Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI: Credit Agricole Sa: Results first quarter 2025 – INCREASED REVENUES, STRONG PROFITABILITY DESPITE EXCEPTIONAL HIGH TAX IMPACT

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                       INCREASED REVENUES, STRONG PROFITABILITY
                                             DESPITE EXCEPTIONAL HIGH TAX IMPACT
     
               
      CRÉDIT AGRICOLE S.A. CRÉDIT AGRICOLE GROUP    
      Q1 2025 Var. Q1/Q1 Q1 2025 Var Q1/Q1    
    Revenues 7,256 +6.6% 10,048 +5.5%    
    Expenses -3,991 +8.8% -5,992 +7.2%    
    Gross Operating Income 3,266 +4.1% 4,056 +3.0%    
    Cost of risk -413 +3.4% -735 +12.9%    
    Net pre-tax income 2,900 +4.6% 3,399 +1.6%    
    Net income group share 1,824 -4.2% 2,165 -9.2%    
    C/I ratio 55.0% +1.1 pp 59.6% +1.0 pp    
    NET PRE-TAX INCOME UP

    • Record quarterly revenues and strong growth, fuelled by the excellent performance by Asset Gathering and Large Customers
    • High profitability: contained cost/income ratio (increase in expenses of +3.2% Q1/Q1 excluding exceptional elements) and 15.9% return on tangible equity
    • Stable cost of risk
    • Results impacted by additional corporate tax charge

    EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE IN CIB AND ASSET GATHERING DIVISION

    • High CIB, asset management and insurance business, reflected in the increased level of insurance revenues with contributions from all activities, net inflows (medium-long term) and a record level of assets under management, as well as a new record reached by CIB
    • Loan production in France recovered compared with the low point in early 2024 without

    confirming the end-of-year momentum and consumer finance down, impacted by

    decreased activity in automotive financing; international credit activity at a high level.

    CAPITAL OPERATIONS AND STRATEGIC PROJECTS

    • Creation of the GAC Sofinco Leasing joint venture
      • Partnership created between Amundi and Victory Capital
    • Stake in the capital of Banco BPM increased to 19.8%
      • Planned acquisition of Banque Thaler announced by Indosuez Wealth Management

    AS EXPECTED, SOLVENCY RATIOS BENEFITING FROM THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF CRR3.

    • Crédit Agricole S.A.’s phased-in CET1 at 12.1% and Group phased-in CET1 at 17.6%

    CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION

    • Continued withdrawal from fossil energies and reallocation to low-carbon energy sources
    • Support for the transition of households and businesses
     

    Dominique Lefebvre,
    Chairman of SAS Rue La Boétie and Chairman of the Crédit Agricole S.A. Board of Directors

    “Quarter after quarter, Crédit Agricole continues its action to support the major societal, environmental, agricultural and agri-food transitions, which are solid development levers for the entire Group. I would like to thank each of our employees for their daily commitment to serving our customers.“

     
     

    Philippe Brassac,
    Chief Executive Officer of Crédit Agricole S.A.

    “The Group has published high-level results this quarter, driven by strong revenue growth, despite exceptional taxation. Crédit Agricole S.A. posted record revenues this quarter and high profitability.”

     

    This press release comments on the results of Crédit Agricole S.A. and those of Crédit Agricole Group, which comprises the Crédit Agricole S.A. entities and the Crédit Agricole Regional Banks, which own 62.8% of Crédit Agricole S.A.

    All financial data are now presented stated for Crédit Agricole Group, Crédit Agricole S.A. and the business lines results, both for the income statement and for the profitability ratios.

    Crédit Agricole Group

    Group activity

    The Group’s commercial activity during the quarter continued at a steady pace across all business lines, with a good level of customer capture. In the first quarter of 2025, the Group recorded +550,000 new customers in retail banking. More specifically, over the year, the Group gained +433,000 new customers for Retail Banking in France and 117,000 new International Retail Banking customers (Italy and Poland).

    At 31 March 2025, in retail banking, on-balance sheet deposits totalled €835 billion, up +1.3% year-on-year in France and Italy (+1.6% for Regional Banks and LCL and -2.1% in Italy). Outstanding loans totalled €881 billion, up +1.0% year-on-year in France and Italy (+1.0% for Regional Banks and LCL and +1.6% in Italy). The upturn in home loan production continued in France compared to the low point observed at the beginning of 2024, without confirming the end-of-year momentum, partly explained by the seasonal effect, recording an increase of +37% for the Regional Banks and +46% for LCL compared to the first quarter of 2024, and -4.3% and -34% respectively compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Home loan production by CA Italia is high and up +19% compared with the first quarter of 2024. The property and casualty insurance equipment rate1 rose to 44.2% for the Regional Banks (+0.8 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2024), 28.0% for LCL (+0.2 percentage point) and 20.3% for CA Italia (+1.0 percentage point).

    In asset management, quarterly inflows remained strong at +€31.1 billion, fuelled by strong medium/long-term assets, excluding JVs (+€37 billion). In insurance, savings/retirement gross inflows rose to a record €10.8 billion over the quarter (+27% year-on-year), with the unit-linked rate in production staying at a high 34.3%. Net inflows were positive at +€4 billion, growing for both euro-denominated and unit-linked contracts. The strong performance in property and casualty insurance was driven by price changes and portfolio growth (16.8 million contracts at end-March 2025, +5% year-on-year). Assets under management totalled €2,878 billion, up +8.7% in the year for all three segments: asset management rose +6.2% over the year to €2,247 billion; life insurance was up +5.2% to €352 billion; and wealth management (Indosuez Wealth Management and LCL Private Banking) increased +41.3% year-on-year to €278 billion, notably with the positive impact of the consolidation of Degroof Petercam (€69 billion in assets under management consolidated in the second quarter of 2024).

    Business in the SFS division decreased. At CAPFM, consumer finance outstandings increased to €120.7 billion, up +5.6% compared with the end of March 2024, with car loans representing 54%2 of total outstandings, while new loan production decreased slightly, by -6.4% compared with end-March 2024, mainly due to the economic context negatively impacting the automotive market in Europe and China. Regarding Crédit Agricole Leasing & Factoring (CAL&F), production of lease financing outstandings was up +5.7% compared to March 2024 to €20.5 billion, with a particularly strong contribution from property leasing and renewable energy financing in France.

    Large Customers again posted record revenues for the quarter in Corporate and Investment Banking. Capital Markets and Investment Banking was driven by all activities, supported by high volatility, while Financing activities reaped the benefits of growth in commercial activities. Asset Servicing recorded a high level of assets under custody of €5,467 billion and assets under administration of €3,575 billion (+9% and +4.7%, respectively, compared with the end of March 2024), with good sales momentum and positive market effects over the year.

    Continued support for the energy transition

    The Group is continuing the mass roll-out of financing and investment to promote the transition. The Crédit Agricole Group increased its exposure to low-carbon energy financing3 by +141% between the end of 2020 and the end of 2024, with €26.3 billion in financing at 31 December 2024. Investments in low-carbon energy4 totalled €6 billion at 31 December 2024.

    At the same time, as a universal bank, Crédit Agricole is supporting the transition of all its customers. Thus, outstandings related to the environmental transition5 amounted to €111.7 billion at 31 December 2024, including €86.7 billion for energy-efficient buildings and €5.3 billion for clean transport and mobility.

    In addition, the Group is continuing its exit path from carbon-based energy financing and disclosed its exposure to hydrocarbon extraction project financing6, down to $0.96 billion at the end of 2024, i.e. -30% compared to 2020. The target of a -25% reduction of exposure to oil extraction at the end of 2025 compared to 2020 was greatly exceeded at the end of 2024 and stands at -56%.

    Group results

    In the first quarter of 2025, Crédit Agricole Group’s net income Group share came to €2,165 million, down

    -9.2% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    Credit Agricole Group, Income statement Q1-25 and Q1-2024

    €m Q1-25 Q1-24 ∆ Q1/Q1  
    Revenues 10,048 9,525 +5.5%  
    Operating expenses (5,992) (5,589) +7.2%  
    Gross operating income 4,056 3,936 +3.0%  
    Cost of risk (735) (651) +12.9%  
    Equity-accounted entities 75 68 +9.5%  
    Net income on other assets 4 (7) n.m.  
    Change in value of goodwill n.m.  
    Income before tax 3,399 3,347 +1.6%  
    Tax (1,041) (755) +37.9%  
    Net income from discont’d or held-for-sale ope. (0) n.m.  
    Net income 2,358 2,592 (9.0%)  
    Non controlling interests (193) (208) (7.2%)  
    Net income Group Share 2,165 2,384 (9.2%)  
    Cost/Income ratio (%) 59.6% 58.7% +1.0 pp  

    In the first quarter of 2025, revenues amounted to €10,048 million, up +5.5% compared to the first quarter of 2024, driven by favourable results from most of the business lines. Revenues were up in French Retail Banking, while the Asset Gathering division benefited from good business momentum and the integration of Degroof Petercam, the Large Customers division enjoyed a high level of revenues across all of its business lines and the Specialised Financial Services division benefited from a positive price effect, compensating slightly down revenues in international retail banking. Operating expenses were up +7.2% in the first quarter of 2025, totalling €5,992 million. Overall, Credit Agricole Group saw its cost/income ratio reach 59.6% in the first quarter of 2025, up by +1.0 percentage point. As a result, the gross operating income stood at €4,056 million, up +3.0% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    The cost of credit risk stood at -€735 million, a year-on-year increase of +12.9% compared to the first quarter of 2024. This figure comprises an amount of -€47 million to prudential provisions on performing loans (stages 1 and 2) and an amount of -€677 million for the cost of proven risk (stage 3). There was also an addition of -€11 million for other risks. The provisioning levels were determined by taking into account several weighted economic scenarios and by applying some flat-rate adjustments on sensitive portfolios. The weighted economic scenarios for the first quarter are the same used for the previous quarter. The cost of risk/outstandings7reached 27 basis points over a four rolling quarter period and 24 basis points on an annualised quarterly basis8.

    Pre-tax income stood at €3,399 million, a year-on-year increase of +1.6% compared to first quarter 2024. This includes the contribution from equity-accounted entities for €75 million (up +9.5%) and net income on other assets, which came to +€4 million over this quarter. The tax charge was -€1,041 million, up +37.9% over the period, with the tax rate this quarter rising by +8.3 percentage points to 31.3%. This increase is related to the exceptional corporate income tax of €-207 million at the Crédit Agricole Group level, corresponding to an estimation of €-330 million in 2025 (assuming 2025 fiscal result being equal to 2024 fiscal result). Net income before non-controlling interests was down -9.0% to €2,358 million. Non-controlling interests decreased -7.2%.

    Regional banks

    Gross customer capture stands at +319,000 new customers. The percentage of customers using demand deposits as their main account is stable and those who use digital tools continued to increase. Credit market share (total credits) stood at 22.7% (at the end of December 2024, source Banque de France), up by 0.1 percentage point compared to December 2023. Loan production was up +19.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024, reflecting the +37% rise in home loans and 8% in specialised markets. However, home loan production has slowed compared to the strong activity at the end of the year (-4.8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024). The average lending production rate for home loans stood at 3.18%9 over January and February 2025, -17 basis points lower than in the fourth quarter of 2024. By contrast, the global loan stock rate showed a gradual improvement (+11 basis points compared to the first quarter of 2024). Outstanding loans totalled €649 billion at the end of March 2025, up by 0.8% year-on-year across all markets and up slightly by +0.2% over the quarter.   
    Customer assets were up +2.5% year-on-year to reach €915.7 billion at the end of March 2025. This growth was driven both by on-balance sheet deposits, which reached €603.2 billion (+1.3% year-on-year), and off-balance sheet deposits, which reached €312.6 billion (+5% year-on-year) benefiting from strong inflows in life insurance. Over the quarter, demand deposits slightly decreased by -1.1% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, while term deposits are stable. The market share of on-balance sheet deposits is up compared to last year and stands at 20.1% (Source Banque de France, data at the end of December 2024, i.e. +0.2 percentage points compared to December 2023). The equipment rate for property and casualty insurance10 was 44.2% at the end of March 2025 and continues to rise (up +0.8 percentage point compared to March 2024). In terms of payment instruments, the number of cards rose by +1.8% year-on-year, as did the percentage of premium cards in the stock, which increased by 1.8 percentage point year-on-year to account for 17% of total cards.
    In the first quarter of 2025, the Regional Banks’ consolidated revenues stood at €3,339 million, up +1.3% compared to the first quarter of 2024, notably impacted by a base effect of +€41 million related to the reversal of the Home Purchase Savings Plan provision in the first quarter of 202411. Excluding this item, revenues were up +2.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024, benefiting from the increase in the intermediation margin and stable fee and commission income, mainly driven by account management and payment instruments (+3.3%). Operating expenses posted a contained increase (+1.8%). Gross operating income was stable year-on-year (+5.2% excluding the base effect11). The cost of risk increased by +28.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024 to -€318 million. The cost of risk/outstandings (over four rolling quarters) remained under control at 21 basis points (a 1 basis point increase compared to fourth quarter 2024).
    Thus, the net pre-tax income was down -11.6% and stood at €522 million. The Regional Banks’ consolidated net income was €346 million, down -21.2% compared to the first quarter of 2024, especially impacted by the corporate income tax surcharge (-15.3% excluding the base effect 11).
    The Regional Banks’ contribution to net income Group share was €341 million in the first quarter of 2025, up -23% compared to the first quarter of 2024 (-17% excluding base effect11).

    Crédit Agricole S.A.

    Results

    Crédit Agricole S.A.’s Board of Directors, chaired by Dominique Lefebvre, met on 29 April 2025 to examine the financial statements for the first quarter of 2025.

    Credit Agricole S.A. – Income statement, Q1-25 and Q1-24

    En m€ T1-25 T1-24 ∆ T1/T1
    Revenues 7,256 6,806 +6.6%
    Operating expenses (3,991) (3,669) +8.8%
    Gross operating income 3,266 3,137 +4.1%
    Cost of risk (413) (400) +3.4%
    Equity-accounted entities 47 43 +9.2%
    Net income on other assets 1 (6) n.m.
    Change in value of goodwill n.m.
    Income before tax 2,900 2,773 +4.6%
    Tax (827) (610) +35.5%
    Net income from discont’d or held-for-sale ope. 0 n.m.
    Net income 2,073 2,163 (4.1%)
    Non controlling interests (249) (259) (3.9%)
    Net income Group Share 1,824 1,903 (4.2%)
    Earnings per share (€) 0.56 0.50 +11.4%
    Cost/Income ratio (%) 55.0% 53.9% +1.1 pp

    In the first quarter of 2025, Crédit Agricole S.A.’s net income Group share amounted to €1,824 million, a decrease of -4.2% from the first quarter of 2024. The results of the first quarter of 2025 are based on high revenues, a cost/income ratio maintained at a low level and a controlled cost of risk, but are impacted by the corporate income tax surcharge. Pre-tax income is high, up +4.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    In the first quarter of 2025, revenues were at a record level, standing at €7,256 million. They were up sharply (+6.6%) compared to the first quarter of 2024. This growth was driven by growth in the Asset Gathering division (+15%) which in turn was driven by strong activity and the rise in outstandings across all business lines, including the integration of Degroof Petercam12. Large Customer division revenues (+6.3%) were driven by good results from all business lines with continued revenue growth in corporate and investment banking (with a record revenue level for Crédit Agricole CIB) in the first quarter, in addition to an improvement in the net interest margin and fee and commission income within CACEIS. Specialised Financial Services division revenues (+2.6%) benefited mainly from positive price effects in the Personal Finance and Mobility business line. French Retail Banking growth (+1.0%) was driven by the rise in fee and commission income, and International Retail Banking revenues (-3.0%) were impacted by a base effect related to exceptional foreign exchange activity in Egypt in the first quarter of 2024. Revenues from the Corporate Centre recorded an increase of +€40 million, favourably impacted by the revaluation of the stake in Banco BPM.

    Operating expenses totalled -€3,991 million in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of +8.8% compared to the first quarter of 2024, reflecting the support given to business line development. The increase in expenses of -€322 million between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 is partly made up of a scope effect and integration costs of -€138 million13 and IFRIC impact of -€72 million. Other expenses increase by -€113 million (+3.2%).

    The cost/income ratio thus stood at 55.0% in the first quarter 2025, increasing by +1.1 percentage point compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    Gross operating income in the first quarter of 2025 stood at €3,266 million, an increase of +4.1% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    As at 31 March 2025, risk indicators confirm the high quality of Crédit Agricole S.A.’s assets and risk coverage level. The diversified loan book is mainly geared towards home loans (26% of gross outstandings) and corporates (45% of Crédit Agricole S.A. gross outstandings). The Non Performing Loans ratio showed little change from the previous quarter and remained low at 2.3%. The coverage ratio14 was high at 74.9%, up +0.8 percentage points over the quarter. Loan loss reserves amounted to €9.4 billion for Crédit Agricole S.A., a -€0.2 billion decline from end-December 2024. Of those loan loss reserves, 36.6% were for performing loans (percentage up +0.8% from the previous quarter).

    The cost of risk was a net charge of -€413 million, up +3.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024, and came mainly from a provision for non-performing loans (level 3) of -€411 million (compared to a provision of -€384 million in the first quarter of 2024). Net provisioning on performing loans (levels 1 and 2) was almost zero this quarter, compared to a provision of -€12 million in the first quarter of 2024. Also noteworthy is a provision of -€2 million for other items (legal provisions) versus -€5 million in the first quarter of 2024. By business line, 60% of the net provision for the quarter came from Specialised Financial Services (55% at end-March 2024), 22% from LCL (30% at end-March 2024), 16% from International Retail Banking (20% at end-March 2024), 5% from the Corporate Centre (3% at end-March 2024) and recovered for Large Customers (same as end-March 2024). The provisioning levels were determined by taking into account several weighted economic scenarios and by applying some flat-rate adjustments on sensitive portfolios. The weighted economic scenarios for the first quarter are the same used for the previous quarter. In the first quarter of 2025, the cost of risk/outstandings was 34 basis points over a rolling four-quarter period15 and 30 basis points on an annualised quarterly basis16 (a decrease of one basis point, versus the first quarter of 2024).

    The contribution from equity-accounted entities amounted to €47 million in the first quarter of 2025, up +9.2% compared to the first quarter of 2024, mainly due to the growth of equity-accounted entities in the Personal finance and mobility business line.

    Pre-tax income, discontinued operations and non-controlling interests therefore increased by +4.6% to €2,900 million.

    The effective tax rate stood at 29.0%, up +6.6 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2024. The tax charge was -€827 million, up +35.5% in connection with the impact in the first quarter of 2025 of the exceptional corporate tax surcharge of €-123 million, corresponding to an estimation of -€200 million in 2025 (assuming 2025 fiscal result being equal to 2024 fiscal result). Net income before non-controlling interests was down -4.1% to €2,073 million. Non-controlling interests amounted to -€249 million in first quarter 2025, down -3.9%.

    Earnings per share in the first quarter of 2025 reached €0.56, increasing by +11.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024.
    RoTE17, which is calculated on the basis of an annualised Net Income Group Share 18 and IFRIC charges and additional corporate tax charge linearised over the year, net of annualised Additional Tier 1 coupons (return on equity Group share excluding intangibles) and net of foreign exchange impact on reimbursed AT1, and restated for certain volatile items recognised in equity (including unrealised gains and/or losses), reached 15.9% in the first quarter of 2025, decreasing of 0.1 percentage point compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    Analysis of the activity and the results of Crédit Agricole S.A.’s divisions and business lines

    Activity of the Asset Gathering division

    In the first quarter of 2025, the assets under management of the Asset gathering (AG) division stood at €2,878 billion, up +€11 billion over the quarter (i.e. +0.4%), mainly due to positive net inflows in the three insurance, asset management, and wealth management businesses, offset by an unfavourable market and foreign exchange impact effect over the period. Over the year, assets under management rose by +8.7%.

    Insurance activity (Crédit Agricole Assurances) was very strong, with total premium income of €14.8 billion, up +20.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024 and up in all three segments: savings/retirement, property and casualty, and death & disability/creditor/group insurance.

    In Savings/Retirement, first quarter 2025 premium income stood at €10.8 billion, up +27% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Activity was driven by the success of euro payment bonus campaigns in France (full effect of commercial events over the quarter), which boosted gross euro inflows. As a result, unit-linked rate in gross inflows is down -4.7 percentage points over the year at 34.3%19.The quarter’s record net inflows totalled +€4.0 billion (up +€1.5 billion compared to the fourth quarter of 2024), comprised of +€2.0 billion net inflows from unit-linked contracts and +€1.9 billion from euro funds.

    Assets under management (savings, retirement and funeral insurance) continued to grow and came to €352.4 billion (up +€17.5 billion year-on-year, or +5.2%). The growth in outstandings was driven by the very high level of quarterly net inflows and favourable market effects. Unit-linked contracts accounted for 30% of outstandings, up +0.5 percentage point compared to the end of March 2024.

    In property and casualty insurance, premium income stood at €2.6 billion in the first quarter of 2025, up +8%20 compared to the first quarter of 2024. Growth stemmed from a price effect, with the increase in the average premium benefiting from revised rates and changes in the product mix, and a volume effect, with a portfolio of over €16.8 million21 policies at the end of March 2025 (an increase of +5% over the year). Lastly, the combined ratio at the end of March 2025 stood at 93.2%22, an improvement of -0.6 percentage point year-on-year.

    In death & disability/creditor insurance/group insurance, premium income for the first quarter of 2025 stood at €1.4 billion, up +4% compared to the first quarter of 2024. The strong year-on-year activity was driven by an excellent quarter in group insurance (+24% compared to the first quarter of 2024) due to the entry into effect of the collective health contract with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty23. Creditor (+2%) and individual death & disability (+3%) activities were resilient.

    In Asset Management (Amundi), assets under management by Amundi increased by +0.3% and +6.2% respectively over the quarter and the year, reaching a new record of 2,247 billion at the end of March 2025, benefiting from a high level of inflows over 12 months (+€70 billion), and despite a significantly negative foreign exchange impact this quarter (-€26 billion). Over the quarter, net inflows in asset management (Amundi) stood at +€31.1 billion, driven by a record quarterly inflow of medium-long term assets24(+€37 billion). This good performance is illustrated in particular by the continued dynamic in the strategic aeras (ETF +€10 billion, Third Party Distribution +€8 billion, Asia +€8 billion). In the institutional segment, net inflows of €22.4 billion over the quarter continued their strong commercial activity, driven by medium-long term assets, mainly the acquisition of a large ESG equity index mandate with The People’s Pension in the United Kingdom (+€21 billion). In return, Corporates recorded a seasonal outflow in treasury products. Finally, JVs posted a net inflow of €2.9 billion over the period, with good inflows in Korea, stabilisation in China and an outflow in India related to the end of the financial year and the local market correction from the fourth quarter of 2024. Furthermore, the finalisation of the partnership with Victory Capital was announced on 1 April 2025.

    In Wealth management, total assets under management (CA Indosuez Wealth Management and LCL Private Banking) amounted to €278 billion at the end of March 2025, and were up +41.3% compared to March 2024 and stable compared to December 2024.

    For Indosuez Wealth Management, outstandings at the end of March stood at €213 billion25, down -0.7% compared to end-December 2024. Despite activity remaining positive with positive net inflows of €0.8 billion, the market and foreign exchange impact for the quarter was unfavourable by -€2 billion. Compared to the end of March 2024, assets under management were up by +€80 billion (or +60.2%), taking into account a scope effect of €69 billion (integration of Degroof Petercam in June 2024). The announcement on 4 April 2025 of the planned acquisition of Banque Thaler in Switzerland is also noteworthy.

    Results of the Asset Gathering division

    In the first quarter of 2025, the Asset Gathering division generated €2,058 million in revenues, up +15.0% compared to the first quarter of 2024, driven by all the division’s business lines. Expenses increased +24.1% to -€936 million and gross operating income came to €1,123 million, +8.4% compared to first quarter of 2024. The cost/income ratio for the first quarter of 2025 stood at 45.5%, up +3.3 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024. As a result, pre-tax income increased by +8.2% to €1,139 million in the first quarter of 2025. Net income Group share recorded a drop of 5%, taking into account corporate tax additional charge in France.

    In the first quarter of 2025, the Asset Gathering division contributed by 35% to the net income Group share of the Crédit Agricole S.A. core businesses and 28% to revenues (excluding the Corporate Centre division).

    As at 31 March 2025, equity allocated to the division amounted to €13.4 billion, including €10.8 billion for Insurance, €1.8 billion for Asset Management, and €0.8 billion for Wealth Management. The division’s risk-weighted assets amounted to €51.7 billion, including €24.3 billion for Insurance, €19.2 billion for Asset Management and €8.2 billion for Wealth Management.

    Insurance results

    In first quarter 2025, insurance revenues stood at €727 million, a slight increase of +0.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024, supported by Savings/Retirement (related to the increase in outstandings) and property and casualty insurance, offsetting a narrowing of technical margins in Creditor insurance combined with methodological effects. Revenues for the quarter included €505 million from savings/retirement and funeral insurance26, €103 million from personal protection27 and €122 million from property and casualty insurance28.

    The Contractual Service Margin (CSM) totalled €25.8 billion at the end of March 2025, an increase of +2% compared to the end of December 2024.

    Non-attributable expenses for the quarter stood at -€96 million, up +4.7% over the first quarter of 2024. As a result, gross operating income reached €632 million, stable (+0.1%) compared to the same period in 2024. Net pre-tax income was stable, amounting to €631 million. Excluding the effect of replacing Tier 1 debt with Tier 2 debt in September 202429, it was up by +2%. For the same reason, non-controlling interests amounted to -€3 million compared to -€14 million in the first quarter of 2024, due to the inclusion of accounting items on the redemption of Tier 1 instruments29. Net income Group share stood at €439 million, down -11.0% compared to the first quarter of 2024, taking into account the corporate tax additional charge in France.

    Insurance contributed 23% to the net income Group share of Crédit Agricole S.A.’s business lines (excluding the Corporate Centre division) at end-March 2025 and 10% to their revenues (excluding the Corporate Centre division).

    Asset Management results

    In the first quarter of 2025, revenues amounted to €892 million, showing double-digit growth of +11.0% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Net management fee and commission income showed a sustained increase of +7.7% on the first quarter of 2024 in a context of market appreciation. Performance fee and commission income was also up by +30.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Amundi Technology’s revenues continued their sustained growth and increased by +46.2% compared to the first quarter of 2024, thanks to the integration of aixigo, a European leader in Wealth Tech, whose acquisition was finalised in November 2024, amplifying organic growth, which remained strong (+21%). Operating expenses amounted to -€496 million, up +10.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024. They include the scope effects related to Alpha Associates and aixigo, as well as the integration costs related to Victory Capital. Apart from these effects, expenses increased by +6.3% over the period. The cost/income ratio at 55.6%, is down -0.2 percentage points despite Victory Capital30 integration costs. Restated from the latter, the cost/income ratio stood at 54.8%. Gross operating income stood at €396 million, an increase of +11.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024. The contribution of equity-accounted entities, including the contribution of Amundi’s Asian joint ventures, amounted to €28 million, down slightly compared to the first quarter of 2024. Consequently, pre-tax income came to €419 million, a +9.3% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024. Net income Group share stood at €183 million, down -7.3% compared to the first quarter of 2024, taking into account the impact of the corporate tax additional charge in France. 

