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Oct 1 (Reuters) – National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia SJSC: * BAHRI – SIGNING OF PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH INTERNATIONAL MARITIME INDUSTRIES COMPANY (IMI) TO BUILD AND DELIVER SIX DRY BULK VESSELS * BAHRI – CONTRACT VALUE APPROXIMATELY SAR 762 MILLION (USD 203 MILLION). Source text: Further company coverage:

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* OPEC+ may raise output by up to 500,000 bpd in November, sources say * US crude stocks down 3.67 million barrels last week – API * US EIA stocks data to be released as usual despite shutdown (Updates prices and details) By Seher Dareen LONDON, Oct 1 (Reuters) – Oil prices steadied on Wednesday after falling for two days as investors weighed OPEC+ plans for a larger output hike next month, while data from the U.S. and Asia showed signs of demand waning. Brent crude futures for December delivery were down 33 cents or 0.5% to $65.70 a barrel by 1146 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 31 cents, also down 0.5%, to $62.06 a barrel. Both contracts headed 1% lower earlier to their lowest since early September in the volatile trading session, after settling more than 3% lower on Monday and losing another 1.5% on Tuesday. Oil has dropped on the market anticipating a similar size OPEC+ production increase in November to the 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) hike in September, and on U.S. and Asian demand starting to fall, Rystad analyst Janiv Shah said. "U.S. drawdowns have slowed, so some bullish movement could start to flip," he added. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known as OPEC+, could agree to raise oil production by up to 500,000 bpd in November, triple the increase made for October, as Saudi Arabia seeks to reclaim market share, three sources familiar with the talks said. However, OPEC wrote in a post on X that media reports of plans to raise output by 500,000 bpd were misleading. Meanwhile in the U.S., an industry report showed U.S. crude stockpiles fell while gasoline and distillate inventories rose in the week ended September 26, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute estimates on Tuesday. Data on factory activity in Asia, the world's biggest oil-consuming region, also added to concerns about fuel demand, as manufacturing activity contracted across most major economies in September. In addition, record U.S. oil production, some caution ahead of the OPEC+ meeting this weekend and a risk-off environment due to the U.S. shutdown also played a part, Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS said. The U.S. government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday as deep partisan divisions prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal – which government agencies have warned would halt the release of a closely watched September employment report, amongst other things. Weekly petroleum data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration will run as scheduled on Wednesday despite the federal government shutdown, the agency said. Focus was also shifting to the supply and export disruption in Russia due to continuous and successful Ukrainian assaults, PVM Oil Associates' analyst Tamas Varga said. The next round of talks between the U.S. and Russia could take place before the end of autumn, the state TASS news agency reported Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying. (Reporting by Seher Dareen in London, Mohi Narayan in New Delhi; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Jacqueline Wong, Alexandra Hudson, Aidan Lewis)

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Oct 1 (Reuters) – Walmart said on Wednesday it would remove synthetic dyes and more than 30 other ingredients such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes from its U.S. private brand foods, including Great Value and bettergoods. (Reporting by Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)

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Oct 1 (Reuters) – Digi Power X Inc: * DIGI POWER X ACHIEVES TIER III CERTIFICATION FOR ARMS 200, SETS NEAR-TERM DEPLOYMENT TIMELINE AND PROVIDES SEPTEMBER 2025 OPERATIONAL UPDATE Source text: Further company coverage:

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NEW DELHI, Oct 1 (Reuters) – India's northeastern state of Assam has withdrawn its flagship clean energy policy announced in February, according to a document reviewed by Reuters and sources with direct knowledge of the matter, clouding millions of dollars of planned investments. Earlier this year, Assam, the largest state in India's northeast, sought to attract investments to a region that has lagged in renewable energy adoption by offering financial incentives and waivers. The February policy offered subsidies on power transmission and eased bank guarantee requirements to support clean energy projects in the state. An internal memo dated July 18, reviewed by Reuters, said the integrated clean energy policy was withdrawn following a cabinet decision, without specifying the reason for its reversal. Assam's power department did not respond to a Reuters email seeking comment on the policy withdrawal. The Assam government has not issued an official withdrawal of the clean energy policy, industry sources said. Energy companies including NTPC Green, Larsen & Toubro, Singapore-listed Sembcorp, and Abu Dhabi-based Ocior have bid for green hydrogen projects in Assam, the sources and bid documents reviewed by Reuters said. Inconsistent policies from state governments pose challenges to planned investments, said a senior NTPC official, who did not want to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the matter. In June, Reuters reported that Assam had put its flagship green hydrogen policy on hold, surprising investors. (Reporting by Sethuraman N R; Editing by Mayank Bhardwaj and Ronojoy Mazumdar)

