Balfour Beatty Posts Pretax Loss In H1 – Quick Facts

Balfour Beatty Plc (BBY.L) reported a loss before tax of 26 million pounds for the half-year ended 26 June 2020 compared to profit of 63 million pounds, previous year. Profit per share was 3.0 pence compared to 6.6 pence. Underlying loss from operations was at 14 million pounds compared to profit of 72 million pounds, prior year, principally due to impact of COVID-19.

First half Group revenue increased to 3.52 billion pounds from 3.40 billion pounds, prior year. Underlying revenue was up 6% (5% at CER) at 4.12 billion pounds. Group order book increased over 20% to 17.5 billion pounds.

The Board will look to re-instate the dividend as soon as is appropriate and will continue to review the Group’s capital structure and the potential for further distributions to shareholders.

Argentina ramps up action against illegal fishing

Argentina turns up the heat on illegal fishing by foreign boats.

Argentina is ramping up the defence of its maritime territories, to prevent illegal fishing by foreign boats and crew.

Countries across Latin America are concerned about Chinese ships entering their waters.

Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo reports from Buenos Aires.

UNICEF: Conflict in Syria forces children into child labour

The war is forcing Syria’s children to earn money to support their families.

Nearly five million children have been born in Syria since the civil war began, nine years ago.

The conflict has had a devastating effect on their lives, with many forced to drop out of school to support their families.

Aid agencies warn Syria’s deepening economic and currency crisis will push even more kids into child labour.

Al Jazeera’s Priyanka Gupta reports

Baxter Announces FDA Emergency Use Authorizations For HF20 Set, ST Set

Baxter International Inc. (BAX) has received Emergency Use Authorizations from FDA for
the company’s HF20 Set and ST Set used in continuous renal replacement therapy. Both the HF20 Set and ST Set can be used with the Prismaflex or PrisMax control units.

The HF20 Set is authorized to deliver continuous renal replacement therapy to treat patients of low weight (8-20 kg) and low blood volume who cannot tolerate a larger extracorporeal circuit volume in an acute care environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ST Set is authorized to provide continuous renal replacement therapy to treat patients in an acute care environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company noted that its HF20 Set and ST Set have been in use for more than 10
years across countries in Europe.

Stock Alert: DarioHealth Jumps 13% On Upbeat Results

Shares of digital therapeutics company DarioHealth Corp. (DRIO) are climbing more than 13% Wednesday morning on upbeat second-quarter results.

Loss on adjusted basis narrowed 23.7% to $3.25 million in the second quarter from loss of $4.26 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Revenue for the quarter increased 8.2% year-over-year to $1.79 million.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated our ongoing transformation to a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) digital therapeutics leader,” said Erez Raphael, Chief Executive Officer of Dario. “Our Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) product offering, which was just recently introduced, is seeing significant traction as evidenced by recently announced agreements in the U.S. and U.K. with more potential agreements in the pipeline.”

DarioHealth stock is currently trading at $15.36. It has been trading in the range of $3.02- $18.84 in the past 52 weeks.

Brinker International Guides Q1 Loss Below Estimates – Quick Facts

While reporting financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2020 on Wednesday, casual dining restaurant owner Brinker International, Inc. (EAT) provided guidance for the first quarter of fiscal 2021. However, the refrained from its usual practice of providing an annual outlook.

The company said it plans to update financial outlook on a quarterly basis until such time it can reliably forecast on a longer term basis given the uncertainties created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For the first quarter, the company now projects a loss in a range of $0.40 to $0.25 per share on a decline in comparable restaurant sales in the low to mid-teens percentage.

On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of $0.33 per share on revenues of $855.65 million for the quarter. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

In early April, the company withdrew its financial guidance for fiscal 2020 as a result of conditions arising from COVID-19. It also suspended the quarterly cash dividend and all share repurchase activity.

Kanye West, Seeking To Get On State Ballots In Presidential Bid, Recently Met With Jared Kushner

Kanye West met with President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner last weekend, The New York Times reported, and it raises further questions of whether West’s efforts to get on state ballots is meant to be a spoiler in the presidential race.

West seemingly confirmed the meeting in a tweet on Tuesday, when he wrote, “I’m willing to do a live interview with the New York Time about my meeting with Jared where we discussed Dr Claude Anderson’s book Powernomics.”

The Times reported that West did not provide any further details about the meeting, which took place in Telluride, CO.

West has so far qualified to appear on ballots in Colorado, Vermont and Oklahoma, but he has missed filing deadlines in other states and was rejected in Illinois due to invalid signatures. He is trying to get on the ballot in other states, including Ohio, but is facing legal challenges to signatures submitted in Wisconsin.

Last week, in an interview with Forbes, West did not deny that he may be in the race as a spoiler, with no shot at getting 270 electoral votes but enough to draw support away from Joe Biden in key states. There have been reports that Republican operatives have been assisting West in getting the required number of signature to get on the ballot in Wisconsin.

Trump has denied that he had anything to do with West getting on the ballot, but said, “I like Kanye very much.”