    Wealth Management results31

    In the first quarter of 2025, revenues from wealth management amounted to €439 million, up +66.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024, benefiting from the impact of the integration of Degroof Petercam in June 202432. Apart from this effect, revenues were supported by the strong activity of transactional fee and commission income, and the net interest margin held up well over the period. Expenses for the quarter amounted to -€344 million, up +60.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024, impacted by a Degroof Petercam scope effect32 and -€13 million in integration costs. Restated for these impacts, growth in expenses was stable compared to the first quarter of 2024. The cost/income ratio for the first quarter of 2025 stood at 78.4%, down -2.8 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024. Restated for integration costs, it amounted to 75.5%. Gross operating income reached €95 million, up sharply (+91.3%) compared to the first quarter of 2024. Cost of risk remained moderate at -€6 million. Net income Group share reached €58 million, up sharply (x 2.3) compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    Wealth Management contributed 3% to the net income Group share of Crédit Agricole S.A.’s business lines (excluding the Corporate Centre division) at end-March 2025 and 6% of their revenues (excluding the Corporate Centre division).

    At 31 March 2025, equity allocated to Wealth management was €0.8 billion and risk-weighted assets totalled €8.2 billion.  

    Activity of the Large Customers division

    The large customers division posted good activity in the first quarter of 2025, thanks to very good performance from Corporate and Investment banking (CIB) and strong activity in asset servicing.

    Corporate and Investment Banking’s first quarter 2025 revenues rose sharply to €1,887 million, an increase of +7.3% compared to the first quarter of 2024, driven by growth in its two business lines. Capital Markets and Investment Banking grew its revenues to €1,017 million, an increase of +10.0% compared with the first quarter of 2024. This was fuelled by new growth in revenues across all Capital Market activities (+5.9% compared to the first quarter of 2024) in a context of high volatility, and by the good level of activity in Investment Banking (+31.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024) thanks to the good dynamics of Structured Equities activities. Financing activity revenues were also up at €870 million, an increase of +4.4% relative to the first quarter of 2024. This was mainly due to the performance of Commercial Banking (+1.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024), driven by the performance of assets financing and project financing, particularly in Green Energy and Aerospace, and by Trade and Export Finance activities. The structured finance activity also recorded an increase in revenues of +9.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    Financing activities consolidated its leading position in syndicated loans (#1 in France33 and #2 in EMEA33). Crédit Agricole CIB reaffirmed its strong position in bond issues (#2 All bonds in EUR Worldwide33) and was ranked #1 in Green, Social & Sustainable bonds in EUR34. Average regulatory VaR stood at €10.5 million in the first quarter of 2025, up slightly from €9.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting changes in positions and financial markets. It remained at a level that reflected prudent risk management.

    For Asset servicing, business growth was supported by strong commercial activity and favourable market effects, which offset the planned exit of ISB customers.

    Assets under custody (AuC) rose by +3.3% at end-March 2025 compared to end-December 2024, up +9.0% from end-March 2024, to reach €5,467 billion. Assets under administration also increased by +5.3% this quarter and were up +4.7% year-on-year, totalling €3,575 billion at end-March 2025.

    Results of the Large Customers division

    In the first quarter of 2025, revenues of the Large Customers division once again reached a record level, with €2,408 million, up +6.3% compared with the first quarter of 2024, buoyed by an excellent performance in the Corporate and Investment Banking and Asset Servicing business lines.

    Operating expenses increased by +4.9% due to IT investments and business line development. As a result, the division’s gross operating income was up +8.2% from the first quarter of 2024 to €1,048 million. The business line recorded a net reversal in the cost of risk of +€25 million, compared to a reversal of +33 million in the first quarter of 2024. Pre-tax income amounted to €1,078 million, up +7.2% compared to the first quarter of 2024. The tax charge stood at -€305 million in the first quarter of 2025, taking into account the additional corporate income tax charge. Finally, net income Group share totalled €723 million in the first quarter of 2025, stable (+0.2%) compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    The business line contributed 38% to the net income Group share of Crédit Agricole S.A.’s core businesses (excluding the Corporate Centre division) at end-March 2025 and 33% to revenues excluding the Corporate Centre.

    At 31 March 2025, the equity allocated to the division was €13.5 billion and its risk-weighted assets were €141.7 billion.

    Corporate and Investment Banking results

    In the first quarter of 2025, Corporate and Investment Banking revenues reached a record of €1,887 million, up +7.3% compared to the first quarter of 2024. This was the best quarter recorded for Corporate and Investment Banking.

    Operating expenses rose by +7.5% to -€992 million, mainly due to IT investments and the development of business line activities. Gross operating income rose sharply by +7.1% compared to the first quarter 2024, taking it to a high level of +€895 million. The cost/income ratio was stable at 52.6% (+0.1 percentage point over the period). The cost of risk recorded a net reversal of +€24 million, notably related to new synthetic securitisation transactions. Lastly, pre-tax income in the first quarter of 2025 stood at €919 million, up +5.3% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Finally, net income Group share recorded a decrease of -0.5%, impacted by the additional corporate tax charge, to reach €648 million in the first quarter of 2025.

    Asset servicing results

    In the first quarter of 2025, the revenues of Asset Servicing were up +2.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024, standing at €522 million. This increase was driven by the favourable evolution of the net interest margin and fee and commission income on flow activities and transactions. Operating expenses were down by -1.6% to
    -€368 million, due to the decrease in ISB integration costs compared to the first quarter of 202435. Apart from this effect, expenses were up slightly pending the acceleration of synergies. As a result, gross operating income was up by +14.7 and stood at €153 million in the first quarter of 2025. The cost/income ratio for the first quarter of 2025 stood at 70.6%, down -3.1 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024. Consequently, pre-tax income was up by +19.1% and stood at €160 million in the first quarter of 2025. Net income Group share recorded an increase of +6% taking into account the additional corporate tax charge.

    Specialised financial services activity

    The commercial production of Crédit Agricole Personal Finance & Mobility (CAPFM) totalled €11.0 billion in the first quarter of 2025. It was down by -6.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024, related to the economic context negatively impacting the automotive market in Europe and China. The share of automotive financing36 in quarterly new business production stood at 48.5%. The average customer rate for production was up slightly by +3 basis points from the fourth quarter of 2024. As a result, CAPFM’s assets under management stood at €120.7 billion at end-March 2025, up +5.6% compared to end-March 2024, driven by all scopes: Automotive +8.6%37, LCL and Regional Bank +4.4%, Other Entities +3.0%. Automotive benefited from the consolidation of GAC Leasing this quarter as well as the development of car rental activities. Lastly, consolidated outstandings totalled €68.7 billion at end-March 2025, up 0.8% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    Crédit Agricole Leasing & Factoring (CAL&F) commercial production increased by +3.0% in leasing, compared to the first quarter of 2024. This was driven by property leasing and renewable energy financing in France. Leasing outstandings rose +5.7% year-on-year, both in France (+4.5%) and internationally (+10.6%), to reach €20.5 billion at end-March 2025 (of which €16.1 billion in France and €4.4 billion internationally). Commercial production in factoring was down by -5.1% compared to the first quarter of 2024; International sales were down -31.6% due to a base effect linked to Germany, which recorded significant deals in the first quarter of 2024; France was up +16%, benefiting from significant contracts this quarter. Factoring outstandings at end-March 2025 were up +14.4% compared to end-March 2024, and factored revenues were up by +5.4% compared to the same period in 2024.

    Specialised financial services’ results

    The revenues of the Specialised Financial Services division were €868 million in the first quarter of 2025, up +2.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Expenses stood at -€474 million, up +4.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024. The cost/income ratio stood at 54.5%, up +0.9 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024. Gross operating income thus came to €395 million, up +0.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Cost of risk amounted to -€249 million, up +13.8% compared to the third quarter of 2024. The results of equity-accounted entities amounted to €36 million, up +18.5% compared to the first quarter of 2024; restated for non-recurring items from the first quarter of 2025 for €12 million, it was down -21.0%. Pre-tax income for the division amounted to €182 million, down -10.6% compared to the same period in 2024. Net income Group share includes the corporate tax additional charge in France and amounted to €148 million, up +4.1% compared to the same period in 2024.

    The business line contributed 8% to the net income Group share of Crédit Agricole S.A.’s core businesses (excluding the Corporate Centre division) at end-March 2025 and 12% to revenues excluding the Corporate Centre.

    At 31 March 2025, the equity allocated to the division was €7.5 billion and its risk-weighted assets were €79.0 billion.

    Personal Finance and Mobility results

    CAPFM revenues reached €683 million in the first quarter of 2025, up +2.0% compared to the first quarter of 2024, with a positive price effect thanks in particular to the production margin rate, which improved by +32 basis points in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024 (up +9 basis points compared to the fourth quarter of 2024). Expenses amounted to -€370 million, an increase of +4.3% due to employee expenses and IT expenses and compared to the first quarter of 2024, which was low. Gross operating income therefore stood at €313 million, stable compared to the first quarter of 2024 (-0.5%). The cost/income ratio stood at 54.2%, up +1.2 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024. The cost of risk stood at -€225 million, up +13.0% from the first quarter of 2024. The cost of risk/outstandings thus stood at 130 basis points38, a deterioration of +13 basis points compared to the first quarter of 2024, especially in international subsidiaries. The Non-Performing Loans ratio was 4.5% at the end of March 2025, down -0.2 percentage point compared to the end of December 2024, while the coverage ratio reached 73.5%, up +0.3 percentage points compared to the end of December 2024. The contribution from equity-accounted entities rose by +18.1% compared to the same period in 2024. Restated for non-recurring items from the first quarter of 2025 for €12 million, the results for equity-accounted entities dropped by -19.3% in connection with the Chinese market. Pre-tax income amounted to €126 million, down -14.3% compared to the same period in 2024. The net income Group share includes the corporate tax additional charge in France and reached €106 million, up +7.5% compared to the previous year.

    Leasing & Factoring results

    CAL&F’s revenues totalled €185 million, up +4.8% compared to the first quarter 2024. This increase was driven by equipment leasing and factoring. Expenses stood at -€104 million, up +4.6% in connection with the growth of the system, and the cost/income ratio stood at 56.0%, an improvement of -0.1 percentage point compared to the first quarter of 2024. Gross operating income stood at €82 million, up +5.0% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Cost of risk totalled -€24 million, up +21.5% compared to the same period in 2024. This rise was due to the small business and SME markets. Cost of risk/outstandings stood at 25 basis points38, up +3 basis points compared to first quarter 2024. Pre-tax income amounted to €56 million, stable (-0.7%) compared to the same period in 2024. Net income Group share includes the corporate tax additional charge in France and amounted to €42 million, down -3.7% compared to the previous year.

    Crédit Agricole S.A. Retail Banking activity

    In retail banking at Crédit Agricole S.A. this quarter, loan production in France continued its upturn compared to the first half of 2024 and the dynamic momentum continues in Italy. The number of customers with insurance is progressing.

    Retail banking activity in France

    In the first quarter of 2025, activity remained steady, albeit with a slowdown in property loans compared to the previous quarter and a stability in inflows and non-remunerated demand deposits over the quarter. Customer acquisition remained dynamic, with 67,000 new customers this quarter.

    The equipment rate for car, multi-risk home, health, legal, all mobile phones or personal accident insurance rose by +0.2 percentage points to stand at 28.0% at end-March 2025.

    Loan production totalled €6.7 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of +32%. The first quarter of 2025 recorded a slowdown in the production of property loans(+46% compared to the first quarter of 2024 and -34% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024), partially due to the seasonal effect. The average production rate for home loans came to 3.18%, down -6 basis points from the fourth quarter of 2024 and -102 basis points year on year. The home loan stock rate improved by +5 basis points over the quarter and by +19 basis points year on year. The strong momentum continued in the corporate market (+49% year on year) and the small business market (+6.4% year on year) but slowed for the consumer credit segment (-10.3%), in a challenging economic environment.

    Outstanding loans stood at €171 billion at end-March 2025, stable over the quarter and increasing by +1.6% year-on-year (of which +1.7% for home loans, +1.1% for loans to professionals, +2.0% for loans to corporates). Customer assets totalled €256.5 billion at end-March 2025, up +2.2% year on year, driven by interest-earning deposits and off-balance sheet funds. Over the quarter, customer assets were also up by +0.6%, including term deposits by +0.9%, in an environment that remains uncertain. Off-balance sheet deposits benefited from a positive year-on-year (unfavourable in the quarter) market effect across all segments and positive net inflows in life insurance.

    Retail banking activity in Italy

    In the first quarter of 2025, CA Italia posted gross customer capture of 53,000.

    Loan outstandings at CA Italia stood at €61.1 billion at end-March 202539, up +1.6% compared with end-March 2024, in a stable Italian market40, driven by the retail segment, which posted an increase in outstandings of +3.0%, and with a stable corporate segment. The loan stock rate was down -34 basis points compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, in line with the evolution in market rates. Loan production, buoyed by the solid momentum in all markets, rose +19.2% compared with the first quarter of 2024.

    Customer assets at end-March 2025 totalled €118.2 billion, up +1.7% compared with end-March 2024; on-balance sheet deposits were down -2.1% compared to end-March 2024, while the cost of on-balance sheet deposits decreased. Finally, off-balance sheet deposits increased by +6.5% over the same period and benefited from net flows and a positive market effect.

    CA Italia’s equipment rate in car, multi-risk home, health, legal, all mobile phones or personal accident insurance exceeded 20.0%, at 20.3%, up +1.0 percentage point compared with the first quarter of 2024.

    International Retail Banking activity excluding Italy

    For International Retail Banking excluding Italy, loan outstandings were €7.4 billion, up +5.8% at current exchange rates at end-March 2025 compared with end-March 2024 (+4.7% at constant exchange rates). Customer assets rose by +€12 billion and were up +11.1% over the same period at current exchange rates (+11.5% at constant exchange rates).

    In Poland in particular, loan outstandings increased by +3.6% compared to end-March 2024 (+0.7% at constant exchange rates) driven by the retail segment and on-balance sheet deposits of +17.0% (+13.8% at constant exchange rates). Loan production in Poland was stable this quarter compared to the first quarter of 2024 (+3.4% at current exchange rates and +0.3% at constant exchange rates). In addition, gross customer capture in Poland reached 64,000 new customers this quarter.

    In Egypt, commercial activity was strong in all markets. Loan outstandings rose +19.7% between end-March 2025 and end-March 2024 (+27.8% at constant exchange rates). Over the same period, on-balance sheet deposits increased by +5.4%% and were up +12.5% at constant exchange rates.

    Liquidity is still very strong with a net surplus of deposits over loans in Poland and Egypt amounting to +€2.3 billion at 31 March 2025, and reached €3.9 billion including Ukraine.

    French retail banking results

    In the first quarter of 2025, LCL revenues amounted to €963 million, up (+1.0%) compared to the first quarter of 2024. The increase in fee and commission income (+3.6% Q1/Q1) was driven by all activities (excluding securities management), but mainly by strong momentum in insurance (life and non-life). NIM is down by -1.7% Q1/Q1 and benefited from the increase in credit yields (stock repricing +19 bp Q1/Q1 and +5 bp Q1/Q4) and the reduction in the cost of resources, making it possible to mitigate the lower contribution of macro-hedging.

    Expenses are up by +3.8% and stood at -€625 million linked to the acceleration of investments (IT and employee expenses). The cost/income ratio stood at 64.9%, an increase by 1.8 percentage point compared to first quarter 2024. Gross operating income fell by -3.9% to €338 million.

    The cost of risk was down -22.9% compared to the first quarter of 2024 and stood at -€92 million (including a provision of -€95 million on proven risk and a recovery of €3 for contingent liabilities). The cost of risk/outstandings therefore stood at 20 basis points, with its level still high on the professional market. The coverage ratio stood at 63.0% at end-March 2025 (+0.4 percentage points compared to end-December 2024). The Non-Performing Loans ratio reached 2.0% at the end of March 2025, stable compared to the end of December 2024.

    In the end, pre-tax income stood at €247 million, up +5.3% compared to the first quarter of 2024, and net income Group share was down -25.6% compared to the first quarter 2024, impacted by the corporate income tax.

    In the end, the business line contributed 7% to the net income Group share of Crédit Agricole S.A.’s core businesses (excluding the Corporate Centre division) in the first quarter of 2025 and 13% to revenues excluding the Corporate Centre division.

    At 31 March 2025, the equity allocated to the business line stood at €5.1 billion and risk-weighted assets amounted to €53.9 billion.

    International Retail Banking results41

    In the first quarter of 2025, revenues for International Retail Banking totalled €1,025 million, down compared with the fourth quarter of 2024 (-3.0% at current exchange rates, -0.7% at constant exchange rates). Operating expenses were under control at -€515 million, an increase of +1.8% (+2.6% at constant exchange rates). Gross operating income consequently totalled €511 million, down -7.5% (-3.9% at constant exchange rates) for the period. Cost of risk amounted to -€66 million, down -18.9% compared to first quarter 2024 (-19.0% at constant exchange rates).

    All in all, net income Group share for CA Italia, CA Egypt, CA Poland and CA Ukraine amounted to €246 million in the first quarter of 2025, down -4.3% (and stable at -0.4% at constant exchange rates).

    At 31 March 2025, the capital allocated to International Retail Banking was €4.1 billion and risk-weighted assets totalled €43.4 billion.

    Results in Italy

    In the first quarter of 2025, Crédit Agricole Italia revenues stood at €777 million, stable (+0.3%) compared to the first quarter of 2024. The decrease in net interest margin (-5.8% compared to the first quarter of 2024) is offset by the increase in fee and commission income (+7.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024), which was driven by fee and commission income on assets under management (+11.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024). Operating expenses were -€384 million, contained and stable at +0.5% over the first quarter of 2024.

    Cost of risk amounted to -€56 million in first quarter 2025, down -7.9% compared to first quarter 2024, and corresponded almost entirely to provisions for proven risk. Cost of risk/outstandings42 stood at 39 basis points, up 1 basis point compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. The NPL ratio stood at 2.8%, improved compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, while the coverage ratio stood at 77.9% (+2.8 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of 2024). Net income Group share for CA Italia was therefore €178 million, stable (-0.8%) compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    International Retail Banking results – excluding Italy

    In the first quarter of 2025, revenues for International Retail Banking excluding Italy totalled €248 million, down -12.2% (+3.9% at constant exchange rates) compared to the first quarter of 2024. Revenues in Poland were up +8.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024 (+5.3% at constant exchange rates), with a higher net interest margin. Revenues in Egypt were down -35.7% (-13.2% at constant exchange rates) with a base effect related to the exceptional foreign exchange activity of the first quarter of 2024, but benefited from an increased net interest margin. Operating expenses for International Retail Banking excluding Italy amounted to €131 million, up +5.8% compared to the first quarter of 2024 (+9.4% at constant exchange rates) due to the effect of employee expenses and taxes in Poland as well as employee expenses and inflation in Egypt. Gross operating income amounted to €117 million, down -26.3% (+15.3% at constant exchange rates) compared to the first quarter of 2024. The cost of risk remained contained at -€10 million, versus -€21 million in the first quarter of 2024. Furthermore, at end-March 2025, the coverage ratio for loan outstandings remained high in Poland and Egypt, at 122% and 144% respectively. In Ukraine, the local coverage ratio remains prudent (450%). All in all, the contribution of International Retail Banking excluding Italy to net income Group share was €67 million, down -12.4% compared with the first quarter of 2024 at current exchange rates and stable at constant exchange rates (+0.8%).  

    At 31 March 2025, the entire Retail Banking business line contributed 19% to the net income Group share of Crédit Agricole S.A.’s core businesses (excluding the Corporate Centre division) and 27% to revenues excluding the Corporate Centre.

    At 31 March 2025, the division’s equity amounted to €9.2 billion. Its risk-weighted assets totalled €97.2 billion.

    Corporate Centre results

    The net income Group share of the Corporate Centre was -€102 million in first quarter 2025, up +€5 million compared with first quarter 2024. The positive contribution of the Corporate Centre division can be analysed by distinguishing between the “structural” contribution (-€55 million) and other items (-€48 million).
    The contribution of the “structural” component (-€55 million) was up by +€52 million compared with the first quarter of 2024 and can be broken down into three types of activity:

    • The activities and functions of the Corporate Centre of the Crédit Agricole S.A. Parent Company. This contribution was -€315 million in the first quarter of 2025, down -€20 million, mainly explained by the accounting of the IFRIC tax in a single payment this quarter, whereas it had been spread over two quarters last year
    • The business lines that are not part of the core businesses, such as CACIF (private equity), CA Immobilier, CATE and BforBank (equity-accounted). Their contribution, at +€252 million in the first quarter of 2025, was up +€67 million compared to the first quarter of 2024, including a positive impact of the revaluation of Banco BPM shares.
    • Group support functions. Their contribution amounted to +€9 million this quarter (+€4 million compared with first quarter 2024).

    The contribution from “other items” amounted to -€48 million, down -€47 million compared to the first quarter of 2024, mainly explained by a negative variance related to ESTER/BOR volatility.

    At 31 March 2025, risk-weighted assets stood at €35.1 billion.

    Financial strength

    Crédit Agricole Group has the best level of solvency among European Global Systemically Important Banks.

    Capital ratios for Crédit Agricole Group are well above regulatory requirements. At 31 March 2025, the phased Common Equity Tier 1 ratio (CET1) for Crédit Agricole Group stood at 17.6%, or a substantial buffer of 780 basis points above regulatory requirements. The change in the CET1 ratio over the quarter is explained by the impacts of (a) +56 basis points linked to CRR3 impact (b) +25 basis points linked to retained earnings, (c) -17 bp related to the organic growth of the business lines and (d) -17 basis points for methodological effects, M&A and other effects, taking into account in the -9 basis points of the latest IFRS 9 phasing and -8 basis points related to the purchase of shares in Crédit Agricole S.A.

    Crédit Agricole S.A., in its capacity as the corporate center of the Crédit Agricole Group, fully benefits from the internal legal solidarity mechanism as well as the flexibility of capital circulation within the Crédit Agricole Group. The phased-in CET1 capital ratio stood at 12.1% at 31 March 2025, or a buffer of 350 basis points above regulatory requirements. The change in the CET1 ratio over the quarter is explained by the impacts of (a) +44 basis points linked to CRR3 impact (b) +21 basis points linked to retained earnings, (c) -9 bp related to the organic growth of the business lines and (d) -10 basis points for methodological effects, M&A and other effects, taking into account in the -5 basis points of the latest IFRS 9 phasing. Including M&A transactions completed after March 31, 2025 and the estimated impact from the crossing of the exemption threshold in Q2 2025, the proforma CET1 ratio would be 11.8%.

    The breakdown in risk weighted assets for Crédit Agricole S.A. by business line resulted from the combined effects of (a) -€12.9 billion related to the impact of CRR3 and, excluding this effect, (b) -€0.2 billion in the Retail Banking divisions, (c) +€1.4 billion in Asset Gathering, in particular in connection with the increase in the Equity Accounted Value of insurance (d) +€1.9 billion in specialized financial services, (e) -€0.8 billion in Large Customers and (f) +€0.1 billion in Corporate Center.

    For the Crédit Agricole Group, the impact of CRR3 was -€18.2 billion and the increase in risk weighted assets at the Retail Banking divisions was +€1.3 billion excluding the CRR3 effect. The evolution of the other businesses follows the same trend as for Crédit Agricole S.A.

    Crédit Agricole Group’s financial structure

        Crédit Agricole Group   Crédit Agricole S.A.
        31/03/25 31/12/24 Requirements
    31/03/25
      31/03/25 31/12/24 Requirements
    31/03/25
    Phased-in CET1 ratio43   17.6% 17.2% 9.8%   12.1% 11.7% 8.6%
    Tier1 ratio43   19.0% 18.3% 11.7%   14.3% 13.4% 10.4%
    Total capital ratio43   21.8% 20.9% 14.1%   18,4% 17.4% 12.8%
    Risk-weighted assets (€bn)   641 653     405 415  
    Leverage ratio   5.6% 5.5% 3.5%   4.0% 3.9% 3.0%
    Leverage exposure (€bn)   2,173 2,186     1,434 1,446  
    TLAC ratio (% RWA) 43,44   28.5% 26.9% 22,32%        
    TLAC ratio (% LRE)44   8.4% 8.0% 6.75%        
    Subordinated MREL ratio (% RWA) 43   28.5% 26.9% 22.57%        
    Subordinated MREL ratio (% LRE)   8.4% 8.0% 6.25%        
    Total MREL ratio (% RWA) 43   34.0% 32.4% 26.33%        
    Total MREL ratio (% LRE)   10.0% 9.7% 6.25%        
    Distance to the distribution restriction trigger (€bn)45   46 43     14 12  

    For Crédit Agricole S.A., the distance to the trigger for distribution restrictions is the distance to the MDA trigger45, i.e. 354 basis points, or €14 billion of CET1 capital at 31 March 2025. Crédit Agricole S.A. is not subject to either the L-MDA (distance to leverage ratio buffer requirement) or the M-MDA (distance to MREL requirements).

    For Crédit Agricole Group, the distance to the trigger for distribution restrictions is the distance to the L-MDA trigger at 31 March 2025. Crédit Agricole Group posted a buffer of 210 basis points above the L-MDA trigger, i.e. €46 billion in Tier 1 capital.

    At 31 March 2025, Crédit Agricole Group’s TLAC and MREL ratios are well above requirements44. Crédit Agricole Group posted a buffer of 590 basis points above the M-MDA trigger, i.e. €38 billion in CET1 capital. At this date, the distance to the M-MDA trigger corresponded to the distance between the subordinated MREL ratio and the corresponding requirement. The Crédit Agricole Group’s 2025 target is to maintain a TLAC ratio greater than or equal to 26% of RWA excluding eligible senior preferred debt.

    Liquidity and Funding

    Liquidity is measured at Crédit Agricole Group level.

    As of 31 December 2024, changes have been made to the presentation of the Group’s liquidity position (liquidity reserves and balance sheet, breakdown of long term debt). These changes are described in the 2024 Universal Registration Document.

    Diversified and granular customer deposits remain stable compared to December 2024 (€1,148 billion at end-March 2025).

    The Group’s liquidity reserves, at market value and after haircuts46, amounted to €487 billion at 31 March 2025, up +€14 billion compared to 31 December 2024.

    Liquidity reserves covered more than twice the short term debt net of treasury assets.

    This increase in liquidity reserves is notably explained by:

    • The increase in the securities portfolio (HQLA and non-HQLA) for +€6 billion;
    • The increase in collateral already pledged to Central Banks and unencumbered for +€5 billion, including a €2 billion increase in self-securitisations;
    • The increase in central bank deposits for €3 billion.

    Crédit Agricole Group also continued its efforts to maintain immediately available reserves (after recourse to ECB financing). Central bank eligible non-HQLA assets after haircuts amounted to €144 billion.

    Standing at €1,691 billion at 31 March 2025, the Group’s liquidity balance sheet shows a surplus of stable funding resources over stable application of funds of €197 billion, up +€20 billion compared with end-December 2024. This surplus remains well above the Medium-Term Plan target of €110bn-€130bn.

    Long term debt was €315 billion at 31 March 2025, up compared with end-December 2024. This included:

    • Senior secured debt of €89 billion, up +€5 billion;
    • Senior preferred debt of €162 billion, up +€3 billion due to the increase in entities’ issuances;
    • Senior non-preferred debt of €40 billion, up +€3 billion due to the MREL/TLAC eligible debt;
    • And Tier 2 securities of €24 billion, down -€1 billion.

    Credit institutions are subject to a threshold for the LCR ratio, set at 100% on 1 January 2018.

    At 31 March 2025, the average LCR ratios (calculated on a rolling 12-month basis) were 139% for Crédit Agricole Group (representing a surplus of €92 billion) and 144% for Crédit Agricole S.A. (representing a surplus of €89 billion). They were higher than the Medium-Term Plan target (around 110%).

    In addition, the NSFR of Crédit Agricole Group and Crédit Agricole S.A. exceeded 100%, in accordance with the regulatory requirement applicable since 28 June 2021 and above the Medium-Term Plan target (>100%).

    The Group continues to follow a prudent policy as regards medium-to-long-term refinancing, with a very diversified access to markets in terms of investor base and products.

