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Prolec JV to be owned by GE Vernova for $5.28 Billion in grid supply push
GE Vernova announced on Tuesday that it will pay $5.28 Billion to purchase the remaining 50% of the transformer maker Prolec GE, as artificial intelligence is driving grid equipment demand. The joint venture partner Xignux will be purchased by a company that is owned equally by cash and debt. This purchase should close in mid-2026 subject to regulatory approvals. The demand for electricity in the U.S. has increased dramatically as Big Tech and Silicon Valley startups compete to scale AI technologies behind services like ChatGPT. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, power consumption in 2025-2026 will reach record levels. This is due to cryptocurrency mining as well as increased demand by households and businesses. The CEO Scott Strazik said, "This acquisition is in line with our financial and strategic objectives. It is also beneficial to our customers as it strengthens our presence in North America where the demand for grid equipment has been growing rapidly." Prolec GE was established as a joint venture in 1995 by Xignux & General Electric. It announced earlier this year that it would invest $140 million and create 330 jobs in Goldsboro in North Carolina over the next three-year period, surpassing $300 million of U.S. investments and Mexico investments. About 10,000 employees are employed by the grid equipment manufacturer in seven factories around the world, including five in America. After-hours trading saw a slight increase in GE Vernova shares. On October 22, the company will also report its third-quarter results. Morgan Stanley acted on behalf of GE Vernova as a financial advisor, and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom acted as legal counsel. J.P. Morgan Securities advised Xignux, and Sidley-Austin served as Xignux's legal counsel.
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Gold drops 5%, but stocks are mostly flat. Earnings are positive.
The major stock indexes were mostly flat on Tuesday. Upbeat results and projections from leading U.S. companies provided some support. Gold prices fell more than 5%, as investors took profit after a recent rally. After conservative Sanae Tachichi was elected Japan's Prime Minister, the yen dropped to its lowest level in a week. The Nikkei stock index closed at a new record high in Japan on Tuesday. Spot gold dropped 5.31%, to $4,123.85 per ounce. This was the steepest percentage decline since August 2020. Prices reached an all-time high of $4,381.21 Monday and have risen by about 60% in this year. U.S. president Donald Trump said he expects to reach a fair deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week when they meet in South Korea. He also played down the risk of a conflict over Taiwan. Investor sentiment was also boosted by the prospect of a solution, as well as a deal made between Australia and the United States to supply rare earth minerals. Coca-Cola shares rose after it posted earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations. GM also saw a rise in its share price after raising its forecast for the full year. Michael Green, chief strategy at Simplify Asset Management, Philadelphia, says that the reaction to earnings surprises has been modest. Green stated that "the earnings are better than anticipated as companies continue to grow slightly in terms margins. This suggests (companies have to) be passing on the tariffs or pushing them back onto the Importers." The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 218.16 points or 0.47% to 46,924.74, while the S&P 500 gained 0.22 points to 6,735.35, remaining essentially unchanged. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 36.88 points or 0.16% to 22,953.67. The MSCI index of global stocks fell by 0.84 points or 0.08% to 994.85. The STOXX 600 Index rose by 0.21%. The dollar gained 0.81% against the Japanese yen to 151.96. Takaichi, Japan's first woman prime minister and leader in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, became Japan's premier on Tuesday. Traders bet on Takaichi’s government to muddy interest rate forecasts and increase fiscal spending. Dollar also rose in relation to other currencies. The dollar index (which measures the greenback versus a basket including the yen, the euro and other currencies) was up 0.35% at 98.95. Meanwhile, the euro fell 0.33% to $1.1602. Investors lowered U.S. Treasury rates as they awaited the Federal Reserve's next move. According to market expectations, the Fed could cut rates up to three times in the next six-months, but the European Central Bank is unlikely, when it meets next week, ever to do so. The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10 year notes dropped 2.9 basis points from late Monday to 3.959%. Investor confidence took a hit last week when a series of bad loans in regional U.S. banks sparked concerns about credit risks, which threatened to spread into the wider markets. Risk assets were also affected by the prolonged U.S. shutdown. The oil prices finished higher. Brent crude futures rose by 31 cents or 0.5% to settle at $61.32 per barrel. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures expired at Tuesday's settlement and closed 30 cents or 0.5% higher at $57.82. (Reporting and editing by Will Dunham and Zieminski; Additional reporting and editing by Amanda Cooper and Pranav Kashyap in London, and Twesha and Twesha Dhikshit in Bengaluru)
