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Morrisons ‘alert’ to impact of Middle East conflict on customers

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The supermarket chain said economic conditions are ‘tough’ for its customers

WELLS, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 19: The Morrisons supermarket logo is displayed outside a branch of the supermarket retailer Morrisons on May 19, 2024 in Wells, England. The British retailer is one of the largest market leaders of groceries in the UK. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Supermarket chain Morrisons said it is “alert” to the impact of the Iran war on consumer confidence and its supply chain after reporting stronger recent sales. The Bradford-based group said it is “tough for customers right now” and committed to further investment in pricing to support shoppers.

Boss Rami Baitieh said the business is assessing how shopping habits and the supply of products might be affected by the conflict in the Middle East. The business revealed sales grew over the past three months, driven by a “much-improved Christmas” performance.

He said: “We are watching current international events closely, alert to the impacts on consumer confidence and supply chains, and we will continue to do what we can to mitigate effects on our customers.”

The retailer said total sales rose 2.6% to £4.1 billion for the 13 weeks to January 25, compared with a year earlier. Group like-for-like sales were 2.8% year-on-year, it said.

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Morrisons said it saw sales volumes grow on the back of “investment in lower prices” amid a period of intense competition between UK grocers. Under the leadership of Mr Baitieh, the retailer has sought to fight off pressure from discount rivals Aldi and Lidl, as well as price-focused strategies from other major grocers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda.

The retailer said it delivered £49m of cost savings during the quarter as it continues a transformation programme.

Mr Baitieh, chief executive of the business, said: “Against a highly competitive backdrop, with grocery market growth lagging previous expectations, we achieved our targets in Q1, delivering our 13th quarter of like-for-like sales growth. We know it’s tough for customers right now and we’re doing everything we can to offer them better value and give them more reasons to shop at Morrisons.

“That means continuing to invest in price, promotions and loyalty, concentrating on driving value where it matters most for our customers.

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Earlier this year, Morrisons warned warned staff that it was not planning to offer significant pay rises this year as it swallows higher costs.

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Two humanitarian aid boats en route to Cuba missing, Mexico says

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Two humanitarian aid boats en route to Cuba missing, Mexico says

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Cleaning Edge Invests Millions Into Breakthrough Technology to Revolutionise Cleaning Transparency Nationwide

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Founder Clayburn Figredo

Cleaning Edge Solutions, Australia’s fastest growing commercial cleaning provider, has invested millions of dollars into the development and rollout of its proprietary desktop platform, CESgo, in what industry leaders are describing as a major shift in how businesses manage cleaning, hygiene and operational accountability.

The significant investment signals a new era for commercial cleaning across childcare centres, schools, aged care, hospitals and medical facilities, offices, transport hubs, retail environments, food production and industrial sites, where services are no longer invisible but fully measurable and transparent.

Founder Clayburn Figredo
Founder Clayburn Figredo

Founder Clayburn Figredo said the company is redefining what modern cleaning looks like in Australia.

“We are not just cleaning buildings, we are creating operational transparency and real-time visibility,” Figredo said.

“CESgo is the result of a multi-million-dollar investment into technology that gives businesses clarity, control and confidence.”

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Cleaning Edge Solutions is one of Australia’s leading commercial cleaning and facility management providers, specialising in large-scale, high-risk and clinical environments. Founded in 2008 by Managing Director Clayburn Figredo and headquartered in Mulgrave, Victoria, the company has built a national reputation for innovation, strict compliance and advanced infection-control standards.

With ISO certifications across quality, safety, environment and food safety, Cleaning Edge Solutions delivers services to major organisations across health, government, education, transport, retail and aged care sectors. Its operations span commercial and industrial cleaning, facilities maintenance, waste management and property development.

It also owns a number of brands including well-known business, Andy Andersons. For more than 45 years, Andy Andersons has supported Australian organisations with reliable, high-quality cleaning and facility services. A long-standing family business with deep industry roots, Andy Andersons became an entity of the Cleaning Edge Group in 2021, combining decades of legacy experience with the group’s national scale and innovation.

Today, the company draws on more than 100 years of combined expertise to deliver industrial cleaning, commercial cleaning, aged care cleaning and facility maintenance services. Andy Andersons remains committed to safety, integrity and exceptional service.

