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☆ U.S. refiners build new oil processing as travel rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HOUSTON, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. oil refiners aim to run at up to 94% of a total 17.9 million barrels per day processing capacity this quarter, according to company forecasts and analysts, driven in part by expectations of seasonal travel demand. This quarter is traditionally one of the year's hottest for demand as companies build gasoline and jet fuel output for the summer vacation season. He estimates refiners overall will run at 94% utilization rate this quarter, matching the 2017-19 average for the period. High prices will keep U.S. refinery utilization rates at levels near last year's about 91.7% this year and next, the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast in January. Refiners will add the capacity to process an additional 328,000 bpd in this quarter, increasing gasoline and diesel supplies this summer.

☆ Valero Energy CEO Joseph Gorder to step down, insider Riggs to succeed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Valero Energy Corp FollowMay 9 (Reuters) - U.S. refiner Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N) said on Tuesday CEO Joseph Gorder would step down from the role on June 30 and named Chief Operating Officer Lane Riggs as his successor. Gorder has led Valero as CEO since May 1, 2014 and served as chairman of the board since Dec. 31, 2014. Gorder will remain as executive chairman, the company said. Riggs has been with Valero since 1989 and held several leadership positions in the company including overseeing refining operations, crude and feedstock supply, and planning and economics. He also served on the board of Valero Energy Partners GP LLC from 2014 to 2019.

☆ Phillips 66 joins rivals to beat profit estimates as refining margins soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Arunima Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A general view of the Phillips 66 refinery, as seen from the corner of Fifth Street and California Street in Rodeo, California, the oldest oil refining town in the American West, U.S. December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File PhotoMay 3 (Reuters) - U.S. refiner Phillips 66 (PSX.N) beat Wall Street estimate for first-quarter profit on Wednesday, joining rivals in gaining from elevated margins on sustained fuel demand amid tight crude supplies. Realized margins soared 91% to $20.72 per barrel in the first quarter from a year earlier, Phillips 66 said. "We ran above industry-average crude utilization, successfully executed major turnarounds and increased market capture to 93%," Phillips 66's CEO Mark Lashier said in a statement. The Houston-based refiner reported adjusted earnings of $4.21 per share for the three months ended March 31, compared with average analyst estimate of $3.56, according to Refinitiv data.

TOKYO, April 28 (Reuters) - Oil prices gained about 2% on Friday after U.S. data showed crude output was declining while fuel demand was growing. Brent crude futures rose $1.16, or 1.5%, to $79.53 a barrel by 12:24 p.m. EDT (1624 GMT), while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.99, or 2.7%, to $76.75. "But, today there were headlines showing there may be a solution to First Republic's problems and data pointing to a rise in oil demand and a decline in output," Flynn said. In the same report, the EIA said U.S. product supplied of crude and petroleum products - a proxy for oil demand - rose to nearly 20 million bpd and finished motor gasoline rose to 8.7 million bpd in February, the highest for both since November 2022. Oil companies like Exxon Mobil Corp(XOM.N), meanwhile, are riding a wave of strong demand and have held the line on cost-cutting implemented when fuel demand collapsed during COVID-19 lockdowns.

HOUSTON, April 28 (Reuters) - Chevron Corp (CVX.N) has stepped up sales of Venezuelan crude oil to rival U.S. refiners, adding PBF Energy Inc (PBF.N) and Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC.N) to its list of customers for the crude, vessel tracking and loading schedules showed. Chevron, the last big U.S. oil producer still operating in U.S.-sanctioned Venezuela, has increased exports of the crude since January. So far in April, it has loaded about 148,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil at Venezuelan ports, with cargoes going to at least three other U.S. refiners, besides Chevron's own refinery. In mid-April, Chevron sold about 550,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude to PBF for its 185,000-bpd Chalmette refinery, near New Orleans, U.S. Customs data on Refinitiv Eikon showed. Chevron has sent Venezuelan crude to its 369,000-bpd Pascagoula, Mississippi, refinery and this month shipped a cargo to a Bahamas oil-storage terminal, PDVSA's schedules showed.

