Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI: Sampo Group’s results for 2024 

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Sampo plc, finanacial statement release, 6 February 2025 at 8:30 am EET

    Sampo Group’s results for 2024 

    • Top-line growth amounted to 12 per cent in 2024 on a currency adjusted basis, with notably strong development in Private in the fourth quarter.

    • The Group underlying combined ratio improved by 1.5 percentage points, supported by positive trends in the Nordics and in the UK.

    • The Group underwriting result increased by 13 per cent to EUR 1,316 million (1,164), driven by strong growth and a slight improvement in the Group combined ratio to 84.3 per cent (84.6).

    • Operating EPS increased by 13 per cent to EUR 2.33 (2.07) on a higher underwriting result and stable investment returns.

    • Solvency II coverage stood at 177 per cent, net of the proposed dividend, and financial leverage amounted to 26.9 per cent.

    • The Board proposes a regular dividend of EUR 1.70 per share, or EUR 0.34 per share adjusted for the share split announced on 5 February 2025.

    • Sampo expects to deliver an underwriting result of EUR 1,350–1,450 million in 2025, representing growth of 3–10 per cent year-on-year, and insurance revenue of EUR 8.7–9.0 billion.

    Key figures

    EURm 1–12/
    2024
    1–12/
    2023
    Change, % 10–12/
    2024
    10–12/
    2023
    Change, %
    Profit before taxes 1,559 1,481 5 219 368 -40
      If 1,256 1,358 -8 187 369 -49
      Topdanmark 137 162 -15 -21 19
      Hastings 193 129 49 52 59 -11
      Holding -29 -160 -1 -78
    Net profit for the equity holders 1,154 1,323 -13 180 382 -53
    Operating result 1,193 1,046 14 347 208 66
    Underwriting result 1,316 1,164 13 361 281 28
          Change, %     Change, %
    Earnings per share (EUR) 2.25 2.62 -14 0.31 0.76 -59
    Operating EPS (EUR) 2.33 2.07  13 0.65 0.42 55
    Return on equity own funds, % 29.5 24.7

     Net profit for the equity holders and earnings per share for 2023 include result from life operations.
    The figures in this report have not been audited.

    Sampo Group key financial targets for 2024–2026

    Target 2024
    Operating EPS growth: over 7% (period average) 13%
    Group combined ratio: below 85% 84.3%
    Solvency ratio: 150-190% 177%
    Financial leverage: below 30% 26.9%

    Financial targets for 2024–2026 announced at the Capital Markets Day on 6 March 2024.

    GROUP CEO’S COMMENT

    2024 was a landmark year strategically for Sampo as well as an excellent year when it comes to operational progress. We delivered solid underwriting profit growth of 13 per cent, significantly supported by strong performance in the UK, and we acquired the minority interest in Topdanmark, completing our journey to an integrated P&C insurance group. We enter 2025 in excellent shape, following strong growth in the fourth quarter and with an attractive pipeline of opportunities to capitalise on our digital capabilities and the synergy potential in integrating Topdanmark.

    Top-line growth continued to be excellent in the fourth quarter, on the back of long-term investments made into our capabilities and rational market conditions. Private stands out with 8 per cent currency adjusted GWP growth in the quarter, or 10 per cent if we exclude the Swedish mobility business adversely affected by low new car sales. This growth comes partly from investments into personal insurance and property, which grew by 14 per cent and 7 per cent in the quarter, respectively. However, supportive conditions in Norway and Denmark also provide a tail wind with a notable acceleration in GWP growth in Topdanmark to 11 per cent in the quarter. Private retention remains high and stable at 89 per cent, reflecting both high customer satisfaction and rational Nordic markets. To complete the picture on Private, I am pleased to be able to report that we have recently renewed two of the largest motor insurance distribution agreements in the Nordic markets, thereby confirming our strong leadership position in the region.

    In the UK, we added 84,000 policies in the quarter with growth in new products, such as telematics, bike, van, and home insurance, partly offset by a disciplined approach to the broader motor product as market pricing ticked down. Overall, 2024 was an outstanding year for Hastings with underwriting profit growth of 49 per cent, accounting for almost half the 13 per cent increase at Group level.

    In corporate lines, I want to focus on the 1 January 2025 renewals, which account for around 40–45 per cent of the business. Commercial achieved high-single digit rate increases, backed by particularly strong development in Norway, while retention remained high. In Industrial, a largely supportive market enabled rate increases above plan, and we took the opportunity to continue to reduce our exposure to the largest property risks. Our main reinsurance programmes were renewed successfully on 1 January, with net retention unchanged at SEK 300 million (circa EUR 25 million) per event and individual property risk.

    The de-risking action taken in Industrial and our discipline in UK motor illustrates our underwriting culture and commitment to high and stable margins. The fourth quarter once again saw strong and consistent development in underlying margins, as well as yet another improvement in the Nordic cost ratio putting us ahead of the ambition for 2024. The integration of Topdanmark into If P&C provides an opportunity to accelerate Nordic productivity improvements over the coming years.

    Turning to capital management, the Board of Directors is proposing a dividend of EUR 1.70 per share for 2024, or EUR 0.34 per share adjusting for the upcoming share split, representing growth of 6 per cent, as we prioritise reliability and a steady trajectory. In addition, I expect that we will launch new buyback programme in 2025, with a new mandate from our Annual General Meeting, funded by capital generated in 2024 and potential disposals of legacy holding company investments. Our commitment to disciplined capital management is unwavering and we will regularly seek to complement dividends with share buybacks.

    To conclude, we look to 2025 with great confidence. We have completed our strategic simplification, further rapidly developed our digital abilities and seen strong momentum in the 1 January renewals. Based on this, we have set an outlook for underwriting profit of EUR 1,350–1,450 million for 2025, reflecting our expectation to be able to deliver on our operating EPS growth target of more than 7 per cent per annum on average in 2024–2026.

    Torbjörn Magnusson
    Group CEO

     
    OUTLOOK

    Operating environment and assumptions

    The acquisition of Topdanmark in 2024 completed Sampo’s transition into a fully integrated P&C insurance group. Sampo has an attractive operational footprint as the leader in the consolidated Nordic P&C insurance market and a leading operator in the growing digital UK P&C insurance market, positioning the Group to deliver both stability and growth.

    Competitive dynamics remain rational across the Group’s areas of operation going into 2025, while demand for P&C insurance is stable despite limited economic growth. Sampo expects claims cost to continue to grow above the long-term trend over the year, driven by factors including rising repair costs for new cars and continued wage and service inflation. At Group level, underlying claims cost is expected to see a mid-single digit per cent increase in 2025, and the Group remains firmly committed to conservatively reflecting this in its pricing.

    The strategic and operational investments made by Sampo over recent years have substantially strengthened its competitive position. The Group has unique digital capabilities across distribution, pricing, underwriting, and claims handling that enable it to deliver superior service and efficiency. Further, the integration of Topdanmark into the Group is expected to enable financial benefits through the delivery of scale benefits and synergies.

    Outlook for 2025

    The outlook for Sampo Group’s 2025 financial performance is:

    • Group insurance revenue: EUR 8.7–9.0 billion, representing growth of 4–7 per cent year-on-year.

    • Group underwriting result: EUR 1,350–1,450 million, representing growth of 3–10 per cent year-on-year.

    The outlook for 2025 is consistent with Sampo’s 2024–2026 financial targets of delivering a combined ratio below 85 per cent and operating EPS growth of more than 7 per cent annually on average.

    The outlook is subject to uncertainty related to occurrence and estimation of the cost of P&C claims, investment performance, foreign exchange rates, and competitive dynamics. Revenue forecasts, in particular, are subject to competitive conditions, which may change rapidly in some areas, such as the UK motor insurance market. The revenue and underwriting profit figures in the outlook are based on 31 December 2024 currency exchange rates.


    FOURTH QUARTER 2024 IN BRIEF

    Strong top-line growth, notably in Private, and positive margin development drove 28 per cent growth in underwriting profits.

    Gross written premiums and brokerage income increased by 18 per cent on a currency-adjusted basis and 19 per cent on a reported basis to EUR 2,212 million (1,864) in October-December 2024. The growth was positively affected by Topdanmark’s acquisition of Oona Health as well as a change of inception date for a small group of large industrial contracts from the third quarter to the fourth quarter. Excluding these, the currency adjusted top-line growth was 10 per cent.

    Fourth quarter winter weather was fairly normal with claims damage caused mainly by localised events, whereas the prior year was affected by an early start to the winter in the Nordics. In total, severe weather and large claims had 2.3 percentage points negative effect on the Group combined ratio, down from 4.5 percentage points in the comparison period. The Group underlying combined ratio improved by 1.4 percentage points, driven by solid performance across business areas with If reporting an undiscounted adjusted risk ratio improvement of 0.3 percentage points year-on-year. The Group combined ratio improved to 83.4 per cent (85.5). The underwriting result increased by 28 per cent on a currency adjusted basis and on a reported basis to EUR 361 million (281) on strong growth.  

    The net financial result decreased to EUR 62 million (175) driven by lower investment income. Fourth quarter net investment income of EUR 70 million (517) was affected by a rise in interest rates and soft Nordic equity market performance, while the comparison period benefited from exceptionally favourable conditions. IFIE amounted to EUR -7 million (-342), supported by a positive effect of EUR 43 million from changes in discount rates, whereas the comparison period saw a negative effect of EUR -271 million. Unwind of discounting stood at EUR -54 million (-81).

    Profit before taxes was EUR 219 million (368). This includes non-recurring costs of around EUR 150 million related to the Topdanmark integration reserved for the fourth quarter, without which quarterly profit before taxes would have been EUR 369 million. Of the restructuring charge, EUR 76 million was booked in the If segment and EUR 73 million in the Topdanmark segment. Operating EPS came in at EUR 0.65 (0.42) on the back of higher underwriting result and stable investment returns.

    SAMPO PLC
    Board of Directors

    The Financial Statement Release for 2024, Investor Presentation and a video review with Group CFO Knut Arne Alsaker are available at www.sampo.com/result.

    A conference call for investors and analysts will be arranged today 6 February at 11:00 am Finnish time (9:00 am UK time). Please join the teleconference by registering using the following link: 

    https://palvelu.flik.fi/teleconference/?id=5004591

    The conference call can also be followed live at www.sampo.com/result. A recorded version and a transcript will later be available at the same address.

    For more information, please contact

    Knut Arne Alsaker, Group CFO, tel. +358 10 516 0010
    Sami Taipalus
    , Head of Investor Relations, tel. +358 10 516 0030
    Maria Silander
    , Communications Manager, Media Relations, tel. +358 10 516 0031

    Distribution:
    Nasdaq Helsinki
    Nasdaq Stockholm
    Nasdaq Copenhagen
    London Stock Exchange
    FIN-FSA
    The principal media
    www.sampo.com

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New UK High Commissioner to Solomon Islands presents credentials

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Paul Turner was appointed British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Nauru in July 2024.

    High Commissioner Paul Turner presenting his credentials to Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele.

    His Majesty’s new High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and non-resident High Commissioner to the Republic of Nauru, His Excellency Paul Robert Turner presented his credentials this week to the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Hon. Jeremiah Manele.

    Paul Turner was appointed British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Nauru in July 2024. Paul’s experience covers the UK Government and international organisations, including the World Bank, African Development Bank and the European Union.

    With the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Paul oversaw economic and trade portfolios in East and Southern Africa as well as in China. More recently, he worked for the World Bank in Uganda. 

    Paul has also led development teams in a range of fragile states including Afghanistan and the Western Balkans. Earlier in his career, he was private secretary to Ministers in DFID and the Home Office. 

    Acknowledging the bilateral relations between the two countries, Prime Minister Manele said UK is one of the first countries to forge ties with Solomon Islands since 1978. He also provided an overview of his government’s priorities including education, health, climate change and trade.

    In response, High Commissioner Paul Turner said that his mission was to expand bilateral relations between the two countries and be a key partner of the Government of Solomon Islands in addressing the impact of climate change.

    The High Commissioner said he was keen to explore opportunities in a number of economic sectors, especially the local cocoa industry and affirmed that one of his personal goals is to produce tangible outcomes in the sector during his time in office.

    The High Commissioner is the UK Government’s representative in a Commonwealth nation. They are responsible for the direction and work of the High Commission and its Deputy High Commissions and/or Consulates, including political work, trade and investment, press and cultural relations, and visa and consular services.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: ING posts full-year 2024 net profit of €6,392 million and outstanding commercial growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ING posts full-year 2024 net profit of €6,392 million and outstanding commercial growth

    Full-year profit before tax of €9,300 million, supported by growing customer base and increase in lending and deposits
    Mobile primary customer base rises by 1.1 million in 2024 to 14.4 million
    Net core lending growth of €28 billion, or 4%, and net core deposits growth of €47 billion (7%)
    Total income of €22.6 billion; double-digit growth in fee income, surpassing €4 billion for the first time
    Full-year return on equity of 13.0%; proposed final cash dividend of €0.71 per share
     
    4Q2024 profit before tax of €1,771 million with a CET1 ratio of 13.6%
    Increase of 434,000 mobile primary customers in the fourth quarter, with growth in all markets
    Total income resilient year-on-year, supported by continuously strong fee income
    Risk costs remain below our through-the-cycle average, reflecting strong asset quality
    CET1 ratio decreases to 13.6% following the shareholder distribution announced in October
     

    CEO statement

    “In 2024, we have made very good progress in the implementation of our strategy. We have accelerated growth, diversified our income, provided superior value to customers and continued to play a leading role in supporting our clients’ sustainable transition,” said ING CEO Steven van Rijswijk. “We’re pleased with our strong results and are on track to make the targets as communicated on our Capital Markets Day in June. We have continued to invest in the growth of our business, resulting in a larger customer base and higher revenues, while continuously executing our plans to drive operational efficiencies.

    “We have increased the number of our mobile primary customers by 1.1 million, resulting in a total of 14.4 million mobile primary customers, with Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland especially contributing to the growth. Core lending has also grown across all markets, by €28 billion, with particularly strong growth of €19 billion in our mortgage portfolio, especially in Germany and the Netherlands. Our deposit base has risen by €47 billion, again with contributions from all Retail countries and our Wholesale business. In Wholesale Banking, we have seen strong results from Financial Markets and we have continued investing in our front office and building our product foundations.

    “Total income has increased to a record €22.6 billion and we have posted a net result of €6.4 billion, maintaining a high level after a very strong 2023. Fee income has increased 11% year-on-year, following an increase in both assets under management and in customer trading activity in Retail. Fee income growth in Wholesale Banking was mainly driven by a higher number of capital markets issuance deals for our clients.

    “Sustainability is a priority for our clients and for ING. We have increased our sustainable volume mobilised to €130 billion, up from €115 billion in 2023, showing strong progress against our 2027 target of €150 billion per annum. During the year, we have engaged with more than 1,600 of our Wholesale Banking clients on their transition plans. In Retail Banking, including in Germany, the Netherlands and Australia, we have supported our customers with sustainable mortgages, renovation loans and digital tools, allowing them to identify possible energy upgrades to their homes and connecting them with accredited home renovators.

    “For the coming year, we remain vigilant as we foresee ongoing geopolitical volatility and a fragmented economic outlook. We are confident that we have the right strategy to deliver value to all of our stakeholders by growing our customer base, continuing to diversify our income and supporting clients in their sustainable transitions. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our shareholders for their continued support, our clients for their continued trust and our employees for their hard work and collaboration.”

     
    Further information
    All publications related to ING’s Full year and 4Q 2024 results can be found at the quarterly results page on ING.com. For more on investor information, go to www.ing.com/investors.

    A short ING ON AIR video with CEO Steven van Rijswijk discussing our FY/4Q2024 results is available on Youtube.

    For further information on ING, please visit www.ing.com. Frequent news updates can be found in the Newsroom or via the @ING_news feed on X. Photos of ING operations, buildings and its executives are available for download at Flickr.

     
    Investor conference call, Media meeting and webcasts
    Steven van Rijswijk, Tanate Phutrakul and Ljiljana Čortan will discuss the results in an Investor conference call on 6 February 2025 at 9:00 a.m. CET. Members of the investment community can join the conference call at +31 20 708 5074 (NL), or +44 330 551 0202 (UK) (registration required via invitation) and via live audio webcast at www.ing.com.

    Steven van Rijswijk, Tanate Phutrakul and Ljiljana Čortan will also discuss the results in a media meeting on 6 February 2024 at 11:00 a.m. CET. Journalists are welcome at ING’s Cedar office, Bijlmerdreef 106, Amsterdam. Alternatively, they can dial-in in listen-only mode via +31 20 708 5073 (NL), or +44 330 551 0200 (UK) – quote ING Media Call 4Q2024 when prompted by the operator. The meeting can also be followed via live audio webcast at www.ing.com.

     
    Investor enquiries
    E: investor.relations@ing.com

    Press enquiries

    T: +31 20 576 5000
    E: media.relations@ing.com

     
    ING Profile
    ING is a global financial institution with a strong European base, offering banking services through its operating company ING Bank. The purpose of ING Bank is: empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business. ING Bank’s more than 60,000 employees offer retail and wholesale banking services to customers in over 100 countries.

    ING Group shares are listed on the exchanges of Amsterdam (INGA NA, INGA.AS), Brussels and on the New York Stock Exchange (ADRs: ING US, ING.N).

    ING aims to put sustainability at the heart of what we do. Our policies and actions are assessed by independent research and ratings providers, which give updates on them annually. ING’s ESG rating by MSCI was reconfirmed by MSCI as ‘AA’ in August 2024 for the fifth year. As of December 2023, in Sustainalytics’ view, ING’s management of ESG material risk is ‘Strong’. Our current ESG Risk Rating, is 17.2 (Low Risk). ING Group shares are also included in major sustainability and ESG index products of leading providers. Here are some examples: Euronext, STOXX, Morningstar and FTSE Russell.

    Important legal information
    Elements of this press release contain or may contain information about ING Groep N.V. and/ or ING Bank N.V. within the meaning of Article 7(1) to (4) of EU Regulation No 596/2014 (‘Market Abuse Regulation’).

    ING Group’s annual accounts are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union (‘IFRS- EU’). In preparing the financial information in this document, except as described otherwise, the same accounting principles are applied as in the 2023 ING Group consolidated annual accounts. The Financial statements for 2024 are in progress and may be subject to adjustments from subsequent events. All figures in this document are unaudited. Small differences are possible in the tables due to rounding.

    Certain of the statements contained herein are not historical facts, including, without limitation, certain statements made of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those in such statements due to a number of factors, including, without limitation: (1) changes in general economic conditions and customer behaviour, in particular economic conditions in ING’s core markets, including changes affecting currency exchange rates and the regional and global economic impact of the invasion of Russia into Ukraine and related international response measures (2) changes affecting interest rate levels (3) any default of a major market participant and related market disruption (4) changes in performance of financial markets, including in Europe and developing markets (5) fiscal uncertainty in Europe and the United States (6) discontinuation of or changes in ‘benchmark’ indices (7) inflation and deflation in our principal markets (8) changes in conditions in the credit and capital markets generally, including changes in borrower and counterparty creditworthiness (9) failures of banks falling under the scope of state compensation schemes (10) noncompliance with or changes in laws and regulations, including those concerning financial services, financial economic crimes and tax laws, and the interpretation and application thereof (11) geopolitical risks, political instabilities and policies and actions of governmental and regulatory authorities, including in connection with the invasion of Russia into Ukraine and the related international response measures (12) legal and regulatory risks in certain countries with less developed legal and regulatory frameworks (13) prudential supervision and regulations, including in relation to stress tests and regulatory restrictions on dividends and distributions (also among members of the group) (14) ING’s ability to meet minimum capital and other prudential regulatory requirements (15) changes in regulation of US commodities and derivatives businesses of ING and its customers (16) application of bank recovery and resolution regimes, including write down and conversion powers in relation to our securities (17) outcome of current and future litigation, enforcement proceedings, investigations or other regulatory actions, including claims by customers or stakeholders who feel misled or treated unfairly, and other conduct issues (18) changes in tax laws and regulations and risks of non-compliance or investigation in connection with tax laws, including FATCA (19) operational and IT risks, such as system disruptions or failures, breaches of security, cyber-attacks, human error, changes in operational practices or inadequate controls including in respect of third parties with which we do business and including any risks as a result of incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise flawed outputs from the algorithms and data sets utilized in artificial intelligence (20) risks and challenges related to cybercrime including the effects of cyberattacks and changes in legislation and regulation related to cybersecurity and data privacy, including such risks and challenges as a consequence of the use of emerging technologies, such as advanced forms of artificial intelligence and quantum computing (21) changes in general competitive factors, including ability to increase or maintain market share (22) inability to protect our intellectual property and infringement claims by third parties (23) inability of counterparties to meet financial obligations or ability to enforce rights against such counterparties (24) changes in credit ratings (25) business, operational, regulatory, reputation, transition and other risks and challenges in connection with climate change and ESG-related matters, including data gathering and reporting (26) inability to attract and retain key personnel (27) future liabilities under defined benefit retirement plans (28) failure to manage business risks, including in connection with use of models, use of derivatives, or maintaining appropriate policies and guidelines (29) changes in capital and credit markets, including interbank funding, as well as customer deposits, which provide the liquidity and capital required to fund our operations, and (30) the other risks and uncertainties detailed in the most recent annual report of ING Groep N.V. (including the Risk Factors contained therein) and ING’s more recent disclosures, including press releases, which are available on www.ING.com.

    This document may contain ESG-related material that has been prepared by ING on the basis of publicly available information, internally developed data and other third-party sources believed to be reliable. ING has not sought to independently verify information obtained from public and third-party sources and makes no representations or warranties as to accuracy, completeness, reasonableness or reliability of such information.

    Materiality, as used in the context of ESG, is distinct from, and should not be confused with, such term as defined in the Market Abuse Regulation or as defined for Securities and Exchange Commission (‘SEC’) reporting purposes. Any issues identified as material for purposes of ESG in this document are therefore not necessarily material as defined in the Market Abuse Regulation or for SEC reporting purposes. In addition, there is currently no single, globally recognized set of accepted definitions in assessing whether activities are “green” or “sustainable.” Without limiting any of the statements contained herein, we make no representation or warranty as to whether any of our securities constitutes a green or sustainable security or conforms to present or future investor expectations or objectives for green or sustainable investing. For information on characteristics of a security, use of proceeds, a description of applicable project(s) and/or any other relevant information, please reference the offering documents for such security.

    This document may contain inactive textual addresses to internet websites operated by us and third parties. Reference to such websites is made for information purposes only, and information found at such websites is not incorporated by reference into this document. ING does not make any representation or warranty with respect to the accuracy or completeness of, or take any responsibility for, any information found at any websites operated by third parties. ING specifically disclaims any liability with respect to any information found at websites operated by third parties. ING cannot guarantee that websites operated by third parties remain available following the publication of this document, or that any information found at such websites will not change following the filing of this document. Many of those factors are beyond ING’s control.

    Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of ING speak only as of the date they are made, and ING assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or for any other reason.

    This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction.

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  • MIL-OSI: Key Information Relating to Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oslo, 6 February 2025 – DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today announced that pursuant to the authorization granted at the Annual General Meeting held on 6 June 2024, the Board of Directors has approved a dividend payment of NOK 0.3125 per share to be made on or about 21 February 2025 to all shareholders of record as of 14 February 2025. DNO shares will be traded ex-dividend as of 13 February 2025.

    Dividend amount: NOK 0.3125 per share
       
    Declared currency: NOK
       
    Last day including right: 12 February 2025
       
    Ex-date: 13 February 2025
       
    Record date: 14 February 2025
       
    Payment date: 21 February 2025 (on or about)
       
    Date of approval: 5 February 2025, based on authorization granted 6 June 2024

    For further information, please contact:

    Media: media@dno.no
    Investors: investor.relations@dno.no

    DNO ASA is a Norwegian oil and gas operator active in the Middle East, the North Sea and West Africa. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the Company holds stakes in onshore and offshore licenses at various stages of exploration, development, and production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Norway, the United Kingdom, Côte d’Ivoire, Netherlands and Yemen.

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act and section 4.2.4 of Euronext Oslo Rulebook II.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: DNO Results Reflect Robust Kurdistan Production, North Sea Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oslo, 6 February 2025 – DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today reported 2024 revenues of USD 667 million on the back of stellar production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in a year marked by continuing North Sea expansion.

    Cash from operations increased nearly 50 percent to USD 433 million year-on-year. Operating profit dropped to USD 6 million reflecting the Company’s decision to take non-cash impairments of USD 146 million in its accounts, part of which was previously reported.

    Net production climbed 50 percent year-on-year to 77,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), to which Kurdistan contributed 59,000 boepd, North Sea 15,200 boepd and West Africa 3,100 boepd.

    At Kurdistan’s Tawke license (75 percent and operator), DNO increased gross production from the Tawke and Peshkabir fields by 70 percent year-on-year to 78,600 boepd in 2024, with oil sold at its Fish Khabur terminal as the Iraq-Türkiye export pipeline remained shut in. Sales prices averaged USD 35 per barrel with payments deposited into DNO’s international bank accounts ahead of deliveries. At these prices, Tawke license sales generate around USD 10 million per month of free cash flow to DNO.

    Maintaining strict capital spending discipline, DNO drilled no new wells on the Tawke license in 2024. Notwithstanding, output was increased by bringing three previously drilled wells onstream and by workovers and interventions on more than 20 other wells across the license.

    “Our Kurdistan team is doing a terrific job. Maintaining, never mind increasing, production from mature carbonate reservoirs without new drilling is rare, even exceptional,” said DNO’s Executive Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani. “In Norway, we are applying a similar ‘can-do’ spirit to get our barrels from a string of recent discoveries out of the ground and into the market and do so faster than is the norm here,” he added.

    In 2024, DNO took steps to expand its North Sea business by acquiring a 25 percent interest in the producing Arran field in the United Kingdom and interests in four producing fields and one development asset in the Norne area offshore Norway. Driven by contribution from these acquisitions, recovery of production in some fields following maintenance and Trym field restart, net North Sea production climbed to 19,000 boepd in the fourth quarter.

    Meanwhile, DNO is taking part in four ongoing North Sea field development projects expected to come online between 2025 and 2028 that represent proven and probable reserves of some 30 million barrels of oil equivalent net to the Company. Two other discoveries, namely Ofelia/Kyrre (10 percent) and Cuvette (20 percent) are nearing development decisions.

    Among the 2024 exploration highlights was the play-opening Othello light oil discovery (50 percent and operator), Norway’s second largest find last year. Prior to the discovery, DNO had already taken a strong acreage position in this area in close collaboration with Aker BP, host operator of nearby Valhall hub.

    Overall, the Company plans to drill between four (firm) and six North Sea exploration wells in 2025. Meanwhile, complementing its ongoing exploration activities, last month DNO was awarded 13 new licenses in Norway’s 2024 Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) licensing round, including four operatorships, by the Norwegian Ministry of Energy.

    Planned 2025 operational spend is ramped up to USD 750 million driven by increased North Sea activity.

    DNO’s robust balance sheet supports growth and distributions to shareholders. The Board of Directors yesterday authorized a dividend of NOK 0.3125 per share in February, maintaining the quarterly distribution at the same level as last quarter.

    A videoconference call with executive management will follow today at 14:00 (CET). Please visit www.dno.no to access the call.

    Key figures

      Full-Year 2024 Q4 2024 Q3 2024
    Gross operated production (boepd) 80,280 80,765 84,212
    Net production (boepd) 77,269 77,646 77,238
    Revenues (USD million) 667 177 171
    Operating profit/-loss (USD million) 6 -82 31
    Net profit/-loss (USD million) -27 -98 20
    Free cash flow (USD million) 59 -5 35
    Net cash/-debt (USD million) 99 99 134

    For further information, please contact:
    Media: media@dno.no
    Investors: investor.relations@dno.no

    DNO ASA is a Norwegian oil and gas operator active in the Middle East, the North Sea and West Africa. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the Company holds stakes in onshore and offshore licenses at various stages of exploration, development and production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Norway, the United Kingdom, Côte d’Ivoire, Netherlands and Yemen.

