Charli D’Amelio ดาราโซเชียลมีเดียชื่อดัง เตรียมร่วมแสดงให้กับค่าย Proxima Media ของ Ryan Kavanaugh ในแฟรนไชส์ภาพยนตร์ใหม่ ‘Home School’

นี่เป็นภาพยนตร์ของ Proxima เรื่องที่สองที่จะเข้าจดทะเบียนในตลาดหลักทรัพย์บันเทิง (ESX.io) ให้แฟน ๆ ได้สนับสนุนภาพยนตร์เรื่องนี้ได้

ซึ่งตั้งแต่การเปิดเผยภาพยนตร์เรื่อง ‘The Six Sense’ เป็นต้นมา ก็ไม่เคยทำให้ผู้ชมตกใจกับการประกาศได้ถึงขนาดนี้มาก่อน

ลอสแองเจลิส, April 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Home School เป็นภาพยนตร์เรื่องแรกในแฟรนไชส์ภาพยนตร์ระทึกขวัญเหนือธรรมชาติจำนวน 8 เรื่อง นำแสดงโดย Charli D’Amelio ผู้ชนะรางวัล Kids Choice Award ถึง 2 ครั้ง ภาพยนตร์ดังกล่าวอำนวยการสร้างโดย Ryan Kavanaugh ผู้ได้รับการเสนอชื่อให้เข้าชิง EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar และ Tony) และกำกับโดย F. Javier Gutierrez

Kavanaugh ได้นำเสนอภาพยนตร์มากกว่า 200 เรื่องและรายการทีวีโชว์ 40 รายการให้กับผู้ชมทั่วโลกมาแล้ว และนี่จะเป็นภาพยนตร์เรื่องที่สองที่จะเข้าจดทะเบียนในตลาดหลักทรัพย์เพื่อความบันเทิง esx.io

F. Javier Gutiérrez ผู้กำกับภาพยนตร์สยองขวัญ (เช่น Before the Fall, Rings) ผู้มีวิสัยทัศน์ที่ได้รับรางวัลชนะเลิศจะเข้ามารับหน้าที่กำกับภาพยนตร์เรื่องนี้ Home School นับเป็นการเปิดตัวภาพยนตร์คนแสดงครั้งแรกของ D’Amelio ซึ่งเป็นดาวติ๊กต็อกคนแรกที่มีผู้ติดตามถึง 100 ล้านคนบนแพลตฟอร์ม โดยการถ่ายทำมีกำหนดจะเริ่มในเดือนกรกฎาคม 2022

Charli โด่งดังเป็นพลุแตกบนติ๊กต็อกไปทั่วโลกหลังจากโพสต์วิดีโอการเต้นในปี 2019 ตั้งแต่กลายเป็นดาวดังของแอปดังกล่าว Charli ก็ยังได้ประสบความสำเร็จในด้านอื่น ๆ อีกด้วย ไม่ว่าจะเป็นการปรากฏตัวในโฆษณา Super Bowl ปี 2020 ของ Sabra Hummus และได้เต้นในมิวสิกวิดีโอของ Jennifer Lopez ในเดือนกันยายนปีที่แล้ว Hulu ได้เปิดตัว D’Amelio Show ซึ่งเป็นสารคดีซีรีส์ที่นำแสดงโดย Charli และครอบครัวของเธอ ซึ่งได้รับเลือกให้ทำเป็นซีซันที่สองอีกด้วย Charli ได้ร่วมสร้างไลน์เสื้อผ้า Social Tourist ของเธอเอง และเคยร่วมงานกับแบรนด์แฟชั่นรายใหญ่หลายราย เช่น Louis Vuitton และ Prada นอกจากนี้ Charli ยังเป็นดาราที่อายุน้อยที่สุดที่ปรากฏในรายชื่อ NEXT ของนิตยสาร Time

ในภาพยนตร์ Home School นี้ Charli จะรับบทเป็น ‘Mira’ เด็กสาววัย 17 ปีที่ย้ายไปอาศัยในต่างเมืองกับป้าของเธอหลังจากที่แม่ของเธอเสียชีวิต หลังจากมาถึงเมืองที่ดูสมบูรณ์แบบจนเหลือเชื่อแห่งนี้ ในไม่ช้า Mira ก็ได้ค้นพบว่าการตายของแม่และอนาคตของเธอนั้นมีความเชื่อมโยงกันอย่างเหนือธรรมชาติ

“ทันทีที่ได้อ่าน Home School ก็รู้เลยว่านี่เป็นภาพยนตร์สำหรับฉัน ฉันรู้สึกเชื่อมโยงกับทั้งตัวละคร Mira เนื้อเรื่อง สคริปต์ และทีมงาน ฉันรู้ว่าถ้าฉันจะแสดงหนังละก็ มันจะต้องเป็นอะไรที่สนุก แหวกแนว และสดใหม่” Charli กล่าว “แม้ว่าการแสดงในบทบาทดังกล่าวจะมีความท้าทายและผลักดันให้ฉันเรียนรู้การแสดงและกลายเป็น Mira ได้จริง ๆ แต่มันก็เป็นประสบการณ์ที่สนุกมากและฉันตั้งใจที่จะสร้างความสนุกทั้งในการถ่ายทำและในการรับชมด้วย แล้วก็ต้องการร่วมงานกับทีมงานที่ยอดเยี่ยมด้วยค่ะ”

ผู้กำกับ F. Javier Gutiérrez กล่าวอธิบายว่า “ตอนที่ผมกับ Ryan ได้พบกันระหว่างการพัฒนา The Crow เวอร์ชันรีเมคกับ Luke Evans พวกเรารู้ดีว่าเรายังอยากจับมือร่วมงานด้านการสร้างสรรค์ต่อไปอีก ผมตื่นเต้นมาก ๆ ที่ Home School นั้นถือเป็นการสร้างโปรเจ็กต์อย่างเป็นทางการครั้งแรกของเราร่วมกัน” “ด้วยภาพที่น่าดึงดูดและองค์ประกอบทางจิตวิทยาที่แข็งแกร่ง ผมคิดว่า Home School มีศักยภาพที่จะกลายเป็นภาพยนตร์โมเดิร์นคลาสสิกได้เลย ผมรอที่จะได้ร่วมงานกับ Charli และทีม Proxima แทบจะไม่ไหวแล้วล่ะครับ”

Gutiérrez เป็นผู้ได้รับการเสนอชื่อเข้าชิงรางวัล European Fantastic Film Award ถึง 2 ครั้ง ภาพยนตร์สยองขวัญที่สร้างชื่อเสียงโด่งดังให้กับเขาก็คือเรื่อง Rings ซึ่งเป็นภาคที่สามของแฟรนไชส์ The Ring โดยเปิดตัวเป็นอันดับ 2 บนยูเอสบ็อกซ์ออฟฟิศและได้รับการยกย่องจาก Koji Suzuki ผู้เขียนนวนิยาย The Ring ภาพยนตร์สั้นเรื่อง Brasil ของเขาได้รับรางวัลเกียรติยศสูงสุดและรางวัลมากมาย ซึ่งรวมถึงการคว้ารางวัล Universal Studios Film Master Award สาขา Best European Director ด้วย ภาพยนตร์เรื่องนี้ได้รับความสนใจจากอุตสาหกรรมในสหรัฐฯ หลังจากที่ได้มีการฉายรอบปฐมทัศน์ในอเมริกาเหนือที่งาน AFI Fest โดยรั้งอันดับที่ 3 ของ Hollywood International Watchlist ในปีเดียวกันนั้นเอง Before the Fall ก็ได้รับข้อเสนอให้มีการรีเมคจาก Wes Craven ผู้สร้างภาพยนตร์ในตำนานผู้ล่วงลับไปแล้ว ในช่วงเริ่มต้นของเส้นทางอาชีพ Gutiérrez ได้สร้างชื่อเสียงให้กับตัวเองในฐานะผู้สร้างภาพยนตร์สยองขวัญเมื่อภาพยนตร์สั้นเรื่องแรกของเขา Brasil ซึ่งเขากำกับ เขียน และอำนวยการสร้างในปี 2002 ได้รับรางวัล Sitges Film Festival ซึ่งเป็นหนึ่งในเทศกาลระดับนานาชาติชั้นนำที่สุดของโลกซึ่งเน้นไปที่ผลงานแฟนตาซีและสยองขวัญ

