Manufacturing & Industrial · Week of Nov 2, 2026
All-cash deals and shareholder payouts: the week in manufacturing
Two all-cash acquisitions set to close in the first quarter of 2027 and fresh payouts to shareholders led a week of industrial releases.
Two companies announced all-cash acquisitions this week, both expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. Ondas Inc. agreed to buy Stemme GmbH, the airframe maker behind its ULTRA ISR aircraft, as part of a plan to reach 10 aircraft per month by 2028. Alfa Laval agreed to pay 700MUSD (6.85 BSEK) for Norway-based maritime software company NAVTOR AS, adding it to its Ocean Division's digital fleet portfolio.
Capital returns were the other recurring item. Solstice Advanced Materials raised its full-year 2026 guidance, repurchased $100 million of shares and declared a quarterly dividend. Smart Sand declared a special dividend of $0.05 per share. Elsewhere, Otis received a Guinness World Records title at Tianjin 117, Valens Semiconductor introduced an embedded USB3 extension chipset, Cainiao opened its warehouse network to AI and robotics partners, and Inductive Bio reported a fourth consecutive OpenADMET benchmark win.
Solstice Advanced Materials US, Inc.
Solstice Advanced Materials Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
Solstice Advanced Materials reported third quarter 2026 Net Sales of $1,046 million, up 8% year over year, and Net Income of $80 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, against a Net Loss of $35 million a year earlier. The company raised full-year 2026 guidance to Net Sales of $4,195 - $4,220 million, repurchased 1.7 million shares for $100 million and declared a $0.075 quarterly dividend payable December 10, 2026.
Ondas Inc.
Ondas Plans Significant U.S. Manufacturing Expansion to Scale Low-Cost ULTRA ISR Aircraft Production, Targeting 10 Aircraft per Month by 2028
Ondas Inc. said it plans to expand ULTRA long-endurance ISR aircraft production to 10 aircraft per month by 2028, including in the United States, with 345,000 square feet of planned U.S. airframe production space. It also signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of airframe maker Stemme GmbH in an all-cash deal expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, and says Stemme currently runs at about 25% of capacity in Germany.
Otis Worldwide Corporation
Otis Receives Guinness World Records™ Title for Tallest Elevator at Tianjin 117
Otis Worldwide Corporation said two of its SkyRise elevators at Tianjin 117, rising 597.2 meters, hold the Guinness World Records title for "Tallest Elevator in a Building." Otis is supplying all 266 elevators and escalators for the 117-story tower, including 50 double-deck and three super-double-deck units, ahead of completion scheduled by the end of 2027.
Valens Semiconductor
Valens Semiconductor Introduces the VS6310 Chipset, Bringing Power-Efficient USB3 Extension Directly into Video Conferencing Devices
Valens Semiconductor introduced the VS6310, a USB3 extension chipset for embedding in video conferencing peripherals such as e/PTZ cameras and touch controllers, which the company says uses less than 1 watt typically. Samples are due in mid-November 2026 and mass production is scheduled for January 2027, allowing manufacturers to build in USB3 extension up to 40 meters instead of using separate extender boxes.
Smart Sand, Inc.
SMART SAND, INC. DECLARES SPECIAL DIVIDEND OF $0.05 PER SHARE
Smart Sand, Inc. declared a special cash dividend of $0.05 per share, payable November 30, 2026, to stockholders of record as of November 18, 2026. The company says that, including this dividend, it has returned approximately $14 million to stockholders in 2026 through dividends and share repurchases.
Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval to acquire NAVTOR AS to strengthen the digital offering for the maritime sector
Alfa Laval agreed to acquire maritime software company NAVTOR AS for 700MUSD (6.85 BSEK) in cash, with closing expected during quarter 1, 2027, and says the deal will be neutral to group margin in the short term. NAVTOR, with an estimated 2026 turnover of about 194 MUSD, will be combined with the StormGeo and PortChain platforms in the Ocean Division, and the release says NAVTOR identified and reported certain compliance matters after an internal review.
Cainiao
Cainiao Launches AI and Embodied Intelligence Industry Partnership, Touts World's Largest Real-World Training Network
Cainiao launched an AI and embodied intelligence partnership initiative that opens its global warehouse network for technology training, real-world validation and deployment, which it says will form the world's largest logistics real-scene training cluster. It also introduced a "Global Tech in Three Days" supply chain service for AI computing and robotics companies covering customs support, logistics, insurance and spare-parts management.
Inductive Bio, Inc.
Inductive Places First in OpenADMET CYP Inhibition Challenge, Its Fourth Consecutive AI Drug Discovery Benchmark Win
Inductive Bio said its Beacon models placed first in the OpenADMET CYP Direct Inhibition Blind Challenge among more than 270 participants, with NVIDIA third and Recursion fourth. The company says it is its fourth consecutive first-place OpenADMET finish, a result relevant to drug discovery teams using models to flag compounds likely to inhibit CYP enzymes.
This roundup is written with AI assistance from the press releases listed above, using only what they state. The releases are the companies' own announcements, not Business News Talks reporting.