DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 'Madame Web' is a spectacular failure — and a sign we officially have superhero fatigue
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewIf "Madame Web" is a predictor of the future of Sony's Spider-Man Universe, the road ahead doesn't look very promising. The reviews are in, and "Madame Web" is no critical darling, nor will it satisfy Spidey fans. 'Madame Web' suffers from a weak script and poorly defined charactersTahar Rahim as Ezekiel Sims in "Madame Web." Superhero fatigue is at an all-time high, and 'Madame Web' doesn't make a solid case for the genre(L-R) Celeste O'Connor, Dakota Johnson, Isabela Merced, and Sydney Sweeney in "Madame Web." AdvertisementAt the end of "Madame Web," Cassie says that the best thing about the future is that it hasn't happened yet.

Persons: —, SJ Clarkson, Dakota Johnson, Cassandra Webb, Cassie, Ezekiel Sims, Tahar Rahim, Beyoncé's, Martha Stewart's, Ezekiel, selfishly, He's, Ezekiel regurgitates, Celeste O'Connor, Sydney Sweeney, Adam, James Gunn, Peter Safran, Jared Leto, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Eddie Brock, Hardy, Matt Smith's, cackled, there's, Kraven, Hunter, Aaron Taylor, Johnson, Bad Bunny, he's, Olivia Wilde Organizations: Service, Marvel Comics, Business, Sony Pictures, Sony, Marvel, DC Comics, Warner Bros, Discovery's DC Studios, Rotten Locations: New York, Peruvian, Isabela Merced

☆ Surging U.S. oil production may set a record in 2024, shielding consumers from Mideast war and pressuring OPEC
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Supply is forecast to grow by 1.5 million barrels per day to a new high of 103.5 million barrels per day, according to the IEA. Demand will grow by 1.2 million barrels daily, down from 2.3 million in 2023, with the post-pandemic recovery over and major economies set to slow. WTI and Brent closed out 2023 down more than 10% and OPEC+ production cuts have so far failed to lift prices. Goldman Sachs, for example, says oil prices could double if there is a prolonged disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. 'Golden era' Stronger U.S. oil production in 2023 surprised even oil industry CEOs such as Chevron's Wirth and Occidental's Vicki Hollub, they told CNBC in recent interviews.

Persons: Michael Wirth, Wirth, CNBC's Brian Sullivan, Goldman Sachs, Walt Chancellor, Daniel Yergin, Brent, Adi Imsirovic, Imsirovic, Yergin, Bob Yawger, Yawger, Matt Smith, Smith, Chevron's Wirth, Occidental's Vicki Hollub, I'm, Macquarie, Chancellor, Hollub, — Organizations: P, Energy Information Agency, Chevron, P Global, CNBC, Economic, West Texas, Center for Strategic, International Studies, OPEC, Bank of America, Oil, International Energy Agency, IEA, Brent, Mizuho, Gulf, Americas, Western Hemisphere Locations: East, U.S, Macquarie, Davos, Switzerland, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, OPEC, Brazil, Guyana, Americas, Europe, Red, Kpler, Iran, Hormuz

☆ Oil prices rise as US-led strikes in Yemen raise fears of wider conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —US-led airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen rattled energy markets on Friday, sending oil prices sharply higher. Oil prices rose sharply after US-led strikes on multiple Houthi targets in Yemen in response to repeated attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Another concern is that oil facilities in Saudi Arabia could get hit by a retaliatory strike from the Houthis. In 2019, roughly 5% of world oil supply was briefly knocked offline in a large-scale drone attack on Saudi oil facilities. Despite Friday’s gains, oil prices remain lower than where they were before the October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel due to concerns about oversupply.

Persons: Brent, “, ”, Robert Yawger, ” Yawger, John Kirby, CNN’s Becky Anderson, ” Kirby, ” Matt Smith, ” Helima Croft, Croft, ” Croft Organizations: New, New York CNN, Mizuho Securities, White House National Security Council, RBC Capital Markets, CIA Locations: New York, Yemen, East, Red, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Gulf of Oman, Hormuz

☆ HBO just released its first teaser for 'House of the Dragon' season 2. Expect more dragons and more bloodshed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementGet ready, because the second season of "House of the Dragon" is less than a year away. "House of the Dragon" season two will arrive on HBO sometime in the summer of 2024, HBO CEO Casey Bloys said at a Warner Bros. The first trailer for 'House of the Dragon' season 2 was released in DecemberThe first trailer for the second season was released on December 2 during the "House of the Dragon" panel at CCXP23 in São Paulo, Brazil. You can check it out here:Who's in the cast of 'House of the Dragon' season 2? Theo Whiteman/HBOWhile season one of "House of the Dragon" had 10 episodes, season two will only have eight, Deadline reported in March.

