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☆ Walmart set to reopen the Virginia store where six employees were shot and killed five months ago. It will include a memorial in their honor.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart plans to reopen a store on April 19 after a mass shooting took place there in November 2022. The store will feature a memorial to honor the six workers who lost their lives in the shooting. "We are deeply touched by the community's compassion and support as we continue to heal from last year's tragedy," Alycia Mixon, the Walmart Chesapeake store manager, said in a press release. The reopened Walmart store in Chesapeake, Virginia, will feature a memorial to honor the six victims of the shooting. Are you a Walmart employee who works at the store in Chesapeake, Virginia?

Big gas producers including Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.O) and Comstock Resources Inc (CRK.N) are reducing their drilling. "About a third of U.S. gas production is associated gas - produced from oil wells," said Jacques Rousseau, a managing director at research firm ClearView Energy Partners LLC. Gas from the Permian also has climbed to record highs every month this year. PRODUCTION REMAINS STICKYU.S. gas production remains on track to hit 100.67 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) this year, up from last year's record 98.09 bcfd, according to the U.S. government. Despite low gas prices, U.S. drillers have 160 rigs seeking gas up 16% from a year ago, according to data from Baker Hughes Co (BKR.O).

March 31 (Reuters) - U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs, with the quarterly count dropping for the first time since 2020, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co (BKR.O) said in its closely followed report on Friday. U.S. oil rigs fell one to 592 this week, while gas rigs decreased two to 160. For the month, the total oil and gas rig count rose two rigs, the first monthly increase since November. For the quarter, the total oil and gas rig count fell by 24 rigs, the first quarterly decline since the third quarter of 2020. The drop in gas prices has already caused some exploration and production companies, including Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.O), Southwestern Energy Co (SWN.N) and Comstock Resources Inc (CRK.N), to announce plans to reduce production by cutting some gas rigs.

☆ Google search is bad and getting worse. Here's how search is evolving in the era of AI.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Mason Pelt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

He says Google search is worse than ever, and the company isn't financially incentivized to fix it. Google search is worse than it was three years ago. People use Google search in two waysPeople use Google to either find general information where any credible source is acceptable. Searching, "who is Neil Gaiman," or "list of the endless in the Neil Gaiman series" will likely give searchers the answers they seek. That sentence's chaotic grammatical mess is a window into the Google search results pages.

The dinner with shale producers and OPEC officials continued a tradition that began around five years ago when they were fierce competitors. It has been held in most recent years during the CERAWeek energy conference in the U.S. oil industry capital. Among the other topics that came up were strong oil demand and what U.S. shale producers could do to meet it given what shareholders want, he said. The event comes at a tumultuous time for global markets with the war in Ukraine disrupting global oil and gas flows while enriching both producer groups. Fewer OPEC officials are present at this year's annual CERAWeek conference, with ministers from key countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq, absent from the attendee list.

March 6 (Reuters) - U.S. energy executives met privately with top OPEC officials on Monday on the sidelines of a Houston conference, people familiar with the matter said, continuing a tradition that began around five years ago when the two groups were fierce competitors. OPEC had viewed shale as an untamed force that undercut its revenue by bringing vast new oil supplies to market. The secretive dinner has been held in most recent years during the CERAWeek energy conference in the capital of the U.S. oil industry. This year's private dinner comes at a tumultuous time for global markets with the war in Ukraine disrupting global oil and gas flows while enriching both producer groups. Fewer OPEC officials are present at this year's annual CERAWeek conference, with ministers from key countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq, absent from the attendee list.

The secretive dinner has been held almost annually at the CERAWeek energy conference. This year's event will be the first with Haitham Al Ghais as secretary general for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. OPEC had viewed shale as an untamed force that undercut its revenue by bringing vast new oil supplies to market. Fewer OPEC officials are present at this year's annual CERAWeek conferencing, with ministers from key countries including Saudi Arabia and Iraq absent from the attendee list. Reporting by Liz Hampton and Ron Bousso in Houston; additional reporting by Stephanie Kelly Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ Natural gas plunges 10% to its lowest level since 2020 as winter demand concerns fade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Natural gas prices plunged as much as 10% on Tuesday to levels not seen since September 2020. The decline in natural gas prices can be attributed to a mild winter that has led to less demand. US natural gas prices fell as much as 10% to a low of $2.06 per million BTUs on Tuesday, representing a decline of 79% from its August high. The combination of weak demand and rising supply for natural gas is a dynamic that Chesapeake CEO Nick Dell'Osso warned about last month, when natural gas prices were trading just over $3.00. Dell'Ossoa said that natural gas producers should reduce production to avoid a downward spiral in prices.

☆ 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.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond just missed another debt payment. See the full list of stores it will close, including Harmon and Buybuy Baby locations.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

In addition to 87 more Bed Bath & Beyond stores, the company now says it will close all of its remaining Harmon health and beauty stores, and five Buybuy Baby stores. San Leandro: 15555 East 14th St., Suite 24015555 East 14th St., Suite 240 Burbank: 201 East Magnolia Blvd. Marina: 117 General Stilwell Drive117 General Stilwell Drive Vallejo: 105 Plaza Drive, Suite 107105 Plaza Drive, Suite 107 * Palm Desert: 72459 Highway 11172459 Highway 111 * Visalia: 3125 South Mooney Blvd. Arterial * Coralville: 2515 Corridor Way Suite 5Kansas:Lawrence: 3106 S. Iowa St., Suite 2153106 S. Iowa St., Suite 215 Manhattan: 425 3rd Place425 3rd Place * Olathe: 15335 W. 119th St.Kentucky:Elizabethtown: 1998 N. Dixie Ave.1998 N. Dixie Ave. New Hartford: 4805 Commercial Drive4805 Commercial Drive Kingston: 1187 Ulster Ave.1187 Ulster Ave. Plattsburgh: 73 Centre Drive, Suite 10073 Centre Drive, Suite 100 Farmingdale: 251 Airport Plaza Blvd.

☆ Mass Shootings in the U.S.: A Symptom of Despair - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jillian Peterson | James Densley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +23 min

Seven killed and 46 injured in Highland Park, Ill., on July 4, 2022He suffered from severe back pain. Eight killed and seven injured in Indianapolis on April 15, 2021He was known for being paranoid with a short temper. Five killed and seven injured in Aurora, Ill., on Feb. 15, 2019He had expressed violent thoughts. Nine killed and seven injured in Red Lake, Minn., on March 21, 2005He had been noticeably depressed and angry at church. Seven killed and seven injured in Fort Worth on Sept. 15, 1999He killed his daughter’s cat because he was upset.

☆ 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%.

☆ 39 more Regal theaters are closing in the US amid bankruptcy. See the full list.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Travis Clark | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Over three dozen Regal Cinemas locations in the US are expected to close. Cineworld detailed the plan to reject the leases starting February 15 in a new bankruptcy filing on Tuesday. Regal is the second-largest cinema chain in the US, behind AMC, with over 500 theaters. The company's plan to close locations during its bankruptcy is fairly routine. Cineworld filed for bankruptcy at a time when the larger theatrical industry is struggling to fully rebound from the pandemic.

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.

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