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☆ US natural gas prices plummet 13% as streak of mild winter weather set to continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Natural gas prices have fallen 13% amid forecasts of more mild weather as winter winds down. Falling prices are a sign that the US needs to scale back gas production, some commentators say. Henry hub natural gas futures for April fell to $2.62 per million British thermal units, according to data from the CME Group, down 12.73% from its previous close of $3 per million BTUs. Natural gas prices have tanked 34% since the start of the year, with the latest drop spurred by warm weather forecasts for the coming weeks. The changes in supply-demand balance are a stark contrast from last year, when issues stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine spiked gas prices on the spot market.

☆ US natgas plunges 15% on less cold forecasts, biggest drop in 8 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. natural gas futures plunged by about 15% on Monday - its biggest one-day drop in over eight months —on forecasts for much less cold weather and heating demand than previously expected over the next two weeks. "This has translated to ... [gas] demand lost over the forecast period ... With the vast majority of that being [residential and commercial] demand," Gelber said. The gas market is used to huge price swings, which are usually related to changes in weather forecasts. When operating at full power, Freeport LNG, the second-biggest U.S. LNG export plant, can turn about 2.1 bcfd of gas into LNG for export. That compares with a monthly record of 12.9 bcfd in March 2022, before the Freeport LNG facility shut.

☆ Natural-Gas Prices Plunge, and Drillers Dial Back
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Ryan Dezember | David Uberti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chesapeake Energy says it will drop three of the 14 rigs drilling on its properties this year. Natural-gas prices have dropped more than 65% since mid-December and this week hit their lowest level since 2020’s pandemic lockdown, leading producers to throttle back drilling in a dramatic turn in the market for the heating and power-generation fuel. Expensive natural gas was a major contributor to inflation over the past two years, pushing up the price of electricity and staying warm as well as manufacturing costs for fertilizer, steel, glass, aluminum, plastic and cardboard.

☆ Chesapeake Energy to reduce drilling amid natgas price slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Liz Hampton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.O) on Wednesday said it would pull back on drilling and completing wells this year as natural gas prices have crashed to a quarter of what they were last summer. Earlier this month, Comstock Resources Inc (CRK.N) said it would cut drilling rigs to seven from nine this year. Henry Hub natural gas futures on Wednesday briefly dipped below $2 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) for the first time since September 2020, and were down from last year's $8 peak. Chesapeake, which previously announced plans to sell its oil position to focus on gas production, on Tuesday said it would sell oil assets in South Texas to chemical maker INEOS for $1.4 billion. Rival shale oil producer Diamondback Energy (FANG.O) on Wednesday said it was increasing its non-core asset sale target to at least $1 billion by the end of this year, up from $500 million previously.

☆ Chesapeake to Sell Shale Oil Assets to British Chemical Maker Ineos for $1.4 Billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Benoît Morenne | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Rory Doyle for The Wall Street JournalA worker cleans the deck floor at a Chesapeake Energy drilling-rig site in Louisiana. Chesapeake Energy Corp. said Tuesday that it has sold oil assets to a division of U.K. chemical maker Ineos Group AG for $1.4 billion. The deal involves oil assets in the northern part of the Eagle Ford shale basin in South Texas. The sale marks the first foray of Ineos, one of the world’s largest chemical producers, into U.S. oil and gas production, Ineos said in a news release.

☆ Chemical maker INEOS makes U.S. shale bet with $1.4 bln Chesapeake deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Chesapeake Energy Corp worker walks past stacks of drill pipe needed to tap oil and gas trapped deeply in rock like shale at a Chesapeake oil drilling site on the Eagle Ford shale near Crystal City, Texas, June 6, 2011. REUTERS/Anna Driver/File PhotoFeb 21 (Reuters) - Chemical maker INEOS is entering into U.S. oil and gas production for the first time, agreeing to purchase assets in South Texas from Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.O) for $1.4 billion, the companies said on Tuesday. "Over the last two decades, U.S. onshore oil and gas production has provided security of supply for the global market and competitive advantage for U.S. industry," Brian Gilvary, chairman of INEOS Energy, said in a statement. The transaction, involving an area of around 172,000 net acres with average net daily production of about 36,000 barrels of oil equivalent, will also grant Chesapeake Energy a complete exit from the Eagle Ford shale basin. Proceeds from the deal will be used to repay debt and fund its share repurchase program.

☆ Warren Buffett is missing out on this year’s market comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But the Oracle of Omaha has missed out on this year’s stock market rally. Buffett, in fact, has promoted that idea to investors many times, arguing that most individual stock pickers will not be able to beat the market. And to his credit, that usually pays dividends: Berkshire stock was up 3% last year in a down market. “High rates of inflation create a tax on capital that makes much corporate investment unwise,” Buffett said in his 1980 shareholder letter to Berkshire investors. Investors will get several more clues about consumer spending this week when several top retailers report earnings.

