I discussed a possible Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY) dividend raise next month in my Dec. 23, 2025, Barchart article. I showed that OXY stock could be worth $50 per share. Investors are now piling into January 16, 2026, expiry OXY call options. OXY closed at $41.46 on Dec. 30, 2025, but the $43.00 call option contract expiring January 16, 2026, has had huge, unusual volume. More News from Barchart OXY stock - last 3 months - Barchart - Dec. 30, 2025 This huge trading volume can be seen in Barchart's ...

Core Insights - Raymond James Financial, Inc. (RJF) has initiated a new share repurchase program allowing for the buyback of up to $2 billion in shares, replacing the previous $1.5 billion plan announced in December 2024 [1][7] - The company has also increased its quarterly cash dividend by 8% to 54 cents per share, with the dividend payment scheduled for January 16, 2026 [2][7] - RJF's strong cash position of $11.4 billion and a manageable debt level of $700 million support the sustainability of its capital distribution strategy [3][4][7] Share Repurchase Program - The new share repurchase program has no expiration date and allows RJF to repurchase shares worth up to $2 billion [1][7] - As of December 2, 2025, approximately $105 million worth of shares were still available for repurchase under the previous plan [1] Dividend Announcement - The quarterly cash dividend of 54 cents per share reflects an 8% increase from the previous payout, continuing RJF's trend of regular dividend increases over the past decade [2][3] - The dividend will be paid to shareholders of record as of January 2, 2026 [2] Financial Position - RJF's annualized dividend yield stands at 1.26%, providing a steady income stream for investors, with a dividend payout ratio of 19% [3] - The company's cash and cash equivalents of $11.4 billion indicate a strong balance sheet, supporting its capital distribution strategy [3][4] Market Performance - Over the past six months, RJF's shares have increased by 10.7%, while the industry has seen a growth of 20.6% [5]

Core Viewpoint - Occidental Petroleum (OXY) is expected to increase its dividend next quarter, potentially raising it to at least $1.00 per share, which would result in a prospective yield of 2.42% [1][4]. Dividend Information - The current dividend per share (DPS) is 24 cents per quarter, totaling 96 cents annually, leading to an annual yield of 2.32% at the current stock price of $41.34 [3]. - If OXY raises the annual DPS to $1.00, this would represent a 4.2% increase and yield 2.42% based on the current stock price [4]. Stock Valuation - Over the past five years, OXY has had an average yield of 1.29%, suggesting a potential price target of $77.52, indicating an upside of 87.5% from the current price [5]. - A conservative estimate based on the last two years' average yield of 2.025% suggests a price target of $50.00, representing a 21% increase from the current price [5]. Analyst Consensus - The average price target for OXY from 25 analysts is $50.42 per share, closely aligning with the calculated price target [7]. - Barchart's mean price target for OXY is $49.64 per share, further supporting the view that the stock is undervalued [7].

Core Viewpoint - Chevron Corp. has outlined a sustainable cash flow plan that suggests a significant potential for dividend increases, with a historical average growth of 7% over the past 25 years, outperforming its competitors [1][4]. Dividend Performance - Chevron's current annual dividend per share (DPS) is $6.84, resulting in a dividend yield of 4.56% based on the stock price of $149.98 [3]. - The company has a 38-year history of increasing its DPS, with expectations for a minimum 5% increase in the upcoming January dividend [3][4]. - Projections indicate that the DPS could rise to $7.18, leading to a future yield of approximately 4.8% [4]. Share Repurchase Strategy - Chevron has a strong track record of share repurchases, having bought back shares in 18 of the last 22 years, with plans to repurchase $10 to $20 billion annually through 2030 [4]. - The company emphasizes its commitment to superior shareholder returns and intends to maintain its leadership in dividend growth and consistent share repurchases throughout the commodity cycle [4]. Market Context - The average dividend yield for Chevron stock over the past five years has been reported at 4.08%, with other sources indicating yields of 4.40% and 4.21% [6]. - There is an expectation that Chevron's stock will revert to an average yield of 4.21%, which could influence future stock price targets [6].

