Private Equity Firm Jadwa Said to Put Saudi Pharma Unit on Sale
Jadwa Investment Co. is looking to sell its stake in one of Saudi Arabia's largest pharmaceutical groups, according to people familiar with the matter, offering buyers an opportunity to tap into a fast-growing segment of the kingdom's economy.
The private equity firm is working with the investment banking arm of Egypt's EFG Holding to divest its 51% stake in UniPharma, the people said, asking not to be named as the information is private. Jadwa, which acquired the stake in UniPharma in 2020, is seeking a valuation of about 1 billion riyals ($267 million), they said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
28 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Inside the Trading Desks that Surfed 12 Days of Oil Market Mayhem
Traders watched with alarm as US jets bombed a major Middle Eastern oil producer. An initial surge in the price of crude turned into a rout as soon as they realized that oil flows would continue unaffected. The year was 1991, and the US bombing campaign was against Saddam Hussein's Iraq. In just one night, prices collapsed by 30%.
WIRED
an hour ago
- WIRED
Fancy Airplane Seats Have Nowhere Left to Go—So What Now?
Upper and business class cabins have expanded to the point where the top tier resemble hotel suites more than passenger pods. But what happens now airlines have no more room to offer? All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Not so long ago, direct aisle access along with the ability to lie horizontally were the hallmarks of comfort on airplanes if on entering you happened to be turning right and not left. Fast-forward a decade and the prevailing new high-water mark is now the private suite with sliding doors, expansive entertainment screens and even double beds. Qatar Airways' Qsuite allows four passengers to dine together face-to-face, while Virgin Atlantic's Retreat Suite offers an oversized version of business class that aims to blur the line between where the suits sit and first. At the very front of the plane, showers and private bedrooms have raised the bar even further. However, as airlines continue to compete on seclusion, space, and spec, the business appears to have flown itself into a dilemma: If square footage is the ultimate flying luxury, now we live in a world where your sky space can be more akin to a bijou hotel room, what happens when there's no more room left to give? 'Business class used to be all about hardware—the seat, the screen, the privacy door,' Nigel Goode, chairman of design studio PriestmanGoode, says, agreeing that the sky-high space race is coming to a close. 'But now it's about human-centred design. The Qsuite that we originally developed for Qatar Airways broke the mold because it gives passengers so much more scope. They can sit as a four, they can be in a family, there's a double bed option. You can adapt your own privacy level.' Airline cabins are becoming hybrid communal spaces where passengers can decide to be alone or interact with others—but now there's no more room to expand. Courtesy of Qatar Airways This shift is apparently redefining cabin formats around intent rather than hierarchy, and unlocking new revenue models for airlines. Key trends? Technology that supposedly can reflect passenger mood, hybrid layouts that balance solitude with sociability, and sustainability as status with lightweight materials that tell a carbon story. Nippon Airways, for example, has just announced "THE Room FX" cubicle coming in 2026 for business travelers that despite the extra kit involved in being a private cabin seat, the whole pod has a comparable weight to the current Boeing 787-9 business class seat. But as the physical airplane seat is approaching its design limits, it looks like the airline business is being forced to bank on the next wave of upselling innovation being emotional, and so far more nebulous. NewTerritory, a brand experience studio currently working with LATAM Airlines, over 12 months conducted more than 400 hours of behavioural research with five global airlines surveying 258 passengers. Its findings? Seventy-five percent of business class passengers polled said empathy—in how airlines address fatigue, jet lag and stress—is the strongest driver of loyalty. 'Passengers want to feel like valued guests, not just ticket holders,' says founder Luke Miles. 'Just as we expect comfort and care in a high-end hotel, travellers now expect the same in the sky.' 'The future of business class isn't about seats or service in isolation,' Miles says. 'It's a composite, symphonic experience where every element—from preflight to landing—works in harmony to create something emotionally resonant and brand authentic.' So in other words, as innovation in hardware levels out, brands are being forced to lean into hoping differentiation will come from journeys that feel personal, restorative, and intentional. This, however, is hardly groundbreaking thinking. The luxury world is awash with such watchwords. And, according to Mariel Brown, director of foresight at design agency SeymourPowell, this next leap in air travel will be all about another overused luxury watchword: customization. 'Luxury in 2035 won't be about square footage. The new differentiator will be control—the ability for passengers to tailor their environment effortlessly. From climate and lighting to when and how they eat or connect, seamless personalization will matter more than physical boundaries.' Well, as long as those physical boundaries still include a double bed and sliding doors. Expect to see embedded, adaptive tech—smart armrests, modular wellness trays, mood-sensitive lighting—replacing one-size-fits-all features. 