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Citgo auction: Bidders and creditors fight in US court
Bidders pursue the parent company of Venezuelan-owned U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum Creditors waiting to receive proceeds from the court ordered auction clashed on Tuesday in Delaware over which offer would be approved at the end of two years. The court is trying its best to finish the auction in order to compensate up 15 creditors for defaults on debts and expropriations that occurred in Venezuela. Citgo Holding, Citgo's parent company, was found responsible for Venezuela's debt in the eight-year long case. Citgo and Venezuela lawyers asked the court to reject the $5.9 billion offer of an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management because of its "low price", which was lower than a rival bid by a subsidiary Gold Reserve, and that the sale process is "defective." An officer in charge of the auction recommended that Elliott's Amber Energy bid be accepted, after previously supporting Gold Reserve. The court's marketing efforts were defended by Robert Pincus, a court officer. Amber's offer, he said, implies an estimated business value of $9.5 billion. It also offers the best combination between price and likelihood that the transaction will be completed. Amber's proposal includes a separate agreement to pay $2.1billion to holders of Venezuelan bonds that have defaulted. The agreement only lasts until early December. Counsels for Amber, Pincus and the Court have asked the court to select a winner as soon as possible. This week, Delaware Judge Leonard Stark heard arguments regarding motions filed by Venezuela or Gold Reserve seeking to disqualify Stark, court officer Pincus, and two advisory firms for alleged conflicts of interest. The court also heard the final arguments about the bids. Nathan Eimer said that Amber's offer "is so low...that it shocks this court's conscience and cannot be confirmed" during the hearing. Gold Reserve asked the court also to reject Amber’s bid in favor of the offer made by its subsidiary, which was about $2 billion more expensive but did not include a payment agreement with the Venezuelan bondholders. CREDITORS V BONDHOLDERS Gold Reserve intends to divide auction proceeds between a greater number of Delaware creditors, rather than settle the bondholders claim. This is because a New York court has yet to resolve the validity of the notes. Matthew Kirtland said that it would be an injustice if a significant amount of money was transferred from the attached judgement creditors to the 2020 bondholders based on a security or pledge instrument which might be invalid. Since the U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, Citgo severed ties with its ultimate parent, Caracas-headquartered oil company PDVSA, and is now controlled by boards appointed by an opposition-led congress. Both the government of President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition political party reject the auction. The Treasury Department of the United States, which shielded Citgo against creditors in recent years must approve the winner.
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Oliver Bowen, Glencore's global naphtha head, will join rival Vitol sources claim
Four sources said on Tuesday that Oliver Bowen, Glencore's global director of naphtha trade, was set to leave the company for Vitol. He is the latest high-ranking trader to leave the London listed commodities trading and mining firm since recent months. One source said that Bowen would start working at Vitol in November and supervise the European naphtha business of the world's biggest commodities trader. Sources requested anonymity in order to discuss confidential information. Bowen was not available for comment. Vitol, Glencore and Glencore refused to comment. Bowen's departure comes at a time when Glencore is undertaking a wider reorganization in its trading operations after a sharp decline in earnings. The company's core earnings from Glencore’s energy and steelmaking activities trading coal fell to $306 millions in the first six months of this year. This is the lowest amount for the period since 2016. Bowen is the 42-year-old head of Glencore's naphtha trade since at least 2017, says a profile posted on Companies House, the UK government website. Bowen was a UK-based Petrochemical Feedstock Association director from February 2017 until his resignation in April of this year. Alex Sanna is the current Glencore head of oil and natural gas trading. According to a memo sent out by staff, Sanna will be stepping down at the end this year. Maxim Kolupaev will replace Sanna. He was the head of Glencore's oil trading desk over the last six years. (Reporting from Shariq Khan and Robert Harvey, in New York; editing by Lisa Shumaker).