Persons: —, George R.R, Casey Bloys, Martin, Emma D'Arcy, Matt Smith, Matthew Needham, Eve Best, Rhys Ifans, Phoebe Campbell, Bethany Antonia, Ewan Mitchell, Fabien Frankel, Harry Collett, Olivia Cooke, Phia Saban, Steve Toussaint, Tom Glynn, Carney, Ollie Upton, Milly Alcock, Rhaenyra, Viserys, Paddy Considine, Simon Russell Beale, Ser Simon Strong, Freddie Fox, Ser Gwayne Hightower, Gayle Rankin, Alys, Abubakar Salim, Clinton, Jamie Kenna, Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew, Hugh, Tom Bennett, Ulf, Tom Taylor, Cregan Stark, Vincent Regan, Ser Rickard Thorne, Theo Whiteman, Aemond, Miguel Sapochnik, Sapochnik, Ryan Condal, Alan Taylor, Condal, Alicent, Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Glynn, D'Arcy Organizations: Service, Dragons, HBO, Warner Bros, WGA, SAG, Entertainment, Jefferson, Clinton Liberty, Hollywood, Aegon Locations: Westeros, London, Wales, British, São Paulo, Brazil, Alys Rivers, Hull

☆ Everything we know about 'House of the Dragon' season 2
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

☆ Trump’s avalanche of dishonesty: Fact-checking 102 of his false claims from this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +111 min

