Group 1 - Laura Starks is the founder and CEO of Starks Energy Economics, LLC, established in 2007, with expertise in energy investments [1] - Starks holds a degree in chemical engineering and an MBA focused on finance, which she utilizes for personal investments and insights on energy companies [1] - The coverage of Starks includes various sectors such as utilities, independent power producers, energy service companies, petrochemical companies, and all segments of oil and natural gas: upstream, midstream, and downstream [1]

Poland’s new energy minister said he supports a moderate path to meet the country’s climate ambitions, allowing some coal-fired power plant to still be used in 2040 https://t.co/8cRUwRkHrj ...

Josh Brown, your final trade is what. Apple may be finding support here. Uh it doesn't seem to want to go down anymore.We'll see. But just just as Joe bounced it out of the Joe T. All right.I did say I might buy it personally. Okay. Uh who's PG&E.That is me. That is a California utility that now there's starting to be clarity about what they might have to pay to resolve the wildfires. Okay.Uh industrials have been great trade, record high for that group. uh second best sector this year. Who's that. They hav ...

Investment Thesis - Dominion Energy is positioned as a growth stock due to its role in supplying electricity to data centers, particularly in Lowden County, Virginia, which handles 70% of global internet traffic [2][8][10] - The company's traditional shareholder base, attracted by its dividend payments, is now joined by investors recognizing the increasing electricity demand driven by AI and data center buildout [9] - The stock is potentially breaking out above historical resistance at around $60-$61, supported by a moving average crossover (golden cross) [6] Growth Drivers - Amazon has invested $52 billion between 2011 and 2021 in the region and committed to spending another $35 billion between now and 2040, with plans to add 42 million square feet of data center space [3] - Dominion Energy experienced nine of its top 10 all-time peak electricity demand days in Virginia this year [4] - Hyperscaler capex is reaccelerating, leading to increased data center and energy needs, indicating a secular trend for utility companies [10] - Natural gas is expected to fill the void in power generation for data center demand, further benefiting utility companies [11] Financials and Catalysts - Dominion Energy affirmed its dividend and earnings outlook for the year, maintaining its creditworthiness [5] - The company has a 45% yield [7] - A rate case decision is expected in September, which could act as a catalyst if regulators approve increased rates for serving data centers [6][7] Risk Management - A break below $50 would be a signal to re-evaluate the investment [7]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.01 per share, a significant increase from a loss of $0.14 per share a year ago, reflecting growth across all business segments [7][8] - Adjusted earnings for the third quarter totaled $4.1 million, an increase of over $8 million compared to the previous year [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Gas Utilities segment had an adjusted loss of $10 million in the third quarter, which was $1 million better than the prior year, driven by higher contribution margin at Spire Missouri [18] - Earnings in the Gas Marketing segment increased by over $4 million, indicating strong performance [19] - The Midstream segment saw strong earnings growth due to additional capacity and asset optimization at Spire Storage, despite higher operating costs [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Year-to-date capital expenditures totaled $700 million, with a nearly 20% increase in utility CapEx year-over-year, focusing on upgrading distribution infrastructure [20] - The capital investment target for fiscal 2025 has increased to $875 million, reflecting a $10 million increase in Midstream and a $25 million increase in Spire Missouri [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is committed to a long-term EPS growth target of 5% to 7%, supported by a ten-year $7.4 billion capital investment plan [11][22] - The recent acquisition of the Piedmont Natural Gas business in Tennessee is seen as a strategic move to enhance scale and diversify the regulated utility portfolio [12][13] - The company aims to maintain a strong balance sheet while supporting long-term adjusted EPS growth and dividend growth [14][27] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving financial and operational goals, emphasizing the importance of delivering safe and reliable natural gas service [26][28] - The company is focused on achieving constructive regulatory outcomes and strengthening recovery mechanisms to support continued investment [27] Other Important Information - A unanimous stipulation and agreement has been filed for an annual revenue increase of $210 million in Missouri, pending approval [10][15] - The company anticipates adjusted earnings at the Utility segment to be significantly higher in 2026 due to new rates and improved regulatory frameworks [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Is the FFO to debt target of 15% to 16% still applicable? - Management confirmed that these targets remain relevant, although achieving them may be slower during the acquisition transition [34] Question: How much of the midstream results is attributable to storage expansion? - Approximately 90% of the increase in midstream results year-over-year is attributed to storage [39] Question: Will the strong marketing results continue into Q4? - Management indicated that Q4 is typically quieter, but they feel confident about the operations and targets for the marketing business [41] Question: Does the long-term 5% to 7% growth rate include impacts from the Missouri rate case? - The growth rate is primarily based on capital deployment, with potential catch-up from previous recovery delays in Missouri [57] Question: How does the company plan to manage O&M expenses going forward? - The target is to keep O&M expenses at or below the rate of inflation, with current year-to-date O&M running less than 1% higher than the prior year [61]