☆ Big Tech earnings, crucial inflation call — here comes the biggest week of earnings season
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Stocks stuck to a holding pattern this week as investors brace for an incoming wave of Big Tech earnings and the Fed's favorite inflation reading. Earnings reports have generally been better than expected so far this first quarter. Humana (HUM) reports before the bell Wednesday; Meta Platforms and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) report after the bell Wednesday. ET: Personal Spending & Income (includes PCE Price Index) Club trades this week Just one trade: We added 150 shares of Coterra Energy (CTRA) on Wednesday. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Wells Fargo raises the caution flag on refiners, downgrades Valero, Marathon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wells Fargo is less optimistic on the future performance of oil refinery stocks Analyst Roger Read downgraded both Valero Energy and Marathon Petroleum to equal weight from overweight. "We raise the caution flag on the refining sector," he said in a note to clients Tuesday. Jet inventory, meanwhile, is "well above" where it was a year ago but still below the average levels seen historically. Demand has also recovered compared with the long-term average but still sits below levels seen before the pandemic. MPC VLO 5Y mountain Valero and Marathon — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Netflix, Amazon, Sunrun & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

This is relevant to Apple as we estimate that Google pays Apple ~$20bn for being the default search engine across iOS devices." Goldman Sachs reiterates Microsoft as buy Goldman says it's staying bullish heading into Microsoft earnings next week. Deutsche Bank reiterates Disney as buy Deutsche Bank says it sees an "attractive setup" heading into earnings in early May. HSBC upgrades Nvidia to buy from reduce HSBC said in its double upgrade of Nvidia that it's "all about AI." Deutsche Bank reiterates Amazon as buy Deutsche says it's standing by its buy rating on the e-commerce giant ahead of earnings later this month.

"Climate change is an existential risk and a risk to investor returns," said John Galloway, who oversees the Pennsylvania firm's engagement and proxy voting at portfolio companies, in an interview by teleconference. Galloway said in practice the proposal, which won 42% support, would have required a wholesale change to Valero's business, a decision best left to the board. "A proposal that’s asking a company to make a change that’s changing its strategy is not a proposal we're likely to support," Galloway said. U.S. Republican politicians applauded the move as responsive to their efforts to counter many companies' treatment of environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. Galloway said the decision was driven with an eye on the varied views of its largely retail client base.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Thursday: Wells upgrade, STZ reports, FedEx's new day
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Raises price target to $52 from $47. Charles Schwab (SCHW) price target slashed to $65 from $89 at Keefe Bruyette. Analyst keeps an outperform rating on shares, acknowledging risks to near-term earnings outlook, but says the sell-off is now overdone. Evercore ISI lowers price target to $535 from $545, but keeps outperform rating. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Venezuelan oil resumed flowing to the U.S. in January under a Treasury Department license granted to Chevron that allowed it to expand output there and export the oil. Refiners including Valero and Phillips 66 (PSX.N) have bought cargoes from Chevron, according to U.S. Customs and shipping data. Chevron's license - and approvals granted to European firms Eni (ENI.MI) and Repsol (REP.MC) - allow only for oil or debt swaps. Chevron's resumption of Venezuelan crude imports has not led to an increase in the country's overall exports this year, according to PDVSA schedules and Refinitiv Eikon data. 2 U.S. oil company exported some 86,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan oil in February.

☆ 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.

☆ ADNOC eyes valuation of at least $50 bln for its gas business - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The state oil giant announced in November it was combining its gas processing arm and its liquefied natural gas (LNG) subsidiary into a single listed entity. ADNOC is eyeing a valuation of at least $50 billion for ADNOC Gas, though deliberations over valuations have not finalised and the company is yet to determine the size of the offering, said the sources close to the matter, declining to be named as the matter is not public. They said an initial public offering of ADNOC Gas could launch as soon as February, ahead of a slowdown in market activity during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan which begins end of March. At $50 billion and above, ADNOC Gas' valuation would be broadly comparable to Italian energy group Eni (ENI.MI), U.S. Over the past two years, ADNOC listed petrochemicals company Borouge (BOROUGE.AD), fertilisers and clean ammonia products maker Fertiglobe (FERTIGLOBE.AD) and ADNOC Drilling (ADNOCDRILL.AD).

