16,388       133,604       98,512  
    Provision for income taxes     (4,315 )     (7,083 )     (31,175 )     (27,968 )
    Net income     26,958       9,305       102,429       70,544  
    Less: Income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest     (10 )     (83 )     (839 )     (655 )
    Net income attributable to CSW Industrials, Inc.   $ 26,948     $ 9,222     $ 101,590     $ 69,889  
                     
    Net income per share attributable to CSW Industrials, Inc.                
    Basic   $ 1.60     $ 0.59     $ 6.32     $ 4.50  
    Diluted     1.60       0.59       6.30       4.49  
                     
    Weighted average number of shares outstanding:                
    Basic     16,792       15,546       16,066       15,537  
    Diluted     16,872       15,596       16,136       15,578  
    CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (unaudited)
     
    (Amounts in thousands, except for per share amounts)   December 31, 2024   March 31, 2024
    ASSETS        
    Current assets:        
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 213,754     $ 22,156  
    Accounts receivable, net of allowance for expected credit losses of $1,295 and $908, respectively     114,825       142,665  
    Inventories, net     202,764       150,749  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     32,120       15,840  
    Total current assets     563,463       331,410  
    Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $112,906 and $103,515, respectively     94,208       92,811  
    Goodwill     266,941       247,191  
    Intangible assets, net     355,256       318,819  
    Other assets     70,327       53,095  
    Total assets   $ 1,350,195     $ 1,043,326  
             
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY        
    Current liabilities:        
    Accounts payable   $ 52,842     $ 48,387  
    Accrued and other current liabilities     81,873       67,449  
    Total current liabilities     134,715       115,836  
    Long-term debt           166,000  
    Retirement benefits payable     1,082       1,114  
    Other long-term liabilities     150,181       125,298  
    Total liabilities     285,978       408,248  
    Commitments and contingencies (See Note 13)        
    Redeemable noncontrolling interest     20,194       19,355  
    Equity:        
    Common shares, $0.01 par value     177       164  
    Additional paid-in capital     497,906       137,253  
    Treasury shares, at cost (1,005 and 952 shares, respectively)     (115,367 )     (95,643 )
    Retained earnings     674,036       583,075  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (12,729 )     (9,126 )
    Total equity     1,044,023       615,723  
    Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest and equity   $ 1,350,195     $ 1,043,326  
    CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (unaudited)
     
        Nine Months Ended
    December 31,
    (Amounts in thousands)     2024       2023  
    Cash flows from operating activities:        
    Net income   $ 102,429     $ 70,544  
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:        
    Depreciation     10,714       10,077  
    Amortization of intangible and other assets     20,792       17,584  
    Provision for inventory reserves     1,779       2,541  
    Provision for doubtful accounts     946       544  
    Share-based compensation     10,237       8,555  
    Net gain on disposals of property, plant and equipment     (89 )     (1,336 )
    Net pension benefit     49       50  
    Impairment of assets           90  
    Net deferred taxes     1,244       2,732  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
    Accounts receivable     32,316       17,846  
    Inventories     (42,536 )     7,796  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     (17,174 )     (6,720 )
    Other assets     1,565       1,066  
    Accounts payable and other current liabilities     21,372       9,601  
    Retirement benefits payable and other liabilities     (2,575 )     944  
    Net cash provided by operating activities     141,069       141,914  
    Cash flows from investing activities:        
    Capital expenditures     (11,735 )     (11,668 )
    Proceeds from sale of assets held for investment           1,665  
    Proceeds from sale of assets     153       157  
    Cash paid for investments     (2,500 )      
    Cash paid for acquisitions     (84,491 )     (5,284 )
    Net cash used in investing activities     (98,573 )     (15,130 )
    Cash flows from financing activities:        
    Borrowings on line of credit     32,723       72,308  
    Repayments of line of credit and term loan     (198,723 )     (172,308 )
    Purchase of treasury shares     (20,935 )     (10,640 )
    Proceeds from equity issuance     347,407        
    Dividends     (10,554 )     (8,855 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities     149,918       (119,495 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and equivalents     (816 )     (756 )
    Net change in cash and cash equivalents     191,598       6,533  
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period     22,156       18,455  
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of period   $ 213,754     $ 24,988  


    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures

    We use adjusted earnings per share attributable to CSWI, adjusted net income attributable to CSWI, adjusted operating income, adjusted effective tax rate, and adjusted EBITDA, together with financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, such as revenue, cost of revenue, operating expense, operating income and net income attributable to CSWI, to assess our historical and prospective operating performance and to enhance our understanding of our core operating performance. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure and is defined as cash flow from operations less capital expenditures. We also believe these measures are useful for investors to assess the operating performance of our business without the effect of non-recurring items. In the following tables, there could be immaterial differences in amounts presented due to rounding.

     
    CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.
    RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO CSWI TO ADJUSTED NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO CSWI
    (Unaudited)
                     
    (Amounts in thousands)   Three months ended
    December 31,
      Nine Months ended
    December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    GAAP net income attributable to CSWI   $ 26,948     $ 9,222     $ 101,591     $ 69,889  
                     
    Adjusting items, net of tax:                
    Reversal of tax indemnification receivable     858       8,519       858       8,519  
    Acquisition broker fee     642             642        
    Uncertain tax position accrual release     (3,549 )     (1,019 )     (3,549 )     (1,019 )
    Adjusted net income attributable to CSWI   $ 24,899     $ 16,722     $ 99,542     $ 77,389  
                     
    Net Income Attributable to CSW Industrials, Inc. per diluted common share   $ 1.60     $ 0.59     $ 6.30     $ 4.49  
                     
    Adjusting Items, per dilutive common share:                
    Reversal of tax indemnification receivable     0.05       0.55       0.05       0.55  
    Acquisition broker fee     0.04             0.04        
    Uncertain tax position accrual release     (0.21 )     (0.07 )     (0.22 )     (0.07 )
    Adjusted net income attributable to CSW Industrials, Inc. per dilutive common share   $ 1.48     $ 1.07     $ 6.17     $ 4.97  
    CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.
    RECONCILIATION OF EFFECTIVE TAX RATE TO ADJUSTED EFFECTIVE TAX RATE
    (Unaudited)
                     
    (Amounts in thousands)   Three months ended
    December 31,
      Nine Months ended
    December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    GAAP income before tax   $ 31,273     $ 16,388     $ 133,604     $ 98,512  
    Adjusting items:                
    Reversal of tax indemnification receivable     858       8,519       858       8,519  
    Acquisition broker fee     860             860        
    Adjusted income before tax   $ 32,991     $ 24,907     $ 135,322     $ 107,031  
                     
    GAAP provision for income tax   $ 4,315     $ 7,083     $ 31,174     $ 27,968  
    Adjusting items:                
    Uncertain tax position accrual release     3,549       1,019       3,549       1,019  
    Tax impact of acquisition broker fee     218             218        
    Adjusted provision for income tax   $ 8,082     $ 8,102     $ 34,941     $ 28,987  
                     
    GAAP effective tax rate     13.8 %     43.2 %     23.3 %     28.4 %
    Adjusted effective tax rate     24.5 %     32.5 %     25.8 %     27.1 %
    CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.
    Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to CSWI to Adjusted EBITDA
    (unaudited)
                     
    (Amounts in thousands)   Three months ended
    December 31,
      Nine Months ended
    December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net Income attributable to CSWI   $ 26,948     $ 9,222     $ 101,590     $ 69,889  
    Plus: Income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest     10       83       838       655  
    Net Income   $ 26,958     $ 9,305     $ 102,429     $ 70,544  
                     
    Adjusting Items:                
    Interest expense (income), net     (1,976 )     2,764       1,884       10,080  
    Income tax expense     4,315       7,083       31,174       27,968  
    Depreciation & amortization     11,012       9,134       30,896       27,094  
    EBITDA   $ 40,309     $ 28,286     $ 166,384     $ 135,686  
                     
    EBITDA Adjustments:                
    Reversal of tax indemnification receivable     858       8,519       858       8,519  
    Acquisition broker fee     860             860        
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 42,027     $ 36,805     $ 168,102     $ 144,205  
    Adjusted EBITDA % Revenue     21.7 %     21.0 %     26.0 %     24.8 %
    CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.
    Reconciliation of Segment Operating Income to Segment Adjusted EBITDA
    (unaudited)
                 
    (Amounts in thousands)   Three months ended December 31, 2024
        Contractor
    Solutions
    Specialized
    Reliability
    Solutions
    Engineered
    Building
    Solutions
    Corporate
    and Other
    Consolidated
    Revenue, net   $ 132,150   $ 34,566   $ 28,821   $ (1,889 ) $ 193,649  
                 
    Operating Income   $ 26,756   $ 5,238   $ 3,645   $ (6,045 ) $ 29,595  
    Adjusting Items:            
    Acquisition broker fee     860                 860  
    Adjusted Operating Income   $ 27,616   $ 5,238   $ 3,645   $ (6,045 ) $ 30,455  
    % Revenue     20.9 %   15.2 %   12.6 %     15.7 %
                 
    Adjusting Items:            
    Other income (expense), net     (188 )   (17 )   38     (131 )   (298 )
    Depreciation & amortization     9,179     1,366     420     48     11,012  
    Reversal of tax indemnification receivable     858                 858  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 37,466   $ 6,587   $ 4,102   $ (6,128 ) $ 42,027  
    % Revenue     28.4 %   19.1 %   14.2 %     21.7 %
                 
    (Amounts in thousands)   Three months ended December 31, 2023
        Contractor
    Solutions
    Specialized
    Reliability
    Solutions
    Engineered
    Building
    Solutions
    Corporate
    and Other
    Consolidated
    Revenue, net   $ 115,412   $ 33,711   $ 27,861   $ (2,017 ) $ 174,967  
                 
    Operating Income   $ 25,751   $ 3,740   $ 3,537   $ (5,447 ) $ 27,581  
    % Revenue     22.3 %   11.1 %   12.7 %     15.8 %
                 
    Adjusting Items:            
    Other income (expense), net     (8,433 )   (9 )   (8 )   21     (8,428 )
    Depreciation & amortization     7,178     1,477     437     42     9,134  
    Reversal of tax indemnification receivable     8,519                 8,519  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 33,015   $ 5,208   $ 3,966   $ (5,383 ) $ 36,805  
    % Revenue     28.6 %   15.4 %   14.2 %     21.0 %
    CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.
    Reconciliation of Segment Operating Income to Segment Adjusted EBITDA
    (unaudited)
                 
    (Amounts in thousands)   Nine Months ended December 31, 2024
        Contractor
    Solutions
    Specialized
    Reliability
    Solutions
    Engineered
    Building
    Solutions
    Corporate
    and Other
    Consolidated
    Revenue, net   $ 451,403   $ 109,893   $ 92,387   $ (5,930 ) $ 647,754  
                 
    Operating Income   $ 122,894   $ 18,208   $ 15,451   $ (20,348 ) $ 136,204  
    Adjusting Items:            
    Acquisition broker fee     860                 860  
    Adjusted Operating Income   $ 123,754   $ 18,208   $ 15,451   $ (20,348 ) $ 137,064  
    % Revenue     27.4 %   16.6 %   16.7 %     21.2 %
                 
    Adjusting Items:            
    Other income (expense), net     (335 )   (200 )   18     (200 )   (716 )
    Depreciation & amortization     25,164     4,198     1,399     135     30,896  
    Reversal of tax indemnification receivable     858                 858  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 149,442   $ 22,206   $ 16,868   $ (20,413 ) $ 168,102  
    % Revenue     33.1 %   20.2 %   18.3 %     26.0 %
                 
    (Amounts in thousands)   Nine Months ended December 31, 2023
        Contractor
    Solutions
    Specialized
    Reliability
    Solutions
    Engineered
    Building
    Solutions
    Corporate
    and Other
    Consolidated
    Revenue, net   $ 395,268   $ 108,037   $ 84,660   $ (5,984 ) $ 581,980  
                 
    Operating Income   $ 104,443   $ 15,534   $ 13,029   $ (18,227 ) $ 114,780  
    % Revenue     26.4 %   14.4 %   15.4 %     19.7 %
                 
    Adjusting Items:            
    Other income (expense), net     (7,686 )   (100 )   2     1,595     (6,188 )
    Depreciation & amortization     21,118     4,512     1,332     132     27,094  
    Reversal of tax indemnification receivable     8,519                 8,519  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 126,394   $ 19,947   $ 14,363   $ (16,500 ) $ 144,205  
    % Revenue     32.0 %   18.5 %   17.0 %     24.8 %
    CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.
    Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow
    (Unaudited)
                     
    (Amounts in thousands)   Three Months Ended
    December 31,
      Nine Months ended
    December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   $ 11,600     $ 46,978     $ 141,069     $ 141,914  
    Less: Capital expenditures     (3,148 )     (3,883 )     (11,735 )     (11,668 )
    Free cash flow   $ 8,452     $ 43,095     $ 129,334     $ 130,246  
    Free cash flow % Adjusted EBITDA     20.1 %     117.1 %     76.9 %     90.3 %

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Real Matters Reports First Quarter Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real Matters Inc. (TSX: REAL) (“Real Matters” or the “Company”), a leading network management services platform for the mortgage and insurance industries, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended December 31, 2024.

    “We reported consolidated revenue of $41.0 million in the first quarter, up 16% year-over-year, and consolidated Net Revenue(A) increased 12% led by growth in all three segments. Refinance origination volumes in our U.S. Title segment were up 46% year-over-year and Net Revenue(A) margins increased by 610 basis points,” said Real Matters Chief Executive Officer Brian Lang.

    “There are now 8.8 million outstanding mortgages with interest rates above 6%, which represents a sizeable pool of potential refinance candidates. We are encouraged by the market opportunity we saw as a result of a short-term rally in rates in September – adding to our conviction of the market potential for refinance going forward. As a result, we are seeing broad pipeline movement; we are confident that we will have new, active franchise title clients in the coming months,” added Lang.

    “We have a strong balance sheet, and we will continue to prudently manage our cost base to align with market conditions, ensuring we focus on growth as headwinds turn to tailwinds for our business. We are at a key inflection point for our title business,” concluded Lang.

    Q1 2025 Highlights

    • Consolidated revenue of $41.0 million –16% year-over-year increase
    • Consolidated Net Revenue(A) of $10.9 million – 12% year-over-year increase
    • Adjusted EBITDA(A) loss of $1.7 million compared with loss of $1.1 million in Q1’24
    • Net income of $2.3 million up from net loss of $3.6 million in Q1’24
    • Launched five new clients
    • Significant operating leverage in Canadian segment – converted 90% of the incremental Net Revenue(A) to Adjusted EBITDA(A) in Q1’25
    • Cash and cash equivalents of $49.0 million and no outstanding debt as at December 31, 2024

    Financial and Operational Summary

        Quarter ended      
      2025 2024 2024 2024 2024     % Change1
        Q1     Q4     Q3     Q2     Q1     Quarter
    over
    Quarter
    Year
    over
    Year
    Consolidated                          
    Revenue $ 41.0   $ 45.6   $ 49.5   $ 42.2   $ 35.4     -10 % 16 %
    Net Revenue(A) $ 10.9   $ 12.0   $ 13.1   $ 11.5   $ 9.7     -10 % 12 %
    Adjusted EBITDA(A) $ (1.7 ) $ 0.6   $ 1.7   $ 0.7   $ (1.1 )   -395 % -54 %
    Net income (loss) $ 2.3   $ (0.2 ) $ 1.7   $ 2.1   $ (3.6 )   1,562 % 163 %
    Net income (loss) per diluted share $ 0.03   $ 0.00   $ 0.02   $ 0.03   $ (0.05 )   0 % 160 %
    Adjusted Net (loss) income(A) $ (0.3 ) $ 0.9   $ 1.7   $ 1.3   $ (1.2 )   -129 % 75 %
    Adjusted Net (loss) income(A) per diluted share $ 0.00   $ 0.01   $ 0.02   $ 0.02   $ (0.02 )   -100 % 100 %
                               
    U.S. Appraisal segment                          
    Revenue $ 29.4   $ 33.8   $ 37.5   $ 32.6   $ 26.8     -13 % 9 %
    Net Revenue(A) $ 7.8   $ 9.0   $ 10.3   $ 9.2   $ 7.5     -14 % 4 %
    Net Revenue(A) margin   26.5 %   26.7 %   27.6 %   28.3 %   27.9 %      
    Adjusted EBITDA(A) $ 2.4   $ 4.1   $ 5.5   $ 4.4   $ 2.7     -41 % -10 %
    Adjusted EBITDA(A) margin   30.9 %   45.2 %   53.2 %   47.9 %   35.8 %      
                               
    U.S. Title segment                          
    Revenue $ 2.5   $ 2.4   $ 2.1   $ 2.0   $ 2.0     4 % 25 %
    Net Revenue(A) $ 1.4     1.2   $ 0.9     0.9   $ 1.0     12 % 41 %
    Net Revenue(A) margin   53.4 %   49.8 %   43.6 %   44.0 %   47.3 %      
    Adjusted EBITDA(A) $ (1.8 ) $ (1.6 ) $ (1.9 ) $ (1.7 ) $ (1.6 )   -13 % -11 %
    Adjusted EBITDA(A) margin   -132.3 %   -131.4 %   -209.8 %   -184.8 %   -167.9 %      
                               
    Canadian segment                          
    Revenue $ 9.1   $ 9.4   $ 9.9   $ 7.6   $ 6.6     -3 % 38 %
    Net Revenue(A) $ 1.7   $ 1.8   $ 1.9   $ 1.4   $ 1.2     -3 % 39 %
    Net Revenue(A) margin   18.9 %   18.9 %   19.0 %   18.9 %   18.8 %      
    Adjusted EBITDA(A) $ 1.1   $ 1.2   $ 1.3   $ 0.9   $ 0.7     -5 % 62 %
    Adjusted EBITDA(A) margin   66.1 %   67.7 %   69.3 %   62.3 %   56.8 %      
                               
    Corporate segment                          
    Adjusted EBITDA(A) $ (3.4 ) $ (3.1 ) $ (3.2 ) $ (2.9 ) $ (2.9 )   -8 % -20 %
    1. Percentage change is calculated based on figures disclosed in our MD&A which are rounded to the nearest thousands of dollars.

    Conference Call and Webcast
    A conference call to review the results will take place at 10:00 a.m. (ET) on Thursday, January 30, 2025, hosted by Chief Executive Officer Brian Lang and Chief Financial Officer Rodrigo Pinto. An accompanying slide presentation will be posted to the Investor section of our website shortly before the call.

    To access the call:

    • Participant Local (Toronto): (289) 819-1520
    • Participant Toll Free Dial-In Number: 1-800-549-8228
    • Conference ID: 15714

    To listen to the live webcast of the call:

    The webcast will be archived and a transcript of the call will be available in the Investor section of our website following the call.

    (A)   Non-GAAP Measures
    The non-GAAP measures used in this news release, including Net Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS® Accounting Standards and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. These non-GAAP measures are more fully defined and discussed in the Company’s MD&A for the three months ended December 31, 2024 under the heading “Non-GAAP measures”, which is incorporated by reference in this Press Release and available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Real Matters financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2024 are included in the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying MD&A, each of which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, supplemental information is available on our website at www.realmatters.com.