Ryan Kavanaugh กล่าวว่า “เราได้พัฒนาโปรเจ็กต์นี้มาหลายปีเพื่อนำเสนอสิ่งใหม่และน่าตื่นเต้นมาสู่หน้าจอ” Kavanaugh กล่าวว่า “การที่ได้ Javier มากำกับและ Charli ร่วมแสดงนั้นถือว่าเป็นส่วนประกอบที่สมบูรณ์แบบ เราจะทำให้ ‘The Sixth Sense’ มาเจอกันกับ ‘Get Out’ ในหนังเรื่องนี้ครับ”

Home School เขียนโดย Casey Giltner ซึ่งเป็นผู้เขียนบทภาพยนตร์จากรัฐมินนิอาโปลิส โดยเธอได้เขียนบท On the First Day of Christmas ซึ่งได้รับการเสนอชื่อใน BloodList ปี 2021 และเพิ่งจะได้รับการคัดเลือกโดย Village Roadshow และ Brillstein Entertainment Partners Daniel Herther รองประธานอาวุโสฝ่ายการผลิตของ Proxima ซึ่งเป็นผู้ดูแลการพัฒนา Home School ก็จะรับหน้าที่ดำเนินการผลิตด้วยเช่นกัน Bobby Sarnevesht และ Marc, Heidi และ Dixie D’Amelio ซึ่งเป็นพันธมิตรของ Kavanaugh จะทำหน้าที่เป็นผู้อำนวยการสร้าง

Steve Cohen แห่ง UTA และ Kevin Yorn แห่ง Morris, Yorn, Barnes, Levine, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich & Gellman เป็นตัวแทนของ Charli D’Amelio Neil Sacker แห่ง Sacker Entertainment Law เป็นตัวแทนของ Proxima และ Kavanaugh Michael Sheresky แห่ง UTA และ Nick Shumaker จาก Anonymous Content เป็นตัวแทนของ F. Javier Gutiérrez Stephen Clark จาก Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler Feldman & Clark ได้เจรจาข้อตกลงในนามของ F. Javier Gutiérrez

เกี่ยวกับ Proxima และ Ryan Kavanaugh
Ryan Kavanaugh เป็นผู้ก่อตั้ง Proxima Media และผู้ถือหุ้นที่มีอำนาจควบคุมของ Triller เขาเป็นหนึ่งในผู้บริหารที่ประสบความสำเร็จมากที่สุด มีผลงานมากที่สุด และได้รับยกย่องมากที่สุดในประวัติศาสตร์ของวงการบันเทิง ด้วยการนำโมเดลทางการเงินอันชาญฉลาดมาใช้สนับสนุนทางการเงินของภาพยนตร์ ทำให้เขาได้รับการขนานนามว่าเป็นผู้สร้าง “Moneyball สำหรับภาพยนตร์” เขาผลิต จัดจำหน่าย และ/หรือจัดโครงสร้างทางการเงินให้กับภาพยนตร์มากกว่า 200 เรื่อง ซึ่งสร้างรายได้จากบ็อกซ์ออฟฟิศทั่วโลกมากกว่า 20,000 ล้านดอลลาร์สหรัฐฯ และได้รับการเสนอชื่อเข้าชิงรางวัลออสการ์ทั้งสิ้น 60 เรื่อง เขาเป็นผู้ผลิตภาพยนตร์ที่ทำรายได้สูงสุดตลอดกาลอันดับที่ 25 ผลงานต่าง ๆ ของเขาได้แก่ Fast and Furious 2-6, 300, Social Network, Limitless, Fighter, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers และ Mama Mia! Kavanaugh และ Proxima เป็นผู้บุกเบิกข้อตกลงทางการเงินรูปแบบใหม่ให้กับ Marvel หลังจากที่ล้มละลาย ทำให้สตูดิโอและโครงสร้างทางการเงินเดินหน้าและนำไปสู่การเป็น Marvel Cinematic Universe เขาสร้างหมวดหมู่ SVOD (สตรีมมิง) กับ Netflix ซึ่งทำให้มูลค่าการตลาดของบริษัทเพิ่มขึ้นจาก 2 ดอลลาร์สหรัฐฯเป็น 1 หมื่นล้านดอลลาร์สหรัฐฯ Kavanaugh เป็นผู้ก่อตั้งร่วมของ Triller ซึ่งเป็นหนึ่งในสามแพลตฟอร์มสำหรับครีเอเตอร์ที่เติบโตเร็วที่สุด เมื่อไม่นานมานี้เขายังได้เป็นผู้นำการเข้าซื้อกิจการ การควบรวมกิจการ และการเปิดตัวใหม่ของแอปโซเชียลมีเดียและเพลง

นอกจากนี้ เขายังได้สร้างบริษัทโทรทัศน์ที่ทรงอิทธิพล ซึ่งปัจจุบันเป็นที่รู้จักกันในชื่อ Critical Content โดยเป็นบริษัทผลิตรายการยอดนิยมอย่าง Catfish ทาง MTV และ Limitless ทาง CBS ซึ่งเขาได้ขายไปในราคา 200 ล้านเหรียญสหรัฐฯ โดยบริษัทดังกล่าวมีละครโทรทัศน์ 40 เรื่อง ใน 19 เครือข่ายก่อนที่จะขายไป Kavanaugh ประสบความสำเร็จและได้รับรางวัลมากมาย ตั้งแต่ Producer of the Year Award ของ Variety ไปจนถึง Leadership Award ของ The Hollywood Reporter นอกจากนี้ยังได้รับรางวัลตั้งแต่รางวัล 40 Under 40 Most Influencely People in Business ของ Fortune ตลอดจน Fortune 400 ของ Forbes, Billion-Dollar Producer ของ Daily Variety และ the 100 Most Influential People in the World ของ Vanity Fair

เกี่ยวกับ Entertainment Stock Exchange (“ESX”)
Entertainment Stock X (ESX) เป็นแพลตฟอร์มรายแรกที่ช่วยให้ผู้ใช้และแฟน ๆ สามารถลงทุนในโปรเจ็กต์ภาพยนตร์และความบันเทิงต่าง ๆ ผ่าน Jobs Act ซึ่งเป็นแพลตฟอร์มนวัตกรรมสำหรับการจัดหาเงินทุนในด้านความบันเทิง บริษัทจะช่วยเติมเต็มความต้องการในการจัดหาเงินทุนที่มีรูปแบบใหม่และมีประสิทธิภาพมากขึ้นให้กับผู้สร้างภาพยนตร์ ESX ช่วยให้ผู้สร้างภาพยนตร์สามารถสร้างความสัมพันธ์ทางการตลาดที่มีคุณค่ากับแฟน ๆ ได้โดยตรง และทำให้แฟน ๆ สามารถลงทุนในภาพยนตร์ได้เป็นครั้งแรก ดูข้อมูลเพิ่มเติมได้ที่ ESX.io

ติดต่อด้านสื่อ

Michelle Vieyra
Jive PR + Digital
202-415-7714
michelle@jiveprdigital.com
www.jiveprdigital.com

Isuzu Australia Limited drives forward with HERE Technologies for navigation services

ISUZU-F-SERIES-NAV1-SCREEN

Isuzu F Series HERE Navigation Screen

  • Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) has deployed HERE Navigation in its new 2022 model year F Series, FX Series and FY Series trucks sold in Australia.
  • HERE Navigation enables IAL to add enhanced navigation services to its market leading medium duty and heavy-duty model offering.

April 28, 2022

Melbourne – Isuzu Trucks, the market leading heavy commercial vehicle brand in Australia, today announced that it has deployed HERE Navigation, an off-the-shelf navigation solution for embedded in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) platforms, in its new 2022 model year F Series, FX Series and FY Series trucks sold in the country. HERE Navigation optimizes Isuzu’s fleet operations with a connected in-vehicle navigation system from HERE Technologies, the leading location data and technology platform.

According to Isuzu’s Future of Trucking Report[1], fleet operators are seeking increased safety and business efficiency dividends from the technology incorporated in their road transport equipment.

With the new 2022 F Series, FX Series and FY Series trucks equipped with HERE Navigation, Isuzu truck drivers are able to receive the latest, updated and accurate maps, live traffic, and recommended truck routes to complete their jobs, by using mobile phone data from a tethered smartphone. This fully integrated solution will be deployed on Isuzu’s embedded IVI platform – the MyIsuzu Co-Pilot, so drivers receive guidance on the go for safe driving.

“HERE Navigation gives us the flexibility and agility required to offer one of the most interactive and intuitive navigation experiences on the market. The accurate maps and location data ensure that our operators have the latest route and navigation information available,” said Grant Cooper, Chief of Strategy at IAL.

“When it comes to connectivity, Isuzu strives to be flexible and offer our customers the right data to meet their specific business needs. From a navigation standpoint, HERE Navigation allows us to do just that with an innovative approach.”