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Known for its commitment to excellence and social impact, the Cleaning Edge group is dedicated to elevating national cleaning standards and creating safer, healthier environments for all Australians.

A new standard in operational visibility

The desktop-based CESgo platform captures every aspect of cleaning operations in real time, allowing businesses to see exactly what is happening across their sites.

Cleaning Edge staff log in and out digitally, with attendance and hours automatically verified. Every task is outlined through structured workflows and photographic evidence of completed work is uploaded directly into the system.

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Clients can view services undertaken, the timing, the staff involved and the results delivered, removing the uncertainty that has traditionally surrounded outsourced cleaning.

“For decades, cleaning has been a blind spot for many organisations,” Figredo said.

“Now businesses can see the work, the results and the value in real time.”

From invisible service to measurable performance

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The platform transforms cleaning from a reactive, checklist-based activity into a performance-driven function.

Images, reports and digital sign-offs provide a clear record of hygiene outcomes. Site requirements and task schedules are embedded into the system, ensuring consistency across locations and shifts.

“This is accountability elevated,” Figredo said.

“Every hour is captured, every job is documented and every outcome can be verified.”

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The result is stronger oversight, improved service quality and better operational control.

Centralised communication and faster problem resolution

CESgo also functions as a communication hub between businesses, site managers and Cleaning Edge teams.

Clients can log requests, raise concerns and track progress in near real time. Issues are assigned, monitored and resolved within the platform, creating a clear record of action and accountability.

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“Communication is one of the biggest challenges in outsourced services,” Figredo said.

“Our technology creates a single source of truth, ensuring nothing is missed and every request is followed through.”

Reducing risk and supporting governance

With increased scrutiny around hygiene, infection control and workplace standards, organisations are under pressure to demonstrate operational oversight.

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Figredo said traditional paper-based reporting and fragmented communication systems are no longer fit for purpose.

“Boards, executives and regulators want data, not assumptions,” he said.

“CESgo provides a digital audit trail that strengthens governance, supports reporting and reduces risk.”

The platform enables businesses to generate detailed reports quickly, providing evidence of cleaning performance, service delivery and operational compliance.

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A permanent shift in the cleaning industry

Cleaning Edge believes the future of the industry lies in technology-enabled service delivery.

“This is not about mops and buckets,” Figredo said.

“It is about intelligent systems, data and measurable outcomes.”

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By investing heavily in proprietary technology, Cleaning Edge is positioning itself at the forefront of a new era in which cleaning services are defined by transparency, accountability and operational excellence.

“The expectations of businesses have changed permanently,” Figredo said.

“They want visibility and control and they also want proof. CESgo delivers that.”

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Insight Molecular Diagnostics Inc. (IMDX) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Gabrielle Woody
Sr. Executive Assistant

Welcome, everyone, and thank you for joining us to discuss Insight Molecular Diagnostics Fourth Quarter 2025 Results. If you have not seen today’s shareholder letter, please visit Insight Molecular Diagnostics Investor Relations page at investors.imdxinc.com.

Today’s prepared remarks build upon the information already shared in this robust letter. Joining us today are Insight Molecular Diagnostics President and CEO, Josh Riggs; Chief Science Officer, Ekke Schutz; and CFO, Andrea James. We also have our analysts with us as panelists.

After our prepared remarks, our analysts may ask questions. Before turning the call over to Josh Riggs, I’d like to go over our safe harbor. The company will make projections and forward-looking statements regarding future events. Any statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made pursuant to and within the meaning of the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We encourage you to review the company’s SEC filings, including the company’s most recent Form 10-K and subsequent Forms 10-Q, which identify risks and uncertainties that may cause future actual results or events to differ materially.

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Please note that the forward-looking statements made during today’s call speak only to the date that they are made, and Insight Molecular Diagnostics undertakes no obligation to update them. And with that, I would like to now turn the call over to Josh Riggs.

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MSMEs tap working capital amid rising input cost pressures

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MSMEs tap working capital amid rising input cost pressures
Mumbai: Lenders are witnessing higher utilisation of working capital limits by MSMEs and other industries as input cost pressures rise due to the ongoing US-Israel conflict. Bankers told ET as cash flows slow across the economy, MSMEs are increasingly relying on working capital to manage operations.