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act

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    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sergei Sobyanin: Moscow is developing digital services in the cultural sphere

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Moscow has created an ecosystem of digital services that simplify interactions between city residents and cultural institutions. These include a single library card, a service for renting spaces in city cultural institutions, a ticket system on the mos.ru portal, and others. Sergei Sobyanin spoke about new functions and the development of digital services in the cultural sphere in his Telegram channel.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @Mos_Sobyanin

    Unified library card

    Since 2018, apply single library card can be done in person at the city library. In 2021, the mos.ru portal launched an electronic service, “Obtaining a single library card,” with which users can obtain a digital version of the document. As of 2024, Muscovites have already issued about 1.2 million library cards. It is convenient to use the digital version of the single library card in the My ID mobile app.

    A single library card can be linked to a school card “Moskvenok”. In this case, access to the funds of the capital’s libraries will be provided by the usual school key card. In addition, the ticket can be linked to a Muscovite card. Since 2021, readers have been finding, booking the books they need and extending their use using the service “Moscow Libraries” on the mos.ru portal. Here you can also view a list of events taking place in the capital’s reading rooms. And a recommendation system using artificial intelligence technologies will offer the user a selection of literature based on his tastes and booking history.

    In 2024, Muscovites were given the opportunity to pick up publications from book machines — contactless street book distribution points. They were placed in 10 city parks. You can pick up a book from a book machine using a single library card. Residents of the capital have already received more than 2.8 thousand publications in this way.

    Muscovites received over 6.6 million publications with a single library card in 2024DIT reminded about useful functions of the service “Moscow Libraries”

    Portal “Discover Moscow”

    Information portal “Get to Know Moscow” was created in 2013 and became one of the first digital projects telling about the sights and history of the city. Today the portal presents 407 museums, 2341 buildings, 702 monuments, 490 memorial sites, 287 routes around the city, 32 virtual tours and 134 online quests.

    The portal operates on the principle of a digital encyclopedia: each registered user can offer information about an object, which is verified before publication, and audiovisual elements.

    The portal hosts contests and thematic quizzes. The “Poster” section contains a schedule of events held in Moscow’s cultural institutions.

    The portal has mobile applications for Android and iOS. In 2024, a new type of content appeared in the mobile application “Discover Moscow” – users can see in augmented reality (AR) mode how buildings and structures that have not survived to this day would look in modern urban development. For example, the Red Gate, the Sukharev Tower, the building of the eighth Stalinist skyscraper and other historical architectural objects.

    The portal “Learn Moscow” published an online quiz for the 270th anniversary of the founding of Moscow State UniversityIn 2024, the portal “Discover Moscow” was visited about six million times

    City venue rental service

    Since 2021, Muscovites can rent premises in city cultural institutions on the mos.ru portal to hold lectures, master classes, educational classes and other events. Today, the service “Together with culture” offers more than 1.5 thousand premises in 42 cultural institutions. Since the project’s creation, Muscovites have booked the capital’s venues more than 43 thousand times.

    The service is used by both business representatives and ordinary citizens. In 2024, it was most often used by individuals, who mainly booked premises for master classes, meetings and trainings. Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, as a rule, organized concerts, held rehearsals, seminars and lectures.

    More than 20 thousand events were held on the sites of the “Together with Culture” service in 2024The Moscow Department of Information Technologies told which sites can be rented in the “Together with Culture” service for events with children

    Online services for enrolling in children’s art schools and clubs

    In the summer of 2024, the mos.ru portal upgraded its online registration service for educational programs at children’s art schools, as well as for clubs organized in cultural centers, libraries, and parks. During the admissions campaign, about 10 thousand educational programs and clubs were available for registration. During the service’s operation, Muscovites have submitted about 700 thousand applications for enrollment of children in additional education institutions.

    Mosbilet system

    Mosbilet was launched in the fall of 2020. With this system, you can buy tickets to museums and theaters, rent and pay for city skating rinks, swimming pools and picnic areas. Today, 43 percent of tickets for events at city cultural institutions are purchased through this system, all of which are sold without a markup. Last year alone, more than 7.4 million tickets were issued through the system. It is expected that by the end of 2025, Mosbilet will be able to purchase tickets to all city cultural institutions.

    How to use QR codes for tickets to events in Moscow cultural institutionsPlan your leisure time and buy tickets: what else can the “Posters” section on mos.ru help with?

    Ticket purchase service via Mos ID

    In December 2024, a service for selling tickets to events in Moscow cultural institutions via Mos ID, an account on the mos.ru portal, was launched. Buying tickets through the city ticket system Mosbilet using a standard or full mos.ru account simplifies the process of entering data into the electronic ticket sales form: there is no need to enter the last name, first name, email address and phone number manually. Ticket QR codes are generated and displayed in the city mobile applications “My Moscow”, “Moscow State Services” and “My id”, as well as in your personal account on mos.ru. They can be shown at the entrance instead of a paper ticket. From March 15, 2025, when entering using a QR code from the application, visitors will not be required to present a document entitling them to do so.

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is account to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect the Position of Mil-Sosi or Its Clients.

    HTTPS: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12350050/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI: Societe Generale: Fourth quarter & 2024 full year results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESULTS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024

    Press release                                                        
    Paris, 6 February 2025

    2024 RESULTS ABOVE ALL GROUP TARGETS
    GROUP NET INCOME OF EUR 4.2 BILLION, +69% vs. 2023

    Annual revenues of EUR 26.8 billion, up by +6.7% vs. 2023, above the ≥+5% target set for 2024, driven in particular by the strong rebound in net interest income in France and by an excellent performance in Global Banking and Investor Solutions with revenues above EUR 10 billion

    Cost-to-income ratio of 69.0%, below the target of <71% set for 2024, thanks to tight control of costs, which are stable vs. 2023

    Cost of risk at 26 basis points, at the lower end of the 2024 guidance range

    Profitability (ROTE) of 6.9%, above the target of >6% expected for 2024

    CET1 ratio of 13.3% at end-2024, around 310 basis points above regulatory requirement

    +75% INCREASE IN DISTRIBUTION TO SHAREHOLDERS VS. 2023

    Proposed distribution of EUR 1,740 million1, equivalent to EUR 2.18 per share1, composed of:

    • a cash dividend of EUR 1.09 per share to be proposed to the General Meeting
    • a share buyback programme of EUR 872 million, equivalent to EUR 1.09 per share1. ECB approval has been obtained to launch the programme, due to start on 10 February 2025
    • Increase of the payout ratio to 50% of net income2

    2025 FINANCIAL TARGETS, STRONG CAPITAL, EXECUTION DISCIPLINE

    Revenue growth of more than +3%3 vs. 2024

    Decrease in costs above -1%3 vs. 2024

    Improvement of the cost-to-income ratio, less than 66% in 2025

    Cost of risk between 25 and 30 basis points in 2025

    Increase of the ROTE, more than 8% in 2025

    CET1 ratio above 13% post Basel IV throughout the year 2025

    With a solid CET1 ratio ahead of the capital trajectory, we are proposing to improve the distribution policy with:

    • an overall distribution payout ratio of 50% of net income2
    • a balanced distribution between cash dividends and share buybacks

    Slawomir Krupa, the Group’s Chief Executive Officer, commented:
    “In 2024, our performance improves materially. All our targets are exceeded and ahead of plan. Strong capital build-up, strong and sustainable business growth, strong cost control and risk management, and a material progress in our integration projects led to the doubling of the earnings per share. Against this strong backdrop, we are improving both the 2024 distribution and our distribution policy. I would like to thank the entire Societe Generale team for their dedication and remarkable commitment, every single day, to serving our clients and our Bank.
    We will continue to focus in 2025 on the relentless execution of our strategy, improving our performance even further.”

    1. GROUP CONSOLIDATED RESULTS
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income 6,621 5,957 +11.1% +12.5%* 26,788 25,104 +6.7% +5.7%*
    Operating expenses (4,595) (4,666) -1.5% -0.7%* (18,472) (18,524) -0.3% -1.6%*
    Gross operating income 2,026 1,291 +57.0% +61.3%* 8,316 6,580 +26.4% +26.6%*
    Net cost of risk (338) (361) -6.4% -4.9%* (1,530) (1,025) +49.3% +48.6%*
    Operating income 1,688 930 +81.6% +87.4%* 6,786 5,555 +22.2% +22.5%*
    Net income/expense from other assets (11) (21) +48.9% +45.2%* (77) (113) +31.4% +26.3%*
    Income tax (413) (302) +36.6% +40.5%* (1,601) (1,679) -4.7% -4.9%*
    Net income 1,273 612 x 2.1 x 2.1* 5,129 3,449 +48.7% +49.6%*
    O.w. non-controlling interests 233 183 +27.0% +33.6%* 929 957 -3.0% -9.3%*
    Group net income 1,041 429 x 2.4 x 2.5* 4,200 2,492 +68.6% +73.2%*
    ROE 5.8% 1.5%     6.1% 3.1% +0.0% +0.0%*
    ROTE 6.6% 1.7%     6.9% 4.2% +0.0% +0.0%*
    Cost to income 69.4% 78.3%     69.0% 73.8% +0.0% +0.0%*

    Asterisks* in the document refer to data at constant perimeter and exchange rates

    The Board of Directors of Societe Generale, which met on 5 February 2025 under the chairmanship of Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, examined the Societe Generale Group’s results for Q4 24 and endorsed the 2024 financial statements.

    Net banking income 

    Net banking income stood at EUR 6.6 billion, up by +11.1% vs. Q4 23.

    Revenues of French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance were up by +15.5% vs. Q4 23 and totalled EUR 2.3 billion in Q4 24. Net interest income increased in Q4 24 (+36% vs. Q4 23), in line with the latest estimates. Assets under management in Private Banking and Insurance increased by +7% each in Q4 24 vs. Q4 23. Lastly, BoursoBank showed strong growth momentum with more than 460,000 new clients in the quarter, allowing to reach a client base of 7.2 million clients at end-December 2024, above the target of 7 million clients set for end-2024. In addition, BoursoBank posted a positive contribution to Group net income in 2024 for the second year in a row.

    Global Banking and Investor Solutions registered a +12.4% increase in revenues relative to Q4 23. Revenues amounted to EUR 2.5 billion for the quarter, driven by strong momentum across all businesses. Global Markets grew by 9.8% in Q4 24 vs. Q4 23. Revenues from the Equities business were up by +10%, reaching a record level for a fourth quarter. They were driven by favourable market conditions, particularly after the result of the presidential elections in the United States. Fixed Income and Currencies were up by +9% owing to solid commercial activity in financing and intermediation across all asset classes. In Financing and Advisory, solid commercial momentum was recorded in structured finance and the performance of M&A and advisory continued to rebound. Likewise, Global Transaction & Payment Services posted a +26% increase in revenues vs. Q4 23, driven by a sustained commercial development across all businesses, particularly in correspondent banking.

    Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services’ revenues were up by +2.0% vs. Q4 23, mainly due to an increase in margins at Ayvens. International Retail Banking recorded a -3.6% fall in revenues vs. Q4 23 at EUR 1.0 billion, due to a scope effect related to the asset disposals finalised in Africa (Morocco, Chad, Congo, Madagascar). Revenues were up +3.4% at constant perimeter and exchange rates. Revenues from Mobility and Financial Services were up by +8.3% vs. Q4 23 mainly due to non-recuring items in Q4 23 and improved margins at Ayvens.

    The Corporate Centre recorded revenues of EUR -159 million in Q4 24.

    Over 2024, net banking income increased by +6.7% vs. 2023.

    Operating expenses 

    Operating expenses came out to EUR 4,595 million in Q4 24, down by -1.5% vs. Q4 23.
    They include a scope effect of around EUR 46 million related to the integration of Bernstein’s cash equity operations and a decrease in transformation costs of EUR 26 million. Excluding these items, operating expenses were down by nearly -2% in Q4 24 vs. Q4-23 owing to the effect of the cost saving measures implemented across all business lines.

    The cost-to-income ratio stood at 69.4% in Q4 24, significantly lower than in Q4 23 (78.3%).

    Over 2024, operating expenses remained relatively stable (-0.3% vs. 2023), thanks from rigorous cost management. The cost-to-income ratio stood at 69.0% (vs. 73.8% in 2023), a level below the target of 71% for 2024.

    Cost of risk

    The cost of risk fell to 23 basis points over the quarter (or EUR 338 million). This includes a EUR 386 million provision for non-performing loans (around 26 basis points) and a reversal of a provision on performing loans for EUR -48 million.

    At end-December, the Group’s provisions on performing loans amounted to EUR 3,119 million, stable relative to 30 September 2024. The EUR -453 million contraction relative to 31 December 2023 is mainly owing to the application of IFRS 5.

    The gross non-performing loan ratio stood at 2.81%4,5 at 31 December 2024, significantly down vs. end of September 2024 (2.95%). The net coverage ratio on the Group’s non-performing loans stood at 81%6 at 31 December 2024 (after taking into account guarantees and collateral).

    Net profits from other assets

    The Group recorded a net loss of EUR -11 million in Q4 24, mainly related to the accounting impacts of finalised asset sales, such as the disposals of our activities in Morocco and Madagascar.

    Group net income

    Group net income stood at EUR 1,041 million for the quarter, equating to a Return on Tangible Equity (ROTE) of 6.6%.

    Over the year, Group net income stood at EUR 4,200 million, equating to a Return on Tangible Equity (ROTE) of 6.9%.

    Shareholder distribution

    The Board of Directors approved the distribution policy for the 2024 fiscal year, aiming to distribute EUR 2.18 per share, equivalent to EUR 1,740 million, of which EUR 872 million in share buyback7. A cash dividend of EUR 1.09 per share will be proposed at the General Meeting of Shareholders on 20 May 2025. The dividend will be detached on 26 May 2025 and paid out on 28 May 2025.

    1. AN ESTABLISHED ESG STRATEGY FROM WHICH TO STEP FORWARD

    In 2024, Societe Generale accelerated the execution of its ESG roadmap, particularly with respect to the contribution to the environmental transition:

    • The Group now covers ~70% of companies’8 financed emissions, with 10 alignment targets for the carbon-intensive sectors. It has already reduced its oil and gas upstream exposure by more than 50% since the end of 20199
    • In Q2 24 and ahead of schedule, the Group reached its target of EUR 300 billion for sustainable finance planned for the period 2022-2025. A new target of EUR 500 billion, complementing the work carried out as part of the portfolio alignment, was announced for the period 2024-2030. This will help increase the orientation of financial flows towards decarbonization activities.

    The Group has broadened the scope of actions to prepare for a sustainable future by supporting new players and new technologies:

    • The EUR 1 billion investment for the transition, announced during the Capital Markets Day, has entered its operationalization phase
    • A new partnership with the EIB to unlock up to EUR 8 billion in the wind industry supply chain in Europe was signed in Q4 24.

    At the same time, ESG risk management continues to be strengthened, enhancing forward-looking assessments of environmental risk materiality and further integrating environmental, social and governance risks into the risk framework.
    Lastly, the Group is moving forward with its ambitions as a responsible employer: at the end of 2024, the “Group Leaders Circle” (Top 250) had ~30% women executives10 and ~30% international members. As announced during the Capital Markets Day, the EUR 100 million envelope commitment to reduce the gender pay gap was launched in 2023.

    1. THE GROUP’S FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

    At 31 December 2024, the Group’s Common Equity Tier 1 ratio stood at 13.3%11, around 310 basis points above the regulatory requirement. Likewise, the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) was well ahead of regulatory requirements at 156% at end-December 2024 (145% on average for the quarter), and the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) stood at 117% at end-December 2024.

    All liquidity and solvency ratios are well above the regulatory requirements.

      31/12/2024 31/12/2023 Requirements
    CET1(1) 13.3% 13.1% 10.24%
    Fully-loaded CET1 13.3% 13.1% 10.24%
    Tier 1 ratio (1) 16.1% 15.6% 12.17%
    Total Capital(1) 18.9% 18.2% 14.73%
    Leverage ratio(1) 4.34% 4.25% 3.60%
    TLAC (% RWA)(1) 29.7% 31.9% 22.31%
    TLAC (% leverage)(1) 8.0% 8.7% 6.75%
    MREL (% RWA)(1) 34.2% 33.7% 27.58%
    MREL (% leverage)(1) 9.2% 9.2% 6.23%
    End of period LCR 156% 160% >100%
    Period average LCR 145% 155% >100%
    NSFR 117% 119% >100%
    In EURbn 31/12/2024 31/12/2023
    Total consolidated balance sheet 1,574 1,554
    Shareholders’ equity (IFRS), Group share 70 66
    Risk-weighted assets 390 389
    O.w. credit risk 327 326
    Total funded balance sheet 952 970
    Customer loans 463 497
    Customer deposits 614 618

    At 31 December 2024, the parent company had issued EUR 43.2 billion in medium/long-term debt under its 2024 funding program. The subsidiaries had issued EUR 4.7 billion. In all, the Group has issued a total of EUR 47.9 billion.

    At 10 January 2025, the parent company 2025 funding program was executed at 47% for vanilla notes.

    The Group is rated by four rating agencies: (i) FitchRatings – long-term rating “A-”, stable outlook, senior preferred debt rating “A”, short-term rating “F1”; (ii) Moody’s – long-term rating (senior preferred debt) “A1”, negative outlook, short-term rating “P-1”; (iii) R&I – long-term rating (senior preferred debt) “A”, stable outlook; and (iv) S&P Global Ratings – long-term rating (senior preferred debt) “A”, stable outlook, short-term rating “A-1”.

    1. FRENCH RETAIL, PRIVATE BANKING AND INSURANCE
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income 2,267 1,963 +15.5% 8,657 8,053 +7.5%
    Of which net interest income 1,091 801 +36.2% 3,868 3,199 +20.9%
    Of which fees 1,028 948 +8.5% 4,108 3,975 +3.3%
    Operating expenses (1,672) (1,683) -0.7% (6,634) (6,756) -1.8%
    Gross operating income 596 280 x 2.1 2,024 1,297 +56.0%
    Net cost of risk (115) (163) -29.6% (712) (505) +41.0%
    Operating income 481 118 x 4.1 1,312 792 +65.6%
    Net profits or losses from other assets (2) 5 n/s 6 9 -35.1%
    Group net income 360 90 x 4.0 991 596 +66.2%
    RONE 9.1% 2.3%   6.3% 3.9%  
    Cost to income 73.7% 85.7%   76.6% 83.9%  

    Commercial activity

    SG Network, Private Banking and Insurance 

    The SG Network’s average outstanding deposits amounted to EUR 232 billion in Q4 24, down by -1% on Q4 23, with strong shift of inflows into investment products and savings life insurance.

    The SG Network’s average loan outstandings contracted by -4% vs. Q4 23 to EUR 194 billion, but -2.5% excluding PGE (state guaranteed loans). Outstanding loans to corporate and professional clients grew vs. Q3 24 excluding state guaranteed PGE loans, and individual clients lending experienced an increased commercial momentum.

    The average loan to deposit ratio came to 83.6% in Q4 24, down by 2.6 percentage points relative to Q4 23.

    Private Banking activities saw their assets under management12 maintain a record level of EUR 154 billion in Q4 24, up by +7% vs. Q4 23. Net gathering stood at EUR 6.3 billion in 2024, the annual net asset gathering pace (net new money divided by AuM) being at +4% in 2024. Net banking income came to EUR 348 million over the quarter, a decrease of -2% vs. Q4 23. It stands at EUR 1,469 million for 2024, unchanged from 2023.

    Insurance, which covers activities in and outside France, posted a very strong commercial performance. Life insurance outstandings increased sharply by +7% vs. Q4 23 to reach a record EUR 146 billion at                end-December 2024. The share of unit-linked products remained high at 40%. Savings Life insurance gross inflows amounted to EUR 3.4 billion in Q4 24, and EUR 18.3 billion for 2024, up by +42% vs. 2023.

    Personal protection and P&C premia were up by +3% vs. Q4 23 (+5% at constant perimeter).

    BoursoBank 

    BoursoBank’s growth momentum continued with more than 460K new clients in the fourth quarter of 2024. BoursoBank reached almost 7.2 million clients in December 2024, above 2024 target.

    Thanks notably to its comprehensive banking offer and recognized among the “Digital Leaders”13, the Bank has a low attrition rate (~3% in 2024), still down vs. 2023.

    BoursoBank continued its profitable growth trajectory in 2024 with a cost per client down by -17.0% vs. 2023 with an expanding client base, more than 1.3 million net clients over 12 months (+22.4% vs. 2023).

    Loans outstanding improved by +5.4% relative to Q4 23, at EUR 16 billion in Q4 24.

    Average outstanding in savings including deposits and financial savings were +15.5% higher vs. Q4 23 at EUR 64 billion. Deposits outstanding totalled EUR 39 billion in Q4 24, posting another strong increase of +15.4% vs. Q4 23, driven by interest-bearing savings. Average life insurance outstandings, at EUR 13 billion in Q4 24, rose by +10.2% vs. Q4 23 (o/w 48% in unit-lined products, +3.8 percentage points vs. Q4 23). The activity continued to register strong gross inflows over the quarter (+50.4% vs. Q4 23, 65% unit-linked products).

    For the second year in a row, BoursoBank recorded a positive contribution to Group net income in 2024.

    At end of 2025, BoursoBank aims to exceed 8 million clients.

    Net banking income

    Over the quarter, revenues amounted to EUR 2,267 million (including PEL/CEL provision), up by +15% compared with Q4 23 and up by +1% compared with Q3 24. Net interest income grew by +36% vs. Q4 23 and +3% vs. Q3 24. Fee income rose by +9% relative to Q4 23.

    Over the year, revenues reached EUR 8,657 million, up by +8% compared with 2023 (including PEL/CEL provision). Net interest income was up by +21% vs. 2023. Fees increased by +3% relative to 2023.

    Operating expenses

    Over the quarter, operating expenses came to EUR 1,672 million, down -1% compared to Q4 23. The cost-to-income ratio reached 73.7% in Q4 24 and improved by 12 percentage points vs. Q4 23.

    Over the year, operating expenses totalled EUR 6,634 million, decreasing by -2% vs. 2023.                                         The cost-to-income ratio stood at 76.6% and improved by 7.3 percentage points compared with 2023.

    Cost of risk

    Over the quarter, the cost of risk amounted to EUR 115 million, or 20 basis points, down compared with Q3 24 (30 basis points).

    Over the year, the cost of risk totalled EUR 712 million, or 30 basis points.

    Group net income

    Over the quarter, Group net income totalled EUR 360 million. RONE stood at 9.1% in Q4 24.

    Over the year, Group net income totalled EUR 991 million. RONE stood at 6.3% for the year.

    1. GLOBAL BANKING AND INVESTOR SOLUTIONS
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income 2,457 2,185 +12.4% +11.6%* 10,122 9,642 +5.0% +4.8%*
    Operating expenses (1,644) (1,601) +2.7% +2.0%* (6,542) (6,788) -3.6% -3.7%*
    Gross operating income 812 584 +39.0% +37.9%* 3,580 2,854 +25.4% +25.0%*
    Net cost of risk (97) (38) x 2.5 x 2.5* (126) (30) x 4.2 x 4.3*
    Operating income 715 546 +31.0% +30.1%* 3,455 2,824 +22.3% +21.9%*
    Group net income 627 467 +34.4% +33.0%* 2,788 2,280 +22.2% +21.7%*
    RONE 16.6% 12.2% +0.0% +0.0%* 18.4% 14.8% +0.0% +0.0%*
    Cost to income 66.9% 73.3% +0.0% +0.0%* 64.6% 70.4% +0.0% +0.0%*

    Net banking income

    Global Banking & Investor Solutions delivered an excellent fourth quarter, with revenues up by +12.4% compared with Q4 23, at EUR 2,457 million.

    Over 2024, revenues reached a record14 level of EUR 10,122 million, up by +5.0% vs. FY23, owing to excellent momentum across all business lines.

    Global Markets and Investor Services recorded a sharp rise in revenues over the quarter vs Q4 23 of +9.8% to EUR 1,493 million. Over 2024, they totalled EUR 6,557 million, up by +4.5% vs. FY 2023. This growth is the result of solid performance across all activities.

    Global Markets posted both a record fourth quarter and a record1 year with revenues, respectively, of EUR 1,332 million, up +9.5% vs. Q4 23, and EUR 5,884 million, up +5.6% vs. 2023, in a market environment that remains conducive.

    The Equities business delivered an excellent performance, with both a record year and fourth quarter. In Q4 24, revenues amounted to EUR 831 million, a steady increase of +10.0% vs. Q4 23, benefiting from a strong commercial dynamic post US elections especially in flow, listed products and financing activities. Over 2024, revenues increased sharply by +12.2% versus 2023 to EUR 3,569 million.

    Fixed Income and Currencies grew by +8.8% to EUR 501 million in Q4 24, thanks to a solid performance across all products, with an increased client engagement across Corporates and Financial Institutions following the impact of the US elections on rates and currencies. In addition, European rates and currencies franchise outperformed, together with solid secured financing opportunities in the Americas. Over 2024, revenues decreased slightly by -3.2% to EUR 2,315 million.

    Securities Services’ revenues were sharply up by +12.4% versus Q4 23 at EUR 162 million but increased by +4.8% excluding the impact of equity participations. The business continued to reap the benefit of a positive fee generation trend and robust momentum in fund distribution, especially in France and Italy. Over 2024, revenues were down by -4.0%, but up by +2.8% excluding equity participations. Assets under Custody and Assets under Administration amounted to EUR 4,921 billion and EUR 623 billion, respectively.

    The Financing and Advisory business posted revenues of EUR 964 million, up by +16.7% vs. Q4 23. Over 2024, revenues totalled EUR 3,566 million, up by +5.8% vs. 2023.

    The Global Banking & Advisory business grew steadily by +13.7% compared with Q4 23 with a double digit increase in fees vs. Q4 23 driven by strong origination and distribution volumes in Fund Financing and Structured Finance. The rebound in M&A and Advisory continued in the fourth quarter with a strong increase in revenues. This is the second best quarter ever in terms of revenues, close to record Q4 22. Over 2024, revenues grew by +3.2% vs. 2023.

    The Global Transaction & Payment Services business once again delivered an excellent performance compared with Q4 23. The sharp increase in revenues of +26.1% was driven by solid commercial momentum in all activities, as well as a high level of fee generation, led by a strong performance in correspondent banking. Over 2024, revenues saw a steady increase of +13.9%. This represents a record year and fourth quarter.

    Operating expenses

    Operating expenses came out to EUR 1,644 million for the quarter, including around EUR 32 million in transformation costs. They are up by +2.7% relative to Q4 23. The cost-to-income ratio came to 66.9% in Q4 24.

    Over 2024, operating expenses decreased by -3.6% compared with 2023 and the cost-to-income ratio came to 64.6%.

    Cost of risk

    Over the quarter, the cost of risk was EUR 97 million, or 24 basis points vs. 9 basis points in Q4 23.

    Over 2024, the cost of risk was EUR 126 million, or 8 basis points.

    Group net income

    Group net income recorded strong growth, up by +34.4% vs. Q4 23 to EUR 627 million. Over 2024, Group net income rose sharply by +22.2% to EUR 2,788 million.

    Global Banking and Investor Solutions reported significant RONE of 16.6% over the quarter and 18.4% over 2024.

    1. MOBILITY, INTERNATIONAL RETAIL BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income 2,056 2,016 +2.0% +6.7%* 8,458 8,507 -0.6% -3.8%*
    Operating expenses (1,240) (1,281) -3.2% +0.8%* (5,072) (4,760) +6.6% +1.7%*
    Gross operating income 816 734 +11.1% +17.0%* 3,386 3,747 -9.6% -10.9%*
    Net cost of risk (133) (137) -2.5% +2.2%* (705) (486) +45.1% +43.5%*
    Operating income 682 598 +14.2% +20.4%* 2,681 3,261 -17.8% -19.1%*
    Net income/expense from other assets (2) (12) +86.1% +84.3%* 96 (11) n/s n/s
    Non-controlling interests 203 152 +33.1% +39.6%* 826 826 -0.1% -7.1%*
    Group net income 314 284 +10.5% +16.1%* 1,270 1,609 -21.1% -20.0%*
    RONE 12.0% 11.0%     12.2% 16.6%    
    Cost to income 60.3% 63.6%     60.0% 56.0%    

    (2)()

    Commercial activity

    International Retail Banking

    International Retail Banking15 activity remained strong in Q4 24 with outstanding loans at EUR 59 billion, up by +3.4%* vs. Q4 23 and deposits at EUR 74 billion, up by +3.9%* vs. Q4 23.

