← Back to archive

Wednesday, 29 April 2026

5 stories · Alex's Daily Alu Digest

LME Aluminium $3,600/t -$62 (-1.7%) Cash settlement · USD/t
ECDP $585/t +$1 (+0.1%) P1020A in-whs dp Rotterdam · USD/t

Crown Holdings reports Q1 2026 results with global can shipments up 5%

Crown Holdings reported Q1 2026 net sales of $3,259 million (+12.9% YoY), with global beverage can shipments up 5% led by strong European and Asia-Pacific performance; North American shipments rose 1%. The company reaffirmed full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance of $7.90–$8.30 and announced a new two-line greenfield beverage can plant in Northern India, targeted for H2 2027 start-up.

Novelis angle

European-led can volume growth is a direct demand signal for Novelis's can body and end sheet business; the beverage packaging segment accounts for roughly 60% of Novelis's global shipments and European can makers are among its largest customers.

READ FULL STORY ↗

General Motors beats Q1 2026 estimates and raises full-year earnings guidance

General Motors reported Q1 2026 adjusted EPS of $3.70, beating the consensus of $2.62, with adjusted EBIT of $4.25 billion (+21.9% YoY). GM raised its 2026 adjusted earnings guidance by $500 million to $13.5–$15.5 billion, partly reflecting tariff relief. The company recorded $1.1 billion in EV-transition charges while maintaining robust ICE and hybrid vehicle production.

Novelis angle

GM's sustained ICE/hybrid vehicle output supports near-term demand for BIW aluminium sheet; the automotive segment accounts for approximately 20% of Novelis's global shipments, making OEM earnings a key demand-side indicator.

READ FULL STORY ↗

Airbus reports Q1 2026 delivery decline but maintains guidance on record 9,037-aircraft backlog

Airbus delivered 114 commercial aircraft in Q1 2026 (-16% YoY) as Pratt & Whitney engine shortages constrained production ramp-up; consolidated revenues fell 7% to €12.7 billion. The commercial order backlog grew 4% YoY to 9,037 units, with net orders of 398 aircraft in the quarter. Airbus maintained its full-year 2026 delivery and financial guidance unchanged.

Novelis angle

Airbus's unchanged 2026 guidance and a growing backlog underpin long-term aerospace plate demand; the near-term delivery shortfall is supply-chain driven, not demand-driven, keeping the long-term outlook for Novelis's Koblenz aerospace plate business intact.

READ FULL STORY ↗

EU parliament committee backs expanding CBAM to 180 downstream aluminium products from 2028

The European Parliament Environment Committee recommended on 10 April that approximately 180 additional steel- and aluminium-intensive downstream products — including vehicle components, machinery and construction goods — be brought under CBAM from January 2028. The current Q1 2026 CBAM certificate price is €75.36 per tonne CO₂e, equivalent to approximately €144 per tonne for Chinese primary aluminium imports under default emission values.

Novelis angle

Extending CBAM to downstream aluminium-intensive manufactured goods increases import costs for non-EU-produced parts, potentially benefiting European FRP-based supply chains and incentivising OEM customers to source aluminium sheet and coil from Novelis's EU plants.

READ FULL STORY ↗

LME aluminium cash offer dips to $3,662/t as inventories slide further

LME aluminium cash fell to $3,662/t on 27 April (-0.6% day-on-day) while warehouse stocks declined a further 2,550 tonnes to 376,275 tonnes total; cancelled warrants dropped 14% to 37,700 tonnes, signalling continued physical draw-down. Three-month contracts retreated to $3,588/t.

READ FULL STORY ↗