Saudi Aramco eclipses Apple as world’s top-earning company

Agencies
April 2, 2019

Dubai, Apr 2: Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil producer, made core earnings of $224 billion last year, almost three times as much as Apple, figures from the state-owned company showed on Monday ahead of its debut international bond issue.

Aramco revealed its financials in order to obtain a public rating and start issuing public international bonds.

Despite the huge profit, the state-owned oil giant was rated by credit agencies at par with Saudi Arabia, meaning the Kingdom’s economy will weigh on Aramco’s cost of borrowing as it prepares its bond market debut.

Saudi energy minister Khalid Al-Falih said earlier this year the planned bond sale would raise around $10 billion, but banking sources said the transaction could be larger.

Rating agencies Fitch and Moody’s rated Aramco A+ and A1 respectively, but both said that without sovereign rating constraints Aramco would be in the same league as better-rated international oil companies like Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Shell.

Fitch put Aramco’s standalone credit profile at “AA+.”

Credit ratings allow investors to compare and assess the credit quality of bond issuers and their debt securities, and are important in determining how much borrowers have to pay.

The planned bond deal is Aramco’s inaugural transaction in international markets. It still plans to launch an initial public stock offering or IPO in 2021, expected to generate $100 billion, having postponed its flotation from 2018.

“Saudi Aramco has many characteristics of a Aaa-rated corporate, with minimal debt relative to cash flows, large scale of production, market leadership and access in Saudi Arabia to one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon reserves,” said Rehan Akbar, senior credit officer at Moody’s.

The group has 257 billion barrels of oil equivalent, representing over 50 years of reserves based on current production levels, according to a company presentation given to investors and seen by Reuters.

Aramco will start meeting international bond investors this week for the much anticipated debt transaction, expected to attract hefty demand from global investors.

The planned bond sale follows the announced acquisition of a 70 percent stake in Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), the world’s fourth-largest petrochemicals maker, from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), in a deal worth $69.1 billion.

The bond sale, which may be split into tranches with maturities ranging from three to 30 years, is not linked to the SABIC acquisition, Aramco said.

Aramco intends to pay for the acquisition in tranches, with 50 percent at the closing of the transaction and the remainder over a two-year period, from internal cash generation and, potentially, other resources, the company said in its presentation.

Aramco had earnings before interest, tax and depreciation (EBITDA) of $224 billion in 2018. By contrast Apple, which according to Forbes was the world’s top company in terms of profits last year, had normalized core earnings, or EBITDA, of $81.8 billion.

Moody's Investors Service said Aramco posted a net profit of $111.1 billion in 2018 — far higher than the combined net earnings of the five international oil majors — and generated $359.9 billion in revenues. Last year, Apple posted nearly $50 billion in net profits.

“Saudi Aramco has an extremely strong liquidity position,” Moody’s said, with $48.8 billion in cash against $27 billion in reported debt.

“The company’s balance sheet leverage has been conservatively managed,” said the agency, adding it has $46.8 billion of bank facilities, of which about $25.5 billion was still available.

Aramco representatives will meet with investors in Asia, Europe and the US through Friday, April 5, according to a document issued by one of the banks leading the deal.

The roadshow has no planned stop in the Middle East, showing the transaction is mostly aimed at international buyers.

“The blue-chip company is extremely profitable, free cash flow positive, has low leverage and strong reserves for the future, making it a compelling investment case for global investors,” said Parth Kikani, fixed income director at Emirates NBD Asset Management.

Aramco is presenting itself to global investors as an “anchor of global energy” and a global energy provider of systemic importance, producing one of every eight barrels of global crude, according to the investor presentation.

It had $86 billion in free cash flow at the end of 2018.

The SABIC acquisition, at the heart of Aramco’s push to expand in the downstream business, will not impact Aramco’s rating, the company said in the presentation.

Aramco has hired Lazard as financial adviser for the planned bond deal, and JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley as global coordinators. They are joined by Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and NCB Capital as bookrunners.

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News Network
March 27,2024

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New Delhi, Mar 27: The government has objected strongly to remarks by a US State Department spokesperson on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest last week in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam.