    Europe continues to post good commercial performance for both entities in individual and corporate client segments. With EUR 43 billion in Q4 24, outstanding loans increased by 4.9%* vs. Q4 23, across segments in Romania and more particularly in home loans in the Czech Republic. Outstanding deposits totalled EUR 55 billion in Q4 24, up by +3.8%* vs. Q4 23, mostly driven by Romania.

    In the Africa, Mediterranean Basin and Overseas France network, outstanding loans were stable* vs. Q4 23, with EUR 16 billion in Q4 24, on the back of the good performance in retail. Outstanding deposits of EUR 20 billion in Q4 24 increased by 4.0%* vs. Q4 23, mainly driven by sight deposits in retail.

    Mobility and Financial Services

    Overall, Mobility and Financial Services maintained a good commercial performance.

    Ayvens’ earning assets totalled EUR 53.6 billion at end-December 2024, a +2.9% increase vs. end-December 2023.

    Consumer Finance posted outstandings of EUR 23 billion in Q4 24, still down by -4.0% vs. Q4 23.

    With EUR 15 billion in Q4 24, Equipment Finance outstandings slightly decreased by -1.4% vs. Q4 23.

    Net banking income

    Over the quarter, Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services’ revenues rose by +2.0% vs. Q4 23 to EUR 2,056 million in Q4 24.

    Over the year, revenues were stable compared with 2023 at EUR 8,458 million.

    International Retail Banking revenues reached EUR 1,029 million, up by +3.4%* vs. Q4 23. Over 2024, revenues amounted to EUR 4,161 million, up by 3.8%* vs. 2023.

    Revenues in Europe, which amounted to EUR 539 million in Q4 24, rose by +6.4%* vs. Q4 23, driven by the +3.5%* increase in net interest income for both KB in Czech Republic and BRD in Romania. Fee income increased strongly over the quarter in the Czech Republic, up by +29.5%* vs. Q4 23. Over 2024, revenues improved by +2.8%* vs. 2023 at EUR 2,028 million.

    The Africa, Mediterranean Basin and French Overseas network maintained a sustained level of revenues in Q4 24 of EUR 490 million, stable* vs. Q4 23, mainly driven by fee growth. Over 2024, revenues improved by +4.8%* vs. 2023 at EUR 2,133 million.

    Overall, revenues from Mobility and Financial Services were up by 8.3% vs. Q4 23 at EUR 1,026 million. They remained stable vs. 2023, at EUR 4,298 million in 2024.

    At Ayvens, net banking income stood at EUR 707 million in Q4 24, a sharp increase of +16,3% vs. Q4 23 as reported, and of +2.0% adjusted for non-recurring items16. The amount of margins stood at 541 basis points, generating revenues up +12%1 vs. T4-23. The used car sales markets are gradually normalising, as expected, with an average Used Car Sale (UCS) result per unit of EUR 1,2671 per unit this quarter, vs. EUR 1,4201 in Q3 24 and EUR 1,7061 in Q4 23. In 2024, Ayvens posted an increase in revenues of +1.2% vs. 2023 (at EUR 3,015 million), with an increase in underlying margins.

    The Consumer Finance entities posted revenues of EUR 216 million in Q4 24, still down by -4.2% vs. Q4 23. These are stabilizing from Q3 24, with an improvement in the margin for new production. Revenues from the Equipment Finance business was down this quarter by -9.3% vs. Q4 23, with EUR 103 million in Q4 24. In 2024, overall revenues for both businesses decreased by -4.0% vs. 2023.

    Operating expenses

    Over the quarter, operating expenses remained contained at EUR 1,240 million (-3.2% vs. Q4 23, stable* at constant perimeter and exchange rates). The cost-to-income ratio stood at 60.3% in Q4 24 vs. 63.6% in Q4 23.

    Over the year, operating expenses came to EUR 5,072 million, up by +6.6% vs. 2023. They include transformation costs of around EUR 200 million.

    International Retail Banking recorded an increase in costs of +4.8%* vs. Q4 23 (down by -2.1% at current perimeter and exchange rates, to EUR 577 million in Q4 24), still including the new bank tax in Romania, implemented since January 2024.

    Mobility and Financial Services costs reached EUR 663 million in Q4 24, down by -4.2% vs. Q4 23.

    Cost of risk

    Over the quarter, the cost of risk amounted to EUR 133 million or 32 basis points, which was considerably lower than in Q3 24 (48 basis points).

    Over the year, the cost of risk normalised to a level of 42 basis points, compared with 32 basis points in 2023.

    Group net income

    Over the quarter, Group net income came out to EUR 314 million, up by +10.5% vs. Q4 23. RONE stood at 12.0% in Q4 24. RONE was 16.3% in International Retail Banking, and 9.1% in Mobility and Financial Services in Q4 24.

    Over 2024, Group net income came out to EUR 1,270 million, down by -21.1% vs. 2023. RONE stood at 12.2% in 2024. RONE was 16.4% in International Retail Banking, and 9.4% in Mobility and Financial Services in 2024.

    1. CORPORATE CENTRE
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income (159) (207) +23.4% +24.4%* (450) (1,098) +59.0% +59.6%*
    Operating expenses (39) (101) -61.8% -61.8%* (224) (220) +1.6% +1.4%*
    Gross operating income (197) (308) +36.0% +36.5%* (674) (1,318) +48.9% +49.5%*
    Net cost of risk 7 (23) n/s n/s 12 (4) n/s n/s
    Net income/expense from other assets (7) (15) +51.3% +51.3%* (179) (111) -61.3% -61.4%*
    Income tax (37) (45) -17.9% -16.6%* 81 (130) n/s n/s
    Group net income (261) (412) +36.7% +37.0%* (848) (1,994) +57.5% +57.8%*

    The Corporate Centre includes:

    • the property management of the Group’s head office,
    • the Group’s equity portfolio,
    • the Treasury function for the Group,
    • certain costs related to cross-functional projects, as well as several costs incurred by the Group that are not re-invoiced to the businesses.

    Net banking income

    Over the quarter, the Corporate Centre’s net banking income totalled EUR -159 million, vs. EUR  – 207 million in Q4 23.

    Over the year, the Corporate Centre’s net banking income totalled EUR -450 million, vs. EUR – 1,098 million in 2023. It includes the booking in Q3 24 of exceptional proceeds received of approximately EUR 0.3 billion17.

    Operating expenses

    Over the quarter, operating expenses totalled EUR -39 million, vs. EUR -101 million in Q4 23.

    Over the year, operating expenses totalled EUR -224 million, vs. EUR -220 million in 2023.

    Net losses from other assets

    Pursuant notably to the application of IFRS 5, the Group booked in Q4 24 various impacts from ongoing disposals of assets.

    Group net income

    Over the quarter, the Corporate Centre’s Group net income totalled EUR -261 million, vs. EUR -412 million in Q4 23.

    Over the year, the Corporate Centre’s Group net income totalled EUR -848 million, vs. EUR -1,994 million in 2023.

    To be noted that starting from 2025, normative return to businesses will be based on a 13% capital allocation.

          8.   2024 AND 2025 FINANCIAL CALENDAR

    2025 Financial communication calendar
    April 30, 2025 First quarter 2025 results
    May 20, 2025 2024 Combined General Meeting
    May 26, 2025 Dividend detachment
    May 28, 2025 Dividend payment
    July 31, 2025 Second quarter and first half 2025 results
    October 30, 2025          Third quarter and nine months 2025 results
    The Alternative Performance Measures, notably the notions of net banking income for the pillars, operating expenses, cost of risk in basis points, ROE, ROTE, RONE, net assets and tangible net assets are presented in the methodology notes, as are the principles for the presentation of prudential ratios.

    This document contains forward-looking statements relating to the targets and strategies of the Societe Generale Group.

    These forward-looking statements are based on a series of assumptions, both general and specific, in particular the application of accounting principles and methods in accordance with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) as adopted in the European Union, as well as the application of existing prudential regulations.

    These forward-looking statements have also been developed from scenarios based on a number of economic assumptions in the context of a given competitive and regulatory environment. The Group may be unable to:

    – anticipate all the risks, uncertainties or other factors likely to affect its business and to appraise their potential consequences;

    – evaluate the extent to which the occurrence of a risk or a combination of risks could cause actual results to differ materially from those provided in this document and the related presentation.

    Therefore, although Societe Generale believes that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including matters not yet known to it or its management or not currently considered material, and there can be no assurance that anticipated events will occur or that the objectives set out will actually be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, overall trends in general economic activity and in Societe Generale’s markets in particular, regulatory and prudential changes, and the success of Societe Generale’s strategic, operating and financial initiatives.

    More detailed information on the potential risks that could affect Societe Generale’s financial results can be found in the section “Risk Factors” in our Universal Registration Document filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (which is available on https://investors.societegenerale.com/en).

    Investors are advised to take into account factors of uncertainty and risk likely to impact the operations of the Group when considering the information contained in such forward-looking statements. Other than as required by applicable law, Societe Generale does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements. Unless otherwise specified, the sources for the business rankings and market positions are internal.

          9.   APPENDIX 1: FINANCIAL DATA

    GROUP NET INCOME BY CORE BUSINESS

    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Variation 2024 2023 Variation
    French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance 360 90 x 4.0 991 596 +66.2%
    Global Banking and Investor Solutions 627 467 +34.4% 2,788 2,280 +22.2%
    Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services 314 284 +10.5% 1,270 1,609 -21.1%
    Core Businesses 1,301 841 +54.7% 5,048 4,486 +12.5%
    Corporate Centre (261) (412) +36.7% (848) (1,994) +57.5%
    Group 1,041 429 x 2.4 4,200 2,492 +68.6%

    MAIN EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS

    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 12M24 12M23
    Net Banking Income – Total exceptional items 0 41 287 (199)
    One-off legacy items – Corporate Centre 0 41 0 (199)
    Exceptional proceeds received – Corporate Centre 0 0 287 0
             
    Operating expenses – Total one-off items and transformation charges (76) (102) (613) (765)
    Transformation charges (76) (102) (613) (730)
    Of which French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance 7 18 (132) (312)
    Of which Global Banking & Investor Solutions (32) (64) (236) (167)
    Of which Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services (51) (56) (199) (251)
    Of which Corporate Centre 0 0 (47) 0
    One-off items 0 0 0 (35)
    Of which French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance 0 0 0 60
    Of which Global Banking & Investor Solutions 0 0 0 (95)
             
    Other one-off items – Total (7) (115) (74) (820)
    Net profits or losses from other assets (7) (15) (74) (112)
    Of which Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services 0 0 86 0
    Of which Corporate Centre (7) (15) (160) (112)
    Goodwill impairment – Corporate Centre 0 0 0 (338)
    Provision of Deferred Tax Assets – Corporate Centre 0 (100) 0 (370)

    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

    In EUR m   31/12/2024 31/12/2023
    Cash, due from central banks   201,680 223,048
    Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss   526,048 495,882
    Hedging derivatives   9,233 10,585
    Financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income   96,024 90,894
    Securities at amortised cost   32,655 28,147
    Due from banks at amortised cost   84,051 77,879
    Customer loans at amortised cost   454,622 485,449
    Revaluation differences on portfolios hedged against interest rate risk   (292) (433)
    Insurance and reinsurance contracts assets   615 459
    Tax assets   4,687 4,717
    Other assets   70,903 69,765
    Non-current assets held for sale   26,426 1,763
    Investments accounted for using the equity method   398 227
    Tangible and intangible fixed assets   61,409 60,714
    Goodwill   5,086 4,949
    Total   1,573,545 1,554,045
    In EUR m   31/12/2024 31/12/2023
    Due to central banks   11,364 9,718
    Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss   396,614 375,584
    Hedging derivatives   15,750 18,708
    Debt securities issued   162,200 160,506
    Due to banks   99,744 117,847
    Customer deposits   531,675 541,677
    Revaluation differences on portfolios hedged

    against interest rate risk

      (5,277) (5,857)
    Tax liabilities   2,237 2,402
    Other liabilities   90,786 93,658
    Non-current liabilities held for sale   17,079 1,703
    Insurance and reinsurance contracts liabilities   150,691 141,723
    Provisions   4,085 4,235
    Subordinated debts   17,009 15,894
    Total liabilities   1,493,957 1,477,798
    Shareholder’s equity  
    Shareholders’ equity, Group share  
    Issued common stocks and capital reserves   21,281 21,186
    Other equity instruments   9,873 8,924
    Retained earnings   33,863 32,891
    Net income   4,200 2,493
    Sub-total   69,217 65,494
    Unrealised or deferred capital gains and losses   1,039 481
    Sub-total equity, Group share   70,256 65,975
    Non-controlling interests   9,332 10,272
    Total equity   79,588 76,247
    Total   1,573,545 1,554,045

          10.    APPENDIX 2: METHODOLOGY

    1 –The financial information presented for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 was examined by the Board of Directors on February 5th, 2025 and has been prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted in the European Union and applicable at that date. The audit procedures carried out by the Statutory Auditors on the consolidated financial statements are in progress.

    2 – Net banking income

    The pillars’ net banking income is defined on page 42 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document. The terms “Revenues” or “Net Banking Income” are used interchangeably. They provide a normalised measure of each pillar’s net banking income taking into account the normative capital mobilised for its activity.

    3 – Operating expenses

    Operating expenses correspond to the “Operating Expenses” as presented in note 5 to the Group’s consolidated financial statements as at December 31st, 2023. The term “costs” is also used to refer to Operating Expenses. The Cost/Income Ratio is defined on page 42 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document.

    4 – Cost of risk in basis points, coverage ratio for non-performing loan outstandings

    The cost of risk is defined on pages 43 and 770 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document. This indicator makes it possible to assess the level of risk of each of the pillars as a percentage of balance sheet loan commitments, including operating leases.

    In EURm   Q4 24 Q4 23 2024 2023
    French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance Net Cost Of Risk 115 163 712 505
    Gross loan Outstandings 233,298 240,533 235,539 246,701
    Cost of Risk in bp 20 27 30 20
    Global Banking and Investor Solutions Net Cost Of Risk 97 38 126 30
    Gross loan Outstandings 160,551 168,799 162,749 169,823
    Cost of Risk in bp 24 9 8 2
    Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services Net Cost Of Risk 133 137 705 486
    Gross loan Outstandings 167,911 164,965 167,738 150,161
    Cost of Risk in bp 32 33 42 32
    Corporate Centre Net Cost Of Risk (7) 23 (12) 4
    Gross loan Outstandings 25,730 23,075 24,700 20,291
    Cost of Risk in bp (11) 40 (5) 2
    Societe Generale Group Net Cost Of Risk 338 361 1,530 1,025
    Gross loan Outstandings 587,490 597,371 590,725 586,977
    Cost of Risk in bp 23 24 26 17

    The gross coverage ratio for non-performing loan outstandings is calculated as the ratio of provisions recognised in respect of the credit risk to gross outstandings identified as in default within the meaning of the regulations, without taking account of any guarantees provided. This coverage ratio measures the maximum residual risk associated with outstandings in default (“non-performing loans”).

    5 – ROE, ROTE, RONE

    The notions of ROE (Return on Equity) and ROTE (Return on Tangible Equity), as well as their calculation methodology, are specified on pages 43 and 44 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document. This measure makes it possible to assess Societe Generale’s return on equity and return on tangible equity.
    RONE (Return on Normative Equity) determines the return on average normative equity allocated to the Group’s businesses, according to the principles presented on page 44 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document.
    Group net income used for the ratio numerator is the accounting Group net income adjusted for “Interest paid and payable to holders if deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation”. For ROTE, income is also restated for goodwill impairment.
    Details of the corrections made to the accounting equity in order to calculate ROE and ROTE for the period are given in the table below:

    ROTE calculation: calculation methodology

    End of period (in EURm) Q4 24 Q4 23 2024 2023
    Shareholders’ equity Group share 70,256 65,975 70,256 65,975
    Deeply subordinated and undated subordinated notes (10,526) (9,095) (10,526) (9,095)
    Interest payable to holders of deeply & undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation(1) (25) (21) (25) (21)
    OCI excluding conversion reserves 757 636 757 636
    Distribution provision(2) (1,740) (995) (1,740) (995)
    Distribution N-1 to be paid
    Equity end-of-period for ROE 58,722 56,500 58,722 56,500
    Average equity for ROE 58,204 56,607 57,223 56,396
    Average Goodwill(3) (4,192) (4,068) (4,108) (4,011)
    Average Intangible Assets (2,883) (3,188) (2,921) (3,143)
    Average equity for ROTE 51,129 49,351 50,194 49,242
             
    Group net Income 1,041 430 4,200 2,493
    Interest paid and payable to holders of deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation (199) (215) (720) (759)
    Cancellation of goodwill impairment 338
    Adjusted Group net Income 842 215 3,480 2,073
    ROTE 6.6% 1.7% 6.9% 4.2%

    181920

    RONE calculation: Average capital allocated to Core Businesses (in EURm)

    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    French Retail , Private Banking and Insurance 15,731 15,445 +1.9% 15,634 15,454 +1.2%
    Global Banking and Investor Solutions 15,129 15,247 -0.8% 15,147 15,426 -1.8%
    Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services 10,460 10,313 +1.4% 10,433 9,707 +7.5%
    Core Businesses 41,320 41,006 +0.8% 41,214 40,587 +1.5%
    Corporate Center 16,884 15,601 +8.2% 16,009 15,809 +1.3%
    Group 58,204 56,607 +2.8% 57,223 56,396 +1.5%

    6 – Net assets and tangible net assets

    Net assets and tangible net assets are defined in the methodology, page 45 of the Group’s 2024 Universal Registration Document. The items used to calculate them are presented below:
    2122

    End of period (in EURm) 2024 2023 2022
    Shareholders’ equity Group share 70,256 65,975 66,970
    Deeply subordinated and undated subordinated notes (10,526) (9,095) (10,017)
    Interest of deeply & undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation(1) (25) (21) (24)
    Book value of own shares in trading portfolio 8 36 67
    Net Asset Value 59,713 56,895 56,996
    Goodwill(2) (4,207) (4,008) (3,652)
    Intangible Assets (2,871) (2,954) (2,875)
    Net Tangible Asset Value 52,635 49,933 50,469
           
    Number of shares used to calculate NAPS(3) 796,498 796,244 801,147
    Net Asset Value per Share 75.0 71.5 71.1
    Net Tangible Asset Value per Share 66.1 62.7 63.0

    7 – Calculation of Earnings Per Share (EPS)

    The EPS published by Societe Generale is calculated according to the rules defined by the IAS 33 standard (see page 44 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document). The corrections made to Group net income in order to calculate EPS correspond to the restatements carried out for the calculation of ROE and ROTE.
    The calculation of Earnings Per Share is described in the following table:

    Average number of shares (thousands) 2024 2023 2022
    Existing shares 801,915 818,008 845,478
    Deductions      
    Shares allocated to cover stock option plans and free shares awarded to staff 4,402 6,802 6,252
    Other own shares and treasury shares 2,344 11,891 16,788
    Number of shares used to calculate EPS(4) 795,169 799,315 822,437
    Group net Income (in EUR m) 4,200 2,493 1,825
    Interest on deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes (in EUR m) (720) (759) (596)
    Adjusted Group net income (in EUR m) 3,480 1,735 1,230
    EPS (in EUR) 4.38 2.17 1.50

    2324
    8 – The Societe Generale Group’s Common Equity Tier 1 capital is calculated in accordance with applicable CRR2/CRD5 rules. The fully loaded solvency ratios are presented pro forma for current earnings, net of dividends, for the current financial year, unless specified otherwise. When there is reference to phased-in ratios, these do not include the earnings for the current financial year, unless specified otherwise. The leverage ratio is also calculated according to applicable CRR2/CRD5 rules including the phased-in following the same rationale as solvency ratios.

    9 – Funded balance sheet, loan to deposit ratio

    The funded balance sheet is based on the Group financial statements. It is obtained in two steps:

    • A first step aiming at reclassifying the items of the financial statements into aggregates allowing for a more economic reading of the balance sheet. Main reclassifications:

    Insurance: grouping of the accounting items related to insurance within a single aggregate in both assets and liabilities.
    Customer loans: include outstanding loans with customers (net of provisions and write-downs, including net lease financing outstanding and transactions at fair value through profit and loss); excludes financial assets reclassified under loans and receivables in accordance with the conditions stipulated by IFRS 9 (these positions have been reclassified in their original lines).
    Wholesale funding: Includes interbank liabilities and debt securities issued. Financing transactions have been allocated to medium/long-term resources and short-term resources based on the maturity of outstanding, more or less than one year.
    Reclassification under customer deposits of the share of issues placed by French Retail Banking networks (recorded in medium/long-term financing), and certain transactions carried out with counterparties equivalent to customer deposits (previously included in short term financing).
    Deduction from customer deposits and reintegration into short-term financing of certain transactions equivalent to market resources.

    • A second step aiming at excluding the contribution of insurance subsidiaries, and netting derivatives, repurchase agreements, securities borrowing/lending, accruals and “due to central banks”.

    The Group loan/deposit ratio is determined as the division of the customer loans by customer deposits as presented in the funded balance sheet.

    NB (1) The sum of values contained in the tables and analyses may differ slightly from the total reported due to rounding rules.
    (2) All the information on the results for the period (notably: press release, downloadable data, presentation slides and supplement) is available on Societe Generale’s website:
    www.societegenerale.com in the “Investor” section.

    Societe Generale

    Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with more than 126,000 employees serving about 25 million clients in 65 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective – to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders.

    The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients:

    • French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance, with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank.
    • Global Banking and Investor Solutions, a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG.
    • Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities.

    Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe).

    For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com.


    1 Based on the number of shares in circulation at 31 December 2024 excluding own shares, subject to usual approvals from the General Meeting
    2 Reported Group net income, after deduction of interest on deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes, restated from non-cash items that have no impact on CET1 ratio
    3 Excluding assets sold
    4 Ratio calculated according to EBA methodology published on 16 July 2019
    5 Ratio excluding loans outstanding of companies currently being disposed of in compliance with IFRS 5 (in particular Société Générale Equipment Finance, SG Marocaine de Banques and La Marocaine Vie)
    6 Ratio of S3 provisions, guarantees and collaterals over gross outstanding non-performing loans
    7 The share buyback programme and the subsequent capital reduction, aim also, and in priority, at fully offsetting the dilutive impact of the future capital increase as part of the next Group Employee Share Ownership Plan, the principle of which was adopted by the Board of Directors on February 5, 2025
    8 Scopes 1 & 2 of corporate clients’ financed emissions
    9Target: -80% upstream exposure reduction by 2030 vs. 2019, with an intermediary step in 2025 at -50% vs. 2019
    10 The target is to have at least 35% of women executives by 2026
    11Including IFRS 9 phasing
    12France and International (including Switzerland and the United Kingdom)
    13 Banking App #1 in France and #2 worldwide based on Sia Partners International Mobile Banking Benchmark in October 2024
    14 At comparable business model in the post Global Financial Crisis (GFC) regulatory regime

    15 Including entities reported under IFRS 5, excluding entities sold in Morocco and Madagascar in December 2024
    16 Excluding non-recurring items on either margins or UCS (mainly linked to fleet revaluation at EUR 107m in Q4 23 vs. EUR 0m in Q4 24, prospective depreciation at EUR -191m in Q4 23 vs. EUR -87m in Q4 24, hyperinflation in Turkey at EUR -27m in Q4 23 vs. EUR -40m in Q4 24 and MtM of derivatives at EUR -137m in Q4 23 vs. EUR -2m in Q4 24)

    17 As stated in Q2 24 results press release
    18 Interest net of tax
    19 Based on the 2024 proposed distribution, subject to usual approvals of the General Meeting
    20 Excluding goodwill arising from non-controlling interests
    21 Interest net of tax
    22 Excluding goodwill arising from non-controlling interests
    23 The number of shares considered is the number of ordinary shares outstanding at the end of the period, excluding treasury shares and buybacks, but including the trading shares held by the Group (expressed in thousand of shares)
    24 The number of shares considered is the average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding treasury shares and buybacks, but including the trading shares held by the Group

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Lankford, Kaine, and Tillis reintroduce bipartisan resolution supporting international religious freedom

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced a bipartisan resolution to express support for international religious freedom as a fundamental right and a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy amid concern over increased attacks on religious freedom worldwide. This effort is cosponsored by Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). This bill was previously introduced in the 118th Congress.

    In just the past two years, there have been thousands of incidents where religious freedom was violated around the world, including violence against Rohingya Muslims in Burma, attacks on Uyghurs in China, and persecution of clergy by Russians in Ukraine, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). In 2023, USCIRF identified more than 2,200 individuals—Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs alike—targeted by 27 different countries and entities for their religious beliefs. As of 2024, there are 96 countries with legislation criminalizing blasphemy used to enforce arbitrary limitations on religious freedoms. 

    The resolution urges the State Department to expand its support for religious freedom around the world as threats and violence worsen. This effort would leverage all diplomatic and sanctions tools available to hold violators of religious freedom accountable and would encourage the State Department to promote religious freedom as a central tenet of U.S. foreign policy implementation.

    “As Co-Chair of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, I have fiercely defended the religious freedom of all Americans, but our work can’t stop at home,” said Senator Coons. “Whether you’re a member of a religious minority or a non-believer, far too many people around the world are unfairly targeted and even persecuted for their beliefs and practices. I’m proud to once again lead this bipartisan effort to highlight the importance of promoting religious freedom for our nation’s foreign policy and standing.”

    “The fundamental right of every person to have a faith, live your faith, change your faith, or have no faith at all must be recognized throughout the world. Countries like China, Russia, and Iran continue to target and persecute citizens for living this most basic freedom. The United States must continue its international leadership to defend religious freedom, which is why we are reaffirming our commitment to fight for religious freedom around the world,” said Senator Lankford.

    “In 1786, the Virginia General Assembly passed a statute instituting religious freedom in the Commonwealth, establishing the basis of religious freedom for the whole of the United States. Today, individuals throughout the world who live in countries where religious freedom is threatened or non-existent see the U.S. as a beacon of hope that people of all beliefs can live in the same neighborhoods, attend the same schools, and work side by side,” said Senator Kaine. “Amid the horrifying rise in attacks on faith-based communities, I’m joining my colleagues in sending a clear message that we must work together to protect religious freedom in every corner of the globe.”

    “The United States must maintain our steadfast commitment to standing up for religious liberty,” said Senator Tillis. “This resolution expresses our unwavering support for victims of religious persecution and reaffirms our support for safeguarding religious freedom worldwide.”

    The full text of this resolution is available here.

    Senator Coons and Senator Tillis are Co-Chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Joins Senate Democrats To Speak Out Against Russell Vought’s Nomination To Lead OMB

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 05, 2025

    Durbin: Placing Mr. Vought in charge of OMB would be irresponsible

    WASHINGTON  U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senate Democrats in speaking out against President Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russell Vought. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin outlined why Mr. Vought is unfit for the job, including his actions as Director of OMB during the first Trump administration and his part in crafting Project 2025— a policy proposal written by a conservative think tank outlining a sweeping, extreme vision forAmerica.

    “Mr. Vought has been nominated by President Trump to run this agency… its job is to oversee federal agencies and administer the federal budget. Most of the time, when we are called on to evaluate nominations, we do our best to take a look and review the nominee’s qualifications and experience,” Durbin said. “But for Mr. Vought, there is no need for imagination. He already has served as Director of OMB during the last half of President Trump’s first term in office, and I believe he proved who he was in that period of time.”

    Durbin continued, “When he served as Director of OMB during President Trump’s first term, Mr. Vought illegally refused to release hundreds of millions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine and delayed $20 billion in disaster aid for Puerto Rico… And when he left that role, Mr. Vought went on to become a key architect of ‘Project 2025’—a policy proposal written by a conservative a think tank outlining a sweeping, extreme vision for America’s future. Project 2025 included policies to consolidate power in the executive branch and undermine critical services that the federal government provides to the American families.”

    During his speech, Durbin also slammed the Trump Administration for their decision to issue an OMB memo last week to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement” of trillions of dollars of Federal financial assistance, which caused mass confusion about the funding and operations of hundreds of government-funded programs ranging from Medicaid, to Head Start, to Violence Against Women Act grants.