☆ The Fed’s favorite inflation gauge will be the big market hurdle of next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Most important this week is Friday's core personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index for January. In comparison, the consumer price index (CPI), released this past week, only tracks price changes over time. The market is expecting the core PCE price index to rise 0.4% monthly and 4.9% annually. In addition to the core PCE price index, we're going to be looking closely at the housing and utilities component. Lastly, the January producer price index came in hotter than expected, rising 0.7% from December versus expectations for 0.4% increase.

☆ U.S. gas producers skimped on price hedges and now face a reckoning
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

HOUSTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - A rout in natural gas prices will hurt first-quarter earnings and cash flows at gas producers as hedges - the industry's version of price insurance - were inadequate to offset the expected losses, analysts and industry experts said. About 36% of 2023 gas production was hedged at the end of September, according to consultancy Energy Aspects, which tracked 40 publicly traded gas producers. EQT Corp (EQT.N), the top U.S. producer of natural gas, last month said it expects a $4.6 billion loss on derivatives for 2022, and net cash settlements of $5.9 billion. These transactions have a producer buy an agreement to sell natural gas at one price, called a put, while also selling a put at a lower price in hopes of pocketing the premium from its buyer. Were gas prices to average $2.36 per mmcf, the company would pay out 14 cents per mmcf, reducing the gains from the hedge.

☆ Factbox: Bumper profits fuel surge in dividends, buybacks at oil firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Energy firms are using a chunk of their bumper quarterly profits from surging natural gas and fuel prices to reward shareholders with higher dividends and share buybacks. The top 25 North American oil and gas companies by market capital posted a combined profit of $70.04 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 186.3% higher than a year earlier, according to Refinitiv data. However, the record profits have renewed calls for a windfall tax, especially as sky-rocketing prices have fueled inflation around the globe. Below are some of the companies that have announced higher dividends and repurchases in recent weeks:Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N)Dividend: Increased quarterly dividend by 4.1% to $1.02 per shareNet Income in latest quarter: More than tripled to $3.11 billionExxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N)Dividend: Q4 per-share dividend of 91 cents, up 3 centsNet Income in latest quarter: Jumped 43.7% to $12.75 billionChevron Corp (CVX.N)Dividend: Raised quarterly dividend by 9 cents to $1.51 per shareShare buyback: Approves a $75 billion buyback programNet Income in latest quarter: Jumped 25.6% to $6.35 billionConocoPhillips (COP.N)Dividend: Declares variable dividend of 60 cents per shareShare buyback: Raised existing share repurchase authorization by $20 billionNet Income in latest quarter: Rose 23% to $3.2 billionCHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORP (CHK.O)Dividend: Increased total quarterly dividend to $3.16/shr from $2.32/shrNet Income in latest quarter: Stood at $883 mln, compared with $345 mln year-ago lossBAKER HUGHES CO (BKR.O)Dividend: Increased quarterly dividend by 5.5% to 19 cents per shareShare buyback: Authorized an additional $2 blnNet Income in latest quarter: Fell 38.1% to $182 millionSLB (formerly Schlumberger) (SLB.N)Dividend: Increased quarterly cash dividend 43% to $0.25 per shareShare buyback: Resumed share repurchase programNet Income in latest quarter: Rose 77.2% to $1.07 billionMarathon Petroleum Corp (MPC.N)Share buyback: Approved an additional $5 billion in stock repurchasesNet Income in latest quarter: Rose 329.1% to $3.32 billionPhillips 66 (PSX.N)Share buyback: Plans to return up to $12 bln more to shareholders by end-2024 through dividends and buybacksNet Income in latest quarter: Jumped 1241% to $5.4 billionMarathon Oil Corp (MRO.N)Dividend: Expects to raise base dividend by an additional 11% after closing the purchase of EnsignNet Income in latest quarter: Climbed 344% to $817 millionEOG Resources Inc (EOG.N)Dividend: Raised regular dividend by 10%, $1.50/shr special dividendNet Income in latest quarter: Rose 160.6% to $2.85 billionAPA Corp (APA.O)Dividend: Doubled quarterly dividend to an annualized rate of $1.00/shrNet Income in latest quarter: Stood at $422 million, compared with a loss of $113 millionCOTERRA ENERGY INC (CTRA.N)Dividend: Increased dividend by 3 cents to 68 cents/shrNet Income in latest quarter: Surged 1768.75% to $1.2 billionPATTERSON-UTI (PTEN.O)Dividend: Doubled quarterly cash dividend to 8 cents/shrShare buyback: Increased share repurchase authorization to $300 millionNet Income in latest quarter: Rose 181% to $61.5 millionTEXAS PACIFIC LAND CORP (TPL.N)Share buyback: Approved purchase of up to $250 mln worth of sharesNet Income in latest quarter: Rose 55% to $129.8 mlnCANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES LTD (CNQ.TO)Dividend: Raised quarterly dividend by 13% to 85 Canadian cents/shrNet Income in latest quarter: Rose 27.7% to C$2.81 blnCenovus Energy Inc (CVE.TO)Dividend: Announced a variable dividend of C$0.114Share buyback: Plans to renew repurchase programNet Income in latest quarter: Climbed 192% to C$1.61 blnIMPERIAL OIL (IMO.TO)Dividend: Raised quarterly dividend by 29% to 44 Canadian cents/shrShare buyback: Announced a C$1.5 bln substantial issuer bid to buy back sharesNet Income in latest quarter: Rose 123.6% to C$2.03 blnTOURMALINE OIL CORP (TOU.TO)Dividend: Announced a special dividend of C$2.25/shr; raised quarterly dividend by 11% to 25 Canadian cents/shrNet Income in latest quarter: Rose 481% to C$2.09 blnReporting by Sourasis Bose, Ankit Kumar and Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysts love these stocks that are flush with cash — giving one over 75% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We prefer companies generating cash rather than those that need capital to grow. The higher the free cash flow yield, the better a company's position to meet its debt obligations. A company with a high free cash flow is also able to access cash more quickly in the event of an emergency or opportunity. Using FactSet data, CNBC Pro screened for stocks that boast lots of cash and could be well positioned for a rocky year. U.S.-listed Chesapeake Energy Corporation was the only energy stock to appear on the screen, with its free cash flow yield at nearly 14%.

Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake has been trying to divest its entire South Texas operations to focus on natural gas-producing acreage in other parts of the United States. The deal it has clinched falls short of meeting the demands of activist investor Kimmeridge Energy Management, that is among the 15 largest Chesapeake shareholders, to exit South Texas entirely. Chesapeake is continuing with efforts to divest them, though it's unclear if it will do so until market conditions change, according to the sources. Chesapeake and WildFire did not respond to comment requests. Since then, it has built a position in the Eagle Ford producing upwards of 16,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day, according to its website.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. was one of the biggest stars of the fracking boom, riding high for years on its ability to tap vast troves of American natural gas. By the summer of 2020, the pandemic and lockdowns had caused revenue to dry up, and the company, after a big, ill-timed expansion, filed for bankruptcy protection.

☆ Chesapeake Energy CEO: Natural gas prices still profitable for the industry despite price declines
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Brian Sullivan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChesapeake Energy CEO: Natural gas prices still profitable for the industry despite price declinesNick Dell'Osso, Chesapeake Energy CEO, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the plunging natural gas prices and what this means for 2023.

☆ Factbox: Tech firms leading job cuts in Corporate America
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Big Tech firms are leading a string of layoffs across corporate America as companies look to rein in costs to ride out the economic downturn. Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O):The software giant laid off under 1,000 employees across several divisions in October, Axios reported, citing a source. However, Bloomberg later reported Twitter was reaching out to dozens of employees who lost their jobs, asking them to return. HP Inc (HPQ.N):The computing devices maker said it expected to cut up to 6,000 jobs by the end of fiscal 2025. CNN:Warner Bros Discovery-owned (WBD.O) CNN's top boss Chris Licht informed employees in an all-staff memo that job cuts were underway.

☆ These are analysts’ favorite value stocks heading into 2023, including one name expected to double
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The IWF , its growth counterpart, has dropped 28% in that time, while the S & P 500 has fallen nearly 20%. This would mark the first time since 2016 that the IWD outpaces both the S & P 500 and IWF since 2016. The stock is trading at a slight discount relative to the S & P 500 and has buy ratings from three-quarters of analysts covering it. Mattel also made the list, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 10 and buy ratings from 73% of analysts. The stock is one the best performers in the S & P 500 for 2022, gaining more than 70% as investors have piled into the energy sector this year.

☆ Exclusive: Shale oil producer Continental Resources names Doug Lawler as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Liz Hampton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - U.S. shale producer Continental Resources will name operating chief Doug Lawler as its new chief executive officer, according to a person familiar with the matter on Tuesday. Lawler was CEO at shale gas producer Chesapeake Energy (CHK.O) before joining Continental in February. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Continental is one of the largest U.S. oil and gas shale drillers with a focus on North Dakota's Bakken shale. Lawler ran Chesapeake Energy for eight years, including through a bankruptcy process that it completed in 2021. He has been credited with whittling away at Chesapeake's $13 billion in debt and an ill-timed bet on shale oil just ahead of a oil price crash.

