Key transactions & industry newsWeekly Update 04/17/2026

What We Found Interesting This Week

EGA announces force majeure on aluminum deliveries as operations halt at world’s largest smelter


The force majeure at Emirates Global Aluminium’s (EGA) Al Taweelah smelter is a definitive catalyst that underscores the necessity of geographical diversification in a fractured global market. While the loss of nearly 3 million tonnes of Gulf capacity has sent the Midwest Premium into a high-volatility range, it simultaneously validates EGA’s strategic pivot toward the United States, most notably through its $4B investment in the first new primary U.S. smelter in 45 years. By establishing a domestic footprint in Oklahoma and acquiring major recyclers like Spectro Alloys in Minnesota, EGA is effectively bypassing the “two-sided squeeze” of the Strait of Hormuz and insulating itself from the geopolitical shocks currently paralyzing its Middle Eastern operations. This diversification not only secures a critical supply of foundry alloys for a U.S. market currently reliant on imports for 85% of its needs but also allows EGA to outmaneuver the domestic “power pressure” from energy-hungry AI data centers by locking in specialized industrial energy contracts, transforming the firm from a vulnerable foreign supplier into a resilient, domestic industrial backbone.

Recent M&A Transactions

Metals & Mining

Apr 16, 2026 – Canada’s Uranium Royalty (TSX:URC; Nasdaq:UROY) agreed to buy privately held Sweetwater Royalties for about $1.1B to diversify and capitalize on rising demand for nuclear fuel. (Mining)

Apr 16, 2026 – EOS, the leading supplier of responsible manufacturing solutions via industrial 3D printing technology, announced its acquisition of Metalpine GmbH, a specialist in high-quality metal powders. (EOS)

Apr 14, 2026 – Yancoal Australia has agreed to acquire an 80% stake in the Kestrel coking coal mine in Queensland for up to $2.4B, a move that strengthens its position ​as one of the country's largest coal miners. (Reuters)

Apr 13, 2026 – Mumford Metal Casting has been acquired by an undisclosed strategic buyer. Mumford Metal Casting is a leading manufacturer of engineered cast aluminum products serving a diverse array of industrial end markets. (AngleAdvisor)

Apr 10, 2026 – Imerys announces that it has entered into a binding agreement to acquire the business of Great Lakes Minerals, a leading United States-based processor and distributor of minerals for the refractory and abrasive industry. (Imerys)

Transportation & Logistics

Apr 17, 2026 – Metro Supply Chain Inc. announced that LDC Metro Holdings Inc., its majority shareholder, together with La Caisse, has entered into an agreement for the sale of Metro Supply Chain to Nippon Express Holdings Inc., a global logistics group headquartered in Japan with operations across more than 50 countries. (PRNewswire)

Apr 15, 2026 – Navigator Gas signed a non-binding letter of intent to sell eight gas carriers and its shareholding in the Unigas International joint venture. Bernhard Schulte and Sloman Neptun are the intended buyers in a transaction valued at approximately $183M. (BairdMaritime)

Apr 15, 2026 – TA Dedicated announced that it has acquired fellow Minneapolis-based company Triangle Warehouse. The deal expands TA Dedicated’s fleet and adds 900,000 square feet of warehousing and distribution space to its network. (FreightWaves)

Apr 15, 2026 – Mudflap has completed its acquisition of Parade. The deal pairs Mudflap’s location-verified carrier network with Parade’s capacity management platform for brokers, which has facilitated more than $40B in total cumulative freight transactions. (FreightWaves)

Apr 10, 2026 – BrandPoint, a newly formed platform created by the executive leadership of Logo Brands, has officially launched its first business venture with the acquisition of Franklin Logistics, a logistics company specializing in multi-mode freight forwarding. (Morningstar)

Building Products & Materials

Apr 13, 2026 – Hillman Solutions Corp. (Nasdaq:HLMN), a leading provider of hardware products and merchandising solutions, announced that it has acquired Delaney Hardware, a U.S.-based supplier of door hardware and builder's hardware used in residential, multifamily, and commercial construction. (Hillman)

Energy

Apr 15, 2026 – I Squared Capital Advisors, LLC signed an agreement to acquire Belle Butte LLC from Spire Inc. (NYSE:SR) for $650M. (MarketScreener)

Apr 14, 2026 – North Hudson Resource Partners LP and its affiliated funds, in partnership with the management team of HWN Energy Ltd., announced the acquisition of HWN. (BoeReport)

Apr 14, 2026 – Chevron has reached an agreement with Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA to increase its stake in the Petroindependencia joint venture to 49%. (EnergyNews)

Apr 13, 2026 – GFL Environmental is buying Secure Waste Infrastructure for $4.6B, a deal that pushes one of North America’s largest waste-disposal companies into Canada’s oilpatch. (WSJ)