The External Affairs Ministry summoned Gloria Berbena, the US' Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, to a 40-minute meet at its office in Delhi on Wednesday afternoon. In a brief statement released shortly afterwards, the MEA warned of "unhealthy precedents and against "unwarranted aspersions".

"States are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others, and this responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents," the External Affairs Ministry said.

"India's legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted," the statement stressed.

On Tuesday the US State Department said it is monitoring reports of Mr Kejriwal's arrest, and called on New Delhi to ensure "a fair and timely legal process" for the jailed Aam Aadmi Party leader.

The US State Department's comments came, in turn, days after Germany's Foreign Office stressed that Mr Kejriwal, like any other Indian citizen facing charges, is entitled to a fair and impartial trial.

The Indian government reacted strongly to the comment, summoning the German envoy and labelling the Foreign Office spokesperson's remark "blatant interference in internal matters".

"We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary," the External Affairs Ministry said, "Biased assumptions are most unwarranted."

Asked about India's protest to Germany, the State Department spokesperson told Reuters, "We refer you to the German Foreign Ministry for comment on their discussions with the Indian government."

Earlier this month the Modi government also took exception to comments by its counterpart on the changes to the citizenship law, calling them out as "misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted".

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam that has roiled his AAP and provoked furious protests from the opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Mr Kejriwal was this week sent to jail till March 28.

The Enforcement Directorate believes the now-scrapped liquor policy provided an impossibly high profit margin of 185 per cent for retailers and 12 per cent for wholesalers. Of the latter, six per cent - over ₹ 600 crore - were bribes and the money was allegedly used to fund the AAP's poll campaigns.

The ED has labelled the Chief Minister as a key conspirator in this case, but Mr Kejriwal and party colleagues arrested in this matter - ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, and former Health Minister Satyendar Jain - have all denied the charges.

The AAP and the opposition have hit out at the BJP-led central government for using central agencies, like the ED, to target rivals and critics before the general election. The AAP has criticised Mr Kejriwal's arrest on grounds it was timed to interfere with his plans to campaign for the party.

The BJP has dismissed claims it uses central agencies as described by the opposition.

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News Network
March 14,2024

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The high-level committee on simultaneous elections, chaired by Ram Nath Kovind, on Thursday met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and submitted its report on 'One Nation, One Election'. The report comprises 18,626 pages.

Home Minister Amit Shah was also present at Rashtrapati Bhawan when Kovind led panel submitted the report.

"Simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be held in first step, followed by local body polls within 100 days in second step," reported PTI quoting the panel.

"Synchronised polls for all three tiers of government to improve governance architecture, in line with quest of aspirational India," it added.

The report has been submitted 191 days after the constitution of the panel on September 2, 2023.

It's further reported that the proposal also puts focus on having a singular electoral roll for holding Lok Sabha, state assembly and local body polls.

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News Network
March 16,2024

AIE.jpg

Budget carrier Air India Express has launched a new fare family, offering travelers the option to save on flight tickets by traveling light, with an increased baggage allowance of up to 40kg or no check-in luggage at all.

The new fare categories, applicable to flights to and from the UAE and other international destinations, are:

•    Xpress Lite
•    Xpress Value
•    Xpress Flex
•    Xpress Biz

Xpress Lite offers cabin baggage-only fares, making it the most economical option for passengers traveling with the airline.

Xpress Value fare includes 15 kg check-in bag fares, while Xpress Flex offers unlimited changes with no change fees. Xpress Biz features business class seats, complimentary meals, and priority services.

A subsidiary of Air India and a part of Tata Group, the airline introduced Xpress Lite on February 20 for UAE passengers who prefer traveling without check-in baggage.

Xpress Biz fares are accessible on all the new Air India Express Boeing 737-8 aircraft. Travelers can benefit from increased baggage allowances of 25kg for domestic flights and 40kg for international flights when booking Xpress Biz fares. This fare offers priority check-in, baggage, and boarding services.

Air India Express is already operating aircraft with Biz seats across 70-plus routes in India.

In a previous interview with a news channel Aloke Singh, managing director of Air India Express, stated that the carrier was looking to increase capacity to the Gulf region, including the UAE, as well as to provide better connectivity to Gulf travelers.
 

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