    At 31 March 2025, the Group’s main issuers raised the equivalent of €15.6 billion47in medium-to-long-term debt on the market, 82% of which was issued by Crédit Agricole S.A.

    In particular, the following amounts are noted for the Group excluding Crédit Agricole S.A.:  

    • Crédit Agricole Assurances issued €750 million in RT1 Perpetual NC10.75 year;
    • Crédit Agricole Personal Finance & Mobility issued:
      • €500 million in EMTN issuances through Crédit Agricole Auto Bank (CAAB);
      • €420 million in securitisations through Agos;
    • Crédit Agricole Italia issued one senior secured debt issuance for a total of €1 billion;
    • Crédit Agricole next bank (Switzerland) issued two tranches in senior secured format for a total of 200 million Swiss francs, of which 100 million Swiss francs in Green Bond format.

    At 31 March 2025, Crédit Agricole S.A. raised the equivalent of €11.2 billion through the market48,49.

    The bank raised the equivalent of €11.2 billion, of which €4.7 billion in senior non-preferred debt and €1.4 billion in Tier 2 debt, as well as €1.3 billion in senior preferred debt and €3.8 billion in senior secured debt at end-March. The financing comprised a variety of formats and currencies, including:

    • €1.75 billion50,51;
    • 3.5 billion US dollars (€3.4 billion equivalent);
    • 0.8 billion pounds sterling (€1 billion equivalent);
    • 94.3 billion Japanese yen (€0.6 billion equivalent);
    • 0.4 billion Singapore dollars (€0.3 billion equivalent);
    • 0.6 billion Australian dollars (€0.4 billion equivalent).

    At end-March, Crédit Agricole S.A. had issued 76%52,53 of its funding plan in currencies other than the euro.

    In addition, on 13 February 2025, Crédit Agricole S.A. issued a PerpNC10 AT1 bond for €1.5 billion at an initial rate of 5.875% and announced on 30 April 2025 the regulatory call exercise for the AT1 £ with £103m outstanding (XS1055037920) – ineligible, grandfathered until 28/06/2025 – to be redeemed on 30/06/2025.

    The 2025 MLT market funding programme was set at €20 billion, with a balanced distribution between senior preferred or senior secured debt and senior non-preferred or Tier 2 debt.

    The programme was 56% completed at 31 March 2025, with:

    • €3.8 billion in senior secured debt;
    • €1.3 billion equivalent in senior preferred debt;
    • €4.7 billion equivalent in senior non-preferred debt;
    • €1.4 billion equivalent in Tier 2 debt.

    Appendix 1 – Credit Agricole Group : income statement by business line

    Credit Agricole Group – Results by business line, Q1-25 and Q1-24

      Q1-25
    €m RB LCL IRB AG SFS LC CC Total
                     
    Revenues 3,352 963 1,048 2,049 868 2,408 (640) 10,048
    Operating expenses (2,530) (625) (535) (936) (474) (1,360) 468 (5,992)
    Gross operating income 822 338 513 1,113 395 1,047 (172) 4,056
    Cost of risk (319) (92) (67) (11) (249) 25 (22) (735)
    Equity-accounted entities 6 28 36 6 75
    Net income on other assets 3 1 (0) (0) 0 0 0 4
    Income before tax 511 247 445 1,130 182 1,078 (194) 3,399
    Tax (170) (112) (137) (351) (12) (305) 46 (1,041)
    Net income from discont’d or held-for-sale ope. 0 (0) (0)
    Net income 341 135 308 779 170 773 (148) 2,358
    Non controlling interests 0 (0) (42) (101) (21) (36) 7 (193)
    Net income Group Share 341 135 266 679 148 738 (141) 2,165
      Q1-24
    €m RB LCL IRB AG SFS LC CC Total
                     
    Revenues 3,314 954 1,081 1,793 846 2,266 (728) 9,525
    Operating expenses (2,484) (602) (524) (754) (454) (1,297) 527 (5,589)
    Gross operating income 830 351 556 1,039 392 969 (201) 3,936
    Cost of risk (247) (119) (84) (3) (219) 33 (13) (651)
    Equity-accounted entities 5 29 30 4 68
    Net income on other assets 2 2 (0) (8) (0) 0 (2) (7)
    Income before tax 589 234 472 1,056 203 1,006 (216) 3,347
    Tax (147) (53) (143) (220) (42) (235) 85 (755)
    Net income from discont’d or held-for-sale ope.
    Net income 442 181 330 837 161 772 (131) 2,592
    Non controlling interests (0) (0) (51) (112) (19) (34) 7 (208)
    Net income Group Share 442 181 279 725 142 738 (123) 2,384

    Appendix 2 – Credit Agricole S.A. : Income statement by business line

    Crédit Agricole S.A. – Résults by business line, Q1-25 and Q1-24

      Q1-25
    En m€ AG LC SFS FRB (LCL) IRB CC Total
                   
    Revenues 2,058 2,408 868 963 1,025 (67) 7,256
    Operating expenses (936) (1,360) (474) (625) (515) (81) (3,991)
    Gross operating income 1,123 1,048 395 338 511 (148) 3,266
    Cost of risk (11) 25 (249) (92) (66) (21) (413)
    Equity-accounted entities 28 6 36 (22) 47
    Net income on other assets (0) 0 0 1 (0) 0 1
    Income before tax 1,139 1,078 182 247 444 (191) 2,900
    Tax (352) (305) (12) (112) (137) 92 (827)
    Net income from discontinued or held-for-sale operations 0 0
    Net income 787 774 170 135 308 (99) 2,073
    Non controlling interests (107) (50) (21) (6) (62) (3) (249)
    Net income Group Share 680 723 148 129 246 (102) 1,824
      Q1-24  
    En m€ AG LC SFS FRB (LCL) IRB CC Total  
                   
    Revenues 1,789 2,266 846 954 1,057 (107) 6,806
    Operating expenses (754) (1,297) (454) (602) (505) (56) (3,669)
    Gross operating income 1,035 969 392 351 552 (163) 3,137
    Cost of risk (3) 33 (219) (119) (82) (11) (400)
    Equity-accounted entities 29 4 30 (20) 43
    Net income on other assets (8) 0 (0) 2 (0) (6)
    Income before tax 1,053 1,006 203 234 470 (194) 2,773
    Tax (220) (235) (42) (53) (142) 82 (610)
    Net income from discontinued or held-for-sale operations
    Net income 834 772 161 181 328 (112) 2,163
    Non controlling interests (117) (50) (19) (8) (71) 5 (259)
    Net income Group Share 716 722 142 173 257 (107) 1,903

    Appendix 3 – Data per share

    Credit Agricole S.A. – Earnings p/share, net book value p/share and RoTE

    (€m)

    Q1-2025
    Q1-2024

    Net income Group share

    1,824
    1,903

    – Interests on AT1, including issuance costs, before tax

    (129)
    (138)

    – Foreign exchange impact on reimbursed AT1


    (247)

    NIGS attributable to ordinary shares

    [A]
    1,695
    1,518

    Average number shares in issue, excluding treasury shares (m)

    [B]
    3,025
    3,018

    Net earnings per share

    [A]/[B]
    0.56 €
    0.50 €

    (€m)

    31/03/2025
    31/03/2024

    Shareholder’s equity Group share

    77,378
    72,429

    – AT1 issuances

    (8,726)
    (7,184)

    – Unrealised gains and losses on OCI – Group share

    1,222
    1,021

    – Payout assumption on annual results*

    (3,327)
    (3,181)

    Net book value (NBV), not revaluated, attributable to ordin. sh.

    [D]
    66,546
    63,086

    – Goodwill & intangibles** – Group share

    (17,764)
    (17,280)

    Tangible NBV (TNBV), not revaluated attrib. to ordinary sh.

    [E]
    48,783
    45,807

    Total shares in issue, excluding treasury shares (period end, m)

    [F]
    3,025
    3,026

    NBV per share , after deduction of dividend to pay (€)
    + Dividend to pay (€)

    TNBV per share, after deduction of dividend to pay (€)
    TNBV per sh., before deduct. of divid. to pay (€)

    [D]/[F]
    22.0 €
    20.9 €

    [H]
    1.10 €
    1.05 €

    [G]=[E]/[F]
    16.1 €
    15.1 €

    [G]+[H]
    17.2 €
    16.2 €

    * dividend proposed to the Board meeting to be paid
    ** including goodwill in the equity-accounted entities

    (€m)

    Q1-25
    Q1-24

    Net income Group share

    [K]
    1,824
    1,903

    Impairment of intangible assets

    [L]
    0
    0

    Additional corporate tax

    [LL]
    -123
    – 

    IFRIC

    [M]
    -173
    -110

    NIGS annualised (1)

    [N]
    8,111
    7,944

    Interests on AT1, including issuance costs, before tax, foreign exchange impact, annualised

    [O]
    -515
    -799

    Result adjusted

    [P] = [N]+[O]
    7,596
    7,145

    Tangible NBV (TNBV), not revaluated attrib. to ord. sh. – avg *** (2)

    [J]
    47,752
    44,671

    Stated ROTE adjusted (%)

    = [P] / [J]
    15.9%
    16.0%

    *** including assumption of dividend for the current exercice

    (1) ROTE calculated on the basis of an annualised net income Group share and linearised IFRIC costs over the year
    (2) Average of the NTBV not revalued attributable to ordinary shares, calculated between 31/12/2024 and 21/03/2025 (line [E]), restated with an assumption of dividend for current exercises

    Alternative Performance Indicators54

    NBV Net Book Value (not revalued)
    The Net Book Value not revalued corresponds to the shareholders’ equity Group share from which the amount of the AT1 issues, the unrealised gains and/or losses on OCI Group share and the pay-out assumption on annual results have been deducted.

    NBV per share Net Book Value per share – NTBV Net Tangible Book Value per share
    One of the methods for calculating the value of a share. This represents the Net Book Value divided by the number of shares in issue at end of period, excluding treasury shares.

    Net Tangible Book Value per share represents the Net Book Value after deduction of intangible assets and goodwill, divided by the number of shares in issue at end of period, excluding treasury shares.

    EPS Earnings per Share
    This is the net income Group share, from which the AT1 coupon has been deducted, divided by the average number of shares in issue excluding treasury shares. It indicates the portion of profit attributable to each share (not the portion of earnings paid out to each shareholder, which is the dividend). It may decrease, assuming the net income Group share remains unchanged, if the number of shares increases.

    Cost/income ratio
    The cost/income ratio is calculated by dividing operating expenses by revenues, indicating the proportion of revenues needed to cover operating expenses.

    Cost of risk/outstandings
    Calculated by dividing the cost of credit risk (over four quarters on a rolling basis) by outstandings (over an average of the past four quarters, beginning of the period). It can also be calculated by dividing the annualised cost of credit risk for the quarter by outstandings at the beginning of the quarter. Similarly, the cost of risk for the period can be annualised and divided by the average outstandings at the beginning of the period.

    Since the first quarter of 2019, the outstandings taken into account are the customer outstandings, before allocations to provisions.

    The calculation method for the indicator is specified each time the indicator is used.

    Doubtful loan
    A doubtful loan is a loan in default. The debtor is considered to be in default when at least one of the following two conditions has been met:

    • a payment generally more than 90 days past due, unless specific circumstances point to the fact that the delay is due to reasons independent of the debtor’s financial situation.
    • the entity believes that the debtor is unlikely to settle its credit obligations unless it avails itself of certain measures such as enforcement of collateral security right.

    Impaired loan
    Loan which has been provisioned due to a risk of non-repayment.

    Impaired (or non-performing) loan coverage ratio 
    This ratio divides the outstanding provisions by the impaired gross customer loans.

    Impaired (or non-performing) loan ratio 
    This ratio divides the impaired gross customer loans on an individual basis, before provisions, by the total gross customer loans.

    Net income Group share
    Net income/(loss) for the financial year (after corporate income tax). Equal to net income Group share, less the share attributable to non-controlling interests in fully consolidated subsidiaries.

    Net income Group share attributable to ordinary shares
    The net income Group share attributable to ordinary shares represents the net income Group share from which the AT1 coupon has been deducted, including issuance costs before tax.

    RoTE Return on Tangible Equity
    The RoTE (Return on Tangible Equity) measures the return on tangible capital by dividing the Net income Group share annualised by the Group’s NBV net of intangibles and goodwill. The annualised Net income Group share corresponds to the annualisation of the Net income Group share (Q1x4; H1x2; 9Mx4/3) excluding impairments of intangible assets and restating each period of the IFRIC impacts in order to linearise them over the year.

    Disclaimer

    The financial information on Crédit Agricole S.A. and Crédit Agricole Group for first quarter 2025 comprises this presentation and the attached appendices and press release which are available on the website: https://www.credit-agricole.com/finance/publications-financieres.

    This presentation may include prospective information on the Group, supplied as information on trends. This data does not represent forecasts within the meaning of EU Delegated Act 2019/980 of 14 March 2019 (Chapter 1, article 1, d).

    This information was developed from scenarios based on a number of economic assumptions for a given competitive and regulatory environment. Therefore, these assumptions are by nature subject to random factors that could cause actual results to differ from projections. Likewise, the financial statements are based on estimates, particularly in calculating market value and asset impairment.

    Readers must take all these risk factors and uncertainties into consideration before making their own judgement.

    Applicable standards and comparability

    The figures presented for the three-months period ending 31 March 2025 have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted in the European Union and applicable at that date, and with regulations currently in force. This financial information does not constitute a set of financial statements for an interim period as defined by IAS 34 “Interim Financial Reporting” and has not been audited.

    Note: The scopes of consolidation of the Crédit Agricole S.A. and Crédit Agricole groups have not changed materially since the Crédit Agricole S.A. 2024 Universal Registration Document and its A.01 update (including all regulatory information about the Crédit Agricole Group) were filed with the AMF (the French Financial Markets Authority).

    The sum of values contained in the tables and analyses may differ slightly from the total reported due to rounding.

    Other information

    Crédit Agricole S.A.’s Combined General Meeting will take place on 14 May 2025 in Paris.

    As announced at the time of the publication of Crédit Agricole S.A.’s 2024 results, the Board of Directors will propose to the General Meeting a cash dividend of €1.10 per share

    26 May 2025: ex-dividend date
    27 May 2025: Record date
    28 May 2025: Dividend payment

    Financial Agenda

    14 May 2025                General Meeting
    31 July 2025                Publication of the 2025 second quarter and the first half-year results
    30 October 2025                Publication of the 2025 third quarter and first nine months results

    Contacts

    CREDIT AGRICOLE PRESS CONTACTS

    CRÉDIT AGRICOLE S.A. INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS

    Institutional investors + 33 1 43 23 04 31 investor.relations@credit-agricole-sa.fr
    Individual shareholders + 33 800 000 777 (freephone number – France only) relation@actionnaires.credit-agricole.com
         
    Cécile Mouton + 33 1 57 72 86 79 cecile.mouton@credit-agricole-sa.fr
     

    Equity investor relations:

       
    Jean-Yann Asseraf
    Fethi Azzoug
    + 33 1 57 72 23 81
    + 33 1 57 72 03 75
    jean-yann.asseraf@credit-agricole-sa.fr fethi.azzoug@credit-agricole-sa.fr
    Oriane Cante + 33 1 43 23 03 07 oriane.cante@credit-agricole-sa.fr
    Nicolas Ianna + 33 1 43 23 55 51 nicolas.ianna@credit-agricole-sa.fr
    Leila Mamou + 33 1 57 72 07 93 leila.mamou@credit-agricole-sa.fr
    Anna Pigoulevski + 33 1 43 23 40 59 anna.pigoulevski@credit-agricole-sa.fr
         
         
    Debt investor and rating agency relations:  
    Gwenaëlle Lereste + 33 1 57 72 57 84 gwenaelle.lereste@credit-agricole-sa.fr
    Florence Quintin de Kercadio + 33 1 43 23 25 32 florence.quintindekercadio@credit-agricole-sa.fr
    Yury Romanov + 33 1 43 23 86 84 yury.romanov@credit-agricole-sa.fr
         
         

    See all our press releases at: www.credit-agricole.com – www.creditagricole.info

               

    1 Car, home, health, legal, all mobile phones or personal accident insurance.
    2 CA Auto Bank, automotive JVs and automotive activities of other entities
    3 Low-carbon energy outstandings made up of renewable energy produced by the clients of all Crédit Agricole Group entities, including nuclear energy outstandings for Crédit Agricole CIB.
    4CAA outstandings (listed investments managed directly, listed investments managed under mandate and unlisted investments managed directly) and Amundi Transition Energétique.
    5 Crédit Agricole Group outstandings, directly or via the EIB, dedicated to the environmental transition according to the Group’s internal sustainable assets framework, as of 31/12/2024. Change of method compared with the outstandings reported at 30/09/2024: with the same method, the outstandings at 31/12/2024 would be €115.5 billion.
    6 Direct exposure to project financing of hydrocarbon extraction (gross exposure excl. export credit cover).

    7 The cost of risk/outstandings (in basis points) on a four-quarter rolling basis is calculated on the cost of risk of the past four quarters divided by the average outstandings at the start of each of the four quarters
    8 The cost of risk/outstandings (in basis points) on an annualised basis is calculated on the cost of risk of the quarter multiplied by four and divided by the outstandings at the start of the quarter
    9 Average rate of loans to monthly production for January and February 2025.
    10 Equipment rate – Home-Car-Health policies, Legal, All Mobile/Portable or personal accident insurance
    11 Home Purchase Savings Plan base effect (reversal of the Home Purchase Savings Plan provision) in Q1-24 totalling +€41m in revenues and +€30m in net income Group share 
    12 Scope effect of Degroof Petercam revenues: +€164 million in the first quarter of 2025
    13 Includes -€115 million in scope effect on Degroof Petercam

    14 Provisioning rate calculated with outstandings in Stage 3 as denominator, and the sum of the provisions recorded in Stages 1, 2 and 3 as numerator.
    15 The cost of risk/outstandings (in basis points) on a four-quarter rolling basis is calculated on the cost of risk of the past four quarters divided by the average outstandings at the start of each of the four quarters
    16 The cost of risk/outstandings (in basis points) on an annualised basis is calculated on the cost of risk of the quarter multiplied by four and divided by the outstandings at the start of the quarter
    17 See Appendixes for details on the calculation of the RoTE (return on tangible equity)
    18 The annualised net income Group share corresponds to the annualisation of the net income Group share (Q1x4; H1x2; 9Mx4/3) by restating each period for IFRIC impacts and the corporate income tax surcharge to linearise them over the year
    19 In local standards
    20 Property and casualty insurance premium income includes a scope effect linked to the initial consolidation in Q2-24 of CATU (a property and casualty insurance entity in Poland) with retroactive effect at 1 January 2024: +7.7% Q1/Q1 increase in premium income at constant scope

    21 Scope: property and casualty in France and abroad
    22 Combined property & casualty ratio in France (Pacifica) including discounting and excluding undiscounting, net of reinsurance: (claims + operating expenses + fee and commission income)/gross premiums earned. Undiscounted ratio: 95.9% (-0.4 pp over the year)
    23 The Agrica – Crédit Agricole Assurances – Groupama consortium chosen to ensure the new health care scheme for employees as of 01/01/25
    24 Excluding JV
    25 Excluding assets under custody for institutional clients
    26 Amount of allocation of Contractual Service Margin (CSM), loss component and Risk Adjustment (RA), and operating variances net of reinsurance, in particular
    27 Amount of allocation of CSM, loss component and RA, and operating variances net of reinsurance, in particular.
    28 Net of reinsurance cost, including financial results
    29 The charge on Tier 1 debt is recorded as a non-controlling interest while that of Tier 2 debt is deducted from the revenues.
    30 Integration costs of -€7m in Q1-25 vs. -€13m in Q4-24, related to Victory and aixigo
    31 Indosuez Wealth Management scope
    32 Degroof Petercam data for the quarter included in Wealth Management results: Revenues of €164m and expenses of -€115m (excluding integration costs partly borne by Degroof Petercam)
    33 Refinitiv LSEG
    34 Bloomberg in EUR
    35 ISB integration costs: -€9m in Q1-25 (€20m in Q1-24)
    36 CA Auto Bank, automotive JVs and auto activities of other entities
    37 CA Auto Bank and automotive JVs
    38 Cost of risk for the last four quarters as a proportion of the average outstandings at the beginning of the period for the last four quarters.
    39 Net of POCI outstandings
    40 Source Abi Monthly Outlook April 2025: stable +0.0% March/March for all loans
    41 At 31 March 2025 this scope includes the entities CA Italia, CA Polska, CA Egypt and CA Ukraine.

    42 Over a rolling four quarter period.
    43 SREP requirement applicable at 31 March 2025, including the combined capital buffer requirement (a) for Crédit Agricole Group a 2.5% capital conservation buffer, a 1% G-SIB buffer (which will increase to 1.5% on 1 January 2026 following the notification received from the ACPR on 27 November 2024), the countercyclical buffer set at 0.75%, as well as the 0.06% systemic risk buffer and (b) for Crédit Agricole S.A., a 2.5% capital conservation buffer, the countercyclical buffer set at 0.58% as well as the 0.09% systemic risk buffer.  
    44 As part of its annual resolvability assessment, Crédit Agricole Group has chosen to continue waiving the possibility offered by Article 72ter(3) of the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) to use senior preferred debt for compliance with its TLAC requirements in 2025.
    45 In the event of non-compliance with the combined capital buffer requirement. The distributable elements of Crédit Agricole S.A. amounted to €42.9 billion, including €29.6 billion in distributable reserves and €13.3 billion in share premiums at 31 December 2024.
    46From December 2024, securities within liquidity reserves are valued after discounting idiosyncratic stress (previously systemic stress) to better reflect the economic reality of central bank value.
    47 Gross amount before buy-backs and amortisations
    48 Gross amount before buy-backs and amortisations
    49 Excl. AT1 issuances
    50 Excl. AT1 issuances
    51 Excl. senior secured issuances
    52 Excl. AT1 issuances
    53 Excl. senior secured issuances
    54 APMs are financial indicators not presented in the financial statements or defined in accounting standards but used in the context of financial communications, such as net income Group share or RoTE. They are used to facilitate the understanding of the company’s actual performance. Each APM indicator is matched in its definition to accounting data.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Ress Life Investments A/S to divest most of its current life insurance portfolio

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Ress Life Investments
    Nybrogade 12
    DK-1203 Copenhagen K
    Denmark
    CVR nr. 33593163
    www.resslifeinvestments.com

    To: Nasdaq Copenhagen
    Date: 30 April 2025

    Corporate Announcement 16/2025

    Ress Life Investments A/S to divest most of its current life insurance portfolio

    Ress Life Investments A/S (RLI) has entered into an agreement whereby RLI will sell its life insurance portfolio to a market counterparty at a price corresponding to the Net Asset Value (NAV) of the portfolio.

    The objective of the transaction is to enable RLI to purchase new policies and thereby capitalize on attractive opportunities in the secondary market for US life insurance policies whilst providing short-term liquidity.

    The transaction is completed in separate quarterly tranches until the end of Q3 2026. The price of the policies delivered in each tranche is pre-agreed at signing of the agreement. As part of the transaction, RLI will maintain a percentage of the policy pay-outs until the completion of the last tranche, the percentage depending on the number of tranches completed at the time of the pay-out. Further, RLI will maintain a portion of future portfolio performance above a threshold even past the end of Q3 2026.

    The transaction structure enables RLI to reinvest the proceeds and purchase new policies as the sale of each tranche completes during 2025 and 2026, without having to maintain an excessive liquidity reserve.

    RLI continues to pursue its long-term strategy of building a diversified and resilient portfolio of US life insurance policies which has been in place since 2011.

    Questions related to this announcement can be made to the company’s AIF-manager, Resscapital AB.

    Contact person:
    Gustaf Hagerud
    gustaf.hagerud@resscapital.com

    Note: The terms for subscription of shares, minimum subscription amount and redemption of shares are provided in the Articles of Association, Information Brochure and in the Key Information Document available on the Company’s website, www.resslifeinvestments.com.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Melexis Q1 2025 results – First quarter sales of 198.2 million EUR

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Regulated information

    Intermediate declaration by the Board of Directors

    Ieper, Belgium – April 30th, 2025, 07.00 hrs CET

    Dear,

    Please find herewith the link to our most recent press release:

    https://www.melexis.com/en/news/2025/financial/melexis-q1-2025-results

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS unaudited results for 1st quarter 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    In the first quarter of 2025, EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS invested a significant part of the capital raised in the previous quarter, primarily in the elderly care home segment. In February, the Fund’s 100% subsidiary EfTEN Hiiu OÜ signed a binding agreement to acquire the property at Hiiu 42 in Tallinn, with the aim to developing a general care home in cooperation with Südamekodud AS. The acquisition price of the property was €4 million, with up to an additional €2.5 million for the reconstruction of the building. The expected return on the investment is 8% per annum. At the end of March, the real rights contract was concluded and the transaction finalized. As part of the transaction, EfTEN Hiiu OÜ signed a long-term (10+10 years) lease agreement with Hiiu Südamekodu OÜ. Part of the property continues to be used by the North Estonia Medical Centre Foundation. The building will be partially reconstructed into the “Nõmme Südamekodu” general care home, with future capacity for up to 170 clients.

    In January 2025, the Fund’s subsidiary EfTEN Ermi OÜ commenced construction of the second phase of Tartu Südamekodu, which will add 60 beds and a solar park to the existing care home. The total project cost is approximately €1.3 million, with construction expected to be completed by July 2025. The expected return on this investment is 8.1% per annum.

    Upon completion of these projects, EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS will own four elderly care homes with a combined capacity of nearly 800 beds.

    On 31 March 2025, the Fund’s subsidiary EfTEN Seljaku OÜ terminated the lease agreement with AS Hortes (in bankruptcy) concerning the Laagri Hortes properties. A new lease agreement has been signed with Rikets Aianduskeskus OÜ, which will commence operations on the premises as of 1 April 2025.

    In April 2025, the ICONFIT logistics building owned by the fund’s subsidiary EfTEN Paemurru OÜ was completed. The fund began earning rental income from the property starting from April 15.

    Financial Overview

    The consolidated sales revenue of EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS for Q1 2025 amounted to €7.858 million (Q1 2024: €7.961 million), and the consolidated net rental income (NOI) totaled €7.211 million (Q1 2024: €7.343 million). The net rental income margin remained stable at 92% (2024: 92%), indicating that costs directly related to property management (including land tax, insurance, maintenance and improvement expenses) and marketing accounted for 8% (2024: 8%) of revenue.

    The Fund’s consolidated net profit for Q1 2025 was €4.167 million (Q1 2024: €3.808 million). A key contributor to the profit growth was the decrease in interest expenses due to the decline in EURIBOR—interest costs fell by €432 thousand, or 19%, compared to Q1 2024.

    Real Estate Portfolio

    As of 31 March 2025, the Group held 37 (31 December 2024: 36) investment properties with a total fair value of €380.160 million (31 December 2024: €373.815 million) and an acquisition cost of €376.906 million (31 December 2024: €370.561 million). In addition to properties held by subsidiaries, the Group owns a 50% stake in the joint venture operating the Palace Hotel in Tallinn, with a fair value of €8.632 million as of 31 March 2025 (31 December 2024: €8.630 million).

    In Q1 2025, the Group made new and follow-on investments totalling €6.345 million.

    In March 2025, EfTEN Hiiu OÜ acquired the property at Hiiu 42, Tallinn, for €4 million. The North Estonia Medical Centre Foundation continues to use part of the property under an existing lease. A long-term (10+10 years) lease was signed with Hiiu Südamekodu OÜ, a subsidiary of Südamekodud AS, which will develop the premises into the “Nõmme Südamekodu” general care home with capacity for up to 170 clients.

    Construction of the C-building at Valkla Care Home continued in Q1 2025, with a total investment of €343 thousand. Construction of the second phase of Ermi Care Home in Tartu began, with works totalling €192 thousand during the quarter. In addition, construction at the Paemurru Logistics Centre progressed, with Q1 investment totalling €1.515 million.