Apr 13, 2026 – Orca Energy Group Inc. has entered into a definitive Share Purchase Agreement with Taifa Gas Tanzania Limited and Amber Energy Investment L.L.C-FZ pursuant to which Orca will sell all of the outstanding shares of PAE PanAfrican Energy Corporation (“PAEM”), its wholly-owned Mauritian holding subsidiary. Upon closing of the Proposed Transaction, Taifa will acquire 49% of PAEM and Amber will acquire 51%. (YahooFinance)

Others

Apr 13, 2026 – The Nemetschek Group, a global leading vertical provider of AI-powered software solutions for the architecture, engineering, construction and operations and media industries, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Heavy Construction Systems Specialists, LLC from Thoma Bravo, the world’s largest software-focused investment firm. (Nemetschek)

Top News Stories

Metals & Mining

Century Aluminum begins expanded production at Mt Holly Smelter. Century Aluminum has begun producing its first hot metal following the expansion of its Mt Holly plant in South Carolina, marking a milestone in its capacity ramp-up. The company expects the project to reach full production by the end of June 2026, increasing total US primary aluminum output by around 10 per cent.

CP Group buys Recycleye to build out AI-driven MRF platform. CP Group has purchased a majority stake in London-based Recycleye, combining the North American MRF equipment manufacturer with the European AI-vision sorting company.

CME clears first Hong Kong aluminum storage, tightening grip on Asia aluminum trade. The Asian aluminum industry continues to expand as the approval for the first base metal storage facility in Hong Kong has been granted by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group, the U.S. commodities exchange operator. This aims towards expanding the warehousing footprint in Asia.

EGA announces force majeure on aluminum deliveries as operations halt at world’s largest smelter. The top aluminum producer of the Middle East, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), has invoked force majeure clauses for the partial suspension of deliveries due to the damage sustained by its Al Taweelah smelter in the United Arab Emirates from the Iranian drone and missile attacks.

China’s Henan Zhongfu plans $2B aluminum plant in Egypt’s SCZone. Henan Zhongfu Industrial is planning to invest about $2B to build an aluminum production plant in Egypt, according to an official statement.

Glencore buys 45% stake in U.S. aluminum recycling plant, targets 120,000 tonnes recycling capacity. Glencore secured a 45% stake in an aluminum recycling and remelting plant near Charleston, South Carolina, raising its position in the U.S. aluminum market.

Transportation & Logistics

UP inks deal with Rocky Mountain Steel. Union Pacific Railroad and Rocky Mountain Steel Mills have announced a new seven-year contract for the domestic production of steel rails, enabling UP to source the majority of its rail from a U.S. manufacturer.

Small trucking firms file wave of bankruptcies across U.S. A string of small trucking and logistics companies across the U.S. have filed for bankruptcy protection in recent weeks, underscoring continued financial pressure on smaller carriers as freight demand remains uneven and costs stay elevated.

Merged UP-NS would control half of all rail freight: BNSF CEO. The proposed coast-to-coast merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern is bad for the industry, a rival CEO warned, and would give the transcontinental behemoth a dominant 50% share of all U.S. rail freight.

For $3B, ocean line expands fleet by 250,000 TEUs. Evergreen Marine has finalized an order for 11 24,000-TEU container ships, a $3B contract split between builders in China and South Korea.

Energy

Oil settles down 9% after Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open. Oil prices settled down by around 9% after Iran said passage for all ​commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was open for the remaining ceasefire period and U.S. President Donald Trump ‌said Iran has agreed to never close the strait again.

Europe sees record jet inflows from U.S. in April. Europe was seeing record inflows of jet fuel from the United States, data from Kpler and LSEG showed, as the region attempts to shore up fuel supplies to make up for the disruption ​of imports from the Middle East.

Middle East war damage to energy assets may cost up to $58B, research firm Rystad says. The Middle East conflict could saddle the region with as much as $58B in repair costs for energy-linked infrastructure, with oil ​and gas facilities alone accounting for up to $50B, according to ‌a report by Rystad Energy.

Oil prices steady as Hormuz shipping constraints counter U.S.-Iran peace hopes. Oil prices held steady as ongoing worries about supply disruptions offset ​comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that the war on Iran could be over soon.

Others

Sazerac offered to buy Brown-Forman for around $15B. Sazerac offered to buy Brown-Forman for around $15B, people familiar with the matter said.

For its next act, Allbirds makes an unlikely pivot from shoes to AI. Allbirds said that it will change its name to NewBird AI, and will look to capitalize on the frenzy surrounding artificial intelligence by buying high-end servers equipped with AI chips and renting out access to them.

About RJM

RJM & Company is a specialized M&A and capital markets advisory investment bank. We provide boards and management teams of public and private companies with independent advice and expertise in a variety of sectors including road, rail and marine transportation, infrastructure, chemicals, energy, metals and mining, manufacturing, building materials, and other coverage areas of the industrial complex. RJM advises clients on all aspects of transactions including timing, structure, and pricing. RJM originates opportunities and helps negotiate and execute transactions already under evaluation.

BACK TO NEWS