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US orders Talen Power Plant in Maryland to exceed limits until end 2025
Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued an order on Friday allowing a part of Talen’s oil-fired Wagner plant in Maryland to operate above its limits until the end of 2025. He said it would improve the grid's reliability. On the first day he was in office, Donald Trump declared "energy crisis". He has, however, taken a number of steps to reduce tax breaks and support for renewable energies and he has also favored the use of fossil fuels in aging power stations. Wright approved a request from the PJM Regional Grid Manager to allow the 400 megawatt unit to operate above its limits in July. The unit was one of many at Wagner which were set to close permanently in May, but federal energy regulators decided that it could remain open until 2029. The Energy Department stated on Friday that the "growing concern about resource adequacy" PJM cited as part of their July request, "still exists today." Wright has ordered a Michigan Coal plant A Pennsylvania plant that runs off of natural gas or petroleum will remain open.
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Brazil's Petrobras announces record oil exports for the third quarter, as production rises
Petrobras, the state-run Brazilian oil company, reported record exports in the third quarter of 814,000 barrels per day, thanks to a surge in production and the start of 11 new wells, the firm announced on Friday. This was a 36% rise in oil exports over the same period last year. China received 53% of the company's shipments during the period. This is an increase of 14 percentage points compared to a year earlier. Asia, excluding China received 19%, an increase of 5 percentages. The share of Petrobras oil exported to the United States fell to 3%, and the share to Europe to 15%. Petrobras' output and sales report attributed the change to a decrease in demand from the U.S. and an increase in sales to India and South Korea. The Brazilian company's total exports including derivatives of gas and oil reached 1,04 million barrels. This is a 29% increase compared to July-September last year. Petrobras produced 2,52 million bpd in Brazil during the third quarter, an increase of about 18%. The firm also said that the increase in output was due to a floating production vessel achieving peak production, another increasing its capacity, and four ramping-up. The company's total production of oil, gas, and gas liquids was 3.14 million barrels per day. This is an increase of almost 17% year-over-year. The total sales of oil, natural gas, and oil derivatives increased by nearly 10% during the period to 3,26 million bpd. Petrobras will release its third quarter earnings on November 6, 2018. Reporting by Fabio Téixeira and Marta Nogueira, with additional reporting from Andre Romani in Sao Paulo. Editing and production by Natalia Siniawski, Rosalba Brien and Natalia Siniawski.
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Dmitriev, Putin's envoy to Ukraine and the US, says that all three countries are close to finding a 'diplomatic' solution on war
Kirill Dmitriev is the special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin for investment and economic co-operation. He said that he believed his country, United States, and Ukraine were close to finding a diplomatic solution in order to end Russia's conflict in Ukraine. Dmitriev told CNN that, despite what the U.S. President said, a meeting between Donald Trump, the Russian president, and Putin has not been cancelled. The two leaders are likely to meet at a future date. The summit was postponed on Tuesday after Russia rejected an immediate ceasefire, casting a shadow over any negotiations. Trump cancelled his planned meeting with Putin because he felt the timing of the event was not right and that diplomatic efforts to end the war had not progressed. Dmitriev said on Friday that "I think Russia, the U.S., and Ukraine are in fact quite close to a solution diplomatically." Dmitriev did not provide any details in his remarks. European nations have been working with Ukraine to develop a new ceasefire proposal along the current battle lines. This week, European diplomats said that the idea was based on ideas already being discussed and pushed for the United States to play a key role. Dmitriev said that President Zelenskiy's move to acknowledge the battle lines was a major one. "His previous position was to leave Russia completely. So, in fact, I believe we can work out a diplomatic solution." In February 2022, Russia began its massive invasion of Ukraine. Last week, Trump announced that he would be meeting with Putin in Hungary soon to try and end the war. Putin, however, has refused to make any concessions. Russia has demanded for years that Ukraine cede more land before any ceasefire. Dmitriev’s long-planned visit to the United States coincides with the newly announced U.S. sanction on two of Russia’s largest oil companies, a move meant to press Putin to end this war. Dmitriev stated that despite the decision, the dialogue between Russia and United States would continue. Dmitriev said earlier that "it is certain only possible if Russia’s interests are considered and treated with respect". Dmitriev refused to reveal who he met and predicted the U.S. sanctions on oil would have a negative impact. Dmitriev stated that the new taxes will increase the price of gasoline at American gas stations. Axios, a U.S.-based news outlet, reported that Dmitriev will meet Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday in Miami. Dmitriev was quoted by the Russian state news agency TASS as saying he will also meet with other people whom he didn't name.