    In Q1 2025, the Group earned €7.673 million in rental income, remaining on par with the previous year.

    As of 31 March 2025, the vacancy rate of the Group’s real estate portfolio was 4.4% (31 December 2024: 2.6%). The highest vacancy was in the office segment at 17.7%, where filling vacant spaces has taken longer than previously.

    Financing

    In Q1 2025, the Fund’s subsidiary EfTEN Riga Airport SIA extended its loan agreement with the bank. Over the next 12 months, six of the Group’s subsidiaries have loan agreements maturing, with a total outstanding balance of €20.38 million as of 31 March 2025. These maturing loans have LTVs between 29% and 48%. Given the stable rental cash flows of the properties, the Group’s management does not foresee obstacles in refinancing these loans.

    As of 31 March 2025, the Group’s weighted average interest rate on loans was 4.37% (31 December 2024: 4.89%) and the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio stood at 40% (31 December 2024: 40%). All loan agreements of the subsidiaries are based on floating interest rates. The Fund’s interest coverage ratio (ICR) was 3.4 as of 31 March 2025 (31 March 2024: 2.9).

    Share Information

    As of 31 March 2025, the registered share capital of EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS was €114.403 million (unchanged from 31 December 2024), consisting of 11,440,340 shares with a nominal value of €10 each.

    The net asset value (NAV) per share as of 31 March 2025 was €20.74 (31 December 2024: €20.37), representing an increase of 1.8% over the first three months of 2025.

    CONSOLIDATED STATEMEMT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 

      I quarter
      2025 2024
    € thousands    
    Sales revenue 7,858 7,961
    Cost of services sold -506 -418
    Gross profit 7,352 7,543
         
    Marketing costs -141 -200
    General and administrative expenses -1,006 -939
    Other operating income and expense -37 42
    Operating profit 6,168 6,446
         
    Profit/-loss from joint ventures -58 -50
    Interest income 83 101
    Other finance income and expense -1,803 -2,235
    Profit before income tax 4,390 4,262
         
    Income tax expense -223 -454
    Net profit of the financial year 4,167 3,808
    Total comprehensive income for the period 4,167 3,808
    Earnings per share    
    – basic 0.36 0.35
    – diluted 0.36 0.35

    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

      31.03.2025 31.12.2024
    € thousands    
    ASSETS    
    Cash and cash equivalents 19,038 18,415
    Short-term deposits 0 2,092
    Receivables and accrued income 1,645 2,055
    Prepaid expenses 128 138
    Total current assets 20,811 22,700
         
    Long-term receivables 140 154
    Shares in joint ventures 1,902 1,960
    Investment property 380,160 373,815
    Property, plant and equipment 121 134
    Total non-current assets 382,323 376,063
    TOTAL ASSETS 403,134 398,763
         
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY    
    Borrowings 25,858 30,300
    Liabilities and prepayments 3,056 3,245
    Total current liabilities 28,914 33,545
         
    Borrowings 123,813 119,120
    Other long-term liabilities 1,923 1,928
    Deferred income tax liability 11,244 11,097
    Total non-current liabilities 136,980 132,145
    TOTAL LIABILITIES 165,894 165,690
         
    Share capital 114,403 114,403
    Share premium 90,306 90,306
    Statutory reserve capital 2,799 2,799
    Retained earnings 29,732 25,565
    TOTAL EQUITY 237,240 233,073
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 403,134 398,763

    Marilin Hein
    CFO
    Phone +372 6559 515
    E-mail: marilin.hein@eften.ee

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Consultation launched for plans to transform Derby’s Market Place

    Source: City of Derby

    The partners behind the re-development of the area around Derby city centre’s Market Place have announced a consultation on a visionary new, multi-use community building on the site of the former Assembly Rooms.

    VINCI UK Developments and Ion Developments are inviting local communities to give their views on the project, which the partners have described as a “landmark community building”, provisionally named “Derby MADE”.

    Derby MADE is intended to provide a vibrant and safe place for all communities to come together. With a combined 60,000 sq ft of public spaces to gather, learn, share ideas, play and work, it is envisaged that it will become the city’s “living room” and become a natural place for the people of Derby to meet and visit. 

    The vision for the building, which would operate throughout the day and evening, includes spaces for families, meeting rooms, co-working spaces, library area, exhibition spaces, a roof-top bar, office and retail units. Derby MADE would form the first phase of the Market Place redevelopment, utilising the entire site of the Assembly Rooms.

    Graham Lambert, Managing Director VINCI UK Developments said:

    Derby MADE is at the heart of our shared initiative, designed to shape the vision for the city centre around a newly bustling Market Place, and this is the first opportunity we have had to share some of those plans. We are only too aware of our responsibility in transforming the site of the former Assembly Rooms, with something that is equally iconic, but also of equal or greater relevance to Derby’s citizens. We have assembled what we think is an amazing project and we would love to hear feedback to help us shape the vision as it moves forward.

     Steve Parry, Managing Director at Ion Developments added:

    We are delighted to be involved with this project which is designed to celebrate civic pride and the city’s identity. The building is intended to give the people of Derby a reason for visiting the heart of the City Centre and to help build the visitor economy building up the Vaillant Live and Derby Market Hall. We have taken inspiration from similarly transformational and successful projects at Storyhouse in Chester, and in Culture House in Sunderland. We are hoping to draw over three quarters of a million visitors a year to the Market Place, we expect that will be a new lease of life for the square and hopefully for the businesses that are understandably relying on its careful rejuvenation.

    Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy said:

    Redeveloping the Market Place, combined with the opening of Vaillant Live and revitalised Market Hall, will reinforce our efforts to transform Derby City Centre into a vibrant and welcoming place, with culture at its heart.

    This is a huge step forwards for this site and I’m really excited to hear what the public think of the plans.  It’s vital that we create a space that matters to the people of Derby and attracts visitors from further afield. By creating a multi-use, flexible building, we believe we can strike that balance and give Derby residents somewhere they can call home, but at the same time creating a central visitor destination through a variety of attractions and activity.

    Derby has been eagerly anticipating the next steps for this site, and we’re confident that our preferred strategic development partners, VINCI UK Developments and Ion Developments have taken the time to get this right for the people of Derby and future-proof the site for generations to come.

    Derby residents, businesses owners, and stakeholders are invited to participate in the consultation as it launches with drop-in exhibitions at the City Lab space in the Derbion Shopping Centre. The drop-ins will run on 7 May 2pm – 5.30pm and 8 May 3pm – 6.30pm and members of the team will be on hand to discuss the vision.

    As well as the consultation events, members of the public can find out more about Derby MADE on the consultation website.

    This website will have all the consultation material and feedback survey on from the 7 May and residents will be able to feedback on the vision for a number of weeks.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-Evening Report: Older Australians are also hurting from the housing crisis. Where are the election policies to help them?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Cornell, Research Fellow, Flinders University

    shutterstock beeboys/Shutterstock

    It would be impossible at this stage in the election campaign to be unaware that housing is a critical, potentially vote-changing, issue. But the suite of policies being proposed by the major parties largely focus on young, first home buyers.

    What is glaringly noticeable is the lack of measures to improve availability and affordability for older people.

    Modern older lives are diverse, yet older people have become too easily pigeonholed. No more so than in respect to property, where a perception has flourished that older people own more than their fair share of housing wealth.

    While the value of housing has no doubt increased, home ownership rates among people reaching retirement age has actually declined since the mid-1990s.

    Older people can also face rental stress and homelessness – with almost 20,000 homeless people in Australia aged over 55. Severe housing stress is a key contributing to those homelessness figures.

    It’s easy to blame older Australians for causing, or exacerbating, the housing crisis. But doing so ignores the fact that right now, our housing system is badly failing many older people too.

    No age limits

    Owning a home has traditionally provided financial security for retirees, especially ones relying on the age pension. This is so much so, that home ownership is sometimes described as the “fourth pillar” of Australia’s retirement system.

    But housing has become more expensive – to rent or buy – for everyone.

    Falling rates of home ownership
    combined with carriage of mortgage debt into retirement, restricted access to shrinking stocks of social housing, and lack of housing affordability in the private rental market have a particular impact on older people.

    Housing rethink

    Housing policy for older Australians has mostly focused on age-specific options, such as retirement villages and aged care. Taking such a limited view excludes other potential solutions from across the broader housing system that should be considered.

    Furthermore, not all older people want to live in a retirement village, and fewer than 5% of older people live in residential aged care.

    More than 20,000 older Australians are homeless, blamed in part on severe housing stress.
    Michael Heim/Shutterstock

    During my Churchill Fellowship study exploring alternative, affordable models of housing for older people, I discovered three cultural themes that are stopping us from having a productive conversation about housing for older people.

    • Australia’s tradition of home ownership undervalues renting and treats housing as a commodity, not a basic need. This disadvantages older renters and those on low income.

    • There’s a stigma regarding welfare in Australia, which influences who is seen as “deserving” and shapes the policy responses.

    • While widely encouraged, “ageing-in-place” means different things to different people. It can include formal facilities or the family home that needs modifications to make it habitable as someone ages.

    These themes are firmly entrenched, often driven by policy narratives such as the primacy of home ownership over renting. In the past 50 years or so, many have come to view welfare, such as social housing, as a last resort, and have aimed to age in their family home or move into a “desirable” retirement village.

    Variety is key

    A more flexible approach could deliver housing for older Australians that is more varied in design, cost and investment models.

    The promises made so far by political parties to help younger home buyers are welcome. However, the housing system is a complex beast and there is no single quick fix solution.

    First and foremost, a national housing and homelessness plan is required, which also involves the states and territories. The plan must include explicit consideration of housing options for older people.

    Funding for housing developments needs to be more flexible in terms of public-private sector investment and direct government assistance that goes beyond first home buyer incentives.

    International models

    For inspiration, we could look to Denmark, which has developed numerous co-housing communities.

    Co-housing models generally involve self-managing communities where residents have their own private, self-contained home, supported by communal facilities and spaces. They can be developed and designed by the owner or by a social housing provider. They can be age-specific or multi-generational.

    Australian policy makers could look to the success of social housing developments in Copenhagen, Denmark.
    ToniSo/Shutterstock

    Funding flexibility, planning and design are key to their success. Institutional investors include

    • so-called impact investors, who seek social returns and often accept lower financial returns

    • community housing providers

    • member-based organisations, such as mutuals and co-operatives.

    Government also plays a part by expediting the development process and providing new pathways to more affordable ownership and rental options.

    Europe is also leading the way on social housing, where cultural attitudes are different from here.

    In Vienna, Austria, more than 60% of residents live in 440,000 socially provided homes. These homes are available for a person’s entire life, with appropriate age-related modifications permitted if required.

    At over 20% of the total housing stock, social housing is also a large sector in Denmark, where the state and municipalities support the construction of non-profit housing.

    Overcoming stereotyes

    Our population is ageing rapidly, and more older people are now renting or facing housing insecurity.

    If policymakers continue to ignore their housing needs, even more older people will be at risk of living on the street, and as a result will suffer poor health and social isolation.

    Overcoming stereotypes – such as the idea that all older people are wealthy homeowners – is key to building fairer, more inclusive solutions.

    This isn’t just about older Australians. It’s about creating a housing system that works for everyone, at every stage of life.

    Victoria Cornell is employed by Flinders University, and received The AV Jennings Churchill Fellowship to investigate alternative, affordable models of housing that could help older Australians to age-in-place

    ref. Older Australians are also hurting from the housing crisis. Where are the election policies to help them? – https://theconversation.com/older-australians-are-also-hurting-from-the-housing-crisis-where-are-the-election-policies-to-help-them-255391

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Senator Baldwin Calls Out Trump’s Broken Promises 100 Days In

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today took to the Senate floor calling out Trump’s broken promises and what she’s been hearing from Wisconsin farmers, small businesses, veterans, seniors, and families throughout his first 100 days.
    Baldwin’s remarks, as prepared for delivery are below and can be watched here.
    M. President –
    I rise today to reflect on the last 100 days – and the unimaginable amount of havoc and harm President Donald Trump has caused for Wisconsinites. While on the campaign trail and even once in office, the President made a number of promises. Promises to end wars on Day One; promises to lower costs at the grocery store; promises to make health care more affordable; and the list goes on and on and on.
    Look, I was on the campaign trail and listening to Wisconsinites at the same time as Mr. Trump, and truly, I get why he was making some of these promises. Wisconsin families were facing high costs. Workers felt they were being ripped off by their big corporate employers. Democracy felt broken and voices were drowned out by special interest money. People were sick and tired of endless wars. Mr. Trump claimed he had the solution.
    Well, so far, he’s broken these promises and lied to the American people.
    But, here is the kicker: Donald Trump not only broke these promises, but many of the things he promised to fix, he has actively made worse. Grocery store bills are up. I have yet to even see a concept of a health care plan, while Medicaid coverage for 1 million Wisconsinites is on the chopping block to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. Wars are raging in Ukraine and Gaza. Corporations have a friend in the White House who has their backs.
    It is one of the greatest bait-and-switches of our time. And at the end of the day, it’s Wisconsin families paying the price.
    For the last 100 days, I’ve heard from constituents in all 72 Wisconsin counties who fear what this Administration’s actions will mean for them and their families.  
    I’ve heard from dairy farmers like Linda in Viroqua who barely survived Donald Trump’s last trade war. Family farms like hers are scared they will be put out of business entirely as punishing tariffs and a new trade war jack up the cost of fertilizer and farming equipment while cutting off their access to markets. 
    I’ve heard from seniors like Renee in Milwaukee who are scared that cuts to Medicaid will force them to choose between protecting their life’s savings and getting the lifesaving treatment they need to stay alive.
    I’ve heard from veterans like James in Southeastern Wisconsin who are out of a job because Donald Trump fired them from the only place they’ve ever felt like they belonged in civilian life: helping their fellow veterans at the VA.
    I’ve heard from businesses like Lakefront Brewery, local roofers, small retailers, and auto part sellers in Milwaukee who are considering raising their prices and laying off workers because President Trump’s trade war is tightening their margins and making it harder to plan for the future.  
    I’ve heard from families – from Ozaukee County to the St. Croix Valley – who have had their childcare or food assistance threatened because this president is choosing to prioritize tax breaks for his wealthy friends over working families.
    Dairy farmers saw millions in funding they were promised to grow their businesses frozen. Alzheimer’s researchers at Wisconsin’s universities are making do with less because of arbitrary cuts that threaten the next breakthrough for our loved ones. Seniors accessing their earned Social Security benefits now have fewer places to turn as field offices shutter and staff is let go. Public schools in Milwaukee with children who have been exposed to lead paint have fewer resources because President Trump fired the experts at CDC.
    I hear it every day from constituents calling into my office. Last year around this time, my office would get anywhere from 50 to 100 calls a day. Since January, we’ve regularly passed 1,000 calls a day from Wisconsinites. There isn’t a corner of my state that isn’t being impacted by this President’s often illegal overreach of his presidential powers. 
    These Wisconsinites are not alone. Poll after poll shows the same thing: this president is reaching historically low approval ratings. More Americans are giving him an F than any other grade.
    It’s hard to state all the ways President Trump’s second term is already impacting folks in Wisconsin. His actions have made things more expensive and the future less certain – whether you are a Wisconsin farmer, small business, veteran, senior, or just a family looking to make ends meet.
    In January, I said I’d work with anyone to deliver for Wisconsin. I also promised that I’d stand up to anyone who hurts Wisconsinites. Those things remain true. And right now, our country is not on the right course, and Americans agree.
    Wisconsinites want lower costs, our veterans and farmers to be respected, and working families to have a fair shot. Donald Trump’s chaos isn’t delivering any of that.  It’s about damn time Congress step up and act as a true check and balance on this President before it’s too late for our economy, working families, and the future of our nation.
    I yield. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Societe Generale: First quarter 2025 earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESULTS AT 31 MARCH 2025


    Press release
                                                            
    Paris, 30 April 2025

    STRONG QUARTERLY RESULTS, AHEAD OF OUR 2025 TARGETS

    Quarterly revenues of EUR 7.1 billion, +6.6% vs. Q1 24 and +10.2% excluding asset disposals
    (vs. an annual target of more than +3%). Positive contribution from all businesses, driven by a strong rebound in French Retail Banking, a solid performance of Global Banking and Investor Solutions and a sustained activity in Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services

    Strict cost management with operating expenses down -4.4% vs. Q1 24, excluding asset disposals. Ahead of our 2025 target to reduce operating expenses by more than -1%, excluding asset disposals

    Cost-to-income ratio at 65.0% in Q1 25, ahead of our 2025 target (<66%)

    Low cost of risk at 23 basis points in Q1 25, below the 2025 target of 25 to 30 basis points. The amount of S1/S2 provisions remains high at EUR 3.1 billion (more than 2x 2024 cost of risk), and has been further increased

    Group net income of EUR 1,608 million, x2.4 vs. Q1 24

    Profitability (ROTE) at 11.0%, ahead of our 2025 target of more than 8%. Even if restated for net gains on asset disposals of around EUR 200 million and considering a quarterly linear distribution of taxes (IFRIC 21) for an amount of around EUR 300 million, the ROTE stands at 10.9%

    SOLID CAPITAL AND LIQUIDITY PROFILE

    CET1 ratio of 13.4%1 at end-Q1 25, around 320 basis points above the regulatory requirement

    Liquidity Coverage Ratio at 140% at end-Q1 25

    Provision for distribution of EUR 0.912 per share, at end-March 2025

    Completion of the 2024 share buy-back programme of EUR 872 million

    ORDERLY EXECUTION OF ASSET DISPOSALS

    Disposal of SGEF’s activities completed on 28 February 2025, except for those in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, representing a positive impact of around +30 basis points on the Group’s CET1 ratio in Q1 25

    Disposals of Societe Generale Private Banking Suisse and SG Kleinwort Hambros completed on 31 January 2025 and 31 March 2025, for a total impact of around +10 basis points on the Group’s CET1 ratio

    Slawomir Krupa, the Group’s Chief Executive Officer, commented:
    « We are releasing today a very good set of results. Our revenues have grown across all our businesses. Our costs and our cost-to-income ratio have decreased across all our businesses. Our first quarter results are above all our annual targets, putting us in a favourable position to achieve them, thanks to our disciplined execution and prudent and rigorous risk management. Since the presentation of our Strategic Plan, we have built a strong capital position, and we have delivered a steady and material increase in our performance. Our diversified and resilient model allows us to navigate efficiently in the current environment. This is the result of the precise execution of our strategy by fully focused and talented teams whom I warmly thank for their commitment. We measure how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. We will therefore pursue our work with the same focus and discipline, confident in our ability to deliver our 2026 roadmap and beyond, a sustainable and profitable growth. »

    1. GROUP CONSOLIDATED RESULTS
    In EURm Q1 25 Q1 24 Change
    Net banking income 7,083 6,645 +6.6% +9.9%*
    Operating expenses (4,604) (4,980) -7.6% -4.6%*
    Gross operating income 2,479 1,665 +48.9% +53.0%*
    Net cost of risk (344) (400) -13.9% -9.5%*
    Operating income 2,135 1,265 +68.8% +72.1%*
    Net profits or losses from other assets 202 (80) n/s n/s
    Income tax (490) (274) +79.0% +84.8%*
    Net income 1,855 917 x 2.0 x 2.1*
    O.w. non-controlling interests 247 237 +4.0% +12.0%*
    Group net income 1,608 680 x 2.4 x 2.4*
    ROE 9.7% 3.6%    
    ROTE 11.0% 4.1%    
    Cost to income 65.0% 74.9%    

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

    Societe Generale’s Board of Directors, which met on 29 April 2025 under the chairmanship of Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, examined the Societe Generale Group’s results for the first quarter of 2025.

    Net banking income 

    Net banking income stood at EUR 7.1 billion, up +6.6% vs. Q1 24 and up +10.2% vs. Q1 24, excluding asset disposals.

    Revenues of French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance were up +14.1% vs. Q1 24 (+16.5% excluding asset disposals and +2.5% excluding both asset disposals and short-term hedge impact) to stand at EUR 2.3 billion in Q1 25. Net interest income recovered sharply in Q1 25 (+28.4% vs. Q1 24) and was broadly stable when restated for asset disposals and short-term hedges accounted for in Q1 24 (around EUR -270 million). Assets under management in Private Banking and Insurance grew by +6% and +5%, respectively (excluding asset disposals in Switzerland and in the United Kingdom) in Q1 25 vs. Q1 24. Lastly, BoursoBank continued its strong commercial development with nearly 460,000 new customers during the quarter, reaching a customer base of around 7.6 million clients at end-March 2025.

    Global Banking and Investor Solutions registered a +10.0% increase in revenues relative to Q1 24. These totalled EUR 2.9 billion for the quarter, driven by strong momentum in equities and in Financing and Advisory. Global Markets grew by +10.9% in Q1 25 vs. Q1 24. Equity revenues were up +21.8%, reaching a quarterly record level3, driven by strong momentum in flow and listed products. Fixed income and currencies were down -2.4% due to lower client activity on rates investment solutions and margin compression in financing activities. Commercial activity nevertheless remained buoyant in rates and forex brokerage due to high volatility. In Global Banking and Advisory, revenues are up +10.5% with a solid commercial momentum in asset finance. Furthermore, the performance was resilient in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Debt Capital Markets (DCM). Similarly, Global Transaction and Payment Services posted an +8.7% increase in revenues vs. Q1 24, driven by higher payment volumes with institutional clients and strong commercial development for corporate clients.

    Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services’ revenues were down -7.4% vs. Q1 24, mainly due to a perimeter effect of EUR -176 million in Q1 25. Excluding the impact of asset disposals, they were up +0.8%. International Retail Banking recorded a -12.1% fall in revenues vs. Q1 24 to EUR 0.9 billion, due to a perimeter effect related to the disposals completed in Africa (Morocco, Chad, Madagascar). They rose by +1.9% at constant perimeter and exchange rates. Revenues from Mobility and Financial Services were also down -3.0% vs. Q1 24 due to the disposal of SGEF’s operations (except for those in the Czech Republic and Slovakia) in Q1 25. Besides, Ayvens’ revenues were stable vs. Q1 24 owing to improved margins, offsetting the normalisation of the results of used car sales.

    The Corporate Centre recorded revenues of EUR -112 million in Q1 25.

    Operating expenses 

    Operating expenses came to EUR 4,604 million in Q1 25, down -7.6% vs. Q1 24 and -4.4% excluding asset disposals. The decrease in operating expenses is notably explained by a decrease in transformation charges of EUR 278 million, an increase of EUR 29 million related to taxes on variable compensation, an increase in expenses of EUR 22 million related to Bernstein perimeter, and EUR 5 million related to disposal transaction costs. Excluding these non-recurring items, operating expenses were slightly up, confirming the strong cost discipline.

    The cost-to-income ratio stood at 65.0% in Q1 25, down sharply from Q1 24 (74.9%) and below the target of <66% estimated for 2025.

    Cost of risk

    The cost of risk was stable over the quarter at 23 basis points (or EUR 344 million). It comprises a provision for non-performing loans of EUR 330 million (around 22 basis points) and a provision for performing loans of EUR 14 million.

    At end-March, the Group had a stock of provisions for performing loans of EUR 3,131 million, slightly up +0.4% compared with 31 December 2024, which represents more than 2x 2024 cost of risk.

    The gross non-performing loan ratio stood at 2.82%4,5 at 31 March 2025, broadly stable compared to its end – December 2024 level (2.81%). The net coverage ratio on the Group’s non-performing loans stood at 82%6 at 31 March 2025 (after netting of guarantees and collateral).

    Net profits from other assets

    The Group recorded a net gain of EUR +202 million in Q1 25, mainly related to the accounting impacts of completed asset sales of SGEF7, Societe Generale Private Banking Suisse and SG Kleinwort Hambros.

    Group net Income

    Group net income stood at EUR 1,608 million for the quarter, equating to a Return on Tangible Equity (ROTE) of 11.0%.

    1. DELIVERING ON OUR ESG AMBITIONS

    The Group is in line with its portfolio alignment targets in the most carbon-emitting sectors, including since 2019 a reduction of more than 50% in its upstream exposure to oil and gas, and a reduction of around 50% of its carbon emission intensity in power.

    Reflecting progress on portfolio alignment, the Group’s contribution to sustainable finance amounted to around 80 billion euros at the end of 2024, ahead of its target of 500 billion euros for the 2024-2030 period.

    The Group is well positioned to seize new opportunities in the environmental transition. Societe Generale has acted as exclusive financial advisor for the UK’s Net Zero Teesside Power and Northern Endurance Partnership projects, which aim to be the world’s first gas-fired power station project with carbon capture and storage.

    These actions are recognized externally, with best-in-class ratings from extra-financial rating agencies and through numerous awards.

    1. THE GROUP’S FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

    At 31 March 2025, the Group’s Common Equity Tier 1 ratio stood at 13.4%, or around 320 basis points above the regulatory requirement. Likewise, the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) was well above regulatory requirements at 140% at end-March 2025 (an average of 150% for the quarter), while the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) stood at 115% at end-March 2025.

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

      31/03/2025 31/12/2024 Requirements
    CET1(1) 13.4% 13.3% 10.22%
    Tier 1 ratio(1) 16.1% 16.1% 12.14%
    Total Capital(1) 19.1% 18.9% 14.70%
    Leverage ratio(1) 4.4% 4.3% 3.60%
    TLAC (% RWA)(1) 29.7% 29.7% 22.32%
    TLAC (% leverage)(1) 8.2% 8.0% 6.75%
    MREL (% RWA)(1) 33.3% 34.2% 27.59%
    MREL (% leverage)(1) 9.2% 9.2% 6.23%
    End of period LCR 140% 162% >100%
    Period average LCR 150% 150% >100%
    NSFR 115% 117% >100%
    In EURbn 31/03/2025 31/12/2024
    Total consolidated balance sheet 1,554 1,574
    Group shareholders’ equity 71 70
    Risk-weighted assets 393 390
    O.w. credit risk 318 327
    Total funded balance sheet 931 952
    Customer loans 459 463
    Customer deposits 596 614

    8
    As of 31 March 2025, the parent company has issued EUR 9.0 billion of medium/long-term debt under its 2025 financing programme, including EUR 4.5 billion of pre-financing raised at the end of 2024. The subsidiaries had issued EUR 1.0 billion. In all, the Group has issued a total of EUR 10.0 billion in medium/long-term debt.

    At end of April 2025, the parent company’s 2025 funding programme is 54% complete 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 Q1 25 Q1 24 Change
    Net banking income 2,299 2,016 +14.1% +16.5%*
    Of which net interest income 1,061 827 +28.4% +31.6%*
    Of which fees 1,056 1,018 +3.7% +6.2%*
    Operating expenses (1,566) (1,728) -9.4% -6.6%*
    Gross operating income 734 288 x 2.5 x 2.5*
    Net cost of risk (171) (247) -30.8% -30.8%*
    Operating income 563 41 x 13.7 x 11.2*
    Net profits or losses from other assets 7 0 x 19.2 x 19.2*
    Group net income 421 31 x 13.4 x 10.9*
    Cost to income 68.1% 85.7%    

    Commercial activity

    SG network, Private Banking and Insurance 

    The SG network’s average deposit outstandings amounted to EUR 230 billion in Q1 25, down -1% from Q1 24, with a shift of inflows into savings life insurance.

    The SG network’s average loan outstandings contracted by -3% vs. Q1 24 to EUR 193 billion, and
    by -1.8% vs. Q1 24 excluding repayments of state-guaranteed loans. Mortgage loan production saw a sharp increase of +115% vs. Q1 24.

    The average loan-to-deposit ratio stood at 83.8% in Q1 25, down 1.1 percentage point relative to Q1 24.