Below is a fact check of 102 of Trump’s false claims from the 12 speeches. But contrary to Trump’s claim, it’s not true that people had been attempting for decades to create such an initiative. Trump’s aid to farmersIn speech after speech, Trump claimed that he had given US farmers $28 billion from China. Even if the poll result is off, it’s clear that Trump’s claim that “nobody wants them” is not true. He said he was an airline pilot.”Facts First: Trump made a false claim while mocking Biden for making false claims.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, “, ”, Mexico’s, ‘ Trump, Defense Department –, ” Theresa Cardinal Brown, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, ” Trump, I’ve, Todd Harrison, Harrison, It’s, Trump’s, ” Ben Cahill, Nobody, Jimmy Carter’s, Barack Obama, isn’t, El Salvador –, Obama, we’d, Obama’s, Webster, Covid, Wuhan ”, They’d, they’d, you’d, Scott Gottlieb, ” Gottlieb, Trump Trump, it’s, Abraham, Aaron David Miller, Miller, Dana El Kurd, Qasem Soleimani, they’ve, we’re, We’re, ’, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Biden’s, Smith, Ali Vaez, Kpler, Biden Trump, Iran “, Democrats ”, that’s, Jimmy Carter, Carter “, Carter, ‘, Hillary Clinton, Kari Lake, Bill Gates, Gates, ” Chris Wallace, Chris Wallace, Hunter Biden, “ Chris Wallace, ‘ He’s, ‘ ” Trump, Wallace, “ you’re, “ Biden, ‘ You’re, Wallace interjected, Rather, you’ve, ’ ” Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James &, ” Molchanov, Tim Woody, Woody, autoworkers, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Joe Biden’s, Erin Mellon, Gavin Newsom, Mellon, ” Vonette Fontaine, Biden “, CNN’s Matt Egan, Egan, ” Biden, Europe Trump, United Kingdom “, Brent, Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy, De Haan, Matt Smith, Matt Egan, Afghanistan Trump, we’ve, Krista Wiegand, Wiegand, ” Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Qasem, Bibi, Netanyahu, Soleimani, Asad, Mark Milley, Hezbollah Trump, Steven Cheung, John Kirby, Cheung, Kirby, Iran’s, ” Ali Vaez, Joseph Amon, Washington –, Faiq Zidan, Zidan’s, Zidan, Abu Mahdi al, China Trump, Ukraine Trump, Letitia James, James, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, You’re, Bragg, Colangelo, Tanya Chutkan, I’m, Jack Smith, Bill Clinton, That’s, everybody’s, Letitia James –, Al Capone’s, Al Capone, Capone, Brad Schwartz, CNN couldn’t, Schwartz, Eliot Ness, MAGA, “ MAGA, …, White, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Inflation Trump, Bacon, Joe, PolitiFact, Trump . Howard Gleckman Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Republican, Trump Trump, Republican Jewish Coalition, Department, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congress, Defense Department, former Defense Department, Center, US Customs, Trump, American Enterprise Institute, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Energy Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, IHS, Islamic, The State Department, Customs Enforcement, Policy Institute, ICE, El Salvador, ”, Merriam, The New York Times, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, Hezbollah, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arab Center Washington DC, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, Obama, US International Trade Commission, Washington Post, U.S . International Trade Commission, New England lobstermen, England lobstermen, Americas, Crisis, government’s Energy, Administration, Washington Free Beacon, Energy Information Administration, Democrats, Biden, Electoral, Georgia, Michigan, Carter, Democrats can’t, Republicans, Alabama, Arizona, Fox News, ” Energy, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Wildlife, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Raymond James & Associates, Wilderness Society, Cox Automotive, Pew Research Center, New York Times, National Oceanic, California Gov, California, American Petroleum Institute, Union, West, Energy, American Automobile Association, AAA, GasBuddy, New Hampshire, Houston, Keystone XL, Obama administration’s State Department, –, Foreign, Military, DoD, Afghan, Defense, Policy, Taiwan News, “, University of Tennessee’s Center for National Security, Foreign Affairs, Israeli, NBC, Jerusalem Post, Yahoo, Pentagon, ” CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Post, National Security, Group, US government’s Defense Intelligence Agency, Narcotics Bureau, Global Health, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Justice Department, Washington, Judicial, Popular Mobilization Forces, Customs and, Middle East, Customs, Protection, CBP, Border Protection, Kiel Institute, European Union, New York, New, ExxonMobil, Trump University, Trump Foundation, Manhattan, Attorney, federal Justice Department, Department of Justice, Washington DC, Presidential Records, Presidential, Mar, Biden White, MAGA Republicans, Inflation, Heritage Foundation, Trump ., Brookings Tax, Urban Institute Locations: New Hampshire, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Iowa, Mexico, “, U.S, Houston, Iraq, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nord, Germany, Russian, Trump’s, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, El, Washington, ”, ” In Texas, Covid, China, Wuhan, Italy, France, Abraham, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, New England, England, Kpler, Malaysia, Oregon, Alabama, Maricopa County, Arizona, Arizona’s, Moscow, Alaska, East, South Carolina, California, “ California, West Virginia, Virginia, United Kingdom, West Texas, “ U.S, Los Angeles, Venezuela, Mississippi , Louisiana, Canada, United States, Paris, Taiwan, “ China, Iranian, that’s, –, Singapore, Iraqi, San Diego, Kiel, York, Manhattan, York’s, Chicago, Philadelphia, Georgia, Qaeda

The decision by Saudi Arabia and Russia to extend the voluntary cuts drove up oil prices to over $90 a barrel in late September. Saudi crude exports to China rose to nearly 1.6 million bpd in September, up from 1.2 million bpd in August and 1.37 million bpd in July, Kpler data showed. U.S. CRUDE EXPORTS FALLAs the U.S. sees less crude imports, it has exported less oil to Europe. U.S. crude exports to Europe fell to 1.86 million bpd in September and 1.84 million bpd in August, from 2.01 million bpd in July, Kpler data showed. Tight supply led the premium for front-month Brent crude futures to rise to as much as $3.26 a barrel above the second month , the highest since 2022.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Matt Smith, Smith, refiners, Vortexa's Rohit Rathod, Adi Imsirovic, Brent, Stephanie Kelly, Alex Lawler, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Port, REUTERS, Brent, Organization of, Petroleum, Total U.S, Americas, Kpler, West, Surrey Clean Energy, CSIS, Midland, P, Insights, Thomson Locations: Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Russia, Nigeria, Algeria, Saudi, China, Richmond , California, Los Angeles, Midland, Brent

Felipe Villarroel, portfolio manager at TwentyFour Asset Management, said he recently swapped some 10-year Treasuries for higher yielding 30-year Treasuries. At these levels, yields give “a massive cushion in your total returns" to protect against bond prices falling further, he said. Yields on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury were over 4.95% in Asia trade on Thursday, their highest level in more than 16 years, and 30-year yields breached 5% this month for the first time since 2007. An auction of 30-year U.S. Treasuries showed weak demand last week, sending yields higher. "The tightness that (bond yields) are imposing on the economy and markets is rising ... this caps the extra work the Fed needs to do," said Smith.