Core Viewpoint - EQT Corporation reported strong third-quarter earnings, with adjusted earnings per share of 52 cents, surpassing estimates, while revenues increased year-over-year but fell short of consensus expectations [3][4]. Financial Performance - Adjusted operating revenues rose to $1,753 million from $1,383 million year-over-year, although it missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,804 million [3]. - The company’s adjusted operating cash flow reached $1.22 billion, significantly up from $522 million a year ago, and free cash flow improved to $601 million from a negative $121 million [10]. Production and Sales - Sales volume increased to 634 billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe) from 581 Bcfe year-over-year, but it was below the estimate of 638 Bcfe [6]. - Natural gas sales volume was 596 Bcf, up from 547 Bcf, yet it also fell short of the estimate of 604 Bcf [6]. - Total liquid sales volume rose to 6,459 thousand barrels (MBbls) from 5,699 MBbls, exceeding the projection of 5,748 MBbls [6]. Commodity Prices - The average realized price for natural gas equivalent was $2.76 per thousand cubic feet (Mcfe), up from $2.38 year-over-year [7]. - The average natural gas price, including cash-settled derivatives, increased to $2.66 per Mcf from $2.23 [7]. - However, oil prices declined to $49.12 per barrel from $61.25 year-over-year, missing the estimate of $50.07 [8]. Expenses - Total operating expenses decreased to $1.36 billion from $1.57 billion year-over-year [9]. - Gathering expenses fell to 6 cents per Mcfe from 20 cents, and transmission expenses decreased to 40 cents per Mcfe from 43 cents [9]. Dividend Announcement - EQT declared a quarterly cash dividend of 16.50 cents per share for Q3 2025, reflecting a sequential increase of approximately 5%, payable on December 1, 2025 [5]. Capital Expenditures and Balance Sheet - Total capital expenditure was $618 million, up from $558 million year-over-year [11]. - As of September 30, 2025, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $236 million and net debt of $7.98 billion [11]. Guidance - For Q4 2025, EQT expects total sales volume between 550 and 600 Bcfe and has updated its total sales volume forecast for 2025 to 2,325-2,375 Bcfe [12]. - Projected capital expenditures for Q4 are between $635-$735 million, with full-year expectations of $2,300-$2,400 million [12]. Market Sentiment - There has been a downward trend in estimates, with the consensus estimate shifting down by 13.89% [13]. - EQT currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating an expectation of an in-line return in the coming months [15].

Core Insights - Spire Inc. has approved a quarterly dividend increase of 5.1%, raising it from 78.5 cents to 82.5 cents, resulting in an annual dividend of $3.30 per share, payable on January 5, 2026 [1][10] Dividend History and Growth - Spire has raised its dividend five times in the last five years, with an annualized dividend growth rate of 4.67% over this period [2] - The company has consistently paid dividends since 1946 and has increased its annual dividend rate for the past 23 years [3] Financial Outlook and Investments - For fiscal 2025, Spire's capital spending is projected to be $875 million, an increase from the previous estimate of $840 million, with significant allocations to various regions [4] - Over the next decade, Spire plans to invest approximately $7.4 billion, supporting a 7-8% annual rate-base growth [4] Customer Base Expansion - Spire is experiencing growth in its natural gas customer base, both organically and through acquisitions, including an agreement to acquire Piedmont Natural Gas' Tennessee local distribution company, expected to add over 200,000 customers [5] Technological Advancements - The company is investing in smart meters, having installed over 350,000 advanced meters in fiscal 2024, benefiting a total of 850,000 customers [6] Industry Context - Domestic-focused, rate-regulated gas distribution utilities, like Spire, are stable performers, allowing for dividend hikes and share buybacks, with other utilities also raising their dividend rates in 2025 [7] - Current dividend yields for comparable companies are 1.96% for Atmos Energy, 2.69% for National Fuel Gas Company, and 4.34% for UGI Corporation, all higher than the S&P 500 composite's yield of 1.51% [8] Stock Performance - In the past year, Spire's shares have risen by 32.9%, outperforming its industry's growth of 10.3% [11]