    Net Revenue represents the difference between revenues and transaction costs. Net Revenue margin is calculated as Net Revenue divided by Revenues. The reconciling items between net income or loss and Net Revenue were as follows:

                Quarter ended
        Q1 2025     Q4 2024     Q3 2024     Q2 2024     Q1 2024
                         
    Net income (loss) $ 2.3   $ (0.2 ) $ 1.7   $ 2.1   $ (3.6)
    Operating expenses   12.7     12.6     11.8     11.2     11.6
    Amortization   0.7     0.8     0.8     0.8     0.8
    Restructuring expenses   0.4                
    Interest expense   0.1     0.1     0.1     0.1     0.1
    Interest income   (0.5 )   (0.5 )   (0.5 )   (0.4 )   (0.4)
    Net foreign exchange (gain) loss   (6.1 )   1.3     (0.9 )   (2.2 )   2.0
    Loss (gain) on fair value of derivatives   1.7     (1.9 )   (0.1 )   0.1     (0.2)
    Income tax (recovery) expense   (0.4 )   (0.2 )   0.2     (0.2 )   (0.6)
    Net Revenue $ 10.9   $ 12.0   $ 13.1   $ 11.5   $ 9.7

    Adjusted EBITDA represents net income or loss before stock-based compensation expense, amortization, restructuring expenses, interest expense, interest income, net foreign exchange gain or loss, gain or loss on fair value of derivatives and income tax expense or recovery. Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Net Revenue. The reconciling items between net income or loss and Adjusted EBITDA were as follows:

                Quarter ended
        Q1 2025     Q4 2024     Q3 2024     Q2 2024     Q1 2024
                         
    Net income (loss) $ 2.3   $ (0.2 ) $ 1.7   $ 2.1   $ (3.6)
    Stock-based compensation expense   0.1     1.2     0.4     0.4     0.8
    Amortization   0.7     0.8     0.8     0.8     0.8
    Restructuring expenses   0.4                
    Interest expense   0.1     0.1     0.1     0.1     0.1
    Interest income   (0.5 )   (0.5 )   (0.5 )   (0.4 )   (0.4)
    Net foreign exchange (gain) loss   (6.1 )   1.3     (0.9 )   (2.2 )   2.0
    Loss (gain) on fair value of derivatives   1.7     (1.9 )   (0.1 )   0.1     (0.2)
    Income tax (recovery) expense   (0.4 )   (0.2 )   0.2     (0.2 )   (0.6)
    Adjusted EBITDA $ (1.7 ) $ 0.6   $ 1.7   $ 0.7   $ (1.1)

    The reconciling items between net income or loss and Adjusted Net Income or Loss were as follows:

                Quarter ended
        Q1 2025     Q4 2024     Q3 2024     Q2 2024     Q1 2024
                         
    Net income (loss) $ 2.3   $ (0.2 ) $ 1.7   $ 2.1   $ (3.6)
    Stock-based compensation expense   0.1     1.2     0.4     0.4     0.8
    Amortization of intangibles   0.4     0.5     0.4     0.4     0.4
    Restructuring expenses   0.4                
    Net foreign exchange (gain) loss   (6.1 )   1.3     (0.9 )   (2.2 )   2.0
    Loss (gain) on fair value of derivatives   1.7     (1.9 )   (0.1 )   0.1     (0.2)
    Related tax effects   0.9         0.2     0.5     (0.6)
    Adjusted Net (Loss) Income $ (0.3 ) $ 0.9   $ 1.7   $ 1.3   $ (1.2)

    Forward-Looking Information
    This Press Release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Words such as “could”, “forecast”, “target”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek”, “believe”, “likely” and “predict” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking information, although not all forward-looking information contains these identifying words.

    The forward-looking information in this Press Release includes statements which reflect the current expectations of management with respect to our business and the industry in which we operate and is based on management’s experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that management believes appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. The forward-looking information reflects management’s beliefs based on information currently available to management, including information obtained from third party sources, and should not be read as a guarantee of the occurrence or timing of any future events, performance or results.

    The forward-looking information in this Press Release is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or results anticipated by the forward-looking information. A comprehensive discussion of the factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations can be found in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Information Form for the year ended September 30, 2024, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information, which reflect our expectations only as of the date of this Press Release. Except as required by law, we do not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    About Real Matters
    Real Matters is a leading network management services provider for the mortgage lending and insurance industries. Real Matters’ platform combines its proprietary technology and network management capabilities with tens of thousands of independent qualified field professionals to create an efficient marketplace for the provision of mortgage lending and insurance industry services. Our clients include top 100 mortgage lenders in the U.S. and some of the largest banks and insurance companies in Canada. We are a leading independent provider of residential real estate appraisals to the mortgage market and a leading independent provider of title services in the U.S. Headquartered in Markham (ON), Real Matters has principal offices in Buffalo (NY) and Middletown (RI). Real Matters is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol REAL. For more information, visit www.realmatters.com.

    For more information:
    Lyne Beauregard
    Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
    Real Matters
    lbeauregard@realmatters.com
    416.994.5930

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bread Financial Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.® (NYSE: BFH), a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, flexible payment, lending and saving solutions, today announced its fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results. All earnings-related materials are now available at the company’s investor relations website, here.

    Bread Financial President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Andretta and Chief Financial Officer Perry Beberman will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET today to discuss results. A link to the conference call will be available at the company’s investor relations website, and a replay will also be available there following the call.

    About Bread Financial® 
    Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions, including Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and savings products, empower our customers and their passions for a better life. Additionally, we deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, jewelry and specialty apparel through our private label and co-brand credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers.

    To learn more about Bread Financial, our global associates and our sustainability commitments, visit breadfinancial.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

    Contacts
    Brian Vereb — Investor Relations
    Brian.Vereb@breadfinancial.com

    Susan Haugen — Investor Relations
    Susan.Haugen@breadfinancial.com

    Rachel Stultz — Media
    Rachel.Stultz@breadfinancial.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Trade Minister visited South Africa and Botswana to strengthen trade ties

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    This was the first visit to Africa by UK Minister for Trade Policy Douglas Alexander, which forms part of the UK Government’s wider resetting of partnerships with Africa, which the Foreign Secretary set out in November during his visits to Nigeria and South Africa.

    UK Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security, Douglas Alexander, travelled to South Africa and Botswana to strengthen trade links and create opportunities for both African and UK businesses.

    He is the first Minister from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade to travel to the continent since the UK election, which took place last summer.

    The UK is seeking to deepen trade and investment across the continent and drive mutually beneficial growth in both the UK and Africa, including by making progress on removing barriers to trade to help businesses export more easily and providing UK support to trade for development programmes across the continent.

    During his trip, the Trade Policy Minister co-chaired the first Southern African Custom Union and Mozambique (SACUM) – UK Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Joint Council. The Economic Partnership Agreement underpins all goods trade with the UK and SACUM members. The Joint Council discussed where there is potential to strengthen our trade and investment partnerships and support economic growth across all member countries.

    He met with South Africa’s Minister for Trade Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, South Africa’s Agriculture Minister, John Steenhuisen, as well as Botswana’s Vice-President and Trade Minister, Ndaba Gaolathe, to discuss areas for future growth in key sectors including infrastructure, energy, transport and logistics, agriculture, minerals, and the digital economy. He also met with UK and South African companies and took part in a CEO roundtable, where he was seeking views from the private sector to help inform the Government’s cross-continent reset and wider trade strategy.

    Trade Policy Minister, Douglas Alexander said:

    The Government is taking a fresh approach to Africa, one which prioritises genuine partnerships, mutual benefit, and sustainable development. My visit is an important step in building new, long-lasting relationships in South Africa and Botswana.

    South Africa is our largest trading partner in Africa, with an exciting period ahead as the country assumes the G20 Presidency. Both of our Governments are laser focused on economic growth – this shared ambition is a powerful motivator for greater bilateral trade.

    Mutual economic growth is also at the forefront of the UK’s relationship with Botswana. There is a huge opportunity for us to collaborate on sectors important to our economies including renewable energy and I look forward to continuing to strengthen our ties.

    Minister Alexander emphasised the UK’s support for South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 this year and reaffirmed the UK Government’s commitment to building mutually beneficial partnerships with African countries. This follows on from the UK Foreign Secretary’s recent visit to the continent in November 2024, during which he agreed to develop a UK-South Africa Growth Plan.

    Further information

    • this visit forms part of the UK Government’s wider resetting of partnerships with Africa, which the Foreign Secretary set out in November during his visits to Nigeria and South Africa based on three priorities: economic growth and transformation, climate and nature, and governance and security
    • background for the UK’s Minister for Trade Policy Douglas Alexander MP can be found here
    • information on the SACUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement can be found here
    • information on the UK Foreign Secretary’s visit to Nigeria and South Africa, including agreement on developing a new UK-South Africa Growth Plan, can be found here

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: SIA giving confiscated cash to charities to aid public safety

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Charities and community groups can now apply for grants to support projects aimed at improving public safety and supporting the private security.

    The money has been confiscated by the SIA from criminals through proceeds of crime confiscation orders and is now available to charities to bid for. 

    The ‘grants for good causes’ could help fund a range of projects run by charities. Last year, the SIA gave over £72,000 to support 7 initiatives across several charities and community groups including Employment 4 All, Diverse FM, and Glasgow Street Aid among others. 

    The SIA helped fund projects including human trafficking awareness workshops, employment and training opportunities for disadvantaged groups and training for volunteers in emergency first response care.  

    Paul Cartlidge, Chair of the grants for good causes panel, said: 

    I’m delighted to be opening this year’s grants for applications. Public safety is a team effort, and our commitment to protecting people goes beyond our day-to-day duties. Grassroots projects run by charities and community groups can have a profound impact on public safety, the private security industry and the people using their services.  

    As the regulator of the private security industry, we take robust enforcement action to prosecute those who put the public at risk through their offending. Through the grants for good causes, we are putting the ill-gotten gains of criminals to good use in a way that will benefit society and make the world a little bit safer.

    Applications are open now, and more information about how to apply is on the SIA grant for good causes page on GOV.UK. Registered charities and community interest companies in the UK have until Friday 21 February at 11:59 pm to apply for funding. Eligible organisations must show how a grant will benefit the UK private security industry and/or support public safety. 

    Notes to editors 

    The full amount of funding available will be confirmed in due course. 

    About the Proceeds of Crime Act 

    The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) enables the SIA to investigate the financial activity of people who have committed a criminal offence and confiscate the proceeds of crime through a court-issued confiscation order. The SIA has been a designated body under POCA since 2015. 

    The SIA receives a portion of the money it recovers through confiscation orders under the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS). This money can only be used to fund its financial investigation capability or distributed to good causes. 

    About the SIA grant for good causes fund 

    Organisations can apply for a grant if they are a registered charity or community interest company (CIC) and can clearly show how they will benefit the UK private security industry and/or support public safety. 

    All the information needed to make an application is available on the SIA grants for good causes page on GOV.UK. Applications close at 11:59 pm on Friday 21 February. 

    There is no guarantee that the organisations which apply will get funding. The SIA will inform successful applicants about its decision by Friday 7 March. 

    Further information 

    The Security Industry Authority is the regulator of the UK’s private security industry. Our purpose is to protect the public through effective regulation of the private security industry and working with partners to raise standards across the sector. We are responsible for licensing people who do certain jobs in the private security industry and for approving private security companies who wish to be part of the voluntary ‘Approved Contractor Scheme’.  

    The SIA is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Home Office. For more information, visit www.gov.uk/sia

    For media enquiries only, please contact media.enquiries@sia.gov.uk.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Publication of Annual Report and Accounts 2023/2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The report demonstrates an overview of the organisation’s activities, performance, financial accounts and future priorities.

    The Annual Report and Accounts for 2023/2024 has been published, covering key achievements and financial performance of the organisation during the reporting period when the organisation was known as the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) (now the Immigration Advice Authority, or IAA).

    The report demonstrates several milestones, including a new Code of Standards for advisers and the establishment of an Advisory Board to support the Commissioner. Intelligence capabilities were enhanced through stronger partnerships, improving enforcement outcomes. A national stakeholder engagement strategy led to a successful online conference in March 2024, attracting 550 advisers, with many more accessing the recording. Internal improvements included modernising processes and upskilling staff, with 75% of employees reporting positive mental and physical health in the annual wellbeing survey. Additionally, the organisation received a clean audit opinion, reflecting auditors’ confidence in the accuracy and fairness of financial reports.

    John Tuckett, Immigration Services Commissioner, said:

    The evolving immigration landscape has led to unprecedented demand for advice services, and while we’re encouraged by the increasing number of prospective advisers, significant challenges remain.

    Our focus is on building a sustainable network of regulated advisers who can meet this growing demand and ensure vulnerable individuals can access the support they need, when they need it. “This is not just about increasing adviser numbers – it’s about creating a resilient advice sector that can adapt to evolving immigration requirements.

    Key performance achievements during the reporting year:

    • 1117 new adviser applications received and 588 of these were approved
    • 1277 continued registration applications approved
    • 140 new organisation applications approved
    • 16 competence assessment events held
    • 737 applicants sat competence assessments
    • 400 applicants passed competence assessments
    • 79 audits completed
    • 27 investigations into complaints of illegal activity completed

    Please note, the OISC’s rebrand to become the IAA, which formally took place on Thursday 16 January, does not impact the content of the report or the activities it covers, which are presented under the OISC branding to accurately reflect the organisation’s identity during the reporting period.

    Read and download the full report.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.5 (EPT/RI) – Thruvision Group plc

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.5 (EPT/RI)

    PUBLIC DEALING DISCLOSURE BY AN EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADER WITH RECOGNISED INTERMEDIARY STATUS DEALING IN A CLIENT-SERVING CAPACITY
    Rule 8.5 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)        Name of exempt principal trader: Investec Bank plc
    (b)        Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
    Thruvision Group plc
    (c)        Name of the party to the offer with which exempt principal trader is connected: Investec is Joint financial adviser to Thruvision Group plc
    (d)        Date dealing undertaken: 29th January 2025
    (e)        In addition to the company in 1(b) above, is the exempt principal trader making disclosures in respect of any other party to this offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
    N/A

    2.        DEALINGS BY THE EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADER

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(b), copy table 2(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchases/ sales Total number of securities Highest price per unit paid/received Lowest price per unit paid/received

    Ordinary shares

    Sales

    25,000

    2.4

    2.4

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD
    Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
    Number of reference securities Price per unit
    N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.
    Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option
    Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit
    N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion
    Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    N/A N/A N/A N/A

    3.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the exempt principal trader making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    None

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the exempt principal trader making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)        the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)        the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
    None
    Date of disclosure: 30thJanuary 2025
    Contact name: Abhishek Gawde
    Telephone number: +91 9923757332

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s dealing disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: reAlpha Tech Corp. Appoints Piyush Phadke as CFO

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBLIN, Ohio, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — reAlpha Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRE) (“reAlpha” or the “Company”), a real estate technology company developing and commercializing artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies, is pleased to announce the appointment of Piyush Phadke as Chief Financial Officer, effective January 30, 2025. Mr. Phadke will succeed Rakesh Prasad, the Company’s Interim Chief Financial Officer, and he will oversee the Company’s financial and accounting operations, reporting directly to the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Mike Logozzo.

    With over 20 years of experience in finance, capital raising and strategic leadership, Mr. Phadke brings a wealth of expertise to reAlpha. Prior to joining reAlpha, he served as a Managing Director at BTIG, LLC, where he specialized in providing investment banking services for lower middle-market companies. Mr. Phadke also held senior investment banking positions at Jefferies LLC and Bank of America, where he focused on capital markets transactions for private equity clients.

    “We’re excited to welcome Piyush to the team,” said Mike Logozzo, President and Chief Operating Officer of reAlpha. “His extensive background in investment banking and capital markets will be invaluable as we continue to execute on our growth strategy. We believe Piyush’s leadership will strengthen our financial infrastructure and support our mission to be a global leader in the real estate tech space.”

    “I am thrilled to join reAlpha at this pivotal moment,” said Mr. Phadke. “reAlpha’s commitment to leverage AI technologies for the real estate industry is inspiring, and I expect to utilize my background in capital raising and investment banking to help reAlpha accelerate its financial and operational objectives.”

    As a first order of business, Mr. Phadke will focus on optimizing reAlpha’s capital structure and strengthening its balance sheet.

    For more information about Mr. Phadke’s appointment and related compensation arrangement, please refer to the Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

    About reAlpha Tech Corp.

    reAlpha Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRE) is a real estate technology company developing an end-to-end commission-free homebuying platform. Utilizing the power of AI and an acquisition-led growth strategy, reAlpha’s goal is to offer a more affordable, streamlined experience for those on the journey to homeownership. For more information, visit www.realpha.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the appointment of Mr. Phadke as Chief Financial Officer and the anticipated benefits thereof. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “could”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “project”, “strive”, “budget”, “forecast”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: reAlpha’s limited operating history and that reAlpha has not yet fully developed its AI-based technologies; reAlpha’s ability to commercialize its developing AI-based technologies; whether reAlpha’s technology and products will be accepted and adopted by its customers and intended users; reAlpha’s ability to integrate the business of its acquired companies into its existing business and the anticipated demand for such acquired companies’ services; reAlpha’s ability to successfully enter new geographic markets; reAlpha’s ability to obtain the necessary regulatory and legal approvals to expand into additional U.S. states and maintain, or obtain, brokerage licenses in such states; reAlpha’s ability to generate additional sales or revenue from having access to, or obtaining, additional U.S. states brokerage licenses; reAlpha’s inability to accurately forecast demand for short-term rentals, corporate relocation programs and AI-based real estate focused products; the inability to execute business objectives and growth strategies successfully or sustain reAlpha’s growth; the inability of reAlpha’s customers to pay for reAlpha’s services; changes in applicable laws or regulations, and the impact of the regulatory environment and complexities with compliance related to such environment; and other risks and uncertainties indicated in reAlpha’s SEC filings. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Although reAlpha believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. reAlpha’s future results, level of activity, performance or achievements may differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, and there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking statements. For more information about the factors that could cause such differences, please refer to reAlpha’s filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and reAlpha does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Investor Relations Contact
    investorrelations@realpha.com

    Media Contact
    Alliance Advisors IR on behalf of reAlpha
    Fatema Bhabrawala
    FBhabrawala@allianceadvisors.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: FirstCash Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Operating Results; Accelerating Pawn Demand Drives Record Revenue & Earnings; Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (“FirstCash” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: FCFS), the leading international operator of more than 3,000 retail pawn stores and a leading provider of retail point-of-sale (“POS”) payment solutions, today announced operating results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2024. The Company also announced that the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.38 per share, which will be paid on February 28, 2025.

    Mr. Rick Wessel, chief executive officer, stated, “FirstCash posted record fourth quarter and full year revenues and earnings primarily fueled by exceptionally strong pawn operating results. Same-store pawn receivables increased 12% in both the U.S. and Latin America (local currency basis) compared to last year. This marked the sixth consecutive quarter of double digit same-store pawn receivable growth in the U.S. The POS payment solutions segment (“AFF”) had solid profitability as well, and posted growth in transaction volumes and door counts for the quarter and year-to-date periods.

    “A total of 16 pawn stores were added in the fourth quarter, including an acquisition of 10 stores coupled with six new store openings. For the full year, 99 pawn stores were opened or acquired, boosting the total store base to 3,026 locations. FirstCash’s cash flows and balance sheet remain strong and we believe that we are well positioned to fund further anticipated store growth in 2025 along with dividends and potential share buybacks.”