Daniel Antonello, General Manager of Australia and New Zealand at HERE Technologies said, “The Australian truck and road transportation industry is going through major changes exacerbated by the pandemic. With road freight demand expected to increase in the coming years, it’s important that we leverage the best location technology to ensure that drivers are driving safely and efficiently. We’re proud that HERE is able to support Isuzu as they continue to enhance its product offerings in Australia and cement their position as the country’s truck market leader.”

Media contacts
Isuzu Australia Limited
Sam Gangemi
Marketing and Advertising Manager
+61 407 837 977
sam.gangemi@isuzu.net.au

HERE Technologies
Camy Cheng
+65 9088 4127
Camy.cheng@here.com

About HERE Technologies
HERE, the location data and technology platform, moves people, businesses and cities forward by harnessing the power of location. By leveraging our open platform, we empower our customers to achieve better outcomes – from helping a city manage its infrastructure or a business optimize its assets to guiding drivers to their destination safely. To learn more about HERE, please visit www.here.com and http://360.here.com.

About Isuzu Trucks
Isuzu Truck’s promise to deliver a premium product to the Australian market has been proudly and consistently upheld. The measure of our commitment is reflected in the number of trucks on the road that bear our marque, and the number of successful companies relying on Isuzu trucks every day. When we talk about reliability, we’re not just talking about trucks, but also about people and indeed our entire philosophy. In addition to our in-house Customer Care Centre, customers also have access to an extensive range of service and support programs designed to ensure that Isuzu truck ownership is a positive and rewarding experience for all concerned.


[1] Future of Trucking Report: The Road Ahead, Isuzu Truck

Attachments

Amlan International Launches Two New Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics for Poultry and Livestock

  • Amlan has expanded its broad portfolio of animal health feed additives to include a natural alternative to anticoccidial drugs and vaccines and a natural pathogen control product for antibiotic-free production.
  • Increasing demand for antibiotic-free production has created the need for solutions like Phylox® Feed and NeutraPath® that can reduce the negative health and production effects of enteric disease.
  • The new products are commercially available in select international markets and can be used alone or in combination with products from Amlan’s comprehensive range of mineral-based feed additives.

CHICAGO, April 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The removal of in-feed antibiotics from poultry and livestock production has left a huge gap in the protection of animals from the devastating effects of enteric disease. To help producers recapture this protection, Amlan International, the animal health business of Oil-Dri® Corporation of America, has launched two new natural products — Phylox® Feed and NeutraPath® — that help optimize intestinal health and production economics in the absence of antibiotics.

Phylox Feed is a natural alternative to anticoccidial drugs and vaccines that can help producers increase profitability. Coccidiosis, caused by Eimeria species, is an enteric disease that can have a significant economic impact on animal protein production. The synergistic blend of bioactive phytochemicals in Phylox work together with multiple modes of action to damage Eimeria cell structure and function while strengthening intestinal integrity and boosting immunity. Phylox can be effective for full-time use or in rotation, and/or in a bio-shuttle program when resistance is a concern. In addition, Phylox does not need to be withdrawn from feed prior to slaughter. Phylox is an ideal solution for all poultry species, including broilers, egg layers and broiler breeders, all of which can be sensitive to fungal and bacterial toxins during grow-out and egg production when exposed to fecal oocysts that are being shed as coccidia cycle. Research has shown that Phylox can be fed concurrently with anticoccidial vaccines, preventing disease breakthrough while immunity is being developed by the bird without interfering with vaccine efficacy. 

“The most important goal for producers is to keep animals healthy. Producers grow animals to a certain size, and they don’t want to lose them in the last few days of their growth development,” said Fred Kao, VP of Global Sales for Amlan. “The launch of Phylox and NeutraPath will be a huge benefit to the animal protein industry. Animals can remain healthy and reach their full potential, naturally.”

NeutraPath is a natural pathogen control product for antibiotic-free production that uses multiple modes of action to increase livability and improve feed conversion. Using a proprietary and co-active blend of essential oils, fatty acids and Amlan’s proprietary mineral technology, NeutraPath reduces pathogenic bacterial load and colonization, and improves intestinal health and structural integrity, all of which contribute to improved performance and increased production yields.

“Managing enteric disease without antibiotics has placed extra pressure on nutritionists and veterinarians to find natural solutions that can achieve the same level of performance observed with antibiotic use,” said Dr. Wade Robey, VP of Marketing and Product Development for Amlan. “NeutraPath has answered the call for a natural product that targets pathogens and the toxins they produce — and it improves intestinal health, as well. It’s the natural alternative to antibiotics that the animal protein industry has been waiting for.”

NeutraPath can be used to protect the intestinal health of all livestock species. The Journal of Animal Science recently published a study by UC Davis researchers on the effects of NeutraPath in weaned pigs challenged with enterotoxigenic E. coli. NeutraPath reduced the incidence of severe diarrhea, enhanced feed efficiency during the last week of the study and modified fecal and ileal mucosa microbiota diversity.

Both of the new products can be used individually or in a program with Amlan’s mineral-based products, like Calibrin®-Z and patented Varium® and NeoPrime®, to help support gut health and improve productivity and efficiency.

Phylox and NeutraPath are commercially available in select international markets. While not available for sale in the United States, North American customers interested in NeutraPath and Phylox can contact Amlan for more information on similar feed additives available in the U.S. that were developed to optimize intestinal health in production animals.

Amlan invests heavily in R&D to produce well-validated products both in vitro and in animals, and they are also working directly with customers to assess the commercial performance of their new products. Producers interested in testing the products for themselves can contact Amlan at info@amlan.com.

Company Information

Amlan is the animal health business of Oil-Dri Corporation of America, leading global manufacturer and marketer of sorbent minerals. Oil-Dri leverages over 80 years of expertise in mineral science to selectively mine and process their unique mineral for consumer and business-to-business markets. Oil-Dri Corporation of America doing business as “Amlan International” is a publicly traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ODC). Amlan International sells feed additives across the world. Product availability may vary by country; associated claims do not constitute medical claims and may differ based on government requirements.

Reagan Culbertson
Media Contact
press@amlan.com

The Republic of the Marshall Islands will become first Pacific island nation to publish fishing activity to Global Fishing Watch map

Global Fishing Watch commends the Republic of Marshall Islands’ leadership toward fisheries transparency

KOROR, THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU, April 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — KOROR, THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU – The Republic of the Marshall Islands has committed to sharing its vessel monitoring data on Global Fishing Watch’s public map, bolstering ocean governance and promoting compliance throughout some of the world’s richest fishing grounds. This momentous decision was announced on April 14, 2022 at the seventh Our Oceans Conference by the Honorable John M. Silk, Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce for the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The declaration marks the first Pacific island nation to make its fishing activity visible to the world.

The partnership agreement was signed between the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) and Global Fishing Watch, symbolizing the two organizations’ dedication to advancing transparency of fishing activities in the Pacific Islands region, home to the world’s most productive tuna fisheries.

All vessels flying the Marshall Islands’ flag and foreign vessels fishing in its fishery waters will appear on Global Fishing Watch’s map through the integration of the government’s vessel monitoring system (VMS) data. These vessels primarily target tropical tuna species of the Western and Central Pacific ocean, which hold environmental, economic and cultural significance across the region’s island nations—around half of the world’s tuna catch comes from these waters.

“There is real value in open data when it comes to monitoring the ocean,” said Glen Joseph, Director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority. “By making its fishing activity visible on the Global Fishing Watch map, the Republic of the Marshall Islands is helping demonstrate compliance. We hope the data-led insights complement already existing monitoring, control and surveillance tools to validate what is being reported by flag States and strengthen the way fisheries are managed.”

“Global Fishing Watch is honored to be partnering with the Marshall Islands to build greater transparency of fishing activity in the Pacific,” said Tony Long, chief executive officer of Global Fishing Watch. “This progressive decision will help facilitate accountability and good behavior in the region and support a more sustainable future by strengthening fisheries monitoring.”

“Our partnership with Global Fishing Watch is an important element of our regional commitment to combat IUU fishing,” said the Honorable John Silk, Minister for Natural Resources and Commerce, Republic of the Marshall Islands. “In 2018, Marshall Islands’ President Hilda Heine set out a bold vision of an IUU-free Pacific by 2023. Other Micronesian presidents signed onto that challenge the following year. To achieve this ambitious goal, we must harness innovative technologies to protect our marine resources and the livelihoods of Pacific people.”

Global Fishing Watch uses publicly broadcast automatic identification system data to track close to 70,000 commercial fishing vessels operating globally. Adding VMS data, which is required by many governments, provides an even clearer view of global fishing activity. The data can assist fishers abiding by the rules through faster, more efficient port entry and provide opportunities to implement regulatory and market incentives to reward them.