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* US government funding expired at 0400 GMT on Wednesday * Shutdown may delay key monthly jobs report * Yen gets biggest boost (Updates prices) By Amanda Cooper LONDON, Oct 1 (Reuters) – The dollar skimmed one-week lows against major currencies on Wednesday as a U.S. government shutdown unsettled markets and threatened to delay key jobs data, seen as crucial for Federal Reserve policy decisions. The shutdown commenced hours after the Senate rejected a short-term spending measure that would have kept government operations afloat through November 21. Senate Republican Leader John Thune said the chamber would vote again on the House-passed measure on Wednesday. The Senate is due to convene at 1400 GMT. The dollar index, which tracks the U.S. currency against six major peers, slipped 0.1%. The price action across the broader markets bore a few hallmarks of safe-haven buying, giving low-yielding currencies such as the Japanese yen a bid, while U.S. Treasuries and gold held firm. SAFE HAVEN OR NOT? Rabobank chief currency strategist Jane Foley said it was tricky discerning if yen strength was driven by safe-haven demand or speculation about the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raising rates. "It's a market that is not sure it's supposed to be nervous," she said. "It's not blindingly obvious that there is a very strong safe-haven bid. There are small pockets of evidence that there is." The dollar was down 0.5% against the yen at 147.07, around its weakest in two weeks, but it managed to claw back earlier losses against the Swiss franc, another traditional safe haven, to rise 0.2% on the day to 0.7978 francs. U.S. President Donald Trump warned congressional Democrats on Tuesday that letting the federal government shut down would allow his administration to take "irreversible" actions including closing programmes important to them. The U.S. Labor and Commerce departments said their statistics agencies would halt data releases in the event of a partial shutdown. That includes Friday's scheduled nonfarm payrolls release, considered key in determining whether a Fed rate cut is likely at the end of this month. U.S. JOBS IN FOCUS On Tuesday, a mixed reading for the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, pressured the dollar. The report showed U.S. job openings increased marginally in August while hiring declined, consistent with a softening labour market. In the absence of official data, more emphasis will fall on private-sector economic indicators. The ADP employment report is due later on Wednesday. The length of any shutdown may be key for markets, as the Fed's next policy decision on October 29 remains weeks away. Traders currently see a quarter-point cut as a near certainty, with market-implied odds of around 95%, according to LSEG data. In contrast, traders are placing a roughly 40% chance the BOJ will raise interest rates this month. The central bank's quarterly "tankan" corporate sentiment survey on Wednesday showed confidence among big Japanese manufacturers improved for the second straight quarter and firms maintained their upbeat spending plans. BOJ officials have tilted more hawkish in recent days, including formerly dovish board member Asahi Noguchi, who said on Monday that the need for policy tightening was increasing more than ever. "The BOJ does not actually appear especially worried about how Trump tariffs might affect the Japanese economy," said Yusuke Matsuo, senior markets economist at Mizuho Securities. The euro shrugged off a survey on Wednesday that showed euro zone manufacturing activity slipped back into contraction last month, with new orders falling at their fastest pace in six months. The euro, which gained 0.2% in September and is up 13.5% this year, was steady at $1.1727, around one-week highs. (Additional reporting by Kevin Buckland in Tokyo; Editing by Jamie Freed, Jacqueline Wong and Ed Osmond)

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Oct 1 (Reuters) – Peloton Interactive Inc: * PELOTON INTRODUCES NEW COMMERCIAL EQUIPMENT LINE– THE PELOTON PRO SERIES Source text: Further company coverage:

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* Flotilla is latest attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza * Flotilla says Israeli vessels approached, jammed communications * Italy and Spain deployed vessels for rescue (Updates throughout to add details from flotilla press conference, video verification, Albanese comment, appeal from Italy and Greece, background) Oct 1 (Reuters) – The international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza said Israeli vessels approached some of its boats and engaged in "dangerous and intimidatory manoeuvres" on Wednesday as it neared the war-stricken strip. The mission's organisers said two Israeli "warships" had approached fast and encircled two of the flotilla's boats, Alma and Sirius. All navigation and communication devices went down in what one organiser on board, Thiago Ávila, described in a press conference as a "cyber attack". The flotilla appeared to have recovered some communications. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Global Sumud Flotilla consists of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 people, among them parliamentarians, lawyers and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg. 'DANGEROUS MANOEUVRES', DRONE ATTACK The mission is the latest sea-borne attempt to break Israel's blockade of the Palestinian enclave to deliver food and medicine. It is currently within 120 nautical miles of Gaza's coast, inside an area that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching. It expects to arrive on Thursday morning if not intercepted. "These hostile actions placed unarmed civilians from over 40 countries in grave danger," the flotilla said in a statement, adding that it will continue its course towards Gaza. It was not clear who operated the vessels that approached the flotilla. A video post on the flotilla's Instagram page showed the silhouetted outline of what appeared to be a military vessel with a gun turret near the civilian boats. Reuters confirmed that the video was filmed from the vessel Sirius because its rigging and lines matched file imagery of the boat. Reuters could not confirm the identity of the other vessel in the video or when the video was taken. The flotilla has raised tensions in recent days since it was attacked by drones, which dropped stun grenades and itching powder on the vessels, causing damage but no injuries. Israel did not comment on that attack, but has said it will use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas militants in the coastal enclave. Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to help with any rescue or humanitarian needs but have said they will not engage militarily. Turkish drones have also followed the boats. However, Italy and Spain said they would stop following the flotilla once it got within 150 nautical miles (278 km) of Gaza for safety reasons. PAST ATTEMPTS TO DELIVER AID At the press conference held by organisers on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the top U.N. expert on Palestinian rights, said any interception of the flotilla "would be yet another violation of international law, the law of the sea" since Israel had no legal jurisdiction on waters off Gaza. Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there have been several previous attempts by activists to deliver aid to Gaza by sea, both during the latest conflict and others. In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers boarded a flotilla of six ships manned by 700 pro-Palestinian militants from 50 countries. In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 crewmembers on a small ship organised by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza. Italy and Greece on Wednesday jointly called on Israel not to hurt the activists aboard and called on the flotilla to hand over the aid to the Catholic Church for indirect delivery to Gaza – a plea the flotilla has previously rejected. (Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru, Emma Pinedo and Alvise Armellini; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Aidan Lewis)

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JAKARTA, Oct 1 (Reuters) – Indonesian state energy firm Pertamina said on Wednesday private fuel retailers have yet to buy gasoline, because of concerns about fuel specification, despite thinning stocks. Last month Indonesia told private retailers to import more fuel through Pertamina after Shell, BP-AKR – the operator of BP's fuel stations – and others ran low on supply as more customers turned to them after a inquiry into the quality of Pertamina's own gasoline. Last week Pertamina said Vivo Energy Indonesia had agreed to buy 40,000 barrels of a 100,000-barrel cargo of base fuel Pertamina imported, but the deal collapsed over concerns about the fuel's ethanol content. "The concern that private gas stations conveyed was ethanol content … there is 3.5% ethanol (in the gasoline) that makes private gas stations cancel the purchase," said Pertamina Patra Niaga deputy CEO Achmad Muchtasyar. He made the remarks to a parliamentary hearing, adding that initially Vivo and BP-AKR had shown interest in buying. Vivo officials told the hearing they cancelled the purchase because Pertamina could not meet "technical matters", without providing further details. But they said the company was open to purchase from Pertamina in future. BP-AKR's Chief Executive Vanda Laura said the company was seeking base fuel with no ethanol content, adding that no agreement was reached as a certificate of origin for the fuel imported by Pertamina was not made available. "One of our shareholder operates in 70 countries," Vanda told the hearing. "We have to adopt international law and reduce trade sanction risk. We have to ensure the product did not come from a country that was embargoed internationally." Shell, BP-AKR and Vivo said stocks of gasoline products were only available at a few of their fuel stations and would not last beyond than the next few days. BP-AKR said the supply issue might force it to review its expansion plans for the next few years. (Reporting by Bernadette Christina; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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Oct 1 (Reuters) – NVIDIA Corp: * NSCALE: CLOSING OF A $433 MILLION PRE-SERIES C SAFE * NSCALE: PRE-SERIES C SAFE FINANCING BACKED BY BLUE OWL, DELL, NVIDIA, & NOKIA Source text: Further company coverage:

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