    This release contains adjusted financial measures, which exclude certain non-operating and/or non-cash income and expenses, that are non-GAAP financial measures. Please refer to the descriptions and reconciliations to GAAP of these and other non-GAAP financial measures at the end of this release.

        Three Months Ended December 31,
        As Reported (GAAP)   Adjusted (Non-GAAP)
    In thousands, except per share amounts   2024   2023   2024   2023
    Revenue   $               883,811   $ 852,134   $               883,811   $ 852,134
    Net income   $                 83,547   $ 69,589   $                 95,415   $ 92,846
    Diluted earnings per share   $                     1.86   $ 1.53   $                     2.12   $ 2.04
    EBITDA (non-GAAP measure)   $               162,636   $ 145,493   $               165,685   $ 161,704
    Weighted-average diluted shares                       45,038     45,425                       45,038     45,425
     
        Twelve Months Ended December 31,
        As Reported (GAAP)   Adjusted (Non-GAAP)
    In thousands, except per share amounts   2024   2023   2024   2023
    Revenue   $           3,388,514   $ 3,151,796   $           3,388,514   $ 3,151,796
    Net income   $               258,815   $ 219,301   $               302,680   $ 276,874
    Diluted earnings per share   $                     5.73   $ 4.80   $                     6.70   $ 6.06
    EBITDA (non-GAAP measure)   $               551,008   $ 493,784   $               558,437   $ 511,732
    Weighted-average diluted shares                       45,168     45,693                       45,168     45,693
     

    Consolidated Operating Highlights

    • Gross revenues totaled a record $3.4 billion in 2024, an increase of 8% on both a GAAP and constant currency basis compared to last year. Revenues totaled $884 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of 4% on a GAAP basis and 7% on a constant currency basis compared to the prior-year quarter.
    • Diluted earnings per share for 2024 increased 19% over last year on a GAAP basis while adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 11% compared to the prior year. For the fourth quarter, diluted earnings per share increased 22% over the prior-year quarter on a GAAP basis while adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 4% compared to the prior-year quarter. These results were even more impressive in light of lower foreign currency exchange rates, which reduced 2024 earnings per share by approximately $0.06 for the fourth quarter and $0.04 for the full year compared to the prior-year periods.
    • Record net income for 2024 totaled $259 million on a GAAP basis while adjusted net income was a record $303 million, which represented increases of 18% and 9%, respectively, over the prior year.
    • Adjusted EBITDA for the full year was $558 million, an increase of $47 million, or 9%, compared to the prior year.

    Store Base and Platform Growth

    • Pawn Stores – 16 pawn locations were added in Mexico during the fourth quarter, consisting of ten acquired stores and six de novo stores. For the full year, a total of 99 pawn locations were added, including 29 stores in the U.S. and 70 stores in Latin America.

      As of December 31, 2024, the Company had 3,026 locations, comprised of 1,200 U.S. locations and 1,826 locations in Latin America.

    • Retail POS Payment Solutions (AFF) Merchant Partnerships – As of December 31, 2024, there were approximately 13,600 active retail and e-commerce merchant partner locations, representing a 17% increase in the number of active merchant locations compared to a year ago. Excluding certain furniture locations closed due to bankruptcies, the number of active doors increased over 25%.

    U.S. Pawn Segment Operating Results

    • Fourth quarter 2024 segment pre-tax operating income was $112 million, an increase of $13 million, or 14%, compared to the prior-year quarter. The resulting segment pre-tax operating margin remained strong at 26% for the quarter.
    • Full year 2024 segment pre-tax operating income was $397 million, an increase of $61 million, or 18%, compared to the prior year. The resulting segment pre-tax operating margin was 25% for the full year, which equaled the prior year.
    • Pawn receivables grew significantly over the course of the fourth quarter, totaling almost $400 million by year end and increasing 15% compared to the prior year. The increase in total pawn receivables was driven by a 5% increase in the year-to-date weighted-average store count coupled with an impressive 12% same-store increase. On a two-year stacked basis, same-store pawn receivables were up 26%.
    • Pawn loan fees increased 11% for the fourth quarter and 16% for the full year, while on a same-store basis, pawn loan fee revenue increased 9% and 11% compared to both of the respective prior-year periods.
    • Retail merchandise sales increased 10% in the fourth quarter and 13% for the full year compared to the respective prior-year periods. Same-store retail sales increased 6% for both the quarter and full year compared to the respective prior-year periods, as the Company saw continued retail demand from value-conscious consumers.
    • Retail sales margins improved to a robust 43% in the fourth quarter compared to 42% in the prior-year quarter. Full year retail margins were 42% in 2024 compared to 43% in 2023.
    • Annualized inventory turnover was consistent at 2.8 times for both 2024 and 2023. Inventories aged greater than one year at December 31, 2024 remained extremely low at 1% of total inventories.
    • Operating expenses for the fourth quarter and full year increased 10% and 12%, respectively, as compared to the prior-year periods, primarily due to store additions and increased labor and variable compensation expenses. On a same-store basis, expenses increased 7% for the quarter and 5% for the full year compared to the respective prior-year periods. 

    Latin America Pawn Segment Operating Results

    Note: Certain growth rates below are calculated on a constant currency basis, a non-GAAP financial measure defined at the end of this release. The average Mexican peso to U.S. dollar exchange rate for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 20.1 pesos / dollar, an unfavorable change of 14% versus the comparable prior-year period, and for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2024 was 18.3 pesos / dollar, an unfavorable change of 3% versus the prior-year period.

    • While fourth quarter segment pre-tax operating income decreased 4% on a U.S. dollar basis compared to last year, it increased 7% on a constant currency basis. The resulting segment pre-tax operating margin was 20% for both the fourth quarter of 2024 and 2023.
    • For the full year of 2024, segment pre-tax operating income decreased 4% on a U.S. dollar basis compared to the prior year and decreased 2% on a constant currency basis. The resulting segment pre-tax operating margin was 19%, equaling the prior year.
    • While pawn receivables at December 31, 2024 decreased 5% on a U.S. dollar basis, they increased 13% on a constant currency basis compared to the prior year. On a same-store basis, pawn receivables decreased 6% on a U.S. dollar basis but increased 12% on a constant currency basis compared to the prior year.
    • While total and same-store pawn loan fees in the fourth quarter decreased 3% in U.S. dollars, they increased 10% on a constant currency basis compared to the prior-year quarter. For the full year, both total and same-store pawn loan fees increased 4%, or 7% on a constant currency basis, compared to the prior year.
    • Although retail merchandise sales in the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased 5% compared to the prior-year quarter, they increased 7% on a constant currency basis. Same-store retail merchandise sales in the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased 6% on a U.S. dollar basis while increasing 7% on a constant currency basis compared to the prior-year quarter. For the full year, retail merchandise sales increased 2%, or 4% on a constant currency basis, compared to the prior year, while same-store retail merchandise sales increased 1%, or 4% on a constant currency basis, compared to the prior year.
    • Retail margins were 34% for the fourth quarter of 2024 and 35% for the full year, both similar to prior-period results. Annualized inventory turnover was 4.2 times in 2024 versus 4.4 times in 2023, while inventories aged greater than one year at December 31, 2024 remained extremely low at 1%.
    • Operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased 5% in total but increased 7% on a constant currency basis compared to the prior-year quarter while full year operating expenses increased 7%, or 9% on a constant currency basis compared to last year. The increase in constant currency expenses from all stores reflected increased store counts and higher labor costs (due primarily to further increases in the federal minimum wage and other mandated benefit programs), along with other inflationary impacts.

    American First Finance (AFF) – Retail POS Payment Solutions Segment Operating Results

    • Fourth quarter segment pre-tax operating income totaled $39 million, a decrease of 10% compared to the prior-year quarter. The anticipated decline in earnings was reflective of lower net revenue from its furniture vertical, partially offset by strong growth in non-furniture net revenues.
    • For the full year, segment pre-tax operating income remained strong at $129 million, a nominal decrease of 3% over the prior year.
    • Segment revenues for the quarter, comprised of lease-to-own (“LTO”) fees and interest and fees on finance receivables, decreased 1% compared to the prior-year quarter. Revenues for the full year increased 3% compared to the prior year.
    • Gross transaction volume of lease and loan originations during the fourth quarter increased $12 million, or 4%, compared to last year, driven primarily by the 17% increase in active merchant door counts and continued growth in non-furniture verticals. Excluding furniture, fourth quarter origination volume increased approximately 36%. For the full year, overall gross transaction volume increased 5% over the prior year and was up 27%, excluding furniture.
    • Combined gross leased merchandise and finance receivables outstanding at December 31, 2024 decreased 1% compared to the December 31, 2023 balances.
    • The combined lease and loan loss provision as a percentage of the total gross transaction volume originated was 29% for both 2024 and 2023. The resulting allowance on combined leased merchandise and finance receivables at December 31, 2024 was 42% compared to 40% in the prior year.
    • The average monthly net charge-off (“NCO”) rate for combined leased merchandise and finance receivable products for the full year 2024 was 5.3% compared to the prior-year rate of 5.0%, and was in line with the Company’s targeted range for NCO’s.

    Cash Flow and Liquidity

    • Each of the Company’s three business segments generated significant operating cash flows in 2024. Consolidated operating cash flows for the full year grew 30% and totaled $540 million compared to $416 million in 2023.
    • Adjusted free cash flows (a non-GAAP measure) increased 24% to $262 million in 2024, compared to $212 million in the prior year.
    • The operating cash flows helped fund significant growth in earning assets and continued investments in the pawn store platform with a nominal increase in net debt.  Key investments made in 2024 included:
      • Pawn earning assets (pawn receivables and inventories) increased $69 million.
      • A total of 38 pawn stores were acquired for a combined cash purchase price of $76 million. 
      • 61 new, or de novo, pawn stores were added for a total investment of $19 million in fixed assets and working capital.
      • Real estate purchases totaling $86 million as the Company purchased the underlying real estate at 58 of its existing pawn stores, bringing the number of Company-owned properties to 400 locations.
    • Net debt at December 31, 2024 was $1.6 billion, a modest 5% increase over the prior year. Over $1.5 billion of the Company’s long-term financing remains fixed rate debt with favorable interest rates ranging from 4.625% to 6.875% and maturity dates that do not begin until 2028 and continue into 2032.
    • The Company’s net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio was 2.8x at December 31, 2024.

    Shareholder Returns

    • The Board of Directors declared a $0.38 per share first quarter cash dividend, which will be paid on February 28, 2025 to stockholders of record as of February 14, 2025. This represents an annualized dividend of $1.52 per share. Any future dividends are subject to approval by the Company’s Board of Directors.
    • During 2024, FirstCash repurchased $85 million of its common stock. The Company has $115 million available under the $200 million share repurchase program authorized in July 2023. Future share repurchases are subject to expected liquidity, acquisitions and other investment opportunities, debt covenant restrictions, market conditions and other relevant factors.
    • Combined shareholder payouts in the form of cash dividends and stock repurchases were over $150 million in 2024 and have totaled almost $800 million over the last five years.
    • The Company generated a 13% return on equity and a 6% return on assets in 2024. Using adjusted net income for 2024, the adjusted return on equity was 15% while the adjusted return on assets was 7%.

    2025 Outlook

    The Company’s outlook for 2025 is highly positive given the continued growth in pawn receivables and expectations for further pawn store additions and AFF merchant partner growth. Anticipated conditions and trends for 2025 include the following:

    Pawn Operations:

    • Pawn operations will continue to be the primary earnings driver, as the Company expects the contribution from the combined U.S. and Latin America pawn segments to be approximately 85% of total segment level pre-tax income for 2025.
    • The Company expects further growth in the pawn store base in 2025 through a combination of new store openings and potential acquisitions. Over the last five years, the Company has added an average of 115 new and acquired stores per year. The guidance presented below does not assume any material acquisition activity.

    U.S. Pawn

    • U.S. Pawn is anticipated to contribute approximately 65% of total segment level pre-tax income for 2025.
    • Same-store pawn loans began 2025 up 12% compared to a year ago, with January balances to date up similarly. Given the strength of the 2024 same-store results, growth rates are expected to moderate slightly over the course of the year, but still result in strong pawn fee growth that is expected to be in a range of 8% to 11% for the full year. 
    • Similar retail sales growth is projected for 2025, with retail margins expected to be in a normalized range targeted at approximately 42%.
    • Given the strong revenue momentum coupled with modest expense growth, the Company anticipates solid double-digit segment earnings growth in 2025 from this, its largest segment.

    Latin America Pawn

    • LatAm Pawn is anticipated to contribute approximately 20% of total segment level pre-tax income for 2025.
    • U.S. dollar-reported results for Latin America in 2025 are expected to be impacted by the lower exchange rate for the Mexican peso, which has most recently been in a range 20 to 21 pesos per U.S. dollar compared to the average exchange rate of 18.3 to 1 in 2024.
    • Same-store pawn receivables began 2025 down 6% on a U.S. dollar basis but up 12% on a constant currency basis. Full year pawn fee growth is expected to remain in a range of 8% to 11% on a local currency basis while it is projected to be down in a range of 2% to 5% on a U.S. dollar basis, given the current exchange rate.
    • Retail sales in Latin America are also expected to track similarly to pawn fees in 2025 with consistent retail margins.
    • While operating expenses are expected to increase by 6% to 9% in Latin America on a local currency basis (given the enacted 10% increase in the Mexico minimum wage for 2025), expenses are anticipated to decline in a range of 3% to 6% on a U.S. dollar basis, which should dampen the overall currency impact on dollar-denominated segment earnings.

    Retail POS Payment Solutions (AFF) Operations:

    • AFF is anticipated to contribute approximately 15% of total segment level pre-tax income for 2025.
    • As a result of recent merchant partner bankruptcies in the furniture sector (Conn’s HomePlus and American Freight), the Company anticipates first half 2025 origination volume being down to the prior year, given lower expected furniture originations, which are more seasonally weighted to the income tax refund season. Despite this headwind, full year origination volume for 2025 is expected to increase in a low single digit range compared to 2024, given continued growth in door counts and originations from new and other existing merchants. Excluding originations from Conn’s HomePlus and American Freight, origination volumes are expected to increase in a range of 20% to 25% over 2024.
    • While full year 2025 net revenues are forecast to decline in a range of 10% to 15% compared to the prior year due to lower LTO balances and first half originations, reduced operating expenses related to the changes in product mix and other expense reduction initiatives are expected to offset much of the decrease in net revenue. Resulting full year segment pre-tax income is expected to be flat to down only slightly compared to the prior year.

    Tax Rates and Currency:

    • The full year 2025 effective income tax rate under current tax codes in the U.S. and Latin America is expected to range from 24% to 25%.
    • Each full point change in the exchange rate of the Mexican peso is projected to have an annual earnings impact of approximately $0.10 per share.

    Additional Commentary and Analysis

    Mr. Wessel further commented on FirstCash’s 2024 operating results and the outlook for 2025, “Our core pawn segments continue to see exceptional growth in pawn receivables, pawn fees and retail sales. Strong sequential acceleration in same-store pawn receivable growth rates during the fourth quarter resulted in end of year increases in pawn receivables of 15% in the U.S. and 13% (constant currency basis) in Latin America compared to last year. We believe this growth continues to be driven by inflationary impacts and credit tightening for consumers with small, immediate cash needs. Furthermore, we saw excellent retail sales results in the fourth quarter, with same-store sales up 6% in the U.S. and 7% in LatAm (constant currency) compared to the prior-year quarter while maintaining strong gross margins, which we attribute to our deep value retail pricing, attractive interest-free layaway programs and excellent customer service.

    “Our industry-leading pawn operations were further expanded in 2024 as we added almost 100 locations through new store openings across all markets, coupled with strategic acquisitions in the U.S. and Mexico. Over the last five years, we have opened or acquired more than 550 pawn locations and we began 2025 with a strong pipeline of new store openings already in process. While most of our new store openings will continue to be in Latin America, we currently have three store openings slated for growth markets in the U.S. Additionally, we continue to see accretive acquisition opportunities in multiple markets which can be funded from available cash and credit facilities.

    “While a smaller component of FirstCash’s consolidated operations, AFF posted solid results in 2024 by contributing almost $130 million in segment earnings and generating meaningful cash flow. Although this was a difficult year in the retail furniture industry, given weak sales volumes and store closings at several retailers of size, AFF posted overall origination growth in 2024, driven by successful expansion in other vertical categories and its strong field sales channel.

    “We began 2025 in a strong position to again deliver meaningful earnings growth with the current momentum in our core pawn business in both the U.S. and Latin America and opportunities for additional growth through pawnshop acquisitions and de novo store openings. AFF’s prospects remain positive as well, as it continues to grow and diversify its merchant base. On a consolidated basis, our strong cash flows and balance sheet position us well to support this growth, and combined with ongoing cash dividends and potential share repurchases, are expected to drive further shareholder returns,” concluded Mr. Wessel.

    About FirstCash

    FirstCash is the leading international operator of pawn stores focused on serving cash and credit-constrained consumers. FirstCash’s more than 3,000 pawn stores in the U.S. and Latin America buy and sell a wide variety of jewelry, electronics, tools, appliances, sporting goods, musical instruments and other merchandise, and make small non-recourse pawn loans secured by pledged personal property. FirstCash’s pawn segments in the U.S. and Latin America currently account for approximately 80% of segment earnings, with the remainder provided by its wholly owned subsidiary, AFF, which provides lease-to-own and retail finance payment solutions for consumer goods and services.

    FirstCash is a component company in both the Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 Index® and the Russell 2000 Index®. FirstCash’s common stock (ticker symbol “FCFS”) is traded on the Nasdaq, the creator of the world’s first electronic stock market. For additional information regarding FirstCash and the services it provides, visit FirstCash’s websites located at http://www.firstcash.com and http://www.americanfirstfinance.com.

    Forward-Looking Information     

    This release contains forward-looking statements about the business, financial condition, outlook and prospects of FirstCash Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (together, the “Company”), including the Company’s outlook for 2025. Forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “outlook,” “believes,” “projects,” “expects,” “may,” “estimates,” “should,” “plans,” “targets,” “intends,” “could,” “would,” “anticipates,” “potential,” “confident,” “optimistic,” or the negative thereof, or other variations thereon, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, objectives, estimates, guidance, expectations, outlook and future plans. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. Rather, forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties.