    In Private Banking, assets under management9 strongly rose by +6% vs. Q1 24 at EUR 130 billion. Net asset inflows totalled EUR 2 billion in Q1 25, with asset gathering (annualised net new money divided by AuM) standing at +6% in Q1 25. Net banking income came to EUR 361 million for the quarter, a +3.4% increase at constant perimeter1 and exchange rates, down -3.9% vs. Q1 24.

    Insurance, which covers activities in and outside France, posted a very strong commercial performance. Life insurance outstandings increased sharply by +5% vs. Q1 24 to reach a record EUR 148 billion at end- March 2025. The share of unit-linked products remained high at 40%. Gross life insurance savings inflows amounted to EUR 5.4 billion in Q1 25.

    In France, personal protection and Property & Casualty premia were up by +4% vs. Q1 24.

    BoursoBank 

    BoursoBank reached almost 7.6 million clients in Q1 25. The bank recorded growth of +20.7% in the number of clients vs. Q1 24 (+1.3 million year-on-year), with onboarding still high this quarter (~458,000 new clients in Q1 25) while the churn rate remained low.

    BoursoBank has once again confirmed its leading position in France in terms of client satisfaction with an NPS (Net Promoter Score) of +5410. The online bank is also ranked as the best digital bank in France11.

    Average loan outstandings rose by +7.3% compared with Q1 24 to EUR 16 billion in Q1 25.

    Average outstanding savings, including deposits and financial savings, totalled EUR 67 billion, an increase of +15.5% vs. Q1 24. Deposits outstanding totalled EUR 41 billion in Q1 25, posting another sharp increase of +16.3% vs. Q1 24. Average life insurance outstandings, at EUR 13 billion in Q1 25, rose by +8.9% vs. Q1 24 (of which 49.2% in unit-linked products). This activity continued to register strong gross inflows over the quarter (+24.6% vs. Q1 24, 57% in unit-linked products). The brokerage activity recorded more than 3 million transactions in Q1 25, a record quarter with an increase of +48.4%
    vs. Q1 24.

    Net banking income

    In Q1 25, revenues came to EUR 2,299 million (including PEL/CEL provision), up +14.1% vs. Q1 24. Net interest income grew by +28.4% vs. Q1 24 and was broadly stable excluding asset disposals and the impact of short-term hedges in Q1 24. Fee income rose by +3.7% relative to Q1 24.

    Operating expenses

    Operating expenses came to EUR 1,566 million for the quarter, including around EUR 23 million euros of transformation charges, down -9.4% vs. Q1 24. The cost-to-income ratio stood at 68.1% in Q1 25, an improvement of 17.6 percentage points vs. Q1 24.

    Cost of risk

    In Q1 25, the cost of risk amounted to EUR 171 million, or 29 basis points, which was higher than in Q4 24 (20 basis points).

    Group net Income

    Group net income totalled EUR 421 million for the quarter. RONE stood at 9.5% in Q1 25.

    1. GLOBAL BANKING AND INVESTOR SOLUTIONS
    In EUR m Q1 25 Q1 24 Change
    Net banking income 2,896 2,631 +10.0% +8.8%*
    Operating expenses (1,755) (1,757) -0.1% -0.6%*
    Gross operating income 1,140 874 +30.4% +27.6%*
    Net cost of risk (55) 20 n/s n/s
    Operating income 1,085 894 +21.3% +18.9%*
    Group net income 856 697 +22.8% +19.6%*
    Cost to income 60.6% 66.8% 0 +0.0%*

    Net banking income

    Global Banking and Investor Solutions reported strong results in Q1 25, with revenues up +10.0% vs. Q1 24 to stand at EUR 2,896 million.

    Global Markets and Investor Services recorded solid growth of +10.0% over the quarter compared with Q1 24, at EUR 1,922 million.

    Market Activities grew in the first quarter with revenues of EUR 1,759 million, up +10.9% vs. Q1 24 in a volatile market environment.

    The Equities business delivered a record performance12 in Q1 25 with revenues of EUR 1,061 million, a sharp increase of +21.8% compared with Q1 24, driven by positive momentum particularly in flow and listed products.

    Fixed Income and Currencies were slightly down -2.4% to EUR 698 million in Q1 25, due to lower client activity on rates investment solutions and margin compression in financing activities. Commercial momentum also remained strong in flow activities, particularly for rates and forex products, driven by higher volatility.

    In Securities Services, revenues were up +1.4% compared with Q1 24 at EUR 163 million and overall stable (-0.2%) excluding participation. The level of fees is good in comparison to a high Q1 24, notably thanks to a strong commercial performance in fund distribution. Assets under Custody and Assets under Administration amounted to EUR 5,194 billion and EUR 637 billion, respectively.

    Revenues for the Financing and Advisory business totalled EUR 973 million, a sharp increase of +10.0% vs. Q1 24.

    Global Banking & Advisory posted significant revenues, up +10.5% compared with Q1 24, driven by buoyant activity in asset finance. Asset-Backed Products are steady despite less conducive market conditions compared to Q1 24. Furthermore, the performance was resilient in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Debt Capital Markets (DCM).

    Global Transaction & Payment Services once again delivered a strong performance compared with Q1 24, with a sharp increase in revenues of +8.7%, notably due to higher payment volumes with institutional clients and good commercial performance on the corporate franchise.

    Operating expenses

    Operating expenses came to EUR 1,755 million for the quarter and included around EUR 12 million in transformation charges. These are stable relative to Q1 24. The cost-to-income ratio stood at 60.6% in Q1 25.

    Cost of risk

    Over the quarter, the cost of risk was EUR 55 million, or 13 basis points vs. -5 basis points in Q1 24.

    Group net Income

    Group net income increased by +22.8% vs. Q1 24 to EUR 856 million.

    Global Banking and Investor Solutions reported a strong RONE of 18.7% for the quarter.

    1. MOBILITY, INTERNATIONAL RETAIL BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
    In EURm Q1 25 Q1 24 Change
    Net banking income 2,000 2,161 -7.4% +1.1%*
    Operating expenses (1,180) (1,350) -12.6% -4.8%*
    Gross operating income 820 810 +1.2% +10.8%*
    Net cost of risk (124) (182) -31.8% -23.1%*
    Operating income 696 629 +10.7% +20.3%*
    Net profits or losses from other assets 0 4 -98.3% -98.3%*
    Non-controlling interests 212 195 +8.3% +16.1%*
    Group net income 319 278 +14.5% +24.4%*
    Cost to income 59.0% 62.5%    

    Commercial activity

    International Retail Banking

    International Retail Banking posted robust commercial activity with loan outstandings of
    EUR 61 billion, up +4.3%* vs. Q1 24, and deposits of EUR 75 billion, slightly up +1.1%* vs. Q1 24.

    In Europe, loan outstandings rose by 6.1%* vs. Q1 24 to EUR 45 billion in Q1 25 for both client segments of KB and BRD, particularly in home loans. Deposit outstandings totalled EUR 55 billion in
    Q1 25, slightly up +0.6%* vs. Q1 24, mainly driven by Romania.

    Overall, loan outstandings in Africa, Mediterranean Basin and French Overseas Territories amounted to EUR 16 billion, broadly stable* vs. Q1 24, with mixed situations across geographies. Deposit outstandings increased by +2.5%* vs. Q1 24 to EUR 20 billion in Q1 25, mainly driven by sight deposits from corporate clients.

    Mobility and Financial Services

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

    Ayvens’ earning assets totalled EUR 53.5 billion at end-March 2025, a +1.4% increase vs. end-March 2024.

    Consumer Finance posted loans outstanding of EUR 23 billion, still down -3.0% vs. Q1 24, but decreasing at a slower pace than previously.

    Net banking income

    In Q1 25, Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services recorded revenues of EUR 2,000 million, up slightly (+1.1%* vs. Q1 24).

    International Retail Banking revenues increased slightly by +1.9%* vs. Q1 24, to EUR 913 million in
    Q1 25.

    Revenues in Europe increased by +5.4%* vs. Q1 24, to EUR 520 million in Q1 25. This robust growth, both in the Czech Republic and Romania, was driven by a solid performance of net interest income and a sharp increase in fees.

    In Africa, Mediterranean Basin and French Overseas Territories, revenues remained high at
    EUR 393 million in Q1 25, a slight down -2.3%* compared with a strong first quarter of 2024.

    Overall, revenues from Mobility and Financial Services were stable* vs. Q1 24, to EUR 1,087 million in Q1 25.

    At Ayvens, net banking income stood at EUR 796 million in Q1 25, stable vs. Q1 24, with an increase in margins13. Margins are continuing to improve, standing at 562 basis points in Q1 25, vs. 522 basis points in Q1 24. The secondary market for vehicle sales is gradually returning to normal, as expected, with an average profit margin per vehicle of EUR 1,22914 per unit this quarter, vs. EUR 1,2672 in Q4 24 and
    EUR 1,6611 in Q1 24. At its level, Ayvens has a cost-to-income ratio of 58.0%15, in line with the 2025 target (57%-59%).

    Revenues for the Consumer Finance business stabilised vs. Q1 24 at EUR 223 million in Q1 25.

    Operating expenses

    Over the quarter, operating expenses decreased significantly by -4.8%* vs. Q1 24, to EUR 1,180 million in Q1 25 (of which EUR 39 million of transformation charges). The cost-to-income ratio improved in Q1 25 to 59.0% vs. 62.5% in Q1 24.

    International Retail Banking posted costs of EUR 546 million in Q1 25, down by -3.2%* vs. Q1 24.

    Mobility and Financial Services costs reached EUR 635 million in Q1 25, a sharp decrease of -6.1%*
    vs. Q1 24, with cost synergies materialising at Ayvens driven by the continued LeasePlan integration.

    Cost of risk

    Over the quarter, the cost of risk amounted to EUR 124 million or 31 basis points, which was considerably lower than in Q1 24 (43 basis points).

    Group net Income

    Over the quarter, Group net income came to EUR 319 million, up +24.4%* vs. Q1 24. RONE stood at 11.2% in Q1 25. RONE was 14.1% in International Retail Banking and 9.4% in Mobility and Financial Services in Q1 25.

    1. CORPORATE CENTRE
    In EURm Q1 25 Q1 24
    Net banking income (112) (162)
    Operating expenses (103) (145)
    Gross operating income (215) (308)
    Net cost of risk 6 9
    Net profits or losses from other assets 192 (84)
    Income tax 61 90
    Group net income 12 (327)

    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

    The Corporate Centre’s net banking income totalled EUR -112 million for the quarter, vs. EUR – 162 million in Q1 24, notably thanks to management actions to more efficiently use excess liquidity.

    Operating expenses

    Over the quarter, operating expenses totalled EUR -103 million, vs. EUR -145 million in Q1 24, notably thanks to a decrease in transformation charges.

    Net profits from other assets

    The Group recorded EUR +192 million in net profits from other assets during the quarter at the Corporate Centre level, notably following asset disposals of SGEF16, Societe Generale Private Banking Suisse and SG Kleinwort Hambros.

    Group net Income

    The Corporate Centre’s net income totalled EUR +12 million for the quarter, vs. EUR -327 million
    in Q1 24.

    1. 2025 FINANCIAL CALENDAR
    2025 Financial communication calendar
    May 20th, 2025 Combined General Meeting
    May 26th, 2025 Dividend detachment
    May 28th, 2025 Dividend payment
    July 31st, 2025 Second quarter and first half 2025 results
    October 30th, 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.

    1. APPENDIX 1: FINANCIAL DATA

    GROUP NET INCOME BY CORE BUSINESS

    In EURm Q1 25 Q1 24 Variation
    French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance 421 31 x 13.4
    Global Banking and Investor Solutions 856 697 +22.8%
    Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services 319 278 +14.5%
    Core Businesses 1,596 1,007 +58.5%
    Corporate Centre 12 (327) n/s
    Group 1,608 680 x 2.4

    MAIN EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS

    In EURm Q1 25 Q1 24
    Operating expenses – Total one-off items and transformation charges (74) (352)
    Transformation charges (74) (352)
    Of which French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance (23) (81)
    Of which Global Banking & Investor Solutions (12) (154)
    Of which Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services (39) (69)
    Of which Corporate Centre 0 (47)
         
    Other one-off items – Total 202 (80)
    Net profits or losses from other assets 202 (80)

    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

    In EUR m   31/03/2025 31/12/2024
    Cash, due from central banks   169,891 201,680
    Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss   548,999 526,048
    Hedging derivatives   8,171 9,233
    Financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income   99,248 96,024
    Securities at amortised cost   41,224 32,655
    Due from banks at amortised cost   91,527 84,051
    Customer loans at amortised cost   447,815 454,622
    Revaluation differences on portfolios hedged against interest rate risk   (480) (292)
    Insurance and reinsurance contracts assets   545 615
    Tax assets   4,170 4,687
    Other assets   73,618 70,903
    Non-current assets held for sale   2,911 26,426
    Investments accounted for using the equity method   414 398
    Tangible and intangible fixed assets   61,250 61,409
    Goodwill   5,085 5,086
    Total   1,554,388 1,573,545
    In EUR m   31/03/2025 31/12/2024
    Due to central banks   10,661 11,364
    Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss   405,056 396,614
    Hedging derivatives   14,028 15,750
    Debt securities issued   154,356 162,200
    Due to banks   100,825 99,744
    Customer deposits   521,141 531,675
    Revaluation differences on portfolios hedged

    against interest rate risk

      (6,168) (5,277)
    Tax liabilities   2,301 2,237
    Other liabilities   96,417 90,786
    Non-current liabilities held for sale   2,560 17,079
    Insurance and reinsurance contracts liabilities   152,899 150,691
    Provisions   4,098 4,085
    Subordinated debts   16,148 17,009
    Total liabilities   1,474,322 1,493,957
    Shareholder’s equity  
    Shareholders’ equity, Group share  
    Issued common stocks and capital reserves   20,812 21,281
    Other equity instruments   9,873 9,873
    Retained earnings   37,863 33,863
    Net income   1,608 4,200
    Sub-total   70,156 69,217
    Unrealised or deferred capital gains and losses   400 1,039
    Sub-total equity, Group share   70,556 70,256
    Non-controlling interests   9,510 9,332
    Total equity   80,066 79,588
    Total   1,554,388 1,573,545
    1. APPENDIX 2: METHODOLOGY

    1 –The financial information presented for the first quarter 2025 was examined by the Board of Directors on April 29th, 2025 and has been prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted in the European Union and applicable at that date. The information has not been audited.

    2 – Net banking income

    The pillars’ net banking income is defined on page 38 of Societe Generale’s 2025 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, 2024. The term “costs” is also used to refer to Operating Expenses. The Cost/Income Ratio is defined on page 38 of Societe Generale’s 2025 Universal Registration Document.

    4 – Cost of risk in basis points, coverage ratio for doubtful outstandings

    The cost of risk is defined on pages 39 and 748 of Societe Generale’s 2025 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   Q1 25 Q1 24
    French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance Net Cost Of Risk 171 247
    Gross loan Outstandings 233,536 238,394
    Cost of Risk in bps 29 41
    Global Banking and Investor Solutions Net Cost Of Risk 55 (20)
    Gross loan Outstandings 172,782 162,457
    Cost of Risk in bps 13 (5)
    Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services Net Cost Of Risk 124 182
    Gross loan Outstandings 159,126 167,892
    Cost of Risk in bps 31 43
    Corporate Centre Net Cost Of Risk (6) (9)
    Gross loan Outstandings 25,592 23,365
    Cost of Risk in bps (9) (15)
    Societe Generale Group Net Cost Of Risk 344 400
    Gross loan Outstandings 591,036 592,108
    Cost of Risk in bps 23 27

    The gross coverage ratio for doubtful 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 (“doubtful”).

    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 39 and 40 of Societe Generale’s 2025 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 40 of Societe Generale’s 2025 Universal Registration Document. Starting from Q1 25 results, normative return to businesses is based on a 13% capital allocation. The Q1 25 allocated capital includes the regulatory impacts related to Basel IV, applicable since 1 January 2025.
    Group net income used for the ratio numerator is the accounting Group net income adjusted for “Interest paid and payable to holders of 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) Q1 25 Q1 24
    Shareholders’ equity Group share 70,556 67,342
    Deeply subordinated and undated subordinated notes (10,153) (10,166)
    Interest payable to holders of deeply & undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation(1) (60) (71)
    OCI excluding conversion reserves 582 696
    Distribution provision(2) (710) (256)
    Distribution N-1 to be paid (1,718) (999)
    ROE equity end-of-period 58,496 56,545
    Average ROE equity 58,609 56,522
    Average Goodwill(3) (4,191) (4,006)
    Average Intangible Assets (2,835) (2,956)
    Average ROTE equity 51,583 49,560
         
    Group net Income 1,608 680
    Interest paid and payable to holders of deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation (188) (166)
    Adjusted Group net Income 1,420 514
    ROTE 11.0% 4.1%

    171819

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

    In EURm Q1 25 Q1 24 Change
    French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance 17,687 16,518 +7.1%
    Global Banking and Investor Solutions 18,324 16,011 +14.4%
    Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services 11,376 11,252 +1.1%
    Core Businesses 47,386 43,781 +8.2%
    Corporate Centre 11,223 12,741 -11.9%
    Group 58,609 56,522 +3.7%

    6 – Net assets and tangible net assets

    Net assets and tangible net assets are defined in the methodology, page 41 of the Group’s 2025 Universal Registration Document. The items used to calculate them are presented below:
    2021

    End of period (in EURm) Q1 25 2024 2023
    Shareholders’ equity Group share 70,556 70,256 65,975
    Deeply subordinated and undated subordinated notes (10,153) (10,526) (9,095)
    Interest of deeply & undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation(1) (60) (25) (21)
    Book value of own shares in trading portfolio (44) 8 36
    Net Asset Value 60,299 59,713 56,895
    Goodwill(2) (4,175) (4,207) (4,008)
    Intangible Assets (2,798) (2,871) (2,954)
    Net Tangible Asset Value 53,326 52,635 49,933
           
    Number of shares used to calculate NAPS(3) 783,671 796,498 796,244
    Net Asset Value per Share 76.9 75.0 71.5
    Net Tangible Asset Value per Share 68.0 66.1 62.7

    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 pages 40-41 of Societe Generale’s 2025 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) Q1 25 2024 2023
    Existing shares 800,317 801,915 818,008
    Deductions      
    Shares allocated to cover stock option plans and free shares awarded to staff 2,586 4,402 6,802
    Other own shares and treasury shares 7,646 2,344 11,891
    Number of shares used to calculate EPS(4) 790,085 795,169 799,315
    Group net Income (in EUR m) 1,608 4,200 2,493
    Interest on deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes (in EUR m) (188) (720) (759)
    Adjusted Group net income (in EUR m) 1,420 3,481 1,735
    EPS (in EUR) 1.80 4.38 2.17

    2223
    8 – Solvency and leverage ratios

    Shareholder’s equity, risk-weighted assets and leverage exposure are calculated in accordance with applicable CRR3/CRD6 rules, including the procedures provided by the regulation for the calculation of phased-in and fully loaded ratios. The solvency ratios and leverage ratio are presented on a pro-forma basis for the current year’s accrued results, net of dividends, unless otherwise stated.

    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 around 119,000 employees serving more than 26 million clients in 62 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).

    In case of doubt regarding the authenticity of this press release, please go to the end of the Group News page on societegenerale.com website where official Press Releases sent by Societe Generale can be certified using blockchain technology. A link will allow you to check the document’s legitimacy directly on the web page.

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


    1 Including Basel IV phasing
    2 Based on a pay-out ratio of 50% of the Group net income restated from non-cash items and after deduction of interest on deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes, pro forma including Q1 25 results
    3 At comparable business model post GFC (Global Financial Crisis) regulatory regime
    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
    6 Ratio of S3 provisions, guarantees and collaterals over gross outstanding non-performing loans
    7 Except for operations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
    8 Including Basel IV phasing and pro forma Q1 25 results
    NB: SG network, Private Banking and Insurance – end Q1 25 loans and deposits exclude disposals
    9 Excluding asset disposals in Switzerland and the United Kingdom
    10 Jointly with another bank in 2025, Bain and Company, April 2025
    11 Deloitte, January 2025
    12 At comparable business model post GFC (Global Financial Crisis) regulatory regime
    13 Excluding non-recurring items
    14 Excluding impacts of depreciation adjustments
    15 As communicated by Ayvens in its Q1 25 results (excluding used car sales result and non-recurring items)
    16 Except for operations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
    17 Interest net of tax
    18 The distribution provision is calculated based on a pay-out ratio of 50%, restated from non-cash items and after deduction of interest on deeply subordinated notes and on undated subordinated notes
    19 Excluding goodwill arising from non-controlling interests
    20 Interest net of tax
    21 Excluding goodwill arising from non-controlling interests
    22 The number of shares considered is the number of ordinary shares outstanding at end of period, excluding treasury shares and buybacks, but including the trading shares held by the Group (expressed in thousands of shares)
    23 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 (expressed in thousands of shares)

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Equinor first quarter 2025 results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Equinor (OSE:EQNR, NYSE:EQNR) delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 8.65 billion and USD 2.25 billion after tax in the first quarter of 2025. Equinor reported net operating income of USD 8.87 billion and net income at USD 2.63 billion. Adjusted net income* was USD 1.79 billion, leading to adjusted earnings per share* of USD 0.66.

    Strong financial and operational performance

    • Strong financial results and cash flow
    • Solid oil and gas production

    Strategic progress

    • Successful start-up of the Johan Castberg and Halten East fields
    • Final investment decision on Northern Lights phase 2

    Capital distribution

    • First quarter cash dividend of USD 0.37 per share
    • Proposed second tranche of share buy-back of up to USD 1.265 billion
    • Expected total capital distribution for 2025 of up to USD 9 billion

    Anders Opedal, President and CEO of Equinor ASA:

    “Equinor delivers strong financial results in the first quarter. I am pleased to see the good operational performance and solid production capturing higher gas prices. With the current market uncertainties, Equinor’s core objective is safe, stable and cost efficient operations and resilience through a strong balance sheet.”

    “We maintain a competitive capital distribution and expect to deliver a total of USD 9 billion in 2025.”

    “The production start-up of the Johan Castberg field strengthens Norway’s role as a reliable energy exporter to Europe. The field opens a new region in the Barents Sea and is expected to contribute to energy supply, value creation and ripple effects for at least 30 years to come.”

    “We have invested in Empire Wind after obtaining all necessary approvals, and the order to halt work now is unprecedented and in our view unlawful. This is a question of the rights and obligations granted under legally issued permits, and security of investments based on valid approvals. We seek to engage directly with the US Administration to clarify the matter and are considering our legal options.”

    Solid production

    Equinor delivered a total equity production of 2,123 mboe per day in the first quarter, down from 2,164 mboe in the same quarter last year.

    The operational performance for most of the fields on Norwegian continental shelf is strong, including the Johan Sverdrup and Troll fields. This almost offsets the negative production impact from the shut-in at Sleipner B after the fire in fourth quarter 2024 and planned and unplanned maintenance at Hammerfest LNG.

    In the US, production increased from the same period last year. This was due to increased production from the fields and transactions increasing Equinor’s ownership interest in onshore gas assets in 2024.

    The production from the international upstream segment, excluding US, is down compared to the same quarter last year, due to exits from Nigeria and Azerbaijan in 2024.

    The total power generation from the renewable portfolio was 0.76 TWh, on par with the same period last year.

    In the quarter, Equinor completed five offshore exploration wells on the NCS with two commercial discoveries.

    Strong financial results

    Equinor delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 8.65 billion. and USD 2.25 billion after tax* in the first quarter of 2025. The results are driven by solid gas production and higher gas prices.

    Equinor realised a European gas price of USD 14.8 per mmbtu and realised liquids prices were USD 70.6 per bbl in the first quarter.

    Adjusted operating and administrative expenses* increased from the same quarter last year driven by overlift, higher maintenance activity and some one-off costs. This was partially offset by active measures to reduce costs for business development and early phase projects in renewables and low carbon solutions.

    A strong operational performance generated a cash flow from operating activities, before taxes paid and working capital items, of USD 10.6 billion for the first quarter. Equinor paid one NCS tax instalment of USD 3.09 billion in the quarter.

    Cash flow from operations after taxes paid* ended at USD 7.39 billion.

    Organic capital expenditure* was USD 3.02 billion for the quarter, and total capital expenditures were USD 4.50 billion.

    Equinor continues to demonstrate capital discipline and strengthen financial robustness with a net debt to capital employed adjusted ratio* of 6.9% at the end of the first quarter, compared to 11.9% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Empire Wind 1

    After quarter close, Equinor received a halt work order from the US government on the offshore construction on the outer continental shelf for the Empire Wind project. The lease was obtained in 2017 and the project was fully permitted in 2024. It has a potential for delivering power to half a million New York homes, and is approximately 30% to completion.

    Equinor is complying with the order and is seeking dialogue with the proper authorities and assessing legal options. The Empire Wind project has per 31 March 2025 a gross book value of around USD 2.5 billion, including South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.

    Strategic progress

    A major milestone was reached when production was started from the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea on 31 March. Production also started at the Halten East development in the Norwegian Sea, with   estimated recoverable reserves of 100 million boe and one year pay-back time.

    Equinor continues to optimise and strengthen long-term value creation on the NCS, and was awarded 27 new production licenses in the Awards in Predefined Areas round (APA) in January. The ambition is to drill around 250 exploration wells on the NCS by 2035.

    In the quarter, the Bacalhau floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) arrived at its destination in the Santos Basin in Brazil’s pre-salt region. First oil is expected in 2025.

    Within low carbon solutions, Equinor together with partners Shell and TotalEnergies made a final investment decision to progress phase two of the groundbreaking Northern Lights carbon transport and storage development in Øygarden. The NOK 7.5 billion investment is expected to increase the total injection capacity from 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year (Mtpa) to at least 5 Mtpa and further develop the commercial market for transport and storage of CO2.

    The appraisal wells for carbon storage at Smeaheia were completed in the quarter on time and on cost.

    Competitive capital distribution

    The board of directors has decided a cash dividend of USD 0.37 per share for the first quarter 2025, in line with communication at the Capital Markets Update in February.

    Expected total capital distribution for 2025 is USD 9 billion, including a share buy-back programme of up to USD 5 billion. The board has decided to initiate a second tranche of the share buy-back programme of up to USD 1.265 billion. The second tranche is subject to an authorisation from the company’s annual general meeting 14 May 2025 and will commence after this. The tranche will end no later than 21 July 2025.

    The first tranche of the share buy-back programme for 2025 was completed on 24 March 2025 with a total value of USD 1.2 billion.

    All share buy-back amounts include shares to be redeemed by the Norwegian State.

    – – –

    *For items marked with an asterisk throughout this report, see Use and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures in the Supplementary disclosures.

    – – –

    Further information from:

    Investor relations
    Bård Glad Pedersen, Senior vice president Investor relations
    +47 918 01 791 (mobile)

    Press
    Sissel Rinde, Vice president Media relations
    +47 412 60 584 (mobile)

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

    Attachments

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The NSU History Museum exhibition “The Great Patriotic War in Faces. Novosibirsk State University” opened at NSU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The exhibition presents the stories of people who directly participated in military actions or were engaged in scientific activities and made a tangible contribution to the victory of the people of the Soviet Union over fascist Germany. In total, the exhibition contains 126 portraits. Until May 23, the exhibition can be seen in the second-floor passage between the first and third blocks of the NSU Academic Building (1 Pirogova St.).

    — Of course, there are academicians here. For example, Mikhail Alekseevich Lavrentyev, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of the Lenin and State (Stalin) Prizes. He received some of these awards for his scientific contribution to the people’s victory. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, Second Class, and five Orders of Lenin. His research and the cumulative shells he developed played a major role and influenced the outcome of the Battle of Kursk in 1943. Among the veterans, those people who made a significant contribution, there are many researchers. For example, Aleksey Andreyevich Lyapunov, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He was a very young lieutenant when, during offensive battles in the area of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, he made an adjustment for magnetic deviation in the artillery calculation, which ensured the success of the artillery preparation, — said Lidiya Vorobtsova, Director of the NSU History Museum.