“As input costs rise, margins come under pressure, which can lead to higher working capital utilisation as cash flows get stretched,” said Prashanth TS, head – mid corporate group, Axis Bank. “MSMEs typically operate at utilisation levels of 70-75%, and in periods of heightened volatility, these levels tend to move higher.”

He added that, from a banking standpoint, this is not a solvency challenge but an input-cost inflation issue for MSMEs. For lenders, the leadership focus is on anticipating these pressures early and ensuring adequate, well-calibrated liquidity support without compromising credit discipline.

Sectors such as hospitality, ceramics, chemicals, steel and fertilisers are expected to see higher drawdowns of existing limits, as well as fresh working capital sanctions, as firms navigate rising costs and tighter liquidity conditions.

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“Different pockets will have different impacts. In general, when cash flow movement in the economy slows down, working capital will go up,” the MSME head of another leading private sector bank said. “Because faster the cash flow cycles move, lower is the utilisation because you churn your money.”


For domestic basmati rice exporters, Iran is the third-largest destination, accounting for about 13% of total exports in fiscal 2025. According to Crisil Ratings, rising prices of raw materials and imported fertilisers are likely to increase working capital requirements for industry players, while also raising the government’s subsidy bill by an estimated ₹20,000-25,000 crore.
“We anticipate an increase in working capital loans, worsening corporate credit metrics, worsening metrics for SMEs and households and an increase in credit costs,” CreditSights – a Fitch Group company, said in a report. According to Crisil Ratings, sectors such as oil refining, aviation and crude-linked industries – including specialty chemicals, paints, petrochemicals and synthetic textiles – may be affected by rising crude oil prices. Additionally, companies involved in basmati rice, fruits and nuts trade may see heightened impact.

“The extent of the impact will depend on each sector’s ability to pass on the incremental costs,” the rating agency said in a report.

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Ascentage Pharma Group International (AAPG) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Ascentage Pharma Group International (AAPG) Q4 2025 Earnings Call March 26, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

Company Participants

Yuly Chen
Dajun Yang – Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO
Veet Misra – Chief Financial Officer
Zhichao Si – Head of Commercial

Conference Call Participants

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Lut Ming Cheng – JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Biren Amin – Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division
Supawat Thongthip – Truist Securities, Inc., Research Division
Jeet Mukherjee – BTIG, LLC, Research Division
Matthew Biegler – Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Research Division
Christopher Liu – Lucid Capital Markets, LLC, Research Division
Michael King – Rodman & Renshaw Research

Presentation

Operator

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Good day, everyone, and welcome to Ascentage Pharma’s 2025 Annual Results Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, today’s call is being recorded.

Thank you for joining us. I will now turn the call over to Yuly Chen, Senior Director of Investor Relations for the safe harbor statement. Yuly, please go ahead.

Yuly Chen

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Thank you, operator. Please note that today’s discussion will include forward-looking statements based on our current expectations and assumptions. These statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially. For a full discussion of these risks, please refer to our filings and disclosures.

On today’s call, I am joined by Dr. Dajun Yang, Chairman and CEO, who will provide an overview of recent developments and 2025 annual performance. As well as Dr. Veet Misra, CFO, who will go through the financial highlights. The presentation will then be followed by a Q&A session. During the Q&A session, the team will be joined by Dr. Yifan Zhai, Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Shaomeng Wang, Cofounder, Chief Scientific Adviser, Dr. Zhichao Si, Head of Commercial, I will now turn the call over to Dr. Yang.

Dajun Yang
Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO

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Thank you. Good morning. I’m Dajun Yang, Chairman and CEO of the company. Today, I’m very

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Musk’s Boring Company picks Dallas and New Orleans for tunnel projects

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Musk's Boring Company picks Dallas and New Orleans for tunnel projects

Several U.S. cities could soon see major underground transportation upgrades led by billionaire Elon Musk’s The Boring Company (TBC).

In a Tuesday post on X, the construction company named the winners of its nationwide “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” naming New Orleans, Louisiana, and Dallas, Texas, as candidates for new transportation systems.