'The magic is in the margins,' Brown says. 'A light that softens as you close your eyes. A seat that remembers how you slept last time. These don't have to be expensive innovations, just well-considered ones.' Inexpensive innovations or not, if self-softening lights do start appearing on planes, they'll almost certainly be for the expensive seats, initially at least. Qatar Airways' Qsuite broke new ground by allowing four passengers to dine together face-to-face. Courtesy of Qatar Airways Wellness is apparently becoming foundational to the premium cabin experience. Brown sees a future in biometric responsiveness—seats that passively monitor hydration and posture or adjust lighting to your circadian rhythm (Collins Aerospace has introduced its Hypergamut lighting system that purports to do just this.) 'Designing with neurodivergent travellers and limited mobility in mind should be standard, not a bonus,' Brown says. 'When that happens, everyone benefits.' Goode cites the Finnair AirLounge—a business-class seat that his team developed with, again, Collins Aerospace—as a more lifestyle-led response. "It's a nonmechanical seat, more like a sofa. Lighter, more flexible and built for movement. It reflects a domestic mindset, not just an aviation one.' Of course, the problem for airlines is that innovation in this tightly regulated, risk-averse space isn't easy. 'Airlines often have to offer the same thing—but just a bit better,' Goode says. But that hasn't stopped experimentation. PriestmanGoode's latest concept, Maya—developed with Collins Aerospace and Panasonic Avionics Corporation—features curved wraparound screens, 3D-knitted materials, and seats embedded with sound-absorption and haptic vibration. 'Passengers won't just be watching entertainment,' Goode says. 'They'll be interacting with their own micro-environment.' So it seems set that because there's no more cabin floor space to conquer, the next game-changing business class features will not be bigger berths or screens. Not onboard bars. Not mood lighting. The airline industry is banking on a technological leap that will yield cabins that learn, adapt, and respond. Where personalization is functional, not performative. Where the best tech is hidden, not on display. And where luxury is measured not just in inches, but in the degree of emotional impact the airline can impart as you favorite those movie choices and peruse the wine list. But until we get to a reality where your lie-flat pod knows who you are as you approach the single-digit seats, here is a rundown of what the major airlines have planned for pimping their plane service in 2025. United Airlines Debuting in May 2025, United's eight 'VIP' Polaris Studio suites with 25 percent more space than a standard Polaris seat are located at the front of each business class cabin. With 27-inch 4K OLED screens (up from 19 inches), privacy doors, companion ottomans, and high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi, the new studios have been designed to try and cater for both work and downtime. There's also a new caviar service and a retro-style sundae cart with Tillamook flavours elevate the onboard experience. United Airlines' new 'VIP' suites—caviar service and a retro-style sundae cart not pictured. Courtesy of United Airlines Air France From July this year, Air France will be rolling out new Sofitel MY BED mattress pads from the French hotel brand. The newest iteration of the airline's business class seats are upholstered in natural wool and full-grain French leather (for a more organic sensory feel, apparently.) On the culinary front, triple Michelin-starred chef Régis Marcon and pastry chef Nina Métayer have drawn up a menu of dishes inspired by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (think Royale of salmon and prawns in a "tangy sauce" with snow peas and yellow carrots.) Air France has turned to Sofitel hotels to get their seat mattresses worthy of return flights. Courtesy of Virginie Valdois/Air France Qatar Airways Launching on Boeing 777-9 aircraft this year, the Qsuite Next Gen features nearly 4.75-foot suite walls and sliding doors—among the tallest in the sky. Passengers can opt to sit in a quad layout around a shared table or convert two central seats into a double bed. Qsuite passengers also get manoeuvrable 4K OLED HDR 10+ Panasonic Astrova screens (a world-first, apparently) and PIN-lockable storage for valuables, these suites marry innovation with intimacy. Qatar's Qsuite Next Gen pods feature world-first 4K OLED HDR 10+ Panasonic Astrova screens. Courtesy of AMER SWEIDAN/Qatar Airways Riyadh Air Set to take off by the end of 2025, this new Saudi airline benefits heavily from generous investment from the country's sovereign wealth fund. With no expense spared, the cabin itself has been designed by British firm PriestmanGoode. Business class seats are Safran's Unity model, and have integrated Devialet speakers in the headrest so travellers don't need to wear headphones. At the front of the cabin, four Business Elite suites come with 32-inch 4K OLED screens (10 inches bigger than in the rest of business class), and can also be made up as double beds for couples. Riyadh Air's business class seats boast integrated Devialet speakers in the headrest so travellers don't need to wear headphones. Courtesy of Riyadh Air