A country of coral islands and atolls spread out over 750,000 square miles (1.94 million square kilometers) of ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines, the Marshall Islands relies heavily on revenue from the tuna industry–well over one-third of the government’s domestic revenue comes from the tuna sector.

As a member of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and one of eight Parties to the Nauru Agreement, this independent small island developing State recognizes the importance of collaboration to secure sustainable fisheries. Enhanced monitoring and regional solidarity across FFA’s 17 Members has led to a decrease in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing throughout the Pacific, according to a recent quantification study which, in part, used Global Fishing Watch data to examine vessel activity throughout the region’s waters.

 

MIMRA’s fisheries MCS systems are state-of-the-art, and are backed by the resources of the FFA’s Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre. Their monitoring systems build on an innovative management approach used by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement that caps regional fishing activity to support conservation and economic goals. With Global Fishing Watch now available to support and complement existing efforts, the Marshall Islands is taking the next step toward embracing fisheries transparency.

“Transparency can help vessel operators publicly demonstrate compliance and show their commitment to implementing relevant conservation measures,” added Tony Long. “We believe the Marshall Islands’ pioneering leadership will encourage other Pacific nations, as well as industry stakeholders, to embrace transparency in support of enhanced ocean governance.”

 

The Marshall Islands joins a growing group of countries that are already publicly sharing their VMS data through Global Fishing Watch, including Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru. Transparency of its fishing activity demonstrates the Marshall Islands’ steadfast commitment towards compliance and will help amplify management and coordination efforts undertaken by the FFA. Global Fishing Watch’s international program to advance ocean governance through greater transparency is made possible with the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies.

###

Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all.

globalfishingwatch.org

Attachments


Kimberly Vosburgh
Global Fishing Watch
KIMBERLY@GLOBALFISHINGWATCH.ORG

ResMed Announces Participation in the 24th Annual Macquarie Australia Conference

SAN DIEGO, April 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD) today announced Brett Sandercock, chief financial officer, will present virtually at the Macquarie Australia Conference on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, beginning at approximately 8:45 a.m. (Australian Eastern Standard Time) via video webcast.

More information about this event, including access to the live webcast, may be accessed by visiting http://investor.resmed.com. The webcast replay will be available approximately 24 hours after the live webcast ends and will be accessible through August 1, 2022.

About ResMed
At ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD) we pioneer innovative solutions that treat and keep people out of the hospital, empowering them to live healthier, higher-quality lives. Our digital health technologies and cloud-connected medical devices transform care for people with sleep apnea, COPD, and other chronic diseases. Our comprehensive out-of-hospital software platforms support the professionals and caregivers who help people stay healthy in the home or care setting of their choice. By enabling better care, we improve quality of life, reduce the impact of chronic disease, and lower costs for consumers and healthcare systems in more than 140 countries. To learn more, visit ResMed.com and follow @ResMed.

For investors For media 
Amy Wakeham Jayme Rubenstein
+1 858.836.5000 +1 858.836.6798
investorrelations@resmed.com news@resmed.com

WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Reports First Quarter 2022 Results

Growth Compounds Across All Segments Increasing 2022 Outlook

PHOENIX, April 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. (“WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: WSC), the North American leader in innovative flexible work space and portable storage solutions, today announced first quarter 2022 results and provided an update on operations and the current market environment, including the following highlights:

  • Growth in all segments with strong commercial execution resulted in first quarter revenue of $509 million, net income of $51 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of $192 million.
  • Closed three acquisitions year to date through April 2022 with robust pipeline for Q2 and Q3.
  • Generated $55 million of Free Cash Flow in the quarter and Free Cash Flow Margin of 13% over the last twelve months while investing for future growth.
  • Returned $77 million to shareholders by repurchasing 2.1 million shares and stock equivalents in the quarter, reducing economic share count by 3.8% over the last twelve months as of March 31, 20221.
  • Increased full-year 2022 Adjusted EBITDA outlook to $860 million to $900 million, representing 16% to 22% growth versus 2021.

Brad Soultz, Chief Executive Officer of WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings, commented “Our first quarter 2022 results exceeded our expectations across all segments and aspects of our business. Importantly, units on rent, pricing, and value added products and services (VAPS) are up year-over-year in all segments, and we expect to continue driving sequential improvements in these KPIs through 2022 and into 2023. Our NA Modular segment average units on rent (UOR) inflected positively and end of quarter UOR increased sequentially from December 31, 2021 by approximately 1,800 units, or 2%. Top line growth was driven by organic volume increases and acquisitions, along with sustained outperformance in rates. Average rental rate increased by 20% year-over-year, inclusive of VAPS, which represents over four years of sustained double-digit rate increases in our NA Modular segment. In NA Storage, average rental rate further accelerated, up 12% year-over-year, marking our first quarter of double digit rate growth. Average portable storage units on rent for the NA Storage and NA Modular segments combined increased approximately 32,000 units, or 27%, driven by organic growth and acquisitions.”

Soultz continued, “We entered Q2 with a record order backlog and broad-based end market strength. While we acknowledge other macroeconomic uncertainties, we expect robust demand to continue into 2023 given our order backlog, prospects for infrastructure investment, net positive inflationary environment, our own national account conversations, and the 14th month of ABI expansion, which is a strong leading indicator for our non-residential construction customers. I would like to express appreciation to both our team and our customers for their trust as we continue generating undeniable and accelerating commercial momentum, which is underpinned by a portfolio of idiosyncratic and highly predictable growth initiatives. We continue to supplement our organic momentum with smart, disciplined acquisitions, with three acquisitions year-to-date through April, and a robust pipeline looking forward. The compounding effect of these growth levers and our end market conviction causes us to increase our outlook for 2022, which inherently implies further acceleration to our run-rate heading into 2023. We are on track to achieve the ambitious three to five year milestones that we laid out at our November 8th Investor Day.”

Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands, except share data) 2022 2021
Revenue $ 508,894 $ 425,323
Consolidated net income $ 51,171 $ 4,447
Adjusted EBITDA2 $ 191,823 $ 163,585
Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%)2 37.7 % 38.5 %
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 145,527 $ 122,071
Free Cash Flow2 $ 54,624 $ 91,160
Fully Diluted Shares Outstanding 228,955,504 234,720,295
Free Cash Flow Margin (%)2 10.7 % 21.4 %
Return on Invested Capital2 11.3 % 10.3 %
Three Months Ended March 31,
Adjusted EBITDA by Segment (in thousands)2 2022 2021
NA Modular $ 103,948 $ 97,371
NA Storage 63,825 46,322
UK Storage 12,544 11,064
Tank and Pump 11,506 8,828
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA $ 191,823 $ 163,585

First Quarter 2022 Results2

Tim Boswell, President and Chief Financial Officer of WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings, commented “Our outstanding results in the first quarter reflect a continuation of the trends we saw exiting 2021. Our commercial momentum in particular is exceeding our own high expectations and we continue to invest accordingly. Leasing revenue increased $78 million or 25% year-over-year, driven by strength across all leasing KPIs and in all segments. Gross Profit Margin expanded by 227 basis points, led by our improved delivery and installation margins, which is indicative of our ability to pass through inflationary pressures. And we continue to ramp up resources, particularly in the areas of sales and direct labor, to support our growing demand backlog with total headcount up 12% year-over-year and up 3% sequentially from the fourth quarter. These factors resulted in Adjusted EBITDA of $192 million, representing a 17% increase year-over-year.”

Boswell continued, “Cash flow from operations continued to accelerate up 19% year-over-year to $146 million, and we reinvested aggressively based on the results we saw from our growth initiatives. We invested $91 million in Net Capex, which was demand-driven and focused on organic portable storage unit acquisition, modular refurbishments, and VAPS, leaving $55 million of Free Cash Flow during the quarter. Finally, we closed one acquisition during the quarter and another two transactions in April. And we returned $77 million to shareholders by repurchasing 2.1 million shares during the quarter. All of this is consistent with our long-term capital allocation and value creation frameworks.”

“Given the strong performance of the business year-to-date and our outlook for the remainder of the year, we are raising our guidance to $2.1B to $2.2B of revenue and $860 million to $900 million of Adjusted EBITDA. At the midpoints of these ranges, Adjusted EBITDA margin would expand approximately 200 basis points year-over-year and put us on an exciting run-rate heading into 2023. Regardless of the economic backdrop, we are focused on the levers within our control to grow our predictable reoccurring revenue streams, compound cash generation, and drive even higher returns on invested capital, and we expect outstanding results in the remainder of 2022.”