    Another participant in the war was Samson Semenovich Kutateladze, an academician, founder of one of the leading scientific schools in thermal physics and hydrodynamics. He was at the front from August 1941 to May 1945. The legendary rector of NSU Spartak Timofeevich Belyaev, an academician, professor, has many awards, he went through the entire war and was demobilized with the rank of junior lieutenant.

    The exhibition presents stories not only of outstanding scientists and academicians, but also of those people who worked and taught at NSU. For example, Angelina Ivanovna Kuzmina is a linguist and participant in the Great Patriotic War.

    — I personally remember her very well. When I was studying at the Humanities Department, in the late 1970s — early 1980s, Angelina Ivanovna taught us German. She went through almost the entire war from the spring of 1942 until its end. She was a telegraph operator, a radio operator, and a communications platoon commander, and also worked as a translator during this period. She was a unique person, a candidate of philological sciences, an associate professor at our university. A very charming and positive-minded woman, — recalls Lidiya Vorobtsova.

    Luiza Stefanovna Bocharova is a candidate of economic sciences, a senior lecturer, and later an associate professor of the political economy department of our university. She worked in counterintelligence at the headquarters of the 2nd Air Army of the Southwestern Front, and later the 1st Ukrainian Front.

    The exhibition also features a portrait and history of Lev Yakovlevich Savelyev, a professor at the NSU Department of Higher Mathematics and a participant in the Great Patriotic War. Lev Yakovlevich was born in 1929 in Odessa. At the age of 14, he volunteered for the Red Army, and in a short period of time, he received the qualification of “3rd class radio operator-telegraphist” and the military rank of “corporal” at radio operator courses. After demobilization in August 1945, Lev Yakovlevich continued his studies at school, and two years later he became a student at the Mathematics Department of Moscow State University. After graduating from Moscow State University, he came to Novosibirsk, where NSU had just opened. He taught courses in mathematical and functional analysis, probability theory and mathematical statistics, random processes, and many others.

    We can literally talk for a very long time about each “hero” of the exhibition, because each one made their own contribution to the Victory.

    — I think that students, teachers, and staff will be very pleased to see and read about the people who are presented at the exhibition. In addition, we have two special pages on the website of the NSU History Museum. One is also dedicated to the participants of the Great Patriotic War, and the second page is called “War Participants Remember,” that is, these are memories of the war years. You can always go to the website of our museum and get to know them. The heroes of these stories describe their time and how they, still very young guys, many just after finishing school, went to war. Some left universities, some just graduated from university and went to the front at that time. Recently, we had an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the oldest professors of the Humanities Institute, then the Humanities Faculty, Varlen Lvovich Soskin. In the exposition, we presented more extensive information about the period when he was at war. Overall, we have war photographs of about half of the war participants, so there is something to look at and appreciate, to be proud of those people who taught and worked at our university, and those thanks to whom we are now celebrating this wonderful holiday, Victory Day, – summed up Lidiya Vorobtsova.

    The exhibition materials were collected from several sources. These include materials from the NSU History Museum, personal files from the NSU archive, written memoirs of combatants, and photographs of the “Victory Relay” that took place in 2010. At one time, for the 30th anniversary of the Victory in 1975, a large stand was displayed on the wall near the Maltsevskaya Auditorium, which is located in the main, historical building of NSU, where about 70 war veterans were presented. The NSU History Museum supplemented this information over time. In addition to the materials from the 1970-80s exhibitions, the Museum staff analyzed reference publications for the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory, which also mention the stories of Siberian front-line soldiers. The NSU Social Management Department, which works directly with WWII veterans, helped to fill in some personal stories and also display them along with the portraits at the exhibition.

    Today’s exhibition presents the most complete information on the majority of those people who are associated with Novosibirsk State University and the Siberian Branch of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences and who are direct participants in the Great Patriotic War or contributed to the Victory through their scientific work.

    In addition to portraits and stories of NSU employees, teachers and scientists, the exhibition features a digital panel with documents from the Novosibirsk Regional Archives, which are dedicated to the heroism of Siberians during the Great Patriotic War. The demonstration was organized by Andrey Vladimirovich Dmitriev, head of the Department of Russian History at the NSU Humanities Institute. The exhibition includes three expositions:

    “Breakthrough Division”

    The exhibition is dedicated to the combat path of the 133rd Rifle Division, later the 18th Guards Division, formed before 1941 in Novosibirsk and taking part in many battles of the Great Patriotic War. This division fought on the Kalinin Front in the autumn of 1941 and in the winter of 1941-1942 during the Battle of Moscow, participated in battles near Rzhev, in Belarus and the Baltics, and ended its journey on the territory of East Prussia.

    “Novosibirsk residents to the front”

    The exhibition presents materials related to the history of the 150th Rifle, then 22nd Guards Siberian Volunteer Division, created in Novosibirsk in the summer of 1942. Those people whose names are given to the streets of our city fought and died in its ranks: Mikhail Perevozchikov, Boris Bogatkov, Olga Zhilina.

    “Novosibirsk – a city of labor valor”

    The exhibition contains systematized data on the contribution of our fellow countrymen who remained in the rear to achieving Victory. Among them, one can highlight the collection of funds and voluntary donations, the production of weapons, the procurement of food and much more. All this data was collected and prepared by Novosibirsk historians and archivists to justify assigning Novosibirsk the title of “City of Labor Valor” in 2020.

    The exhibit files contain electronic copies of original archival documents, a number of unique photographs, text explanations and illustrative materials. The Novosibirsk Regional Archives exhibition will continue to work until May 12.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons condemns President Trump’s disastrous first 100 days in speech on Senate floor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) delivered a floor speech tonight criticizing President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, describing a period marked by weakened global alliances, harsh cuts to foreign aid, and an overhaul of key federal agencies. 
    Today marks the 100th day of President Trump’s second term, and Senator Coons’ early review of his presidency is that he has made Americans less prosperous and less secure, both at home and abroad. Trump has disrupted long-standing diplomatic relationships and global partnerships by recklessly imposing tariffs on nearly every country and asserting that he will take over Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal. Our closest allies and partners have responded with unease and outright resistance. In his speech, Senator Coons remarked on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s victory in Canada’s national election yesterday, an outcome viewed as a rejection of Trump’s policies. 
    He also expressed concern over the administration’s dismantling of foreign aid and health programs, warning that it makes Americans less safe and creates an opportunity for our adversaries like China. Additionally, Senator Coons highlighted his visit to Taiwan this month to bolster U.S.-Taiwan relations and stand against China’s attempts to limit Taiwan’s role on the global stage. 
    Senator Coons also called for Congress to reassert its constitutional responsibilities as Trump pushes the boundaries of executive power. 
    A video and transcript of Senator Coons’ comments are available below.
    WATCH HERE
    Senator Coons: In a hundred days – in a hundred days – what can a president accomplish?
    The last hundred days, President Trump has made Americans less safe, less prosperous, and less free.
    He has chosen to move us in a direction at home and abroad that is the opposite of what those who voted for him expected, and that is aligned with what those of us who worked against him feared. 
    What I’ve heard my whole life, whether in business or in foreign policy, as a lawyer or in my community as a local elected official – folks need trust, and they need predictability. Businesses say they need predictability in order to decide what to invest in, who to hire, where to grow. Other countries around the world say that they need to know they can trust us, that they can rely on us. And in the last hundred days, President Trump has shattered both of them. I’m going to speak for a few minutes about foreign policy because so many of my colleagues in my caucus have stood to talk about the disastrous cuts led by Elon Musk and DOGE, and the ways they’ve impacted Americans all over the country. 
    But if you think about our reputation globally –statement after statement, tweet after tweet by President Trump has puzzled, concerned, even alarmed our allies. He’s going to invade Greenland, a NATO ally. He’s going to take back the Panama Canal. He’s going to take over the Gaza Strip and make it ‘Mar-a-Gaza.’ He’s going to turn Canada into the 51st State. One of my Republican colleagues said, ‘don’t pay so much attention to what he says, look what he does.’ Well, lots of our partners and allies looked at what he has done by imposing tariffs on allies and partners, and recoiled. 
    In an election in Canada last night, where Trump was the issue, [they] elected a new prime minister, Mark Carney, who ran on a platform of standing up to America, of standing up to Donald Trump. Look, folks, the actions he’s taken, in slashing foreign aid, in abandoning decades-old bipartisan programs around the world that save lives, and that help other countries to trust and rely on us, have weakened us abroad and created openings for our pacing threat – the People’s Republic of China. I was recently in the Philippines, a nation that faces more natural disasters than any country on Earth – more typhoons, more earthquakes, more volcanoes. And for decades, they’ve relied on the United States and the help of USAID, volunteers, nonprofits – coordinated through our government – to respond to these disasters. It has built a long and close partnership of trust. Gone. 
    I was recently in Taiwan, a country looking to decide whether they can rely on us should China make real their threats to reunite Taiwan with the mainland by force. Can they trust us? Well, what I’m going to say is that in a hundred days, President Trump has shown weakness in Europe and created openings for China. We have long relied on a global network of allies and partners to keep us safe and strong, to make us prosperous, and to build our role in the world. China doesn’t have that. They have nervous neighbors and client states, countries that can’t count on them and view them as predatory. Yet, now through the actions of President Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE, and the silence and collaboration of Republicans in this chamber, even our closest, most trusted allies, like Canada, question whether they can count on us. 
    Back to the Reagan days, Republicans have talked about ‘peace through strength.’ What we’ve seen from Donald Trump in a hundred days: ‘weakness through chaos.’ A hundred days in, he’s not stopping Putin, he’s preparing to sell out Ukraine and Europe to Putin. A hundred days in, he’s not deterring Xi Jinping––he’s backing down every time he says he’s going to stand up to him. At the end of the day, these first hundred days have shown that we are weaker. The world is less stable. Americans are less safe.
    And I have to say, Madam President, a hundred days is more than enough time for my Republican colleagues to have seen enough, to stand up to this president, and to restore the role of this Senate and return our position of strength to the world. Thank you. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 30, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 30, 2025.

    Locked up for life? Unpacking South Australia’s new child sex crime laws
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xanthe Mallett, Criminologist, CQUniversity Australia Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock It’s election time, which means the age old “tough on crime” rhetoric is being heralded by many politicians aiming to score votes. Opposition leader Peter Dutton is pushing for a national public sex offender register. Currently only Western Australia has

    Why do dogs eat poo? A canine scientist explains
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne nygi/Unsplash When miniature dachshund Valerie was captured after 529 days alone in the wilds of Australia’s Kangaroo Island, experts speculated she survived partly by eating other animals’ poo. While this survival tactic may have saved

    On ‘moral panic’ and the courage to speak – the West’s silence on Gaza
    Palestinians do not have the luxury to allow Western moral panic to have its say or impact. Not caving in to this panic is one small, but important, step in building a global Palestine network that is urgently needed, writes Dr Ilan Pappé ANALYSIS: By Ilan Pappé Responses in the Western world to the genocide

    Sick of eating the same things? 5 ways to boost your nutrition and keep meals interesting and healthy
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    Peace in our time? Why NZ should resist Trump’s one-sided plan for Ukraine
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago GettyImages Getty Images Is it possible to reconcile increased international support for Ukraine with Donald Trump’s plan to end the war? At their recent meeting in London, Christopher Luxon and his British counterpart Keir Starmer seemed to

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    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monica Gagliano, Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Biology, Southern Cross University Zenit Arti Audiovisive Earth’s cycles of light and dark profoundly affect billions of organisms. Events such as solar eclipses are known to bring about marked shifts in animals, but do they have the same effect on

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    State of the states: the campaign is almost over, so how has it played out across Australia?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Clune, Honorary Associate, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney While many Australians have already voted at pre-poll stations and by post, the politicking continues right up until May 3. So what’s happened across the country over the past five weeks? Here, six experts analyse how

    ‘No compassion… just blame’: how weight stigma in maternity care harms larger-bodied women and their babies
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Briony Hill, Deputy Head, Health and Social Care Unit and Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Kate Cashin Photography According to a study from the United States, women experience weight stigma in maternity care at almost every visit. We expect this experience to be similar in Australia, where

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    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magnus Söderberg, Professor & Director, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University Christie Cooper/Shutterstock In an otherwise unremarkable election campaign, the major parties are promising sharply different energy blueprints for Australia. Labor is pitching a high-renewables future powered largely by wind, solar, hydroelectricity and

    Trump says diversity initiatives undermine merit. Decades of research show this is flawed
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    The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago today, yet films about the conflict still struggle to capture its complexities
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    Willis warns of a ‘tight’ budget to come, but NZ should be going for productivity, not austerity
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    Labor maintains clear lead in all polls and is likely to win election
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    Election Diary: Albanese will be encouraged by ‘Trump’ effect in helping Canadian Liberals to victory
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Labor will be encouraged by the Liberals’ victory in Canada’s election, undoubtedly much helped by US President Donald Trump. Trump’s extraordinary attack on the United States’ northern ally, with his repeated suggestion Canada should be the 51st American state, galvanised

    French Minister Valls warns New Caledonia is ‘on a tightrope’, pleads for ‘innovative’ solutions
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    Did ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ cause blackouts in Europe? An electrical engineer explains the phenomenon
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Professor of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology The lights are mostly back on in Spain, Portugal and southern France after a widespread blackout on Monday. The blackout caused chaos for tens of millions of people. It shut down traffic lights and

    Tarakinikini appointed as Fiji’s ambassador-designate to Israel
    By Anish Chand in Suva Filipo Tarakinikini has been appointed as Fiji’s Ambassador-designate to Israel. This has been stated on two official X, formerly Twitter, handle posts overnight. “#Fiji is determined to deepen its relations with #Israel as Fiji’s Ambassador-designate to Israel, HE Ambassador @AFTarakinikini prepares to present his credentials on 28 April, 2025,” stated

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Global: Did ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ cause blackouts in Europe? An electrical engineer explains the phenomenon

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Professor of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology

    The lights are mostly back on in Spain, Portugal and southern France after a widespread blackout on Monday.

    The blackout caused chaos for tens of millions of people. It shut down traffic lights and ATMs, halted public transport, cut phone service and forced people to eat dinner huddled around candles as night fell. Many people found themselves trapped in trains and elevators.

    Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has said the exact cause of the blackout is yet to be determined. In early reporting, Portugal’s grid operator REN was quoted as blaming the event on a rare phenomenon known as “induced atmospheric vibration”. REN has since reportedly refuted this.

    But what is this vibration? And how can energy systems be improved to mitigate the risk of widespread blackouts?

    How much does weather affect electricity?

    Weather is a major cause of disruptions to electricity supply. In fact, in the United States, 83% of reported blackouts between 2000 and 2021 were attributed to weather-related events.

    The ways weather can affect the supply of electricity are manifold. For example, cyclones can bring down transmission lines, heatwaves can place too high a demand on the grid, and bushfires can raze substations.

    Wind can also cause transmission lines to vibrate. These vibrations are characterised by either high amplitude and low frequency (known as “conductor galloping”), or low amplitude and high frequency (known as “aeolian vibrations”).

    These vibrations are a significant problem for grid operators. They can place increased stress on grid infrastructure, potentially leading to blackouts.

    To reduce the risk of vibration, grid operators often use wire stabilisers known as “stock bridge dampers”.

    What is ‘induced atmospheric vibration’?

    Vibrations in power lines can also be caused by extreme changes in temperature or air pressure. And this is one hypothesis about what caused the recent widespread blackout across the Iberian peninsula.

    As The Guardian initially reported Portugal’s REN as saying:

    Due to extreme temperature variations in the interior of Spain, there were anomalous oscillations in the very high voltage lines (400 kV), a phenomenon known as “induced atmospheric vibration”. These oscillations caused synchronisation failures between the electrical systems, leading to successive disturbances across the interconnected European network.

    In fact, “induced atmospheric vibration” is not a commonly used term, but it seems likely the explanation was intended to refer to physical processes climate scientists have known about for quite some time.

    In simple terms, it seems to refer to wavelike movements or oscillations in the atmosphere, caused by sudden changes in temperature or pressure. These can be triggered by extreme heating, large-scale energy releases (such as explosions or bushfires), or intense weather events.

    When a part of Earth’s surface heats up very quickly – due to a heatwave, for example – the air above it warms, expands and becomes lighter. That rising warm air creates a pressure imbalance with the surrounding cooler, denser air. The atmosphere responds to this imbalance by generating waves, not unlike ripples spreading across a pond.

    These pressure waves can travel through the atmosphere. In some cases, they can interact with power infrastructure — particularly long-distance, high-voltage transmission lines.

    These types of atmospheric waves are usually called gravity waves, thermal oscillations or acoustic-gravity waves. While the phrase “induced atmospheric vibration” is not formally established in meteorology, it seems to describe this same family of phenomena.

    What’s important is that it’s not just high temperatures alone that causes these effects — it’s how quickly and unevenly the temperature changes across a region. That’s what sets the atmosphere into motion and can cause power lines to vibrate. Again, though, it’s still unclear if this is what was behind the recent blackout in Europe.

    Atmospheric waves can sometimes be seen in clouds.
    Jeff Schmaltz/NASA

    More centralised, more vulnerable

    Understanding how the atmosphere behaves under these conditions is becoming increasingly important. As our energy systems become more interconnected and more dependent on long-distance transmission, even relatively subtle atmospheric disturbances can have outsized impacts. What might once have seemed like a fringe effect is now a growing factor in grid resilience.

    Under growing environmental and electrical stress, centralised energy networks are dangerously vulnerable. The increasing electrification of buildings, the rapid uptake of electric vehicles, and the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources have placed unprecedented pressure on traditional grids that were never designed for this level of complexity, dynamism or centralisation.

    Continuing to rely on centralised grid structures without fundamentally rethinking resilience puts entire regions at risk — not just from technical faults, but from environmental volatility.

    The way to avoid such catastrophic risks is clear: we must embrace innovative solutions such as community microgrids. These are decentralised, flexible and resilient energy networks that can operate independently when needed.

    Strengthening local energy autonomy is key to building a secure, affordable and future-ready electricity system.

    The European blackout, regardless of its immediate cause, demonstrates that our electrical grids have become dangerously sensitive. Failure to address these structural weaknesses will have consequences far worse than those experienced during the COVID pandemic.

    Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian 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. Did ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ cause blackouts in Europe? An electrical engineer explains the phenomenon – https://theconversation.com/did-induced-atmospheric-vibration-cause-blackouts-in-europe-an-electrical-engineer-explains-the-phenomenon-255497

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-Evening Report: On ‘moral panic’ and the courage to speak – the West’s silence on Gaza

    Palestinians do not have the luxury to allow Western moral panic to have its say or impact. Not caving in to this panic is one small, but important, step in building a global Palestine network that is urgently needed, writes Dr Ilan Pappé

    ANALYSIS: By Ilan Pappé

    Responses in the Western world to the genocide in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank raise a troubling question: why is the official West, and official Western Europe in particular, so indifferent to Palestinian suffering?

    Why is the Democratic Party in the US complicit, directly and indirectly, in sustaining the daily inhumanity in Palestine — a complicity so visible that it probably was one reason they lost the election, as the Arab American and progressive vote in key states could, and justifiably so, not forgive the Biden administration for its part in the genocide in the Gaza Strip?

    This is a pertinent question, given that we are dealing with a televised genocide that has now been renewed on the ground. It is different from previous periods in which Western indifference and complicity were displayed, either during the Nakba or the long years of occupation since 1967.

    During the Nakba and up to 1967, it was not easy to get hold of information, and the oppression after 1967 was mostly incremental, and, as such, was ignored by the Western media and politics, which refused to acknowledge its cumulative effect on the Palestinians.

    But these last 18 months are very different. Ignoring the genocide in the Gaza Strip and the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank can only be described as intentional and not due to ignorance.

    Both the Israelis’ actions and the discourse that accompanies them are too visible to be ignored, unless politicians, academics, and journalists choose to do so.

    This kind of ignorance is, first and foremost, the result of successful Israeli lobbying that thrived on the fertile ground of an European guilt complex, racism and Islamophobia. In the case of the US, it is also the outcome of many years of an effective and ruthless lobbying machine that very few in academia, media, and, in particular, politics, dare to disobey.

    The moral panic phenomenon
    This phenomenon is known in recent scholarship as moral panic, very characteristic of the more conscientious sections of Western societies: intellectuals, journalists, and artists.

    Moral panic is a situation in which a person is afraid of adhering to his or her own moral convictions because this would demand some courage that might have consequences. We are not always tested in situations that require courage, or at least integrity. When it does happen, it is in situations where morality is not an abstract idea, but a call for action.

    This is why so many Germans were silent when Jews were sent to extermination camps, and this is why white Americans stood by when African Americans were lynched or, earlier on, enslaved and abused.

    What is the price that leading Western journalists, veteran politicians, tenured professors, or chief executives of well-known companies would have to pay if they were to blame Israel for committing a genocide in the Gaza Strip?

    It seems they are worried about two possible outcomes. The first is being condemned as antisemites or Holocaust deniers. Secondly, they fear an honest response would trigger a discussion that would include the complicity of their country, or Europe, or the West in general, in enabling the genocide and all the criminal policies against the Palestinians that preceded it.

    This moral panic leads to some astonishing phenomena. In general, it transforms educated, highly articulate and knowledgeable people into total imbeciles when they talk about Palestine.

    It disallows the more perceptive and thoughtful members of the security services from examining Israeli demands to include all Palestinian resistance on a terrorist list, and it dehumanises Palestinian victims in the mainstream media.

    Lack of compassion
    The lack of compassion and basic solidarity with the victims of genocide was exposed by the double standards shown by mainstream media in the West, and, in particular, by the more established newspapers in the US, such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.

    When the editor of The Palestine Chronicle, Dr Ramzy Baroud, lost 56 members of his family — killed by the Israeli genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip — not one of his colleagues in American journalism bothered to talk to him or show any interest in hearing about this atrocity.

    On the other hand, a fabricated Israeli allegation of a connection between the Chronicle and a family, in whose block of flats hostages were held, triggered huge interest by these outlets.

    This imbalance in humanity and solidarity is just one example of the distortions that accompanies moral panic. I have little doubt that the actions against Palestinian or pro-Palestinian students in the US, or against known activists in Britain and France, as well as the arrest of the editor of the Electronic Intifada, Ali Abunimah, in Switzerland, are all manifestations of this distorted moral behaviour.

    A similar case unfolded just recently in Australia. Mary Kostakidis, a famous Australian journalist and former prime-time weeknight SBS World News Australia presenter, has been taken to the federal court over her — one should say quite tame — reporting on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

    The very fact that the court has not dismissed this allegation upon its arrival shows you how deeply rooted moral panic is in the Global North.

    But there is another side to it. Thankfully, there is a much larger group of people who are not afraid of taking the risks involved in clearly stating their support for the Palestinians, and who do show this solidarity while knowing it may lead to suspension, deportation, or even jail time. They are not easily found among the mainstream academia, media, or politics, but they are the authentic voice of their societies in many parts of the Western world.

    The Palestinians do not have the luxury of allowing Western moral panic to have its say or impact. Not caving in to this panic is one small but important step in building a global Palestine network that is urgently needed — firstly, to stop the destruction of Palestine and its people, and second, to create the conditions for a decolonised and liberated Palestine in the future.

    Dr Ilan Pappé is an Israeli historian, political scientist, and former politician. He is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, director of the university’s European Centre for Palestine Studies, and co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies. This article is republished from The Palestine Chronicle, 19 April 2025.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why do dogs eat poo? A canine scientist explains

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne

    nygi/Unsplash

    When miniature dachshund Valerie was captured after 529 days alone in the wilds of Australia’s Kangaroo Island, experts speculated she survived partly by eating other animals’ poo.

    While this survival tactic may have saved the resilient sausage dog, it highlights a behaviour that makes many dog owners cringe.

    This type of “recycling” is surprisingly common in our canine companions. But why would dogs, even those with full food bowls, choose to indulge in such a revolting habit?

    Here’s why some dogs can’t resist a faecal feast, known more technically as coprophagia.

    What is coprophagia?

    Coprophagia or coprophagy is the scientific term for eating faecal matter (poo). It’s a behaviour displayed across a number of animal species.

    Around half of all dogs try eating poo at some stage – either their own, another dog’s, or other animals’. Research suggests about one in four dogs have made it a regular habit.

    In wild canids like foxes and wolves, mothers will eat their puppies’ stools to keep dens clean and reduce scents that might attract predators.

    It’s also thought that eating fresh faeces could reduce the likelihood of intestinal parasites being spread, offering an evolutionary benefit to our dogs’ wild counterparts.

    Modern dogs still actively clean their puppies’ poo away in the first few weeks of life, a behaviour that puppies observe and can learn.

    Licking away ‘waste’ from their puppies is a normal maternal behaviour in dogs.
    Anurak Pongpatimet/Shutterstock

    Nutritional factors

    As unpalatable as it might seem to us, poo still contains considerable nutrients that offer valuable compounds as a food source when times are tough.

    Dogs do have different preferences to us in terms of texture, taste and odour of their food, so we should not be hasty to dismiss what might appeal to them.

    Medical reasons

    The links between diet, gut flora and diseases that might influence behaviours like coprophagia are still emerging. At this stage, there seems to be no apparent link with age or diet.

    There could be underlying health reasons for your dog seeking out a sneaky snack, so do mention it to your vet and get a health check if your dog is known to frequent the kitty litter box, for example.

    Punishment in toilet training, living conditions that don’t provide enough to do or room to explore (like kennel facilities), and psychological distress have all been linked to dogs eating their own poo.

    Shelters and kennel facilities are often built for hygiene and safety, not to keep dogs’ minds and bodies active.
    Evgenii Bakhchev/Shutterstock

    A strain on relationships

    Our typical response to seeing dogs eat any kind of poo ranges from disgust to concern. At best it makes us less likely to want a lick to the face, at worst it can really strain our human-animal bonds.

    One study from the United Kingdom showed that dogs eating their own poo after rehoming was in the top ten reasons for the adoption failing in the first four weeks when dogs were returned to the shelter.

    Dogs can potentially transmit parasites and bacteria to humans through licking, regardless of whether they eat poo. This serves as a good reminder to ensure your dog receives appropriate parasite control and encourage all household members to follow good hygiene practices, like washing hands before eating.




    Read more:
    Is it okay to kiss your pet? The risk of animal-borne diseases is small, but real


    Help, my dog keeps eating poo

    While Valerie’s tale of survival shows us coprophagia may be life-saving in extreme situations, most of our doggo companions aren’t facing wilderness survival challenges.

    Thankfully, coprophagia is often manageable.

    Understanding why our dogs might eat poo – whether based on evolutionary instinct, medical issues or psychological triggers – can help us address this canine behaviour with compassion rather than just disgust.

    If your dog indulges often, providing appropriate stimulation through regular exercise, social connection with people and other dogs, offering toys and safe chews can help. Sometimes, a trip to the vet might be needed to rule out any underlying health issues.

    Offering fun activities is one way to reduce the chance of your dog eating poo.
    Kojirou Sasaki/Unsplash

    Dogs reprimanded for toileting accidents might eat the evidence to avoid future punishment, creating a new problem behaviour. Instead, rewarding your puppy or dog for toileting in the right location (and giving them frequent opportunities to do so) is likely to establish toileting routines you will approve of, making coprophagia less likely.

    By the same token, dogs can’t eat what isn’t left lying around. Regular poo-pickups in your yard, dog park, kitty litter box and other likely locations will remove temptation and help set your dog up for success.

    If Valerie has taught us anything, it’s that what might be considered our dogs’ most revolting habits are actually remarkable adaptations that deserve our understanding and empathy, even if we can’t rally enthusiastic support.