Persons: Jerome Powell, David Rubenstein, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Felipe Villarroel, Treasuries, Matt Smith, Ruffer, Buyers, Leslie Falconio, Ruffer's Smith, Smith, Davide Barbuscia, Michelle Price, Ira Iosebashvili, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Federal, Economic, of Washington, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Treasuries, TwentyFour Asset Management, Bank of America Global Research, Treasury, UBS Global Wealth Management, BlackRock Investment Institute, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Asia

☆ WhatsApp clampdown highlights video call compliance threat for finance firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Sinead Cruise | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Video calls are broadly considered proxies for face-to-face meetings and therefore are currently subject to little or no formal record-keeping obligations. At least two major global banks are now recording Zoom calls, said sources with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be named because the information is not public. One bank is recording Zoom calls undertaken by certain staff, including traders, while the other is recording all Zoom calls so content can be reviewed later if needed. FINRA declined to comment on how many firms were subject to the rule or whether the rule also extended to video calls. Video calls pose "unique risks" and technology needed to efficiently screen video calls is not widely used, said Matt Smith, CEO of communications surveillance firm SteelEye.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brad Levy, Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Matthew Nunan, Gibson, Dunn, Morgan Stanley, Sarah Pritchard, Claire Garrett, Michael Watling, Seward, FINRA, Matt Smith, Ryan, Yonk, Symphony's Levy, Chris Prentice, Michelle Price, Huw Jones, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Finance, Reuters, U.S, EMEA, Microsoft, Britain's, Authority, HSBC, Bloomberg, U.S . Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Employees, American Institute for Economic Research, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Marsh, U.S, New York, Washington, London

Along with mild winter weather in much of the northern hemisphere, Chinese fuel exports helped avert widespread shortages of diesel, heating oil and gasoil. Russia's ban on diesel exports ahead of winter has sparked a new round of concerns of another supply shock. Chinese fuel exports are currently around 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd), down from last year's peak at 1.8 million bpd in December. China's fuel exports are subject to quotas, closely monitored by the global fuel trading community. China also has quotas for imports of crude oil that refiners use to make diesel and other products.

Persons: Meng Meng, John Kilduff, Matt Smith, Al Zour, Kpler, Laura Sanicola, Trixie Yapl, Simon Webb, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Total, Al, Diesel, U.S . East, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Thomson Locations: Boxing, Shandong Province, China, U.S, Ukraine, Europe, Americas, Brazil, Turkey, New York, Beijing, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Asia, Middle, Western Europe, America, U.S . East Coast

☆ Gas prices could fall to $3.25 by Halloween as oil plunges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —After spiking to alarming levels just last week, oil prices are suddenly in free-fall mode. US oil prices plunged by 5.6% to $84.22 a barrel on Wednesday, marking the biggest one-day decline in a year. Now, gas prices are already starting to retreat and experts predict sharper drops to come. That’s 11 cents below the 2023 peak set last month when gas prices experienced an unusual post-Labor Day jump. Boom to bustSo why did oil prices go from spiking to plunging?

Persons: Andy Lipow, Tom Kloza, Kloza, ” Kloza, “, Joe Brusuelas, ”, Matt Smith, ” Smith, There’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, AAA, Labor, Lipow Oil Associates, CNN, Oil Price Information Service, “, Federal Reserve, RSM, Fed, Saudi, Americas Locations: New York, Saudi Arabia, Kpler, Ukraine

☆ Investors like the high dividends and buybacks energy companies offer, but debt is starting to rise again
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

If oil prices stay high — and especially, if they breach $100 a barrel — the companies are well positioned. However, should oil prices fall and debt levels continue to rise, some companies have boxed themselves into a corner with very generous dividends and share repurchase programs. At the same time, operating cash flow has been declining. "What we're looking at is companies trying to bridge a little gap while operating cash flow is going down," said Mark Young, senior analyst at Evaluate Energy. "Since the end of 2020, operating cash flow has been able to cover all capital spending, dividend payments and share buybacks by itself.

