Metals & Mining
Ford lifts outlook on tariff refund, flags aluminum cost pressures. Ford Motor Company has raised its full-year earnings outlook by $500M, supported by a sizeable tariff refund, even as rising aluminum costs and supply disruptions weigh on its operations, particularly for its flagship F-150 pickup.
Guinea’s bauxite exports surge 25% early 2026, led by China’s growing demand. Guinea’s bauxite sector started 2026 on a strong note, with output and exports rising sharply in the first quarter, even as the government moved toward restricting shipments later in the year.
U.S. and EU seal critical minerals pact to strengthen supply chains. The United States and the European Union have signed a memorandum of understanding on critical minerals, targeting stronger production, supply chain security and coordinated trade policies.
Alcoa reviews plan to revive Warrick operations. Alcoa is weighing up whether to bring a fourth production line back into operation at its Warrick aluminum plant, a move that would come with a significant price tag of around $100M. The facility, located in Newburgh, Indiana, currently operates three lines, but adding another could lift output by roughly 50,000 tonnes.
Kaiser Aluminum posts record Q1’26 profit, EBITDA soars part 75%; raises full-year outlook. American producer of semi-fabricated aluminum products, Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, has posted its financial report for the January-March quarter (Q1) 2026, reporting record profits and raising the annual outlook to a considerably higher level.
Transportation & Logistics
Saia eyes margin turnaround amid improving demand. After $2B in network investments, less-than-truckload carrier Saia is expecting to soon see a payoff as cost and operational enhancements are converging with better demand.
Kodiak AI and Bosch begin hardware deliveries for autonomous trucks. Kodiak AI said that Bosch has begun delivering critical hardware for its autonomous trucks. The move comes just four months after the companies announced their partnership in January.
Canadian National’s first-quarter profit slips. Canadian National reported lower first-quarter profits today, as revenue declined despite an increase in overall freight volume.
TFI’s Bedard optimistic about U.S. LTL, but some of its issues persist. On call with analysts after the company’s challenging earnings were disclosed, even alongside an optimistic outlook, Bedard once again brought up the woes of TFI’s U.S. LTL sector which he believes have not been fully conquered.
Energy
Owners of WildFire Energy explore $4B-plus sale of U.S. shale operator. Investment firms Warburg Pincus and Kayne Anderson are exploring a potential sale of WildFire Energy, with any deal expected to value the U.S. shale operator at more than $4B including debt, people familiar with the matter said.
TC Energy approves $1.5B Columbia Gas project after beating profit estimates. Canada’s TC Energy approved a $1.5B Columbia Gas expansion project after robust performance in its North American operations helped it narrowly surpass first-quarter profit expectations.
BP, Venezuela sign deal for oil producer to explore offshore Loran gas area. Oil producer BP and Venezuela have signed a memorandum of understanding for the company to explore for gas in the Loran offshore area, an executive from the company and acting President Delcy Rodriguez said.
United Arab Emirates will leave OPEC in a blow to the oil cartel. The United Arab Emirates said it will leave OPEC effective May 1, stripping the oil cartel of its third-largest producer and further weakening its leverage over global oil supplies and prices.
Oil prices settle at multi-week highs as global supply worries mount. Oil prices surged over 6% to settle at their highest in weeks, as deadlocked U.S.-Iran negotiations made investors more concerned about prolonged disruptions to Middle Eastern supply.
Others
Spirit Airlines prepares to shut down as rescue deal falls apart. Spirit Airlines is preparing to cease operations. The ailing budget airline had been hoping to finalize a $500M lifeline from the government before running out of cash.
Amazon posts double-digit growth anchored by booming web services. Amazon.com said that revenue and profit rose in the first quarter, fueled by growing AI services and cloud sales.
Meta stock sinks as company raises 2026 AI spending forecast to $125B-$145B. Meta Platforms stock fell after the company announced plans to increase its AI spending, partially as a result of higher input costs, which overshadowed another beat on the top and bottom lines for the social media giant.