    Shortly before the federal funding freeze was set to begin, U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. Alikhan, who was confirmed under Durbin’s tenure as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, temporarily blocked the move by the Trump Administration. Another judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking President Trump’s measure. The Trump Administration rescinded the memo but claimed that the federal funding freeze would still take place. 

    “This latest attempt to put a sweeping freeze on federal funds is far from the first time Mr. Vought has broken the law and undermined Congress’s power of the purse that is set forth in the Constitution. It is clear from Mr. Vought’s comments and actions that he has contempt for Congress as a co-equal branch of government,” Durbin said. “It is appalling that so many of my Republican Senate friends voted to advance his nomination as he actively attempts to strip Congress of our Congressional authorities.”

    Durbin continued, “We [Democrats] are not opposing Mr. Vought solely because he poses a threat to our ability to do our jobs in Congress. Mr. Vought has made it clear that he is targeting working families across the country. Both in his previous tenure as OMB Director and in policy proposals, Mr. Vought has proposed budget cuts that slash the social safety net for resources for tax cuts for the wealthy.”

    Durbin concluded, “To my Republican colleagues—for the sake of the institution in which we work, the constituents we were elected to serve, and the constitutional foundations of our nation, please don’t vote for Mr. Vought. Maya Angelou once said: ‘When someone shows you who they are…believe them the first time.’ Well, from his tenure running OMB to his authorship of Project 2025, Mr. Vought has shown us exactly who he is and what he believes. He is a man with little respect for the Constitution and limited understanding of the plight of real working Americans. Giving Mr. Vought the reins of OMB is an invitation to a policy battle at the expense of our Constitution.”

    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Reusable rockets, air taxis and ‘autonomous autos’ are the future: WIPO

    Source: United Nations 4

    Economic Development

    Air taxis, “autonomous autos” and reusable rockets are just some of the future transport solutions that inventors all over the world are striving to make a reality, while patents for combustion engines are “flatlining”, the UN intellectual property agency (WIPO) said on Thursday.

    Latest information gleaned from patent filings featuring in WIPO’s Technology Trends report on the Future of Transportation, offers a tempting glimpse of a not-so distant and enticing future where there’s less traffic pollution, fewer snarl-ups and air travel to the other side of the world – made possible in just a few hours.

    Analysis of patents shows that inventors are working hard to ensure that how we get around tomorrow is cleaner and better than today,” maintained WIPO, which said that patent filings for future transportation solutions have grown by 700 per cent over the last two decades, from 15,000 inventions in 2003 to 120,000 in 2023.

    Autonomous ships and smart ports are revolutionizing transportation at sea; electric vehicles, high-speed trains and smart traffic management systems are driving change on land,” WIPO insisted.

    “Vertical take-off and landing aircraft are offering new ways to travel by air, while reusable rockets and satellite technology are pushing what is possible beyond the earth’s atmosphere.”

    Driving this trend is the recognition that transportation accounts for more than one-third of CO2 emissions globally, which has encouraged the development of sustainable technologies that reduce the environmental impact of transportation.

    These include the adoption of electrified propulsion, the shift to renewable energy sources and the promotion of public and shared transport options.

    Digitalization is also revolutionizing the transportation sector, WIPO insists, pointing to the rise of autonomous driving, “which is projected to generate from $300 billion to $400 billion in revenue by 2035”.

    Patently true

    According to the Geneva-based UN agency, intellectual property supports this kind of groundbreaking innovation – such as wireless charging for electric vehicles – by encouraging investment in research and development.

    Competition is fierce as firms jostle for access to rare earth minerals, while AI is also taking centre stage, WIPO says.

    “The report also shows flatlining growth in patenting activity for legacy products like the internal combustion engine and other fossil fuel-based systems” such as catalytic converters, the UN agency noted.

    Its data indicated that more than 1.1 million inventions have reshaped transportation since 2000, introducing the prospect of sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based systems such as renewable energy cells, air taxis and self-piloting cargo ships.

    In the driver’s seat of this travel transformation are China, Japan, the US, South Korea and Germany, which represent the world’s top inventors. Land transportation patents dominate global filings, at 3.5 times more than for air, sea and space combined. The US, meanwhile, has filed the most international patents.

    The largest area of growth in patenting is related to sustainable propulsion – such as batteries for electric vehicles or hydrogen fuel cells – which represent efforts to ensure that people and goods are moved around in a “cleaner, more climate-friendly fashion”.

    Experts with an eye on imaginative transport solutions for the future say that AI is also poised to play a key role. They point to the rise of autonomous driving, although infrastructure has not adapted swiftly enough for such vehicles to take over, the WIPO report notes.

    Drone dilemma

    The scarcity of minerals, meanwhile, will determine whether the world can massively adopt electric cars – vehicles that report co-author Christopher Harrison says may not be miracle solutions for private owners.

    “Having these rare and limited raw earth minerals in an electric vehicle for personal use that’s been utilized only a few per cent of the day is not an effective use of those tools,” he told journalists.

    In the air sector, drones will continue their sky-high ascension.

    I would not like to look up at a sky full of drones delivering pizzas or a pair of gloves to my house and causing visual and noise pollution,” said Robert Garbett, the founder of Drone Major Group, cited in the WIPO report.

    “If a delivery is to a remote location that is really hard to get to, people will be more likely to accept it as a beneficial solution,” he added, citing emergency medicine as an example.

    According to WIPO, transport patent growth in China has been strong given its recent dominance of the electric vehicle market. But other countries have also contributed with strong patent filings activity including Sweden, Italy, India and Canada.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Actor David Tennant has an extra toe. Two anatomists explain what’s so fascinating about polydactyly

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Meyer, Senior Lecturer, Anatomy and Pathology, James Cook University

    A common anatomical variation is being born with more than ten fingers or more than ten toes.

    Former Doctor Who actor David Tennant this week confirmed he has 11 toes. He says he was born with an extra toe on his right foot, meaning he has polydactyly.

    Here’s how this anatomical variation occurs, and how common it really is.

    Let’s start in the womb

    The term polydactyly is derived from the Greek poly (meaning many) and dactyly (referring to fingers or toes or digits). To understand it, we need to start with how an embryo develops in the womb.

    Developing hands and feet start as limb buds, which look like little flat paddles. But with polydactyly, an extra finger or toe grows from the limb bud.

    Based on the research literature, about one in 700–1,000 people born have polydactyly. Having an extra finger on the side of your little finger or having an extra toe on the side of your little toe is the most common form.

    If the extra digit doesn’t have bone, or has poor muscle connections to the hand or foot, it won’t work. So it is usually cut off or tied off with a suture (specialised medical string) straight after you are born.

    This newborn baby has one of the most common form of polydactyly – an extra little finger.
    Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock

    Less commonly, people are born with double thumb tips or an extra thumb. Seeing as we use our thumbs so often, an orthopaedic surgeon may need to remove the extra bones to improve use of the thumb.

    The rarest type of polydactyly affects the fourth finger (ring finger) or the second toe (next to your big toe).

    Does it run in families?

    Ten known syndromes (groups of associated symptoms) are linked to polydactyly: Bardet-Biedl, McKusick-Kaufman, Carpenter, Saethre-Chotzen, Poland, Greig cephalosyndactyly, short-rib, Pallister-Hall, Triphalangeal thumb and Smith-Lemli-Opitz. Many of these are rare syndromes people are born with, usually affect the head and upper limbs, and will have been diagnosed by a paediatrician early in life.

    If you have polydactyly and you don’t have one of those syndromes, it means you inherited a dominant mutated gene from your ancestors. In other words, one of your parents would have passed this on to you when you were conceived.

    Tennant does not appear to have any of these syndromes. So we can probably presume he inherited a mutated copy of a gene related to his polydactyly from one of his parents.

    How about webbed fingers and toes?

    Another common anatomical variation is when people have fused or “webbed” fingers or toes, known as syndactyly. This term comes from syn (meaning together with) and dactyly (referring to fingers or toes).

    Syndactyly also arises in the womb. When individual fingers and toes develop from the paddle-like limb buds, cells in between the growing fingers and toes have to die and disappear. But if the cells don’t die and disappear, they can cause webbing or fusing.

    This child has webbed or fused fingers, known as syndactyly.
    JorgeMRodrigues/Shutterstock

    Based on the medical literature, about one in 2,000–3,000 people born have syndactyly. So it’s about three times less common than polydactyly.

    There are nine different types of syndactyly, and 11 syndromes associated with it. Eight of the syndromes are also associated with polydactyly. The other three are Apert and Pfeiffer syndromes, and acrocephalosyndactyly.

    For most types of syndactyly you only have to inherit one mutated copy of the gene from one parent to get the variation.

    American actor Ashton Kutcher looks to have syndactyly, with his skin fused to the first joint between his second and third toes.

    In a nutshell

    You might be surprised how common anatomical variations are in your fingers and toes, whether that’s having an extra digit, like Tennant, or fused ones, like Kutcher.

    But these are just a few examples of the rich diversity of variation in our anatomy, some of which are visible, some not.




    Read more:
    A man lived to old age without knowing he may have had 3 penises


    Amanda Meyer is affiliated with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists, the American Association for Anatomy, and the Global Neuroanatomy Network.

    Alexandra Trollope 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. Actor David Tennant has an extra toe. Two anatomists explain what’s so fascinating about polydactyly – https://theconversation.com/actor-david-tennant-has-an-extra-toe-two-anatomists-explain-whats-so-fascinating-about-polydactyly-249139

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI China: US proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza condemned in Mideast

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Displaced people are seen on their way home to the north of the Gaza Strip, near al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, on Jan. 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Middle East governments and regional leaders on Wednesday roundly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Washington could assume control of Gaza and relocate Palestinians, calling the proposal a breach of international law and a threat to longstanding efforts toward a two-state solution.

    Trump floated the idea during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, stating that the U.S. would “take over the Gaza Strip” and redevelop it, though he offered no specifics on resettling Palestinians.

    “We’re going to develop it, create thousands of jobs, and it’ll be something the entire Middle East can be proud of,” he said.

    In a statement, the Arab League (AL) rejected Trump’s proposal, saying it violates international law and threatens regional stability. The AL reaffirmed that the Palestinian issue remains subject to Arab consensus, emphasizing that one of its key principles is ensuring the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to establish an independent state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

    Trump’s proposal “does not contribute to achieving the two-state solution, which represents the only way to bring peace and security between Palestinians and Israelis, and in the entire region,” the pan-Arab body said.

    Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the Gaza proposal “unacceptable” and fundamentally flawed. “Even considering such a plan is wrong,” Fidan told the semi-official Anadolu Agency in an interview. “We oppose all initiatives that seek to exclude the people of Gaza from the equation in the region. The idea of displacement is neither acceptable for the region nor for us.”

    Fidan also emphasized Turkey’s firm stance on Palestinian rights, rejecting any efforts to remove Hamas from Gaza’s reconstruction and governance.

    The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement Wednesday, reaffirming that Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is non-negotiable. “The country will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,” the statement read.

    “Achieving lasting and just peace is impossible without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions, as has been previously clarified to both the former and current U.S. administrations,” it added.

    In a meeting in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa urged the continuation of efforts to recover Gaza without forcing Palestinians to leave the enclave, especially as they remain determined to stay. Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s support for Palestinian rights, stressing the need for a fair, permanent political solution based on the two-state framework to end cycles of violence.

    Jordan’s King Abdullah II, in a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, also rejected any attempts to annex land or displace Palestinians. “We reaffirm the necessity of achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, which will lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders,” the statement from Jordan’s Royal Hashemite Court said. The king also reiterated Jordan’s support for the Palestinian people in securing their legitimate rights.

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced Wednesday its strong rejection of the idea of forcibly relocating Palestinians. The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement that any efforts to displace Palestinians are unacceptable and violate their fundamental rights. The UAE reiterated its support for a two-state solution, emphasizing that the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state is essential for achieving long-term peace and stability in the region.

    Meanwhile, Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said the organization “categorically rejects all calls to displace our people from their homeland.” He stated that the two-state solution, based on international law, remains the only viable path to peace and stability. “We were born here, we have lived here, and we will remain here.”

    Strongly condemning and rejecting Trump’s remarks, Hamas said in a press statement that such rhetoric would escalate tensions in the region and aims to forcibly remove the Palestinian people from their land while justifying U.S. and Israeli control over Gaza. Hamas vowed that neither it nor the Palestinian people would allow any foreign power to impose guardianship over Gaza.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia, Ukraine swap 300 prisoners of war

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Russia and Ukraine have swapped 300 prisoners of war in their latest swap mediated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Russian defense ministry said Wednesday.

    The released Russian soldiers are receiving medical care in Belarus and will soon return to Russia, according to the ministry.

    Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 150 Ukrainians had returned home from Russia as part of the swap.

    Zelensky thanked the UAE for its mediation.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Unambitious and undermined: why NZ’s latest climate pledge lacks the crucial ‘good faith’ factor

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato

    New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister Simon Watts speaking during the the recent climate summit in Azerbaijan. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    The announcement of New Zealand’s new climate pledge under the Paris Agreement was met with sharp criticism last week.

    The agreement commits nations to provide a new pledge, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) every five years. But it also requires each pledge to be a “progression beyond” the previous one.

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced New Zealand would commit to reducing emissions by 51-55% below 2005 levels by 2035, which is only 1-5% above the current NDC of a 50% cut by 2030.

    Technically, the new NDC represents a progression, albeit the smallest possible one. It was criticised as underwhelming and unambitious to combat climate change, raising the question whether the coalition government has done enough to comply with its international obligations.

    The commitments of each member nation should align with the Paris Agreement’s purpose to hold global average temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to keep it at 1.5°C.

    But the agreement also requires that each country’s NDC reflects its “highest possible ambition, reflecting its common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances”.

    Does the government’s announcement to step up emissions cuts by as little as 1% really represent New Zealand’s highest possible ambition in present circumstances?

    In October last year, looking specifically at New Zealand’s potential domestic contribution to the new NDC, the Climate Change Commission advised that emissions cuts of 66% could be achieved without shrinking the economy.

    This excludes potential additional cuts achieved through offshore mitigation – paying for overseas carbon credits or funding other countries to reduce their greenhouse emissions.

    Clearly, deeper cuts are possible and there is room for significantly greater ambition.

    The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit climate change impacts by holding temperature rise well below 2°C.
    Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

    Bare minimum commitment

    Even if the new NDC meets a minimal requirement for compliance, it is difficult to see how it adheres to the purpose of the Paris Agreement and the level of ambition required.

    New Zealand’s NDC falls short of the commitments offered by other comparable countries and even some developing nations, including the oil and gas producer Brazil, which pledged to cut its emissions by 59-67% by 2035.

    International law has long been guided by the principle of pacta sunt servanda, which translates to “agreements must be kept”. The principle reminds parties to any agreement or convention that all international obligations should be fulfilled in good faith.

    Viewing New Zealand’s new NDC in the context of other recent decisions, it seems the coalition government may be pursuing policies that could undermine climate action while pledging the bare minimum internationally. This would be difficult to characterise as a party acting in good faith.

    Immediately following the new NDC announcement, Resources Minister Shane Jones unveiled New Zealand’s national minerals strategy, along with a list of critical minerals.
    These documents support the government’s goal to double exports from the mineral sector by 2035.

    Despite reassurance in the strategy that minerals production will not come at the expense of our environment, it includes plans to scale up exports of metallurgical coal. But mining more of this coal, then burning it (usually in the process of steelmaking), will add to greenhouse gas emissions.

    Wider concerns about the likely environmental damage and biodiversity loss linked with fast-tracked mining operations continue to be raised.

    Meeting trade obligations

    Last year’s decision to postpone the entry of agriculture into New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme without a robust alternative means that agricultural emissions continue to avoid effective regulation.

    Even recent measures to allow increased road speed limits have been criticised for increasing greenhouse gas emissions as well as worsening air quality and reducing road safety.

    Despite Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s claim to be “all about yes” even on climate change, such decisions are difficult to square with a responsible party to the Paris Agreement acting in good faith.

    The Paris Agreement is clear that emissions pledges are not imposed but are to be determined nationally. The agreement itself lacks an enforcement mechanism, but recently agreed trade deals with the European Union and with the United Kingdom both contain binding and enforceable commitments to the agreement.

    This is a reminder that trading partners are already monitoring New Zealand’s climate actions. Consumer attitudes and trade obligations might become a more powerful lever for climate action in the future. No government should ignore this.

    As the US administration begins to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, now more than ever is the time for other countries to stay focused on its purpose and to match national commitments accordingly.

    Without an NDC in line with the Paris goal, New Zealand’s government is not sending the right message to New Zealanders or to our trading partners and neighbours. It is failing to show international and regional leadership at a time when many Pacific nations are on the frontline of climate-related risk and damage.

    Nathan Cooper 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. Unambitious and undermined: why NZ’s latest climate pledge lacks the crucial ‘good faith’ factor – https://theconversation.com/unambitious-and-undermined-why-nzs-latest-climate-pledge-lacks-the-crucial-good-faith-factor-248877

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Votes NO On Advancing Trump’s Pick to Lead Commerce Department

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.05.25

    Cantwell Votes NO On Advancing Trump’s Pick to Lead Commerce Department

    Lutnick supports Trump’s tariffs & waffled on his commitment to allocate chips funding & preserve NOAA; In WA state, every 2 in 5 jobs are tied to trade

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, voted against advancing Howard Lutnick, President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the Department of Commerce, to the full Senate for consideration.

    In a committee markup today, Sen. Cantwell expressed her concerns with Lutnick’s support for President Trump’s proposed tariffs. She also pointed to Lutnick’s failure to commit to fully allocating the funds approved by Congress under the Cantwell-led CHIPS & Science Act, as well as his waffling on whether he’d protect NOAA – including NOAA’s crucial missions and functions, and the workforce delivering those services to the American people.

    Sen. Cantwell had previously questioned Lutnick on these topics in a committee hearing last week – video of that hearing is HERE.

    ON TRADE & TARIFFS

    “Tariffs and trade wars are a major problem for my state, where two out of every five jobs are tied to trade-related industries,” Sen. Cantwell said in today’s committee meeting. “The Commerce [nominee] has said he’s advocating for the president’s policy [that] would cost my constituents $5 billion or more. We need a secretary that understands that these products and these issues need coalition building, not throwing down gauntlets that will lose jobs for my farmers.”

    Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for the United States to repudiate the trade philosophy of Trump — whose proposed 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariff on goods from China would spark a trade war, drive up costs for American consumers, harm domestic businesses across hundreds of industries, and compromise the United States’ global leadership in the free trade ecosystem. A video of that speech is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and related industries. In 2023, the state imported $19.9 billion of goods from Canada – primarily oil, gas, lumber, and electrical power — making our northern neighbors Washington state’s largest trade partner. Also in 2023, the state imported $1.7 billion in goods from Mexico, including motor vehicles, vehicle parts, and household appliances. More information about how President Trump’s proposed tariffs will impact businesses and consumers in the State of Washington is HERE.

    ON CHIPS & SCIENCE FUNDING

    “Over the last four years, there has been much investment in infrastructure [for] manufacturing that this committee has supported. Semiconductor expansion — $450 billion right here in the United States, thanks to the CHIPS & Science Act — and Mr. Lutnick, in various answers to various members of the committee, did not give a full commitment to making sure this money continues to go out the door,” Sen. Cantwell said in today’s committee meeting.

    Sen. Cantwell was the main architect and key negotiator of the CHIPS & Science Act. In her position as Commerce chair, she was instrumental in securing the science R&D funding authorizations in the 11th hour of negotiations. A key component of the legislation is the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) program that was authored by Sen. Cantwell to strengthen U.S. economic and national security with investments in regions across the country. Earlier this month, the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center (AAMMC) in Spokane was awarded $48 million from the program to establish the first-of-its-kind testbed facility in the United States focused on developing advanced thermoplastic materials – new types of lightweight, heat-moldable, and recyclable materials that can replace metal in aircraft parts. The AAMMC will serve as the nation’s hub for creating and testing these innovative materials that are essential for more rapidly building fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft. 

    ON DISMANTLING NOAA

    “[NOAA] makes up more than 60% of the Commerce budget. When asked for the record if NOAA should be dismantled, as called for in [Project 2025], Mr. Lutnick would only say, if confirmed, he would figure it out. Given how central NOAA is for providing accurate weather forecasting, managing our fisheries, protecting our fishermen from Russian and Chinese illegal fishing, I was looking for a stronger commitment,” Sen. Cantwell said today.

    Project 2025 calls for NOAA to be “dismantled and many of its functions eliminated,” calling it part of the “climate change alarm industry.” NOAA provides critical services to the Nation including weather forecasts, extreme storm tracking and monitoring, tools to enable communities to adapt to sea level rise and climate change, supporting fisheries management, and conserving marine mammals and other protected species.

    Sen. Cantwell is a champion of NOAA and helped secure $3.3 billion in NOAA investments in the Inflation Reduction Act to help communities prepare for and adapt to climate change, boost science needed to understand changing weather and climate patterns, and invest in advanced computer technologies that are critical for extreme weather prediction and emergency response. Her Fire Ready Nation Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen NOAA’s ability to help forecast, prevent, and fight wildfires, passed the Commerce committee unanimously today and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks on her Lutnick vote is HERE; audio is HERE; and a transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: One Year from Expiration of New START Nuclear Treaty, Sen. Markey Introduces Resolution to Avoid New Arms Race with Russia and China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Resolution Text (PDF)

    Washington (February 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senate co-chair of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, today introduced a resolution to recommit the United States to arms control agreements to prevent a new nuclear arms race, one year before the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia will expire. Unless a new agreement is in place by early 2026, there will be no legal limits on U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces, reversing decades of work to reduce the risk of nuclear war. Representatives Bill Foster (IL-11), John Garamendi (CA-08), and Don Beyer (VA-08) are leading the resolution in the House. Reps. Garamendi and Beyer are the House co-chairs of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group.

    “The Trump administration has an historic opportunity to initiate high-level talks for a new pact and prevent a dangerous and costly nuclear arms race,” said Senator Markey. “I urge President Trump to work with Russia to replace New START and to talk with China about arms control. We are just one year away from losing New START and with it, all legal limits on Russian nuclear forces. There is no time to wait.”

    “As a physicist, preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons has always been one of my top priorities,” said Representative Foster. “Russia’s suspension of the New START Treaty and Putin’s rhetoric about the potential use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine should have the entire international community on high alert and should serve as the impetus for us to pursue substantive nuclear arms control dialogue. American leadership is desperately needed to prevent escalation and avoid an unrestrained nuclear arms race.”

    “For far too long, nuclear weapons have threatened our country. Our leadership has long recognized that arms control is the most effective way to ensure American security. In today’s environment, it’s more important than ever that we begin to treat arms control with the same dedication we give our nuclear modernization and begin a constructive dialogue for a New START Treaty. We must strive for a more peaceful future, one without the existential threat of nuclear weapons,” said Representative Garamendi.

    “Now more than ever, it is absolutely critical that we redouble our commitment to nuclear nonproliferation,” said Representative Beyer. “The New START treaty is our last major nuclear arms control agreement, and with rising instability overseas the ingredients are there for a runaway nuclear arms race that endangers us all.  This resolution demonstrates broad bicameral support for a renewal of New START and further arms control talks with other nuclear arms states that will help avert the potential global catastrophe that is a nuclear exchange.”

    On May 17, 2024, the Working Group co-chairs led their colleagues in a letter to President Joe Biden urging support for commonsense limits on the world’s two largest nuclear stockpiles, and to continue renewed efforts to restart arms control talks with the Russian Federation and other nuclear states.  

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met seizes one thousand stolen phones in a week

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The Met’s intensifying clampdown on the £50million-a-year trade in stolen phones has seen 230 people arrested in the space of a week and more than one thousand handsets seized.

    Those responsible for the theft, handling, and onward criminal supply or exportation of smartphones were specifically targeted during a week of co-ordinated activity across London. It built on the work already being ramped up to tackle the scourge of phone thefts, and sets a new standard for how the Met will respond to the issue.

    This includes intensified efforts to tackle phone thefts by increasing patrols and plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas, including the West End and Westminster, where nearly 40 per cent of phone thefts occur. At the same time, officers are using phone-tracking data and intelligence to pursue those handling stolen devices.

    Such measures are proving successful and last year four members of a gang were sentenced to a combined 18 years after handling more than 5,000 stolen phones. They were tracked down by local Met officers after numerous victims reported their stolen phones being at the same location.

    Later today (Thursday, 6 February), the Home Secretary will chair a summit with law enforcement bodies and industry focused on tackling smartphone thefts. One of the items that will be raised by the Met’s Deputy Commissioner, Dame Lynne Owens, will be strengthening security on phones so stolen devices cannot be easily resold. The Met wants to work with industry to prevent stolen phones from being able to re-connect to cloud services and make IMEI numbers accessible from the lock screen of all smartphones.

    Commander Owain Richards, who is leading the Met’s response to phone thefts, said:

    “We are seeing phone thefts on an industrial scale, fuelled by criminals making millions by being able to easily sell on stolen devices either here or abroad.

    “By intensifying our efforts we’re catching more perpetrators and protecting people from having their phone stolen in the capital. But we need help from partners and industry to do more. That is why we’re working with other agencies and government to tackle the organised criminality driving this trade and calling on tech companies to make stolen phones unusable.”

    Kaya Comer-Schwartz, London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said:

    “The Met is spearheading targeted police work to prevent and tackle mobile phone theft in our communities. Thanks to the hard work of officers and intervention work led by London’s Violence Reduction Unit, personal robbery is down 13 per cent in the capital compared to the same period last year. We continue to support the Met from City Hall with additional funding for neighbourhood policing.

    “But there is more to do. As the criminal demand for high-value mobile phones continues to grow globally, the Mayor and I are clear that companies must go further and faster to make it harder for stolen phones to be sold on, repurposed and re-used illegally. We’ll continue to work with leading mobile phone companies, the Home Secretary and Met leaders to find innovative solutions to end the scourge of mobile phone crime.”

    Increased patrols in Westminster saw 17 arrests for robbery and theft, following 42 Stop and Searches linked to the Met’s intensive activity. In Hackney and Haringey, officers made 15 arrests linked to the operation, including a 15-year-old boy on an illegal electric bike who was found with £1,000 in cash and a large knife.

    The success in tackling phone thefts comes after the Met moved out of special measures last month, following major improvements in many areas of service to London. These include responding more quickly to emergencies and strengthening neighbourhood policing to better respond to communities’ concerns, including tackling theft and robberies.

    The Met is urging anyone who has lost or had stolen a phone to use the national mobile phone register so recovered handsets can be restored, via The Police National Mobile Property Register – NMPR.

    Phone users should take simple steps to further protect themselves from fraud, by ensuring they have a strong password, two-factor authentication and turning off message previews so thieves cannot see any messages about reset or log-in codes when phones are locked. They should also write down and safely store their IMEI number.

    Inspectorate recognises progress on Met’s mission to deliver for London

    Improvements made by the Met which were recognised by inspectors as it came out of special measures, include:

    We are responding more quickly to emergencies. Last year our dedicated staff and officers in MetCC responded to 4,660,891 contacts, of which 2,394,416 were 999 calls, 1,279,552 were 101 calls and 988,923 were digital contacts. The per cent of 999 calls answered within 10 seconds for 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 was 86.2 per cent compared to 77.6 per cent the previous calendar year – with January 2024 reaching 90.9 per cent.

    We have trained 8000 officers in the identification of child exploitation, launched a new Children’s Strategy and significantly increased the number of officers in our child exploitation teams.

    We have put hundreds more officers in our domestic assault and rape and sexual offence teams, doubled the number of charges for rape and sexual offences and tripled the numbers in our nationally recognised Stalking Threat Assessment Centre.

    Our new neighbourhood policing model has been bolstered by an additional 500 staff ranging from Superintendent to PCSO, working closer than ever with communities to understand their concerns.