    Mia Cobb 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. Why do dogs eat poo? A canine scientist explains – https://theconversation.com/why-do-dogs-eat-poo-a-canine-scientist-explains-234361

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Deputy Prime Minister to visit New Caledonia

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to New Caledonia later this week.

    “This visit comes at an important moment in New Caledonia’s history and reinforces New Zealand’s commitment to being a constructive partner in the region for both New Caledonia and France,” Mr Peters says. 

     

    Mr Peters will meet the French Minister for Overseas Territories, Manuel Valls, and the President of the Government of New Caledonia, Alcide Ponga. 

     

    “We are looking forward to meeting the new leadership of the Government of New Caledonia and continuing New Zealand’s warm and long-standing relationship with France.

     

    “New Zealand wants to listen, learn and support New Caledonia’s pathway forward as a neighbour and fellow member of the Pacific Islands Forum.” 

     

    Mr Peters will also visit the Pacific Community (SPC), a leading science and technical agency in the Pacific, and meet with Director-General Dr Stuart Minchin. 

     

    This will be Mr Peters’ third visit to New Caledonia, following previous visits in 2018 and 2024. 

     

    Mr Peters departs New Zealand on Thursday 1 May and returns on Friday 2 May. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen: Trump’s First 100 Days Marred by Chaos, High Costs and Global Retreat

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statement marking President Trump’s first 100 days in office:  
    “On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to ‘immediately’ bring prices down, starting on day one. One hundred days in, it is painfully obvious—to the Granite Staters I serve, to working families across this country, to manufacturers and small businesses getting crushed by sweeping tariffs, to organizations that facilitate life-changing programs that our communities rely on—that President Trump has done the exact opposite. The President choosing to raise prices on everyday Americans is bad enough, but it’s much more insidious that it’s part of a larger strategy to give the wealthiest among us tax breaks that shortchange our hardworking friends, loved ones and neighbors. And the fact that President Trump is pairing those tax giveaways to the wealthiest while planning sweeping cuts to Medicaid that working families rely on is unconscionable. 
    “The President’s sweeping, indiscriminate tariffs that are driving costs through the roof also have dire national security and defense consequences. The reckless tariffs targeting our trading partners are driving our allies right into China’s arms – and with the integration of our defense supply chains, American manufacturing companies that supply the Pentagon and bolster our military readiness are facing higher prices and uncertainty. It follows an alarming trend of this administration putting America last on the global stage – because when we retreat, our adversaries step up to fill the void. 
    “On many occasions President Trump also promised to bring Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end within ‘24 hours’ of assuming office. One hundred days later, he has not come close. Instead, he’s parroted Putin’s talking points and given away key leverage in negotiations that leaves Ukraine hanging in the balance. The President appears to be much more interested in meaninglessly changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico and flirting with purchasing Greenland than he is in strengthening America’s leadership and influence. He’s opted instead to dismantle our diplomatic infrastructure, treat our allies like our adversaries and undo decades of progress, which has made America less safe, less secure and less prosperous. 
    “Simply put, President Trump’s first 100 days in office have been marred by chaos, incompetence, high costs and global retreat. From Elon Musk—the richest man in the world—slashing programs and jobs he doesn’t know the first thing about, to the Secretary of Defense disclosing sensitive operations on military strikes, to the administration flagrantly ignoring court orders and flouting the rule of law, the American people deserve better than an individual who creates and encourages crises at the expense of our country’s wellbeing. 
    “I remain ready to work with anyone – including my Republican colleagues – to help make meaningful progress on the number of pressing challenges facing New Hampshire, America and the world. Here’s hoping the President soon joins us.” 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Commends President Trump for His Work Toward Peace in Ukraine, Condemns Putin for Attacks on Civilians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    Watch Video Here
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today delivered a speech on the floor of the United States Senate commending President Trump and his administration for their work toward peace in Ukraine. In his speech, Sen. Wicker strongly condemned Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for his lack of good faith in peace negotiations and his attacks on civilians.
    Read Senator Wicker’s speech as delivered.
    I come to the floor today to add my voice to the many who are commending President Trump as he works toward peace in Ukraine.  The president has given the aggressor, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, every chance to put down his guns and end the killing – and he’s done that over and over.  But our president is now showing that he will not wait on Mr. Putin forever.
    Every time Ukraine and the United States have extended the hand of peace, President Putin has responded with aggression.  With one hand, Vladimir Putin always makes a show of participating in peace talks.  With the other, he has repeatedly bombed civilians – a clear war crime – a war crime- including just on Sunday, of last week, Palm Sunday when he bombed worshipers and children playing on a public playground.
    On Saturday, day before yesterday, the president took Mr. Putin to task for this brutality, and I commend the President for doing that.  The President said and I quote, “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities, and towns, over the last few days.  It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently.” End quote. Thank you, Mr. President for saying that.
    One of the president’s staunchest supporters in this body echoed that statement the just yesterday.  Senator Kennedy, of Louisiana said and I quote, “Putin thinks that America has taken the bullet train to Chump Town.”
    The president is right, and Senator Kennedy of Louisiana is right.  There is one man to blame for this war.  If Vladimir Putin put down his guns, there would be no more war.  If Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine put down their guns, there would be no more Ukraine.  That is a simple truth, and I appreciate the President for pressing that forcefully.
    And then today, General Jack Keane, a very respected observer, and an officer and official in the institute for the study of war expressed essentially the same sentiments as Donald Trump expressed the day before yesterday, and as Senator Kennedy expressed yesterday.
    On Fox News this morning, General Keane gave the president due credit for pursuing peace in Ukraine.  The general noted that President Trump understandably seems to be running out of patience with Putin’s intransigence.  I know that many members of this chamber are running out of patience too. General Keane then asked a simple question: Which side has shown that it wants a peace deal?  Both sides claim they want peace, but what is the evidence?
    And here is the truth. The truth is that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown he is interested in peace.  He has negotiated at length with the administration.  Ukraine and its president agreed to a 30-day ceasefire.  Vladimir Putin rejected the idea.  Instead, Putin initiated an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, and then he immediately violated that agreement – Mr. Putin did. 
    Worst of all, throughout the so-called peace talks, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly taken the lives of non-combatant civilians and pummeled residential neighborhoods with bombs.  Every statement Mr. Putin makes should be viewed through that lens.
    President Trump is right: Too many people are dying.  And that includes the Russian people, who are also suffering.  The Russian people do not deserve to live under a vicious, larcenous, trillionaire president-for-life like Vladimir Putin.  So far, only one side has worked to end the violence.
    This weekend, the Trump administration set a timeline for Vladimir Putin to choose peace, and I commend them for it.  Secretary of State Marco Rubio who said the President will decide soon whether Putin is interested in actually working toward a just end to the war. 
    All signs indicate that the answer will be “no.”  The real answer, from Vladimir Putin will be “no.” . Just this morning, the Russian Foreign Ministry published words straight from the mouth of Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.  In no uncertain terms, this high-ranking Russian official rejected President Trump’s peace deal. 
    So this is a pivotal week.  I look forward to the president’s decision, and I would remind him, and my fellow colleagues:  Putin cannot be allowed to drag the United States along. 
    The United Staes Senate is ready to back President Trump as he stands up to Putin on a bipartisan basis.  Fifty senators – 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats – recently introduced a bill called the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025. Who says there’s not bipartisanship in the Senate?
    25 Republicans and 25 Democrats have introduced legislation that will introduce primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and against actors supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, imposing real consequences on Putin if he continues refusing to engage in good faith talks with Ukraine and the United States – and he’s never engaged in any talks that were of good faith.
    Putin repeatedly bombs civilians.  He has forged a trail of broken promise.  He, and only he, chose – unprovoked – to start the largest war in Europe since World War II.  Putin and only Putin did that.
    Where in any of this has there been a showing of good faith?  On Saturday, the president suggested that Putin quote “has to be dealt with differently.” Unquote.  I applaud this.  My Senate colleagues applaud this.  Experienced military professionals like General Keane applaud this.  The president has been exceedingly patient, but he is correctly stating that there should be an end.  It is time to treat Putin like the deceptive, cunning war criminal he is.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Peace in our time? Why NZ should resist Trump’s one-sided plan for Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago

    GettyImages Getty Images

    Is it possible to reconcile increased international support for Ukraine with Donald Trump’s plan to end the war? At their recent meeting in London, Christopher Luxon and his British counterpart Keir Starmer seemed to think so.

    Starmer thanked New Zealand for its “support” for a “coalition of the willing” that would safeguard the implementation of a potential peace deal concluded by the Trump administration.

    But unless something drastically changes in the near future, all the signs point to the US president envisaging a Ukraine peace settlement on Russian president Vladimir Putin’s terms.

    According to that view, peace can only be achieved if Ukraine is prepared to accept that territories wholly or partially annexed by Russia now belong to Moscow.

    In 2014, Russia seized Crimea on the Black Sea. Following the illegal 2022 invasion, Russia claimed four parts of eastern and southern Ukraine as its own – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and the Zaporizhzhia region.

    At the same time, Trump’s peace deal includes a provision that rules out NATO membership for Ukraine. This meets a key Russian demand that seeks to deny Ukraine’s sovereign right to choose its own security arrangements.

    According to Trump, Putin’s major concession is the promise that Russia will not annex the rest of Ukraine – something Moscow has been trying to do for the past three years.

    To accept this, however, liberal democracies such as New Zealand and Britain would be tacitly signalling they share common values and interests with the Trump administration and its apparent enthusiasm for a geopolitical partnership with Putin’s dictatorship.

    And in some ways, Trump’s Ukraine peace initiative is a bigger challenge for New Zealand than it is for Britain.

    Keir Starmer and Christopher Luxon speak to the media during a visit to a UK military base training Ukrainian troops, April 22.
    Getty Images

    Lessons of the past

    Like Britain, New Zealand fought in two world wars in the 20th century to advance, among other things, certain key international principles. These included state sovereignty and a prohibition on the use of force to change borders, principles subsequently enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

    But unlike Britain, New Zealand is a relatively small state that does not have a veto in the UN Security Council to protect its interests. Consequently, it is even more dependent on an international rules-based order for its security and prosperity.

    For New Zealand, Trump’s current Ukraine peace plan is a clear and present danger because it would set such a terrible precedent.

    Under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons (left over from when it was part of the Soviet Union) in return for assurances from Russia, the US and UK that recognised Ukrainian independence and the inviolability of its existing borders.

    The Trump administration’s plan, however, insists Ukraine must accept the illegal and partial dismemberment of its territory to attain peace with Russia.

    Rewarding Russian aggression in this way is tantamount to a failure to learn the historical lessons of the 20th century. In particular, it seems to forget the period during the 1930s when Britain tried in vain to appease an expansionist Nazi regime in Germany.

    Trump’s peace plan basically endorses the idea that “might is right” and that it is fine for great powers or big countries to steal land from smaller countries.

    Adjusting NZ foreign policy

    In Trump’s top-down world view, multilateral institutions and international law are regarded as superfluous at best and an enemy at worst.

    In such a world, relatively small powers such as New Zealand, with “no cards to play” at the top table, must either submit to the dominance of great powers (including the US) or suffer the consequences.

    Moreover, there is a real risk that Trump’s stance toward Putin’s regime will be viewed as weakness by China, Russia’s most important backer. This could embolden Beijing to increasingly assert itself in the Indo-Pacific, including the Pacific Islands region, where New Zealand has core strategic interests.

    Trump’s plan for Ukraine brings into sharp focus what has already been evident from other recent trends: a domestic slide toward autocracy in Washington, the unilateral imposition of tariffs, and territorial threats against close allies Canada and Denmark.

    As European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen put it, “The West as we knew it no longer exists.”

    The transactional nature of Trump’s leadership – including that peace in Ukraine can be bought with mineral rights and territorial trade-offs – suggests the US can no longer be relied on to provide a security guarantee for liberal democracies in Europe or elsewhere.

    The current New Zealand government needs to find the self-confidence and resolve to admit Trump is backing Putin’s imperial project in Ukraine. And it needs to adjust its foreign policy accordingly.

    This does not mean Wellington should weaken its traditional friendship with the US.

    On the contrary, many Americans might expect and welcome the prospect of New Zealand clearly and publicly standing against their president’s dangerous alignment with an authoritarian regime at Ukraine’s expense.

    Robert G. Patman 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. Peace in our time? Why NZ should resist Trump’s one-sided plan for Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/peace-in-our-time-why-nz-should-resist-trumps-one-sided-plan-for-ukraine-255495

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘A living collective’: study shows trees synchronise electrical signals during a solar eclipse

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monica Gagliano, Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Biology, Southern Cross University

    Zenit Arti Audiovisive

    Earth’s cycles of light and dark profoundly affect billions of organisms. Events such as solar eclipses are known to bring about marked shifts in animals, but do they have the same effect on plants?

    During a solar eclipse in a forest in Italy’s Dolomites region, scientists seized the chance to explore that fascinating question.

    The researchers were monitoring the bioelectrical impulses of spruce trees, when a solar eclipse passed over. They left their sensors running to record the trees’ response to the eclipse – and what they observed was astonishing.

    The spruce trees not only responded to the solar eclipse – they actively anticipated it, by synchronising their bioelectrical signals hours in advance.

    This forest-wide phenomenon, detailed today in the journal Royal Society Open Science, reveals a new layer of complexity in plant behaviour. It adds to emerging evidence that plants actively participate in their ecosystems.

    Lead author Monica Gagliano discusses the research findings.

    Do trees respond collectively?

    The research was led by Professor Alessandro Chiolerio of the Italian Institute of Technology, and Professor Monica Gagliano from Australia’s Southern Cross University, who is the lead author on this article. It also involved a team of international scientists.

    A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, fully or partially blocking the Sun’s light.

    An eclipse can inspire awe and even social cohesion in humans. Other animals have been shown to gather and synchronise their movements during such an event.

    But scientists know very little about how plants respond to solar eclipses. Some research suggests the rapid transitions from darkness to light during an eclipse can change plant behaviour. But this research focuses on the responses of individual plants.

    The latest study set out to discover if trees respond to a solar eclipse together, as a living collective.

    Alessandro Chiolerio and Monica Gagliano at the site of the study.
    Simone Cargnoni

    What the research involved

    Charged molecules travel through the cells of all living organisms, transmitting electrical signals as they go. Collectively, this electrical activity is known as the organism’s “electrome”.

    The electrical activity is primarily driven by the movement of ions across cell membranes. It creates tiny currents that allow organisms, including humans, to coordinate their body and communicate.

    The researchers wanted to investigated the electrical signals of spruce trees (Picea abies) during a partial solar eclipse on October 25, 2022. It took place in the Costa Bocche forest near Paneveggio in the Dolomites area, Italy.

    The study took place in the Dolomites in northeast Italy.
    Monica Gagliano

    The scientists set out to understand the trees’ electrical activity during the hour-long eclipse. They used custom-built sensors and wired them to three trees. Two were healthy trees about 70 years old, one in full sun and one in full shade. The third was a healthy tree about 20 years old, in full shade.

    They also attached the sensors to five tree stumps – the remnants old trees, originally part of a pristine forest, but which were devastated by a storm several years earlier.

    For each tree and stump, the researchers used five pairs of electrodes, placed in both the inner and outer layers of the tree, including on exposed roots, branches and trunks. The electrodes were connected to the sensors.

    This set-up allowed the scientists to monitor the bioelectrical activity from multiple trees and stumps across four sites during the solar eclipse. They examined both individual tree responses, and bioelectrical signals between trees.

    In particular, the scientists measured changes in the trees’ “bioelectrical potentials”. This term refers to the differences in voltage across cell membranes.

    The scientists attached electrodes and sensors to the trees to monitor their electrical activity.
    Zenit Arti Audiovisive

    What did they find?

    The electrical activity of all three trees became significantly more synchronised around the eclipse – both before and during the one-hour event. These changes occur at a microscopic level, such as inside water and lymph molecules in the tree.

    The two older trees in the study had a much more pronounced early response to the impending eclipse than the young tree. This suggests older trees may have developed mechanisms to anticipate and respond to such events, similar to their responses to seasonal changes.

    Solar eclipses may seem rare from a human perspective, but they follow cycles which can occur well within the lifespan of long-lived trees. The scientists also detected bioelectrical waves travelling between the trees. This suggests older trees may transmit their ecological knowledge to younger trees.

    Such a dynamic is consistent with studies showing long-distance signalling between plants can help them coordinate various physiological functions in response to environmental changes.

    The two older spruce trees in the study had a much more pronounced early response to the impending eclipse than the young tree.
    Zenith Audiovisual Arts

    The researchers also detected changes in the bioelectrical responses of the stumps during the eclipse, albeit less pronounced than in the standing trees. This suggests the stumps were still alive.

    The research team then used computer modelling, and advanced analytical methods including quantum field theory, to test the findings of the physical experiment.

    The results reinforced the experimental results. That is, not only did the eclipse influence the bioelectrical responses of individual trees, the activity was correlated. This suggests a cohesive, organism-like reaction at the forest scale.

    The researchers also detected changes in the bioelectrical responses of the stumps during the eclipse.
    Zenit Arti Audiovisive

    Understanding forest connections

    These findings align with extensive prior research by others, highlighting the extent to which trees in forest ecosystems are connected.

    These behaviours may ultimately influence the forest ecosystem’s resilience, biodiversity and overall function, by helping it cope with rapid and unpredictable changes.

    The findings also underscore the importance of protecting older forests, which serve as pillars of ecosystem resilience – potentially preserving and transmitting invaluable ecological knowledge.


    This research is featured in a documentary, Il Codice del Bosco (The Forest Code), premiering in Italy on May 1, 2025.

    The findings underscore the importance of protecting older forests. Pictured: the Dolomites region.
    Zenith Audiovisual Arts

    Monica Gagliano received funding for this research from the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

    Prudence Gibson 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. ‘A living collective’: study shows trees synchronise electrical signals during a solar eclipse – https://theconversation.com/a-living-collective-study-shows-trees-synchronise-electrical-signals-during-a-solar-eclipse-255499

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement on air strike against Houthi military facility in Yemen: 29 April 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Statement on air strike against Houthi military facility in Yemen: 29 April 2025

    Royal Air Force participates in operation targeting a Houthi military facility in Yemen.

    On 29 April 2025, UK forces participated in a joint operation with US forces against a Houthi military target in Yemen.  This action was in line with long-standing policy of the UK government, following the Houthis initiating their campaign of attacks in November 2023, threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, striking international ships, and killing innocent merchant mariners.

    Careful intelligence analysis identified a cluster of buildings, used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some fifteen miles south of Sanaa.

    Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, with air refuelling support from Voyager tankers, therefore engaged a number of these buildings using Paveway IV precision guided bombs, once very careful planning had been completed to allow the targets to be prosecuted with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure.  As a further precaution, the strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further. All of our aircraft subsequently returned safely.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Investors and local authorities gear up as AI Growth Zone delivery gathers speed

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Investors and local authorities gear up as AI Growth Zone delivery gathers speed

    Investors and local authorities mobilise as the government kickstarts the next phase for rolling out AI Growth Zones.

    Investors and Local Authorities mobilise for AI Growth Zones.

    • Hotbeds of AI development – with the first based in Culham – to unlock fresh investment and new jobs as the government delivers on its Plan for Change. 
    • After more than 200 initial expressions of interest from every corner of the UK, the formal qualifying process begins.

    Thousands of high-skilled jobs and billions of pounds in fresh investment – the cornerstone of this government’s Plan for Change – are up for grabs, with preparations now in full swing to announce the first hosts of flagship AI Growth Zones this summer. 

    Investors and local authorities will descend on TechUK in London today (30th April) as the government kickstarts its formal qualifying process – giving them the opportunity to discuss their proposals and learn more about the vision for AI Growth Zones with AI Minister Feryal Clark and the Prime Minister’s AI Adviser Matt Clifford. 

    The initial Expressions of Interest (EOI) which opened earlier this year saw more than 200 responses – demonstrating the appetite from all parts of the country to take on a leading role in the UK’s AI-powered future.  

    AI Growth Zones will revitalize local communities by attracting billions in private investment – sparking fresh jobs at the cutting edge of AI while also securing Britain’s position as a global leader in the technology. This will give regions across the country the opportunity to play a leading role in delivering the government’s Plan for Change.

    Streamlined planning approvals mean communities will be able to get spades in the ground quicker than ever before – fast-tracking the rollout of critical infrastructure from data centres to high-capacity energy connections. 

    Potential sites identified across the country through the EOI process include former industrial areas with land and infrastructure ready for redevelopment.

    Proposals should demonstrate access to large existing power connections of at least 500MW – enough energy to power 2 million homes – or set out a clear plan for how they will get there. The qualifying process will also examine other criteria, including site readiness, and local impact.  

    Minister for AI Feryal Clark said: 

    Just like coal and steam powered our past, AI is powering the future. Our AI Growth Zones will transform areas across the UK into engines of growth and opportunity – unlocking new jobs and revitalising communities across the UK. 

    This is our Plan for Change in action, ensuring the benefits of AI are felt in every region and securing the UK’s place as a world leader in this vital technology.

    The Prime Minister’s AI Adviser Matt Clifford said:

    The UK has an extraordinary opportunity in AI, but speed is everything. Today’s launch sends a clear signal to investors and local communities that we’ve already moved into high gear.

    I’m looking forward to discussing these proposals in more detail today as we continue to work alongside investors and local authorities to deliver a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

    To mark the launch, Minister Clark and Matt Clifford are leading a series of engagements today with leading investors and MPs to outline the government’s vision, bid timelines, and qualifying criteria. 

    The first additional sites will then be announced this summer with an ambition to start getting building work underway by the end of 2025.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Universal Credit change brings £420 boost to over a million households

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Universal Credit change brings £420 boost to over a million households

    More than one million households struggling with debt will get to keep an average £420 more of their benefits each year, under a change to Universal Credit coming into force today [30 April 2025].

    • Around 1.2 million of the poorest households – including 700,000 with children – will keep an extra £420 a year on average, due to Universal Credit change.
    • New Fair Repayment Rate – which comes into force today – caps Universal Credit deductions at 15%, down from 25%.
    • Comes as part of the Government’s Plan for Change to make working people better off by helping them into jobs and extending support for low-income families.

    More than one million households struggling with debt will get to keep an average £420 more of their benefits each year, under a change to Universal Credit coming into force today [Wednesday 30 April 2025].

    The Fair Repayment Rate places a limit on how much people in debt can have taken off their benefits to pay what they owe. The maximum amount that can be taken from someone’s Universal Credit standard allowance payment to repay debt has been 25% – but from today this is reduced to 15%.

    This will mean an average £420 extra a year for 1.2 million of the poorest households, including 700,000 households with children, while helping people to pay down their debts in a sustainable way.

    It forms part of the Government’s Plan for Change to put more money into people’s pockets and boost living standards and marks the Government’s first step in a wider review of Universal Credit to ensure it is still doing its job.

    The Fair Repayment Rate was introduced by the Chancellor at the Autumn Budget, as part of broader efforts to raise living standards, combat poverty, and tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    As announced at the budget, from today, 1.2 million households will keep more of their Universal Credit and will be on average £420 better off a year. This is our plan for change delivering, easing the cost of living and putting more money into the pockets of working people.

    With as many as 2.8 million households seeing deductions made to their Universal Credit award to pay off debt each month, the new rate is designed to ensure money is repaid where it is owed, and people can still cover their day-to-day needs.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:

    As part of our Plan for Change, we are taking decisive action to ensure working people keep more of the benefits they’re entitled to – which will boost financial security and improve living standards up and down the country.

    We’re delivering meaningful change to ensure everyone has a fair chance, the support they need, and real hope for the future.

    The Fair Repayment Rate is one of a number of bold measures the Government is taking as part of its Plan for Change to kickstart growth and spread prosperity across the country.

    Viewing work as a key route out of poverty, the Government set out the Get Britain Working White Paper – aiming to achieve its target 80% employment rate by overhauling Jobcentres, introducing a new jobs and careers service, and launching a youth guarantee so every young person is earning or learning. This comes on top of increasing the National Minimum and National Living Wage to ensure being in work pays.

    To support those in greatest need, the Household Support Fund has been extended another year – backed by £742 million, so local councils can continue to support low-income households with energy bills, food and essential items, while also funding long-term solutions, like home insulation, to help people at risk of falling into poverty.

    The Government is also working to tackle child poverty, rolling out free breakfast clubs in all primary schools in England as the dedicated ministerial taskforce builds its ambitious strategy to ensure every child has the best start in life.

    Additional information:

    • The change will be applied to all assessment periods that start on or after 30 April.
    • The 15% deductions cap continues to support customers to repay their debts at a sustainable rate.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Families to get more choice over home upgrades

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Families to get more choice over home upgrades

    Proposals to give families greater choice when upgrading their home’s heating as well as plans to create up to 18,000 training places for green jobs

    • Working families to get greater choice on upgrades to their home’s heating including new products, such as air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries, as well as offering new heat pump purchase options.  

    • Plan to build a ‘clean power army’ receives a boost, with up to 18,000 professionals to be trained to retrofit homes, and install heat pumps, insulation, solar panels and heat networks.   

    • Comes as government invests £4.6 million in Copeland to manufacture more heat pump parts at home in the UK, supporting local jobs and boosting economic growth as part of the Plan for Change.

    Homeowners are set to have more choice over ways to access heating systems and bring down costs under proposals being considered as part of the Warm Homes Plan – helping to deliver on the government’s milestone of higher living standards as part of the Plan for Change. 

    Demand for heat pumps is surging, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme – which offers up to £7,500 off the cost, enjoying its best month since opening, with 4,028 applications received in March 2025, up 88 per cent on the same month last year. Heat pumps can save families around £100 on their average energy bills when used with a smart tariff. 

    With more households wanting to make the upgrade to cleaner, homegrown energy, the government has today launched a new consultation on expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to give families even greater choice to pick what works best for them. 

    Changes to the scheme could see families potentially access air-to-air heat pumps and electric heating technologies such as heat batteries, which are currently not eligible for grants under the scheme, alongside new purchase and ownership models which could spread the cost of a heat pump over several years, or give households the opportunity to lease one for a monthly fee instead. 

    As part of the government’s Plan for Change, even more households will be able to take up the offer of switching to low-carbon heating, while protecting the pounds in people’s pockets by making more options available. 

    The government has also set out plans to bolster the ‘clean power army’, training up to 18,000 more home retrofitters, to install heat pumps, insulation, solar panels and heat networks, alongside a major new deal to support the UK’s heat pump supply chain.   

    Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said:  

    Our Warm Homes Plan will mean lower bills and warmer homes for millions of families – helping drive better living standards as part of the Plan for Change.   

    Following a record-breaking month for applications to our Boiler Upgrade Scheme, we are now proposing to give working families more choice and flexibility to pick the low-carbon upgrades that work best for them. 

    And on top of this, we are investing over £4 million in Copeland to continue building a homegrown heat pump industry and training up the army of skilled workers we need to achieve this.

    Copeland in Northern Ireland have been awarded £4.6 million to expand their manufacturing for heating compression technology – a key component of heat pumps, which can help protect family finances from the roller coaster of international gas markets by running on clean electricity. 

    This investment, backed by a multi-million pound investment from Copeland, will help to support the industries and jobs of the future, while unlocking economic growth, as part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.  

    Ministers have also unveiled plans to train up to 18,000 skilled workers to install heat pumps, fit solar panels, install insulation and work on heat networks through the extension of the Heat Training Grant and launch of the Warm Homes Skills Programme.

    With three days to go until the government’s consultation on introducing higher minimum energy efficiency standards in private rented sector homes closes, ministers have issued a final call for tenants and landlords to make their views heard.  

    Under the proposals, all private landlords would be required to meet a higher standard of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or equivalent in their properties – up from the current level of EPC E, by 2030.  