NA Modular

  • Revenue of $299.7 million increased by 12.6% year-over-year.
    • Average modular space monthly rental rate increased $147 year-over-year, or 19.9% to $884.
    • Average modular space units on rent increased 212 units year-over-year, or 0.3% to 85,007, consistent with our expectations for UOR inflection in the first half of 2022. Sequentially from December 31, 2021, modular space units on rent increased by approximately 1,800 units, or 2.1%. Excluding units acquired from acquisitions during the quarter, sequential modular space units on rent from December 31, 2021 increased by approximately 1,400 units, or 1.7%.
    • Value-Added Products and Services (VAPS) average monthly rate increased $57 year-over-year, or 29% to $251. For delivered units over the last twelve months, VAPS average monthly rate increased $70 year-over-year, or 21%, to $407.
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $103.9 million increased by 6.7% year-over-year. The transfer of the NA Modular portable storage fleet to the NA Storage segment in Q3 2021 represented a decline of about $5 million of revenue and EBITDA in Q1 2022, which has not been adjusted historically.

NA Storage

  • Revenue of $151.5 million increased by 40.5% year-over-year.
    • Average portable storage monthly rental rate increased $18 year-over-year, or 12.2% to $166.
    • Average portable storage units on rent increased by 46,516 units year-over-year, or 44.0% to 152,326. Of this increase, approximately 19,000 units on rent were driven by organic volume growth. The remainder of the increase was driven by the acquisition of approximately 15,500 average units on rent during Q3 and Q4 2021 and the transfer of approximately 12,000 units from NA Modular (legacy WillScot) into the NA Storage segment that was completed in Q3 2021.
    • Average modular space monthly rental rate increased $59 year-over-year, or 11.0%, to $594, and modular space average units on rent increased 2,120 year-over-year, or 12.9%, to 18,559.
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $63.8 million increased by 37.8% year-over-year. The transfer of the NA Modular portable storage fleet to the NA Storage segment in Q3 2021 represented an increase of about $5 million of revenue and EBITDA in Q1 2022, which has not been adjusted historically.

UK Storage

  • Revenue of $27.4 million increased 1.5% year-over-year, driven by continued strong price and volume trends partially offset by the impact of unfavorable foreign exchange rates, and Adjusted EBITDA of $12.5 million increased by 12.6%.

Tank and Pump

  • Revenue of $30.3 million increased 24.7% year-over-year, driven by tightening OEC utilization, and Adjusted EBITDA of $11.5 million increased by 30.7%.

Capitalization and Liquidity Update2

As of March 31, 2022

  • Repurchased 2.1 million shares of Common Stock and stock equivalents for $77 million in the first quarter 2022, contributing to a 3.8% reduction in our economic share count over the last twelve months. As of March 31, 2022, $879 million of the $1.0 billion share repurchase authorization remained.
  • $647 million of excess availability under the asset-based revolving credit facility, a flexible covenant structure, and accelerating free cash flow provide ample liquidity to fund multiple capital allocation priorities.
  • Weighted average interest rate is approximately 3.9% and annual cash interest expense based on the current debt structure is approximately $113 million.
  • No debt maturities prior to 2025.
  • Maintained leverage at 3.6x last-twelve-months Adjusted EBITDA of $769 million and maintaining our target range of 3.0x to 3.5x.

2022 Outlook 2, 3, 4

This guidance is subject to risks and uncertainties, including those described in “Forward-Looking Statements” below.

2021 Results Prior 2022 Outlook Current 2022 Outlook
Revenue $1,895 million $1,925 million – $2,025 million $2,100 million – $2,200 million
Adjusted EBITDA1,2 $740 million $810 million – $850 million $860 million – $900 million
Net CAPEX2,3 $237 million $225 million – $275 million $275 million – $325 million
1 – Assumes common shares outstanding plus treasury stock method from warrants outstanding as of 3/31/2021 versus 3/31/2022 and the closing stock price of $39.13 on 3/31/2022.
2 – Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow Margin, Net Income Excluding Gain/Loss from Warrants, and Return on Invested Capital are non-GAAP financial measures. Further information and reconciliations for these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable financial measure under generally accepted accounting principles in the US (“GAAP”) is included at the end of this press release.
3 – Information reconciling forward-looking Adjusted EBITDA and Net CAPEX to GAAP financial measures is unavailable to the Company without unreasonable effort and therefore no reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measures is provided.
4 – Net CAPEX is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see the non-GAAP reconciliation tables included at the end of this press release.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures, including Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow Margin, Return on Invested Capital, Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage, Net Income Excluding Gain/Loss from Warrants, and Net CAPEX. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) plus net interest (income) expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation and amortization adjusted to exclude certain non-cash items and the effect of what we consider transactions or events not related to our core business operations, including net currency gains and losses, goodwill and other impairment charges, restructuring costs, costs to integrate acquired companies, costs incurred related to transactions, non-cash charges for stock compensation plans, gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value and extinguishment of common stock warrant liabilities, and other discrete expenses. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is defined as Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue. Free Cash Flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities, less purchases of, and proceeds from, rental equipment and property, plant and equipment, which are all included in cash flows from investing activities. Free Cash Flow Margin is defined as Free Cash Flow divided by revenue. Return on Invested Capital is defined as adjusted earnings before interest and amortization divided by net assets. Adjusted earnings before interest and amortization is the sum of income (loss) before income tax expense, net interest (income) expense, amortization adjusted for non-cash items considered non-core to business operations including net currency (gains) losses, goodwill and other impairment charges, restructuring costs, costs to integrate acquired companies, non-cash charges for stock compensation plans, gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value and extinguishment of common stock warrant liabilities, and other discrete expenses, reduced by our estimated statutory tax rate. Given we are not a significant US taxpayer due to our current tax attributes, we include estimated taxes at our current statutory tax rate of approximately 25%. Net assets is total assets less goodwill and intangible assets, net and all non-interest bearing liabilities and is calculated as a five quarter average. Adjusted Gross Profit is defined as gross profit plus depreciation of rental equipment. Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage is defined as Adjusted Gross Profit divided by revenue. Net Income Excluding Gain/Loss from Warrants is defined as net income plus or minus the change in the fair value of the common stock warrant liability. Net CAPEX is defined as purchases of rental equipment and refurbishments and purchases of property, plant and equipment (collectively, “Total Capital Expenditures”), less proceeds from the sale of rental equipment and proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment (collectively, “Total Proceeds”), which are all included in cash flows from investing activities. The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are useful to investors because they (i) allow investors to compare performance over various reporting periods on a consistent basis by removing from operating results the impact of items that do not reflect core operating performance; (ii) are used by our board of directors and management to assess our performance; (iii) may, subject to the limitations described below, enable investors to compare the performance of the Company to its competitors; (iv) provide additional tools for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends; and (v) align with definitions in our credit agreement. The Company believes that Free Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow Margin are useful to investors because they allow investors to compare cash generation performance over various reporting periods and against peers. The Company believes that Return on Invested Capital provides information about the long-term health and profitability of the business relative to the Company’s cost of capital. The Company believes that Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage are useful to investors because they allow investors to assess gross profit excluding non-cash expenses, which provides useful information regarding our results of operations and assists in analyzing the underlying performance of our business. The Company believes that Net Income Excluding Gain/Loss from Warrants is useful to investors because it removes the impact of stock market volatility from our operational results. The Company believes that the presentation of Net CAPEX provides useful information to investors regarding the net capital invested into our rental fleet and plant, property and equipment each year to assist in analyzing the performance of our business. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and, accordingly, should not be considered as an alternative to net income or cash flow from operating activities as an indicator of operating performance or liquidity. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as an alternative to, financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may calculate Adjusted EBITDA and other non-GAAP financial measures differently, and therefore the Company’s non-GAAP financial measures may not be directly comparable to similarly-titled measures of other companies. For reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures used in this press release (except as explained below), see “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” included in this press release.

Information reconciling forward-looking Adjusted EBITDA to GAAP financial measures is unavailable to the Company without unreasonable effort. We cannot provide reconciliations of forward-looking Adjusted EBITDA to GAAP financial measures because certain items required for such reconciliations are outside of our control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted, such as the provision for income taxes. Preparation of such reconciliations would require a forward-looking balance sheet, statement of income and statement of cash flow, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and such forward-looking financial statements are unavailable to the Company without unreasonable effort. Although we provide a range of Adjusted EBITDA that we believe will be achieved, we cannot accurately predict all the components of the Adjusted EBITDA calculation. The Company provides Adjusted EBITDA guidance because we believe that Adjusted EBITDA, when viewed with our results under GAAP, provides useful information for the reasons noted above.