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
These 3 ‘Top Pick' Defense Stocks Pack a Punch, Says Stifel
If there's one thing that the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East can show us, it's that the techniques and tools of warfare are changing. While Napoleon's 'big battalions' still have an advantage, Stalin's 'quantity over quality' no longer holds. The armies of tomorrow will need the best weapons and the best technology, and plenty of both. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter That shift is already underway, according to Stifel analyst Jonathan Siegmann, who sees the defense sector approaching a pivotal transformation. 'We believe the defense industry is at the start of a period of considerable change,' Siegmann opined. 'Credible US deterrence is dependent on affordably evolving our weapon systems, recapitalizing the defense industrial base, and transforming government contracting. The defense industry of tomorrow will be faster moving, more fragmented, and less dependent on centralized planning. There is bipartisan political and industry support for transforming the acquisition process. While prior reforms have been underwhelming, we expect the geopolitical environment, outside capital, and the disruptive administration to catalyze greater changes today.' Looking ahead, Siegmann sees clear winners emerging, noting: 'We believe equity markets will increasingly reward the companies that can profitably invest in the growing areas of defense. We believe low-cost mass production, asymmetric weapons, software-enabled capabilities, and on-shoring will be the key differentiators.' These points lead Siegmann to select three defense stocks as his top picks right now. He's far from the only analyst positive on these names; according to the TipRanks data platform, Wall Street is bullish on all three. Here are the details. CACI International (CACI) First on our list is CACI International, one of the multitude of information and technology contracting firms that operate in the Beltway region of Maryland and Northern Virginia, surrounding Washington DC. CACI is based in Reston, a Virginia suburb that is well known as a home for many contractors with close ties to the Federal establishment – and CACI is exactly that. The company's work is wide-ranging; CACI provides expertise in the tech and national security fields, and especially in technology applicable to national security. The company works with a multitude of government agencies and is well known for its connections with the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the various Intelligence Community entities. As for actual services, CACI provides a variety of solutions in enterprise IT, cybersecurity, military mission support, applied engineering, and data management. CACI is even known as a provider of mission operations support for the space program. CACI is capable of providing outsourced services in everything from HR to financial oversight to supply chain management, and can act as an independent watchdog for government departments. CACI has also developed expertise in AI, taking advantage of the AI boom to develop new services for its clientele. The company is recognized as a leader in the application of AI and deep learning to the defense industry, and has proven able to meet rapidly evolving needs in a cost-effective manner. This company's last set of financial results covered fiscal 3Q25 (March quarter). CACI reported $2.17 billion at the top line in the quarter, beating the forecast by over $36 million and growing 16% year-over-year. The $6.23 non-GAAP EPS was 63 cents per share better than had been anticipated. The company generated $187.9 million in free cash flow, up 84% year-over-year. The company reported a work backlog of $31.4 billion as of March 31, up 9.8% y/y. That backlog presents the starting point for Siegmann's coverage of this stock. As he writes, 'CACI International's focused bidding strategy has built a high-quality backlog which we believe can sustain MSD% growth and higher margins. CACI's acquisition strategy is consistent and well-executed. We expect CACI to continue executing M&A transactions and increase their exposure to new defense tech areas. Our Buy rating reflects CACI's premium valuation being justified through its ongoing financial outperformance, growing exposure to growth vectors in new defense, and strong M&A history.' Siegmann backs up that Buy rating with a price target of $576, a figure that points toward an upside of 24% on the one-year horizon. The Strong Buy consensus rating here is based on 10 analyst reviews, with a 9 to 1 split favoring Buy over Hold. The shares are currently trading for $465.37, and they have an average price target of $536.25, implying a 15% upside by this time next year. (See CACI stock forecast) Teledyne Technologies (TDY) Next on our list of Stifel defense picks is Teledyne Technologies, a company that is more than just a defense firm. Teledyne acts as a technology and service provider across a wide range of industries, including defense and aerospace, but also including such industrial essentials as factory automation, environmental monitoring, electronics design, deepwater oil and gas exploration, and even medical imaging and pharmaceutical research. Teledyne offers its customers a large variety of practical products, from digital imaging sensors and cameras capable of working in visible, infrared, and X-ray light spectra, to marine monitoring and control instrumentation, to aircraft information management