Persons: Mark Young, Young, Conoco Phillips, Noah Barrett, Warren, Barrett, We're, Matt Smith, Smith, Jason Mountford, Brent, Goldman Sachs, Mike Wirth, Mountford, unprofitably, there's, that's Organizations: Energy, CNBC, Civitas Resources, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Janus, Federal, Warren Pies, 3Fourteen Research, Investors, Conocophillips, Devon Energy, Exxon, Organization of Petroleum, Kplgr, Bank of America, Citigroup Locations: U.S, Wall, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Chevron

Its startup could add as much as $2 per barrel to prices paid by U.S. Midwest oil refineries that sit along Canada's existing main oil-export route. "They will be competing for barrels that no longer transit through their region," said a Calgary-based oil trader. That has left Canadian oil producers vulnerable to deep price discounts or "blowouts" whenever pipelines become congested or rupture. The start-up of TMX could add a "buck or two" to the cost of a barrel for Midwest refiners, he estimates. So far this year, over 200,000 bpd of Canadian crude has been re-exported from the U.S. Gulf Coast, up from about 73,000 bpd in 2019, Kpler data showed.

Persons: Rory Johnston, Matt Smith, Smith, Stephanie Kelly, Nia Williams, Laura Sanicola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: U.S ., U.S, BP, Citgo Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries, Flint Hills Resources, Canadian, Energy, Administration, TC, Keystone, refiners, Americas, Thomson Locations: CALGARY, Alberta, Coast, U.S, U.S . Midwest, Gulf Coast, Midwest, Flint, Calgary, Canada, Pacific, U.S . West Coast, Asia, Gulf, China, Kpler

☆ CEOs are having their worst year in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Oil prices hit 10-month highGlobal oil prices climbed above $92 a barrel on Tuesday for the first time in nearly 10 months, reports my colleague Matt Egan. Takeaways from Apple’s iPhone 15 eventTuesday was a big day for Apple as the tech titan unveiled its iPhone 15 lineup along with other major updates during its September keynote event. Among the highlights: The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max now feature a titanium casing, allowing the design to be slimmer and thinner than before. The iPhone 15 comes in 5 colors (white, black, pink, green and yellow) and in two sizes: A 6.1-inch screen for the iPhone 15 and 6.7 inches for iPhone 15 Pro. The iPhone 15 will start at $799, and iPhone 15 Pro will start at $999.

Persons: New York CNN — It’s, ”, Bernard Looney, Looney, Stewart Glendinning, Timothy Baxter, Baxter’s, Baxter, Macy’s, Rosalind Brewer, Neil Saunders, hasn’t, Matt Egan, Brent, Matt Smith, “, Clare Duffy, Samantha Murphy Kelly, Max Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Ferguson Partners, BP, Express, Tyson Foods, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreens, “, Americas, AAA, Apple Locations: New York, —, Libya, “ Libya, Kpler, Russia, Saudi Arabia

Crude oil storage tanks are seen in an aerial photograph at the Cushing oil hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, U.S. April 21, 2020. Crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) rose by 4 million barrels in the week to Sept. 8 to 420.6 million barrels, more than double analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.9 million-barrel drop. Crude production rose 100,000 bpd to 12.9 million bpd, a peak not seen since March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic crushed demand and production. ET (1449 GMT), while U.S. crude rose 41 cents, or 0.5%, to $89.26. Gasoline stocks (USOILG=ECI) rose 5.6 million barrels - the most since July 2022 - to 220.3 million barrels, the EIA said, far exceeding expectations for a 200,000-barrel build.Distillate stockpiles (USOILD=ECI), which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 3.9 million barrels to 122.5 million barrels, triple the forecast for a 1.3 million-barrel build.