Conference Call Information

WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its first quarter 2022 results and outlook at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, April 28, 2022. The live call may be accessed by dialing (866) 374-5140, PIN: 33660311# (US/Canada toll-free) or (404) 400-0571, PIN: 33660311# (international) and asking to be connected to the WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings call. A live webcast will also be accessible via the “Events & Presentations” section of the Company’s investor relations website www.willscotmobilemini.com. Choose “Events” and select the information pertaining to the WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings First Quarter 2022 Conference Call. Additionally, there will be slides accompanying the webcast. Please allow at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary software. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, an audio webcast of the call will be available for 60 days on the Company’s investor relations website.

About WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings

WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings trades on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol “WSC.” Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, the Company is a leading business services provider specializing in innovative flexible workspace and portable storage solutions. WillScot Mobile Mini services diverse end markets across all sectors of the economy from a network of approximately 280 branch locations and additional drop lots throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements (including the guidance/outlook contained herein) within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “shall,” “outlook” and variations of these words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. Certain of these forward-looking statements include statements relating to: robust demand continuing, our ability to continue acceleration of commercial momentum, our pipeline, further acceleration of our run rate, the timing of our achievement of our three to five year milestones, our ability to grow predictable reoccurring revenue streams, compound cash generation, drive higher returns on invested capital, and Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside our control, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they are predictions and we can give no assurance that any such forward-looking statement will materialize. Important factors that may affect actual results or outcomes include, among others, our ability to acquire and integrate new assets and operations; our ability to achieve planned synergies related to acquisitions; our ability to manage growth and execute our business plan; our estimates of the size of the markets for our products; the rate and degree of market acceptance of our products; the success of other competing modular space and portable storage solutions that exist or may become available; rising costs adversely affecting our profitability; potential litigation involving our Company; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for our products and services; our ability to maintain an effective system of internal controls; and such other risks and uncertainties described in the periodic reports we file with the SEC from time to time (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021), which are available through the SEC’s EDGAR system at www.sec.gov and on our website. Any forward-looking statement speaks only at the date which it is made, and the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

Additional information can be found on the company’s website at www.willscotmobilemini.com.

Contact Information
Investor Inquiries: Media Inquiries:
Nick Girardi Scott Junk
investors@willscotmobilemini.com scott.junk@willscotmobilemini.com
WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands, except share and per share data) 2022 2021
Revenues:
Leasing and services revenue:
Leasing $ 393,192 $ 315,662
Delivery and installation 100,331 83,504
Sales revenue:
New units 6,597 10,955
Rental units 8,774 15,202
Total revenues 508,894 425,323
Costs:
Costs of leasing and services:
Leasing 88,878 69,895
Delivery and installation 81,515 70,136
Costs of sales:
New units 4,326 7,109
Rental units 5,144 9,105
Depreciation of rental equipment 62,216 55,698
Gross profit 266,815 213,380
Expenses:
Selling, general and administrative 150,210 117,329
Other depreciation and amortization 19,604 18,324
Lease impairment expense and other related charges 263 1,253
Restructuring costs 3,142
Currency losses, net 138 36
Other income, net (1,309 ) (1,988 )
Operating income 97,909 75,284
Interest expense 30,990 29,964
Fair value loss on common stock warrant liabilities 27,207
Loss on extinguishment of debt 3,185
Income before income tax 66,919 14,928
Income tax expense 15,748 10,481
Net income $ 51,171 $ 4,447
Earnings per share:
Basic $ 0.23 $ 0.02
Diluted $ 0.22 $ 0.02
Weighted average shares:
Basic 223,490,912 228,293,197
Diluted 228,955,504 234,720,295
Unaudited Segment Operating Data

Comparison of Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021

Three Months Ended March 31, 2022
(in thousands, except for units on rent and rates) NA Modular NA Storage UK Storage Tank and
Pump
Total
Revenue $ 299,686 $ 151,484 $ 27,440 $ 30,284 $ 508,894
Gross profit $ 128,931 $ 105,130 $ 17,921 $ 14,833 $ 266,815
Adjusted EBITDA $ 103,948 $ 63,825 $ 12,544 $ 11,506 $ 191,823
Capital expenditures for rental equipment $ 57,577 $ 20,171 $ 9,615 $ 7,873 $ 95,236
Average modular space units on rent 85,007 18,559 8,453 112,019
Average modular space utilization rate 67.0 % 76.3 % 73.7 % % 68.9 %
Average modular space monthly rental rate $ 884 $ 594 $ 428 $ $ 802
Average portable storage units on rent 463 152,326 27,448 180,237
Average portable storage utilization rate 52.6 % 83.2 % 89.8 % % 84.0 %
Average portable storage monthly rental rate $ 160 $ 166 $ 94 $ $ 155
Average tank and pump solutions rental fleet utilization based on original equipment cost N/A N/A N/A 75.8 % 75.8 %
Three Months Ended March 31, 2021
(in thousands, except for units on rent and rates) NA Modular NA Storage UK Storage Tank and
Pump
Total
Revenue $ 266,224 $ 107,748 $ 27,007 $ 24,344 $ 425,323
Gross profit $ 113,002 $ 72,619 $ 16,493 $ 11,266 $ 213,380
Adjusted EBITDA $ 97,371 $ 46,322 $ 11,064 $ 8,828 $ 163,585
Capital expenditures for rental equipment $ 39,135 $ 3,472 $ 6,770 $ 3,158 $ 52,535
Average modular space units on rent 84,795 16,439 9,115 110,349
Average modular space utilization rate 67.6 % 79.4 % 83.8 % % 70.3 %
Average modular space monthly rental rate $ 737 $ 535 $ 404 $ $ 679
Average portable storage units on rent 14,903 105,810 24,647 145,360
Average portable storage utilization rate 60.3 % 73.9 % 89.2 % % 74.4 %
Average portable storage monthly rental rate $ 124 $ 148 $ 82 $ $ 135
Average tank and pump solutions rental fleet utilization based on original equipment cost N/A N/A N/A 67.4 % 67.4 %
WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share data) March 31, 2022
(Unaudited)
December 31, 2021
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 11,321 $ 12,699
Trade receivables, net of allowances for credit losses at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 of $49,258 and $47,629, respectively 403,153 399,887
Inventories 39,885 32,739
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 40,283 36,761
Assets held for sale 954 954
Total current assets 495,596 483,040
Rental equipment, net 3,164,084 3,080,981
Property, plant and equipment, net 315,402 312,178
Operating lease assets 241,132 247,064
Goodwill 1,177,288 1,178,806
Intangible assets, net 453,785 460,678
Other non-current assets 10,486 10,852
Total long-term assets 5,362,177 5,290,559
Total assets $ 5,857,773 $ 5,773,599
Liabilities and equity
Accounts payable $ 135,355 $ 118,271
Accrued expenses 102,938 100,195
Accrued employee benefits 44,634 68,414
Deferred revenue and customer deposits 172,907 159,639
Operating lease liabilities – current 53,646 53,005
Current portion of long-term debt 19,792 18,121
Total current liabilities 529,272 517,645
Long-term debt 2,790,842 2,694,319
Deferred tax liabilities 367,480 354,879
Operating lease liabilities – non-current 187,930 194,256
Other non-current liabilities 16,064 15,737
Long-term liabilities 3,362,316 3,259,191
Total liabilities 3,891,588 3,776,836
Commitments and contingencies
Preferred Stock: $0.0001 par, 1,000,000 shares authorized and zero shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
Common Stock: $0.0001 par, 500,000,000 shares authorized and 223,174,389 and 223,939,527 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively 22 22
Additional paid-in-capital 3,536,906 3,616,902
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (30,824 ) (29,071 )
Accumulated deficit (1,539,919 ) (1,591,090 )
Total shareholders’ equity 1,966,185 1,996,763
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 5,857,773 $ 5,773,599

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to using GAAP financial measurements, we use certain non-GAAP financial information that we believe is important for purposes of comparison to prior periods and development of future projections and earnings growth prospects. This information is also used by management to measure the profitability of our ongoing operations and analyze our business performance and trends.

We evaluate business segment performance on Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure that excludes certain items as described in the reconciliation of our consolidated net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation below. We believe that evaluating segment performance excluding such items is meaningful because it provides insight with respect to intrinsic operating results of the Company.

We also regularly evaluate gross profit by segment to assist in the assessment of the operational performance of each operating segment. We consider Adjusted EBITDA to be the more important metric because it more fully captures the business performance of the segments, inclusive of indirect costs.

