Chevron Corp
Latest Chevron Corp News and Updates

Perfect Storm for Natural Gas—What Are the Top Stock Picks?

Chevron Corporation: A must-know brief overview
Chevron Corporation is currently trading at EV-to-2014E EBITDA of 5x, has an approximately $239 billion market cap, and ~$245 billion enterprise value.

Drop in US Crude Oil Production Supported WTI Prices
The EIA estimates that US crude oil production fell by 40,000 barrels per day to 9.096 million barrels per day in the week ending September 25.

Permian Basin activity: A key indicator of energy sector health
This was the seventh straight weekly decline in the Permian Basin oil rig count. Overall, the weekly US crude oil rig count was down 4%.

The WTI-Brent crude oil discount narrows
The divergence between WTI and Brent narrowed last week, as a slowdown in Cushing offered a glimmer of hope, causing WTI to rise.

How Have Depressed Oil Prices Impacted Total’s Stock Performance?
In 2015, sinking oil prices impacted earnings of integrated energy companies. This reflects on the stock performance of these companies.

Plosser on the use of Taylor-like rules in systematic guidance
In this part, we will discuss Dr. Plosser’s views on the use of systematic tools, for example, Taylor-like rules for setting policy rates and communicating these to markets.

Petrobras’s Upcoming 3Q16 Results: Where Are Earnings Headed?
Petrobras (PBR) is expected to post its 3Q16 results on November 10, 2016. In 2Q16, it had adjusted EPS of $0.03 compared to analysts’ estimates of $0.12.

Shell Plans to Sell Iraqi Oil Fields: Focus on Divestments
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) plans to sell its oil fields in Iraq. The sale could be due to Shell’s restricted authority on the fields.

Why Chevron’s Valuations Command a Premium over the Peer Averages
Chevron (CVX) is currently trading at a forward EV-to-EBITDA of 6.8x, above the peer average of 5.5x.

How Chevron’s 3Q16 Segmental Earnings Trended
Chevron’s (CVX) earnings improved in 3Q16 compared to 3Q15. In fact, the upstream segment turned profitable in 3Q16.

Suncor Energy: The Only Integrated Energy Loser This Week
Suncor Energy (SU) is the only losing stock in the current week from the integrated energy sector. It fell from last week’s close of $34.67 to $34.52 on October 11, 2017.

US Stock Indices Plunge after Oil Prices Rebound
The three US equity indices that we review in this weekly series fell from December 8 to December 15, 2015, after a rebound in oil prices.

Chevron’s 3.6% Dividend Yield Ranks Sixth with High Valuations
Chevron (CVX) is the sixth stock on our list of the top eight dividend-yielding stocks.

G20 leaders are emphasizing fiscal policies
The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors emphasized the role of fiscal policy in building confidence and supporting domestic demand.

Why was there a surprise in the EIA’s last crude inventory report?
On December 24, the US Energy Information Administration (or EIA) released its crude inventory report for the week ended December 19.

Assessing BP’s Debt Position
Comparing BP’s debt position with peers’ In this part, we’ll assess whether BP’s (BP) debt position has improved. Let’s begin by looking at how BP’s debt position compares with peers’. In the second quarter, BP’s total debt-to-capital ratio was 37%, higher than the industry average of 33%. The industry average considers 13 integrated energy companies worldwide. […]

BP’s Upstream Earnings: What to Expect in Q1
According to BP’s guidance, its hydrocarbon production is expected to stay flat sequentially in the first quarter.

How BP’s Debt Position Compares
In this part, we’ll review whether BP’s (BP) debt position has improved. Let’s begin by comparing BP’s debt position with peers’.

Key Analysis of Chevron’s Fiscal 3Q15 Earnings
Chevron (CVX) announced its third quarter earnings on October 30, 2015. Chevron saw new positions in 870 institutional investors’ portfolios in fiscal 2Q15.

What Analysts Recommend for Integrated Energy Stocks
BP has the most “hold” ratings among the four stocks we’ve discussed in this series.

Institutional Holdings in BP Today: Behind the Trend
Institutional holdings in BP currently stand at ~10%, which has fallen ~1% in the past six months.

A Look at Shell’s Stock in 4Q15 Prior to Its Earnings Release
In 2015, Royal Dutch Shell’s stock fell. Shell’s stock lost 38% in the trailing twelve months to January 26, 2016.

Chevron’s Downstream Margin Trends in 4Q17
In this series, we provided an update on Chevron’s latest financial and operational performance.

Why Chevron is cutting spending on some projects
Chevron has cut spending on the Kitimat liquefied natural gas project (or LNG) in Canada due to falling crude prices.

Shell’s Upstream Portfolio: Is it Poised to Grow?
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) produced 3.8 MMboepd in 1Q17 from its worldwide operations, compared to 3.7 MMboepd in 1Q16.

How Was ExxonMobil’s Upstream Performance in Q2 2018?
ExxonMobil (XOM) produced 3.7 MMboepd (million barrels of oil equivalent per day) from its worldwide operations in the second quarter.

BP’s Upstream Segment: Large Upcoming Gas Projects
BP has a strong pipeline of projects in its upstream portfolio. These projects are expected to result in 800,000 barrels per day of new production by 2020.

USO Is a Better Trade Compared to XOP in Week of July 2
Shares of USO trade on the NYSE like company stock. The fund lost ~5.3% in the week ended July 2.

Tesoro’s Big Bet on Building Crude-by-Rail Infrastructure
An important part of Tesoro’s business, crude-by-rail allows refiners to cover maximum accessibility and to gain from price differentials.

Why US oil rigs have been trending downward since mid-year
Oil rig counts decreased last week, down ~4% since June Last week, the Baker Hughes oil rig count decreased from 1,367 to 1,361. Oil rig counts have been on a slight downward trend since mid-year. Rigs drilling for oil peaked this year in June, at 1,413, but have since fallen about 4%. Though the drop […]

What’s the Forecast for Shell Stock for the Next 7 Days?
Implied volatility in Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) has fallen 4.9% since July 3, 2017, to the current level of 12.8%.

Chevron’s Upstream Segment: Production Growth on the Horizon?
Chevron (CVX) produced 2.7 MMboepd (million barrels of oil equivalent per day) from its worldwide operations in 1Q17.

Refinery Inputs Fall Again: What It Means for WTI Crude Oil
In its weekly report on June 3, the EIA reported that US crude oil refinery inputs averaged ~16.4 MMbpd during the week ending May 29.

Chevron: Short Interest Has Been Volatile in Q2
The short interest in Chevron (CVX) has been very volatile in the second quarter. While the short interest in the stock rose from 0.90% on April 1 to 1.49% on April 30, it has fallen to 0.86%.
Must-know: Petroleum doing well, but potash is slow
Total petroleum production increased by 4% in fiscal year 2014 (or FY14). However, the highlight was the increase in liquids production. It was supported by a 73% increase in Onshore U.S. liquid volumes and nearly doubled production at Atlantis. This is important to note because liquid volumes are more profitable.

What Put Pressure on the Energy Sector in February 2018?
The US energy sector was badly affected by the recent market sell-off in February 2018.

Will the API Inventory Report Lead the Crude Oil Price Drop?
Rising refinery utilization and declining US output will support crude oil prices. This is positive for crude oil prices.

Will the US Crude Oil Output Rise in November?
The EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) published that the US crude oil output rose by 48,000 bpd to 9.2 MMbpd for the week ending October 30, 2015.

Chevron’s Debt Fell in 4Q17: What to Expect in 2018
In this series, we’ll look at Chevron’s (CVX) current financial position and growth prospects.

Key analysis: Why Mexico desperately needed energy reforms
Things were going pretty well for Mexico until 2004 when its oil production started declining. The decline was as a result of Cantarell’s—Mexico’s largest oilfield— depleting reserves.

Shell’s Second-Quarter Earnings Rose but Still Missed Estimates
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) reported its Q2 2018 earnings on July 26. The company’s earnings missed estimates.

Where Integrated Energy Companies’ Dividends Stood in 1Q17
Integrated energy companies such as ExxonMobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A), and BP (BP) are steady dividend-paying companies.

How Chevron’s 1Q17 Segmental Earnings Trended
Chevron’s (CVX) Upstream segment, which posted a loss in 1Q16, saw its earnings rise to ~$1.5 billion in 1Q17.

Growing Conflict in the Middle East Pushes Crude Oil to New Lows
Growing conflict in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the major oil-producing countries of OPEC, has become a threat for crude oil prices.

ExxonMobil: Wall Street analysts call it
Approximately 35% of Wall Street analysts tracking ExxonMobil (XOM) rate it a “buy.” Approximately 10% of the analysts recommend a “sell.”

India’s Consumer Price Index Is Tethered but Risky
The RBI had headroom to make a further rate reduction in August, but then the bank resisted, citing the rise in core inflation.

Chevron Ranks Second-Last in Terms of Its Dividend Yield
In terms of its dividend yield, Chevron (CVX) is the fifth-best performer among the six stocks under review.

Do Crude Oil Prices Hold the Key to a Rate Hike in the US?
Cushing, Oklahoma WTI prices fell to $41.93 a barrel on August 17—the lowest since early March 2009. Iran flooding the market with its oil is one of the reasons for this fall.

How Will Shell Stock Move after Earnings?
Considering Shell’s implied volatility of 21.0%, Shell stock could close between $63.7 and $59.8 per share in the next eight days.

Crude Oil Prices Fall Due to Possible Panic Selling
NYMEX-traded WTI crude oil futures contracts for September delivery fell by 2.47% and settled at $42.23 per barrel on Thursday, August 13, 2015.

Crude Oil Market: Will Bullish Oil Traders Control 2017?
January WTI crude oil futures fell for the third straight day yesterday. Prices fell below the key psychological levels of $42 per barrel on November 30.

Has Chevron’s Earnings Mix Changed?
Chevron’s overall adjusted earnings rose from $1.6 billion in the third quarter of 2017 to $4.7 billion in the third quarter of 2018.

Permian Basin activity signals changes to oil rig count
Rig counts in the Permian Basin can gauge drilling activities for upstream companies. The Permian Basin rig count is now at its lowest since May 2011.

Could BP’s Cash Flow Position Improve?
In the first quarter, BP’s (BP) cash flow from operations rose 72% YoY (year-over-year) to $3.7 billion, and its cash outflow from investing was flat YoY at $3.8 billion.

How Institutional Holdings in Shell Are Trending
Institutional holdings show the percentage of a company’s shares owned by institutions like mutual funds and banks.

Why oil prices spiked on tensions in Gaza and Ukraine
Early last week, WTI crude oil had eased to close to $99 following Libya’s restarting exports from major ports and abating fears over supply disruptions in Iraq.

Chevron’s Valuation Is Higher than Historical Averages
Let’s examine CVX’s valuation trend. CVX traded at an average PE of 11.7x from 1Q13 to 3Q15. The PE measures a company’s price per share as a multiple of EPS.

Commodity ETFs a Riskier Bet Last Week Than XOP
While retail investors don’t have easy access to the futures market, they can benefit from access to safer, low-cost avenues such as energy ETFs to bet on WTI crude prices.

Who’s the energy company achiever, and who are the laggards?
Let’s see which energy company stands out as the most efficient in reducing debt loads and improving leverage ratios and which ones are laggards.

Must-know: Why oil traded flat on the latest inventory figures
Oil traded flat on the latest inventories data, with a large build in crude oil stocks but declines in gasoline and distillate stocks.

The US Gulf of Mexico Rig Count Falls through the Cracks
The Gulf of Mexico rig count was down by 11 rigs compared to the previous week, with 35 rigs for the week ending March 20, 2015.

Production is expected to increase, despite lower crude prices
The EIA expects 2015 production to touch 9.3 MMbbls/d—despite the low prices. In 2014, production averaged 8.6 MMbbls/d, according to the EIA’s estimates.

EIA projections: What to expect for crude prices in 2015
Plunging crude prices may cause crude production to decline.The EIA has scaled down its 2015 production growth forecast from 900,000 to 700,000 barrels.

Must-Know: World’s Top Oil Companies by Production
The US, Saudi Arabia, and Russia are the world’s top three crude oil producers. Let’s take a look at the world’s top oil players by production volumes.

XOM, CVX, RDS.A, BP: Are They Underperforming the S&P 500?
So far in 1Q18, Chevron (CVX) stock fell 13.9%, the highest among its peers ExxonMobil (XOM), BP (BP), and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A).

Lower Crude Oil Prices Are Behind the Layoffs at U.S. Steel
Lower crude oil prices are the primary reason behind falling oil rig counts. Leading energy companies have reduced their 2015 capital expenditure targets.

AstraZeneca Issued High-Grade Bonds to Acquire ZS Pharma
Last week, AstraZeneca issued A2/A rated high-grade bonds worth $6.0 billion to fund the acquisition of ZS Pharma (ZSPH).
Horizontal rig count tapers off after attaining historic high
Horizontal rig counts had been setting and breaking new records before last week’s fall, which marked the third decrease in the past 16 weeks.

Declining Crude Oil Inventory versus Oversupply Sentiments
July WTI crude oil futures trading on NYMEX showed the rectangular trading range pattern. Prices have been fluctuating between $58 and $61 per barrel for a few weeks.

Crude Oil Prices Rally Due to Short Covering
WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil futures contracts for January delivery rose slightly by 0.4% and closed at $43.04 per barrel on Wednesday.

Why 2 similar grades of oil trade at different prices
The spread between WTI and Brent crudes is currently near $8 per barrel because a recent production surge in the U.S. has caused a buildup of crude oil inventories at Cushing, Oklahoma, where WTI is priced.

XOM, CVX, RDS.A, BP: Integrated Energy Stocks Compared to SPY
In this series, we’ll do a cross-sectional analysis of integrated energy stocks. We’ll examine their moving average crossovers, price forecasts, analyst ratings, and much more.

Natural Gas Plunged due to Massive Inventory Data
May natural gas futures fell by 4.47% and settled at $2.52 per MMBtu on April 9, 2015. Natural gas prices plunged because of the massive inventory buildup.

What Does the IEA Think about the Oil Market?
On January 17, US crude oil March futures fell 0.5% and settled at $52.36 per barrel. In the trailing week, US crude oil prices fell 1%.

Why investors should track crude oil inventory levels
The difference between actual and expected changes in US crude oil inventory levels affects crude prices and thus revenues and earnings of major companies.

An essential guide to Exxon Mobil: XOM’s major areas of operation
Exxon Mobil has three major business segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical. Upstream contributes the most to XOM’s earnings.

Exxon Mobil wins $1.6 billion in arbitration case against Venezuela
Exxon Mobil alleged that the Venezuelan government illegally expropriated its Venezuelan assets in 2007 and paid unfair compensation.

Oil-Focused ETF Slides with Falling Inflation
With a 3.3% drop in energy prices, the producer price index is declining while energy-based stocks are falling. August’s PPI for final demand remains unchanged compared to 0.2% in July.

EIA forecasts global liquids supply and consumption trends
As for supply and consumption, global oil production is outpacing consumption, especially in the first half of 2015.

Refined Products and the US Dollar Lowered Crude Oil Prices
September WTI crude oil futures contracts trading in NYMEX fell by 1.28% on August 5. US crude oil prices fell due to refined products’ inventory buildup and the strong dollar.

Consensus of Supply Disruptions Boosts Crude Oil Prices
The consensus of a sudden decrease in supply means the gap between supply and demand will decrease. This supports an increase in crude oil prices.

China’s Economic Data Might Drag Oil Prices
On December 14, China reported the November industrial output growth at 5.4% on a year-over-year basis—the lowest growth since early 2016.

Venezuela’s Crude Oil Production Fell Again
Reuters estimates that Venezuela’s crude oil output decreased by 50,000 bpd to 1,450,000 bpd in May—compared to the previous month.

Crude Oil Prices Fall: Profit-Booking and Strong US Dollar
July WTI crude oil futures trading in NYMEX fell by 1.39% and closed at $59.61 per barrel on Friday, June 19—led by the strengthening US dollar and profit-booking.

Will WTI crude oil hit $32 per barrel?
WTI crude oil has declined ~58% since June 2014. Crude oil prices will likely remain on a downward trend with the current oil glut and a weak demand.

A brief overview on Atlas Pipeline Partners
The company provides natural gas gathering and processing services in the Eagle Ford Shale play in Texas, as well as in the Anadarko, Arkoma, and Permian basins.

Will Trade Based on Buying Natural Gas and Selling Oil Unwind?
On December 11, natural gas January futures fell 3% and settled at $4.41 per million British thermal units.

Overall Snapshot of the Market on November 25
On November 25, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF closed on a flat note ahead of the holiday. It closed at $209.3. The Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF fell by 0.81% on the day.

Crude Oil Prices Are Steady despite Record Output Estimates
October WTI crude oil futures contracts trading in NYMEX rose slightly by 0.12% on August 20, 2015. Crude oil prices rose due to the depreciating US dollar.

Crude Oil Prices Rally despite the Iran Nuclear Accord
NYMEX-traded WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil futures contracts for August delivery rose by 1.10% and settled at $53.04 per barrel on July 14, 2015.

Wall Street analyst targets for Denbury Resources
The highest target price for Denbury comes from KLR Group, of $13 per share for the company. Denbury currently trades near $9, implying a ~45% return.

Goldman Sachs Favors Chevron Compared to ExxonMobil
Chevron and ExxonMobil stocks have provided almost flat returns in the current quarter. As a result, Goldman Sachs favors Chevron over ExxonMobil.

Natural Gas Is near a Nine-Month High: What’s Next?
On November 6, natural gas December futures fell 0.3% from a nine-month high and settled at $3.56 per MMBtu.

Stocks versus ETFs: Which Should Investors Choose?
Every investor faces some tough choices. Should you turn to stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), index funds, mutual funds, or bonds?

Natural Gas Prices: What Could Happen on January 24?
On January 24, at 5:39 AM EST, natural gas prices have risen 1.7% from the last closing level.

ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP: Which One Is Analysts’ Favorite?
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) has received the most “buy” ratings, most likely due to its strategy to cut capex, reduce costs, and divest non-competitive assets.

Crude Oil Prices Decline Again, Led by Cushing Stockpiles
On July 16, crude oil rices declined for the second day in a row, led by a strong dollar and oversupply concerns.

Oil Majors Keep New Projects Worth $200 billion on Ice
Wood Mackenzie research shows that the oil majors have deferred more than 45 significant oil and gas projects since the beginning of the crude oil price collapse last year.

Crude Oil Prices Fell by 17% in the Last 6 Trading Sessions
US benchmark WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil futures contracts for February delivery fell by 3% and settled at $30.44 per barrel on January 12, 2016.