    While the Company believes the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurances such expectations will prove to be accurate. Security holders are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Certain factors may cause results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements made in this release. Such factors and risks may include, without limitation, risks related to the extensive regulatory environment in which the Company operates; risks associated with the legal and regulatory proceedings that the Company is a party to or may become a party to in the future, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) lawsuit filed against the Company; risks related to the Company’s acquisitions, including the failure of the Company’s acquisitions to deliver the estimated value and benefits expected by the Company and the ability of the Company to continue to identify and consummate acquisitions on favorable terms, if at all; potential changes in consumer behavior and shopping patterns which could impact demand for the Company’s pawn loan, retail, lease-to-own (“LTO”) and retail finance products, labor shortages and increased labor costs; a deterioration in the economic conditions in the United States and Latin America, including as a result of inflation, elevated interest rates and higher gas prices, which potentially could have an impact on discretionary consumer spending and demand for the Company’s products; currency fluctuations, primarily involving the Mexican peso; competition the Company faces from other retailers and providers of retail payment solutions; the ability of the Company to successfully execute on its business strategies; contraction in sales activity at merchant partners of the Company’s retail POS payment solutions business; impact of store closures, financial difficulties or even bankruptcies at the merchant partners of the Company’s retail POS payment solutions business; the ability of the Company’s retail POS payment solutions business to continue to grow its base of merchant partners, including those outside of the furniture vertical; and other risks discussed and described in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risks described in Part 1, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” thereof, and other reports filed with the SEC. Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the ability of the Company to control, nor can the Company predict, in many cases, all of the risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to report any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (unaudited, in thousands)
     
        Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
        December 31,   December 31,
        2024   2023   2024   2023
    Revenue:                
    Retail merchandise sales   $      413,671     $ 397,412     $ 1,507,096     $ 1,381,272  
    Pawn loan fees            189,984       178,238              737,126       658,536  
    Leased merchandise income            177,440       190,057              766,241       752,682  
    Interest and fees on finance receivables              70,507       59,571              245,891       233,818  
    Wholesale scrap jewelry sales              32,209       26,856              132,160       125,488  
    Total revenue            883,811       852,134           3,388,514       3,151,796  
                     
    Cost of revenue:                
    Cost of retail merchandise sold            249,831       241,402              909,685       832,393  
    Depreciation of leased merchandise              97,937       103,631              433,306       411,455  
    Provision for lease losses              33,561       34,184              163,395       175,858  
    Provision for loan losses              41,736       32,459              143,827       123,030  
    Cost of wholesale scrap jewelry sold              27,058       22,809              108,769       101,821  
    Total cost of revenue            450,123       434,485           1,758,982       1,644,557  
                     
    Net revenue            433,688       417,649           1,629,532       1,507,239  
                     
    Expenses and other income:                
    Operating expenses            226,547       216,783              900,978       832,149  
    Administrative expenses              43,636       51,887              173,199       176,315  
    Depreciation and amortization              26,434       27,635              104,941       109,161  
    Interest expense              27,197       26,586              105,226       93,243  
    Interest income                  (528 )     (216 )              (1,935 )     (1,469 )
    Loss (gain) on foreign exchange                    508       376                  2,641       (1,529 )
    Merger and acquisition expenses                      42       4,252                  2,228       7,922  
    Other expenses (income), net                    319       (1,142 )                  (522 )     (1,402 )
    Total expenses and other income            324,155       326,161           1,286,756       1,214,390  
                     
    Income before income taxes            109,533       91,488              342,776       292,849  
                     
    Provision for income taxes              25,986       21,899                83,961       73,548  
                     
    Net income   $        83,547     $ 69,589     $      258,815     $ 219,301  
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (unaudited, in thousands)
     
        December 31,
        2024   2023
    ASSETS        
    Cash and cash equivalents   $            175,095     $ 127,018  
    Accounts receivable, net                     73,325       71,922  
    Pawn loans                   517,867       471,846  
    Finance receivables, net                   147,501       113,901  
    Inventories                   334,580       312,089  
    Leased merchandise, net                   128,437       171,191  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets                     26,943       38,634  
    Total current assets               1,403,748       1,306,601  
             
    Property and equipment, net                   717,916       632,724  
    Operating lease right of use asset                   324,646       328,458  
    Goodwill               1,787,172       1,727,652  
    Intangible assets, net                   228,858       277,724  
    Other assets                       9,934       10,242  
    Deferred tax assets, net                       4,712       6,514  
    Total assets   $         4,476,986     $ 4,289,915  
             
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
    Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   $            171,540     $ 163,050  
    Customer deposits and prepayments                     72,703       70,580  
    Lease liability, current                     95,161       101,962  
    Total current liabilities                   339,404       335,592  
             
    Revolving unsecured credit facilities                   198,000       568,000  
    Senior unsecured notes               1,531,346       1,037,647  
    Deferred tax liabilities, net                   128,574       136,773  
    Lease liability, non-current                   225,498       215,485  
    Total liabilities               2,422,822       2,293,497  
             
    Stockholders’ equity:        
    Common stock                          575       573  
    Additional paid-in capital               1,767,569       1,741,046  
    Retained earnings               1,411,083       1,218,029  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss                 (129,596 )     (43,037 )
    Common stock held in treasury, at cost                 (995,467 )     (920,193 )
    Total stockholders’ equity               2,054,164       1,996,418  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $         4,476,986     $ 4,289,915  
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    U.S. PAWN SEGMENT RESULTS
    (UNAUDITED)
     
    U.S. Pawn Operating Results and Margins (dollars in thousands)
     
        Three Months Ended        
        December 31,    
        2024   2023   Increase
    Revenue:                    
    Retail merchandise sales   $             267,251     $ 243,697       10 %  
    Pawn loan fees                 133,563       120,083       11 %  
    Wholesale scrap jewelry sales                   23,201       17,463       33 %  
    Total revenue                 424,015       381,243       11 %  
                         
    Cost of revenue:                    
    Cost of retail merchandise sold                 153,641       141,406       9 %  
    Cost of wholesale scrap jewelry sold                   19,755       14,941       32 %  
    Total cost of revenue                 173,396       156,347       11 %  
                         
    Net revenue                 250,619       224,896       11 %  
                         
    Segment expenses:                    
    Operating expenses                 131,439       119,627       10 %  
    Depreciation and amortization                     7,371       6,799       8 %  
    Total segment expenses                 138,810       126,426       10 %  
                         
    Segment pre-tax operating income   $             111,809     $ 98,470       14 %  
                         
    Operating metrics:                    
    Retail merchandise sales margin   43 %   42 %        
    Net revenue margin   59 %   59 %        
    Segment pre-tax operating margin   26 %   26 %        
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    U.S. PAWN SEGMENT RESULTS (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)
     
        Twelve Months Ended        
        December 31,    
        2024   2023   Increase
    Revenue:                    
    Retail merchandise sales   $             969,371     $ 854,190       13 %  
    Pawn loan fees                 505,262       435,762       16 %  
    Wholesale scrap jewelry sales                   93,923       78,571       20 %  
    Total revenue             1,568,556       1,368,523       15 %  
                         
    Cost of revenue:                    
    Cost of retail merchandise sold                 560,970       490,544       14 %  
    Cost of wholesale scrap jewelry sold                   77,683       64,545       20 %  
    Total cost of revenue                 638,653       555,089       15 %  
                         
    Net revenue                 929,903       813,434       14 %  
                         
    Segment expenses:                    
    Operating expenses                 503,630       451,543       12 %  
    Depreciation and amortization                   28,980       25,585       13 %  
    Total segment expenses                 532,610       477,128       12 %  
                         
    Segment pre-tax operating income   $             397,293     $ 336,306       18 %  
                         
    Operating metrics:                    
    Retail merchandise sales margin   42 %   43 %        
    Net revenue margin   59 %   59 %        
    Segment pre-tax operating margin   25 %   25 %        
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    U.S. PAWN SEGMENT RESULTS (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)
     
    U.S. Pawn Earning Assets and Portfolio Metrics (dollars in thousands, except as otherwise noted)
     
        As of December 31,    
        2024   2023   Increase
    Earning assets:                    
    Pawn loans   $      396,667     $ 344,152       15 %  
    Inventories          245,492       221,843       11 %  
        $      642,159     $ 565,995       13 %  
                         
    Average outstanding pawn loan amount (in ones)   $              283     $ 258       10 %  
                         
    Composition of pawn collateral:                    
    General merchandise   28 %   30 %        
    Jewelry   72 %   70 %        
        100 %   100 %        
                         
    Composition of inventories:                    
    General merchandise   41 %   43 %        
    Jewelry   59 %   57 %        
        100 %   100 %        
                         
    Percentage of inventory aged greater than one year   1 %   1 %        
                         
    Inventory turnover (trailing twelve months cost of merchandise sales divided by average inventories)   2.8 times   2.8 times        
     

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    LATIN AMERICA PAWN SEGMENT RESULTS
    (UNAUDITED)

    Latin America Pawn Segment Results

    Constant currency results are non-GAAP financial measures, which exclude the effects of foreign currency translation and are calculated by translating current-year results at prior-year average exchange rates. See the “Constant Currency Results” section below for additional discussion of constant currency operating results.

    Latin America Pawn Operating Results and Margins (dollars in thousands)

                            Constant Currency Basis
                            Three Months        
                      Ended        
        Three Months Ended           December 31,   Increase /
        December 31,       2024   (Decrease)
        2024   2023   (Decrease)   (Non-GAAP)   (Non-GAAP)
    Revenue:                                
    Retail merchandise sales   $        147,412     $ 155,310       (5) %   $            166,927       7 %  
    Pawn loan fees              56,421       58,155       (3) %                     63,893       10 %  
    Wholesale scrap jewelry sales                9,008       9,393       (4) %                       9,008       (4) %  
    Total revenue            212,841       222,858       (4) %                   239,828       8 %  
                                     
    Cost of revenue:                                
    Cost of retail merchandise sold              96,718       100,870       (4) %                   109,445       9 %  
    Cost of wholesale scrap jewelry sold                7,303       7,868       (7) %                       8,278       5 %  
    Total cost of revenue            104,021       108,738       (4) %                   117,723       8 %  
                                     
    Net revenue            108,820       114,120       (5) %                   122,105       7 %  
                                     
    Segment expenses:                                
    Operating expenses              60,918       63,976       (5) %                     68,628       7 %  
    Depreciation and amortization                5,170       5,466       (5) %                       5,754       5 %  
    Total segment expenses              66,088       69,442       (5) %                     74,382       7 %  
                                     
    Segment pre-tax operating income   $          42,732     $ 44,678       (4) %   $              47,723       7 %  
                                     
    Operating metrics:                                
    Retail merchandise sales margin   34 %   35 %         34 %        
    Net revenue margin   51 %   51 %         51 %        
    Segment pre-tax operating margin   20 %   20 %         20 %        
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    LATIN AMERICA PAWN SEGMENT RESULTS (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)
     
                          Constant Currency Basis
                    Twelve Months    
                    Ended    
        Twelve Months Ended         December 31,   Increase /
        December 31,   Increase / 2024   (Decrease)
        2024   2023   (Decrease) (Non-GAAP)   (Non-GAAP)
    Revenue:                              
    Retail merchandise sales   $        541,787     $ 533,612       2 %   $              556,686       4 %  
    Pawn loan fees            231,864       222,774       4 %                     238,305       7 %  
    Wholesale scrap jewelry sales              38,237       46,917       (19) %                       38,237       (19) %  
    Total revenue            811,888       803,303       1 %                     833,228       4 %  
                                   
    Cost of revenue:                              
    Cost of retail merchandise sold            350,906       345,309       2 %                     360,452       4 %  
    Cost of wholesale scrap jewelry sold              31,086       37,276       (17) %                       31,977       (14) %  
    Total cost of revenue            381,992       382,585       %                     392,429       3 %  
                                   
    Net revenue            429,896       420,718       2 %                     440,799       5 %  
                                   
    Segment expenses:                              
    Operating expenses            259,307       243,146       7 %                     266,102       9 %  
    Depreciation and amortization              20,369       21,350       (5) %                       20,855       (2) %  
    Total segment expenses            279,676       264,496       6 %                     286,957       8 %  
                                   
    Segment pre-tax operating income   $        150,220     $ 156,222       (4) %   $              153,842       (2) %  
                                   
    Operating metrics:                              
    Retail merchandise sales margin   35 %   35 %         35 %        
    Net revenue margin   53 %   52 %         53 %        
    Segment pre-tax operating margin   19 %   19 %         18 %        
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    LATIN AMERICA PAWN SEGMENT RESULTS (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)
     
    Latin America Pawn Earning Assets and Portfolio Metrics (dollars in thousands, except as otherwise noted)
     
                            Constant Currency Basis
                            As of        
                            December 31,    
        As of December 31,       2024   Increase
        2024   2023   (Decrease)   (Non-GAAP)   (Non-GAAP)
    Earning assets:                                
    Pawn loans   $       121,200     $ 127,694       (5) %   $           143,805     13 %  
    Inventories             89,088       90,246       (1) %                 105,686     17 %  
        $       210,288     $ 217,940       (4) %   $           249,491     14 %  
                                     
    Average outstanding pawn loan amount  (in ones)   $                 87     $ 95       (8) %   $                   103     8 %  
                                     
    Composition of pawn collateral:                                
    General merchandise   58 %   63 %                    
    Jewelry   42 %   37 %                    
        100 %   100 %                    
                                     
    Composition of inventories:                                
    General merchandise   65 %   67 %                    
    Jewelry   35 %   33 %                    
        100 %   100 %                    
                                     
    Percentage of inventory aged greater than one year   1 %   1 %                    
                                     
    Inventory turnover (trailing twelve months cost of merchandise sales divided by average inventories)   4.2 times   4.4 times                    
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RETAIL POS PAYMENT SOLUTIONS SEGMENT RESULTS
    (UNAUDITED)
     
    Retail POS Payment Solutions Operating Results (dollars in thousands)
     
        Three Months Ended        
        December 31,   Increase /
        2024   2023   (Decrease)
    Revenue:                
    Leased merchandise income   $               177,440   $ 190,057     (7) %  
    Interest and fees on finance receivables                       70,507     59,571     18 %  
    Total revenue                     247,947     249,628     (1) %  
                     
    Cost of revenue:                
    Depreciation of leased merchandise                       98,266     104,114     (6) %  
    Provision for lease losses                       33,665     35,564     (5) %  
    Provision for loan losses                       41,736     32,459     29 %  
    Total cost of revenue                     173,667     172,137     1 %  
                     
    Net revenue                       74,280     77,491     (4) %  
                     
    Segment expenses:                
    Operating expenses                       34,190     33,180     3 %  
    Depreciation and amortization                             705     772     (9) %  
    Total segment expenses                       34,895     33,952     3 %  
                     
    Segment pre-tax operating income   $                 39,385   $ 43,539     (10) %  
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RETAIL POS PAYMENT SOLUTIONS SEGMENT RESULTS (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)
     
        Twelve Months Ended        
        December 31,   Increase /
        2024   2023   (Decrease)
    Revenue:                
    Leased merchandise income   $               766,241   $ 752,682     2 %  
    Interest and fees on finance receivables                     245,891     233,818     5 %  
    Total revenue                  1,012,132     986,500     3 %  
                     
    Cost of revenue:                
    Depreciation of leased merchandise                     434,915     413,546     5 %  
    Provision for lease losses                     163,937     177,418     (8) %  
    Provision for loan losses                     143,827     123,030     17 %  
    Total cost of revenue                     742,679     713,994     4 %  
                     
    Net revenue                     269,453     272,506     (1) %  
                     
    Segment expenses:                
    Operating expenses                     138,041     137,460     %  
    Depreciation and amortization                         2,783     3,030     (8) %  
    Total segment expenses                     140,824     140,490     %  
                     
    Segment pre-tax operating income   $               128,629   $ 132,016     (3) %  
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RETAIL POS PAYMENT SOLUTIONS SEGMENT RESULTS (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)
     
    Retail POS Payment Solutions Gross Transaction Volumes (dollars in thousands)
     
        Three Months Ended      
        December 31, Increase /
        2024   2023   (Decrease)
    Leased merchandise   $          124,590   $ 170,278     (27) %  
    Finance receivables                 159,898     102,279     56 %  
    Total gross transaction volume   $          284,488   $ 272,557     4 %  
     
        Twelve Months Ended      
        December 31, Increase /
        2024   2023   (Decrease)
    Leased merchandise   $          568,635   $ 623,069     (9) %  
    Finance receivables                 510,231     405,765     26 %  
    Total gross transaction volume   $       1,078,866   $ 1,028,834     5 %  
     

    Retail POS Payment Solutions Earning Assets (dollars in thousands)

        As of December 31,   Increase /
        2024     2023     (Decrease)
    Leased merchandise, net:                
    Leased merchandise, before allowance for lease losses   $          209,333     $ 267,458       (22) %  
    Less allowance for lease losses                 (80,661 )     (95,752 )     (16) %  
    Leased merchandise, net   $          128,672     $ 171,706       (25) %  
                     
    Finance receivables, net:                
    Finance receivables, before allowance for loan losses   $          264,506     $ 210,355       26 %  
    Less allowance for loan losses               (117,005 )     (96,454 )     21 %  
    Finance receivables, net   $          147,501     $ 113,901       29 %  
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RETAIL POS PAYMENT SOLUTIONS SEGMENT RESULTS (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)
     
    Allowance for Lease and Loan Losses and Other Portfolio Metrics (dollars in thousands)
               
        Three Months Ended      
        December 31,   Increase /
        2024   2023   (Decrease)
    Allowance for lease losses:              
    Balance at beginning of period   $                 93,823     $ 105,472     (11) %  
    Provision for lease losses                       33,665       35,564     (5) %  
    Charge-offs                     (48,607 )     (46,986 )   3 %  
    Recoveries                         1,780       1,702     5 %  
    Balance at end of period   $                 80,661     $ 95,752     (16) %  
                   
    Leased merchandise portfolio metrics:              
    Provision rate (1)   27 %   21 %      
    Average monthly net charge-off rate (2)   7.1 %   5.8 %      
    Delinquency rate (3)   24.4 %   21.7 %      
                   
    Allowance for loan losses:              
    Balance at beginning of period   $               109,197     $ 96,684     13 %  
    Provision for loan losses                       41,736       32,459     29 %  
    Charge-offs                     (35,751 )     (34,680 )   3 %  
    Recoveries                         1,823       1,991     (8) %  
    Balance at end of period   $               117,005     $ 96,454     21 %  
                   
    Finance receivables portfolio metrics:              
    Provision rate (1)   26 %   32 %      
    Average monthly net charge-off rate (2)   4.5 %   5.2 %      
    Delinquency rate (3)   20.0 %   21.8 %      
                       
    (1)        Calculated as provision for lease or loan losses as a percentage of the respective gross transaction volume originated.         
                       
    (2)        Calculated as charge-offs, net of recoveries, as a percentage of the respective average earning asset balance before allowance for lease or loan losses.         
                       
    (3)        Calculated as the percentage of the respective contractual earning asset balance owed that is 1 to 89 days past due (the Company charges off leases and finance receivables when they are 90 days or more contractually past due).         
     
    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RETAIL POS PAYMENT SOLUTIONS SEGMENT RESULTS (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)
     
      Twelve Months Ended        
        December 31,       Increase /
        2024   2023   (Decrease)
    Allowance for lease losses:                
    Balance at beginning of period   $                 95,752     $ 79,576       20 %  
    Provision for lease losses                     163,937       177,418       (8) %  
    Charge-offs                   (186,123 )     (167,952 )     11 %  
    Recoveries                         7,095       6,710       6 %  
    Balance at end of period   $                 80,661     $ 95,752       (16) %  
                     
    Leased merchandise portfolio metrics:                
    Provision rate (1) 29 %   28 %        
    Average monthly net charge-off rate (2) 6.3 %   5.4 %        
    Delinquency rate (3) 24.4 %   21.7 %        
                     
    Allowance for loan losses:                
    Balance at beginning of period   $                 96,454     $ 84,833       14 %  
    Provision for loan losses                     143,827       123,030       17 %  
    Charge-offs                   (130,812 )     (117,961 )     11 %  
    Recoveries                         7,536       6,552       15 %  
    Balance at end of period   $               117,005     $ 96,454       21 %  
                     
    Finance receivables portfolio metrics:                
    Provision rate (1) 28 %   30 %        
    Average monthly net charge-off rate (2) 4.3 %   4.7 %        
    Delinquency rate (3) 20.0 %   21.8 %        
     
    (1)        Calculated as provision for lease or loan losses as a percentage of the respective gross transaction volume originated.
     