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Stocks rise after US inflation data, but US dollar remains flat
The major stock indexes rose Friday. All three major U.S. indexes posted record closing highs following news that U.S. Inflation rose less than anticipated last month. Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar Index was almost flat. After a 0.4% increase in August, the U.S. Consumer Price Index increased by 0.3%, which was slightly below the 0.4% expected. This reinforced expectations that Federal Reserve policymakers will reduce interest rates during their next meeting. "Today's data on inflation shows that we are not in a similar crisis to 2022. Prices are rising, but in a controlled manner. Callie Cox is the chief market strategist for Ritholtz in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Fed is expected to reduce rates two more times this year, with a quarter-percentage-point cut baked in for the October 28-29 meeting, according to LSEG calculations using rate futures. The Canadian dollar barely responded to the announcement by U.S. president Donald Trump on social media, that he would end all trade negotiations with Canada. Last week, the Canadian dollar was almost flat against the greenback. Wall Street indexes were also lifted by positive earnings reports. Ford Motor shares rose 12.2% as the company exceeded third-quarter profit estimates. Analysts expect the S&P 500 to grow earnings by 10.4% on an annual basis in the third quarter. According to LSEG, this is an increase from the estimated growth of 8.8% at the beginning of the month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 472.51 points or 1.01% to 47,207.12. The S&P 500 gained 53.25 points or 0.79% to 6,791.69, and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 263.07 points or 1.15% to 23,204.87. The S&P 500, Nasdaq and blue-chip Dow both recorded their biggest weekly percentage gains since the month of August. Apple and Microsoft are among the five of the seven U.S. firms at the heart of the artificial-intelligence boom. The U.S. market has soared this year and some analysts are predicting a bubble. MSCI's index of global stocks rose 6.28 points or 0.63% to 1,001.37, and reached an all-time record of 1,002.96. The U.S. inflation figures were also a boost to the European share market, which closed at an all-time high. The pan-European STOXX 600 ended the day up 0.23%. The dollar index (which measures the greenback in relation to a basket currency) fell by 0.02%, falling to 98.92. Meanwhile, the euro rose 0.1%, reaching $1.1629. The dollar gained 0.14% against the Japanese yen to reach 152.8. Data showed that the business activity in the Eurozone grew more rapidly than expected in October. Euro zone government bond yields rose. Treasury yields in the United States were barely changed, but modestly higher. The benchmark 10-year yield briefly fell after the CPI report, but it was up 1.2 basis point (bps) to 4% at its last update. The yield was however down by about one basis point (bps) on the week. This is its fourth consecutive weekly decline. The oil prices that had risen by 5% on the previous Thursday, after the U.S. announced sanctions against major Russian oil companies began to fall on Friday, as doubts spread on the market regarding the Trump administration's willingness to enforce the sanctions. U.S. crude oil fell 29 cents, settling at $61.50 per barrel. Brent crude eased 5 cents, settling at $65.94. Spot gold dropped 0.57%, to $4101.29 per ounce.
