CICC Starts Ongoal Technology at Outperform with 185 Yuan Price Target

Earnings Flash (FAR.TO) Foraco International S.A. Reports Q1 Revenue US$66.3M, vs. FactSet Est of $64.5M

Kyushu Electric Power Electricity Output, Sales Volume Down YOY

Japanese utility Kyushu Electric Power Thursday reported lower electricity generation and sales volume for the fiscal year ended March 31.Electricity produced from own facilities and received from other companies totaled 102.5 terawatt-hours, lower than the previous year's 106.8 TWh.Production from all sources decreased, with nuclear energy output declining the steepest by 2.2 TWh to 28.6 TWh, as utilization rate dropped 6.3% to 82.3%.Sales volume also softened year over year to 98.3 TWh from 101.0 TWh. Retail sales dropped 7 TWh to 68.6 TWh, more than offsetting a rise in wholesale volume by 4.2 TWh to 29.6 TWh."...although there was a decrease in retail electricity sales volume, there was an increase in profit compared to the previous year due to factors such as an increase in wheeling revenue, and a decrease in fuel costs resulting from lower power generation costs by changes in the energy mix of the thermal power generation," the company said.For the next fiscal year, the Japanese utility expects retail electricity sales to further drop by 1.5 TWh to 67.1 TWh. It projects wholesale volume to increase by around 800 gigawatt-hours to 30.4 TWh.These will result in a net reduction of about 800 GWh, bringing total electricity sales to 97.5 TWh.In terms of nuclear energy output, Kyushu Electric expects a 900 GWh rise to 29.5 TWh, driven by an increase in utilization rate by 2.4% to 84.7%.

Thailand's GDP Grows in Q1 Supported by Exports, Manufacturing

Thailand's economy in the first quarter expanded from the previous quarter, supported by exports, manufacturing and domestic demand, the central bank said Thursday.Private consumption slipped 0.8%, while private investment dropped 3.5%, reflecting softer domestic momentum. Government spending, however, rose 4.8%, helping cushion overall growth.Trade activity remained active, with exports increasing 3.3%, though imports surged 11.5% as firms accelerated sourcing of inputs and energy-related goods, Bank of Thailand said.On prices, headline inflation eased to 0.08%, while core inflation rose 0.57% from a year earlier. The current account remained in surplus at about $600 million, the central bank said.