Persons: Matt Smith, Smith, Arathy Somasekhar, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Drone, Rights, Energy Information Administration, Cushing, Net, Brent, EIA, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, U.S, Oklahoma, Houston

☆ Oil prices hit 10-month high after Libya flood catastrophe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

US oil prices popped 2.3% to as much as $89.29 a barrel, also the highest level since November. The latest rally for oil prices will continue to push up prices at the pump for consumers and add to inflation across the US economy. Gasoline prices, which lag oil prices, have edged higher this week as a result of that announcement. The EIA also raised its forecast for diesel and oil prices for the fourth quarter of this year and first quarter of next year. If these forecasts hold true, energy prices will continue to complicate central bankers’ efforts to tame inflation.

Persons: Brent, ”, Matt Smith, “, Smith Organizations: New, New York CNN, “, Americas, AAA, Government, US Energy Information Administration, Energy Department, EIA Locations: New York, Libya, “ Libya, Kpler, Russia, Saudi Arabia

☆ Under Biden, US oil production is poised to break Trump-era records
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And yet, on his watch, US oil production is poised to shatter all-time records set during the Trump administration. If anything, the outlook for US oil production has brightened recently – in large part because oil prices have rebounded from recession fears and drillers have become more efficient. Climate vs. inflationWhen and if the oil production record falls, don’t expect any fireworks from the White House. Last week, Saudi Arabia vowed to extend its oil production cut for at least another month. It’s also true that domestic oil production -— unlike prices -— has been slow to recover from the Covid-19 crash.

Persons: Joe Biden, Trump, It’s, Biden, ”, Hunter Kornfeind, it’s, Mike Pence, Joe Biden’s, Pence, Barack Obama, “, Matt Smith, ” Biden, That’s, Kornfeind Organizations: New York CNN Business, Rapidan Energy, drillers, US Energy Information Administration, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, EIA, Exxon, Rapidan Energy Group, American Petroleum Institute, Biden, CNN, “ Locations: Saudi Arabia, Texas, Americas, Russia

☆ Kpler: Saudi Arabia is trying to tighten the oil market due to concerns over demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailKpler: Saudi Arabia is trying to tighten the oil market due to concerns over demandMatt Smith, Lead Oil Analyst for the Americas at Kpler, discusses the road ahead for oil and gas prices.

Persons: Matt Smith Organizations: Lead Oil, Americas, Kpler Locations: Saudi Arabia

☆ Why Americans are obsessed with peanut butter
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Natalie Rice | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Skippy was the leading peanut butter brand in the U.S. until 1980, a title that now belongs to Jif. Pond, that became the first brand to commercially develop peanut butter in 1920, sparking the way we eat peanut butter today. "We've launched certain innovations specifically in Asian markets to help enable that type of cooking use for peanut butter. Domestically, Americans eat an average of 4.25 pounds of peanut butter per capita, a figure that increased temporarily during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the National Peanut Board. As the family came together in the middle of the day, we saw that it introduced this love and affection for peanut butter to children who will hopefully carry that love and affection for peanut butter into [their] lifetime," he added.

Persons: Skippy, Joseph Rosefield, Peter Pan, Matt Smith, Circana, Costco's Kirkland, Smucker's, Jif, Smith, Rebecca Scheidler, they've, Ryan Christofferson, Christofferson, aren't, they're, Bob Parker, It's, it's, We've, Parker, Domestically, —, Scheidler Organizations: Equity Research, Stifel Financial Corp, Hormel Foods Corp, Post, Holdings, Foods, Hormel Foods, Spam, Unilever, Peanut Board, FDA, Hormel, National Peanut Board Locations: Jif, U.S, Chicago, Smucker, Uncrustables, Longmont , Colorado, McCalla , Alabama, Mexico, Canada, China

☆ Why chaos in Russia could spell trouble for the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Mark Thompson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Saturday, a fellow global energy power, Qatar, expressed “great concern” about the situation in Russia. Any meaningful loss of Russian energy would force China and India to compete with Western nations for supplies from other producers. Libya and Venezuela provide cautionary tales of how civil war and internal political strife can savage energy exports. At just under 10 million barrels per day, it produces about 10% of global crude oil demand. It took a long time for the Russian oil industry to recover from that.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, “ Putin, ”, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Richard Bronze, Matt Smith, Kpler, —, Stern, Agustin Carstens, Brent, Moscow, “, Sonnenfeld, — Sarah Diab, Sharon Braithwaite, Alexandra Peers, Ramishah Organizations: London CNN —, ” Yale, CNN, Western, Energy, Bank for International, BIS, US Energy Information Agency, Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Russia, China, India, Qatar, Americas, Europe, United States, Basel, Asia, Venezuela, Libya, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Soviet Union, London, New York

