MarketWatch: U.S. stocks close mostly lower as robust July jobs report stokes worries over Fed rate hikes
U.S. stocks closed mostly lower Friday after a much stronger-than-expected reading on...
U.S. stocks closed mostly lower Friday after a much stronger-than-expected reading on July employment reinforced expectations for the Federal Reserve to keep aggressively raising interest rates in its bid to rein in inflation.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA rose 76.65 points, or 0.2%, to close at 32,803.47.
The S&P 500 SPX fell 6.75 points, or 0.2% to finish at 4,145.19.
The Nasdaq Composite COMP shed 63.03 points, or 0.5%, to end at 12,657.55.
For the week, the Dow edged down 0.1%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the technology-heavy Nasdaq gained 2.2%, according to FactSet data. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 each rose for a third straight week, while the Dow snapped two straight weeks of gains, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
ConocoPhillips earnings top $5 billion in latest blowout quarter for oil majors
ConocoPhillips said its second-quarter earnings more than doubled to $5.1 billion, or $3.96 per...
ConocoPhillips said its second-quarter earnings more than doubled to $5.1 billion, or $3.96 per share, up from $2.1 billion, or $1.55 a share, in the year-ago quarter. Excluding items, adjusted earnings were $3.91 a share in the latest quarter. The company beat the profit target of $3.86 a share, according to FactSet estimates. ConocoPhillips said it is adding $5 billion to its planned 2022 return of capital to bring the total to $15 billion. The oil company will pay both a third-quarter ordinary dividend of 46 cents per share and a fourth-quarter variable return of cash payment of $1.40 per share. Second-quarter production increased by 104 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBOED) to 1,692 MBOED, below the Wall Street target of 1,703.2 MBOED. The company said it expects third-quarter production of 1.7 to 1.76 million MBOED, compared to the Wall Street estimate of 1,743.6 MBOED.
Operators Urged to Brace for ‘Above-normal’ Atlantic Hurricane Season
As the Gulf of Mexico enters the peak months of the Atlantic hurricane season,...
As the Gulf of Mexico enters the peak months of the Atlantic hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Aug. 4 it expects above-average activity levels.
It’s been a quiet season so far, with only three named tropical storms forming. In its mid-season update to the May forecast, NOAA slightly reduced the number of named storms it’s predicting for the hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
In the Gulf of Mexico, there are an average of 30-40 rigs conducting drilling or other operations, more than 1,600 actively producing platforms, and thousands of offshore workers in the Gulf at any time, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
Occidental to cut debt and distribute cash, won't raise oil output
Occidental Petroleum Corp plans to use the bonanza from high oil and gas prices to accelerate...
Occidental Petroleum Corp plans to use the bonanza from high oil and gas prices to accelerate debt payments and cash distribution to shareholders but will not raise oil production, Chief Executive Vicki Hollub said on Wednesday.
Occidental on Tuesday posted higher than expected earnings in the second quarter but cut its 2022 output outlook for the main unconventional basin in the United States. Occidental said it wants to accelerate a three-year target to bring debt down to $15 billion, from more than $21 billion now. Investment targets were unchanged.
The company also said it resumed a buyback program after reaching its short-term debt reduction goals in the second quarter. With a cleaner balance sheet, the U.S. oil producer said it can now slightly raise dividends and sustain stock repurchases "over the next few years".
SandRidge Energy, Inc. saw improved earnings in the second quarter, reporting $53.7...
SandRidge Energy, Inc. saw improved earnings in the second quarter, reporting $53.7 million in generated adjusted EBITDA compared to $39.4 million in the first quarter of the year. Second quarter net income totaled $48.5 million or $1.32 per basic share while adjusted net income was $48.9 million and $1.33 per basic share.
Even though the company had no new completion activity in the second quarter, its production of 17.8 MBoed was consistent with the first quarter.