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FINWIRES

Market Chatter: CATL Flags Oil Price Gains as Tailwind for Battery Demand

-- Contemporary Amperex Technology (SHE:300750, HKG:3750), or CATL, said higher oil prices are creating a more supportive backdrop for energy storage systems and electric vehicle batteries, The Standard reported, citing Reuters.

The battery maker's chief technology officer, Gao Huan, reportedly said at a Beijing autoshow roundtable on Wednesday that the company is enhancing its manufacturing capabilities to enable large-scale global supply of high-quality products.

He said CATL is also increasing production capacity to meet rising worldwide demand for batteries, the report added.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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Market Chatter: Google, Microsoft Among Bidders for SoftBank Ohio Data Center Operators

Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google and Microsoft (MSFT) are set to take part in a bidding process to select operators for a US data center being developed by SoftBank, Nikkei Asia reported Friday.The decision, potentially coming as early as this month, relates to a 10-gigawatt data center planned in Piketon, Ohio, which is part of a broader investment expected to eventually reach $500 billion, the report added.Companies including Nvidia (NVDA), Meta Platforms (META) and OpenAI are also being considered as potential candidates, the news outlet reported. The first round of bidding is expected to conclude by April 30, with winning operators likely to invest in phases.Google and Microsoft didn't immediately respond to' request for comment.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)Price: $418.55, Change: $+2.80, Percent Change: +0.67%

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Mining & Metals

RBC Maintains CAE's Sector Perform Rating and C$42.00 Price Target Ahead of Fiscal Q4 Results

RBC Capital Markets maintained its sector perform rating and C$42.00 price target on the shares of CAE (CAE.TO, CAE) on Friday.RBC expects CAE's upcoming Fiscal Q4 report to shift attention to the company's long-term growth opportunities. It expects management to outline targets for revenue, margins, CapEx, EPS, and ROIC through FY30.RBC believes secular tailwinds in both Civil and Defense can support 4-5% revenue growth longer-term, with key focus on what level of FCF management's targets imply.RBC's new FY30 forecasts call for ~100% FCF conversion and EPS of $2.21, it added."While we remain Sector Perform into the quarter, we will be looking for colour that gives us increased confidence in execution, which could provide a lift to valuation," said RBC.RBC believes FY27 will "come in well below street estimates," although RBC does not expect this to be a major focus for investors. It expects FY27 to represent a "transitional year" for CAE as it works through the execution phase of its transformation plan."While the strategic initiatives we expect management to lay out could yield meaningful benefits over the medium term, the near-term financial profile will likely reflect the friction of restructuring activities, ongoing market headwinds, and the lag between cost actions and margin realization," added RBC.RBC expects management to lay out a growth framework underpinned by "strong secular tailwinds" in both Civil and Defense that it believes will support revenue growth of 4-5% annually."On the margin front, we expect management to target Civil operating margins of ~25% (vs. ~20% today), reflecting the benefits of network rationalization, improved utilization, and a leaner cost structure; and Defense operating margins of ~11% (vs. ~8.5% today), driven by the continued roll-off of legacy contracts and a higher mix of new, betterpriced programs," said RBC.RBC expects these revenue and margin improvements to drive capital efficiency gains, with CapEx moderating to ~$300MM longer-term as network right-sizing reduces growth capital requirements. RBC expects this to drive EPS of >$2.00 in FY30."We now value CAE off our new F30 EPS estimate of $2.21, applying a 22.5x multiple and discounting back at 8%, which results in our $42 price target," said RBC.Price: $34.50, Change: $-0.27, Percent Change: -0.78%

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Australia

Waste Connections 2026 Outlook Seen 'Conservative' After Q1 Beat, RBC Says

Waste Connections (WCN) remains well-positioned for 2026 with current guidance appearing "conservative" given the strong start to the year, RBC Capital Markets said Thursday in a report.The company reported Q1 adjusted EBITDA and EPS ahead of market expectations and reaffirmed its 2026 outlook, with potential for gains from higher commodity prices, a more supportive macro backdrop and a robust pipeline for mergers and acquisitions, the report said.Waste Connections is projecting 2026 revenue of $9.9 billion to $9.95 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $3.3 billion to $3.325 billion and adjusted free cash flow of $1.3 billion, the report said.The company's strategy centers on "market selection, strategic asset positioning and local execution," driving long-term outperformance versus peers, RBC said. "We believe this strong track record justifies Waste Connections' premium valuation."RBC raised its price target on Waste Connections stock to $218 from $210 and reiterated its outperform rating.Price: $166.68, Change: $-2.21, Percent Change: -1.31%

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