    (2)        Calculated as charge-offs, net of recoveries, as a percentage of the respective average earning asset balance before allowance for lease or loan losses.
     
    (3)        Calculated as the percentage of the respective contractual earning asset balance owed that is 1 to 89 days past due (the Company charges off leases and finance receivables when they are 90 days or more contractually past due).
     

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    PAWN STORE LOCATIONS AND MERCHANT PARTNER LOCATIONS

    Pawn Operations

    As of December 31, 2024, the Company operated 3,026 pawn store locations comprised of 1,200 stores in 29 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, 1,725 stores in 32 states in Mexico, 72 stores in Guatemala, 17 stores in El Salvador and 12 stores in Colombia.

    The following tables detail pawn store count activity for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024:

        Three Months Ended December 31, 2024
        U.S.   Latin America   Total
    Total locations, beginning of period   1,201     1,824     3,025  
    New locations opened       6     6  
    Locations acquired       10     10  
    Consolidation of existing pawn locations (1)   (1 )   (14 )   (15 )
    Total locations, end of period   1,200     1,826     3,026  
                 
                 
        Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024
        U.S.   Latin America   Total
    Total locations, beginning of period   1,183     1,814     2,997  
    New locations opened   1     60     61  
    Locations acquired   28     10     38  
    Consolidation of existing pawn locations (1) (2)   (12 )   (58 )   (70 )
    Total locations, end of period   1,200     1,826     3,026  
     

    (1)        Store consolidations were primarily acquired locations which have been combined with overlapping stores and for which the Company expects to maintain a significant portion of the acquired customer base in the consolidated location.

    (2)        Includes 10 pawnshops located in Acapulco, Mexico that were severely damaged by a hurricane in the fall of 2023, which the Company elected to consolidate with other stores in this market. The Company expects to replace certain of these locations in this market over time as the city’s infrastructure recovers.

    Retail POS Payment Solutions

    As of December 31, 2024, AFF provided LTO and retail POS payment solutions for consumer goods and services through a network of approximately 13,600 active retail merchant partner locations, which is net of the closing of approximately 1,000 Conn’s HomePlus and American Freight locations due to bankruptcy during the fourth quarter of 2024. This compares to the active door count of approximately 11,600 locations at December 31, 2023. 

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    TO GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    (UNAUDITED)

    The Company uses certain financial calculations such as adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, adjusted free cash flow, adjusted return on equity, adjusted return on assets and constant currency results as factors in the measurement and evaluation of the Company’s operating performance and period-over-period growth. The Company derives these financial calculations on the basis of methodologies other than generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), primarily by excluding from a comparable GAAP measure certain items the Company does not consider to be representative of its actual operating performance. These financial calculations are “non-GAAP financial measures” as defined under the SEC rules. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures in operating its business because management believes they are less susceptible to variances in actual operating performance that can result from the excluded items, other infrequent charges and currency fluctuations. The Company presents these financial measures to investors because management believes they are useful to investors in evaluating the primary factors that drive the Company’s core operating performance and provide greater transparency into the Company’s results of operations. However, items that are excluded and other adjustments and assumptions that are made in calculating these non-GAAP financial measures are significant components in understanding and assessing the Company’s financial performance. These non-GAAP financial measures should be evaluated in conjunction with, and are not a substitute for, the Company’s GAAP financial measures. Further, because these non-GAAP financial measures are not determined in accordance with GAAP, and are thus susceptible to varying calculations, the non-GAAP financial measures, as presented, may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies.

    While acquisitions are an important part of the Company’s overall strategy, the Company has adjusted the applicable financial calculations to exclude merger and acquisition expenses and amortization of acquired AFF intangible assets. The Company does not consider these items to be related to the organic operations of the acquired businesses or its continuing operations and are generally not relevant to assessing or estimating the long-term performance of the acquired businesses. In addition, excluding these items allows for more accurate comparisons of the financial results to prior periods. Merger and acquisition expenses include incremental costs directly associated with merger and acquisition activities, including professional fees, legal expenses, severance, retention and other employee-related costs, contract breakage costs and costs related to the consolidation of technology systems and corporate facilities, among others. 

    The Company has certain leases in Mexico which are denominated in U.S. dollars. The lease liability of these U.S. dollar-denominated leases, which is considered a monetary liability, is remeasured into Mexican pesos using current period exchange rates, resulting in the recognition of foreign currency exchange gains or losses. The Company has adjusted the applicable financial measures to exclude these remeasurement gains or losses (1) because they are non-cash, non-operating items that could create volatility in the Company’s consolidated results of operations due to the magnitude of the end of period lease liability being remeasured and (2) to improve comparability of current periods presented with prior periods.

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    TO GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)

    Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share

    Management believes the presentation of adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share provides investors with greater transparency and provides a more complete understanding of the Company’s financial performance and prospects for the future by excluding items that management believes are non-operating in nature and are not representative of the Company’s core operating performance. In addition, management believes the adjustments shown below are useful to investors in order to allow them to compare the Company’s financial results for the current periods presented with the prior periods presented.

    The following table provides a reconciliation between net income and diluted earnings per share calculated in accordance with GAAP to adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share, which are shown net of tax (in thousands, except per share amounts):

        Three Months Ended December 31,   Twelve Months Ended December 31,
        2024   2023   2024   2023   2024   2023   2024   2023
        In
    Thousands
      In
    Thousands
      Per
    Share
      Per
    Share
      In
    Thousands
      In
    Thousands
      Per
    Share
      Per
    Share
    Net income and diluted earnings per share, as reported   $      83,547   $ 69,589     $      1.86   $ 1.53     $    258,815   $ 219,301     $      5.73   $ 4.80  
    Adjustments, net of tax:                                
    Merger and acquisition expenses                    31     3,271                 —     0.07                1,706     6,089              0.04     0.13  
    Non-cash foreign currency loss (gain) related to lease liability                  504     (607 )            0.01     (0.01 )              2,627     (1,778 )            0.06     (0.04 )
    AFF purchase accounting and other adjustments              9,572     21,472              0.21     0.47              38,289     54,341              0.85     1.19  
    Other expenses (income), net              1,761     (879 )            0.04     (0.02 )              1,243     (1,079 )            0.02     (0.02 )
    Adjusted net income and diluted earnings per share   $      95,415   $ 92,846     $      2.12   $ 2.04     $    302,680   $ 276,874     $      6.70   $ 6.06  
     

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    TO GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)

    Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) and Adjusted EBITDA

    The Company defines EBITDA as net income before income taxes, depreciation and amortization, interest expense and interest income and adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA adjusted for certain items, as listed below, that management considers to be non-operating in nature and not representative of its actual operating performance. The Company believes EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are commonly used by investors to assess a company’s financial performance, and adjusted EBITDA is used as a starting point in the calculation of the consolidated total debt ratio as defined in the Company’s senior unsecured notes. The following table provides a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA (in thousands): 

        Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
        December 31,   December 31,
        2024   2023   2024   2023
    Net income   $         83,547     $ 69,589     $       258,815     $ 219,301  
    Income taxes             25,986       21,899               83,961       73,548  
    Depreciation and amortization             26,434       27,635             104,941       109,161  
    Interest expense             27,197       26,586             105,226       93,243  
    Interest income                (528 )     (216 )             (1,935 )     (1,469 )
    EBITDA           162,636       145,493             551,008       493,784  
    Adjustments:                        
    Merger and acquisition expenses                     42       4,252                 2,228       7,922  
    Non-cash foreign currency loss (gain) related to lease liability                  720       (867 )               3,755       (2,540 )
    AFF purchase accounting and other adjustments (1)                     —       13,968                       —       13,968  
    Other expenses (income), net               2,287       (1,142 )               1,446       (1,402 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $       165,685     $ 161,704     $       558,437     $ 511,732  
     

    (1)        For the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, amount represents other non-recurring costs included in administrative expenses related to a discontinued finance product.

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    TO GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)

    Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Free Cash Flow

    For purposes of its internal liquidity assessments, the Company considers free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow. The Company defines free cash flow as cash flow from operating activities less purchases of furniture, fixtures, equipment and improvements and net fundings/repayments of pawn loan and finance receivables, which are considered to be operating in nature by the Company but are included in cash flow from investing activities. Adjusted free cash flow is defined as free cash flow adjusted for merger and acquisition expenses paid that management considers to be non-operating in nature.

    Free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow are commonly used by investors as additional measures of cash, generated by business operations, that may be used to repay scheduled debt maturities and debt service or, following payment of such debt obligations and other non-discretionary items, that may be available to invest in future growth through new business development activities or acquisitions, repurchase stock, pay cash dividends or repay debt obligations prior to their maturities. These metrics can also be used to evaluate the Company’s ability to generate cash flow from business operations and the impact that this cash flow has on the Company’s liquidity. However, free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for cash flow from operating activities or other income statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. The following table reconciles cash flow from operating activities to free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow (in thousands):

        Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
        December 31,   December 31,
        2024   2023   2024   2023
    Cash flow from operating activities   $        198,149     $ 99,105     $        539,958     $ 416,142  
    Cash flow from investing activities:                
    Pawn loans, net (1)                 (2,276 )     24,448                 (71,999 )     (34,978 )
    Finance receivables, net               (53,128 )     (27,448 )            (139,314 )     (115,442 )
    Purchases of furniture, fixtures, equipment and improvements               (12,213 )     (13,425 )               (68,245 )     (60,148 )
    Free cash flow              130,532       82,680                260,400       205,574  
    Merger and acquisition expenses paid, net of tax benefit                        31       3,271                     1,706       6,089  
    Adjusted free cash flow   $        130,563     $ 85,951     $        262,106     $ 211,663  
     

    (1)        Includes the funding of new loans net of cash repayments and recovery of principal through the sale of inventories acquired from forfeiture of pawn collateral.

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    TO GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)

    Adjusted Return on Equity and Adjusted Return on Assets

    Management believes the presentation of adjusted return on equity and adjusted return on assets provides investors with greater transparency and provides a more complete understanding of the Company’s financial performance by excluding items that management believes are non-operating in nature and not representative of the Company’s core operating performance.

    Annualized adjusted return on equity and adjusted return on assets is calculated as follows (dollars in thousands):

        Twelve Months Ended
        December 31, 2024
    Adjusted net income (1)   $ 302,680  
           
    Average stockholders’ equity (average of five most recent quarter-end balances)   $ 2,014,721  
    Adjusted return on equity (trailing twelve months adjusted net income divided by average equity)   15 %
           
    Average total assets (average of five most recent quarter-end balances)   $ 4,345,922  
    Adjusted return on assets (trailing twelve months adjusted net income divided by average total assets)   7 %
     
    (1)       See detail of adjustments to net income in the “Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share” section above.
     

    Constant Currency Results

    The Company’s reporting currency is the U.S. dollar, however, certain performance metrics discussed in this release are presented on a “constant currency” basis, which is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company’s management uses constant currency results to evaluate operating results of business operations in Latin America, which are transacted in local currencies in Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia. The Company also has operations in El Salvador, where the reporting and functional currency is the U.S. dollar.

    The Company believes constant currency results provide valuable supplemental information regarding the underlying performance of its business operations in Latin America, consistent with how the Company’s management evaluates such performance and operating results. Constant currency results reported herein are calculated by translating certain balance sheet and income statement items denominated in local currencies using the exchange rate from the prior-year comparable period, as opposed to the current comparable period, in order to exclude the effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations for purposes of evaluating period-over-period comparisons. See the Latin America pawn segment tables elsewhere in this release for additional reconciliation of certain constant currency amounts to as reported GAAP amounts.

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    TO GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (CONTINUED)
    (UNAUDITED)
     
    Exchange Rates for the Mexican Peso, Guatemalan Quetzal and Colombian Peso
     
        December 31,   Favorable /
        2024   2023   (Unfavorable)
    Mexican peso / U.S. dollar exchange rate:                
    End-of-period   20.3   16.9     (20) %  
    Three months ended   20.1   17.6     (14) %  
    Twelve months ended   18.3   17.8     (3) %  
                     
    Guatemalan quetzal / U.S. dollar exchange rate:                
    End-of-period   7.7   7.8     1 %  
    Three months ended   7.7   7.8     1 %  
    Twelve months ended   7.8   7.8     %  
                     
    Colombian peso / U.S. dollar exchange rate:                
    End-of-period   4,409   3,822     (15) %  
    Three months ended   4,348   4,070     (7) %  
    Twelve months ended   4,071   4,328     6 %  
     

    FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS, INC.
    INTERSEGMENT TRANSACTIONS
    (UNAUDITED)

    Intersegment transactions relate to the Company offering AFF’s LTO payment solution in its U.S. pawn stores and are eliminated to arrive at consolidated totals. For the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, these intersegment amounts are as follows:

    • U.S. pawn retail merchandise sales includes $1.0 million and $1.6 million, respectively. Excluding these intersegment sales, consolidated U.S. retail merchandise sales totaled $266.3 million and $242.1 million, respectively.
    • U.S. pawn cost of retail merchandise sold includes $0.5 million and $0.9 million, respectively. Excluding these intersegment sales, consolidated U.S. cost of retail merchandise sold totaled $153.1 million and $140.5 million, respectively.
    • Retail POS payment solutions depreciation of leased merchandise includes $0.3 million and $0.5 million, respectively. Excluding these intersegment transactions, consolidated depreciation of leased merchandise totaled $97.9 million and $103.6 million, respectively.
    • Retail POS payment solutions provision for lease losses includes $0.1 million and $1.4 million, respectively. Excluding these intersegment transactions, consolidated provision for lease losses totaled $33.6 million and $34.2 million, respectively.

    For the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, these intersegment amounts are as follows:

    • U.S. pawn retail merchandise sales includes $4.1 million and $6.5 million, respectively. Excluding these intersegment sales, consolidated U.S. retail merchandise sales totaled $965.3 million and $847.7 million, respectively.
    • U.S. pawn cost of retail merchandise sold includes $2.2 million and $3.5 million, respectively. Excluding these intersegment sales, consolidated U.S. cost of retail merchandise sold totaled $558.8 million and $487.1 million, respectively.
    • Retail POS payment solutions depreciation of leased merchandise includes $1.6 million and $2.1 million, respectively. Excluding these intersegment transactions, consolidated depreciation of leased merchandise totaled $433.3 million and $411.5 million, respectively.
    • Retail POS payment solutions provision for lease losses includes $0.5 million and $1.6 million, respectively. Excluding these intersegment transactions, consolidated provision for lease losses totaled $163.4 million and $175.9 million, respectively.

    As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, these intersegment amounts are as follows:

    • Retail POS payment solutions leased merchandise, net includes $0.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively. Excluding these intersegment transactions, consolidated net leased merchandise totaled $128.4 million and $171.2 million, respectively.

    For further information, please contact: 
    Gar Jackson
    Global IR Group
    Phone:    (817) 886-6998
    Email:     gar@globalirgroup.com

    Doug Orr, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    Phone:    (817) 258-2650
    Email:     investorrelations@firstcash.com
    Website:  investors.firstcash.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Anti-immigration policies: why harsh new rules put in place by Trump and other rich countries won’t last

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alan Hirsch, Research Fellow New South Institute, Emeritus Professor at The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town

    Donald Trump, America’s new president, has cut back massively on US commitments to asylum seekers, blocked all asylum processes and started to remove irregular immigrants.

    Trump’s new measures are far reaching. They include the suspension of the US refugee admissions programme. Flights booked for refugees to the US have been cancelled. Arrests and deportations have begun.

    Strongly anti-immigrant policies were also pursued under the Biden administration, though Trump’s dramatic steps take them much further. Other countries in the global north have also introduced tougher policies. The 2024 EU Pact on Migration and Asylum sets out tougher border controls, quicker assessment of asylum seekers and swifter removal of those who did not qualify. In the UK, Labour prime minister Keir Starmer has promised to bring down the net migration rate and treat people-smugglers like terrorists.

    Based on my research into migration over the past 30 years I believe that these measures are unlikely to last. There are two linked trends that make closing the borders of the global north impractical and destined for revision.

    The first is that populations in most of the global north are ageing fast (on average) and the fertility rate, or natural population growth rate, has plummeted. There are many more older people as a percentage of the population.

    Secondly, with a workforce shrinking and the dependency ratio (the proportion of non-working to working people) rising rapidly, closing borders to potential labourers from other countries, without any other change, would lead to declining living standards in the global north. Economic growth and government revenues would slow or stagnate, undermining infrastructure maintenance and social service provision.

    There are several possible strategies that could be alternatives to anti-immigration measures. Some older people could migrate south, robots and AI could do more work, workers in the global south could perform remote work for the north, and arrangements could be made to allow migrants into the north either permanently or as circulating migrants.

    All these strategies are already in use, if modestly. Their application would have to expand considerably.

    Misplaced panic

    The responses of governments in the global north are exaggerated. Governments putting in place tough anti-immigrant measures have done so on the back of a narrative that there’s been a significant rise in the number of migrants worldwide.

    This isn’t true. Some countries, such as the US, Germany and Colombia, have seen a spike in refugees and other migrants. But for the rest of the world the picture remains much the same as it has done for decades.

    Foreign-born residents (the most widely used definition of migrants) rose as a proportion of residents worldwide from 2.3% in 1970 to 3.6% in 2020. But in 1960 the number was over 3%, and in the late 1800s migrants made up somewhere between 3% and 5% of the global population.

    So, 3.6% is nothing new.

    As for refugees, in 2023 there were about 38 million, of whom 69% sought refuge in neighbouring countries and 75% in middle- and low-income countries.

    In general, therefore, rich countries have not been carrying the greatest burden.

    The real reason behind these tougher measures is that living standards have stagnated in many countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The cost and availability of housing have worsened; inequality has grown since the 1980s; the quality and availability of public services have deteriorated since the global financial crisis of 2008 and COVID-19; and the quality of employment has shifted to precarious work and poorly paid service sector occupations.

    This has contributed to the rise of populism, including anti-foreigner sentiment and even xenophobia.

    Trump’s actions are the most extreme yet. They include an order to block “aliens involved in the invasion” using “appropriate measures” that give the security forces further powers. The prohibition of southern border asylum hearings in the US and the instruction to “remain in Mexico” means that prospective asylum seekers from third countries may not cross the border to make their applications at the port of entry. They must apply remotely.

    Trump has also ordered that birthright citizenship must be limited to the children of certain categories of residents, essentially citizens or those with residence rights in the form of a “green card”. This move has been temporarily blocked in some states by judges as unconstitutional.

    In addition, the acting head of the Homeland Security Department gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials the power to deport migrants admitted temporarily into the US under several programmes of the Biden administration, targeting refugees from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti, and possibly Afghan and Ukrainian refugees too.

    The very first bill to receive final approval from the US Congress under Trump’s second term, the Laken-Riley Act, would require the detention and deportation of migrants who enter the country without authorisation and are charged with certain crimes. This bill was passed with 263 votes and 156 votes against, meaning that 46 House Democrats supported the Republican bill.