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“Thanks again to all of the participants — your enthusiasm and positivity has been inspiring for the TBC team,” the company wrote.

Baltimore, Maryland, was initially named as a winner, but TBC later announced Wednesday that the project will not move forward following early discussions.

MUSK SAYS TESLA, SPACEX TO BUILD ADVANCED CHIP MANUFACTURING FACILITY

An electric car moves through an underground transit tunnel system during a major technology trade show.

A Tesla Inc. electric vehicle is driven through The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Convention Center Loop during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 5, 2023. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty)

The next phase will involve collaboration with local officials and regulators, along with geotechnical borings to determine feasibility.

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In a Wednesday update, TBC provided additional details on its early discussions with local leaders in both Dallas and New Orleans, saying both proposed projects had “great initial meetings.”

Two additional cities — Hendersonville, Tennessee, and San Antonio, Texas — remain under consideration as discussions continue.

ELON MUSK MISLED TWITTER INVESTORS AHEAD OF ACQUISITION, JURY SAYS

Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center on June 16, 2023, in Paris, France. (Chesnot/Getty Images)

The challenge, which launched in January, invited proposals for a one-mile tunnel concept, with the winning concept promised a free build.

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Separately, TBC was recently selected to begin negotiations on a proposed underground transit system connecting Universal Orlando’s parks.

The company’s most notable project is the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Loop, which opened in 2021 after about a year of construction. 

ALTMAN CALLS MUSK’S SPACE DATA CENTER PLANS ‘RIDICULOUS’ FOR CURRENT AI COMPUTING NEEDS

Elon Musk's Preschool Is the Next Step in His Anti-Woke Education Dreams

Signage outside The Boring Company facility in Bastrop, Texas, on Monday, March, 25, 2024. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The system reduced a 45-minute walk across the convention campus to roughly two minutes, according to its website.

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The Vegas Loop was later expanded in 2024 to 2.1 miles and five stations.

TBC could not be immediately reached by FOX Business for comment.

FOX Business’ Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

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Argan, Inc. (AGX) Q4 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Argan, Inc. (AGX) Q4 2026 Earnings Call March 26, 2026 5:00 PM EDT

Company Participants

David Watson – CEO, President & Director
Joshua Baugher – Senior VP, CFO & Treasurer

Conference Call Participants

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Jennifer Belodeau – Institutional Marketing Services, Inc.
Robert Brown – Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC, Research Division
Christopher Moore – CJS Securities, Inc.
Ati Modak – Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Michael Fairbanks – JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

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Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Argan, Inc. earnings release conference call for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended January 31, 2026. This call is being recorded. [Operator Instructions] There is a slide presentation that accompanies today’s remarks, which can be accessed via the webcast.

At this time, it’s my pleasure to turn the floor over to your host for today, John Nesbett and Jennifer Belodeau of IMS Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Jennifer Belodeau
Institutional Marketing Services, Inc.

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Thank you. Good evening, and welcome to our conference call to discuss Argan’s results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended January 31, 2026. On the call today, we have David Watson, Chief Executive Officer; and Josh Baugher, Chief Financial Officer.

I’ll take a moment to read the safe harbor statement. Statements made during this conference call and presented in the presentation that are not based on historical facts are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, projections or statements of future goals and targets regarding the company’s revenues and profits. These statements are subject to known and unknown factors and risks. The company’s actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, and some of the factors and risks that could cause or contribute to such material differences have been described in this afternoon’s press release and in Argan’s

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Rubrik CFO Choudary sells $5.9 million in RBRK stock

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Rubrik CFO Choudary sells $5.9 million in RBRK stock

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Argan, Inc. 2026 Q4 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation (NYSE:AGX) 2026-03-26

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This article was written by

Seeking Alpha’s transcripts team is responsible for the development of all of our transcript-related projects. We currently publish thousands of quarterly earnings calls per quarter on our site and are continuing to grow and expand our coverage. The purpose of this profile is to allow us to share with our readers new transcript-related developments. Thanks, SA Transcripts Team

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Who knew Lord Sugar is a table tennis fan?

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Who knew Lord Sugar is a table tennis fan?

The Apprentice candidates try to sell a table tennis set live on TV.

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