☆ Valero profit beats estimates on higher fuel demand, tight supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The Valero refinery next to the Houston Ship Channel is seen in Houston, Texas, U.S., May 5, 2019. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File PhotoCompanies Valero Energy Corp FollowJan 26 (Reuters) - Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N) zoomed passed Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit on Thursday, wrapping up the refiner's best year on record, boosted by higher demand for fuel and healthy refining margins as crude supplies remained tight. U.S. refineries operated at record levels last year, aided by a quick recovery in domestic sales and strong exports demand following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Valero refineries operated at 97% capacity utilization rate in the fourth quarter, the highest since 2018. Valero Energy, the second-largest U.S. refiner by capacity, said quarterly refining throughput volumes averaged 3.04 million barrels per day (bpd), slightly above the year-ago quarter.

☆ Buckle up. These stocks are set for a wild ride on earnings, according to Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bank of America looked at stocks with the highest implied volatility going into their earnings releases. Here are some stocks that, according to data from Bank of America, could see some large fluctuations. One stock that made the list is Tractor Supply , with Bank of America noting the options market is signaling at potential move of 4.7% in either direction after earnings. Mastercard 's shares could also move sharply on the back of earnings, with the options market pricing in a 3.8% swing in either direction. Bank of America noted the stock's implied volatility reflects a swing of 7.6% when the company releases its quarterly report Thursday after the bell.

☆ Did the economy end 2022 with a bang or a whimper?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But the United States economy still seems to be chugging along just fine after experiencing a hiccup in the first half of 2022. Despite worries about weaker consumer spending during the holidays, economists are forecasting solid growth for the fourth quarter. Yearning for earningsMore blue chip companies will report fourth quarter results (and perhaps give guidance about the first quarter of 2023 and beyond) this week. But according to FactSet senior earnings analyst John Butters, earnings for the tech sector are expected to fall nearly 10% in the fourth quarter compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. Verizon (VZ), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Travelers (TRV), 3M (MMM), Boeing (BA), Dow (DOW), Visa (V), Chevron (CVX) and American Express (AXP).

☆ Get ready for a deluge of data next week that will shape the Fed's next moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Within the portfolio, we'll get the latest earnings from Danaher (DHR), Halliburton (HAL), and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) on Tuesday before the opening bell. While the results will be important as always, we are most interested in the earnings call with analysts and investors. Housing Starts fell 1.4% in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.38 million, slightly above the 1.36 million expected. Building permits dropped 1.6% in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.33 million, below expectations of 1.37 million. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ The 10 biggest winners in the S&P 500 this year were led by an oil giant Warren Buffett owns. The top stocks saw a combined $357 billion increase in market value.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Oil stocks dominated the S&P 500's top 10 winners this year as commodity prices spiked. These are the index's 10 best performing stocks in 2022, which added a combined $357 billion in market value. Buffett also owns a stake in Chevron, which was the 17th best S&P 500 performer in 2022 with a gain of about 50%. Combined, the top 10 performing S&P 500 stocks in 2022 added a total of $357 billion in market value. SchlumbergerThe exterior of a Schlumberger Corporation building is pictured in West Houston ReutersTicker: SLB2022 Return: 76.7%Market Value Gained: $33.5 billion5.

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More than 1.5 million homes and businesses lost power, oil refineries in Texas cut gasoline and diesel production on equipment failures, and heating and power prices surged on the losses. Oil and gas output from North Dakota to Texas suffered freeze-ins, cutting supplies. Freeze-ins - in which ice crystals halt oil and gas production - this week trimmed production in North Dakota's oilfields by 300,000 to 350,000 barrels per day, or a third of normal. Power prices on Texas's grid also spiked to $3,700 per megawatt hour, prompting generators to add more power to the grid before prices fell back as thermal and solar supplies came online. That is the biggest drop in output since the February 2021 freeze knocked out power for millions in Texas.