Group 1 - Proactive provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2][3] - The news team covers key finance and investing hubs including London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, and Perth [2] - Proactive focuses on medium and small-cap markets while also covering blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [2][3] Group 2 - The team delivers news and insights across various sectors including biotech, pharma, mining, natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging technologies [3] - Proactive adopts technology to enhance workflows and improve content production [4][5] - All content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, ensuring adherence to best practices in content production and search engine optimization [5]

Core Insights - Las Vegas Sands stock experienced an 18.7% increase over the past week, outperforming the S&P 500 index which gained 1.9% [1] Financial Performance - The company reported non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.78 on revenue of $3.33 billion, exceeding Wall Street's expectations of $0.62 per share on sales of $3.05 billion [4] - Revenue increased by 24.3% year over year, driven by strong performance from Singapore operations [4] Dividend Announcement - Las Vegas Sands announced a significant increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.30 per share, up from $0.10 per share [5] Operational Highlights - The Marina Bay Sands property generated $743 million in adjusted EBITDA, surpassing the analyst estimate of $618 million [6] - The strong performance of Marina Bay Sands is expected to contribute to continued capital appreciation and potential future dividend increases [6]

Core Insights - Capital One (COF) reported strong third-quarter 2025 results, driven by the acquisition of Discover Financial Services, with adjusted earnings of $5.95 per share exceeding estimates and a 23% increase in total net revenues to $15.36 billion [1][9] Financial Performance - The company's net interest income (NII) rose 24% to $12.4 billion, with net interest margin (NIM) expanding by 74 basis points to 8.36% due to higher interest on credit card loans and lower rates on deposits [5] - Non-interest income increased by 18% to $2.96 billion, primarily from net interchange income and service charges [7] - Capital One's provision for credit losses decreased significantly by 76% to $2.71 billion, following a prior quarter's allowance related to the Discover acquisition [8] Market Position and Strategy - Following the Discover acquisition, Capital One became the largest U.S. credit card issuer by balances, with a credit card loan portfolio of $272 billion [4] - The board authorized a new share repurchase plan of up to $16 billion and plans to increase the quarterly dividend by 33.3% to 80 cents per share, pending board approval [3] Consumer Behavior - Resilient consumer spending, particularly on essential goods, contributed to a 14% sequential increase in purchase volume on Capital One credit cards, reaching $230.4 billion [6]

Core Insights - GE Aerospace stock has increased by over 65% from April 18, 2025, to October 15, 2025, driven by strong operational performance and a positive outlook [1] - The company's P/E multiple experienced a significant change of 42.6%, indicating a shift in investor sentiment and valuation [3] Financial Performance - In Q2 2025, GE Aerospace reported total revenue of $11.0 billion, a 21% year-over-year increase, and adjusted EPS of $1.66, up 38% [5] - Free cash flow nearly doubled to $2.1 billion, prompting the company to raise its full-year 2025 guidance and outlook for operating profit and free cash flow through 2028 [5] Strategic Developments - GE Aerospace secured substantial new engine commitments, including a landmark deal with Qatar Airways for over 400 GE9X and GEnx engines, contributing to a backlog of approximately $175 billion by the end of Q2 2025 [5] - The company is addressing supply chain constraints and enhancing capacity through strategic initiatives, including a nearly $1 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing and technology [5] Market Sentiment - Analyst sentiment is predominantly positive, with multiple firms reiterating "buy" or "outperform" ratings and raising price targets for GE Aerospace shares following strong financial results [9] - The U.S. government has allowed GE Aerospace to resume shipments of jet engines to China's COMAC, opening new business growth opportunities [9]