U.S. oil majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron offered investors a few pieces of new insight into their thinking about Venezuela on Friday, even though neither company announced long-term investment commitme... ...

The group of major oil producers known as OPEC+ will have to take oil flow uncertainty and an expected global supply surplus into account when they meet this weekend to discuss production targets. ...

For more on this dynamic, let's bring in RBC Capital Markets global head of commodity strategy, Hale Lima Croft. She's also a CNBC contributor. Hale Lima, we kind of know the headlines.Obviously, there's not a lot of detail around just how active or just how advanced the planning is for any possible move in the Middle East, especially Iran. What exactly are you hearing and how exactly are you interpreting what we do know right now. Well, we certainly know there's been a significant redeployment of US milita ...

Core Viewpoint - Imperial Oil Limited is facing challenges in its financial performance, particularly due to declining crude oil prices, which have impacted its earnings and revenue generation [2][3][6] Financial Performance - The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.05, missing the estimated EPS of $1.36, indicating difficulties in meeting market expectations [2][6] - Revenue for the period was approximately $6.02 billion, falling short of the anticipated $8.84 billion, highlighting struggles in generating sales amidst fluctuating oil prices [3][6] Valuation Metrics - Imperial Oil has a price-to-sales ratio of 1.12, suggesting that investors are still willing to pay $1.12 for every dollar of sales, reflecting some confidence in its sales potential [3][6] - The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio stands at 12.81, indicating moderate market valuation of the company's earnings [4] - The enterprise value to sales ratio is 1.15, and the enterprise value to operating cash flow ratio is 8.12, suggesting a balanced valuation relative to sales and cash flow generation [4] Financial Health - The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, indicating a low level of debt compared to equity, which reflects financial stability [5] - A current ratio of 1.47 suggests that Imperial Oil has a strong ability to cover its short-term liabilities with its short-term assets [5]

Core Insights - Cenovus Energy Inc. (CVE) has outperformed Enbridge Inc. (ENB) in stock price performance over the past year, with a 40.9% increase compared to ENB's 13.9% gain, but this does not necessarily indicate that CVE is the better investment option [1][6] Company Fundamentals - Price performance alone does not fully capture a stock's attractiveness; evaluating fundamentals and the broader operating environment is essential [2] - Cenovus, as an upstream producer, is more exposed to commodity price fluctuations and energy transition risks, while Enbridge, as a pipeline company, offers lower-risk profiles and steadier income streams [2] Oil Price Impact on Cenovus - Current West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude prices are around $64 per barrel, significantly lower than the previous year's levels, with projections suggesting a decline to $52.21 per barrel by 2026 [3] - Cenovus's production of heavy and bitumen-blend crude is closely tied to Western Canadian Select (WCS), which typically trades at a discount to WTI, amplifying the impact of falling WTI prices on Cenovus's earnings [4][7] Enbridge's Business Model - Enbridge operates as one of North America's largest midstream energy companies, generating stable, fee-based revenues from long-term contracts, which limits exposure to commodity price fluctuations [8][9] - Approximately 98% of Enbridge's EBITDA is supported by regulated or take-or-pay contracts, providing inflation protection and stability in earnings and dividends [10] Financial Metrics and Risks - Enbridge's debt-to-capitalization ratio is 60.4%, higher than the industry average, and its debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 4.8X is near the upper end of management's target range, indicating elevated financial risk [11] - Recent earnings estimates for Cenovus have declined, reflecting concerns over oil price weakness, while Enbridge's estimates have remained stable [12][14] Valuation Comparison - Enbridge trades at a trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA of 15.37X, significantly higher than Cenovus's 6.32X, indicating that investors are willing to pay a premium for Enbridge's stable business model [15] Investment Outlook - The current soft crude outlook makes Cenovus's upstream-heavy business model vulnerable, while Enbridge faces leverage-related risks despite its stable cash flows [16] - Risk-averse investors may consider avoiding positions in both stocks until macro conditions improve [17]

Core Insights - Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) reported Q4 2025 earnings per share of $1.71, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.68, and showing an improvement from $1.67 in the same quarter last year [2] - Total quarterly revenues were $82.3 billion, which fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $83.2 billion and decreased from $83.4 billion year-over-year [2] Operational Performance - Upstream segment earnings (excluding identified items) were $4.41 billion, down from $6.28 billion in the previous year, primarily due to lower crude price realizations and decreased base volumes from divestments [5] - U.S. operations reported a profit of $1.22 billion, down from $1.62 billion in Q4 2024, while non-U.S. operations generated $3.19 billion, compared to $4.67 billion a year ago [6] - Production averaged 4,988 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBoe/d), an increase from 4,602 MBoe/d a year ago, driven by assets in the Permian and Guyana [6][8] - Liquids production rose to 3,531 thousand barrels per day (MBbls/d) from 3,213 MBbls/d in the prior-year quarter, attributed to higher output from the U.S. and Canada/Other Americas [7] Price Realization - Crude price realization in the U.S. was $58.57 per barrel, down from $67.58 a year ago, while non-U.S. operations saw a decrease to $57.46 per barrel from $67.58 [9] - Natural gas price in the U.S. was $1.75 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), lower than $2.09 a year ago, and non-U.S. prices fell to $9.60 per Mcf from $10.77 [10] Segment Performance - Energy Products segment recorded a profit of $2,907 million, up from $323 million a year ago, driven by higher refining margins and record North American throughput [11] - Chemical Products segment reported a loss of $11 million, compared to a profit of $215 million in the previous year, affected by weaker margins and higher seasonal spending [12] - Specialty Products segment profit was $682 million, down from $759 million a year ago, impacted by higher seasonal spending but partially offset by improved margins [13] Financials - ExxonMobil generated $13.7 billion in cash flow from operations and asset divestments, with free cash flow of $5.6 billion and capital expenditures of $8.1 billion [14] - Total cash and cash equivalents stood at $10.7 billion, with long-term debt at $34.2 billion [14] Guidance - For 2026, cash capital expenditures are projected between $27 billion and $29 billion, with plans to repurchase $20 billion in shares under reasonable market conditions [15] - Expected Permian Basin production is projected to average 1.8 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (Moebd), contributing to total upstream production of 4.9 Moebd in 2026 [15]

A multimillion-barrel oil glut weighed on results at industry giants Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) in 2025, with both companies reporting annual profit declines but talking up diversification efforts as the US AI build-out and potential regime change in Venezuela opened opportunities for the global energy sector. Exxon reported adjusted annual profits that tallied $30.1 billion, down from $33.5 billion a year ago, while Chevron reported an adjusted profit of $13.5 billion, down from $18.3 billion ...

Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) is included among the 10 Best American Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy. Wells Fargo Raises Devon Energy (DVN) Price Target by $6 Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) is a leading independent energy company engaged in finding and producing oil and natural gas, with operations focused onshore in the United States. On January 27, Wells Fargo raised its price target on Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) from $37 to $43, while keeping an ‘Overweight’ rating on the shares. The an ...

Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) is included among the 10 Best American Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy. Analyst Lowers Price Target on Antero Resources (AR), Maintains 'Overweight' Rating An independent natural gas and liquids company operating in the Appalachian Basin, Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) is one of the largest American suppliers of natural gas and LPG to the global export market. On January 23, Morgan Stanley lowered its price target on Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) from $4 ...

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is included among the 10 Best American Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy. Exxon Mobil (XOM) Commences Commercial Operations of CCS Project justin-c-6bsVqTJna_o-unsplash Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is one of the largest integrated fuels, lubricants, and chemical companies in the world. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) announced on January 26 that it has commenced commercial operations of a carbon capture and storage project with ammonia producer CF Industries in Louis ...