    In contrast, in the global south, as I have discussed elsewhere, the trend has been in the opposite direction. South American regional communities liberalised migration most extensively in recent decades, but African regional communities have made progress too, as has the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

    The way forward

    Some alternative strategies are leading the way.

    In Canada, the Temporary Foreign Worker programme has expanded steadily since 1973, increasingly including long-term circulating migrating lower-skilled workers for key occupations like catering, care, construction and agriculture. Though it is currently under political scrutiny because of the panic in the north over migration, and because of housing shortages in Canada, it is likely to survive and evolve. Similar systems are emerging across the global north.

    In the EU, Talent Partnerships are now encouraged. Germany, for example, has talent partnerships with Kenya and Morocco, where they train health workers and IT technicians in those countries to work and live in Germany. Spain has various partnerships in Latin America and Africa. Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has chosen to be upfront on the choices. In October last year he told the Spanish people:

    Spain needs to choose between being an open and prosperous country or a closed off poor country.

    The current fashion for population protectionism in the global north is increasingly nasty, but it is unlikely to stand the test of time. Several constructive responses to the rising dependency ratio are feasible, but being open to more migration, possibly in new forms and through new channels. is an inevitable part of the solution.

    New formal pathways for working migrants and reasonable systems for asylum seekers, along with full enforcement of rules against irregular migrants, could be the combination that works politically and economically.

    – Anti-immigration policies: why harsh new rules put in place by Trump and other rich countries won’t last
    – https://theconversation.com/anti-immigration-policies-why-harsh-new-rules-put-in-place-by-trump-and-other-rich-countries-wont-last-248359

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Global: Anti-immigration policies: why harsh new rules put in place by Trump and other rich countries won’t last

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alan Hirsch, Research Fellow New South Institute, Emeritus Professor at The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town

    Donald Trump, America’s new president, has cut back massively on US commitments to asylum seekers, blocked all asylum processes and started to remove irregular immigrants.

    Trump’s new measures are far reaching. They include the suspension of the US refugee admissions programme. Flights booked for refugees to the US have been cancelled. Arrests and deportations have begun.

    Strongly anti-immigrant policies were also pursued under the Biden administration, though Trump’s dramatic steps take them much further. Other countries in the global north have also introduced tougher policies. The 2024 EU Pact on Migration and Asylum sets out tougher border controls, quicker assessment of asylum seekers and swifter removal of those who did not qualify. In the UK, Labour prime minister Keir Starmer has promised to bring down the net migration rate and treat people-smugglers like terrorists.

    Based on my research into migration over the past 30 years I believe that these measures are unlikely to last. There are two linked trends that make closing the borders of the global north impractical and destined for revision.

    The first is that populations in most of the global north are ageing fast (on average) and the fertility rate, or natural population growth rate, has plummeted. There are many more older people as a percentage of the population.

    Secondly, with a workforce shrinking and the dependency ratio (the proportion of non-working to working people) rising rapidly, closing borders to potential labourers from other countries, without any other change, would lead to declining living standards in the global north. Economic growth and government revenues would slow or stagnate, undermining infrastructure maintenance and social service provision.

    There are several possible strategies that could be alternatives to anti-immigration measures. Some older people could migrate south, robots and AI could do more work, workers in the global south could perform remote work for the north, and arrangements could be made to allow migrants into the north either permanently or as circulating migrants.

    All these strategies are already in use, if modestly. Their application would have to expand considerably.

    Misplaced panic

    The responses of governments in the global north are exaggerated. Governments putting in place tough anti-immigrant measures have done so on the back of a narrative that there’s been a significant rise in the number of migrants worldwide.

    This isn’t true. Some countries, such as the US, Germany and Colombia, have seen a spike in refugees and other migrants. But for the rest of the world the picture remains much the same as it has done for decades.

    Foreign-born residents (the most widely used definition of migrants) rose as a proportion of residents worldwide from 2.3% in 1970 to 3.6% in 2020. But in 1960 the number was over 3%, and in the late 1800s migrants made up somewhere between 3% and 5% of the global population.

    So, 3.6% is nothing new.

    As for refugees, in 2023 there were about 38 million, of whom 69% sought refuge in neighbouring countries and 75% in middle- and low-income countries.

    In general, therefore, rich countries have not been carrying the greatest burden.

    The real reason behind these tougher measures is that living standards have stagnated in many countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The cost and availability of housing have worsened; inequality has grown since the 1980s; the quality and availability of public services have deteriorated since the global financial crisis of 2008 and COVID-19; and the quality of employment has shifted to precarious work and poorly paid service sector occupations.

    This has contributed to the rise of populism, including anti-foreigner sentiment and even xenophobia.

    Trump’s actions are the most extreme yet. They include an order to block “aliens involved in the invasion” using “appropriate measures” that give the security forces further powers. The prohibition of southern border asylum hearings in the US and the instruction to “remain in Mexico” means that prospective asylum seekers from third countries may not cross the border to make their applications at the port of entry. They must apply remotely.

    Trump has also ordered that birthright citizenship must be limited to the children of certain categories of residents, essentially citizens or those with residence rights in the form of a “green card”. This move has been temporarily blocked in some states by judges as unconstitutional.

    In addition, the acting head of the Homeland Security Department gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials the power to deport migrants admitted temporarily into the US under several programmes of the Biden administration, targeting refugees from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti, and possibly Afghan and Ukrainian refugees too.

    The very first bill to receive final approval from the US Congress under Trump’s second term, the Laken-Riley Act, would require the detention and deportation of migrants who enter the country without authorisation and are charged with certain crimes. This bill was passed with 263 votes and 156 votes against, meaning that 46 House Democrats supported the Republican bill.

    In contrast, in the global south, as I have discussed elsewhere, the trend has been in the opposite direction. South American regional communities liberalised migration most extensively in recent decades, but African regional communities have made progress too, as has the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

    The way forward

    Some alternative strategies are leading the way.

    In Canada, the Temporary Foreign Worker programme has expanded steadily since 1973, increasingly including long-term circulating migrating lower-skilled workers for key occupations like catering, care, construction and agriculture. Though it is currently under political scrutiny because of the panic in the north over migration, and because of housing shortages in Canada, it is likely to survive and evolve. Similar systems are emerging across the global north.

    In the EU, Talent Partnerships are now encouraged. Germany, for example, has talent partnerships with Kenya and Morocco, where they train health workers and IT technicians in those countries to work and live in Germany. Spain has various partnerships in Latin America and Africa. Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has chosen to be upfront on the choices. In October last year he told the Spanish people:

    Spain needs to choose between being an open and prosperous country or a closed off poor country.

    The current fashion for population protectionism in the global north is increasingly nasty, but it is unlikely to stand the test of time. Several constructive responses to the rising dependency ratio are feasible, but being open to more migration, possibly in new forms and through new channels. is an inevitable part of the solution.

    New formal pathways for working migrants and reasonable systems for asylum seekers, along with full enforcement of rules against irregular migrants, could be the combination that works politically and economically.

    Alan Hirsch receives funding from the New South Institute for research and the University of Cape Town for advice and supervision.

    ref. Anti-immigration policies: why harsh new rules put in place by Trump and other rich countries won’t last – https://theconversation.com/anti-immigration-policies-why-harsh-new-rules-put-in-place-by-trump-and-other-rich-countries-wont-last-248359

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Sustainable’ aviation fuel and other myths about green airport expansion debunked

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

    Taking off: emissions from the aviation sector. WildSnap/Shutterstock

    Environmentalists and locals have resisted a third runway at London’s Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, for more than two decades. Today, their efforts took a major setback.

    The UK government has announced it will give the green light to airport expansion. This is not guaranteed to increase growth in the national economy as Chancellor Rachel Reeves hopes. More flights and more emissions are certain, however, at a time when experts are practically screaming at governments to rein them in.


    This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed.


    “No airport expansions should proceed” without a UK-wide plan to annually assess and control the sector’s climate impact said the government’s watchdog, the Climate Change Committee, in 2023. Aeroplanes are 8% of UK emissions and 2% of the world’s, but they also release gases that seed heat-trapping clouds in the upper atmosphere, which triples air travel’s greenhouse effect.

    While the government’s own advisers have effectively ruled out new runways for the sake of net zero, airport and airline bosses play a different tune. So what does the sector propose to manage its own pollution?

    Not enough cooking oil to save us

    Aviation is a notoriously difficult sector to decarbonise says Richard Sulley, a senior research fellow in sustainability policy at the University of Sheffield: “If electric or hydrogen-powered planes are possible, it won’t be for many years yet.”

    To justify air travel emissions ballooning in the meantime, the aviation sector has promised a mix of “supply-side” measures, like replacing kerosene with so-called “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF), which Reeves described as “a game changer”, and making planes lighter and more fuel-efficient.

    Efficiency, in this context, is a slippery path to decarbonisation. When a high-emitting activity is reformed so that it consumes less energy, the efficiency savings are generally eclipsed by the increasing demand it drives.




    Read more:
    Expanding Heathrow is incompatible with net zero – here’s the evidence


    “Indeed, the sector’s own plans for growth will outstrip efforts to decarbonise through synthetic fuel, delivering a neutral effect at best,” Sulley says.

    Fuel consumption is the biggest emissions source in aviation.
    Sergey Ginak/Shutterstock

    “Demand-side” measures like fewer flights, taxes on frequent flying and domestic flight bans (see France) could cut emissions, he notes, but are seldom mentioned.

    The UK has set a target for airline fuel to be 10% SAF by 2030. So far we’re at 1.2% – and Sulley reports that the industry has not said how it will scale up in time.

    Even if airlines start taking their commitment to SAF seriously very soon, it’s a dubious solution to aviation’s climate impact according to political economists Gareth Dale (Brunel University) and Josh Moos (Leeds Beckett University).




    Read more:
    Why the world’s first flight powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel is a green mirage


    Earlier SAF test flights burned coconut oil – 3 million coconuts to power a journey from London to Amsterdam, as Dale and Moos calculate it. At that rate, they argue Heathrow would exhaust the world’s entire crop in a few weeks (there are 18,000 commercial airports worldwide).

    Modern SAF is blended with waste products from farms and kitchens. But the pair argue that the market for used cooking oil is “notoriously unregulated”. SAF may in fact be relabelled palm oil from plantations that are erasing orangutan habitat in the tropics. Again, Dale and Moos argue there is not enough used cooking oil to meet existing, let alone future, demand.

    Transport for the rich, by the rich

    At least the hype around SAF addresses the main problem, albeit misleadingly. Policy experts David Howarth (University of Essex) and Steven Griggs (De Montfort University) marvel at how often “carbon-neutral airports” in aviation sustainability strategies simply mean terminals powered by renewable energy.

    “A terminal’s heating or lighting is, of course, largely irrelevant when its core business is as emissions-intensive as flying,” says Sulley.




    Read more:
    Heathrow 2.0: a ‘sustainable airport’ that pretends no one has to choose between planes and pollution


    Unfortunately for Rachel Reeves, a 2023 report by the New Economics Foundation found that any economic benefits of airport expansion will be largely confined to the airports themselves. Meanwhile, a wealthy subset of UK society can be expected to capture the biggest share of any new flight capacity. Each year, around half of British residents do not fly at all, Sulley points out.

    At the stratospheric heights of that subset are the private jet passengers who are served by “more or less dedicated airports” that are more obscure to the general public, says Raymond Woessner, a geographer at Sorbonne Université. A study published in November found that emissions from these flights rose by 46% between 2019 and 2023. The lead author described wealthy passengers using jets “like taxis”.




    Read more:
    L’insolent succès des jets privés, entre empreinte carbone et controverses


    “Discretion and anonymity” is what one airport nestled in the Oxfordshire countryside promises for “routine celebrity, head of state and royal visits”. Without state direction or regulation, it is these people who are setting the agenda for air travel.

    Woessner notes that the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, successfully lobbied to derail a high-speed rail project in California in 2013. Instead of an option that has shown its ability to cut flight demand, the US will be offered intercontinental rocket travel.




    Read more:
    With planning, high speed rail could reduce flight demand


    Musk’s company SpaceX says that rockets could ferry passengers between New York and Shanghai in under an hour. Rockets would burn “vastly more fuel per trip than conventional aircraft”, says aerospace engineer Angadh Nanjangud of Queen Mary University of London, but this might “drive critical research into carbon-neutral” methane-based rocket fuel.

    It would not be the first time an industry seeking to grow has used an as yet fantastical fuel to justify more carbon in Earth’s atmosphere.




    Read more:
    New York to Paris in 30 mins? How to achieve Elon Musk’s vision of rockets replacing long haul


    “There is the potential to create a good life for all within planetary boundaries,” say Dale and Moos.

    “But getting there requires clipping the wings of the aviation industry.”

    ref. ‘Sustainable’ aviation fuel and other myths about green airport expansion debunked – https://theconversation.com/sustainable-aviation-fuel-and-other-myths-about-green-airport-expansion-debunked-248483

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Sweden and Colombia sign law enforcement agreement

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Sweden and Colombia sign law enforcement agreement – Government.se

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    Published

    On 28 January, Sweden signed a bilateral law enforcement agreement with Colombia during Maria Malmer Stenergard’s visit to Colombia.

    On behalf of the Government, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard signed a bilateral law enforcement agreement at a ceremony in Bogotá on 28 January together with Colombia’s Minister of Justice Ángela María Buitrago and Minister of National Defence Iván Velásquez. 

    The agreement aims to increase cooperation between Sweden and Colombia in the fight against cross-border organised crime, terrorism, drug trafficking and cybercrime. It also paves the way for increased information exchange, cooperation on capacity building and the exchange of experiences. 

    “Organised crime is a cross-border problem that requires international cooperation with our partners around the world. The Government looks forward to working together with Colombia in this area of vital importance to both our countries,” says Ms Malmer Stenergard. 

    This cooperation agreement that we have now concluded with Colombia is essential to further strengthening our agencies’ efforts to combat serious crime. It’s widely acknowledged that drug smuggling, especially of cocaine, helps finance serious organised crime that severely undermines individuals’ sense of security and integrity, and which is also a systemic threat to our free and open society as a whole. Cross-border problems demand cross-border solutions, and this cooperation is a key part of that,” says Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer.

    The law enforcement agreement is part of the bilateral partnership agreement between Sweden and Colombia signed in June 2024 by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and President of Colombia Gustavo Petro, during his visit to Sweden.

    Press contact

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Resistance and decisive action – Sweden’s national strategy against organised crime

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Resistance and decisive action – Sweden’s national strategy against organised crime – Government.se

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    Press release from Ministry of Justice

    Published

    The Swedish Government has adopted Sweden’s first comprehensive national strategy against organised crime. The strategy serves as a direction for the work against organised crime, with the purpose to reduce vulnerabilities exploited by criminals. The national strategy presents priorities and identifies central actors.

    Organised crime poses a serious threat to the Swedish society. The deadly violence and the criminal financial structures used by organised crime actors, and parallel social structures at local level, affect the safety and security of Swedish citizens. Also, the impact of organised crime damages citizens’ trust in public institutions. The national strategy against organised crime that the Swedish Government adopted on 1 February 2024 calls for resistance and action, and it highlights what is necessary in the fight against organised crime. 

    Sweden’s national strategy against organised crime targets five key areas: 

    • Criminal careers must be stopped. 
    • Criminals’ access to illegal firearms and explosives must decrease.
    • The criminal economy must be reduced. 
    • Society must be robust enough to resist the threat of criminal influence. 
    • The system related to identities and identification must be reliable, and government agencies’ possibilities to exchange information must be improved. 

    “With this strategy, we are bringing together a broad range of actors at national, regional and local levels, as well as the private sector and civil society, to combat crime. We need to be proactive, and it is essential that all parts of society contribute – this is not a task for law enforcement only. The national strategy will further amplify the impact of the Government’s decisions and legislative reforms,” says Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer.  

    Press contact

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New report published highlighting the value of seabed mapping

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A new report reveals the significant economic and environmental benefit of seabed mapping within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

    The report, developed by Eunomia Research & Consulting (Eunomia) defines the cost benefit relationship of seabed mapping to the UK economy. It highlights the potential benefits of seabed mapping in environmental conservation, compliance with legislation, and in varying maritime sectors like shipping, offshore energy, and coastal leisure.

    The report estimates that the average total benefits of seabed mapping in the UK EEZ is around £8.9 billion, compared to an estimated annual investment of £103 million each year. This represents a remarkable average estimate of cost benefit ratio of £86 benefit for every £1 spent.

    The majority of the value derived from seabed mapping efforts are from market sectors such as offshore energy and shipping, trades, and ports, with the remainder stemming from non-market sectors, such as environmental protection and legislative compliance.

    The importance of seabed mapping

    Seabed mapping has the potential to drive growth and innovation across a range of maritime sectors by improving navigational safety, supporting job creation and facilitating economic development.

    This data is critical to a range of maritime sectors and their associated value. For example, accurate seabed mapping is essential for the development of navigational charts to enable the safe passage of vessels and support maritime trade. Elsewhere, such data is critical for sectors like offshore energy, fishing and aquaculture, defence, and telecommunications, by identifying and surveying suitable sites for development.

    Beyond market applications, seabed mapping also contributes to environmental protection and marine resource management. This data helps establish conservation areas to protect marine habitats, while also monitoring levels of erosion and seabed landslides. In tandem, it plays a vital role in helping the UK government to comply with various regulations and legislations.

    Thanks to collective initiatives such as the UK Centre for Seabed Mapping (UK CSM), the UK has a coordinated approach to the collection and management of bathymetric and marine data. However, advancements in seabed mapping technologies in recent decades have allowed for a more comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of the seafloor.

    Foundation data for maritime decisions

    With the maritime industry making up a vital part of the UK’s national infrastructure, the UKHO commissioned this project with the goal of improving the quality, access and coverage of seabed mapping data across the UK EEZ. This aligns with the UKHO’s goal to support maritime decision making and the safe passage of vessels at sea.

    David Parker, Head of Hydrographic Programmes, commented:

    Mapping the seabed isn’t just about uncovering what lies beneath our ocean’s surface – it is a foundation data set for supporting economic growth, protecting our vital ecosystems, and steering the maritime industry towards a safer, more sustainable future.

    We hope the findings of this report demonstrate the tangible value in having comprehensive, accurate mapping of the seabed for the many organisations in the UK that collect this data and rely upon it for responsible decision making.

    You can download and view the report using the link below:

    Cost Benefit Analysis of Seabed Mapping (PDF, 992 KB, 51 pages)

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Security: New INTERPOL Regional Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa moves a step closer

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    30 January 2025

    RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The creation of a new INTERPOL Regional Bureau the Middle East  and North Africa (MENA) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken an important step forward.

    The ‘Host Country Agreement’ was signed at a ceremony attended by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of the Interior, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, INTERPOL President Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi and INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza.Aimed at strengthening INTERPOL’s engagement with the MENA region, the new Regional Bureau will serve as a hub for the Organization’s activities in supporting member countries in combating transnational crime and terrorism.

    It will also work closely with existing national and regional structures, such as the Arab Interiors Ministers’ Council, GCCPOL, and the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences to strengthen cooperation and information sharing.

    The establishment of the Regional Bureau was first proposed in 2016 at the INTERPOL Chiefs of Police Meeting for the MENA region. The plan was subsequently endorsed by INTERPOL’s General Assembly in Santiago, Chile, in 2019, with final approval for the Host Country Agreement from the Executive Committee in May 2024.