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The Russian rouble falls against the US dollar due to uncertainty surrounding Trump-Putin Summit
The Russian rouble fell against the U.S. Dollar and China's Yuan on Tuesday, after an American media report said that preparations for the summit between U.S. president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin at Budapest had stalled. At 1400 GMT the rouble had fallen 0.7% against the U.S. Dollar in over-the counter trade and 1.2% against yuan, which was trading at 11.41 at the Moscow Stock Exchange. The Chinese unit is by far the most traded currency. Freedom Finance analysts stated in a recent research note that "the main pressure on Russia’s market comes from geopolitics, and the expectation that the central banks will maintain its key rate of 17% this Friday." The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that there was no date set for a possible summit between Trump and Putin. This dampened the optimism which had lifted Russian stock prices and the rouble in the last week. CNN reported that the planned meeting between U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio, and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has been postponed for now. On October 24, the Russian central bank will also decide whether to cut or maintain its key rate. Economists are evenly divided on this issue. The rouble would be supported if the central bank decided to hold the rate. (Reporting and editing by MuvijaM; Gleb Bryanski)
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Venezuela asks US Court to reject Elliott affiliate’s bid for Citgo parent
Lawyers for U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum, Venezuela's owner and Venezuelan government asked the court to reject an offer from an Elliott Investment Management affiliate on Tuesday due to the "low price" which was lower than a rival bid submitted to the court and that the sale process was defective. Delaware's court is attempting to complete the auction for Venezuelan-owned PDV Holding (parent company of Citgo Petroleum) to compensate up 15 creditors who have suffered debt defaults or asset expropriations. An officer in charge of the auction recommended a $5.9 billion offer by Elliott's Amber Energy, which was a change from his earlier recommendation of a 7 billion dollar bid from a Gold Reserve subsidiary. Amber's bid also includes a separate agreement to pay $2.1billion to holders of defaulted Venezuelan bonds. After a hearing in Delaware this week, Judge Leonard Stark will determine the winner. The court will discuss the bids from Venezuela and Gold Reserve and the motions they filed to disqualify him, the court officer who evaluated the bids, and two advisory firms for alleged conflicts of interest. Nathan Eimer said that Amber's offer "is so low...that it shocks this court's conscience and cannot be confirmed" during the hearing. Since the U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuela and the administration of President Nicolas Maduro in 2019, Citgo severed ties with its ultimate parent, Caracas-headquartered oil company PDVSA, and is now controlled by boards appointed by an opposition-led congress. The auction organized by the court is rejected by both the Maduro government and the opposition political party led Maria Corina Machado. The U.S. Treasury Department must approve the winner of the auction, as it has protected Citgo against creditors in recent years.