☆ US crude inventories post surprise draw, fuel stocks rise, EIA says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) fell by 3.8 million barrels to 463.3 million barrels in the week to June 16, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 300,000-barrel rise. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub (USOICC=ECI) fell 98,000 barrels, EIA said. U.S. crude oil exports climbed to 4.5 million barrels per day last week, while imports fell about 50% to 1.6 million barrels per day. "A rebound in crude exports, dip in imports, and ongoing strength in refining activity have encouraged a draw to crude inventories," said Matt Smith, a lead oil analyst at Kpler. Refinery crude runs (USOICR=ECI) fell by 116,000 barrels per day in the last week, EIA said.

Persons: Andrew Lipow, Matt Smith, Arathy Somasekhar, Stephanie Kelly, Jan Harvey Organizations: Energy Information Administration, Cushing, . West Texas, Brent, Lipow Oil Associates, EIA, Thomson Locations: Oklahoma, Houston . U.S, U.S, Houston, New York

NEW YORK, June 21 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil inventories at the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub have risen to their highest in two years, as outages at Midwestern refiners crimp demand and higher flows from Canada add to supply. Stockpiles at Cushing, the delivery point for U.S. crude oil futures, have climbed for eight consecutive weeks after falling earlier this year. Overseas demand for U.S. crude and an end to refinery outages should reverse the build, said analysts. "We're going to be sending more (oil exported) abroad," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. Canadian crude may have been sent toward Cushing as feedstock for a restart of the Toledo refinery, which had a fire last year, said Matt Smith, lead oil analyst for the Americas at Kpler.

Persons: Phil Flynn, Hillary Stevenson, Cushing, Stevenson, Enbridge, Flanagan, John Coleman, Wood Mackenzie, Matt Smith, Stephanie Kelly, Nia Williams, Arathy, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: YORK, Cushing, Price Futures, Energy, IIR Energy, BP, Phillips, North, Americas, Kpler, Thomson Locations: Oklahoma, Canada, Cushing, U.S, Toledo, Ohio, Texas, Wood

June 14 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil stockpiles posted a surprise large build last week, while gasoline and distillate inventories gained more than expected, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday. Crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) rose by 7.9 million barrels in the week to June 9, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a draw of 510,000 barrels. Meanwhile, refinery crude runs (USOICR=ECI) fell by 61,000 barrels per day (bpd). Brent crude futures traded at $74.26 and U.S. crude was at $69.34 at 10:55 a.m. EDT. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub (USOICC=ECI) rose by 1.6 million barrels last week, the EIA said, to the highest since June 2021.

Persons: Matt Smith, Cushing, Andrew Lipow, Stephanie Kelly, Mark Potter, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Energy Information Administration, EIA, Americas, Brent, Cushing, Lipow Oil Associates, Thomson Locations: Kpler, Oklahoma, Houston

Brent crude futures fell $2.95, or 3.9%, to settle at $71.84 a barrel, their lowest since Dec. 2021. Goldman Sachs cut its oil price forecasts early on Sunday, citing higher-than-expected supplies later this year and through 2024. The bank's December crude price forecast now stands at $86 a barrel for Brent, down from $95, and at $81 a barrel for WTI, down from $89. "The Fed meeting and inflation pressures remain key issues for the market this week," said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Asset Management. Also weighing on investors' minds, oil demand recovery has been muted in China, the top importer of crude oil and refined products.

Persons: Brent, Goldman Sachs, Goldman capitulating, Matt Smith, Robert Yawger, Rob Haworth, Haworth, Yawger, WTI, Shariq Khan, Noah Browning, Florence Tan, Mohi Narayan, Emelia Sithole, Jason Neely, Paul Simao, Sharon Singleton, Deepa Babington, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S, Federal Reserve, Brent, West Texas, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank Asset Management, of Petroleum, International Energy Agency, Saudi, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, U.S, China

Search resuls for: "Matt Smith"

25 mentions found