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Wall St Week ahead-Megacap earnings and Fed meeting to headline a busy US market week
The U.S. Stock Rally faces a potentially significant week in order to maintain its momentum going into the year-end. This includes a flood corporate results, headlined by Megacap Companies and a possible interest rate reduction by the Federal Reserve following its two-day meeting. Investors may be concerned about the escalation of U.S.-China tensions in the next few days. Meanwhile, the U.S. shutdown continues to cause uncertainty. The S&P 500 posted a record-breaking closing high on the Friday after a 36% rise since the low of the year, in April. The benchmark index has risen over 15% in the past year. Chris Fasciano is the chief market strategist of Commonwealth Financial Network. He said that given the fact that the market has been on a rally for several months, without any significant declines, the equities market could continue to be choppy. Fasciano stated that "what we need to hear is corporate America talk positively about the economy and continue beating earnings." "When people get nervous, they do so when consumer confidence or business confidence is on the decline." The third-quarter earnings season has started well, despite the disappointments of companies like Texas Instruments and streaming service Netflix. According to LSEG IBES, the S&P 500 profit is estimated to be 10.4% higher than a year earlier, based on results reported by 143 companies. So far, 87% have exceeded analysts' earnings expectations and 82% have beaten revenues estimates. Both are higher than the historical average. The next week will be the busiest for the season with more than 170 companies reporting. Microsoft, Apple Alphabet Amazon Meta Platforms are five of the seven "Magnificent Seven" companies. These firms have huge market capitalizations, dominate equity indices, and posted massive profit growth in the last couple of years. The Magnificent Seven's advantage over the rest index has narrowed, but they are still expected post better results in this period. According to data released this week by Tajinder Dhillon senior research analyst at LSEG, earnings for the group will rise 16.6% compared to an 8.1% increase for the rest index. A number of megacap companies have also been key players in artificial intelligence, which has driven the stock market's performance. Anthony Saglimbene is the chief market strategist of Ameriprise Financial. He said that these large tech reports will have the biggest impact between now and the end the year. The hurdle rate for these companies is high as they prepare to report earnings next week. Next week, other companies will report their results including oil giants Exxon & Chevron, payment firms Visa & Mastercard and drugmaker Eli Lilly. Fed policymakers are widely expected to reduce the current benchmark rate, which is 4%-4.25%, by another quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday. This view was reinforced by Friday's inflation data that were lower than anticipated. The markets will be more responsive to the Fed's Jerome Powell as they have already factored in that rate change into their asset prices. They are also expecting the central bank to further cut rates at its December meeting. The Fed's rate-cutting strategy would have the biggest impact if it showed any signs of a deviation, said Dominic Pappalardo. Chief multi-assets strategist at Morningstar Wealth. The Fed may be hindered in its decision-making due to the lack of information provided by the federal government since the shutdown began on 1 October, including the delays in the release of employment data at a moment when there are growing concerns about the state of the labor markets. Art Hogan is the chief market strategist for B Riley Wealth. He said that an increasingly prolonged shutdown, which has already lasted more than average in previous shutdowns, also poses a greater risk to the economic growth. Hogan stated that the longer the situation continues, the harder it will be for the market to ignore. Investors had also largely shrugged off trade-related risks over the past few months. However, renewed U.S. China rifts has brought tensions back to the forefront between the two world's largest economies. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, threatened to impose significantly higher tariffs against China on November 1 after Beijing implemented export controls for rare earths. Investors are watching the developments surrounding the upcoming meeting between Trump, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to see if tensions can be eased between the two nations. "If tariffs increase to the levels President Trump has threatened on China, you'd see a volatile and likely a negative reaction in the markets, especially if investors anticipate that this is going to last," Saglimbene stated.