systems, to more defense-oriented electronics and satellite communication subsystems. The company also develops and provides precision-engineered systems on order for the defense, space, environmental, and energy sectors. The company provides these products and services through four business divisions: instrumentation, digital imaging, aerospace & defense electronics, and engineered systems. Together, these divisions brought the company $1.45 billion in revenue during 1Q25, up 7.4% year-over-year and some $10 million above the forecast. The firm's non-GAAP EPS came to $4.95, 3 cents per share better than had been estimated. Checking in with Stifel's Jonathan Siegmann again, we find the analyst upbeat about this company's fundamentally sound position. Siegmann writes of the stock, 'Teledyne is an attractive portfolio of niche digital imaging, instrumentation, and aerospace & defense businesses unified by specialized advanced technology, high barriers to entry, and high reliability products. Teledyne's longer-cycle businesses (anchored by defense) are currently due to accelerate from their substantial backlog increase at the same time as their shorter-cycle businesses are stabilizing and poised to return to growth. Margins are expected to further expand from operational improvements and mix.' This name gets a Buy rating from Siegmann, whose $626 price target suggests the shares have an upside potential of 23.5% over the next 12 months. While Teledyne only has 5 recent analyst reviews, they are all positive – making the Strong Buy consensus rating unanimous. The shares have a trading price of $506.67 and an average target price of $576.20, together indicating room for a 14% upside for the stock this coming year. (See TDY stock forecast) AeroVironment (AVAV) We'll finish in the world of applied robotics, a field that has found plenty of practical applications in the world's military establishments. AeroVironment is a well-known developer and manufacturer of drones – unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and uncrewed aircraft systems (UASs) in more technical jargon – and also produces several lines of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and high-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS). These vehicles, whether autonomous or remote-operated, are designed to provide military users with strong reconnaissance capabilities, while loitering munition systems (LMSs) can provide offensive and defensive fire support over the battlefield. The key to this company's success is its focus on providing 'solutions that work,' with battle-tested vehicle designs capable of meeting battlefield needs on land, sea, and air. The company understands that military applications have no margin for error, and that every system must work right the first time; this understanding lies behind AeroVironment's commitment to high quality at every stage of product development and testing, from putting together prototypes to marketing field-deployable systems. In recent weeks, AeroVironment has announced several new contracts, in line with the company's constant push to maintain and expand its business. In mid-May, the company landed a new contract with the Netherlands to modernize that country's fleet of Puma UAS vehicles. Also in May, AeroVironment received a $5.1 million contract from the US Army to use the company's Tomahawk Grip TA5 as a dismounted common controller for human-machine teams. And in mid-June, AeroVironment and Denmark entered into an agreement to expand allied UAS systems in Europe. Perhaps most importantly, on May 1, AeroVironment completed its $4.1 billion merger with BlueHalo. This move expanded the company's portfolio and its ability to deliver proven unmanned vehicle systems across all realms. Earlier this week, AeroVironment released its financial results for fiscal 4Q25 as well as the full fiscal year 2025. For the quarter, the company's revenue came to $275 million, up almost 40% and described by the company as 'record fourth quarter revenue.' At the bottom line, AeroVironment's non-GAAP EPS of $1.61 was up from $0.43 in fiscal 4Q24. For the full year, the company reported revenue of $821 million, up 14% from fiscal 2024. The stock surged following the readout, bringing AVAV's year-to-date gains to 77%. In his coverage for Stifel, Siegmann lays out the reasons to get behind this firm. He writes, 'AeroVironment is a leader in several key areas in new defense, namely loitering munitions (Switchblade family of drones) that we believe will be critical as the entire industry undergoes a transformation. The company's recent merger with BlueHalo provides exposure in space, counter-drone, and missiles, all of which are priorities for the DoD. We anticipate a steep ramp in organic EBITDA in the legacy AVAV portfolio and BlueHalo. Our Buy rating reflects AeroVironment's positioning as a pure-play new defense tech company with rapidly growing sales and earnings driving increased investor enthusiasm and multiple expansion.' Along with the noted Buy rating, Siegmann puts a $240 price target on this stock, although the recent uptick has taken the stock well beyond that figure. The Wall Street consensus on AVAV is a unanimous Strong Buy, based on 6 recent positive analyst reviews. However, the gains have taken the shares 19% above the $220 average price target. It will be interesting to see whether analysts increase their price targets or lower their ratings shortly. (See AVAV stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue
