Core Viewpoint - The energy market has experienced significant volatility in the first half of 2025, yet the oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate has returned to its early 2025 levels, prompting investors to consider energy stocks like Chevron [1][2]. Company Overview - Chevron is a leading energy company with a market capitalization of $256.7 billion, making it one of the largest in the industry [4]. - The company operates across the entire energy value chain, which helps mitigate risks associated with downturns in specific business segments [5]. Financial Performance - Chevron's upstream business is projected to generate substantial free cash flow, with estimates of $10 billion if Brent Crude averages $70 per barrel, or $9 billion if it averages $60 per barrel in 2026 [6]. - The company has a strong history of increasing dividends for 38 consecutive years, with a forward dividend yield of 4.6% and an average payout ratio of 68.4% over the past five years [7]. Shareholder Returns - Chevron has a consistent track record of returning capital to shareholders through share buybacks, having repurchased shares in 18 of the last 22 years, including $15.2 billion in 2024 [10]. - There is a debate among investors regarding the effectiveness of share buybacks compared to dividends as a means of returning capital [10]. Market Risks - Despite the rebound in energy prices, there is uncertainty about potential declines in the second half of 2025, which could lead Chevron to scale back operations on lower-margin projects [9]. - Some investors are considering alternatives such as nuclear energy stocks, which may present better growth opportunities in the current market environment [12]. Investment Outlook - Arguments in favor of investing in Chevron stock highlight its resilience during market downturns, commitment to dividends, and reasonable pricing, with shares trading at an operating cash flow multiple of 8.6 [13].

Andrew Bosworth, Meta's Chief Technology Officer. Bos, it's great to have you on or maybe I should call you Lieutenant Colonel. Um, so let's start right there.How did this come about and why did you feel it was so necessary to serve. Yeah, Xam actually approached me from Palanteer and he'd said that he thought there was a chance that we could contribute to, you know, innovating not just in uh, you know, a narrow sense but really more deeply in partnership with the Department of Defense. It's something that ...

Let's get to Israel Iran tensions and the White House still awaiting word about what the president is thinking on this matter about doing. Megan Cassell is in Washington with the latest. Megan, what do you hear.Hey, good morning guys. So, the biggest headline here is the President Trump saying yesterday that he'll decide within two weeks whether or not the US military will join Israel in its attacks against Iran. And I'll say guys, the president regularly sets these twoe deadlines for something to happen.he ...

All right. So, I want to kind of get your take on what we heard from the uh ambassador to NATO about the idea that if this threat, excuse me, this conflict escalates that cyber attacks that might be one of the first areas that we're going to see um some type of uh action between uh the nations and between this region. Um what are you seeing so far at least in the last week or so when it comes to cyber attacks related to the Israel Iran conflict.Uh sure. Um well it's first it's important to note that cyber h ...

I can announce this government will begin the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War. Britain is back on a war footing, but apparently in threadbear shoes. The combat power that the British army can bring to bear is much, much less than it has been able to.It's now its smallest size since the polonic era, losing more people than it's recruiting. Reversing course would require a level of sustained investment that eclipses the timeline of the current prime minister's admi ...

Let me just ask you about the latest, which is that President Trump seems to be opening a window, a door to the diplomatic channels, and says that he has not made a final decision on whether to get involved in this war militarily, essentially buying about two weeks of time before we know exactly what the U.S. are going to do. Yes, I think you're exactly right. I don't think his initial instinct or his basic instinct is to go to war.In fact, he returned to power on the promise of withdrawing the United State ...

Israeli airstrikes target a key Iranian nuclear site, as one of Israel’s largest hospitals is hit in an Iranian missile attack. Photo: Associated Press ...

We've obviously spent a lot of time the last couple of days talking about Iran's ballistic missile systems, their defense systems, their nuclear sites, but not a lot about the proxies. And namely because the proxies have been remarkably quiet, specifically Hezbollah. Why have Hezbollah been so quiet this time around.As you say, remarkably quiet and remarkably degraded. Let's remember what happened back in September when Israel's war on Hezbollah began. They the military capability has almost been wiped out. ...

Speculation rampant the last couple of days about what the US are going to do, whether they actually do want to get involved militarily. Big story from our Bloomberg colleagues overnight. What do we know.Very much so. So the US is preparing for potential strikes. So I think we've got to the point now where whatever the US might do, those plans are in place and they can go instantly if Donald Trump decides that that's what he wants to do.We're still very unclear at the moment exactly what those plans are, wh ...

John, that's right. The president took some questions from reporters in the Oval Office a short time ago, uh just over this past hour, in fact. Uh he was having a photo op with the Italian soccer team, Juventus, and answered a couple of questions.One of which was about uh whether or not he has seen uh the criticism from conservative commentator Tucker Carlson about the idea of the United States getting involved in the war against Iran. And the president said that he disagrees with those conservatives who ar ...