Marathon, and Valero's market valuations reached record highs in 2022; while Phillips 66 and PBF's are near highs reached in 2019. LESS CAPACITY, MORE PROFITSWhen the pandemic hit, big U.S. refiners closed numerous facilities that were less profitable than other operations. Processing capacity is expected to increase by 1 million bpd per day in 2022 and 1.6 million bpd in 2023, mostly in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The margins to produce gasoline were consistently higher throughout 2022 than in the last several years as a result of the Ukraine war. A series of closures have caused U.S. processing capacity to decline even as refiners have become more profitable.

☆ HF Sinclair sinks after forecasting higher capital spend for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 2 (Reuters) - Shares of HF Sinclair Corp (DINO.N) fell over 6% on Friday after the U.S. refiner forecast capital expenditure of $940 million to $1.15 billion for fiscal 2023, including its transportation business Holly Energy Partners (HEP.N). Shares fell to $57.38 in afternoon trading, their lowest level in six weeks and worst day in ten. Turnarounds made up a bulk of HF Sinclair's expected costs for next year, at $530 million to $630 million. HF Sinclair was formed as a parent company after HollyFrontier Corp bought almost all of Sinclair Oil Corp's assets for $2.6 billion. Other refiners Phillips 66 (PSX.N), Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC.N), Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N) and PBF Energy Inc (PBF.N) were down 2%-6%.

The Biden administration last week authorized Chevron to expand operations in Venezuela and resume taking prized heavy crude to the United States. Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N), PBF Energy (PBF.N) and Citgo Petroleum have shown interest in getting access to the oil Chevron is expecting in coming weeks, according to the people. No Venezuelan oil officially has been allocated to Chevron yet and no chartering contracts have been signed to transport cargoes to the United States, according to Venezuelan export schedules and Refinitiv freight data. Valero, PBF and other U.S. independent refiners would not need any new authorization to buy Venezuelan oil from Chevron. The primary effect will be to allow some Venezuelan oil to flow back to the United States, "which will help the U.S. refining system," Wirth said.

☆ U.S. oil refiners to keep running at breakneck speeds in fourth quarter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Bing GuanHOUSTON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - U.S. oil refiners this quarter will run their plants at breakneck rates, near or above 90% of capacity, as tight fuel supplies spur high profits and operating rates, according to company forecasts and analysts surveyed by Reuters. The refining industry has minted huge profits this year on buoyant demand for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. PBF restarted units idled during the pandemic at its Paulsboro, N.J., plant to produce more diesel and jet fuel, with the company's refineries running at a record-high 980,000 barrels per day last quarter, Young said. Overall, refiners are forecasting production will remain close to third quarter levels, which averaged 92.75%, said Matthew Blair, refining analyst at researcher Tudor Pickering & Holt. Diesel stocks in particular “are well below typical levels and are running at some 20% below the seasonal average,” Paisie said.

☆ Marathon Petroleum and Phillips 66 cruise past estimates on fuel demand surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Marathon Petroleum (MPC.N) and Phillips 66 (PSX.N) posted quarterly profits which cruised past Wall Street estimates on Tuesday, becoming the latest U.S. refiners to benefit from robust fuel demand and margins amid tight supplies. U.S. refiners are posting strong profits with refineries running at record levels this year, strong export demand amid a squeezed supply due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and plant closings. Shares of Marathon rose 1.3% pre-market to $115.10, while Phillips 66 was up 1% at $105.25. Mirroring similar gains, rival Phillips 66's realized refining margins tripled in the July-September quarter to $26.58 per barrel. Rival Valero Energy (VLO.N), which also beat profit estimates on strong margins last week, said it continues to maximize refining utilization.

☆ Earnings are off to a surprisingly decent start. Next week is the big test for tech
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Stocks rallied this week as earnings season ramped up and is so far off to a better-than-expected start. With 20% of the S & P 500 having reported financials so far, sales results have thus far been 1.4% above expectations while earnings results are 5.4% above expectations, in aggregate. That inverse correlation between bond yields and stocks was powerful enough to trump positive earnings reports. Looking back On the earnings front, we got results from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Procter & Gamble (PG), and Danaher (DHR). As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

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