    The full focus of the entire organisation remains on delivering the commitments made to London – More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Joins Colleagues in Holding Senate Floor All Night to Send Stark Warning Against Confirming Russ Vought to Lead OMB

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***VIDEO HERE*** 
    Murray: “Why on earth would any one of us confirm someone whose entire game plan is to break the law and dare the world to stop him?”
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, helped lead Senate Democrats in holding the Senate floor for a full 30 hours ahead of a final confirmation vote on Russell Vought to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
    Senator Murray delivered an hour-long floor speech and her remarks below touch specifically on Vought’s long history of extremism and advocacy for illegally blocking enacted funds due to go out to communities across the country. She warned her colleagues that as OMB Director, Vought would not implement the laws they pass, and that it will be much harder to work in a bipartisan way if Senators cannot trust OMB to respect enacted law and get duly passed funds to states and to programs families rely on.
    Senator Murray has repeatedly warned of Vought’s extremism and the threat he poses. At a recent Senate Budget Committee hearing, she grilled him on his views and whether he would, as OMB Director, simply follow the law and ensure funding Congress passed makes it to the families and communities it intended. Vought repeatedly refused to commit to following the law despite admitting that no court in the land has ever found the Impoundment Control Act to be unconstitutional.
    “The Senate should not vote to confirm as the head of OMB—or to any important role for that matter—someone who does not respect the constitutional authority of the Senate and, thus, the people we represent.
    “We should not entrust someone to implement our laws who has made clear, time and again through his past actions in this same role during President Trump’s first term, through his work as head architect of Project 2025, and through his own words in hearings and meetings that he will not follow the laws—that he will not send our communities the funding that we all worked together to pass.”
    “We know if Russ Vought gets his way, and gets his hands on the nation’s funding again, he won’t just draw blood, he will cut programs families rely on to the bone: SNAP cuts that leave families hungry, policies to cut people off from their health care, cuts to disability benefits that veterans have earned through their service, thousands of public servants forced out of roles serving the American people—all while he works with Trump to dole out more tax breaks to billionaires and the biggest corporations.”
    Senator Murray concluded her hour long remarks by emphasizing, once again, that Vought would be a dangerous, lawless OMB Director.
    “Before us, right now, is a nominee who has made clear he will not respect the authority of Congress and the people who voted us in—nominated by a President who is not respecting the authority of Congress and the people who voted us in.
    “We have to say we will not stand for it. We have to say the law is the law. And one simple way we can send that message is by rejecting Russ Vought’s nomination outright. And so, I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in doing just that.”
    The full text of Senator Murray’s remarks on Vought during her speech can be found below, and video can be found HERE.
    “M. President, I rise to urge all of my colleagues to vote against Russ Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
    “The Senate should not vote to confirm as the head of OMB—or to any important role for that matter—someone who does not respect the constitutional authority of the Senate and, thus, the people we represent.
    “We should not entrust someone to implement our laws who has made clear, time and again through his past actions in this same role during President Trump’s first term, through his work as head architect of Project 2025, and through his own words in hearings and meetings that he will not follow the laws—that he will not send our communities the funding we pass!
    “Why on earth would any one of us confirm someone whose entire game plan is to break the law and dare the world to stop him?
    “That’s it—that is how Russ Vought plans to run the OMB. It is not a secret, it is a very public fact—he has put this on the record time and again.
    “Just look at what happened last time Russ Vought served as Director of the OMB. He tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to hold up security assistance to Ukraine and override the spending decisions of Congress. And he has not given up on that idea! He has written about it many, many times in the years since.
    “As a chief architect of Project 2025, Vought doubled down on lawlessness and charted a blatantly unconstitutional plan for the President to ignore the will of Congress—which led him to being named in the first Articles of Impeachment Against President Trump.
    “He mapped out a lawless path that—as I will detail shortly—President Trump is already barreling down at full speed.
    “But if you still weren’t convinced that Russ Vought will trample all over the separation of powers, will ignore the authority of Congress, will hurt the American people by holding back funds they rely on—well, you’re in luck, because, at our hearing with him, I asked Vought directly, point blank: ‘Will you follow the law?’
    “That should not be a hard question. Even if you disagree with a law, you don’t ignore it. Maybe you don’t like the 25 mile-an-hour speed limit in a school zone, but unless it’s changed, or struck down, you still have to follow it. It’s true for speed limits—and it is certainly true for the Constitution.
    “That is something almost every single American understands—except, apparently, Russ Vought and Donald Trump. Because, today the Impoundment Control Act is the law of the land. Despite Vought’s own wishes and feelings—it has not been changed and it has not been struck down in court.
    “Despite what Vought pretends is true, the reality is the Constitution gives Congress—not the President—the power of the purse. And yet, Russ Vought will not say he will follow the law.
    “And look, Vought is not just lawless—he is extreme. Let me just drive this home for a second. Let’s take abortion for example. Project 2025 already calls for ripping away birth control, allowing states to deny women life-saving emergency care, and effectively banning all abortion nationwide.
    “That is already a dangerous Republican fever dream—far out of line, by the way, with the American people. But Vought wants to go further! On abortion, he is for, quote: ‘abolition.’ You know what that means?
    “It means a national abortion ban without any exemptions or exceptions—even in cases of rape or when a woman’s life is at risk. That is as far right as it gets!
    “And abortion is not the only issue where Vought has made statements that are deeply alarming. He has stated he believes the 2020 election was, quote: ‘rigged.’ That is not just out of touch with America—that is dangerously out of touch with reality.
    “He has said he wants to ‘traumatize’ our federal workers—that means all the people who work really hard to help in our communities inspecting food, reviewing the safety of drugs, or keeping travel safe, or strengthening our infrastructure, or fostering innovation and small business, or getting care to veterans, or supporting to tribes, and so much more.
    “Vought has even said we live in a, quote, ‘post-constitutional’ time. M. President, it really doesn’t get any clearer than that. A post-constitutional time. That’s what he believes we are in. Do my colleagues agree? Do they think it’s time to shred the Constitution? That’s what is at stake with this confirmation vote.
    “Because Vought has made all too clear that as OMB director, he will put everything on the chopping block—from programs people rely on to the checks and balances our democracy is founded on. Again, he has put it down on paper—in black and white.
    “We know he wants to cut Medicare, and in particular, Medicaid, by hundreds of billions of dollars.
    “We know he wants to find ‘significant savings’ from eligibility changes to veterans’ health care and disability benefits. We don’t even need Project 2025 to see that! He laid some of that out in his budgets from Trump’s first term!
    “Vought’s goals are not secret, nor are they subtle—we do not have to decipher anything here. There is no mystery. We know he is planning for cuts beyond anything this country has ever seen.
    “And we know if Russ Vought gets his way, and gets his hands on the nation’s funding again, he will not just draw blood, he will cut programs families rely on to the bone—SNAP cuts that leave families hungry, policies to cut people off from their health care, cuts to disability benefits that veterans have earned through their service to America, thousands of public servants forced out of roles serving the American people—all while he works with Trump to dole out more tax breaks to billionaires and the biggest corporations.
    “And here’s another thing—we don’t have to imagine just how painful and chaotic Vought’s lawless ideas would be in practice because Vought is actually already putting his agenda in place, which frankly raises another question: why should the Senate vote to confirm someone who is already secretly doing the job behind our backs?
    “Because guess what—those Executive Orders that Trump still has in effect? Those orders which are, right now, illegally blocking money our communities need? That is right out of the Project 2025 playbook.
    “Or the effort now to get rid of thousands of federal workers through illegal firings and now scam buyout offers that have no basis in law to carry out, or trying to illegally abolish entire agencies with the stroke of a pen? That has Project 2025 written all over it.
    “And it’s not just a parallel in ideas here—when OMB issued its blatantly illegal guidance and attempted to block trillions in federal dollars Congress, all of us, passed, there were digital fingerprints all over that document linking right back to Project 2025. And in the chaos that followed—do you know who reportedly met with OMB staffers about how to respond? Russ Vought. So, let’s not pretend we have no idea just how lawless this guy is. Let’s not pretend we have no idea what sort of damage he will cause if he is put back in power.”
    […]
    “Now, Mr. President, before I conclude, I just want to hit once more on what is at stake with Mr. Vought’s nomination—we are talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending that Congress, us, passed, that our communities are counting on, and that Mr. Vought has made painfully clear he will not think twice about illegally blocking.
    “Giving this man the power to enact his illegal schemes will do real harm to folks back home. It will cut people off from help getting groceries and making rent. It will cut families off from child care and health care. It will cut veterans and their survivors off from disability and education benefits they earned through their service to our country. It will cut off breakthrough medical research, and help for people struggling with opioid addiction. It will cut off communities working to build bridges, improve roads, and strengthen their energy infrastructure.
    “That will have serious consequences we cannot overlook—we are here to fight for our families. But there is also another serious consequence here—one that cuts to the heart of what makes this Senate work, and that makes our democracy work.
    “Confirming Russ Vought to OMB makes it that much harder to negotiate our spending bills. It is much harder to reach a bipartisan deal with my colleagues, whom I respect and trust and have worked with for years, if that deal is going to be implemented by someone in whom I have zero trust—someone who has made clear that despite our laws, he is going to block any funding we pass.
    “And why should any Senator vote to confirm someone who has made it perfectly clear—he would undermine their authority to help their constituents.
    “M. President, as I’ve said, our system of checks and balances does not work on its own—we have to actually do our part here in Congress to be the check on Presidential abuse of power. And we have an opportunity—no, actually it’s an obligation—right now, to do just that.
    “Before us, right now, is a nominee who has made it very clear he will not respect the authority of Congress, of all of us, and all the people who voted us in—nominated by a President who is not respecting the authority of Congress and the people who voted us in.
    “We have to say we will not stand for it. We have to say the law is the law. And one simple way we can send that message is by rejecting Russ Vought’s nomination outright. And so, M. President, I am here today to strongly urge my colleagues to join me in doing just that.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand, Schumer, Tenney Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill To Establish The Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    During WWII, Fort Ontario Was The Only Shelter In The United States for Jewish Refugees Fleeing The Holocaust;

    Legislation Would Keep Their Stories Alive For Generations To Come 

    U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are reintroducing the bipartisan Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act. The Fort Ontario military complex dates back to the early 1840s, and during World War II, it was the only emergency refugee camp in the country for those fleeing the Holocaust. From August 1944 until February 1946, Fort Ontario housed 982 mostly Jewish refugees from Europe, most of whom went on to become American citizens. Designating the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter as a National Historic Park would give this important historical site permanent protection and help ensure that it is preserved for generations to come. Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY) leads companion legislation in the House. 

    The Holocaust Refugee Shelter at Fort Ontario was a place of safety and hope during a dark moment in history, and it deserves recognition in the National Park System,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am proud to once again be introducing this legislation to achieve this goal and am determined to work across the aisle to get it done.” 

    “It’s only fitting to preserve the rich history of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refuge Shelter Museum and Fort Ontario by officially designating Safe Haven as a National Historical Park. Together, Safe Haven and Fort Ontario tell the powerful history of Central New York and Oswego County dating back to the earliest days of our nation, standing proudly as a beacon of hope for hundreds of Jewish and European refugees forced to flee their homes to escape the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II,” said Senator Schumer. “I’ve been advocating for this designation in Congress for years and was proud to lead this legislation to passage in the Senate last year. Today, we’re taking a step closer to giving Americans from across the country the opportunity to learn about Safe Haven and the role it played in shaping Central New York. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to once again support this bill, and implore the House of Representatives to join us, so we can preserve the rich history of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum, Fort Ontario and Oswego County for years to come.”

    “We must ensure that the historic importance of Fort Ontario is properly honored and preserved for future generations. Once an important site in the battles of the French and Indian War and the War of 1812, as well as a refugee camp for Holocaust survivors, it is crucial that we secure the recognition this significant historic site truly deserves. The Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act aims to safeguard this monument’s profound legacy for years to come and solidify its status as a National Monument,” said Congresswoman Tenney.

    Senator Gillibrand has been advocating for Fort Ontario for many years. In 2018, she passed a bill to require the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study (SRS) – the first step in the process to designate a site as a unit of the National Park System – of the Fort Ontario site. In 2024, the SRS was finalized and concluded that the two-acre portion of Fort Ontario representing the fort’s use as a World-War II European refugee shelter meets all necessary criteria. Last year, the bill passed the Senate but failed to become law.

    The full text of the legislation is available here.

    “We are honored to have the federal government recognize this important chapter, not only of our heritage, but in the pages of American history,” said Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup, District 9. “This shelter was the only one of its kind in the U.S. The nearly 1,000 refugees who came to Oswego became part of the fabric of our community, and we are privileged to help share their stories.”

    “I want to thank Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand and Representative Tenney for their unwavering efforts to reintroduce the “Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act”. I strongly believe that the prominence and history that our fort holds are remarkably significant to the story of our country and deserves a national designation. Fort Ontario took in 982 refugees; men, women, and children, who were allowed into the United States during the Holocaust. These refugees were housed in Oswego, NY from August of 1944 until February of 1946. With Fort Ontario being the only refugee shelter for Holocaust victims in all of the United States during World War II, I think that speaks to the gravity and deservedness of this designation,” said Mayor Robert Corradino, City of Oswego. “Thank you again to our representatives working to achieve this legislation. I have great hope to see it be awarded and keep the story of these men, women, and children alive for years to come, with a reach far greater than the Oswego community.”

    “The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Fort Ontario State Historic Site look forward to this potential partnership. The story of the 982 refugees who called Fort Ontario home from 1944-46 is indeed a national story and one we would be happy to assist the NPS, Safe Haven Museum and the City of Oswego to bring to greater national attention.”  said Matthew Macvittie, Historic Site Manager Fort Ontario NYS Historic Site.

    “I am thrilled that this long, bi-partisan effort to bring proper recognition to the truly unique and historically significant Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter is coming to fruition.  I want to thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Tenney for sponsoring this truly worthwhile bill and for working with me throughout the years to make this happen,” said Former Congressman John Katko.

    “The Jewish Federation of Central New York, strongly urges that Fort Ontario be established as a unit of the National Park System. As the only refugee camp in the United States during the Holocaust, the Fort represents a moment of national commitment to justice and freedom.  It would be a worthy addition to the United States’ National Park System. Thank you, Senator Gillibrand, for continuing to push this legislation forward,” said Barbara Davis, Interim President/CEO, Jewish Federation of CNY

    “We are all excited about the re-introduction of the bill to honor the memory of the 982 refugees from the Holocaust who were housed at Fort Ontario during WWII. I want to thank former Congressman John Katko, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney for their dedication to preserve this unique period in American history,” said Judy Coe Rapaport, Acting President, Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum.

    “We are very excited to hear the news that Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Tenney will be reintroducing to Congress the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act,” said Daniel Laird, President of Friends of Fort Ontario. “Fort Ontario is singularly unique in that it served as the only refugee camp or shelter for mostly Jewish Holocaust refugees in the United States during WWII. It is where the Holocaust came to America; where every day Americans first met the victims of Nazi persecution and heard their personal stories of survival first-hand. It is where the press finally found a Holocaust story they deemed worthy of feature coverage, and it resulted in the Holocaust moving from the back to the front pages of American newspapers after over eleven years of Hitler’s reign of terror. Furthermore, Fort Ontario is where the first group of refugees entered the United States outside the immigration quota system and were granted asylum. It is, therefore, the birthplace of American Refugee Policy. For these reasons and a list of many more too long to go into, Fort Ontario is well worthy of becoming a National Historical Park.”

    “After touring Ohrdurf Concentration Camp in Germany, Lt. General Dwight D. Eisenhower warned that someday some may deny that the Holocaust ever happened. In order for them to bear witness to Nazi atrocities, Eisenhower ordered troops in theatre including my father to tour Nazi concentration camps. With the last of the greatest generation and Holocaust survivors and Shelter Refugees passing on, and with Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denials on the rise, Eisenhower’s dire prediction has come true. As a National Historical Park, dedicated to interpreting the unique history and significance of the WWII Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter, Fort Ontario will forever prove to Americans and others that the Holocaust actually happened. I am deeply grateful to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Tenney for making this great effort to establish the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park,” said Paul Lear, Historian, Member of the Board of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum.

    “I am deeply grateful to the Senator Gillibrand, Senator Schumer and Representative Tenny for their unwavering advocacy in ensuring that the stories of refugees are never forgotten. These stories serve as a powerful reminder of how a single, symbolic gesture by the United States not only saved countless lives but also demonstrated the resilience and strength of the human spirit, inspiring us all to work towards a better, more compassionate world,” said Treasurer- Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum and Friends of Fort Ontario.

    “One of my proudest accomplishments during my tenure as President of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum, was developing a 2022 Grand Reopening that introduced the public to our 32 new exhibits!  Each exhibit celebrates the 987 survivors who were able to flee from the genocide and inhumane madness that was the Holocaust and be sheltered by the United States at Fort Ontario from 1944-1946.  This small group of Holocaust survivors’ harrowing stories of suffering, loss and resilience are the narratives of the Museum’s exhibits.  And with the support of the bipartisan Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act, we will be able to ensure our beloved refugees and their descendants that the Museum’s precious historical artifacts and narratives will be nationally preserved, protected and administered on the same grounds where the echoes of hope and healing can still be heard!” said Audrey S. Hurley, Emeriti President, Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum.

    “The Fort Ontario Refugee Shelter holds an indelible place in our nation’s history and is part of the fabric of this region. I appreciate the work of our federal representatives to help ensure this sacred place earns its rightful designation as a National Historic Park,” said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Deadline approaches for School Age Payment applications

    Source: Scottish Government

    Parents and carers urged not to miss out on support worth over £300

    Parents and carers, with a child born between 1 March 2019 and 29 February 2020, risk missing out on hundreds of pounds worth of help if they don’t apply for School Age Payment in time.

    The deadline is midnight on 28 February 2025.

    School Age Payment is worth £314.45 per child. It is one of Social Security Scotland’s Best Start Grant payments. It is only available in Scotland.

    The money can be spent on anything the child needs at this stage including; books, bags, clothes and equipment for school. School Age Payment is paid around the time a child is first old enough to start primary school. There is no requirement to take up a place at school.

    This is important as parents and carers could miss out on the payment if they defer when their child starts school and don’t apply until then.

    The payment is available for multiple children from the same household, as long as each child is the right age.

    Social Security Scotland automatically pays School Age Payment to eligible people who get Scottish Child Payment. But those who do not receive Scottish Child Payment or who have opted out of automatic payments must apply before the deadline.

    Some families who are not eligible for Scottish Child Payment might still be eligible for the School Age Payment. This includes parents and carers who: receive housing benefit, are under 18 and do not receive any other benefits or are 18 or 19 and dependent on someone else who receives benefits for them.

    Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

    “If you have a child in the family aged five, or who turns five this month, then you could be eligible for School Age Payment.

    “We are urging everyone who is eligible to make sure that they don’t miss the deadline for applications, especially as all the children in the household who are the right age can get the payment.

    “Best Start Grant is made up of a series of payments designed to ensure that children in Scotland get exactly that – the best start possible in life. This money is an important contribution to families at a key stage in their child’s development when they may be facing additional costs.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government rips up rules to fire-up nuclear power

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the Prime Minister slashes red tape to get Britain building – as part of his Plan for Change.

    • Prime Minister puts Britain back in the global race for nuclear energy.
    • Changes will allow for Small Modular Reactors for the first time.
    • Latest step in Government’s determination to grow the economy and deliver cleaner, more affordable energy.

    More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the Prime Minister slashes red tape to get Britain building – as part of his Plan for Change.

    Reforms to planning rules will clear a path for smaller, and easier to build nuclear reactors – known as Small Modular Reactors –to be built for the first time ever in the UK. This will create thousands of new highly skilled jobs while delivering clean, secure and more affordable energy for working people.

    This is the latest refusal to accept the status quo, with the government ripping up archaic rules and saying not to the NIMBYs, to prioritise growth. It comes after recent changes to planning laws, the scrapping of the 3-strike rule for judicial reviews on infrastructure projects, and application of common-sense to environmental rules.

    For too long the country has been mired by delay and obstruction, with a system too happy to label decisions as too difficult, or too long term. The UK was the first country in the world to develop a nuclear reactor, but the last time a nuclear power station was built was back in 1995. None have been built since, leaving the UK lagging behind in a global race to harness cleaner, more affordable energy.

    The industry pioneered in Britain has been suffocated by regulations and this saw investment collapse, leaving only one nuclear power plant – Hinkley Point C – under construction. And this was after years of delay caused by unnecessary rules – meaning companies produced a 30,000-page environmental assessment to get planning permission.

    Meanwhile, China is constructing 29 reactors, and the EU has 12 at planning stage, giving these places a huge advantage in the global race to harness new technologies, create jobs and deliver cleaner, cheaper, independent energy.

    Investors want to get on and build reliable, cheap nuclear power, which will in turn support critical modern infrastructure, such as supercomputers to power the UK’s ambitions – but they have been held back.

    Today’s plan will shake up the planning rules to make it easier to build nuclear across the country – delivering jobs, cheaper bills in the long term, and more money in people’s back pockets. This will be achieved by:

    Including mini-nuclear power stations in planning rules for the first time – so firms can start building them in the places that need them.

    Scrapping the set list of 8-sites – which meant nuclear sites could be built anywhere across England and Wales.

    Removing the expiry date on nuclear planning rules – so projects don’t get timed out and industry can plan for the long term. 

    Setting up a Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce – that will spearhead improvements to the regulations to help more companies build here. This will report directly to the PM. 

    This is the Government delivering on a manifesto commitment to galvanise nuclear to help the UK achieve energy security and clean power, while securing thousands of good, clean jobs.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    This country hasn’t built a nuclear power station in decades. we’ve been let down, and left behind. 

    Our energy security has been hostage to Putin for too long, with British prices skyrocketing at his whims.  

    I’m putting an end to it – changing the rules to back the builders of this nation, and saying no to the blockers who have strangled our chances of cheaper energy, growth and jobs for far too long. 

    My government was elected to deliver change. I’ll take the radical decisions needed to wrestle Britain from its status quo slumber, to turbocharge our plan for change.

    Currently, nuclear development is restricted to eight sites – as part of archaic planning rules that haven’t been looked at since 2011. With the reforms unveiled today, the refreshed planning framework will help streamline the process to encourage investment and enable developers to identify the best sites for their projects, supporting development at a wider range of locations.  

    Developers will be encouraged to bring forward sites as soon as possible at the pre-application stage in the planning process, speeding up overall timelines.  

    It will include new nuclear technologies such as small and advanced modular reactors for the first time, providing flexibility to co-locate them with energy intensive industrial sites such as AI data centres. 

    These technologies are cheaper and quicker to build than traditional nuclear power plants and require smaller sites, meaning they can be built in a greater variety of locations.  

    There will also continue to be robust criteria for nuclear reactor locations, including restrictions near densely populated areas and military activity, alongside community engagement and high environmental standards. 

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

    Build, build, build – that is what Britain’s clean energy mission is all about.  

    The British people have been left vulnerable to global energy markets for too long – and the only way out is to build our way to a new era of clean electricity. 

    Nuclear power creating thousands of skilled jobs. That is what this government will deliver.

    Alongside reforms to the siting process, a specialist taskforce will lead on making sure nuclear regulation incentivises investment, to deliver new projects more quickly and cost efficiently, while upholding high safety and security standards. 

    Britain is currently considered one of the world’s most expensive countries in which to build nuclear power. The taskforce will speed up the approval of new reactor designs and streamline how developers engage with regulators.  

    Nuclear regulation will cover both civil and defence nuclear to help unlock economic growth in the sector.  

    The taskforce will better align the UK with international partners so reactor designs approved abroad could be green lit more quickly, minimising expensive changes. It will also examine how to reduce duplication and simplify processes where there are multiple regulators covering overlapping issues, as well as ensuring regulatory decisions are both safe and proportionate. 

    The work will help the issues faced by projects such as Hinkley Point C, where three European regulators reached different assessments on the reactor design, leading to delays and increased costs. 

    The UK’s rigorous safety standards and record will continue to be upheld. Nuclear plants are designed with multiple layers of safety measures including making them robust enough to withstand a direct aircraft impact. 

    This is part of the government push to drive growth – building on the Prime Minister’s announcement to overhaul the legal challenges to major infrastructure projects including nuclear – with Sizewell C having suffered increased legal costs and uncertainty as a result of local activists taking them to court.  

    In a volatile world, where oil and gas prices are driven by tyrants like Putin, the drive for new nuclear is an integral part of the government’s plans to replace the UK’s dependence on fossil fuel markets with clean homegrown energy, to make the UK energy independent and protect consumers with clean, homegrown power.  

    Since July, the government has committed to driving forward new nuclear including further funding for Sizewell C at the Autumn Budget 2024.  

    Great British Nuclear also continues to progress the small modular reactor competition, with contract negotiations currently underway. 

    Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, said: 

    GMB has long said there can be no net zero without new nuclear. 

    For too long, the failure to deliver new nuclear has weakened our energy security and undermined economic growth. 

    Sizewell C stands ready and waiting for the green light to power up our country’s future. 

    Now we need to see spades in the ground without delay.

    Alistair Black, Senior Director, UK at X-energy said: 

    Opening up new siting opportunities for a fleet of advanced reactors will help unlock tens of billions of pounds of investment and growth across the country, bringing clean secure electricity and heat for industry. 

    We welcome this step today, and the intent to streamline assessment processes whilst ensuring robust regulatory standards continue to be met. We look forward to reviewing this in detail and responding to the consultation.

    Simone Rossi, CEO of EDF in the UK, said:

    As a major operator, investor and developer, EDF welcomes the proposals designed to speed up new nuclear projects in the UK and unlock economic growth.

    Nuclear is essential to a secure, low carbon energy system and is the ideal partner to renewables. There is a great opportunity to build new infrastructure across England and Wales, to replace aging stations and take advantage of available skills, existing grid connections and supportive communities.

    “The opportunity will only be fully realised with the necessary reforms to planning and regulation, alongside continuing to build on the critical work at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C to further develop skills and supply chains.”

    Darren Hardman, CEO, Microsoft UK, said: 

    We welcome the government’s plans to accelerate the building of safe, modern nuclear as part of the energy mix. Economic growth will require increased energy supply for the UK, but we must not lose sight of our ambitions for a fully decarbonised grid.

    Chair of Great British Nuclear Simon Bowen said:

    Nuclear energy is a powerful tool for growing the UK’s economy. By expanding the range of sites where safe, secure, reliable, and clean nuclear energy plants can be built, there is huge potential to positively transform areas facing economic uncertainty. 

    Today’s announcement also signals exciting opportunities to co-locate nuclear energy generation on data centre sites and to decarbonise industrial processes.

    Nuclear is one of the safest and cleanest forms of energy generation. The new independent nuclear regulation taskforce will help unlock growth and investment by providing clarity and certainty while ensuring regulations are fit for purpose.

    Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said:

    This is the Prime Minister’s strongest signal yet that new nuclear is critical to the growth and clean power mission. A more streamlined planning system will give certainty to investors, the supply chain and communities, and will enable us to get on with building new nuclear plants on more sites and at pace for a cleaner, more secure power system.

    We need to make Britain the best possible place to build new nuclear, both large-scale and SMRs, which means avoiding unnecessary stumbling blocks and ensuring regulations are proportionate to our urgent need for low carbon power, energy security and good jobs.

    Jonathan Geldart, Director General of the Institute of Directors, said:

    The government is right to identify nuclear power as a crucial contributor to the UK’s future electricity needs. This development shows the right desire to overcome the significant challenges involved in building back nuclear at scale, in terms of planning obstacles and project delivery. Despite these challenges, today’s announcement marks a significant move forward.

    Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect said:

    The government’s ambition to drive forward a new generation of nuclear power after decades of delay is exactly what Britain needs.

    Nuclear is not only essential for hitting our Net Zero goals and maintaining energy security, it also creates thousands of good, well-paid jobs in areas of the country where they are sorely needed.

    Speeding up the approval of new sites and new reactors is an important step towards enabling investment in new nuclear. The government’s support for Sizewell C is also a welcome vote of confidence in the sector and bringing this project to a Final Investment Decision will provide a strong foundation for its future growth.

    The success of Britain’s world class nuclear sector is built on a robust regulatory process, and we welcome a review of this framework to ensure it is supporting investment while still providing assurance that high safety standards are being maintained.

    Cathal O’Rourke, Laing O’Rourke’s Group Chief Executive Officer said:

    This announcement is a significant step forward for the UK’s nuclear industry. The clarity provided by these new planning rules, the focus on streamlining the regulatory process, and the emphasis on standardising reactor designs is precisely the sort of clear, unequivocal direction the industry needs.