The tech industry accounts for about one-quarter of this year's job cuts, Challenger data show. The automotive industry has had 30,669 job cuts announced, compared with 10,277 through November 2021. And real estate has had 7,919 cuts announced this year, compared with 2,762 in 2021 year-to-date. "We've seen a lot of job cuts around mortgage origination and fintech firms in mortgages. U.S.-based employers announced 76,835 cuts in November alone, more than double the 33,843 cuts announced in October and four-times the number of cuts announced last November, Challenger data show.

CNOOC has hired JPMorgan to advise it on a potential exit from its interests in U.S. shale gas assets, which could raise around $2 billion, the sources familiar with the matter said. The sources cautioned that a sale was not guaranteed, and CNOOC could still retain these interests if it did not receive suitable offers or political situations changed swiftly. In the Eagle Ford basin of south Texas, CNOOC's stake is in oil and gas assets owned by U.S. shale driller Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.O). While Chesapeake has itself put those assets up for sale, any decision there is not expected to impact CNOOC's plans, one of the sources said. Norway's Equinor (EQNR.OL) is said to be considering buying the stakes in a deal valued between 20 billion and 30 billion Norwegian crowns ($2-3 billion).

☆ Factbox: Corporate America cuts thousands of jobs as recession looms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Job cuts announced by U.S.-based employers jumped 13% to 33,843 in October, the highest since February 2021, according to a report. However, Bloomberg on Sunday reported Twitter was reaching out to dozens of employees who lost their jobs, asking them to return. Coinbase Global (COIN.O):The cryptocurrency exchange said it planned to cut over 60 jobs, in its recruiting and institutional onboarding teams. read moreThe move marks a second round of jobs cuts at the company this year, and comes at a time when cryptocurrencies have been roiled by extreme volatility as investors dump risky assets. Walt Disney Co (DIS.N):The media giant is planning to freeze hiring and cut some jobs, according to a company memo seen by Reuters.

☆ Factbox: Corporate America leans on job cuts as recession fears mount
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Corporate America is cutting thousands of jobs to rein in costs amid tightening monetary policy and growing fears of a recession. Job cuts announced by U.S.-based employers jumped 13% to 33,843 in October, the highest since February 2021, a report said. Microsoft:Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) laid off under 1,000 employees across several divisions this week, Axios reported, citing a source. However, Bloomberg on Sunday reported Twitter was reaching out to dozens of employees who lost their jobs, asking them to return. Chime:Online banking firm Chime has laid off 12% of its employees, or about 160 jobs, a spokesperson said.

☆ Factbox: Corporate America lays off thousands as recession worries mount
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

DoorDash Inc (DASH.N):The food delivery firm, which enjoyed a growth surge during the pandemic, said it was reducing its corporate headcount by about 1,250 employees. Twitter Inc:The social media company laid off half its workforce across teams ranging from communications and content curation to product and engineering following Elon Musk's $44 billion takeover. Chime Financial Inc:The online banking firm has laid off 12% of its employees, or about 160 jobs, a spokesperson said. Coinbase Global (COIN.O):The cryptocurrency exchange said it planned to cut over 60 jobs, in its recruiting and institutional onboarding teams. CNN:Warner Bros Discovery-owned (WBD.O) CNN's top boss Chris Licht informed employees in an all-staff memo that job cuts were underway.

☆ The Fed could lay the groundwork for a year end rally in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The coming week is also the busiest of the corporate earnings season, with about a third of the S & P 500 companies releasing results. "Historically, the market waits for the last Fed rate hike to be introduced and then the market climbs higher. The S & P 500 was up more than 8.8% for the month. The Dow was up 5.7% on the week, the S & P 500 was up 5.7% and the Nasdaq was up 2.2%. The 50-day moving average is 3,841 for the S & P 500, and it was well above it Friday afternoon for the second time in the past week.

☆ Chesapeake Energy trims workforce ahead of oil properties sale
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Chesapeake Energy Corp FollowOct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. shale gas producer Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.O) last week cut about 3% of its workforce, according people familiar with the matter, as it readies a sale of South Texas oil properties. The company this year said it would exit oil-producing properties in the Eagle Ford shale region of Texas to focus on its mainstay natural gas operations. A Chesapeake Energy spokesperson declined to comment. Oil prices fell the following year, a drop that helped send Chesapeake into restructuring. It emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year as natural gas prices began to rise.

And demand for the greener fuel has dried up, according to Reuters interviews with nine LNG market analysts, industry officials and traders. Several gas drillers, including in the world’s top gas producer the United States, told Reuters they have invested in finding and plugging greenhouse gas emissions associated with production, transport and processing. Since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, gas prices have soared about 25% in the United States and 32% in Europe . To export gas, the fuel must be supercooled into LNG and then shipped across the sea, a process that produces substantial additional greenhouse gas emissions. Other U.S. LNG suppliers, like Cove Point LNG and Cameron LNG, also told Reuters they are not certifying their cargoes.

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