    The Agreement incorporates principles essential to ensuring the Regional Bureau’s proper functioning. The next steps in finalizing the creation and opening of the Regional Bureau will cover the financial, administrative, security and logistical aspects.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Forbes Lists Bitget Amongst The World’s Most Trustworthy Crypto Exchanges

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company was announced in the list of Top 25 most trusted crypto exchanges by Forbes. Ranking eight on the list, Bitget has reported an influx of users in the last year along with a multitude of upgrades and collaborations which has supported its position in entering the club. With top players such as Coinbase, Binance and Robinhood, the list highlights crypto exchanges from all over the globe.

    Recently in its transparency report, Bitget recorded a 400% increase in its userbase surpassing 100M users in December and Spot trading volume increased from $160 billion in Q1 to $600 billion in Q4. Right from collaborating with Turkish national athletes, to legendary football league LALIGA to having new chiefs joining the company and the establishment of multiple licenses, Bitget has strengthened its position as a global leader, becoming the second largest crypto exchange ecosystem.

    Bitget is focusing in its expansion markets via localized marketing, partnerships, and educational initiatives. The exchange offers simplified onboarding, fiat gateways, and localized customer support to ease access. Bitget also invests in blockchain education, strategic sponsorships, and incentive programs to retain users in high-growth regions. With the joining of Hon NG, CLO at Bitget, the team is heavily invested in compliance. Recently, Bitget achieved UK approval, a BSP license in El Salvador and even opened a new exchange in Vietnam to run it as per local requirements.

    A recent report from CCData highlights Bitget’s success as the market share rose to 4.25%, surpassing its previous all-time high recorded in April 2024. Comparing the change in market share of the combined spot and derivatives market, Bitget, Coinbase and Crypto(dot)com were the biggest beneficiaries of 2024, increasing their market share by 4.05%, 3.89% and 3.39% to 10.5%, 5.43%, and 4.71% respectively.

    Previously, Bitget Token (BGB) was ranked as one of the top 10 best-performing cryptocurrencies by Forbes for H1 2024. Since then, BGB has surpassed all expectations with a surge of over 1000% last year. By reducing BGB’s supply, enhancing utility, and expanding real-world applications, Bitget plans to strengthen more functionalities and products in the Bitget ecosystem driving sustainable growth and long-term value for holders.

    Bitget’s debut on Forbes’ 2025 list of the world’s most trustworthy crypto exchanges highlights its remarkable growth and increasing credibility in the industry. With a strong BTC-ETH holding score and a focus on transparency, Bitget stands as one of the most secure crypto exchanges in the world. With transparent proof of reserves insuring 100% of its assets and a $600M Protection Fund safeguarding users, the exchange has accelerated its growth worldwide. The inclusion in the Forbes ranking list shows the exchange’s rising influence in the cryptospace.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin priceEthereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM market, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: WebsiteTwitterTelegramLinkedInDiscordBitget Wallet
    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bbcc6417-899e-4a61-92b8-900a237e68f3

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Check Point Software Reports Fourth Quarter and 2024 Full Year Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024.

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights

    • Calculated Billings* reached $959 million, an 11 percent increase year over year
    • Remaining Performance Obligation (RPO)**: $2.5 billion, a 12 percent increase year over year
    • Total Revenues: $704 million, a 6 percent increase year over year
    • Product, License & Subscription Revenues: $463 million, a 9 percent increase year over year
    • GAAP Operating Income: $254 million, representing 36 percent of revenues
    • Non-GAAP Operating Income: $306 million, representing 44 percent of revenues
    • GAAP EPS: $2.30, a 7 percent increase year over year
    • Non-GAAP EPS: $2.70, a 5 percent increase year over year

    Full Year 2024 Highlights

    • Calculated Billings* reached $2,658 million, a 9 percent increase year over year
    • Total Revenues: $2,565 million, a 6 percent increase year over year
    • Security Subscriptions Revenues: $1,104 million, a 13 percent increase year over year
    • GAAP EPS: $7.46, a 5 percent increase year over year
    • Non-GAAP EPS: $9.16, a 9 percent increase year over year

    “We delivered exceptional fourth quarter results, a wonderful way to transition into my new Executive Chairman role. The success in the quarter was underscored by strong 8 percent revenue growth in our core Quantum Force appliance business, our industry leading Harmony E-mail solution, and expanded adoption of the Infinity platform,” said, Gil Shwed, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Check Point Software. “I would like to thank Check Point’s customers, partners, and the Global Check Point Team for their contributions to our continued success. I look forward to Check Point achieving new heights under the leadership of our new Chief Executive Officer, Nadav Zafrir,” concluded, Mr. Shwed.

    “I would like to thank Gil and the Board for the opportunity to lead such an exemplary organization. 2024 was a successful year and provides a great springboard for 2025 and beyond,” stated Nadav Zafrir, Chief Executive Officer of Check Point Software. “My first one hundred days are focused on meeting with customers and partners to understand the key challenges they face in today’s unprecedented threat environment. From my conversations so far, I have become increasingly confident that Check Point is uniquely positioned to address the cybersecurity demands of enterprises worldwide. Check Point’s future is bright, and we are focused on driving market share expansion and taking growth to the next levels,” stated Mr. Zafrir.

    “After a successful fourth quarter and 2024, we are starting 2025 with an expanded executive team to balance our corporate and Go-To-Market leadership roles, and bring even more attention to customer facing functions,” said Nadav Zafrir, CEO of Check Point Software. Among the new roles joining the executive team is that of Chief Revenue Officer. Itai Greenberg will serve in this role, driving our global top-line revenue across our platform worldwide. He brings more than two decades of experience in product management and sales roles, having most recently served as Check Point’s Chief Strategy Officer and head of the Cloud and SASE businesses. Replacing Itai in the role of Chief Strategy Officer, we welcome Roi Karo to Check Point. Roi brings more than two decades of expertise in security, AI, and big data with a focus on strategy and planning.

    In conclusion, after three successful years as Check Point’s President, Rupal Hollenbeck has chosen to conclude her tenure at the end of the first quarter and will remain available to support the smooth transition of the new executive team members. “I want to thank Rupal for her incredible work and dedication over the last three years during which the Go-To-Market organizations composition, reach, and focus was transformed all around the world. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors,” said Nadav Zafrir, CEO of Check Point Software. “We welcome Itai and Roi into their new executive team roles. I am excited about the opportunities before us, and I am more confident than ever that the best of Check Point is yet to come,” concluded, Mr. Zafrir.

    Financial Highlights Commentary

    • Cash Balances, Marketable Securities & Short-Term Deposits: $2,784 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $2,960 million as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in cash is primarily a result of $186 million net of cash consideration utilized for Cyberint Ltd. acquisition in 2024.
    • Share Repurchase Program: During the fourth quarter of 2024, the company repurchased approximately 1.7 million shares at a total cost of approximately $325 million. During full year 2024, we repurchased approximately 7.7 million shares at a total cost of approximately $1,300 million.
    • Cash Flow: Cash flow from operations was $1,059, which included $18 million of costs related to our currency hedging transactions, and acquisition-related costs were insignificant. This compares to $1,035 million in 2023, which included $39 million of costs related to our currency hedging transactions and $25 million in costs related to acquisitions.

    For information regarding the non-GAAP financial measures discussed in this release, as well as a reconciliation of such non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, please see “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information” and “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information.”

    Conference Call and Webcast Information
    Check Point will host a conference call with the investment community on January 30, 2025, at 8:30 AM ET/5:30 AM PT. To listen to the live webcast or replay, please visit the website www.checkpoint.com/ir.
    First Quarter 2025 Investor Conference Participation Schedule

    • Wolfe Research March Madness 1×1 Conference
      February 27, 2025, NY, NY – 1×1 meetings
    • Susquehanna Technology Conference
      February 27, 2025, NY, NY – 1×1 meetings
    • Raymond James 2025 Institutional Investor Conference
      March 3, 2025, Orlando, FL – Fireside & 1×1 meetings
    • Morgan Stanley 2025 Media, Telecommunications & Technology Conference
      March 4, 2025, SF, CA – Fireside & 1×1 meetings
    • Roth Capital Partners 37thAnnual Conference
      March 17-18, 2025, Dana Point, CA – 1×1 meetings

    Members of Check Point’s management team are expected to present at these conferences and discuss the latest company strategies and initiatives. Check Point’s conference presentations are expected to be available via webcast on the company’s web site. To hear these presentations and access the most updated information please visit the company’s web site at www.checkpoint.com/ir. The schedule is subject to change.

    Follow Check Point via:
    Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/checkpointsw
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/checkpointsoftware
    Blog: http://blog.checkpoint.com
    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/CPGlobal
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/check-point-software-technologies

    About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.
    Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (http://www.checkpoint.com) is a leading AI-powered, cloud-delivered cyber security platform provider protecting over 100,000 organizations worldwide. Check Point leverages the power of AI everywhere to enhance cyber security efficiency and accuracy through its Infinity Platform, with industry-leading catch rates enabling proactive threat anticipation and smarter, faster response times. The comprehensive platform includes cloud-delivered technologies consisting of Check Point Harmony to secure the workspace, Check Point CloudGuard to secure the cloud, Check Point Quantum to secure the network, and Check Point Infinity Core Services for collaborative security operations and services.

    Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements related to our management transitions, expectations regarding our products and solutions, and our participation in investor conferences and Check Point Experience (CPX) events and other events during the first quarter of 2025. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results or events in the future are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those projected. These risks include our ability to continue to develop platform capabilities and solutions; customer acceptance and purchase of our existing solutions and new solutions; the market for IT security continuing to develop; competition from other products and services; appointments and departures of our executive officers; and general market, political, economic, and business conditions, including acts of terrorism or war. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 2, 2024. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Check Point as of the date hereof, and Check Point disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

    Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
    In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, Check Point uses non-GAAP measures of operating income, net income and earnings per diluted share, which are adjustments from results based on GAAP to exclude, as applicable, stock-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses and the related tax affects. Check Point’s management believes the non-GAAP financial information provided in this release is useful to investors’ understanding and assessment of Check Point’s ongoing core operations and prospects for the future. Historically, Check Point has also publicly presented these supplemental non-GAAP financial measures to assist the investment community to see the company “through the eyes of management,” and thereby enhance understanding of its operating performance. The presentation of this non-GAAP financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures discussed in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is included with the financial statements contained in this press release. Management uses both GAAP and non-GAAP information in evaluating and operating business internally and as such has determined that it is important to provide this information to investors.

    * Calculated Billings is a measure that we defined as total revenues recognized in accordance with GAAP plus the change in Total Deferred Revenues during the period

    ** Remaining Performance Obligation (RPO) is a measure that represents the total value of non-cancellable contracted products and/or services that are yet to be recognized as Revenue as of the period

     
    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME
     
    (Unaudited, in millions, except per share amounts)
           
      Three Months Ended   Year Ended
      December 31,   December 31,
      2024   2023   2024   2023
    Revenues:              
    Products and licenses $ 170.6   $ 158.3   $ 507.9   $ 497.4
    Security subscriptions   292.2     265.8     1,104.2     981.2
    Total revenues from products and security subscriptions   462.8     424.1     1,612.1     1,478.6
    Software updates and maintenance   240.9     239.4     952.9     936.1
    Total revenues   703.7     663.5     2,565.0     2,414.7
                   
    Operating expenses:              
    Cost of products and licenses   29.6     28.0     97.8     99.3
    Cost of security subscriptions   19.7     17.2     72.6     57.0
    Total cost of products and security subscriptions   49.3     45.2     170.4     156.3
    Cost of Software updates and maintenance   33.4     30.5     123.9     112.3
    Amortization of technology   7.6     5.8     25.0     14.0
    Total cost of revenues   90.3     81.5     319.3     282.6
                   
    Research and development   101.1     100.0     394.9     368.9
    Selling and marketing   232.1     200.5     862.9     747.1
    General and administrative   25.9     29.7     111.9     117.0
    Total operating expenses   449.4     411.7     1,689.0     1,515.6
                   
    Operating income   254.3     251.8     876.0     899.1
    Financial income, net   24.5     18.4     96.1     76.5
    Income before taxes on income   278.8     270.2     972.1     975.6
    Taxes on income (tax benefit)   21.3     21.0     126.4     135.3
    Net income $ 257.5   $ 249.2   $ 845.7   $ 840.3
                           
    Basic earnings per share $ 2.36   $ 2.19   $ 7.65   $ 7.19
    Number of shares used in computing basic earnings per share   109.2     114.0     110.6     116.9
                           
    Diluted earnings per share $ 2.30   $ 2.15   $ 7.46   $ 7.10
    Number of shares used in computing diluted earnings per share   112.1     115.9     113.4     118.3
     
     
    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    SELECTED FINANCIAL METRICS
    (Unaudited, in millions, except per share amounts)
             
        Three Months Ended   Year Ended
        December 31,   December 31,
        2024   2023   2024   2023
                     
    Revenues   $ 703.7   $ 663.5   $ 2,565.0   $ 2,414.7
    Non-GAAP operating income     306.4     308.6     1,097.5     1,079.1
    Non-GAAP net income     303.2     298.5     1,039.1     997.1
    Diluted Non-GAAP Earnings per share   $ 2.70   $ 2.57   $ 9.16   $ 8.42
    Number of shares used in computing diluted Non-GAAP Earnings per share     112.1     115.9     113.4     118.3
                             
     
    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    (Unaudited, in millions, except per share amounts)
             
        Three Months Ended   Year Ended
        December 31,   December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
                     
    GAAP operating income   $ 254.3     $ 251.8     $ 876.0     $ 899.1  
    Stock-based compensation (1)     29.8       39.9       149.7       145.3  
    Amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses (2)     22.3       16.9       71.8       34.7  
    Non-GAAP operating income   $ 306.4     $ 308.6     $ 1,097.5     $ 1,079.1  
                     
    GAAP net income   $ 257.5     $ 249.2     $ 845.7     $ 840.3  
    Stock-based compensation (1)     29.8       39.9       149.7       145.3  
    Amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses (2)     22.3       16.9       71.8       34.7  
    Taxes on the above items (3)     (6.4 )     (7.5 )     (28.1 )     (23.2 )
                                     
    Non-GAAP net income   $ 303.2     $ 298.5     $ 1,039.1     $ 997.1  
                     
    Diluted GAAP Earnings per share   $ 2.30     $ 2.15     $ 7.46     $ 7.10  
    Stock-based compensation (1)     0.26       0.34       1.32       1.23  
    Amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses (2)     0.20       0.15       0.63       0.29  
    Taxes on the above items (3)     (0.06 )     (0.07 )     (0.25 )     (0.20 )
    Diluted Non-GAAP Earnings per share   $ 2.70     $ 2.57     $ 9.16     $ 8.42  
                     
    Number of shares used in computing diluted Non-GAAP Earnings per share     112.1       115.9       113.4       118.3  
                     
    (1) Stock-based compensation:                
    Cost of products and licenses   $ 0.1     $ 0.1     $ 0.4     $ 0.4  
    Cost of software updates and maintenance     2.0       2.4       8.2       7.3  
    Research and development     10.8       14.2       53.1       48.7  
    Selling and marketing     12.0       15.2       58.2       56.3  
    General and administrative     4.9       8.0       29.8       32.6  
          29.8       39.9       149.7       145.3  
                     
    (2) Amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses:                
    Amortization of technology-cost of revenues     7.6       5.8       25.0       14.0  
    Research and development     1.7       2.0       6.5       7.0  
    Selling and marketing     13.0       9.1       40.3       13.7  
          22.3       16.9       71.8       34.7  
    (3) Taxes on the above items     (6.4 )     (7.5 )     (28.1 )     (23.2 )
    Total, net   $ 45.7     $ 49.3     $ 193.4     $ 156.8  
     
     
    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET DATA
     
    (In millions)
     
    ASSETS
               
          December 31,   December 31,
          2024
    (Unaudited)
      2023
    (Audited)
    Current assets:          
    Cash and cash equivalents     $ 506.2   $ 537.7
    Marketable securities and short-term deposits       865.7     992.3
    Trade receivables, net       728.8     657.7
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets       92.7     70.0
    Total current assets       2,193.4     2,257.7
               
    Long-term assets:          
    Marketable securities       1,411.9     1,429.7
    Property and equipment, net       80.8     80.4
    Deferred tax asset, net       63.6     81.8
    Goodwill and other intangible assets, net       1,897.1     1,748.5
    Other assets       96.6     97.4
    Total long-term assets       3,550.0     3,437.8
               
    Total assets     $ 5,743.4   $ 5,695.5
     
               
    LIABILITIES AND
    SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
    Current liabilities:          
    Deferred revenues     $ 1,471.3     $ 1,413.8  
    Trade payables and other accrued liabilities       472.9       502.3  
    Total current liabilities       1,944.2       1,916.1  
               
    Long-term liabilities:          
    Long-term deferred revenues       529.0       493.9  
    Income tax accrual       448.5       436.1  
    Other long-term liabilities       32.3       28.4  
            1,009.8       958.4  
               
    Total liabilities       2,954.0       2,874.5  
               
    Shareholders’ equity:          
    Share capital       0.8       0.8  
    Additional paid-in capital       3,052.8       2,732.5  
    Treasury shares at cost       (14,267.7 )     (13,041.2 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss)       (10.3 )     (39.2 )
    Retained earnings       14,013.8       13,168.1  
    Total shareholders’ equity       2,789.4       2,821.0  
                       
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity     $ 5,743.4     $ 5,695.5  
    Total cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and short-term deposits     $ 2,783.8     $ 2,959.7  
     
     
    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    SELECTED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW DATA
     
    (Unaudited, in millions)
     
      Three Months Ended   Year Ended
      December 31,   December 31,
        2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Cash flow from operating activities:              
    Net income $ 257.5     $ 249.2     $ 845.7     $ 840.3  
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:              
    Depreciation of property and equipment   6.3       5.7       24.0       23.1  
    Amortization of intangible assets   19.2       13.5       59.6       24.3  
    Stock-based compensation   29.8       39.9       149.7       145.3  
    Realized loss on marketable securities                     6.7  
    Increase in trade and other receivables, net   (337.1 )     (324.3 )     (78.9 )     (61.0 )
    Increase in deferred revenues, trade payables and other accrued liabilities   273.0       270.6       59.7       65.5  
    Deferred income taxes, net   0.3       (18.8 )     (1.0 )     (9.5 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities   249.0       235.8       1,058.8       1,034.7  
                   
    Cash flow from investing activities:              
    Payment in conjunction with acquisitions, net of acquired cash         (3.8 )     (185.8 )     (458.8 )
    Investment in property and equipment   (6.5 )     (4.7 )     (24.2 )     (18.6 )
    Net cash used in investing activities   (6.5 )     (8.5 )     (210.0 )     (477.4 )
                   
    Cash flow from financing activities:              
    Proceeds from issuance of shares upon exercise of options   9.0       16.0       258.6       133.7  
    Purchase of treasury shares   (325.0 )     (313.2 )     (1,299.9 )     (1,287.6 )
    Payments related to shares withheld for taxes   (1.5 )     (1.2 )     (18.6 )     (11.0 )
    Net cash used in financing activities   (317.5 )     (298.4 )     (1,059.9 )     (1,164.9 )
                   
    Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities, net   (14.0 )     42.1       35.2       64.1  
                   
    Decrease in cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and short-term deposits   (89.0 )     (29.0 )     (175.9 )     (543.5 )
                   
    Cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and short-term deposits at the beginning of the period   2,872.8       2,988.7       2,959.7       3,503.2  
                   
    Cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and short-term deposits at the end of the period $ 2,783.8     $ 2,959.7     $ 2,783.8     $ 2,959.7  
     
       
    Investors: Kip E. Meintzer
    Check Point Software Technologies, Ltd.
    +1.650.628.2040
    ir@checkpoint.com
    Media: Gil Messing
    Check Point Software Technologies, Ltd.
    +1.650.628.2260
    press@checkpoint.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Will Stewart Joins DevvDigital Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DevvDigital™, the owner of the innovative DevvExchange™. announced today that Will Stewart, an insightful leader with over thirty years of global finance and technology experience, has joined the Board of Directors. Mr. Stewart will take a lead role with the company’s capital strategy and corporate plans. In addition, Mr. Stewart will play a key role in growing the DevvExchange™, the first non-custodial, instant settlement digital exchange built on the DevvX™ blockchain with institutional partners from the global finance industry.