    Having played a central role in delivering nuclear capacity at Hinkley Point C, we understand the complexities of these projects firsthand and these new measures, particularly around regulatory reform and streamlined planning, will be invaluable in ensuring future projects, like Sizewell C, can be delivered more efficiently and cost-effectively.  

    In particular, standardisation and an industrialised approach will be key to driving down costs and accelerating construction timelines, ensuring we can deploy new nuclear capacity efficiently and at pace by adopting a “copy, improve, repeat” approach to design and implementation. This type of approach would also improve worker welfare conditions on site from a physical and wellbeing perspective.

    This clear signal from government will unlock investment, create jobs nationwide for shared prosperity, including an ability to plan for long-term investment in apprenticeships, and ensure the UK can benefit from clean, locally supplied nuclear power for generations to come.

    Chris Conboy, Managing Director, Nuclear EMEA at AtkinsRéalis said:

    We welcome plans to accelerate new nuclear developments. Speeding up lengthy planning processes would help to bring forward new projects faster, strengthening the UK’s world-class nuclear supply chain and creating jobs and skills across the country. 

    Nuclear will be the cornerstone of a reliable net zero energy system. We need both large and small nuclear technologies to realise our AI ambitions, bolster our energy security, and enable the sustainable development of towns, cities and industries across the UK: building the right technology in the right locations is vital to power the UK’s growth agenda and meet our net zero goals.

    David Omand, former Director of GCHQ said: 

    It is very welcome to see this government pushing forward on their commitment to national security by making the UK more energy secure and speeding up nuclear power to boost growth across the country. Nuclear is critical to national security, and taking this kind of action is a mark of the seriousness with which Keir Starmer takes the challenges of modern geopolitics. I fully support this push to knock down barriers to safe, modern nuclear as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

    Kim Darroch, former National Security Adviser said: 

    As a former National Security Adviser, I think driving for as much homegrown clean power as possible in this age of global turbulence should be among our top national security objectives. So I welcome the Prime Minister’s intervention to accelerate the regeneration of our nuclear power industry.

    Julian David OBE, CEO, techUK said: 

    If we want the UK economy to keep growing, we must invest in our energy infrastructure. We are pleased to see the Government announce new plans to reform planning rules to expand new energy generation. This move will boost the economy, create new jobs, and ensure the UK is not reliant on external agents for its own energy supply.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New survey suggests benefits system is letting down people with mental health conditions who want to work

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Many sick and disabled people say they want to work to help boost their living standards – but aren’t given the right support, according to new data published on Time to Talk day today [6 February].

    • New survey suggests 200k people claiming health and disability benefits are ready for work now if the right job or support were available.
    • Comes as number of young people with a mental health condition who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness reaches over a quarter of a million (270,000)
    • Overhaul of health and disability benefit system set to be unveiled in Spring to ensure it provides meaningful support to help long term sick back into work

    Many sick and disabled people say they want to work to help boost their living standards – but aren’t given the right support, according to new data published on Time to Talk day today [6 February].

    New research published by the Department for Work and Pensions shows that nearly half (44%) of people with a mental health condition expect to be able to work in future if their health improves.

    This comes as the number of young people (aged 16 to 34) who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness and have a mental condition reaches 270,000. This number has been rising consistently over the past decade and has increased by 60,000 (26%) in the last year alone. The equivalent figure for all people of working-age (16 to 64) is 790,000 – an increase of 140,000 (22%) over the last year

    The Work Aspirations of Health and Disability Claimants survey also finds that a third (32%) of those claiming health and disability benefits believe they can work now or in future.  (5%) say that they would be ready now if the right job or support were available. This equates to around 200,000 individuals

    The survey also finds that those out of jobs overwhelmingly see work as a key part of their identity and a route to higher self-esteem, happiness and security.

    In further evidence that the current system pushes people away from work, the survey revealed that 50% of people who are on health and disability benefits and are not currently in work said they were worried they would not get their benefits back if they tried paid employment and it did not work out.

     It comes as the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall visits Workbridge charity which offers support to people who are unable to work due to mental ill health, to hear how they’re supporting people with mental health conditions into work.

    Responding to the stark survey results, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said the report demonstrates the need to reform the current welfare system, so that it offers better, meaningful support to give disabled people and people with long-term health conditions a real opportunity to find work.

    The upcoming reforms will be a key part of the government’s Plan for Change to boost employment by breaking down barriers to opportunity – creating a welfare system that promotes tailored pathways into work and accommodates the complex nature of disabilities and health conditions – and consequently, improving people’s living standards.

    Work and Pensions Secretary, Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP said:

    Today’s report shows that the broken benefits system is letting down people with mental health conditions who want to work.

    People claiming Health and Disability benefits have been classed by the system as “can’t work” and shut out of jobs and have been ignored – when they’ve been crying out for support.

    That is a serious failure. It’s bad for people, bad for businesses, which miss out on considerable talent, and bad for the economy.

    For young people in particular, being out of work can have a scarring effect that lasts a lifetime.

    On Time to Talk day, it’s time to change how we support people with long-term health conditions, such as a mental health condition, so that they have a fair chance and choice to work.

    On her visit to Workbridge, Kendall will speak to experts to hear their insights on how government and employers can better accommodate the fluctuating nature of people’s mental health – ensuring that people’s views and voices are at the heart of changes that affect them.

    We know that being in work has a positive effect on people’s mental and physical health – providing people with confidence and independence, as well as financial benefits.

    The UK remains the only G7 country that has higher levels of economic inactivity now than before the pandemic, with the benefits bill spiralling – largely driven by the increase in people claiming incapacity benefits for mental health conditions, who had not received the care and treatment they deserve.

    The reforms to the health & disability benefit system due to be unveiled in a Green Paper in Spring will consider these issues and how the government can tackle these barriers to employment, and the government will work closely alongside charities, organisations and disabled people to ensure their voices help shape any proposals for reform.

    The Green Paper will set key ambitions for creating a system that is fairer on disabled people – offering support into work which takes into consideration the realities of their health condition and life circumstances, and fairness for the taxpayer by bringing down the benefits bill.

    The reforms are expected to build on the Get Britain Working White Paper, which set out the first steps to achieving the government’s target 80% employment rate, driving up growth and driving down poverty in every corner of our country. 

    Successful steps have already been taken to offer work and life-changing support, with a record number of people with mental health conditions receiving employment advice through the NHS Talking Therapies programme.

    Alongside this support, the Government has settled record funding for the NHS – so that all people can get the care they need – and have pledged:

    • 8,500 more mental health staff
    • Mental health support teams in every school
    • Open-access mental health hubs in every community

    Additional Information

    Time to Talk Day is an initiative led by Rethink Mental Illness, Mind and Co-op to encourage people to talk about their mental health.

    Full results from the Work Aspirations of Health and Disability Claimants are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-aspirations-and-support-needs-of-health-and-disability-customers

    Source: The employment of disabled people 2024 – Table EIA020  Apr-Jun 24 compared to Apr-Jun 23

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press release: Government rips up rules to fire-up nuclear power

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the Prime Minister slashes red tape to get Britain building – as part of his Plan for Change.

    • Prime Minister puts Britain back in the global race for nuclear energy.
    • Changes will allow for Small Modular Reactors for the first time.
    • Latest step in Government’s determination to grow the economy and deliver cleaner, more affordable energy.

    More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the Prime Minister slashes red tape to get Britain building – as part of his Plan for Change.

    Reforms to planning rules will clear a path for smaller, and easier to build nuclear reactors – known as Small Modular Reactors –to be built for the first time ever in the UK. This will create thousands of new highly skilled jobs while delivering clean, secure and more affordable energy for working people.

    This is the latest refusal to accept the status quo, with the government ripping up archaic rules and saying not to the NIMBYs, to prioritise growth. It comes after recent changes to planning laws, the scrapping of the 3-strike rule for judicial reviews on infrastructure projects, and application of common-sense to environmental rules.

    For too long the country has been mired by delay and obstruction, with a system too happy to label decisions as too difficult, or too long term. The UK was the first country in the world to develop a nuclear reactor, but the last time a nuclear power station was built was back in 1995. None have been built since, leaving the UK lagging behind in a global race to harness cleaner, more affordable energy.

    The industry pioneered in Britain has been suffocated by regulations and this saw investment collapse, leaving only one nuclear power plant – Hinkley Point C – under construction. And this was after years of delay caused by unnecessary rules – meaning companies produced a 30,000-page environmental assessment to get planning permission.

    Meanwhile, China is constructing 29 reactors, and the EU has 12 at planning stage, giving these places a huge advantage in the global race to harness new technologies, create jobs and deliver cleaner, cheaper, independent energy.

    Investors want to get on and build reliable, cheap nuclear power, which will in turn support critical modern infrastructure, such as supercomputers to power the UK’s ambitions – but they have been held back.

    Today’s plan will shake up the planning rules to make it easier to build nuclear across the country – delivering jobs, cheaper bills in the long term, and more money in people’s back pockets. This will be achieved by:

    Including mini-nuclear power stations in planning rules for the first time – so firms can start building them in the places that need them.

    Scrapping the set list of 8-sites – which meant nuclear sites could be built anywhere across England and Wales.

    Removing the expiry date on nuclear planning rules – so projects don’t get timed out and industry can plan for the long term. 

    Setting up a Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce – that will spearhead improvements to the regulations to help more companies build here. This will report directly to the PM. 

    This is the Government delivering on a manifesto commitment to galvanise nuclear to help the UK achieve energy security and clean power, while securing thousands of good, clean jobs.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    This country hasn’t built a nuclear power station in decades. we’ve been let down, and left behind. 

    Our energy security has been hostage to Putin for too long, with British prices skyrocketing at his whims.  

    I’m putting an end to it – changing the rules to back the builders of this nation, and saying no to the blockers who have strangled our chances of cheaper energy, growth and jobs for far too long. 

    My government was elected to deliver change. I’ll take the radical decisions needed to wrestle Britain from its status quo slumber, to turbocharge our plan for change.

    Currently, nuclear development is restricted to eight sites – as part of archaic planning rules that haven’t been looked at since 2011. With the reforms unveiled today, the refreshed planning framework will help streamline the process to encourage investment and enable developers to identify the best sites for their projects, supporting development at a wider range of locations.  

    Developers will be encouraged to bring forward sites as soon as possible at the pre-application stage in the planning process, speeding up overall timelines.  

    It will include new nuclear technologies such as small and advanced modular reactors for the first time, providing flexibility to co-locate them with energy intensive industrial sites such as AI data centres. 

    These technologies are cheaper and quicker to build than traditional nuclear power plants and require smaller sites, meaning they can be built in a greater variety of locations.  

    There will also continue to be robust criteria for nuclear reactor locations, including restrictions near densely populated areas and military activity, alongside community engagement and high environmental standards. 

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

    Build, build, build – that is what Britain’s clean energy mission is all about.  

    The British people have been left vulnerable to global energy markets for too long – and the only way out is to build our way to a new era of clean electricity. 

    Nuclear power creating thousands of skilled jobs. That is what this government will deliver.

    Alongside reforms to the siting process, a specialist taskforce will lead on making sure nuclear regulation incentivises investment, to deliver new projects more quickly and cost efficiently, while upholding high safety and security standards. 

    Britain is currently considered one of the world’s most expensive countries in which to build nuclear power. The taskforce will speed up the approval of new reactor designs and streamline how developers engage with regulators.  

    Nuclear regulation will cover both civil and defence nuclear to help unlock economic growth in the sector.  

    The taskforce will better align the UK with international partners so reactor designs approved abroad could be green lit more quickly, minimising expensive changes. It will also examine how to reduce duplication and simplify processes where there are multiple regulators covering overlapping issues, as well as ensuring regulatory decisions are both safe and proportionate. 

    The work will help the issues faced by projects such as Hinkley Point C, where three European regulators reached different assessments on the reactor design, leading to delays and increased costs. 

    The UK’s rigorous safety standards and record will continue to be upheld. Nuclear plants are designed with multiple layers of safety measures including making them robust enough to withstand a direct aircraft impact. 

    This is part of the government push to drive growth – building on the Prime Minister’s announcement to overhaul the legal challenges to major infrastructure projects including nuclear – with Sizewell C having suffered increased legal costs and uncertainty as a result of local activists taking them to court.  

    In a volatile world, where oil and gas prices are driven by tyrants like Putin, the drive for new nuclear is an integral part of the government’s plans to replace the UK’s dependence on fossil fuel markets with clean homegrown energy, to make the UK energy independent and protect consumers with clean, homegrown power.  

    Since July, the government has committed to driving forward new nuclear including further funding for Sizewell C at the Autumn Budget 2024.  

    Great British Nuclear also continues to progress the small modular reactor competition, with contract negotiations currently underway. 

    Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, said: 

    GMB has long said there can be no net zero without new nuclear. 

    For too long, the failure to deliver new nuclear has weakened our energy security and undermined economic growth. 

    Sizewell C stands ready and waiting for the green light to power up our country’s future. 

    Now we need to see spades in the ground without delay.

    Alistair Black, Senior Director, UK at X-energy said: 

    Opening up new siting opportunities for a fleet of advanced reactors will help unlock tens of billions of pounds of investment and growth across the country, bringing clean secure electricity and heat for industry. 

    We welcome this step today, and the intent to streamline assessment processes whilst ensuring robust regulatory standards continue to be met. We look forward to reviewing this in detail and responding to the consultation.

    Simone Rossi, CEO of EDF in the UK, said:

    As a major operator, investor and developer, EDF welcomes the proposals designed to speed up new nuclear projects in the UK and unlock economic growth.

    Nuclear is essential to a secure, low carbon energy system and is the ideal partner to renewables. There is a great opportunity to build new infrastructure across England and Wales, to replace aging stations and take advantage of available skills, existing grid connections and supportive communities.

    “The opportunity will only be fully realised with the necessary reforms to planning and regulation, alongside continuing to build on the critical work at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C to further develop skills and supply chains.”

    Darren Hardman, CEO, Microsoft UK, said: 

    We welcome the government’s plans to accelerate the building of safe, modern nuclear as part of the energy mix. Economic growth will require increased energy supply for the UK, but we must not lose sight of our ambitions for a fully decarbonised grid.

    Chair of Great British Nuclear Simon Bowen said:

    Nuclear energy is a powerful tool for growing the UK’s economy. By expanding the range of sites where safe, secure, reliable, and clean nuclear energy plants can be built, there is huge potential to positively transform areas facing economic uncertainty. 

    Today’s announcement also signals exciting opportunities to co-locate nuclear energy generation on data centre sites and to decarbonise industrial processes.

    Nuclear is one of the safest and cleanest forms of energy generation. The new independent nuclear regulation taskforce will help unlock growth and investment by providing clarity and certainty while ensuring regulations are fit for purpose.

    Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said:

    This is the Prime Minister’s strongest signal yet that new nuclear is critical to the growth and clean power mission. A more streamlined planning system will give certainty to investors, the supply chain and communities, and will enable us to get on with building new nuclear plants on more sites and at pace for a cleaner, more secure power system.

    We need to make Britain the best possible place to build new nuclear, both large-scale and SMRs, which means avoiding unnecessary stumbling blocks and ensuring regulations are proportionate to our urgent need for low carbon power, energy security and good jobs.

    Jonathan Geldart, Director General of the Institute of Directors, said:

    The government is right to identify nuclear power as a crucial contributor to the UK’s future electricity needs. This development shows the right desire to overcome the significant challenges involved in building back nuclear at scale, in terms of planning obstacles and project delivery. Despite these challenges, today’s announcement marks a significant move forward.

    Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect said:

    The government’s ambition to drive forward a new generation of nuclear power after decades of delay is exactly what Britain needs.

    Nuclear is not only essential for hitting our Net Zero goals and maintaining energy security, it also creates thousands of good, well-paid jobs in areas of the country where they are sorely needed.

    Speeding up the approval of new sites and new reactors is an important step towards enabling investment in new nuclear. The government’s support for Sizewell C is also a welcome vote of confidence in the sector and bringing this project to a Final Investment Decision will provide a strong foundation for its future growth.

    The success of Britain’s world class nuclear sector is built on a robust regulatory process, and we welcome a review of this framework to ensure it is supporting investment while still providing assurance that high safety standards are being maintained.

    Cathal O’Rourke, Laing O’Rourke’s Group Chief Executive Officer said:

    This announcement is a significant step forward for the UK’s nuclear industry. The clarity provided by these new planning rules, the focus on streamlining the regulatory process, and the emphasis on standardising reactor designs is precisely the sort of clear, unequivocal direction the industry needs.

    Having played a central role in delivering nuclear capacity at Hinkley Point C, we understand the complexities of these projects firsthand and these new measures, particularly around regulatory reform and streamlined planning, will be invaluable in ensuring future projects, like Sizewell C, can be delivered more efficiently and cost-effectively.  

    In particular, standardisation and an industrialised approach will be key to driving down costs and accelerating construction timelines, ensuring we can deploy new nuclear capacity efficiently and at pace by adopting a “copy, improve, repeat” approach to design and implementation. This type of approach would also improve worker welfare conditions on site from a physical and wellbeing perspective.

    This clear signal from government will unlock investment, create jobs nationwide for shared prosperity, including an ability to plan for long-term investment in apprenticeships, and ensure the UK can benefit from clean, locally supplied nuclear power for generations to come.

    Chris Conboy, Managing Director, Nuclear EMEA at AtkinsRéalis said:

    We welcome plans to accelerate new nuclear developments. Speeding up lengthy planning processes would help to bring forward new projects faster, strengthening the UK’s world-class nuclear supply chain and creating jobs and skills across the country. 

    Nuclear will be the cornerstone of a reliable net zero energy system. We need both large and small nuclear technologies to realise our AI ambitions, bolster our energy security, and enable the sustainable development of towns, cities and industries across the UK: building the right technology in the right locations is vital to power the UK’s growth agenda and meet our net zero goals.

    David Omand, former Director of GCHQ said: 

    It is very welcome to see this government pushing forward on their commitment to national security by making the UK more energy secure and speeding up nuclear power to boost growth across the country. Nuclear is critical to national security, and taking this kind of action is a mark of the seriousness with which Keir Starmer takes the challenges of modern geopolitics. I fully support this push to knock down barriers to safe, modern nuclear as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

    Kim Darroch, former National Security Adviser said: 

    As a former National Security Adviser, I think driving for as much homegrown clean power as possible in this age of global turbulence should be among our top national security objectives. So I welcome the Prime Minister’s intervention to accelerate the regeneration of our nuclear power industry.

    Julian David OBE, CEO, techUK said: 

    If we want the UK economy to keep growing, we must invest in our energy infrastructure. We are pleased to see the Government announce new plans to reform planning rules to expand new energy generation. This move will boost the economy, create new jobs, and ensure the UK is not reliant on external agents for its own energy supply.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts, Foreign Relations Committee Republicans Call for Sanctions on Communist China for Transferring Missile Propellants to Iran

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    February 5, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and six other Senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio encouraging the sanctioning of Chinese entities involved in transferring missile propellant ingredients to Iran. The letter comes in response to multiple reports that two Iranian cargo ships are set to deliver 1,000 tons of missile propellant ingredients from Communist China to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The critical ingredients would enable the IRGC to produce hundreds of midrange missiles.

    “Reimposing maximum pressure on the Iranian regime requires imposing costs on Communist China,” the senators wrote. “We encourage the administration to identify and sanction any entities involved in transferring missile propellants to Iran, including any Chinese companies sourcing the propellants and any Chinese ports that allow sanctioned Iranian ships to dock. Additionally, if the press reports referenced above are accurate, we urge you to work with our global partners to intercept and stop the shipments currently underway. Finally, the administration should pressure Beijing to reverse its decision to green light Iran’s drawdown of stored oil or face severe consequences.”

    In addition to Ricketts and Risch, other signatories include Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Rick Scott (R-FL). All are members of the Foreign Relations Committee. 

    Read the full letter here or below:

    Dear Secretary Rubio,

    We write to express our growing concern over recent reports that two Iranian cargo ships are set to deliver 1,000 tons of a critical ingredient for missile propellant – sodium perchlorate – from Communist China to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This amount of sodium perchlorate would enable the IRGC to produce hundreds of midrange missiles and bolster its efforts to sow discord, promote terrorism, and even directly attack our ally, Israel, once again.

    According to the Financial Times, the first Iranian vessel, the Golbon, departed from Communist China on January 21 and the second, the Jairan, is expected to leave in early February.[1] Both of these vessels are linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), which is sanctioned by the U.S.

    The last 15 months have clearly shown that Tehran’s missile program poses a direct threat to the United States, Israel and other allies and partners in the Middle East and Europe. Since October 7, 2023, the Houthis in Yemen have launched hundreds of missiles at Israel and at commercial cargo vessels and U.S. Navy warships in and around the Red Sea.[2] Hezbollah has fired over 8,000 missiles at Israel.[3] Most concerning, on April 13, Iran directly attacked Israel for the very first time firing over 120 ballistic missiles.[4] On October 1, Iran was even more belligerent, firing 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in the largest ballistic missile attack in history.[5]

    Today, however, Iran is weakened and vulnerable. Its missile inventories are depleted from its aforementioned attacks against Israel, its shipment of ballistic missiles to Russia, and Israeli Defense Force airstrikes that have degraded its missile production facilities. As a result, Tehran has turned to the partner that it has relied on for supplying solid-propellant for its missiles for decades—Communist China.[6]

    Communist China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea continue to increase their coordination as part of a growing axis of authoritarians. Not only is Communist China propping up Iran’s missile program, it also recently gave Tehran the go-ahead to begin drawing down and selling millions of barrels of Iranian oil that have been stored in onshore facilities in Chinese ports for years. Alarmingly, the revenue from these oil sales has already been earmarked for the IRGC.[7]

    Reimposing maximum pressure on the Iranian regime requires imposing costs on Communist China. We encourage the administration to identify and sanction any entities involved in transferring missile propellants to Iran, including any Chinese companies sourcing the propellants and any Chinese ports that allow sanctioned Iranian ships to dock. Additionally, if the press reports referenced above are accurate, we urge you to work with our global partners to intercept and stop the shipments currently underway. Finally, the administration should pressure Beijing to reverse its decision to green light Iran’s drawdown of stored oil or face severe consequences.

    We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. We stand ready to work with the administration to thwart Iran’s missile program and protect our allies.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Aviation – Lufthansa Group Airlines use Apple AirTag location feature for baggage processes

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    Now available: Lufthansa Group Airlines use Apple AirTag location feature for baggage processes:

    • Lufthansa Group airlines now offer Apple AirTag integration for enhanced baggage tracking
    • Passengers can securely share AirTag data for faster and more transparent baggage solutions
    • The new feature is part of ongoing digital innovations by Lufthansa Group’s “Digital Hangar”

    New York, 4 February 2025 – Lufthansa Group Airlines are introducing a new service for their passengers effective immediately. Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings are integrating the Apple AirTag location feature into their baggage tracing. Now, customers can use the new function to privately and securely share the location of their AirTag or Find My network accessory via the familiar digital channels of the baggage tracing service. The group’s airlines integrate this information into their systems accordingly and can therefore digitally support baggage tracking.

    “Our digital products team, the ‘Digital Hangar’ with its approximately 1,000 experts, offers our customers new digital services, transparent information and support along the entire journey every month,” said Dieter Vranckx, Member of the Executive Board and Chief Commercial Officer of the Lufthansa Group. “The use of Apple AirTag data is one example of many ways in which we are continuously developing the customer journey of all our Group airlines due to innovative digital services.”

    “Thanks to our app and website, passengers can now find solutions quickly and easily in the event of irregularities,” added Oliver Schmitt, Head of the Lufthansa Group Digital Hangar. “In particular, we have been able to achieve significant improvements in the last few months in the area of baggage tracing. The integration of our customers’ AirTag data opens up additional possibilities for us to act even more efficiently and quickly.”

    MIL OSI – Submitted News

  • MIL-OSI Security: 5 Arrested in Law Enforcement Operation Targeting Fraudulent Withdrawal of Benefits Designated for Low-Income Families

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A multi-agency law enforcement operation has resulted in the arrest of five illegal aliens who allegedly used information from “skimmed” electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to “clone” counterfeit cards and steal funds that had been disbursed to low-income individuals by the State of California, the Justice Department announced today.

    Three of the defendants have been ordered detained without bond, and two of the five defendants arrested on Sunday are expected to make their initial appearances in United States District Court today.

    During the operation on Sunday, approximately 70 law enforcement officers began monitoring ATM locations across the Los Angeles area to identify individuals who were making multiple cash withdrawals with cards encoded with information that had been stolen from cards used by the California Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide CalFresh and CalWORKs benefits to qualified recipients.

    Authorities made arrests after determining that the suspects making withdrawals at the ATMs were not entitled to access funds that had been deposited into accounts belonging to legitimate EBT beneficiaries.

    “These defendants who are illegally in the United States targeted and stole from some of the poorest members of our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “This fraudulent activity has contributed to significant financial losses, undermining an essential lifeline for struggling families. The U.S. Attorney’s office, in close collaboration with our law enforcement counterparts, will continue to root out this criminal conduct and protect our most vulnerable citizens from further exploitation.”

    “This successful operation targeted transnational criminal organizations that have been stealing from our less fortunate neighbors and the taxpayers,” said HSI Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “HSI Los Angeles and our partners will work day and night to ensure that this help continues to be available to those who need it most, and not in the pockets of greedy criminals.”

    Late Monday, federal prosecutors filed three criminal complaints charging the five defendants with the use of unauthorized access devices (the cards with stolen EBT account numbers and PINs used to make the cash withdrawals). The defendants arrested Sunday allegedly made unauthorized withdrawals, obtaining as much as $25,480. The defendants named across three criminal complaints are:

    • Marcel Musat, 53, of Romania, who is charged with one count of use of unauthorized access devices and allegedly had approximately 45 cloned cards on his person when he was arrested. Musat admitted to investigators he had overstayed his visa and therefore is illegally in the United States. At a hearing Tuesday afternoon, Musat was ordered held without bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned on March 11.
    • Ionut Calciu, 31, of Romania, who is charged with one count of use of unauthorized access devices and allegedly possessed 10 counterfeit EBT cards when he was arrested. According to court documents, Calciu previously was convicted of aggravated robbery in Romania. Calciu, who is an illegal alien, is scheduled to appear in court today.
    • Florian Serban, 51, of Romania, who is charged with one count of use of unauthorized access devices and he allegedly possessed 58 re-encoded California EBT cards. Serban is due to appear in court today.
    • Wesley David Adrian Dimoua-Moua, 36, of France, who is charged with one count of use of unauthorized devices and allegedly had 11 counterfeit EBT cards when he was arrested. Dimoua-Moua is a visa overstay illegally present in the United States. At a hearing Tuesday afternoon, Dimoua-Moua was ordered held without bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned on February 24.
    • Hichem Mohamed El Mabrouk, 35, of France, who is charged with one count of use of unauthorized access devices and allegedly was in possession of 37 re-encoded California EBT cards when he was arrested. At a hearing Tuesday afternoon, El Mabrouk was ordered held without bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned on March 11.

    DSS detected more than $126.8 million stolen from victim EBT cards in 2024, according to court documents. This fraud has targeted CalWORKs and CalFresh (previously known as “food stamps”), both of which are intended to help low-income beneficiaries purchase food and provide for basic needs.

    The investigation has revealed that the fraudulent withdrawal of these benefits is done with “cloned” cards, which are debit cards, gift cards or other devices with magnetic strips that have been encoded with information from legitimate EBT cards. Court documents allege that at least some of those involved in the fraudulent withdrawals also possessed “skimming” devices that could be used to record personal identification information from victims.

    Criminal complaints and indictments contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Homeland Security Investigation’s El Camino Real Task Force, which includes special agents with HSI and the United States Secret Service, as well as officers with the Los Angeles Police Department, is conducting the investigations in this matter.