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Stocks rise after US inflation data, but US dollar remains flat
On Friday, major stock indexes rose with U.S. shares reaching record highs on the news that U.S. Inflation rose less than anticipated last month. The U.S. Dollar Index was almost flat. After a 0.4% increase in August, the U.S. Consumer Price Index increased by 0.3%, which was slightly below the 0.4% expected. This reinforced expectations that Federal Reserve will reduce interest rates during its policy meeting next Monday. "Today's data on inflation shows that we are not in crisis like 2022. Prices are rising, but in a controlled manner. Callie Cox is the chief market strategist for Ritholtz in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Fed is expected to reduce rates two more times this year, with a quarter-percentage-point cut baked in for the October 28-29 meeting, according to LSEG calculations using rate futures. The Canadian dollar barely responded to the announcement by U.S. president Donald Trump on social media, that he would end all trade negotiations with Canada. The Canadian dollar last fell 0.28% against the greenback, at C$1.4. Intel shares rose by 0.3% on Friday after the company's results beat expectations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 562.73 points or 1.21% to 47,297.34. The S&P 500 rose 66.16 or 0.98% to 6,804.60, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 297.83 or 1.30% to 23,239.63. Apple and Microsoft are among the five of the seven U.S. firms at the heart of the artificial-intelligence boom. The U.S. stock market has soared this year and some analysts are predicting a bubble. The MSCI index of global stocks rose by 7.63 points or 0.77% to 1,002.72. The STOXX 600 Index rose by 0.23%. The dollar index (which measures the greenback in relation to a basket of currencies, including the yen, the euro and others) was unchanged at 98.94. Meanwhile, the euro rose 0.08%, reaching $1.1626. The dollar gained 0.16% against the Japanese yen to reach 152.85. Data showed that the business activity in the Eurozone grew more rapidly than expected in October. Euro zone government bond yields rose. The 10-year Treasury yield was briefly lower after the CPI report. The yields on longer-dated U.S. bonds increased after a University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey showed a decrease in the index but an increase in inflation expectations for the next five years. The benchmark 10-year U.S. note yield increased 1.4 basis points, to 4.003% from 3.989% at the end of Thursday. Oil prices After a 5% rise on Thursday, after the U.S. imposed sanctions against major Russian oil companies. U.S. crude oil fell 29 cents, settling at $61.50 per barrel. Brent crude eased 5 cents, settling at $65.94. Spot gold dropped 0.32%, to $4111.97 per ounce. Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch and Elizabeth Howcroft, both in New York, with additional reporting from Laura Matthews, also in New York, and editing by Toby Chopra and Joe Bavier in New York, Alison Williams in New York, Edmund Klamann, Richard Chang, and Toby Chopra.
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The FOREX-US Dollar is set to gain modestly after the soft inflation data
The U.S. Dollar was almost flat Friday, after it had dipped following new inflation data showing that U.S. consumer price increases were lower than expected in September. This kept the Federal Reserve on course to reduce interest rates next week. Consumer Price Index increased by 0.3% in September and by 3.0% over the past 12 months. The economists surveyed by predicted that the CPI would rise by 0.4% this month, and by 3.1% on an annual basis. The U.S. Dollar Index was down last by 0.021%, at 98.934. It had fallen as high as 0.2% earlier. Still on track to a modest gain for the week. Marc Chandler, Bannockburn Capital Markets' chief market strategist said that the headline was less rosy than expected. The dollar was sold by the news even though the market believed that the Fed will cut rates not only in the next week but also in December. The CPI report has been published despite the lack of economic data due to the shutdown. The Social Security Administration used this figure to calculate the cost of living adjustment for millions upon millions of retirees, and other benefit recipients. It was originally due on October 15th. The euro was up by 0.06% and closed at $1.163. A survey released on Friday showed that the services sector led the growth in business activity in the Euro Zone in October. All Eyes on Trade The trade war fears returned after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that all trade negotiations with Canada had been terminated due to an Ontario advertisement featuring a recording by Ronald Reagan, the former US President who spoke negatively about tariffs. The Canadian dollar last weakened slightly at 1.40 to the U.S. Dollar, but overall market reaction was relatively subdued. Investors' attention remained focused on the upcoming meeting between Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping. Some people have hoped that the Trump-Xi summit in South Korea will bring an end to the trade war which has been on and off between the two world's largest economies. Ben Bennett, the head of Asia investment strategy at L&G Asset Management, said: "I believe expectations for the Trump-Xi summit are high, and there is a risk that the situation will de-escalate significantly following the face to face meeting." Oil prices rose due to U.S. sanctions against Russian suppliers Rosneft & Lukoil for their involvement in the war in Ukraine. This weighed heavily on currencies linked to oil imports including the yen. The performance of the yen is also tied to policies of Japan's newly appointed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Takaichi is widely considered a fiscal dove and a monetary dove. The yen fell to its lowest level in two weeks and was last trading at 152.85 US dollars. The data released earlier on Friday indicated that Japan's core consumer price index remained above the central banks 2% target. This kept expectations alive of a rate hike in the near future. Government sources informed on Wednesday that Takaichi was preparing a package of economic stimulus likely to surpass last year's $92billion to help families combat inflation. Sterling was down 0.15% at $1.33, after stronger-than-expected retail sales that were boosted by demand for gold from online jewellers. This week, it was down 1% after investors added to expectations of a rate reduction from the Bank of England in this year. Hannah Lang reported from New York, with additional reporting by Samuel Indyk and Ankur Banerjee from London. Nick Zieminski and Peter Graff edited the story.