    A Silicon Valley venture capitalist, strategic advisor, and board member, Mr. Stewart has raised and returned billions in capital across hundreds of venture-backed technology companies. Over the past few years Mr. Stewart has raised hundreds of millions furthering digital marketplaces, environmental commodities, and infrastructure in the global energy transition. His unparalleled expertise and vast network in the global TradFi space position him to accelerate DevvExchange’s™ mission to transform financial markets through asset tokenization, T+0 settlement, and regulatory compliance.

    “Will’s proven track record in innovation and capital strategy is a game-changer for DevvDigital™,” said Ray Quintana, CEO of DevvDigital™. “His board participation will drive global partnerships, funding opportunities, and the rapid adoption of our ecosystem.”

    DevvExchange™ is the world’s first true non-custodial crypto exchange, combining institutional-grade processes with unmatched security, resilience, and compliance. Mr. Stewart’s experience and network will drive the platform to redefine how value is exchanged globally, empowering both institutions and individuals with cutting-edge technology, transparency, and trust.

    “Timing could not be better for DevvDigital™ and DevvExchange™ at the intersection of this tsunami of public and institutional adoption of crypto products. We fully anticipate this mega trend to continue under a new Federal Administration providing a policy framework that positions digital assets as a legitimate component of the U.S. financial system and aims to establish the United States as a leader in digital financial technology.” said Will Stewart, Board Member, DevvDigital™.

    Mr. Stewart’s board role will focus on fostering global strategic alliances, securing capital, and advancing the adoption of DevvExchange’s™ transformative trading technology. His appointment marks a pivotal milestone for the company as the synergy between digital assets and tokenization will continue to drive innovation in the global financial markets positioning both DevvDigital™ and DevvExchange™ in reshaping how we perceive and interact with both traditional and digital assets.

    “According to a recent Bain & Co. report1, private market assets are to grow at more than twice the rate of public assets, reaching up to $65 trillion by 2032. In search for liquidity, higher yield, and diversification, asset managers are now focused on alternative assets. Tokenization is revolutionizing the alternative asset market. As a board member, my role is to place DevvDigital and DevvExchange at the center of this revolution,” said Will Stewart, board member.

    “Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology,” which represents a significant shift in U.S. policy focused on supporting the growth and use of digital assets, blockchain, and related trading technologies which are at the very foundation of both DevvDigital™ and DevvExchange™, “ said Tom Anderson, Co-Founder of both companies.

    This announcement follows recent developments at DevvX™, the underlying blockchain on which the DevvExchange™ is built, and DevvE™ (ticker: DEVVE) the native token for DevvX™, including a major brand refresh and strategic repositioning for DEVVE™ for 2025. The company is preparing to launch new product verticals and deliver enhanced utility for token holders, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and value creation.

    About DevvDigital™

    DevvDigital™ is a forward-thinking digital solutions provider dedicated to leveraging blockchain technology for real-world impact. As the exclusive operator of DevvExchange™, DevvDigital™ is committed to transforming the way people interact with digital assets, prioritizing user empowerment, security, and innovation.

    About DevvExchange™ – DevvExchange™ is transforming digital asset trading with a seamless, secure, and efficient platform for creating, managing, and exchanging digital assets. DevvExchange™ utilizes the DevvE™ token, the native token of DevvX™, for liquidity provisioning. By combining institutional-grade processes with enterprise blockchain solutions and patented technology, DevvExchange™ addresses the challenges of both traditional and digital asset trading. Backed by industry leaders, DevvExchange™ is set to redefine how digital assets are perceived and utilized worldwide. Learn more at www.devv.exchange

    www.linkedin.com/in/stewartwill

    1– August 21, 2024 – Private market assets to grow at more than twice the rate of public assets, reaching up to $65 trillion by 2032

    Media Contact:

    Davin Broadbent
    CMO DevvDigital
    DevvDigital@devvio.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by “DevvExchange”. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bb96ed94-b1c6-4387-aab0-279015adc582

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-Evening Report: Grattan on Friday: Dutton walks more softly on China, with election in mind

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    When Peter Dutton was asked this week  whether a Coalition government would continue  to foster trade relations with China, he declared unequivocally that “the relationship with China will be much stronger  than it is under the Albanese government”.

    Two points stood out: Dutton’s own positive rhetoric, and his apparent confidence about the future of Australia-China relations.

    It’s not unusual for opposition leaders to undertake a makeover, to their person or policy, as an election approaches. Anthony Albanese lost weight and acquired new glasses. Earlier, he’d made Labor a small policy target.

    Dutton is simultaneously attempting a softening on some fronts – while retaining the “hard man” image on others.

    Mid-last year Dutton said: “I’m pro-China and the relationship that we have with them. I want that trading relationship to increase. […] We need to make sure we strengthen the trading relationship because there are many businesses here who rely on it. But we have to be realistic about working to keep peace […] we live in a very uncertain time. The Prime Minister also says that we live in the most precarious period since the Second World War, and he’s right, and we need to work hard at peace as well.”

    Contrast Dutton as defence minister in 2021. “Does the Chinese government wish to occupy other countries? Not in my judgement. But they do see us as tributary states. And that surrender of sovereignty and abandonment of any adherence to the international rule of law is what our country has fought against since Federation.”

    It’s not that Dutton has changed his views on China. Rather, he’s camouflaged them with a softer tone, and in what he chooses to emphasise. Of course circumstances have changed – Australia now has a much better relationship with China. But significantly, Dutton needs to appeal to the local Chinese-Australian voters.

    At the 2022 election, the Liberals took a big hit among voters of Chinese heritage.

    The party’s review of its election performance, undertaken by former party director Brian Loughnane and frontbencher Jane Hume, said: “In the top 15 seats by Chinese ancestry the swing against the Party (on a 2PP basis) was 6.6%, compared to 3.7% in other seats. There are more than 1.2 million people of Chinese heritage living in Australia today. Rebuilding the Party’s relationship with the Chinese community must be a priority during this term of Parliament.”

    Marginal Labor seats that are targets for the Liberals, where the Chinese vote is significant, include Reid and Bennelong in NSW and Chisholm and Aston in Victoria.

    Dutton (and the PM) will attend a Lunar New Year celebration in Box Hill in Melbourne this weekend.

    It’s notable that David Coleman, named by Dutton last weekend as the opposition’s new spokesman on foreign affairs, has worked extensively with the Chinese community. One of the contenders for the post was the high-performing James Paterson. There may have been stronger arguments for keeping Paterson in home affairs, but his very hawkish stand on China might have been in the mix.

    Talking up the positive side of the Coalition’s record on China, Dutton harked back to the signing of the free trade agreement under the Abbott government, and said “we want there to be mutual respect in the relationship”.

    Over its years in government the Coalition’s relationship with China has varied between pragmatic friendship and suspicious negativity. After relatively smooth sailing in the Abbott period, things soured when the Turnbull government called China out over foreign interference, introducing legislation, and banned Huawei from the 5G network. Then relations plunged dramatically when the Morrison government demanded an inquiry into the origins and handling of the outbreak of COVID in Wuhan.

    Despite Dutton’s confidence, it’s more than possible that managing the China relationship after the election could be trickier than it has been during this one, no matter who is in power.

    The Albanese government can claim the greatly-improved bilateral relationship as one of its major foreign policy achievements. China has brought Australia out of the deep freeze, lifting the $20 billion worth of trade barriers it had imposed. Dialogue and ministerial exchanges have resumed. Anthony Albanese has been welcomed in China.

    But this week’s speculation relating to the new Chinese artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek is just the latest reminder of perennial security suspicions about the penetration of Chinese technology.(Incidentally, Dutton has an account on the Chinese-owned TikTok – despite it being banned from official government devices – in part to engage with the local Chinese community, as well as with younger people generally.)

    Australia’s minerals industry is potentially vulnerable to Chinese displeasure. The Senate in the next fortnight will consider the government’s Future Made in Australia legislation, that provides a tax incentive for processing critical minerals. The Chinese have a global stranglehold on this processing – and have shown a willingness to weaponise it, for example against Japan. China’s multi-billion dollar funding of nickel processing in Indonesia has had a dire impact on producers here in Australia.

    The change of government in Australia certainly facilitated the improvement in the bilateral relationship, but that improvement was also strongly driven by China’s own interests. Similarly, the future of the relationship is more in China’s hands than in Australia’s.

    China expert Richard McGregor, from the Lowy Institute, says:“ Relations with China are inherently volatile.

    “The day-by-day relationships have returned to  a degree of normality. But all of the structural stresses which created antagonism are still there.”

    These include China’s “military assertiveness in the region, competition between  the US and China, Australia’s concern about foreign interference and hacking, China’s efforts to build their power in the Pacific at the expense of Australia. None of that has gone away,” McGregor says. The single biggest change of recent years “is that “China has become much more powerful and is far more willing to throw its weight around”.

    Separate to any hiccups in the bilateral relationship, Australia could find itself caught in the crossfire if there is a serious deterioration in the US-China relationship under Donald Trump – notably if his tariff policy leads to a trade war. Simon Jackman, from the University of Sydney, warns that if US policy hit the (already struggling) Chinese economy, that would affect Australian exporters.

    “US tariffs or import bans that slowed China’s economy would cause some short to medium headaches for Australian exporters,” Jackman says. “As in Trump Mark 1 and COVID, Australian export industries would find themselves looking for opportunities elsewhere, if global supply chains had to re-equilibrate in response to an upheaval in the US-China trade relationship.”

    Ironically, the earlier search for diversified markets when the Chinese imposed their restrictions on Australian producers would have helped prepare exporters for such a contingency.

    Michelle Grattan 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. Grattan on Friday: Dutton walks more softly on China, with election in mind – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-dutton-walks-more-softly-on-china-with-election-in-mind-248561

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: AfDB and WFP support families affected by flooding in Cameroon’s Far North

    Source: World Food Programme

    YAOUNDE –The Government of Cameroon and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcome a US$ 1 million contribution from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support 42,000 people affected by the 2024 floods in Cameroon’s Far North region.

    “The African Development Bank is steadfast in its commitment to supporting Cameroon’s flood response efforts,” said Serge N’Guessan, African Development Bank Director General for Central Africa Region. “By partnering with the Government and WFP, we ensure that those affected by the floods receive the assistance they need while also setting the stage for long-term recovery.

    Between July and October 2024, devastating floods caused by heavy rains affected over 450,000 people, destroying over 85,000 hectares of farmland and many homes. Over 5,000 livestock also died, the majority in Diamare, Mayo-Danay, Mayo-Kani, Mayo-Tsanaga and Logone-et-Chari divisions. This climate shock exacerbates food insecurity in a region already in the grips of a dire humanitarian situation due to ongoing conflict, population displacements, and rising food prices. Since July 2024, high food prices have soared by 20–30%, leaving many families in rural areas unable to meet their food and nutrition needs.

    With the AfDB funding, WFP in close collaboration with the Government of Cameroon is providing general food distributions comprised of cereals, vegetable oil and salt to the most affected families enabling them to meet their immediate food and nutrition needs for one month.  WFP will also distribute fortified cereal to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children aged 6 to 59 months to address acute malnutrition.

    “The devastating floods in Cameroon’s Far North Region are a stark reminder of how the impacts of climate change are worsening, sparing no one and calling for a coordinated action,” said Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development. “With support from partners like AfDB, WFP, and other development Partners, we are addressing immediate food needs while paving the way for a resilient recovery. The Government of Cameroon is committed to ensure assistance reaches those in need and prioritizing anticipatory actions to better prepare for future crisis.”

    The Far North region of Cameroon is characterized by high rates of severe acute malnutrition (SAM), reaching 2.9%, exceeding the World Health Organisation emergency threshold of 2%. Chronic malnutrition also remains a concern in the region, with an alarming rate of 49.2% among internally displaced people.

    “WFP is committed to supporting families affected by floods and the growing food insecurity in Cameroon’s Far North Region,” said Gianluca Ferrera, WFP’s Representative and Country Director in Cameroon. “With AfDB’s contribution, many will be reached with lifesaving assistance; however, the scale of the crisis demands more than emergency response”. 

    To ensure continued lifesaving assistance to crisis-affected people in Cameroon through July 2025, WFP requires US$ 48.7 million.

    #           #                #

    About WFP: 

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media @WFP_Cameroon

    About AfDB:

    The African Development Bank (AfDB), a multilateral development finance institution dedicated to promoting economic development and social progress in Africa, is a long-term partner of its member states, providing unwavering assistance during and aftermath emergencies. Its objectives align with WFP’s goals in Cameroon, focusing on poverty reduction, food security, and sustainable development.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: SHIELD V: Over 3.4 million pills seized in Operation Targeting Counterfeit Medicines

    Source: European Anti-Fraud Offfice

    Press release no 3/2025
    PDF version 

    Over 3.4 million pills have been seized as part of Operation SHIELD V, in which the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has played an essential coordinating role.  This annual operation targets the misuse and distribution of counterfeit medicines, doping substances, illegal food or sports supplements, and counterfeit COVID-19 medical supplies. 

    In its fifth consecutive year, OLAF facilitated the efforts of the Member States customs authorities in ensuring the integrity of the European market. The coordinated actions of the customs authorities resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of illicit goods, including: 3,4 million pills, over 59.000 packages (sachets, sprays, packs, pens), 1,510 vials (ampoules, flasks) and 272 pieces of medical devices. 

    Joint Effort across 14 Member States

    Operation SHIELD V included the active involvement of customs authorities from 12 EU Member States, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Italy’s Guardia di Finanza. This collaborative effort was further supported by relevant rights holders, ensuring that counterfeit goods were accurately identified and swiftly intercepted. 

    “Traffickers recklessly jeopardise people’s health to turn a quick profit, a reality we cannot ignore. To protect European citizens, cooperation is essential. By combining efforts, OLAF, Europol, and national customs authorities have safeguarded European consumers from dangerous health products,” said Ville Itälä, Director General of OLAF. 

    Operation SHIELD continues to exemplify the importance of coordinated action in tackling illegal activities that endanger public health and undermine legitimate businesses. OLAF’s role ensures that these threats are met with a unified and effective response, safeguarding the health and wellbeing of citizens across the European Union.

    OLAF mission, mandate and competences:
    OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop fraud with EU funds.    

    OLAF fulfils its mission by:
    •    carrying out independent investigations into fraud and corruption involving EU funds, so as to ensure that all EU taxpayers’ money reaches projects that can create jobs and growth in Europe;
    •    contributing to strengthening citizens’ trust in the EU Institutions by investigating serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU Institutions;
    •    developing a sound EU anti-fraud policy.

    In its independent investigative function, OLAF can investigate matters relating to fraud, corruption and other offences affecting the EU financial interests concerning:
    •    all EU expenditure: the main spending categories are Structural Funds, agricultural policy and rural development funds, direct expenditure and external aid;
    •    some areas of EU revenue, mainly customs duties;
    •    suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions.

    Once OLAF has completed its investigation, it is for the competent EU and national authorities to examine and decide on the follow-up of OLAF’s recommendations. All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a competent national or EU court of law.

    For further details:

    Pierluigi CATERINO
    Spokesperson
    European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
    Phone: +32(0)2 29-52335  
    Email: olaf-media ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (olaf-media[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
    https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu
    LinkedIn: European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
    If you’re a journalist and you wish to receive our press releases in your inbox, pleaseleave us your contact data.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mikhail Mishustin held talks with Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The meeting took place as part of the working visit of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

    From the transcript:

    Previous news Next news

    Mikhail Mishustin and Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov

    O. Bektenov: Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich, I am glad to welcome you to Astana.

    This is our first meeting this year. I consider it an excellent opportunity to sum up our joint work last year and outline prospects for cooperation.

    Taking this opportunity, I would like to congratulate you on the 20th anniversary of the signing of the treaty on the Kazakh-Russian state border. Russia has been and remains a key strategic partner and ally for Kazakhstan.

    Thanks to the joint efforts of the heads of state – Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, bilateral cooperation has been brought to a qualitatively new level.

    The state visit of the President of Russia to Kazakhstan in November last year once again confirmed the allied nature of relations between our countries.

    An important task for the two governments is to ensure the full practical implementation of all the agreements reached at the highest level. Including increasing the volume of bilateral trade to 30 billion dollars.

    Kazakhstan pays special attention to the development of interregional and cross-border cooperation. We positively evaluate the results of the anniversary, XX Forum of Interregional Cooperation in Ufa. The next, XXI forum is planned to be held this year in Kazakhstan, in the city of Uralsk. This format, in our opinion, demonstrates its effectiveness from year to year and is a link between the regions of our countries.

    I am confident that the current year will be rich in terms of joint events and mutual contacts at various levels.

    As I have already said, Russia is one of our main trading partners. In 2023, the volume of trade turnover increased and amounted to more than 27 billion dollars. In principle, good results were also achieved over the 11 months of last year – more than 24 billion.

    It is important for us to continue to maintain this positive trend.

    The volume of mutual investments is consistently increasing. Over the past 20 years, Russian investors have invested more than $25 billion in direct investment in the economy of Kazakhstan. Over the same period, Kazakhstani companies have invested $8.7 billion in the Russian economy.

    In just nine months of last year, the gross inflow of Russian investment was 43%. And the total amount today is 2.8 billion dollars. More than 23 thousand companies with Russian participation operate in Kazakhstan. This is almost 40% of the total number of enterprises with foreign capital.

    We are interested, naturally, in the creation of new production facilities, in the implementation of new joint projects. We offer Russian companies to take an active part in the implementation of various types of joint investment projects in Kazakhstan.

    The intergovernmental commission on cooperation plays a special role in solving a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation and increasing trade turnover. We also see positive results from the implementation of the comprehensive economic cooperation program for 2021–2025.

    In this context, we consider it appropriate for our responsible government agencies to begin developing an updated program for the coming years.

    The cultural and humanitarian sphere is also filled with practical content. The holding of cross-cultural Days of our countries has become a significant event. The cultural project “Russian Seasons” and the program “Big Tours” have been successfully implemented.

    Among recent events, one can note the opening of a bust of the classic Kazakh poet Abai Kunanbayev in Kazan and the showing of the opera “Abai” in the Kazakh language at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

    Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich, the Government of Kazakhstan is ready to continue to closely interact and develop full-scale cooperation in all areas.

    Please, the floor is yours.

    To be continued…

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News