    A number of law enforcement agencies provided significant support during Sunday’s operation, including the California Department of Social Services, the United States Marshals Service, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Hermosa Beach Police Department, the Baldwin Park Police Department, the Culver City Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, the Inglewood Police Department, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Diane Roldán, Alexander H. Tran and Sophia Carrillo of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting these cases.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: ASSOCIATED CAPITAL GROUP, INC. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Year-end AUM: $1.25 billion at December 31, 2024
    • Book Value was $42.14 per share at year-end 2024 which reflects $2.20 per share of dividends paid vs. Book Value of $42.11 per share a year ago
    • Sold 1.15 million shares of GAMCO to GAMCO for proceeds of $30.4 million
    • Ended 2024 with cash and investments of $40.78 per share
    • Returned $58.6 million, or $2.72 per share, to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in 2024
    • Completed shareholder-designated charitable contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations bringing the total to $42 million since our 2015 spin-off

    GREENWICH, Conn., Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Associated Capital Group, Inc. (“AC” or the “Company”), a diversified financial services company, today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year-ended December 31, 2024.

    Financial Highlights – GAAP basis            
    ($’s in 000’s except AUM and per share data)            
                 
        Fourth Quarter     Full Year  
    (Unaudited)    2024     2023     2024     2023  
    AUM – end of period (in millions)   $ 1,248     $ 1,591     $ 1,248     $ 1,591  
    AUM – average (in millions)     1,291       1,581       1,410       1,659  
                                     
    Revenues     5,154       5,636       13,175       12,683  
    Operating loss before management fee (Non-GAAP)     (3,059 )     (2,451 )     (12,883 )     (11,501 )
    Investment and other non-operating income, net     4,372       26,672       71,488       63,812  
    Income before income taxes     1,179       21,850       52,735       46,865  
                                     
    Net income     4,280       16,342       44,328       37,451  
    Net income per share – basic and diluted   $ 0.20     $ 0.76     $ 2.08     $ 1.72  
                                     
    Class A shares outstanding (000’s)     2,234       2,587       2,234       2,587  
    Class B “ “     18,951       18,951       18,951       18,951  
    Total “ “     21,185       21,538       21,185       21,538  
    Book Value per share   $ 42.14     $ 42.11     $ 42.14     $ 42.11  
                                     

    Fourth Quarter Financial Data

    • Assets under management ended the quarter at $1.25 billion versus $1.34 billion at September 30, 2024.
    • At December 31, 2024, book value per share was $42.14 per share, reflecting the $2.20 per share of dividends paid versus $42.11 per share at December 31, 2023.

    Fourth Quarter Results

    Fourth quarter revenues were $5.2 million compared to $5.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Revenues generated by the GAMCO International SICAV – GAMCO Merger Arbitrage (the “SICAV”) were $1.0 million versus $0.8 million in the prior year period. All other revenues were $4.2 million compared to $4.8 million in the year ago quarter.

    Starting in December 2023, the Company began recognizing 100% of the merger arbitrage SICAV revenues received by Gabelli Funds, LLC (“Gabelli Funds”). In turn, AC pays the marketing expenses of the SICAV previously paid by Gabelli Funds and remits an administrative fee to Gabelli Funds for administrative services provided. This change better aligns the financial arrangements with the services rendered by each party. The net effect of this change had no material impact on our net operating results.

    Total operating expenses, excluding management fee, were $8.2 million in the fourth quarter 2024 compared to $8.1 million in the comparable 2023 period.

    Net investment and other non-operating income was $4.4 million for the fourth quarter versus $26.7 million in the year ago quarter, reflecting interest income in the current quarter offset partially by shareholder designated contribution expense.

    The fourth quarter of 2024 includes a Management fee of $0.1 million versus $2.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Our provision for income taxes was a benefit of $3.1 million for the quarter, resulting from deferred tax benefits from the sale of GAMCO shares, compared to expense of $5.6 million in the comparable period of 2023.

    Full Year Results

    Revenues for the year ended 2024 were $13.2 million compared to $12.7 million in 2023. Revenues generated by the GAMCO International SICAV – GAMCO Merger Arbitrage were $5.0 million versus $3.7 million in the prior year period. All other revenues were $8.2 million compared to $9.0 million in the year ago quarter.   

    For 2024, the operating loss before Management fee was $12.9 million compared to $11.5 million in 2023.

    The full year 2024 net investment and other non-operating income was $71.5 million versus $63.8 million, primarily due to higher dividend income from GAMCO Investors, Inc. (“GAMCO”) in 2024.

    In 2024, Management fee was $5.9 million compared to $5.4 million in 2023.

    Our income tax rate for the year was 15.8% compared to 19.5% for the prior year primarily driven by deferred tax benefits from the sale of GAMCO shares that reduced the current period’s effective tax rate.

    Assets Under Management (AUM)

    Assets under management ended the year at $1.25 billion, $343 million less than year-end 2023, reflecting net outflows of $363 million and the impact of currency fluctuations in non-US dollar denominated classes of investment funds of $29 million, offset partially by market appreciation of $49 million. In the merger arbitrage strategy, most of the outflows ($198 million) were tied to GAMCO Merger Arbitrage UCITS (a Luxembourg entity organized as an Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferrable Securities). These outflows were generally driven by our clients including wealth managers, bank platforms and insurance companies reallocating funds to other asset classes.

    AUM since spin-off:

          December 31,  
    ($ in millions)     2024     2023     2022       2021       2020       2019       2018       2017       2016     2015  
    Merger Arbitrage   $ 1,003   $ 1,312   $ 1,588     $ 1,542     $ 1,126     $ 1,525     $ 1,342     $ 1,384     $ 1,076     $ 869  
    Long/Short Value(a)     209     244     222       195       180       132       118       91       133       145  
    Other     36     35     32       44       45       59       60       66       63       66  
    Total AUM   $ 1,248   $ 1,591   $ 1,842     $ 1,781     $ 1,351     $ 1,716     $ 1,520     $ 1,541     $ 1,272     $ 1,080  

    (a) Assets under management represent the assets invested in this strategy that are attributable to AC.

    Alternative Investment Management

    The alternative investment strategy offerings center around our merger arbitrage strategy, which has an absolute return focus of generating returns independent of the broad equity and fixed income markets. We also offer strategies utilizing fundamental, active, event-driven and special situations investments.

    Merger Arbitrage

    For the fourth quarter of 2024, our longest continuously offered fund in the merger arbitrage strategy generated gross returns of 0.95% (0.57% net of fees). For the full year, gross returns were 5.83% (3.82% net of fees), adding to its historical record of positive net returns in 38 of the last 40 years. A summary of the performance is as follows:

                              Full Year                  
    Performance%(a)   4Q ’24     4Q ’23         2024     2023     2022     2021     2020     5 Year(b)     Since 1985(b)(c)  
    Merger Arb                                                                            
    Gross     0.95       3.19           5.83       5.49       4.47       10.81       9.45       7.18       9.98  
    Net     0.57       2.35           3.82       3.56       2.75       7.78       6.70       4.90       7.06  

    (a) Net performance is net of fees and expenses, unless otherwise noted. Performance shown is for an actual fund in this strategy. The performance of other funds in this strategy may vary. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

    (b) Represents annualized returns through December 31, 2024

    (c) Inception Date: February 1985

    Since its inception in 1985, our longest continuously offered fund in the merger arbitrage strategy has consistently outperformed the return on 90-day T-Bills. The summary historical performance is as follows:

    Merger Arbitrage (1)
    Percent Return (%)
    Year Gross Return Net Return 90 Day
    T-Bills
    2024 5.83 3.82 5.45
    2023 5.49 3.56 5.26
    2022 4.47 2.75 1.50
    2021 10.81 7.78 0.05
    2020 9.45 6.70 0.58
    2019 8.55 5.98 2.25
    2018 4.35 2.65 1.86
    2017 4.69 2.92 0.84
    2016 9.13 6.44 0.27
    2015 5.33 3.43 0.03
    2014 3.89 2.29 0.03
    2013 5.33 3.43 0.05
    2012 4.32 2.63 0.07
    2011 4.89 3.07 0.08
    2010 9.07 6.35 0.13
    2009 12.40 9.15 0.16
    2008 0.06 -0.94 1.80
    2007 6.39 4.26 4.74
    2006 12.39 8.96 4.76
    2005 9.40 6.63 3.00
    2004 5.49 3.69 1.24
    2003 8.90 6.26 1.07
    2002 4.56 2.45 1.70
    2001 7.11 4.56 4.09
    2000 18.10 13.57 5.96
    1999 16.61 12.31 4.74
    1998 10.10 7.21 5.06
    1997 12.69 9.21 5.25
    1996 12.14 8.84 5.25
    1995 14.06 10.27 5.75
    1994 7.90 5.53 4.24
    1993 12.29 8.91 3.09
    1992 7.05 4.78 3.62
    1991 12.00 8.76 5.75
    1990 9.43 6.67 7.92
    1989 23.00 17.55 8.63
    1988 45.84 35.66 6.76
    1987 -13.67 -14.54 5.90
    1986 33.40 26.14 6.24
    1985 30.47 22.64 7.82
           
    Average 10.34 7.31 3.32
           

    (1) The performance above refers to our longest continuously offered fund in the merger arbitrage strategy (net and gross returns). Net returns are net of management and incentive fees. Individual investment returns may differ due to timing of investment and other factors. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

    Worldwide mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) totaled $3.2 trillion in 2024, an increase of 10% compared to 2023, with strength across all major geographies. The US remained the preferred venue for dealmaking, with volume of approximately $1.4 trillion, an increase of about 5% and accounting for 45% of worldwide M&A. European deal activity increased 22% to $700 billion, and cross-border M&A totaled approximately $1.1 trillion, a 12% increase compared to 2023. Technology returned to the top sector for deals with approximately $500 billion in 2024, an increase of 32% compared to 2023 and accounting for 16% of total deals. Energy & Power accounted for 15% of deal activity ($477 billion), while Financials accounted for 14% of total volume ($453 billion), an increase of 51% compared to 2023. Private Equity firms remained acquisitive with $706 billion of announced deals, accounting for 22% of total M&A and increasing 24% compared to 2023.

    With the change at the White House and Congress we are seeing a “changing of the guard” with respect to several M&A – related regulatory appointments, some of which will have a material impact on M&A investing:  most notably, the Chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the U.S. Attorney General who heads The Department of Justice (“DOJ”). These changes are likely to facilitate an increase in deal activity as corporate sentiment shifts to move ahead with transformational transactions for their businesses.

    The Merger Arbitrage strategy is offered by mandate and client type through partnerships and offshore corporations serving accredited as well as institutional investors. The strategy is also offered in separately managed accounts, a Luxembourg UCITS and a London Stock Exchange listed investment company, Gabelli Merger Plus+ Trust Plc (GMP-LN).  

    Acquisitions

    Associated Capital Group’s plan is to accelerate the use of its capital. We intend to leverage our research and investment capabilities by pursuing acquisitions and alliances that will broaden our product offerings and add new sources of distribution. In addition, we may make direct investments in operating businesses using a variety of techniques and structures to accomplish our objectives.

    Giving Back to Society – (Y)our “S” in ESG

    AC seeks to be a good corporate citizen by supporting our community through sponsoring local organizations. On August 7, 2024, the Board of Directors approved a $0.20 per share shareholder designated charitable contribution (“SDCC”) for registered shareholders. Based on the program created by Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway, our corporate charitable giving is unique in that the recipients of AC’s charitable contributions are chosen directly by our shareholders, rather than by our corporate officers. In the first quarter of 2025, we completed the distribution of approximately $4.0 million to various organizations selected by our shareholders for our 2024 program. Since our spin-off as a public company, the shareholders of AC have donated approximately $42 million, including the most recent SDCC, to over 200 501(c)(3) organizations that address a broad range of local, national and international concerns.

    Shareholder Dividends and Buybacks

    At its meeting on November 8, 2024, the Board of Directors declared a semi-annual dividend of $0.10 per share, which was paid on December 19, 2024 to shareholders of record on December 5, 2024. For the full year, the Company paid dividends of $46.8 million, or $2.20 per share.

    During the fourth quarter, AC repurchased 63,075 Class A shares, for $2.3 million, at an average price of $35.87 per share. Furthermore, for the full year AC repurchased 353,116 Class A shares, for $11.8 million, at an average price of $33.53 per share.

    The Company intends to continue to repurchase additional shares, but share repurchases may vary from time to time and will take into account macroeconomic issues, market trends, and other factors that the Company deems appropriate.

    Since our spin-off from GAMCO on November 30, 2015, AC has returned $184.2 million to shareholders through share repurchases and exchange offers, and paid dividends of $83.2 million.

    At December 31, 2024, there were 2.234 million Class A shares and 18.951 million Class B shares outstanding.

    About Associated Capital Group, Inc.

    Associated Capital Group, Inc. (NYSE:AC), based in Greenwich, Connecticut, is a diversified global financial services company that provides alternative investment management through Gabelli & Company Investment Advisers, Inc. (“GCIA”). We have also earmarked proprietary capital for our direct investment business that invests in new and existing businesses. The direct investment business is developing along several core pillars, including Gabelli Private Equity Partners, LLC (“GPEP”), formed in August 2017 with $150 million of authorized capital as a “fund-less” sponsor. We also created Gabelli Principal Strategies Group, LLC (“GPS”) in December 2015 to pursue strategic operating initiatives.

    Operating Loss Before Management Fee

    Operating loss before management fee represents a non-GAAP financial measure used by management to evaluate its business operations. We believe this measure is useful in illustrating the operating results of the Company, as management fee expense is based on pre-tax income before management fee expense, which includes non-operating items including investment gains and losses from the Company’s proprietary investment portfolio and interest expense.

        Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
        December 31,     December 31,  
    ($ in 000’s)   2024     2023     2024     2023  
                                     
    Operating loss – GAAP   $ (3,193 )   $ (4,822 )   $ (18,753 )   $ (16,947 )
                                     
    Add: management fee expense (1)     134       2,371       5,870       5,446  
                                     
    Operating loss before management fee – Non-GAAP   $ (3,059 )   $ (2,451 )   $ (12,883 )   $ (11,501 )

    (1) Management fee expense is incentive-based and is equal to 10% of Income before management fee and income taxes and excludes the impact of consolidating entities. For the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, Income before management fee, income taxes and excluding consolidated entities was income of $1,340 and $23,710, respectively. As a result, $134 and $2,371 was accrued for the 10% management fee expense in 2024 and 2023 periods, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, Income before management fee, income taxes and excluding consolidated entities was income of $58,699 and $54,456, respectively. As a result, $5,870 and $5,446 was accrued for the 10% management fee expense in 2024 and 2023, respectively.

    Table I

    ASSOCIATED CAPITAL GROUP, INC.
    UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
    (Amounts in thousands, except share data)
     
              December 31,  
              2024     2023  
    ASSETS                        
    Cash, cash equivalents and US Treasury Bills           $ 367,850     $ 406,642  
    Investments in securities and partnerships             487,623       420,706  
    Investment in GAMCO stock             16,920       45,602  
    Receivable from brokers             27,634       30,268  
    Income taxes receivable, including deferred tax assets, net             6,021       8,474  
    Other receivables             4,778       5,587  
    Other assets             24,463       26,518  
    Total assets           $ 935,289     $ 943,797  
                             
    LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS AND EQUITY  
                             
    Payable to brokers           $ 5,491     $ 4,459  
    Compensation payable             17,747       15,169  
    Securities sold short, not yet purchased             8,436       5,918  
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities             5,317       5,173  
    Total liabilities             36,991       30,719  
                             
    Redeemable noncontrolling interests             5,592       6,103  
                             
    Total Associated Capital Group, Inc. equity             892,706       906,975  
                             
    Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity           $ 935,289     $ 943,797  
                             

    Notes:
    (1) Certain captions include amounts related to a consolidated variable interest entity (“VIE”) and voting interest entity (“VOE”). Refer to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the 10-K report to be filed for the year ended December 31, 2024 for more details on the impact of consolidating these entities.

    (2) Investment in GAMCO stock: 699,749 and 2,386,295 shares, respectively.

    Table II

    ASSOCIATED CAPITAL GROUP, INC.
    UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

     
        Three Months Ended
    December 31,
        Year Ended
    December 31,
     
        2024     2023     2024     2023  
                             
    Investment advisory and incentive fees   $ 5,049     $ 5,535     $ 12,755     $ 12,324  
    Other     105       101       420       359  
    Total revenues     5,154       5,636       13,175       12,683  
                                     
    Compensation     6,316       5,809       18,293       17,246  
    Other operating expenses     1,897       2,278       7,765       6,938  
    Total expenses     8,213       8,087       26,058       24,184  
                                     
    Operating loss before management fee      (3,059 )     (2,451 )     (12,883 )     (11,501 )
                                     
    Net investment gain/(loss)     (41     21,398       42,767       43,033  
    Dividend income from GAMCO     92       96       5,454       384  
    Interest and dividend income, net     7,384       7,591       26,779       24,412  
    Shareholder-designated contribution     (3,063 )     (2,413 )     (3,512 )     (4,017 )
    Investment and other non-operating income, net     4,372       26,672       71,488       63,812  
                                     
    Income before management fee and income taxes     1,313       24,221       58,605       52,311  
    Management fee     134       2,371       5,870       5,446  
    Income before income taxes     1,179       21,850       52,735       46,865  
    Income tax expense/(benefit)     (3,108     5,551       8,307       9,137  
    Income before noncontrolling interests     4,287       16,299       44,428       37,728  
    Income/(loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests     7       (43 )     100       277  
    Net income attributable to Associated Capital Group, Inc.’s shareholders   $ 4,280     $ 16,342     $ 44,328     $ 37,451  
                                     
    Net income per share attributable to Associated Capital Group, Inc.’s shareholders:                                
    Basic   $ 0.20     $ 0.76     $ 2.08     $ 1.72  
    Diluted   $ 0.20     $ 0.76     $ 2.08     $ 1.72  
                                     
    Weighted average shares outstanding:                                
    Basic     21,222       21,576       21,347       21,771  
    Diluted     21,222       21,576       21,347       21,771  
                                     
    Actual shares outstanding – end of period     21,185       21,538       21,185       21,538  

    SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

    The financial results set forth in this press release are preliminary. Our disclosure and analysis in this press release, which do not present historical information, contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements convey our current expectations or forecasts of future events. You can identify these statements because they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” and other words and terms of similar meaning. They also appear in any discussion of future operating or financial performance. In particular, these include statements relating to future actions, future performance of our products, expenses, the outcome of any legal proceedings, and financial results. Although we believe that we are basing our expectations and beliefs on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of what we currently know about our business and operations, the economy and other conditions, there can be no assurance that our actual results will not differ materially from what we expect or believe. Therefore, you should proceed with caution in relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance.

    Forward-looking statements involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors, some of which are listed below, that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from any future results or outcomes expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our expectations or beliefs include a decline in the securities markets that adversely affect our assets under management, negative performance of our products, the failure to perform as required under our investment management agreements, and a general downturn in the economy that negatively impacts our operations. We also direct your attention to the more specific discussions of these and other risks, uncertainties and other important factors contained in our Form 10 and other public filings. Other factors that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We do not undertake to update publicly any forward-looking statements if we subsequently learn that we are unlikely to achieve our expectations whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Ian J. McAdams
    Chief Financial Officer
    (914) 921-5078
    Associated-Capital-Group.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d3637934-12dd-409f-93dd-27bbb1388a85

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse: Trump’s Shutdown of USAID Will Cause Human Suffering Abroad & Weaken U.S. National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Recognizing that diplomacy and development play a key role alongside defense when it comes to U.S. national security, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 34 of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

    USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability. Yesterday, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department – which Trump has no legal authority to do. The Trump Administration, led by Mr. Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.

    “…We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the 37 U.S. Senators.

    The senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”

    “Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat,” wrote the senators.

    They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”

    In addition to Kaine, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angus S. King (I-ME), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

    The full text of the letter follows.

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    The effective administration of U.S. foreign assistance is critical to advancing core U.S. national security priorities, including countering the influence of China, Russia and Iran. As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, pushing back on China in particular is a top bipartisan priority. 

    As such, we are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners.

    The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.

    Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat.

    Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.

    We request immediate clarification on the following:

    Status of USAID:

    1.         Confirmation of your understanding that any effort to abolish USAID or merge USAID into the Department of State absent Congressional consultation and approval is illegal.

    2.         Confirmation of your understanding that adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran are quickly moving into the vacuum left by suspended USAID programs. 

    3.         The Department of State’s assessment of Mr. Elon Musk’s financial ties to China and the impact of these ties to the decision-making process of Mr. Musk and his employees.

    4.         Confirmation that neither you nor any member of your leadership team are taking direction from Mr. Musk with regards to the work of the Department of State or USAID, personnel or financial decisions for either agency, or any other matters relevant to U.S. national security. 

    5.         Confirmation of the names and employment status of individuals directed by Mr. Musk to engage with USAID staff, the qualifications of these individuals, and the level of their security clearances – if any.

    Personnel:

    1.         Confirmation of your understanding that any unauthorized access by or disclosure of classified information to individuals without appropriate security clearance could be considered a criminal offense.

    2.         The legal authority and rationale under which, on January 28, more than 50 senior career civil and foreign service USAID officials were placed on administrative leave. This move was not only unprecedented, but also inconsistent with the Office of Personnel Management’s own guidelines for the use of administrative leave.

    3.         The legal authority under which, on January 28, approximately 390 USAID Institutional Support Contractors (ISCs) were given stop-work orders, and clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this termination.

    4.         Whether any Department of State career civil and foreign service or contractors have been placed on administrative leave or removed from their roles as a result of or relating to the assistance freeze or any directives from the Office of Foreign Assistance.

    5.         Clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this mass furlough.

    6.         Clarification of whether these individuals were directed to be terminated without cause.

    7.         Confirmation that personnel will not face retaliation or retribution for performing their duties under the previous Administration’s policy direction.

    8.         Under what authorities and by which official’s directive career civil service, foreign service, and Personal Services Contractors (PSC), and those under other hiring authorities have been removed from their roles or limited in their ability to execute their work.

    9.         Confirmation that further career civil service, foreign service and USAID contractors will not be removed from their roles without cause or receive stop work orders.

    10.       Whether, upon full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities, the Administration intends to re-hire contractors who have been removed from their roles.

    11.       Any additional guidance provided to State and USAID staff regarding the foreign assistance freeze, including confirmation of whether direct hires, contractors, or implementing organizations have been directed not to speak publicly about the foreign assistance freeze.

    12.       Public identification of the individual currently serving as the Director or Acting Director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and as Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and the dates upon which this individual was appointed to each position.

    13.       Confirmation of your understanding that the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance has no authority to issue personnel directives for USAID.

    Resumption of Foreign Assistance:

    1.         The specific process and anticipated timeframe for activities to receive exemptions or waivers, as referenced in your January 28, 2025 directive to State and USAID staff.

    2.         The mechanisms and metrics established for this waiver process.

    3.         The timeline for full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities.

    4.         Clarification of what risk assessment or analysis of potential risk to U.S. national security interests were conducted prior to the decision to freeze foreign assistance activities.

    5.         Confirmation of the Department of State’s obligation to comply with U.S. contract law and your responsibility as Secretary of State ensure the Department honors its commitments to contracting partners.

    We welcome your urgent attention to these questions. We and our staff stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. foreign assistance funding continues to be deployed effectively to protect American citizens, at home and abroad.

    Respectfully,

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Violent Illegal Immigrant

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Atlanta, GA – On January 30, 2025, Marcel Pierre Grant, a citizen of Jamaica with a history of violence and illegal immigration, was captured by the United States Marshals Service in Atlanta, Georgia.

    Despite being deported, over many years, Marcel Grant has committed numerous, serious crimes.

    In 2001, Marcel Grant was charged with carrying and possessing a firearm in public. In 2002, he was arrested for armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, bank robbery utilizing a firearm, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and numerous other crimes. In 2003, he was charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated bank robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence. In 2006, he was arrested as a deportable alien.

    More recently, in 2022, Grant was arrested for illegal re-entry of a previously removed alien. He was also detained for possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of methamphetamine. In 2023, he was again charged with possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

    Despite his long history, in 2024, Grant was released from custody. He remained in the United States. Grant was required to submit to monitoring under the authority of United States Probation. However, Grant failed to follow the guidelines of this monitoring.

    Due to Grant’s failure to comply, the U.S. Marshals became responsible for the case. On January 30, 2025, Grant was arrested without incident. The arrest unit included officers from the U.S. Marshals Service for the Northern District of Georgia and the Southeast Regional Fugitive Taskforce.

    As of today, Grant is being detained and will soon answer for his crimes.

    About Grant’s arrest, United States Marshal Thomas Brown said, “Let the message go out to all criminals, both foreign and domestic. If you do harm to the citizens of the United States, you will not be allowed a moment of peace. You will not find shelter. If you illegally come to our communities to wreak havoc, you will be caught, and you will answer for your crimes.”

    The U.S. Marshals Service is the primary federal agency charged with conducting fugitive investigations throughout the country. The U.S. Marshals Service regularly works in concert with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sex offenders. The U.S. Marshals Service has established task forces throughout the nation, and professional relationships worldwide, to facilitate the apprehension of fugitives.

    If you have further questions about the United States Marshals, please call (703)740-1699. The U.S. Marshals for the Northern District of Georgia can be reached at (404) 331-6833.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Weatherford Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Fourth quarter revenue of $1,341 million decreased 5% sequentially and 2% year-over-year; full year revenue of $5,513 million increased 7% from prior year, driven by international revenue growth of 10%
    • Fourth quarter operating income of $198 million decreased 19% sequentially and 8% year-over-year; full year operating income of $938 million increased 14% from prior year
    • Fourth quarter net income of $112 million, an 8.4% margin, decreased 29% sequentially and 20% year-over-year; full year net income of $506 million, a 9.2% margin, increased by 21% from prior year
    • Fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA* of $326 million, a 24.3% margin, decreased 8%, or 88 basis points, sequentially and increased 2%, or 74 basis points, year-over-year; full year adjusted EBITDA* of $1,382 million, a 25.1% margin, increased 17%, or 197 basis points, from prior year
    • Fourth quarter cash provided by operating activities of $249 million and adjusted free cash flow* of $162 million; full year cash provided by operating activities of $792 million and adjusted free cash flow* of $524 million
    • Shareholder return of $67 million for the quarter, which included dividend payments of $18 million and share repurchases of $49 million
    • Board approved quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share, payable on March 19, 2025, to shareholders of record as of February 21, 2025

    *Non-GAAP – refer to the section titled Non-GAAP Financial Measures Defined and GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciled

    HOUSTON, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ: WFRD) (“Weatherford” or the “Company”) announced today its results for the fourth quarter of 2024 and full year 2024.

    Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $1,341 million, a decrease of 5% sequentially and 2% year-over-year. Operating income was $198 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $243 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $216 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Net income in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $112 million, with an 8.4% margin, a decrease of 29%, or 279 basis points, sequentially, and a decrease of 20%, or 193 basis points, year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA* was $326 million, a 24.3% margin, a decrease of 8%, or 88 basis points, sequentially, and an increase of 2%, or 74 basis points, year-over-year. Basic income per share in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $1.54 compared to $2.14 in the third quarter of 2024 and $1.94 in the fourth quarter of 2023. Diluted income per share in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $1.50 compared to $2.06 in the third quarter of 2024 and $1.90 in the fourth quarter of 2023.

    Fourth quarter 2024 cash flows provided by operating activities were $249 million, compared to $262 million in the third quarter of 2024, and $375 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Adjusted free cash flow* was $162 million, a decrease of $22 million sequentially, and $153 million year-over-year. Capital expenditures were $100 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $78 million in the third quarter of 2024, and $67 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

    Revenue for the full year 2024 was $5,513 million, compared to revenues of $5,135 million in 2023. Operating income for the full year was $938 million, compared to $820 million in 2023. The Company’s full year 2024 net income was $506 million, compared to $417 million in 2023. Full year cash flows provided by operations were $792 million, compared to $832 million in 2023. Adjusted free cash flow* for the full year was $524 million compared to $651 million in 2023. Capital expenditures for the full year 2024 were $299 million, compared to $209 million in 2023.

    Girish Saligram, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “The fourth quarter witnessed a significant drop in activity levels in Latin America and a more cautious tone in a few key geographies. Despite a challenging environment in the fourth quarter, the overall full year 2024 was another one of setting new operational highs, and I would like to express my gratitude to the One Weatherford team for that. We ended the year with the best safety record we have ever had, strong margin expansion and solid cash generation.