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Santee Cooper and Brookfield move forward to complete nuclear reactors
Santee Cooper, a public utility company in South Carolina, said Friday that it had approved a letter from Brookfield Asset Management indicating its intention to resume talks about the construction of two AP1000 reactors. The two companies will begin a six week feasibility period, during which they will choose a project manager and evaluate construction providers. They will also engage potential buyers of the carbon-free electricity that the reactors can generate. The project was cancelled in July 2017, after Santee Cooper and South Carolina Electric and Gas Co. (SCE&G) spent $9 billion on its development. Peter McCoy said that Brookfield presented a proposal to Santee cooper outlining the steps to reverse our previous nuclear investment. The company stated that the decision to maintain equipment for the past eight-years has allowed the Fairfield units to be completed faster and at a lower cost. The company began looking for buyers in January to purchase the two nuclear units that were still partially constructed at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station, Jenkinsville. The Wall Street Journal had reported this news earlier that day. (Reporting and editing by Shash Kuber in Bengaluru, with Sumit Saha reporting from Bengaluru)
Reliance, India's largest oil buyer from Russia, says it will adhere to Western sanctions
Reliance Industries Ltd, the largest Indian buyer of Russian crude oil, said it would adhere to Western sanctions against Moscow, while maintaining its relationships with its current oil suppliers.
Reliance is owned by Mukesh Ambani, a billionaire who operates the largest refining facility in the world at Jamnagar, in western Gujarat. The company has signed a long-term agreement to purchase nearly 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil, from Russian oil giant Rosneft.
The European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK) and the United States imposed a number of sanctions against Russia for its involvement in Ukraine. On Thursday, new US sanctions were imposed on Russia's top two oil producers, Lukoil & Rosneft. The U.S. gave companies until November 21, 2018 to end their business with Russian oil producers.
The EU adopted its 19th set of sanctions, after previously stating that it would not accept fuel produced by refineries which received or processed Russian crude oil 60 days before the bill of lading.
As is standard in the industry supply contracts are updated to reflect changes in market and regulatory conditions. Reliance will maintain its relationships with its suppliers while addressing these conditions," said the spokesperson in an email statement. The contract with Rosneft was not mentioned.
On Thursday, it was reported that Reliance intends to stop importing Rosneft oil.
Refiners also purchase Russian oil via intermediaries.
Reliance previously stated that it would comply with EU guidelines regarding the importation of refined products.
The refiner stated that its diverse crude purchases would help it navigate European Sanctions without specifying whether it would stop purchases of Russian oil at its 1.4 million barrels a day refining facility in western Gujarat.
The spokesperson stated that Reliance was confident in the ability of its diversified crude-sourcing strategy to continue to provide stability and reliability to its refinery operations to meet the needs for domestic and international exports, including Europe. (Reporting and editing by Nidhi verma, Elaine Hardcastle, Joe Bavier)
(source: Reuters)