Residential construction SOUTH AFRICA: As South Africa approaches the 2026 national Budget cycle, much of the focus is usually on bold growth projections, policy changes, and large infrastructure commitments. However, in the residential property market, confidence tends to build slowly rather than through sweeping announcements. Following a difficult decade marked by high interest rates, declining property values, and financial pressure on households, homebuyers have become m

Construction GERMANY: Housing construction permits in 2025 increased for the first time in three years, according to data from the German Federal Statistical Office. A total of 238,500 permits were issued for residential units in both new and existing buildings, marking a 10.8% rise compared to 2024, when approvals had dropped to their lowest level since 2010. Building permit figures are widely seen as an early indicator of upcoming construction activity. It was further noted

Bathroom UK: TOTO Ltd. has been identified by UK-based activist investor Palliser Capital as an undervalued artificial intelligence–linked opportunity, driven by its advanced ceramics business, which contributes about 40% of operating profit. While widely known for its high-tech sanitaryware, the company also manufactures ceramic electrostatic blocks used in NAND memory chip production, critical for AI-driven data centres. With rising AI demand and increasing memory chip pric

Market decline ITALY: DIY stores in Italy experienced a noticeable drop in sales in 2025. Overall industry revenues declined by 3.5% to EUR 6.33 billion. This was highlighted in the “GDS Report Monitoraggio Dicembre 2025” published by diyandgarden.com , based on data from GfK-NielsenIQ. The report noted that sales surpassed the previous year’s levels in only four months. At the product category level, growth was limited, with only six out of 20 categories recording an increas

Collaboration CANADA: Rheem Canada has announced that General HVAC Solutions America, Inc. has officially joined its portfolio of brands in the Canadian market. As part of this integration, the Fujitsu AIRSTAGE range of mini-split and VRF heating and cooling systems will now be included under Rheem Canada’s brand offerings. With immediate effect, Rheem Canada has taken over sales responsibilities for General HVAC Solutions America, while other operational functions will be gr

Bathroom UAE: RAK Ceramics reported strong margin performance and solid profit growth in Q4 and FY 2025, despite challenging conditions in some international markets. Growth was largely driven by robust activity in the UAE’s real estate and construction sectors, along with a higher contribution from premium products and project-based sales. In Q4 2025, revenue declined slightly by 1.7% year-on-year, while full-year revenue increased by 1.6%. Gross profit margins improved to 3

Agreement USA: Johnson Controls a global leader in energy efficiency, decarbonization, and thermal management solutions, has entered into an agreement to acquire Alloy Enterprises, a Boston-based innovator specializing in next-generation thermal management platforms for high-performance data centres and mission-critical industrial applications. This acquisition is expected to strengthen Johnson Controls’ position and capabilities in the rapidly expanding data centre cooling m

Heat pump USA: Quilt recently announced in a LinkedIn post that it has partnered with Southern Home Services to distribute its smart heat pump systems across nine markets in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas. This marks one of Quilt’s largest geographic expansions to date and reflects rising interest among established home service providers in ductless heat pump technologies. According to the post, Southern Home Services selected Quilt to support its expansion into

Carrier Global to Build a Plant as Sri City Strengthens Role as India’s Cooling Hub INDIA: Carrier Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Ltd will invest about US$ 11 million (₹1,0000 million) in a new manufacturing facility in Sri City, reinforcing the region’s status as a major air-conditioning hub. The cluster already produces around 40% of India’s ACs, and industry estimates suggest this could rise to 60% by 2027 and 70% by 2028 as players such as LG Electronics and Daikin Ai

Watsco, Inc. Lifts Dividend and Margins Despite Tough HVAC Market USA: Watsco reported resilient 2025 results amid regulatory transitions and softer housing demand, delivering a record full-year gross margin of 28% and record fourth-quarter operating cash flow of US$400 million. Revenue slipped 5% to US$7.24 billion and EPS eased to US$12.25, reflecting lower HVAC unit volumes and higher operating costs tied to the A2L refrigerant shift. Even so, pricing optimisation and OEM

Carrier JV Targets Kenya’s Data Center Growth with Advanced Cooling Solutions KENYA: Gulf-based AHI Carrier FZC, a Carrier Global joint venture, has announced plans to enter the Kenyan market, aiming to capitalise on a rapidly growing demand for data centers and digital infrastructure in the region. The company’s regional business manager, Ajay Garg, said the move aligns with Kenya’s expanding digital economy and strong need for high-density, energy-efficient cooling technolo

Mitsubishi Electric Thailand: Mitsubishi Electric announced that its Thai subsidiary Siam Compressor Industry Co., Ltd. will be renamed Mitsubishi Electric Siam Compressor Industry Co., Ltd., effective April 1, 2026. The company develops, manufactures, and sells compressors for air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, supplying both Mitsubishi Electric group companies and other HVAC manufacturers in Thailand and international markets. Following the name change, products