    This will deliver on the priorities of working people, in line with the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, by requiring landlords to invest in measures such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or double glazing – ensuring homes are warmer and more affordable for tenants. Alongside higher standards & funding in the social rented sector, this could lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty by 2030. 

    Stakeholder reaction: 

    Charlotte Lee, CEO at the Heat Pump Association said: 

    Following a record year for UK heat pump sales in 2024, we warmly welcome today’s announcements which will continue to support growth in the sector and increased deployment of clean heating. 

    The additional funding to support those wishing to become qualified to install heat pumps and heat networks is especially welcome, alongside proposals to expand the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to make clean heating solutions an accessible option for more consumers.

    Jambu Palaniappan, CEO at Checkatrade said: 

    We fully support this latest Government investment in skills and training, and greater choice for homeowners.  

    At Checkatrade, we’ve seen the growing importance of green energy to consumers, and with our new Green Hub are more easily connecting them with skilled tradespeople to make their homes more energy-efficient.  

    The new funding is a key step towards empowering more people to enter the trade and a boost for the economy, helping to build long-term, sustainable careers for thousands across the UK.

    Verity Davidge, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Make UK said: 

    As we continue to transition to a low-carbon economy it is critical we have the people and skills needed to make it happen.

    Today’s announcement is a positive step towards ensuring the workforce is equipped with these skills. Many of those trained will develop the transferable skills needed to support industry in its own quest to transition to net zero.

    Ned Hammond, Deputy Director (Customers) at Energy UK, said:

    Expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and giving families greater choice in the types of low-carbon heating systems available to them is a really positive move. More flexibility in the way customers can pay for these technologies will also help make efficient and smart heating systems, such as heat pumps, heat batteries and heat networks, available to even more customers who are struggling with high energy bills and looking for an alternative to costly gas boilers. 

    The recent surge in demand for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme following the Government’s funding uplift is a clear signal of consumer appetite and what can be done with the right support in place – and it’s vital this level of investment continues.

    Underpinning this is the need for a skilled and dedicated installer supply chain, so it’s fantastic to see Government extending its support for skills and training as part of today’s announcement.

    The Government’s figures show that 71% of installers benefitting from the Heat Training Grant said it made all the difference in their decision to upskill into heat pump systems. Extending the subsidy out to 2030 would help further with bringing in the thousands of new entrants we need into the heat pump and heat networks sectors.

    Chris O’Shea, CEO of Centrica, said:

    As the UK’s largest installer of low carbon heating technologies, we are delighted with the Government’s proposals to expand the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to offer customers more choice on how to decarbonise their homes through greater financing, ownership and technology options.

    We can’t wait to add more to our Clean Power Army, the largest in the UK, using our award-winning academies and British Gas engineers to train installers across the UK.

    Garry Felgate, Chief Executive of The MCS Foundation, said: 

    Consumer confidence in low-carbon technologies is growing, with more households installing heat pumps across the UK than ever before. Today’s announcements will help to accelerate that trend, by ensuring more people can access heat pump grants and supporting the growth of the heat pump workforce.

    These steps are very welcome news, enabling lower bills, lower carbon emissions, and sustainable jobs.

    Sando Matic, Europe President for Copeland, said:

    This investment marks a pivotal step in advancing clean energy solutions and driving economic growth.

    By expanding our manufacturing capabilities for heating solutions here in Northern Ireland, Copeland is proud to play a key role in helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and supporting the energy transition to more sustainable, electricity-powered heating.

    Notes to Editors:  

    • Options being considered to help spread the installation cost of a heat pump include:   

    • Hire purchase, giving households the option to pay for a heat pump in instalments, meaning they would own the equipment at the end of their contract.  

    • Hire purchase plus, combining paying for a heat pump in instalments with a separate contract for an energy tariff, allowing providers to simplify costs into a single monthly payment.   

    • Leasing, offering households the option to lease a heat pump for a set amount of time, like leasing a car. At the end of the contract, households would either enter into another agreement to continue leasing the heat pump, or would replace it.  

    • Further information on the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator award to Copeland can be found here: Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition successful projects.  

    • The Warm Homes Skills Programme will deliver up to 9,000 training places across England, providing opportunities for people to develop skills in areas including fitting solar panels and installing insulation. More details can be found here: Warm Home Skills Programme

    • An extra £5 million will be provided to continue the Heat Training Grant until March 2026, supporting a further 5,500 heat pump installers and 3,500 heat network professionals. The Grant has already trained over 10,650 individuals up to the end of March 2025. More details can be found here: Apply for the Heat Training Grant: discounted heat pump training

    • More details on the Heat Training Grant: Heat Network training can be found here: Training providers: apply to offer the Heat Training Grant for heat networks 

    • The government’s consultation on minimum energy efficiency standards for private rented sector homes can be found here: Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: consultation document

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Government meeting (2025, No. 15)

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    1. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 788656-8 “On Amendments to Article 21 of the Federal Law “On Limited Liability Companies””

    The draft amendments take into account the comments and suggestions made during the consideration of the bill in the State Duma.

    2. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 26 of the Federal Law “On Banks and Banking Activities” (in terms of providing information on transactions, accounts and deposits of individuals and legal entities for the purpose of implementing the powers to suspend transactions with cash, electronic money)

    The bill is aimed at increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of combating crimes committed using information and communication technologies.

    3. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation”

    The bill is aimed at establishing legal grounds for extrajudicial suspension of transactions with cash, electronic money, and advance payments used in criminal activities.

    4. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 187 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation”

    The bill is aimed at improving legal mechanisms for combating crimes committed using electronic means of payment and access to them, which are used to circulate funds obtained through criminal means.

    5. On the draft federal law “On Amending Article 5 of the Federal Law “On Concession Agreements””

    The draft law was developed with the aim of granting state and (or) municipal unitary enterprises the authority to participate on the side of the concession grantor in obligations under the concession agreement, including the transfer to the concessionaire of the right to own and use the property of the air transport infrastructure, without formalizing the intermediate transfer of this property to the concession grantor.

    6. On the allocation of budgetary appropriations to Rosmorrechflot in 2025 from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation for the purpose of financial support for the implementation of urgent work to localize emergency zones in the areas where parts of the tankers Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 sank as a result of their wreck in the Kerch Strait on December 15, 2024

    The adoption of the draft order will ensure the localization and elimination of possible oil spills from tankers that sank as a result of the wreck in the Kerch Strait on December 15, 2024.

    7. On the draft federal law “On the All-Russian public organization “Russian Red Cross””

    The draft federal law was developed with the aim of defining the legal status of the Russian Red Cross, the main areas of its activities, and the procedure for interaction with state authorities and local governments.

    8. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 797740-8 “On Amending Article 32.4 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses”

    The draft amendments were prepared in order to clarify the procedure for the disposal of confiscated unmarked goods.

    9. On the allocation of budgetary appropriations from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation to the Ministry of Education of Russia in 2025 for the provision of subsidies from the federal budget to the budgets of individual constituent entities of the Russian Federation for the implementation of regional projects that provide for measures to create educational and industrial clusters in individual constituent entities of the Russian Federation within the framework of the federal project “Professionalism”

    The draft order is aimed at ensuring the expansion of the federal project “Professionality”.

    Moscow, April 29, 2025

    The content of the press releases of the Department of Press Service and References is a presentation of materials submitted by federal executive bodies for discussion at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Europe Subcommittee Chairman Self Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on Future of Cyber Diplomacy

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-226-8467

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee Chairman Keith Self delivered opening remarks at a full committee hearing titled, “Shaping the Future of Cyber Diplomacy: Review for State Department Reauthorization.”

    Watch Here

    -Remarks- 

    Today the subcommittee will be exploring the role of the State Department in cyber and technology matters, and how such policies might align with U.S. national security interests and foreign policy objectives. In particular, we will be examining the work of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, or CDP. Across the globe, malicious cyber attacks are conducted by state and non-state actors against the United States and its allies, including from the People’s Republic of China.

    From cyber criminals scamming individuals out of their savings to large-scale state-sponsored attacks from America’s adversaries, U.S. government entities and citizens are increasingly under siege. For years, PRC-supported hackers have buried deep into critical infrastructure, including water, transportation networks, and energy systems.

    According to the 2025 Annual Worldwide Threats Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, the PRC remains the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. government, private sector, and critical infrastructure networks. Beijing’s campaign to preposition access on critical infrastructure for attacks during crisis or conflict—tracked publicly as Volt Typhoon—or its more recently identified compromise of U.S. telecommunications infrastructure, also referred to as Salt Typhoon, demonstrates the growing breadth and depth of the PRC’s capability to compromise U.S. infrastructure.

    Russia also poses a significant cyber threat, with its efforts to compromise sensitive targets for intelligence collection and to preposition access to U.S. critical infrastructure. In addition to Beijing and Moscow, Tehran has demonstrated an increasing willingness to carry out aggressive cyber operations targeting the security of U.S. networks and data. Furthermore, Pyongyang’s cyber program presents a highly capable and maturing threat, including an approach to launder and cash out cryptocurrency from the United States and other victims to fund its nefarious activities.

    As cyber becomes a growing battlefield for criminal networks and malign actors, the State Department must be ready to meet the challenge. The U.S. is not facing these real and growing threats alone. Through cooperation with our allies and partners, the U.S. will continue to work to combat malign cyber activities from the PRC, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

    Since the recent establishment of CDP, it’s played a role in the U.S. response to a major ransomware campaign in Costa Rica that disrupted critical services. In particular, CDP, alongside other federal partners, worked to strengthen Costa Rica’s cyber defenses against attacks from malicious actors threatening the security of both our countries. It has also worked to identify strategic opportunities to leverage partner resources to further U.S. strategic objectives through subsea cable projects in the Pacific Islands. Such efforts ensured that the Pacific Islands rely on trusted, primarily American businesses for their internet connectivity while also countering the PRC’s influence in the strategically important region.

    The Department of State agreement on a cybercrime UN treaty that conflicted with CDP policy lead and recommendations begs the question of the actual authority wielded by CDP. This hearing should lead us toward conclusions on how to improve CDP efficiency and effectiveness in this vital area of national interest and security. As we move through this reauthorization process, the experience and insights from today’s witnesses will help inform this subcommittee on the State Department’s cyber diplomacy role in addressing these increasingly important challenges.

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Shionogi’s cefiderocol shows improved outcomes with early use in treating gram-negative infections, reports GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Shionogi’s cefiderocol shows improved outcomes with early use in treating gram-negative infections, reports GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    Japan-based Shionogi has shared new real-world evidence showing its antibiotic cefiderocol leads to better outcomes when used early to treat serious gram-negative bacterial infections. Presented at European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global 2025 conference in Vienna, the Retrospective Cefiderocol Chart Review (PROVE) study found that earlier use of cefiderocol, rather than as a last resort, improves cure rates—offering hope in the ongoing fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    AMR and the development of new antimicrobials to help combat AMR were the key themes at the ESCMID Global 2025 conference. There were over 100 presentations on these topics, one of which was the noteworthy results of the PROVE study.

    Shionogi’s cefiderocol, a cephalosporin that acts as a penicillin binding protein inhibitor, is marketed in the US, EU, and Japan under the brand names Fetcroja/Fetroja for the treatment of various gram-negative bacterial infections.

    The PROVE study analyzed over 560 patients in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, who had serious gram-negative bacterial infections and were treated with cefiderocol for the first time for at least 72 hours.

    The PROVE study showed a 65.3% overall clinical cure rate and the 30-day all-cause mortality (ACM) rate was 25.7%. Cure rates peaked in urinary tract infections (90.4%) and Pseudomonas infections (73.1%) and were lowest in respiratory tract infections (59.2%) and Acinetobacter cases (50.6%). Early use, empiric or targeted, yielded better outcomes than salvage therapy.

    Stephanie Kurdach, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The data presented by Shionogi at ESCMID Global 2025 demonstrates that cefiderocol is associated with better clinical outcomes when used earlier in treatment. This also suggests that cefiderocol has the potential to be a new and effective first-line therapy option, which could be particularly useful given the acceleration of AMR and the lack of effective treatment options for severe infections.”

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), bacterial pathogens of utmost public health importance to prevent and control AMR include Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacterales, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, among others, all of which were analyzed in the PROVE study and are highly susceptible to cefiderocol.

    Kurdach concludes: “With rising AMR threats and limited treatment options, Shionogi’s data highlights cefiderocol’s potential as a frontline therapy—underscoring the urgency for global stewardship strategies that prioritize early intervention with effective antimicrobials.”

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Questions Michael Cadenazzi, Jr., Vice Admiral Scott Pappano at Senate Armed Services Committee Confirmation Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned the nominees for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Michael Cadenazzi, Jr., and Principal Deputy Administrator National Nuclear Security Administration, Vice Admiral Scott Pappano, USN, at their confirmation hearing.
    During the hearing, Fischer asked VADM Pappano about ensuring that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) weapons production remains on schedule. She emphasized the importance of modernized facilities capable of processing the materials necessary for nuclear weapons production.
    Fischer asked Mr. Cadenazzi about working with NNSA and the Department of Energy to grow our skilled manufacturing workforce and address broader industrial base concerns. She also asked about increasing munitions production and the Department of Defense’s National Defense Industrial Strategy.
    Click the image above to watch a video of Fischer’s questioning
    Click here to download audio
    Click here to download video
    Fischer Questions Nominees:Fischer: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you Ranking Member Reed. Thank you, gentlemen, for being here today and for your willingness to continue to serve this country. Admiral, thank you for coming in to visit. I appreciated you taking time in the conversation that we had. If confirmed, can you tell me how you will work to ensure that NNSA weapons production remains on schedule?
    VADM Pappano: Thank you, Senator. Yes, if confirmed, obviously, the production—shifting to production—is a key element for us to modernize the nuclear weapons stockpile right now. We’ve done a very good job of stockpile management in a science-based manner and kept up over the years. However, now, we have to transition that from the science-based stockpile management to actual production facilities and make sure we modernize the facilities, making sure that we don’t lose the science in the process and continue that going forward. I’ll look to do that by looking across at how we are modernizing our facilities right now and try to bring as much advanced manufacturing capabilities we can. As we look at the Manhattan Project era buildings that we’re dealing with: a lot of these facilities, how do we—as we modernize those—bring in modern technology so that we can be much more effective going forward in our production of nuclear weapons stockpile.
    Fischer: Thank you. We talked a little bit about NNSA’s 25-year Enterprise Blueprint, a roadmap to modernize the infrastructure there, and some of which, as you brought up in our discussion, dates back to the Manhattan Project. We won’t be able to produce the weapons that we need without the facilities needed to process materials like uranium, lithium, high explosives that go in those nuclear weapons. So, anything we can do as you look at that modernization process, please let us know.Fischer: Mr. Cadenazzi, both the Department of Defense and the NNSA have similar challenges with their industrial bases, and I believe that we have an opportunity now to address underlying issues in a way that strengthens both the nuclear industrial base and the defense industrial base. If confirmed, do you commit to working closely with NNSA and the Department of Energy on policies – like increasing our skilled manufacturing workforce – that would impact both of those industrial bases?
    Mr. Cadenazzi: Senator, appreciate the question and the significance of it, particularly in light of the workforce issues and access to materials that we’re facing across the industrial base. These are major challenges that both the NNSA and the broader defense industry face and are dealing with. And if confirmed, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to speak to you about how and where the Industrial Base Policy office and I might be able to focus.
    Fischer: Great. What we’ve seen happen in the Ukraine war has shown us that militaries in modern conflicts, they expend munitions at a much faster pace than we ever expected before. And our stockpiles must be adjusted to account for this, and we must expend our munitions production capacity. We have to expand that. We’ve taken some steps to address it in recent years, and we have the opportunity to make those generational investments through the reconciliation process. In your opening statement, Sir, you said that production must be scaled now before conflict starts. I agree with that. If confirmed, what steps would you take to accomplish that goal?
    Mr. Cadenazzi: Appreciate the question again, Senator, the issue of munitions production is the top of the priority list, and something I’ve discussed with multiple Senators on this committee. I’m excited to work with the committee, if confirmed, on this topic. There are a couple of major things that I think will drive this. One is predictable and stable defense budget and program spend. So, the more we can stabilize that, the more industry will be able to align around it. A better understanding in industry of what the expectations for surge capacity are will make it clear what the potential opportunities are for them, and the level of capital required to increase facilities and workforce. That’s a major opportunity for the Department to articulate what would be a big, hairy, audacious goal in business school terms. And to go ahead and say, “we need a lot more capability from you, and we need to agree then on the investment required to meet that point.” We need to scale the workforce as well. There are many initiatives underway to improve workforce capabilities across the country. We need to grow those and take advantage of small businesses as well. If confirmed, these are all exciting opportunities for us to help address what is an obvious and well reported gap on this issue.
    Fischer: Are you familiar with the Department’s National Defense Industrial Strategy?
    Mr. Cadenazzi: I am, Senator, yes.
    Fischer: Do you have any concerns with that strategy or think that there are gaps there that still need to be addressed?
    Mr. Cadenazzi: Senator, I think the strategy is solid given the expectations of the previous administration and the goals they were looking to achieve. I’ve reviewed the external, open-source material for that and the associated implementation plan. If confirmed, I’m eager to work with the Industrial Base Policy office, the administration, and the committees to understand what changes we believe are necessary. I’m happy to work with you on that and to make sure that we tune that to meet the current needs of the moment, particularly in light of the changing requirements of the new administration.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Key evidence leads to guilty plea

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pled guilty today to theft of postal keys.

    According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, Lee Vann Tyner, 48, broke into the Jolliff Station post office in Chesapeake by shattering the glass door to an entrance. Tyner entered the post office and stole several keys used to unlock mail receptacles.

    On June 11, 2024, a Chesapeake Police officer conducted a traffic stop on an SUV that matched the description of a vehicle that the officer had received information was being used to sell narcotics. Tyner told the officer that he had no driver’s license or identification with him, and, initially, gave the officer a false name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Tyner falsely claimed that he had rented the SUV using Turo.

    Inside the vehicle were postal keys that were confirmed to have been stolen from the Jolliff Station post office. Several Georgia driver’s licenses, mail, credit cards, debit cards, and Social Security cards that did not belong to Tyner were also found inside the SUV.

    Tyner is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9 and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Marek is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-4.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: 100 Days, 100 Stories

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Today, Speaker Johnson released a list of 100 American citizens who have felt the benefits from President Trump’s historic first 100 days in office. Speaker Johnson highlighted citizens who were unjustly detained abroad, business owners who will benefit from new apprenticeship opportunities, and families devastated by previous open borders policies, among many others. 

    Click here to read the full list

    “President Donald J. Trump entered the White House with the most decisive mandate in modern history. In just 100 days, he’s done more for America than Joe Biden managed in four years,” Speaker Johnson said. “The American people can feel the tangible impact of President Trump’s swift and decisive action. From coast to coast, North to South, the American First agenda is helping Americans from across our great country.

    “Republicans in Congress are proud to stand with the President as he secures our border, restores accountability in government, fights for common sense, and defends the liberty and prosperity of generations of Americans to come,” Speaker Johnson continued. “Today, as we mark 100 historic days, we celebrate the many ways President Trump has delivered for the American people.”

    Since his inauguration on January 20th, President Trump has taken bold action to secure the border, drive down inflation, restore American strength on the world stage, clean up our communities, secure trillions of dollars in new investments and jobs, and return common sense to Washington. These 100 American stories illustrate that.  

    Read 20 stories below, and the full list here.

    Alexis Nungaray, Angel Mother – Alexis Nungaray is the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was tragically murdered by illegal aliens in June of 2024. Jocelyn’s life was tragically cut short because of the Biden Administration’s failure to close our borders and protect American citizens from dangerous illegal aliens. On March 5, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order honoring her life by renaming Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge to Jocelyn Nungaray Wildlife Refuge in Anahuac, Texas. Since Jocelyn’s murder, her mother Alexis has been advocating alongside the Trump Administration and Senator Ted Cruz for stronger immigration laws.

    Marianna Montoya, Florida Resident – During President Trump’s first 100 days, Marianna was able to open up her very first Roth IRA and begin contributing on a monthly basis. President Trump’s work to reverse the devastating consequences of Bidenomics has given her hope that she and her husband will be able to retire peacefully.

    Frank Windsor, Rinnai America President – In late 2024, the Biden Administration issued a rule that effectively banned an entire niche of American manufacturing: non-condensing tankless water heaters. The rule specifically targeted Rinnai America Corporation, the only U.S. facility producing these water heaters. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the House passed a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the rule, keeping Rinnai’s doors open and protecting nearly 300 American jobs.

    Sarah Taylor, Iowa Parent – Sarah and her husband, Dan, both attended private Catholic elementary schools and knew they wanted the same faith-based education for their daughters, Hannah and Millie. Thanks to expanding educational freedom and school choice, the Taylors were empowered to choose the school that best fit their family’s values. For the Taylor family, school choice has meant more than access. It’s meant opportunity. Their story is one of many that show the power of giving parents the freedom to choose what’s best for their children.

    Kelly Wilson, Small Business Owner – Kelly Wilson’s family has owned and operated a small business in Colorado for 80 years, but after mass flows of illegal aliens began arriving in Denver under the Biden Administration, her family discussed moving to another state. In the face of budget cuts to Denver’s police force and sanctuary city policies that have failed Denver families, Kelly began speaking out for her community. Since day one, the Trump Administration has made cracking down on sanctuary cities and states a top priority. Today, communities like Kelly’s are safer, thanks to President Trump’s work to restore the rule of law.

    Jim Chilton, Rancher – The Chilton Ranch has been operated within the Chilton family for generations, a family legacy that Jim and Sue Chilton have preserved mere miles away from the Southern Border. However, under the Biden Administration, they were forced to shoulder the consequences of President Biden’s border crisis. During April of 2024 alone, the Chiltons experienced 5,640 immigrant encounters on their ranch. The last time they checked with the Border Patrol, in April of this year, there were zero crossers over the course of three weeks. Thanks to President Trump’s work to reverse the Biden administration’s radical open-border policies, the Chilton family’s beloved ranch and livelihood are no longer under threat.

    Ben Paulding, CPA – Ben hosts South Dakota’s first federally subsidized CPA Apprenticeship Program. After navigating months of red tape under the Biden Administration, he can finally onboard his first interns. Thankfully, President Trump has ended burdensome mandates on programs like Ben’s, enabling him to refocus his attention on merit-based, equal opportunity hiring without the DEI red tape.

    George Glezmann, Former Hostage – George Glezmann, a Georgia native and Delta Airlines mechanic, was arrested by the Taliban in 2022 during a planned tourist visit. Despite no formal charges being filed, Glezmann was held for over 2 years in an Afghanistan prison. On March 20, 2025, he was released as a gesture of “goodwill” by the Taliban following trilateral negotiations between Qatar, the U.S., and the Taliban. Upon returning to the U.S., he said, “I feel like I’m born again, I’m in debt to President Trump. Thank God he’s in the White House and thank God he got me out.”

    Michelle Root, Angel Mother – Michelle Root is the mother of Sarah Root, a 21-year-old Iowan who was killed by an illegal alien drunk driving in 2016. Instead of answering for his crimes, the illegal alien posted bail, was released from jail, and was never seen again. Fortunately, this criminal was found in Honduras and the Trump Administration worked with Honduran authorities to extradite him to the United States to face justice. President Trump also signed the Laken Riley Act, which included Sarah’s Law – introduced by Congressman Randy Feenstra from Iowa – to ensure that any illegal alien who harms or kills an American citizen is swiftly detained and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The Root Family is grateful to President Trump and Congressman Feenstra for honoring their precious daughter’s memory.

    Marc Fogel, Schoolteacher/Former Hostage – Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher, was wrongfully detained by Russian authorities in 2021 after being arrested on drug charges related to medical marijuana. Despite having a valid prescription in the U.S., he was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison. However, on February 11, 2025, Fogel was released and returned to the United States through a diplomatic deal negotiated by President Trump. He was warmly greeted by the President upon his arrival back to the United States and expressed his gratitude, saying, “I feel like the luckiest man alive.”

    Tony Campbell, East KY Power Cooperative CEO – Tony Campbell serves as the CEO and President of East Kentucky Power Cooperative. He and his colleagues have faced significant challenges under burdensome regulations that targeted the coal industry—an industry that has powered American homes and cities for generations. Through executive action, President Trump strengthened the reliability and affordability of American energy, safeguarded American jobs, and preserved critical coal plants, delivering on his promise to create jobs and uphold America’s energy independence.

    Joseph Knowles, Detroit Autoworker – Joseph Knowles is a Detroit autoworker for Stellantis who was laid off during the Biden Administration and later reinstated after President Trump’s election victory. After attending President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress, Knowles declared he had left the Democratic Party for good. “I got very good hope for the Republican Party,” Knowles said, “More and more people are seeing the true colors of the Democrats.”

    Lawrence Rosen, Cra-Z-Art Founder – Lawrence Rosen is the owner of Cra-Z-Art, the largest toy maker in the United States. Since Liberation Day, Lawrence has seen the benefits of President Trump’s tariffs firsthand on domestic manufacturing. Because of President Trump’s decisive action in the first 100 days, Rosen is expanding their domestic production by 50% and investing millions of dollars into factories across the country.

    Elliston Berry, Texas High School Student – Elliston Berry was only 14-years-old when one of her classmates took an innocent selfie of her and ran it through AI to make a deep-fake pornographic image, which was later circulated throughout her school. Her painful experience motivated her to become an advocate against deepfake pornography, with her efforts leading to legislative action by Senator Ted Cruz. The “Take it Down Act”, which First Lady Melania Trump has championed, protects victims, enhances protections for users, and introduces accountability for AI platforms passed the House in April.

    Kirk Davis, Bob Davis Electric CEO – Kirk Davis, owner of Bob Davis Electric, is one of many business leaders benefiting from President Trump’s action to tackle America’s workforce challenges. Thanks to the President’s Executive Order on apprenticeships, Kirk has been able to recruit, train, and retrain the skilled electricians needed to meet rising power demands and grow his business.

    Dakota Meyer, U.S. Marine – President Trump’s Department of Defense has championed a warrior culture in America’s armed forces that has generated massive results for military recruiting. In April, Secretary Hegseth announced the U.S. Army had surpassed its 2025 reenlistment goal six months early. Dakota Meyer, a Marine Corps veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, is just one of the many brave Americans who have reenlisted, deciding to reenter the Army after a 15-year hiatus. “I’m damn proud of the men and women who are standing in uniform,” said Meyer, “and I’m so proud I get to be one of them again.”

    Steven McCain, Sheriff – In Grant Parish, illegal aliens are using drones to drop off drugs and other paraphernalia at a large federal prison. It’s been a significant problem for the prison, but now that President Trump has returned to the White House, the situation has changed. Sheriff McCain has noticed a sharp increase in cooperation from ICE, the United States Attorney’s Office, and other local officials. Working together, law enforcement from all levels will be able to crack down on these drones.

    Brian Riley, CEO of Guardian Bikes – Citing his support for President Trump’s tariffs, Brian announced a $19 million investment to move Guardian’s bike production out of China and into Seymour, Indiana.

    Dino Mavrookas, CEO of Saronic – President Trump has called for the restoration of America’s maritime dominance, and Dino Mavrookas, CEO of the defense startup Saronic, has been a leader in answering this call. To help build the next-generation of autonomous vessels, Saronic acquired Gulf Craft, a Louisiana-based shipbuilder. By preserving Gulf Craft’s skilled workforce, creating hundreds of new, good-paying jobs, and investing over $2.5 billion to develop Port Alpha, Saronic is strengthening our economy, rebuilding America’s maritime strength, and supporting our national defense.

    Gary Hamrick, Senior Pastor – Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick became the target of anti-Christian bias when he and his church were charged by the IRS for so-called Johnson Amendment violations. Under President Trump, the Department of Justice has established a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias in the federal government and safeguard the religious liberty of all Americans.

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    MIL OSI USA News