Financial Performance - PSEG's Q2 2025 net income was $585 million, or $1.17 per share, compared to $434 million in Q2 2024[21, 12] - PSEG's Q2 2025 non-GAAP operating earnings were $384 million, or $0.77 per share[21, 12] - For the first half of 2025, PSEG's net income was $1.174 billion, compared to $966 million for the same period in 2024[26] - PSEG reaffirms its full-year 2025 non-GAAP operating earnings guidance of $3.94 to $4.06 per share, representing approximately a 9% increase at the midpoint over 2024 results[14, 15] Capital Investment and Growth - PSE&G invested approximately $0.9 billion in Q2 2025 and approximately $1.7 billion year-to-date, with a regulated capital investment program of approximately $3.8 billion for 2025 on track[12, 34] - PSEG's regulated capital investment program for 2025-2029 is projected to be $21 billion to $24 billion, driven by infrastructure modernization, energy efficiency, and growing customer demand[12] - PSEG anticipates a long-term non-GAAP earnings growth outlook of 5%-7%, based on the midpoint of the 2025 guidance range[18] - Approximately 90% of PSEG's projected non-GAAP operating earnings over the 2025-2029 period are expected to come from PSE&G[18] PSE&G Operations and Regulatory Updates - PSE&G successfully managed a summer peak load of 10,229 MW on June 24th, the highest system load since 2013[12] - PSE&G's residential electric and gas customer count each grew by approximately 1% for the trailing 12 months ended June 30, 2025[35] - The BPU approved an annual revenue increase of $49 million for investments under the GSMP II Extension, effective August 1, 2025, and $9 million for investments under IAP, effective May 1, 2025[35] PSEG Power and Nuclear Generation - PSEG Nuclear achieved a capacity factor of 88.8% for Q2 2025 and 94.3% year-to-date[12, 37] - Total nuclear generation is forecasted to be 30-32 TWh for 2025[42]

Brookfield Asset Management agreed to buy a 19.7% stake in Duke Energy Corp.’s Florida utility for $6 billion, a deal that will accelerate investment in the grid as the state’s population soars https://t.co/icYFOMEkam ...

French power prices rose to their highest since March on concern that a heat wave building across the country this week could curb output from its fleet of nuclear reactors https://t.co/8L0dfKX9yd ...

Brookfield invests in a 19.7% non-controlling equity interest in Duke Energy Florida for $6 billion  Partnership supports $4 billion increase in Duke Energy Florida's five-year capital plan aimed at enhancing company's ability to meet customers' rapidly growing and evolving energy demands Attractive valuation and efficient form of financing enables 100 basis point increase in Duke Energy's long-term FFO/Debt target to 15%, supports 5% to 7% EPS growth rate through 2029 Duke Energy to remain majority owner ...

Summary of the July Employment Report Conference Call Industry Overview - The report focuses on the U.S. labor market, specifically the July employment report and its revisions, indicating a weak performance across various metrics. Key Points and Arguments 1. **Weak Employment Metrics**: The July employment report showed below-expectation payroll growth, a decline in household employment, and an increase in the unemployment rate, alongside significant downward revisions to payroll growth in April and May [3][4][44]. 2. **Magnitude of Revisions**: The net downward revision of 258,000 jobs to May and June payroll growth is noted as the largest two-month revision since 1968, outside of NBER-defined recessions [3][5][44]. 3. **Sector Breakdown**: The downward revisions were roughly evenly split between public and private sectors, with public-sector job gains revised down by approximately 130,000 jobs [9][12][44]. 4. **Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Benchmark Revision**: A preliminary estimate of the benchmark revision to March 2025 nonfarm payrolls is expected to show a downward revision of 550,000 to 950,000 jobs, translating to a monthly payroll growth revision of 45,000 to 80,000 jobs from April 2024 to March 2025 [30][32][33]. 5. **Impact of Seasonal Adjustments**: The report discusses the BLS's concurrent seasonal adjustment methodology, which may have contributed to the overstatement of payroll growth, particularly during periods of slowing job growth [18][22][24]. 6. **Comparison to Previous Year**: Last year's revisions were smaller and more concentrated in the public sector, while this year's revisions show a broader impact across private sector jobs [26][27][28]. 7. **Economic Growth Assessment**: The overall data suggests that the U.S. economy is growing below its potential, with payroll growth aligning more closely with other economic indicators that have also shown a marked slowdown [39][44]. Additional Important Insights 1. **Data Quality Concerns**: There are ongoing concerns regarding the quality of data collected for employment statistics, with declining response rates potentially affecting the volatility of revisions in the post-pandemic period [22][23]. 2. **Sector-Specific Revisions**: The state and local government education sector accounted for over 40% of the overall revision, indicating significant adjustments in this area [12][13][44]. 3. **Future Outlook**: The report suggests that if job growth stabilizes or recovers, the BLS's seasonal factors will likely adjust accordingly, impacting future payroll growth estimates [23][24]. This summary encapsulates the critical findings and implications of the July employment report, highlighting the challenges and adjustments within the U.S. labor market.