Energy Profits

Business

Covenant Logistics Sees Freight Market Turning, But Margin Pressures Linger

Covenant Logistics Group struck a cautiously optimistic note in its Q4 2025 earnings call, citing improving freight fundamentals and rising bid activity, even as margin compression across key segments weighed on profits. The company is navigating the shift through fleet optimization, a reduced capex plan, and the integration of a new brokerage unit.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Medicare Advantage Squeeze: Are CVS and Humana's Dividend Stocks Now a Buy?

New CMS reimbursement rates are pressuring Medicare Advantage profits, sending shares of Humana and CVS Health lower. We analyze whether the sell-off presents a buying opportunity for dividend investors or signals deeper structural challenges.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Deutsche Bank's Bold Bet: CoreWeave Price Target Soars 40% on Nvidia Partnership and AI Boom

A major analyst upgrade, fueled by Nvidia's deepening investment and strategic alignment, projects significant upside for the AI cloud infrastructure leader CoreWeave, despite recent stock volatility.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Earnings Season Showdown: How Tech Giants Are Funding the AI Arms Race

This week's Big Tech earnings revealed a stark divide: companies using existing cash cows to fund AI ambitions versus those betting the farm on a future payoff. The market's patience for visionary spending is wearing thin, demanding concrete timelines and a path to profit.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

U.S. Wholesale Prices Surge in December, Fueling Inflation Concerns

The Producer Price Index jumped 0.5% last month, more than double November's increase, as rising costs for machinery, metals, and travel services pointed to persistent pipeline pressures for consumers.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Cotton Futures Slide Amid Export Slump and Dollar Strength

Cotton futures extended losses on Friday, pressured by a stronger U.S. dollar and a significant year-over-year decline in export commitments. The market's focus remains on demand concerns as key metrics lag behind historical averages.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Navigating the Giants: One Large-Cap Stock with a Durable Edge, and Two Facing Headwinds

While large-cap stocks offer stability, their massive scale often limits growth. We analyze one company whose competitive moat continues to widen and two others where valuation and market dynamics suggest caution is warranted.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Electricity Bills Set to Keep Climbing Through 2026, Experts Warn Relief Is Not on the Horizon

With rising demand, grid investments, and volatile fuel costs, electricity prices are outpacing wage growth, squeezing not just low-income but now middle-class households. Policy interventions face long lead times, leaving little hope for near-term bill relief.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Venezuela's Oil Promise: U.S. Giants Urge Caution Amid Political Shifts

ExxonMobil and Chevron signal that significant investment in Venezuela's vast oil reserves hinges on clearer legal and fiscal stability, despite recent political changes and White House pressure.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Chevron Posts Record Production, Signals Growth from Tengiz to Venezuela in Q4 2025

Chevron capped off a year of strategic execution with record global production and industry-leading free cash flow growth, while outlining ambitious expansion plans from the Caspian to the Caribbean.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

U.S. Wholesale Inflation Surges in December, Fueled by Jump in Service Costs

U.S. producer prices rose more than expected in December, driven by the largest increase in service costs in months, complicating the inflation outlook as the Federal Reserve weighs its next policy move.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Chevron Outperforms Q4 Profit Forecasts Amid Cost-Cutting Drive, Eyes Expansion in Venezuela

Chevron Corp. reported a drop in fourth-quarter earnings that nonetheless beat analyst expectations, as the oil giant emphasized operational efficiency to navigate lower crude prices. The company, the sole U.S. producer active in Venezuela, signaled it is assessing further investment opportunities in the country following recent geopolitical shifts.

Jan 30, 2026

World

'Superman' Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong billionaire behind Panama ports deal

Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing and his conglomerate CK Hutchison have been tied up in global US-China rivalry since announcing a controversial $19 billion sale of strategic ports in Panama last year.Beijing authorities intensified pressure on CK Hutchison last year, repeatedly criticising the conglomerate's sale of its Panama Canal ports.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Midwest Gas Prices Climb for Second Straight Week, Nearing $2.70 per Gallon

Drivers across the Midwest are feeling the pinch as average gasoline prices rose for a second consecutive week, with regional costs now sitting significantly below the national average.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Hutchison Port Holdings Trust Sees Efficiency Gains, But Can Its ROCE Momentum Hold?

The Singapore-listed port operator has significantly improved its capital efficiency over five years, rewarding shareholders. Analysts are now weighing whether this trend is sustainable for long-term growth.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Cullen/Frost Bankers Posts Strong Q2 Earnings, Driven by Texas Expansion and Loan Growth

The Texas-based financial institution reported a year-over-year increase in profits, deposits, and loans for the second quarter of 2025. While management highlighted the success of its organic branch expansion strategy, it also acknowledged intensifying competitive pressures in key lending markets.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Caterpillar Posts Record 2025 Results, Warns of Escalating Tariff Headwinds

Caterpillar Inc. capped off a historic 2025 with record sales and a soaring backlog, but executives signaled a cautious outlook for 2026 as escalating trade tariffs threaten to squeeze margins. The industrial giant's performance was buoyed by robust demand across construction, mining, and a surging data center power market.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Aeris Resources Surges on Strong Production, Debt Clearance; But Is the Rally Overextended?

Aeris Resources (ASX:AIS) shares have soared following a robust December quarter report featuring record copper-equivalent output and full repayment of a A$50 million debt facility. The operational momentum has fueled a dramatic 350% one-year shareholder return, yet analysts are divided on whether the stock's current price accurately reflects its underlying value or has overshot fundamentals.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Flowco Bolsters Permian Presence with $200 Million Acquisition of Valiant Artificial Lift

Flowco (NYSE: FLOC) has struck a deal to acquire Valiant Artificial Lift Solutions for $200 million, a move that significantly expands its electric submersible pump (ESP) capabilities in the key Permian Basin and broadens its production optimization portfolio.

Feb 3, 2026

World

Sweet Relief or Bitter Pill? Europe's 2025 Food Inflation Paints a Mixed Picture

While overall EU food inflation moderated to 2.8% in 2025, stark disparities emerged. Chocolate, frozen fruit, and beef led price surges, while olive oil and sugar saw significant declines. Turkey's crisis-level inflation contrasted sharply with stability in Switzerland and France.

Feb 3, 2026