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CenterPoint sells Ohio natural gas distribution for $2.62 billion
CenterPoint Energy has agreed to sell its natural-gas distribution unit in Ohio for $2.62billion, in order to focus on its core electric and gas operations. In the morning trading on Tuesday, shares of National Fuel and CenterPoint both fell by a combined 4.7%. CenterPoint stated that the assets being sold include approximately 5,900 miles in Ohio of transmission and delivery pipelines serving around 335,000 metered clients. This is just the latest of a series of deals by U.S. utilities that are refocusing their efforts on regulated, higher-growth markets to meet the surge in power demand. Jason Wells, CEO of CenterPoint, said that the company will be able to recycle over $2 billion in other electric and gas businesses. Analysts from Scotiabank say the deal shows CenterPoint progress towards a profit increase of almost 9%. This would be one of the fastest gains in the industry. Investors should find CenterPoint appealing because it is one of the few utilities that can turn demand into profits. The CenterPoint deal will improve its balance sheet, and allow it to invest in Texas and Indiana. In late September, the utility announced that it planned to spend $65 billion on capital expenditures from 2026 to 2035. National Fuel gains a foothold in Ohio and expands its regulated utility gas services. CenterPoint stated that the value of the deal represents approximately 1.9 times its unit's rate base for 2024. The deal is expected close in the fourth-quarter of 2026. CenterPoint anticipates a total of $1.42 billion to be generated in 2026, with the remainder in 2027. The company provides electricity and natural gases to over 7 million customers in Indiana, Louisiana and Mississippi as well as Ohio, Texas and Texas. (Reporting and editing by Sahal Muhammad in Bengaluru, Katha Kalia)
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Automakers join forces with EV manufacturers to avoid EU emission fines
Automakers formed alliances with electric vehicle companies to avoid heavy fines from the European Union for carbon emissions. Several legacy automakers could face fines, as the transition from ICEs to EVs has been slower than expected. As of Tuesday, here are the details on the regulations and alliances that will be in place by 2025. Initial EU fines were based on carbon emissions levels in 2025. The European Commission, under pressure from the automakers, allowed compliance in March based on average emissions between 2025 and 2027. All alliance agreements currently in existence, as identified by their pool managers, will expire this year. It is expected that they will be renewed in the coming years. NISSAN Nissan, the Japanese EV manufacturer, teamed up with BYD in October. KG MOBILITY A second pool was created at the end September by South Korea’s KG Mobility, and Chinese EV manufacturer Xpeng. In January, Tesla, Stellantis, Toyota, Ford and Chinese EV manufacturer Leapmotor formed a pool. Mazda, Subaru, Mazda, and Subaru also joined. In March, Japan's Honda & Suzuki joined the pool. MERCEDES In January, this pool included Mercedes, Volvo Car, Polestar, Smart Automobile, and EV manufacturer Polestar. Volvo Car and Polestar both have the backing of China's Geely. Geely Chairman Li Shufu owns a 9.69% share in Mercedes. He is the second largest shareholder of the group after China's BAIC Group. Smart Automobile was formed as a joint venture by Mercedes and Geely. Forecasts of EV According to AlixPartners consultant, EVs accounted for 12% of the total European light vehicles sold last year and will reach 15% in 2019. AlixPartners predicts that their market share will increase to 24% by 2027, and 40% at the end of this decade.
US wants 1 million barrels for Strategic Petroleum Reserve
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday that it was looking to purchase 1 million barrels of oil to be delivered to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It is hoping to take advantage of the relatively low prices of oil to replenish the stockpile.
Former President Joe Biden's administration sold record amounts from the SPR. This included a 180 million barrel sale in 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, one of world's largest oil producers. The reserve has a capacity of 700 million barrels, but currently holds nearly 409 millions.
The administration of President Donald Trump has sought to replenish the SPR but has been hindered by the lack of funds as well as the ongoing maintenance of the reserve. It is located in a series hollowed out salt caverns along the Texas and Louisiana coastlines. Pumps, pipes, and other SPR above-ground infrastructure are exposed to salty, corrosive air. Trump's tax-and-spending bill included $171 million to purchase and maintain SPR oil, a much smaller amount than the original $1.3 billion. It is likely that new legislation will be needed to purchase more oil for SPR.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that Trump is working with Congress to replenish the SPR. Wright stated that while this process will not be completed overnight, it is an important step towards strengthening our energy security.
On Monday, both the Brent international benchmark and the WTI U.S. benchmark had reached their lowest levels since the beginning of May. This was due to record U.S. production of oil and the decision of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies that they would continue with the planned supply increases.
WTI crude futures closed Tuesday at $57.82 per barrel, up 30 cents.
The deadline for submitting bids to the SPR is October 28. (Reporting and editing by Chris Reese, Lisa Shumaker, and Jasper Ward. Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner.
(source: Reuters)