We also evaluate Free Cash Flow, a non-GAAP measure that provides useful information concerning cash flow available to fund our capital allocation alternatives.

Adjusted EBITDA

We define EBITDA as net income (loss) plus interest (income) expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation and amortization. Our adjusted EBITDA (“Adjusted EBITDA”) reflects the following further adjustments to EBITDA to exclude certain non-cash items and the effect of what we consider transactions or events not related to our core business operations:

  • Currency (gains) losses, net: on monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies other than the subsidiaries’ functional currency. Substantially all such currency gains (losses) are unrealized and attributable to financings due to and from affiliated companies.
  • Goodwill and other impairment charges related to non-cash costs associated with impairment charges to goodwill, other intangibles, rental fleet and property, plant and equipment.
  • Restructuring costs, lease impairment expense, and other related charges associated with restructuring plans designed to streamline operations and reduce costs including employee and lease termination costs.
  • Transaction costs including legal and professional fees and other transaction specific related costs.
  • Costs to integrate acquired companies, including outside professional fees, non-capitalized costs associated with system integrations, non-lease branch and fleet relocation expenses, employee training costs, and other costs required to realize cost or revenue synergies.
  • Non-cash charges for stock compensation plans.
  • Gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value and extinguishment of common stock warrant liabilities.
  • Other expense includes consulting expenses related to certain one-time projects, financing costs not classified as interest expense, and gains and losses on disposals of property, plant, and equipment.

Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider the measure in isolation or as a substitute for net income (loss), cash flow from operations or other methods of analyzing the Company’s results as reported under US GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

  • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for our working capital needs;
  • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our indebtedness;
  • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our tax expense or the cash requirements to pay our taxes;
  • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect historical cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
  • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the impact on earnings or changes resulting from matters that we consider not to be indicative of our future operations;
  • although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and
  • other companies in our industry may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.

Because of these limitations, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as discretionary cash available to reinvest in the growth of our business or as measures of cash that will be available to meet our obligations.

The following table provides an unaudited reconciliation of Net income to Adjusted EBITDA:

Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021
Net income $ 51,171 $ 4,447
Income tax expense 15,748 10,481
Loss on extinguishment of debt 3,185
Fair value loss on common stock warrant liabilities 27,207
Interest expense 30,990 29,964
Depreciation and amortization 81,820 74,022
Currency losses, net 138 36
Restructuring costs, lease impairment expense and other related charges 263 4,395
Transaction costs 20 844
Integration costs 4,087 7,342
Stock compensation expense 6,395 3,514
Other 1,191 (1,852 )
Adjusted EBITDA $ 191,823 $ 163,585

Net Income Excluding Gain/Loss from Warrants

We define Net Income Excluding Gain/Loss from Warrants as net income plus or minus the impact of the change in the fair value of the common stock warrant liability. Management believes that the presentation of our financial statements excluding the impact of this mark-to-market adjustment provides useful information regarding our results of operations and assists in the review of the actual operating performance of our business.

The following table provides an unaudited reconciliation of Net income to Net Income Excluding Gain/Loss from Warrants:

Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021
Net income $ 51,171 $ 4,447
Fair value loss on common stock warrant liabilities 27,207
Net Income Excluding Gain/Loss from Warrants $ 51,171 $ 31,654

Adjusted EBITDA Margin

We define Adjusted EBITDA Margin as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Revenue. Management believes that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA Margin provides useful information to investors regarding the performance of our business.

The following table provides an unaudited reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA Margin:

Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021
Adjusted EBITDA (A) $ 191,823 $ 163,585
Revenue (B) 508,894 425,323
Adjusted EBITDA Margin (A/B) 37.7 % 38.5 %
Net Income (C) $ 51,171 $ 4,447
Net Income Margin % (C/B) 10.1 % 1.0 %

Free Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow Margin

We define Free Cash Flow as net cash provided by operating activities, less purchases of, and proceeds from, rental equipment and property, plant and equipment, which are all included in cash flows from investing activities. Free Cash Flow Margin is defined as Free Cash Flow divided by Revenue. Management believes that the presentation of Free Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow Margin provides useful information to investors concerning cash flow available to fund our capital allocation alternatives.

The following table provides an unaudited reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to Free Cash Flow.

Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 145,527 $ 122,071
Purchase of rental equipment and refurbishments (95,236 ) (52,535 )
Proceeds from sale of rental equipment 14,554 15,202
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (10,481 ) (7,307 )
Proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment 260 13,729
Free Cash Flow (A) $ 54,624 $ 91,160
Revenue (B) $ 508,894 $ 425,323
Free Cash Flow Margin (A/B) 10.7 % 21.4 %
Net cash provided by operating activities (D) $ 145,527 $ 122,071
Net cash provided by operating activities margin (D/B) 28.6 % 28.7 %

Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage

We define Adjusted Gross Profit as gross profit plus depreciation on rental equipment. Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage is defined as Adjusted Gross Profit divided by Revenue. Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage are not measurements of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to gross profit, gross profit percentage, or other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. In addition, our measurement of Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Our management believes that the presentation of Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because it assists in analyzing the performance of our business.

The following table provides an unaudited reconciliation of gross profit to Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage.

Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021
Revenue (A) $ 508,894 $ 425,323
Gross profit (B) $ 266,815 $ 213,380
Depreciation of rental equipment 62,216 55,698
Adjusted Gross Profit (C) $ 329,031 $ 269,078
Gross Profit Percentage (B/A) 52.4 % 50.2 %
Adjusted Gross Profit Percentage (C/A) 64.7 % 63.3 %

Net CAPEX

We define Net CAPEX as purchases of rental equipment and refurbishments and purchases of property, plant and equipment (collectively, “Total Capital Expenditures”), less proceeds from the sale of rental equipment and proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment (collectively, “Total Proceeds”), which are all included in cash flows from investing activities. Our management believes that the presentation of Net CAPEX provides useful information to investors regarding the net capital invested into our rental fleet and plant, property and equipment each year to assist in analyzing the performance of our business.

The following table provides an unaudited reconciliation of Net CAPEX:

Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021
Total purchases of rental equipment and refurbishments $ (95,236 ) $ (52,535 )
Total proceeds from sale of rental equipment 14,554 15,202
Net CAPEX for Rental Equipment (80,682 ) (37,333 )
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (10,481 ) (7,307 )
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 260 13,729
Net CAPEX $ (90,903 ) $ (30,911 )

Return on Invested Capital

Return on Invested Capital is defined as adjusted earnings before interest and amortization divided by net assets. Adjusted earnings before interest and amortization is the sum of income (loss) before income tax expense, net interest (income) expense, amortization adjusted for non-cash items considered non-core to business operations including net currency (gains) losses, goodwill and other impairment charges, restructuring costs, costs to integrate acquired companies, non-cash charges for stock compensation plans, gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value and extinguishment of common stock warrant liabilities, and other discrete expenses, reduced by estimated taxes. Given we are not a significant US taxpayer due to our current tax attributes, we include estimated taxes at our current statutory tax rate of approximately 25%. Net assets is total assets less goodwill, and intangible assets, net and all non-interest bearing liabilities. Denominator is calculated as a five quarter average for annual metrics and two quarter average for quarterly metrics. The Company believes that Return on Invested Capital provides information about the long-term health and profitability of the business relative to the Company’s cost of capital.

The following table provides an unaudited reconciliation of Return on Invested Capital:

Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021
Total Assets $ 5,857,773 $ 5,538,875
Less: Goodwill (1,177,288 ) (1,179,421 )
Less: Intangible assets, net (453,785 ) (481,199 )
Less: Total Liabilities (3,891,588 ) (3,532,986 )
Add: Long Term Debt 2,790,842 2,454,024
Net Assets excluding interest bearing debt and goodwill and intangibles 3,125,954 2,799,293
Average Invested Capital (A) $ 3,088,776 $ 2,824,904
Adjusted EBITDA $ 191,823 $ 163,585
Less: Depreciation (75,178 ) (66,237 )
Adjusted EBITA (B) $ 116,645 $ 97,348
Statutory Tax Rate (C) 25 % 25 %
Estimated Tax (B*C) $ 29,161 $ 24,337
Adjusted earnings before interest and amortization (D) $ 87,484 $ 73,011
ROIC (D/A), annualized 11.3 % 10.3 %
Operating income (E) $ 97,909 $ 75,284
Total Assets (F) $ 5,857,773 $ 5,538,875
Operating income / Total Assets (E/F) 6.7 % 5.4 %


NATO must ensure Taiwan’s self-defense: U.K. foreign secretary

U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss highlighted the need to assist Taiwan and other democracies in the Indo-Pacific with self-defense to forestall threats in the region, as she spoke to diplomats in the United Kingdom on Wednesday.