    While the activity outlook continues to evolve, margins and cash flow performance continue to be the cornerstone of our financial and strategic objectives. We are well-positioned to deliver another year of strong cash flow generation in 2025. While there is some temporary activity reduction, we continue to believe in the industry’s mid to long-term resilience and remain committed to our goal of achieving EBITDA margins in the high 20’s over the next few years.”

    *Non-GAAP – refer to the section titled Non-GAAP Financial Measures Defined and GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciled

    Operational & Commercial Highlights

    • ADNOC awarded Weatherford a three-year contract for the provision of rigless services as part of the reactivation of ADNOC’s onshore strings.
    • Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) awarded Weatherford a Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) services contract focused on improving operational efficiency, enhancing safety, accelerating well-delivery timelines, and reducing costs by deploying Weatherford’s innovative VictusTM Intelligent MPD system.
    • KOC awarded Weatherford a one-year contract to provide and operate two onshore Real Time Decision Centers.
    • A National Oil Company (NOC) in Qatar awarded Weatherford a five-year contract to provide fishing and drilling tools, with a five-year extension option.
    • An NOC in Asia awarded Weatherford a three-year contract for the provision of Wireline conveyance and tooling services and a three-year contract for Tubular Running Services (TRS) in onshore India.
    • OMV Petrom awarded Weatherford a two-year contract for openhole and cased-hole logging services in Romania.
    • A major operator in Asia awarded Weatherford a three-year contract for providing ModusTM MPD services for two zones in North and South Sumatra, and awarded a five-year contract to provide openhole and cased-hole Wireline in onshore Indonesia.
    • Khalda awarded Weatherford a three-year contract to deploy up to 300 wells in Egypt using CygNet® SCADA and ForeSite® platform.
    • Azule Energy awarded Weatherford a three-year contract to provide TRS for the NGC Project in offshore Angola. This is in addition to the recently awarded TRS contract in block 15/06 in the deepwater block.
    • PTTEP awarded Weatherford a 24-month contract to provide openhole Wireline Services in onshore Thailand.
    • A major operator in Asia awarded Weatherford with a four-year contract to provide Rotating Control Devices to enable MPD in offshore Indonesia.
    • Shell Petroleum Development Company awarded Weatherford a three-year contract to provide Well Completions and other related specialized services in onshore Nigeria.

    Technology Highlights
    On January 14, 2025, at the annual IKTVA forum held at Dahan Dharan Expo, Weatherford signed an agreement with SPARK, a fully integrated industrial ecosystem aimed at making Saudi Arabia a global energy hub. This strategic partnership, aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, enhances Weatherford’s local presence, boosts production capabilities, and supports the region’s energy goals. By advancing local content, fostering talent, and driving innovation, Weatherford demonstrates its commitment to economic growth and to supporting Saudi Arabia’s leadership in energy innovation.

    • Drilling & Evaluation (“DRE”)
      • In the North Sea, Weatherford successfully deployed the world’s first Dual Advanced Kickover Tool for Equinor. The unique solution enables gas lift valve replacements in just a single run, which significantly increases efficiency and reduces cost of conventional systems.
      • In Saudi Arabia, Weatherford deployed its compact wireline logging tools with shuttle technology to achieve a record total depth for Aramco. This extended reach well features the longest horizontal section, measuring 23,000 feet.
    • Well Construction and Completions (“WCC”)
      • In deepwater Brazil, Weatherford successfully installed the first OptiRoss® RFID Multi-Cycle Sliding Sleeve Valve for a major operator. The system enhances acid stimulation efficiency, improving production and boosting the reservoir’s oil recovery factor.
      • In the Middle East, Weatherford successfully deployed its market-leading Optimax Tubing Retrievable Safety Valve for an NOC. This deployment enabled gas lift valve replacements in a single run, significantly increasing efficiency and reducing costs compared to conventional systems.
    • Production and Intervention (“PRI”)
      • In the Middle East, Weatherford’s Alpha1Go remote re-entry system was deployed for an NOC, optimizing rig site operations by significantly reducing whipstock preparation time and minimizing red-zone exposure. This deployment improved both efficiency and safety, demonstrating the system’s effectiveness in facilitating well re-entry operations and real-time team collaboration in various rig environments.
      • In US land operations, Weatherford successfully deployed its first Reclaim Dual Barrier Plug and Abandon (P&A) system for a major operator. This innovative dual barrier P&A system safely and reliably abandons wells without the need to pull tubing. By eliminating the requirement for conventional drilling rigs, it significantly reduces costs and minimizes the carbon footprint.

    Shareholder Return

    During the fourth quarter of 2024, Weatherford repurchased shares for approximately $49 million and paid dividends of $18 million, resulting in total shareholder return of $67 million. Since the inception of the shareholder return program introduced earlier in 2024, the Company repurchased shares for approximately $99 million and paid dividends of $36 million, resulting in total shareholder return of $135 million.

    On January 29, 2025, our Board declared a cash dividend of $0.25 per share of the Company’s ordinary shares, payable on March 19, 2025, to shareholders of record as of February 21, 2025.

    Results by Reportable Segment

    Drilling and Evaluation (“DRE”)

        Three Months Ended   Variance     Twelve Months Ended   Variance
    ($ in Millions)   Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Seq.     YoY   Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      YoY
    Revenue   $ 398     $ 435     $ 382     (9 )%   4 %   $ 1,682     $ 1,536     10 %
    Segment Adjusted EBITDA   $ 96     $ 111     $ 97     (14 )%   (1 )%   $ 467     $ 422     11 %
    Segment Adj EBITDA Margin     24.1 %     25.5 %     25.4 %   (140) bps   (127) bps     27.8 %     27.5 %   29 bps

    Fourth quarter 2024 DRE revenue of $398 million decreased by $37 million, or 9% sequentially, primarily from lower activity in Latin America, partly offset by higher international Wireline activity. Year-over-year DRE revenues increased by $16 million, or 4%, primarily from higher activity in North America and higher international Wireline activity, partly offset by lower activity in Latin America.

    Fourth quarter 2024 DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $96 million decreased by $15 million, or 14% sequentially, primarily driven by lower activity in Latin America, partly offset by higher international Wireline activity. Year-over-year DRE segment adjusted EBITDA decreased by $1 million, or 1%, primarily due to lower activity in Latin America, partly offset by improved performance in Middle East/North Africa/Asia.

    Full year 2024 DRE revenues of $1,682 million increased by $146 million, or 10% compared to 2023, as higher Wireline and Drilling-related services activity were partly offset by lower Drilling Services in Latin America.

    Full year 2024 DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $467 million increased by $45 million, or 11% compared to 2023, as higher MPD and Wireline activity were partly offset by lower activity in Latin America.

    Well Construction and Completions (“WCC”)

        Three Months Ended   Variance     Twelve Months Ended   Variance
    ($ in Millions)   Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Seq.     YoY   Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      YoY
    Revenue   $ 505     $ 509     $ 480     (1 )%   5 %   $ 1,976     $ 1,800     10 %
    Segment Adjusted EBITDA   $ 148     $ 151     $ 131     (2 )%   13 %   $ 564     $ 455     24 %
    Segment Adj EBITDA Margin     29.3 %     29.7 %     27.3 %   (36) bps   202 bps     28.5 %     25.3 %   326 bps

    Fourth quarter 2024 WCC revenue of $505 million decreased by $4 million, or 1% sequentially, primarily due to lower activity in Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia, partly offset by higher Completions and TRS activity in Middle East/North Africa/Asia. Year-over-year WCC revenues increased by $25 million, or 5%, primarily due to higher activity in Middle East/North Africa/Asia and higher Liner Hangers and Well Services activity in Latin America, partly offset by lower activity in North America.

    Fourth quarter 2024 WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $148 million decreased by $3 million, or 2% sequentially, primarily due to lower activity in Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia, partly offset by higher Completions and TRS activity in Middle East/North Africa/Asia. Year-over-year WCC segment adjusted EBITDA increased by $17 million, or 13%, primarily due to higher activity in Middle East/North Africa/Asia, partly offset by lower activity in Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia.

    Full year 2024 WCC revenues of $1,976 million increased by $176 million, or 10% compared to 2023, primarily from higher activity in Middle East/North Africa/Asia and Latin America, partly offset by lower activity in North America.

    Full year 2024 WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $564 million increased by $109 million, or 24% compared to 2023, primarily due to improved fall through in major product lines across all geographies.

    Production and Intervention (“PRI”)

        Three Months Ended   Variance       Twelve Months Ended   Variance  
    ($ in Millions)   Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Seq.     YoY     Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      YoY  
    Revenue   $ 364     $ 371     $ 386     (2 )%   (6 )%   $ 1,452     $ 1,472     (1 )%
    Segment Adjusted EBITDA   $ 78     $ 83     $ 88     (6 )%   (11 )%   $ 319     $ 323     (1 )%
    Segment Adj EBITDA Margin     21.4 %     22.4 %     22.8 %   (94) bps   (137) bps     22.0 %     21.9 %   3 bps

    Fourth quarter 2024 PRI revenue of $364 million decreased by $7 million, or 2% sequentially, primarily due to lower activity in Latin America and lower Intervention Services and Drilling Tools (ISDT) activity in Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia and North America. Year-over-year PRI revenue decreased by $22 million, or 6%, as lower activity in Middle East/North Africa/Asia and Latin America was partly offset by higher Artificial Lift activity in North America.

    Fourth quarter 2024 PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $78 million, decreased by $5 million, or 6% sequentially, primarily from lower activity in Latin America and lower ISDT activity in Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia and North America, partly offset by higher Artificial Lift activity in Middle East/North Africa/Asia. Year-over-year PRI segment adjusted EBITDA decreased by $10 million, or 11% year-over-year, primarily due to lower activity in Latin America and Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia, partly offset by better ISDT and Artificial Lift fall through in North America.

    Full year 2024 PRI revenues of $1,452 million decreased by $20 million, or 1% compared to 2023, primarily due to lower international Pressure Pumping and Digital Solutions activity, partly offset by higher ISDT activity in Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia and Middle East/North Africa/Asia.

    Full year 2024 PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $319 million decreased by $4 million, or 1% compared to 2023, as lower activity in international Pressure Pumping and Digital Solutions was partly offset by improved performance in Artificial Lift.

    Revenue by Geography

        Three Months Ended   Variance   Twelve Months Ended   Variance
    ($ in Millions)   Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Seq.   YoY   Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      YoY
    North America   $ 261   $ 266   $ 248   (2 )%   5 %   $ 1,046   $ 1,068   (2 )%
                                     
    International   $ 1,080   $ 1,143   $ 1,114   (6 )%   (3 )%   $ 4,467   $ 4,067   10 %
    Latin America     312     358     342   (13 )%   (9 )%     1,393     1,387   %
    Middle East/North Africa/Asia     542     542     547   %   (1 )%     2,123     1,815   17 %
    Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia     226     243     225   (7 )%   %     951     865   10 %
    Total Revenue   $ 1,341   $ 1,409   $ 1,362   (5 )%   (2 )%   $ 5,513   $ 5,135   7 %


    North America

    Fourth quarter 2024 North America revenue of $261 million decreased by $5 million, or 2% sequentially, primarily due to activity decreases in the North and South regions, partly offset by activity increase offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Year-over-year, North America increased by $13 million, or 5%, primarily from higher Artificial Lift and Wireline activity, partly offset by a decrease in activity across the WCC segment.

    Full year 2024 North America revenue of $1,046 million decreased by $22 million, or 2%, compared to 2023, primarily due to lower activity in the WCC and PRI segments, partly offset by higher Wireline activity.

    International

    Fourth quarter 2024 international revenue of $1,080 million decreased 6% sequentially and decreased 3% year-over-year, and full year 2024 international revenue of $4,467 million increased 10%, compared to 2023.

    Fourth quarter 2024 Latin America revenue of $312 million decreased by $46 million, or 13% sequentially, primarily due to lower Drilling-related Services, partly offset by higher Liner Hangers activity. Year-over-year, Latin America revenue decreased by $30 million, primarily due to lower activity in the DRE and PRI segments, partly offset by higher activity in Liner Hangers and Well Services.

    Full year 2024 Latin America revenue of $1,393 million was largely flat, compared to 2023.

    Fourth quarter 2024 revenue of $542 million in Middle East/North Africa/Asia was flat sequentially, as higher activity from Completions and Artificial Lift were largely offset by lower MPD and Integrated Services & Projects. Year-over-year, the Middle East/North Africa/Asia revenue decreased by $5 million, or 1%, primarily due to lower activity in the PRI segment, partly offset by higher Drilling-related services and Completions activity.

    Full year 2024 revenue of $2,123 million in Middle East/North Africa/Asia increased by $308 million, or 17%, compared to 2023, mainly due to increased activity in the DRE and WCC segments, partly offset by lower activity in Digital Solutions, Artificial Lift and Pressure Pumping.

    Fourth quarter 2024 Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia revenue of $226 million decreased by $17 million, or 7%, sequentially, mainly driven by lower Completions and ISDT activity, partly offset by higher Wireline activity. Year-over-year Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia revenue was largely flat due to increased activity in the DRE segment, largely offset by lower activity in the WCC and PRI segments.

    Full year 2024 Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia revenue of $951 million increased by $86 million, or 10% compared to 2023, due to increased activity in the DRE and WCC segments, partly offset by lower Pressure Pumping and Artificial Lift activity.

    About Weatherford
    Weatherford delivers innovative energy services that integrate proven technologies with advanced digitalization to create sustainable offerings for maximized value and return on investment. Our world-class experts partner with customers to optimize their resources and realize the full potential of their assets. Operators choose us for strategic solutions that add efficiency, flexibility, and responsibility to any energy operation. The Company conducts business in approximately 75 countries and has approximately 19,000 team members representing more than 110 nationalities and 330 operating locations. Visit weatherford.com for more information and connect with us on social media.

    Conference Call Details

    Weatherford will host a conference call on Thursday, February 6, 2025, to discuss the Company’s results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024. The conference call will begin at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (7:30 a.m. Central Time).

    Listeners are encouraged to download the accompanying presentation slides which will be available in the investor relations section of the Company’s website.

    Listeners can participate in the conference call via a live webcast at https://www.weatherford.com/investor-relations/investor-news-and-events/events/ or by dialing +1 877-328-5344 (within the U.S.) or +1 412-902-6762 (outside of the U.S.) and asking for the Weatherford conference call. Participants should log in or dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call.

    A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available until February 20, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. To access the replay, please dial +1 877-344-7529 (within the U.S.) or +1 412-317-0088 (outside of the U.S.) and reference conference number 9530137. A replay and transcript of the earnings call will also be available in the investor relations section of the Company’s website.

    Contacts
    For Investors:
    Luke Lemoine
    Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations
    +1 713-836-7777
    investor.relations@weatherford.com

    For Media:
    Kelley Hughes
    Senior Director, Communications & Employee Engagement
    media@weatherford.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains projections and forward-looking statements concerning, among other things, the Company’s quarterly and full-year revenues, adjusted EBITDA*, adjusted EBITDA margin*, adjusted free cash flow*, net leverage*, shareholder return program, forecasts or expectations regarding business outlook, prospects for its operations, capital expenditures, expectations regarding future financial results, and are also generally identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “outlook,” “budget,” “intend,” “strategy,” “plan,” “guidance,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs of Weatherford’s management and are subject to significant risks, assumptions, and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results, based on factors including but not limited to: global political disturbances, war, terrorist attacks, changes in global trade policies and tariffs, weak local economic conditions and international currency fluctuations; general global economic repercussions related to U.S. and global inflationary pressures and potential recessionary concerns; various effects from conflicts in the Middle East and the Russia Ukraine conflict, including, but not limited to, nationalization of assets, extended business interruptions, sanctions, treaties and regulations imposed by various countries, associated operational and logistical challenges, and impacts to the overall global energy supply; cybersecurity issues; our ability to comply with, and respond to, climate change, environmental, social and governance and other sustainability initiatives and future legislative and regulatory measures both globally and in specific geographic regions; the potential for a resurgence of a pandemic in a given geographic area and related disruptions to our business, employees, customers, suppliers and other partners; the price and price volatility of, and demand for, oil and natural gas; the macroeconomic outlook for the oil and gas industry; our ability to generate cash flow from operations to fund our operations; our ability to effectively and timely adapt our technology portfolio, products and services to remain competitive, and to address and participate in changes to the market demands, including for the transition to alternate sources of energy such as geothermal, carbon capture and responsible abandonment, including our digitalization efforts; our ability to effectively execute our capital allocation framework; our ability to return capital to shareholders, including those related to the timing and amounts (including any plans or commitments in respect thereof) of any dividends and share repurchases; and the realization of additional cost savings and operational efficiencies.

    These risks and uncertainties are more fully described in Weatherford’s reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any of the Company’s forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law, and we caution you not to rely on them unduly.

    *Non-GAAP – refer to the section titled Non-GAAP Financial Measures Defined and GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciled

    Weatherford International plc
    Selected Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
                         
        Three Months Ended   Year Ended
    ($ in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)   December
    31, 2024
      September
    30, 2024
      December
    31, 2023
      December
    31, 2024
      December
    31, 2023
    Revenues:                    
    DRE Revenues   $ 398     $ 435     $ 382     $ 1,682     $ 1,536  
    WCC Revenues     505       509       480       1,976       1,800  
    PRI Revenues     364       371       386       1,452       1,472  
    All Other     74       94       114       403       327  
    Total Revenues     1,341       1,409       1,362       5,513       5,135  
                         
    Operating Income:                    
    DRE Segment Adjusted EBITDA[1]   $ 96     $ 111     $ 97     $ 467     $ 422  
    WCC Segment Adjusted EBITDA[1]     148       151       131       564       455  
    PRI Segment Adjusted EBITDA[1]     78       83       88       319       323  
    All Other[2]     11       23       13       84       38  
    Corporate[2]     (7 )     (13 )     (8 )     (52 )     (52 )
    Depreciation and Amortization     (83 )     (89 )     (83 )     (343 )     (327 )
    Share-based Compensation     (10 )     (10 )     (9 )     (45 )     (35 )
    Other Charges     (35 )     (13 )     (13 )     (56 )     (4 )
    Operating Income     198       243       216       938       820  
                         
    Other Expense:                    
    Interest Expense, Net of Interest Income of $12, $13, $12, $56 and $59     (25 )     (24 )     (31 )     (102 )     (123 )
    Loss on Blue Chip Swap Securities                       (10 )     (57 )
    Other Expense, Net     (4 )     (41 )     (36 )     (87 )   (134 )
    Income Before Income Taxes     169       178       149       739       506  
    Income Tax Provision     (45 )     (12 )     (2 )     (189 )     (57 )
    Net Income     124       166       147       550       449  
    Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests     12       9       7       44       32  
    Net Income Attributable to Weatherford   $ 112     $ 157     $ 140     $ 506     $ 417  
                         
    Basic Income Per Share   $ 1.54     $ 2.14     $ 1.94     $ 6.93     $ 5.79  
    Basic Weighted Average Shares Outstanding     72.6       73.2       72.1       73.0       71.9  
                         
    Diluted Income Per Share[3]   $ 1.50     $ 2.06     $ 1.90     $ 6.75     $ 5.66  
    Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding     74.5       75.2       73.9       74.9       73.7  
                                             
    [1]   Segment adjusted EBITDA is our primary measure of segment profitability under U.S. GAAP ASC 280 “Segment Reporting” and represents segment earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation and other adjustments. Research and development expenses are included in segment adjusted EBITDA.
    [2]   All Other includes results from non-core business activities (including integrated services and projects), and Corporate includes overhead support and centrally managed or shared facilities costs. All Other and Corporate do not individually meet the criteria for segment reporting.
    [3]   Included the maximum potentially dilutive shares contingently issuable for an acquisition consideration during the three months ended September 30, 2024, the value of which was adjusted out of Net Income Attributable to Weatherford in calculating diluted income per share.
    Weatherford International plc
    Selected Balance Sheet Data (Unaudited)
           
    ($ in Millions) December 31, 2024   December 31, 2023
    Assets:      
    Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 916   $ 958
    Restricted Cash   59     105
    Accounts Receivable, Net   1,261     1,216
    Inventories, Net   880     788
    Property, Plant and Equipment, Net   1,061     957
    Intangibles, Net   325     370
           
    Liabilities:      
    Accounts Payable   792     679
    Accrued Salaries and Benefits   302     387
    Current Portion of Long-term Debt   17     168
    Long-term Debt   1,617     1,715
           
    Shareholders’ Equity:      
    Total Shareholders’ Equity   1,283     922
               
    Weatherford International plc
    Selected Cash Flows Information (Unaudited)
                         
        Three Months Ended   Year Ended
    ($ in Millions)   December
    31, 2024
      September
    30, 2024
      December
    31, 2023
      December
    31, 2024
      December
    31, 2023
    Cash Flows From Operating Activities:                    
    Net Income   $ 124     $ 166     $ 147     $ 550     $ 449  
    Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities:                    
    Depreciation and Amortization     83       89       83       343       327  
    Foreign Exchange Losses (Gain)     (2 )     35       43       56       116  
    Loss on Blue Chip Swap Securities                       10       57  
    Gain on Disposition of Assets     (2 )     (1 )           (35 )     (11 )
    Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)           (19 )     (19 )     8       (86 )
    Share-Based Compensation     10       10       9       45       35  
    Changes in Accounts Receivable, Inventory, Accounts Payable and Accrued Salaries and Benefits     24       30       151       (120 )     (84 )
    Other Changes, Net     12       (48 )     (39 )     (65 )     29  
    Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities     249       262       375       792       832  
                         
    Cash Flows From Investing Activities:                    
    Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment     (100 )     (78 )     (67 )     (299 )     (209 )
    Proceeds from Disposition of Assets     13             7       31       28  
    Purchases of Blue Chip Swap Securities                       (50 )     (110 )
    Proceeds from Sales of Blue Chip Swap Securities                       40       53  
    Business Acquisitions, Net of Cash Acquired           (15 )           (51 )     (4 )
    Other Investing Activities     1       1       (71 )     36       (47 )
    Net Cash Used In Investing Activities     (86 )     (92 )     (131 )     (293 )     (289 )
                         
    Cash Flows From Financing Activities:                    
    Repayments of Long-term Debt     (23 )     (5 )     (80 )     (287 )     (386 )
    Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests     (20 )     (10 )     (31 )     (39 )     (52 )
    Tax Remittance on Equity Awards     (22 )           (2 )     (31 )     (56 )
    Share Repurchases     (49 )     (50 )           (99 )      
    Dividends Paid     (18 )     (18 )           (36 )      
    Other Financing Activities     (1 )     (6 )     (13 )     (19 )     (20 )
    Net Cash Used In Financing Activities   $ (133 )   $ (89 )   $ (126 )   $ (511 )   $ (514 )

                      

    Weatherford International plc
    Non-GAAP Financial Measures Defined (Unaudited)

    We report our financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). However, Weatherford’s management believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures (as defined under the SEC’s Regulation G and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K) may provide users of this financial information additional meaningful comparisons between current results and results of prior periods and comparisons with peer companies. The non-GAAP amounts shown in the following tables should not be considered as substitutes for results reported in accordance with GAAP but should be viewed in addition to the Company’s reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    Adjusted EBITDA* – Adjusted EBITDA* is a non-GAAP measure and represents consolidated income before interest expense, net, income taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, and excludes, among other items, restructuring charges, share-based compensation expense, as well as other charges and credits. Management believes adjusted EBITDA* is useful to assess and understand normalized operating performance and trends. Adjusted EBITDA* should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for consolidated net income and should be viewed in addition to the Company’s reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    Adjusted EBITDA Margin* – Adjusted EBITDA margin* is a non-GAAP measure which is calculated by dividing consolidated adjusted EBITDA* by consolidated revenues. Management believes adjusted EBITDA margin* is useful to assess and understand normalized operating performance and trends. Adjusted EBITDA margin* should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for consolidated net income margin and should be viewed in addition to the Company’s reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    Adjusted Free Cash Flow* – Adjusted Free Cash Flow* is a non-GAAP measure and represents cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, less capital expenditures plus proceeds from the disposition of assets. Management believes adjusted free cash flow* is useful to understand our performance at generating cash and demonstrates our discipline around the use of cash. Adjusted free cash flow* should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for cash flows provided by operating activities and should be viewed in addition to the Company’s reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    Net Debt* – Net Debt* is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated taking short and long-term debt less cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. Management believes the net debt* is useful to assess the level of debt in excess of cash and cash and equivalents as we monitor our ability to repay and service our debt. Net debt* should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for overall debt and total cash and should be viewed in addition to the Company’s results prepared in accordance with GAAP.​

    Net Leverage* – Net Leverage* is a non-GAAP measure which is calculated by dividing by taking net debt* divided by adjusted EBITDA* for the trailing 12 months. Management believes the net leverage* is useful to understand our ability to repay and service our debt. Net leverage* should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for the individual components of above defined net debt* divided by consolidated net income attributable to Weatherford and should be viewed in addition to the Company’s reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    *Non-GAAP – as defined above and reconciled to the GAAP measures in the section titled GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciled

    Weatherford International plc
    GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciled (Unaudited)
     
                         
        Three Months Ended   Year Ended
    ($ in Millions, Except Margin in Percentages)   December
    31, 2024
      September
    30, 2024
      December
    31, 2023
      December
    31, 2024
      December
    31, 2023
    Revenues   $ 1,341     $ 1,409     $ 1,362     $ 5,513     $ 5,135  
    Net Income Attributable to Weatherford   $ 112     $ 157     $ 140     $ 506     $ 417  
    Net Income Margin     8.4 %     11.1 %     10.3 %     9.2 %     8.1 %
    Adjusted EBITDA*   $ 326     $ 355     $ 321     $ 1,382     $ 1,186  
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin*     24.3 %     25.2 %     23.6 %     25.1 %     23.1 %
                         
    Net Income Attributable to Weatherford   $ 112     $ 157     $ 140     $ 506     $ 417  
    Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests     12       9       7       44       32  
    Income Tax Provision     45       12       2       189       57  
    Interest Expense, Net of Interest Income of $12, $13, $12, $56 and $59     25       24       31       102       123  
    Loss on Blue Chip Swap Securities                       10       57  
    Other Expense, Net     4       41       36       87       134  
    Operating Income     198       243       216       938       820  
    Depreciation and Amortization     83       89       83       343       327  
    Other Charges[1]     35       13       13       56       4  
    Share-Based Compensation     10       10       9       45       35  
    Adjusted EBITDA*   $ 326     $ 355     $ 321     $ 1,382     $ 1,186  
                         
    Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities   $ 249     $ 262     $ 375     $ 792     $ 832  
    Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment     (100 )     (78 )     (67 )     (299 )     (209 )
    Proceeds from Disposition of Assets     13             7       31       28  
    Adjusted Free Cash Flow*   $ 162     $ 184     $ 315     $ 524     $ 651  
    [1]   Other charges in the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024, primarily included severance and restructuring costs and fees to third-party financial institutions related to collections of certain receivables from our largest customer in Mexico.
         

    *Non-GAAP – as reconciled to the GAAP measures above and defined in the section titled Non-GAAP Financial Measures Defined

    Weatherford International plc
    GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciled Continued (Unaudited)
     
                   
         
    ($ in Millions)   December
    31, 2024
      September
    30, 2024
      December
    31, 2023
     
    Current Portion of Long-term Debt   $ 17   $ 21   $ 168  
    Long-term Debt     1,617     1,627     1,715  
    Total Debt   $ 1,634   $ 1,648   $ 1,883  
                   
    Cash and Cash Equivalents   $ 916   $ 920   $ 958  
    Restricted Cash     59     58     105  
    Total Cash   $ 975   $ 978   $ 1,063  
                   
    Components of Net Debt              
    Current Portion of Long-term Debt   $ 17   $ 21   $ 168  
    Long-term Debt     1,617     1,627     1,715  
    Less: Cash and Cash Equivalents     916     920     958  
    Less: Restricted Cash     59     58     105  
    Net Debt*   $ 659   $ 670   $ 820  
                   
    Net Income for trailing 12 months   $ 506   $ 534   $ 417  
    Adjusted EBITDA* for trailing 12 months   $ 1,382   $ 1,377   $ 1,186  
                   
    Net Leverage* (Net Debt*/Adjusted EBITDA*)     0.48 x   0.49 x   0.69 x
                         

    *Non-GAAP – as reconciled to the GAAP measures above and defined in the section titled Non-GAAP Financial Measures Defined

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