Dow loses over 300 points but books weekly gain, while Nasdaq ends week lower
The U.S. stock market closed mostly lower Friday, with...
The U.S. stock market closed mostly lower Friday, with the S&P 500 giving up its gains shortly before the closing bell.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7%, according to preliminary data from FactSet. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.1%.
A rebound in tech stocks on Friday helped the Nasdaq recover from Thursday’s selloff, but investors remained constrained in a blackout of economic data from the government despite its reopening.
For the week, the Dow rose 0.3%, the S&P 500 edged up 0.1% and the Nasdaq slid 0.5%, the preliminary data showed.
U.S. natural gas output continues to press near record highs. The EIA...
U.S. natural gas output continues to press near record highs. The EIA on Wednesday raised its 2025 production forecast to 107.67 bcf/day, while BNEF pegged current lower-48 dry gas output at 110.8 bcf/day — up over 10% from last year. LNG exports remain strong, with net flows at 17.8 bcf/day, but supply continues to outpace demand.
The EIA is expected to report a storage build today of +34 bcf for the week ended November 7 — right in line with the five-year average. Last week’s injection of +33 bcf was already seen as neutral. U.S. inventories remain 4.3% above the seasonal norm. Europe’s storage is running at 82% capacity, well below the 5-year average of 91% — but not yet low enough to spark panic buying. The report is delayed 24 hours due to the observance of Veterans Day.
The bottom line: As long as prices hold above the 200-day moving average, the path of least resistance leans higher. But momentum has been sluggish, and bulls need a weather-driven catalyst. A colder shift in early December could provide that spark. Until then, upside is possible — but likely limited — unless the technicals and forecasts align. Natural gas prices are at $4.45 MMBtu this morning, as of 8:08 AM ET.
Needle is moving on methane reduction, but barriers remain
Methane abatement in oil and natural gas producing regions is accelerating...
Methane abatement in oil and natural gas producing regions is accelerating as Permian Basin operators and members of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative post sharp declines in methane intensity and flaring. However, US pressure on the EU to soften its methane rules, coupled with rising liquefied natural gas investment and oil majors' climate backtracking, is slowing progress toward the Global Methane Pledge's goal to reduce methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. National oil companies account for most of the sector's emissions, and many emerging producers, especially in Africa, lack the staffing, financial resources and technical capacity to translate satellite data into effective mitigation.
Many of the roughly 670,000 furloughed federal government...
Many of the roughly 670,000 furloughed federal government employees began returning to work yesterday, after Congress passed a bill late Wednesday to end the US’ longest-ever government shutdown.
Some government operations remain disrupted. States that had not released food stamp benefits this month due to lack of federal funds—including West Virginia and South Carolina—will resume payments within three days. The Bureau of Labor Statistics plans to release its September jobs report as soon as next week, but it may not be able to provide accurate economic data for October. Meanwhile, flight reductions at 40 major airports were at 6% yesterday, with over 1,000 flight cancellations; mandated flight restrictions will be rescinded once staffing returns to normal levels, potentially as soon as next week.
The shutdown cost the US economy an estimated 60,000 private-sector jobs and an estimated $14B per week or $84B in all, an expected dip of 1% to 2% in annualized GDP growth.
Texas has become one of the most attractive U.S. jurisdictions for carbon capture and storage after the EPA granted the state primacy over Class VI CO₂ injection wells on Nov. 12. Permitting authority shifts from the federal government to the Texas Railroad Commission, which already oversees all other well classes I through VI.
For operators such as Occidental and its Stratos project in Ector County, state primacy promises faster approvals, clearer timelines, and greater regulatory certainty for large-scale CCS development. Analysts note this move supports the continued operation of high-value assets while meeting decarbonization targets, with strong potential in the Permian, Haynesville, and along the Gulf Coast LNG corridor, where shared CO₂ pipelines and regional sequestration hubs could underpin lower-carbon LNG exports.
Environmental groups, however, question whether the Railroad Commission can enforce stringent standards and protect drinking water aquifers. They argue that primacy is only the first step and that Texas must now prove it can regulate CCS responsibly.