“We need to pre-empt threats in the Indo-Pacific, working with our allies like Japan and Australia to ensure the Pacific is protected,” Truss said. “And we must ensure that democracies like Taiwan are able to defend themselves.”

Truss urged members of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to “strengthen our collective defense,” ahead of the NATO summit scheduled to be held in Madrid on June 29-30, as she gave a speech on foreign policy during an Easter banquet event held annually at Mansion House.

Truss said that NATO must ensure that Ukraine, the Western Balkans, and countries like Moldova and Georgia have the resilience and the capabilities to maintain their sovereignty and freedom.

If Finland and Sweden choose to join NATO in response to Russia’s aggression, NATO must integrate them as soon as possible, she told the attendees at the banquet including U.K. government officials and foreign diplomats.

“NATO’s open-door policy is sacrosanct,” she said.

Truss also argued that NATO must “have a global outlook,” ready to tackle global threats, as she cited democracies in the Indo-Pacific like Taiwan as an example NATO must help by enhancing its self-defense capability.

Meanwhile, Truss said one of the lessons learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was that economy plays a growing role in security, adding that the economic sanctions the West has put on Russia showed that economic access to democracies is “no longer a given,” but has to be earned.

Truss singled out China, saying that all countries, including China, must play by the rules. “They will not continue to rise if they don’t play by the rules.”

Beijing has not condemned Russian aggression, while Russian exports to China rose by almost a third in the first quarter of this year, she said.

Truss said China is also commenting on who should or should not be a member of NATO, rapidly building a military capable of projecting power deep into areas of European strategic interest and has sought to coerce Lithuania — as the Eastern Europe country has enhanced its ties with Taiwan.

She said that the rise of China “isn’t inevitable.”

“China needs trade with the G7. We represent half of the global economy. And we have choices,” Truss said. “We have shown with Russia the kind of choices we’re prepared to make when international rules are violated.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Thursday expressed gratitude to Truss for her speech about Taiwan, saying that Taiwan would continue to deepen cooperation with the U.K. and like-minded countries to ensure security across the Taiwan Strait and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Taiwan was determined to stand in full solidarity with democratic partners and carry on with enhancing its self-defense capability to deter aggression and expansion of authoritarian regimes for world peace and prosperity, MOFA added.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

U.S. recognizes Taiwan’s efforts to improve trade secrets protections

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) recognized Taiwan’s efforts to enhance trade secrets protections, while citing online piracy as an ongoing concern, in an annual report released Wednesday.

The 2022 Special 301 Report, which monitors intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement among U.S. trading partners, was the second to be published under the Biden administration by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

In the report, the USTR identified Taiwan, along with the European Union and Chile, as partners that have recently strengthened or are working to strengthen their trade secrets regimes.

While it did not cite any specific examples, Taiwan’s Legislature did recently amend a range of intellectual property laws as part of its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade pact.

The U.S. and Taiwan also met under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) framework in June 2021, to discuss “developments related to the enforcement of trade secrets protections, copyright legislation and digital piracy,” according to the report.

The report, however, identified Taiwan as one of 16 markets with “notable” levels of streaming content piracy through illicit streaming devices (ISDs) and illicit Internet Protocol Television (IPTC) service apps.

In addition to Taiwan, the other markets included China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, and Brazil.

China was also named as a manufacturing hub for piracy devices.

Meanwhile, the USTR maintained China’s place on a “priority watch list” — along with Argentina, Chile, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Venezuela — of countries with major deficiencies in their IP protections.

Although China passed a number of legal reforms in 2021 to strengthen such protections, the report said, it has yet to address issues such as weak enforcement channels and a lack of transparency and judicial independence.

The USTR also urged China to provide “a level playing field” in the area of IP protections, to refrain from requiring or pressuring technology transfer to Chinese companies, and to open to foreign investment and “embrace open and market-oriented policies.”

According to the report, Washington will continue to monitor Beijing’s progress in implementing its commitments under the Phase One trade agreement that the two countries signed in January 2020.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Presidential Office slams local newspaper for slight against U.S. senator

any acquisition or investment projects by the Taiwanese authorities should go through professional assessment and be conducted according to law.

The spokesman added that the UDN’s report served no good to Taiwan’s relationship with the U.S.

In a separate statement, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that the UDN report contained misleading information and would harm the partnership between Taiwan and the U.S.

Taiwan and the U.S. are close economic partners and bilateral trade and investment have been booming, MOFA noted, adding that such a relationship had contributed to Taiwan’s economy and the prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.

MOFA urged the newspaper to uphold professionalism and provide accurate information to the public.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Taiwan shares close up on positive earnings reports by tech firms

Shares in Taiwan bounced back Thursday from a slump the previous session, with the bellwether electronics sector leading the rebound, after two major semiconductor suppliers reported strong second-quarter net profits, dealers said.

Despite the gains, turnover remained moderate, as investors were cautious ahead of next week’s policymaking meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve, which has already kicked off an interest rate hike to tackle inflation, dealers said.

The Taiex, the weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), ended up 116.03 points, or 0.71 percent, at 16,419.38, after moving between 16,256.88 and 16,455.57. Turnover totaled NT$255.88 billion (US$8.67 billion).

The market opened up 0.29 percent, and buying soon accelerated, with the tech sector steaming ahead, led by contract chipmaker United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) and smartphone IC designer MediaTek Inc., which reported impressive first-quarter results on Wednesday, dealers said.

The electronics sector rose 1.06 percent, with the semiconductor sub-index ending up 1.39 percent, as investors ignored a lackluster finish of the tech-heavy Nasdaq index in the United States overnight.

“Investors seized on UMC and MediaTek’s first-quarter results to hunt bargains,” following the Taiex’s 2.05 percent drop on Wednesday, MasterLink Securities analyst Tom Tang said. “I suspect the buying came partly from government-led funds, which helped push up the entire index.”

UMC soared 9.23 percent to close at NT$48.50, after it reported a 24.2 percent growth in its first-quarter profit to a quarterly record of NT$19.81 billion, with earnings per share of NT$1.61.

The company also forecast continued growth of pricing power and sales in the second quarter, saying that strong demand for automotive electronics, industrial semiconductors and Internet chips will offset the weaker smartphone market.

MediaTek shares, meanwhile, ended 2.48 percent higher on Thursday at NT$828.00, after it reported a record first-quarter net profit of NT$33.26 billion, which was a quarterly increase of 10.7 percent, and an EPS of NT$21.02.

In its guidance, MediaTek said its second-quarter sales are expected to grow by a quarterly 3-10 percent and its 2022 revenue will increase by an annual 20 percent.

“The guidance by the two companies helped allay some worry among investors about demand, as the market has been bothered by the slowdown so far this year,” Tang said.

Among the other semiconductor heavyweights, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the most heavily weighted stock on the local market, rose 0.95 percent to close at NT$531.00, and display driver IC designer Novatek Microelectronics Corp. surged 5.23 percent to end at NT$382.50.

Also in the electronics sector, iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. gained 1.50 percent to close at NT$101.50, while flat panel makers AU Optronics Corp. and Innolux Corp. soared 4.91 percent and 6.49 percent, respectively, to end at NT$17.10 and NT$13.95, on expectations that product prices will soon bottom out.

Many old economy stocks also saw gains, led by the food sector, which rose 1.89 percent on bargain hunting, dealers said.

Uni-President Enterprises Corp., one of the country’s leading food brands, climbed 1.49 percent to close at NT$68.30, and rival Wei-Chuan Foods Corp. surged 4.09 percent to end at NT$22.90. In the financial sector, Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank rose 1.25 percent to close at NT$48.75, and Yunata Financial Holding Co. gained 0.97 percent to end at NT$26.00.

The transportation sector, where several major shipping stocks are traded, failed to ride the upturn, however, falling 1.13 percent.

Evergreen Marine Corp., the largest container cargo shipper in Taiwan, lost 1.43 percent to close at NT$138.00, and rivals Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. and Wan Hai Lines Ltd. dropped 0.41 percent and 1.39 percent, respectively, to end at NT$120.50 and NT$142.00.

“Before the Fed concludes its two-day policymaking meeting (that starts May 3), caution is expected to prevail in the markets at home and abroad, amid worry over a hawkish U.S. central bank,” Tang said. “In Taiwan, the Taiex is expected to keep moving in a narrow range, between 16,300 and 16,500 points, before the Fed meeting concludes.”

According to the TWSE, foreign institutional investors sold a net NT$15.85 billion worth of shares on the main board Thursday.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel