Forecast & Analysis

Analysts See Close Vote in Showdown Over Dimon's Dual Roles

By Andrew R. Johnson Analysts say it is too close to call the outcome of a crucial J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) shareholder vote on Tuesday that could result in the separation of the bank's chairman and chief executive positions, both currently held by Jamie Dimon... Full Story

Abreast of the Market: Oil Is Isolated Bright Spot for Commodity Bulls

By Christian Berthelsen The oil trade is bubbling, perking up what has been a dismal year for those betting on rising commodity prices. U.S. benchmark oil futures are up 4.6% this year, to Friday's close at $96.02 a barrel. Crude's gains lag behind the record-setting run in U.S... Full Story

Abreast of the Market: Oil Out of Sync With Market Forces

By Christian Berthelsen Prices of many commodities are down this year, but U.S. oil futures have rallied. Skeptics say the mismatch is a sign of trouble. U.S. benchmark crude-oil futures ended Friday at $96.02, up 4.6% since the start of 2013... Full Story

Europe's Pain Relief for GM and Ford

By Justin Lahart Europe's woeful car market remains a major sore spot for Ford Motor and General Motors. But the good news-- and this counts as good news these days--is that it doesn't look like it's going to get any sorer... Full Story

Enron No Lesson for Traders as Price Manipulation Probed

By Ben Moshinsky, Lynn Doan & Jim Brunsden - May 20, 2013 Enron Corp.’s 2001 collapse revealed the extent of its manipulation of spot gas prices. Twelve years later, European Union regulators may discover energy traders never learned the lessons of the scandal... Full Story

Scaled-Back U.S. Fracking Rule Draws Qualified Praise

By Mark Drajem & Jim Snyder - May 17, 2013 Oil and gas industry representatives offered qualified support for a U.S. proposal to govern hydraulic fracturing on public lands that establishes federal oversight while deferring to state standards in some cases... Full Story

Top News Stories

Arctic Refuge Oil Targeted by Alaska Amid U.S. Reluctance

By Mark Drajem - May 20, 2013 Alaska’s government proposed investing its own cash in an assessment of oil reserves in the U.S. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, seeking to prod the federal government to consider drilling in the protected area... Full Story

Gunvor Unit’s Oil Trading Activities Under Investigation in U.S.

By Jake Rudnitsky - May 20, 2013 A subsidiary of Gunvor Group Ltd., the independent energy trader, was served a subpoena by the U.S. Attorney’s office in April 2011 for documents relating to its oil-trading activities. Castor Americas Inc... Full Story

Air Strikes, Casualties in Nigeria Offensive on Islamists

KANO (AFP)--Nigeria's military on Friday attacked Boko Haram Islamist strongholds across the northeast, launching deadly air strikes on insurgent camps, the military said, while residents reported that forces had deployed in border areas to block the militants from fleeing... Full Story

Greenland Minister: Will Issue New Oil Exploration Licenses as Current Ones Are Turned In

By Clemens Bomsdorf COPENHAGEN--Greenland's new government has clarified its stance on allowing more offshore oil exploration with the small Arctic territory's new minister of industry and minerals saying that new licenses will be handed out as current licenses are turned in... Full Story

Mexico Grows at Slowest Pace in Three Years in First Quarter

Gross Domestic Product (Year-On-Year): 1Q13 4Q12 3Q12 2Q12 1Q12 2012 Forecast +1.2% +3.0% +3.7% +4.2% +4.3% Actual +0.8% +3.2% +3.2% +4.5% +4.9% +3... Full Story

Nigeria LNG Declares Force Majeure on Exports After Leak

By Sarah Kent LONDON--Nigeria LNG has declared force majeure on its exports of liquefied natural gas after a reported leak on a pipeline operated by Royal Dutch Shell PLC's Nigerian subsidiary earlier this weak cut off a substantial percentage of its supply, the company said Friday... Full Story

Financial

Natural Gas Rises as Forecasts Show Hot Weather Ahead

-Gas futures rise as warmer-than-normal temperatures approaches --Forecasters see rising temperatures across Midwest, East Coast --Nymex gas settles 3.5c higher at $4.09/MMBtu By Jerry A... Full Story

Crude-Oil Futures Climb to Seven-Week High

--Light, sweet crude for June delivery settles higher by 0.7% at $96.71 --Traders look ahead to inventory data, Bernanke testimony --U.S. oil inventories still near record highs By Dan Strumpf NEW YORK--Oil futures climbed to a seven-week high Monday amid optimism over the U.S... Full Story

Crude-Oil Futures Rally As Stock Market Powers Higher

--Oil futures rally as equity markets look higher --Crude remains under pressure by strong supply, weak demand --Gasoline prices rally By Dan Strumpf NEW YORK--Oil futures rallied for the second straight session Friday, lifted by stronger equity markets after positive U.S... Full Story

Natural Gas Drops Below $4 After Bigger-Than-Expected Inventory Build

--Natural-gas futures settle 3... Full Story

Crude-Oil Futures Settle up 86 Cents at $95.16/Barrel

--Market looks beyond high crude oil, fuel inventory --U.S... Full Story

Natural Gas Drops Below $4 After Bigger-Than-Expected Inventory Build

By Dan Strumpf NEW YORK--Natural gas futures tumbled more than 3% after a report showed U.S. gas stockpiles last week rose more than expected, underscoring sluggish demand for the fuel... Full Story

Releases

Plains Exploration Shareholders Approve Freeport-McMoRan Deal

--Approval to merge Plains Exploration oil and gas business with miner Freeport-McMoRan --Merger expected to close May 31 --Analysts wonder whether merger makes sense By Benjamin Lefebvre and Melodie Warner Plains Exploration & Production Co.'s (PXP) shareholders Monday approved a $6... Full Story

New Chesapeake CEO Was Latecomer to Search Radar

By Daniel Gilbert and Joann S. Lublin HOUSTON--On April 26, the chairman of Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) and the head of its largest investor, Southeastern Asset Management Inc... Full Story

Ashland Inc. enters into $150 million accelerated share repurchase agreement

May 20, 2013 COVINGTON, Ky. - Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) announced today that it has entered into a $150 million accelerated share repurchase agreement (ASR) with Citibank, N.A... Full Story

Kuwait Petroleum Replaces Units’ Chiefs After Dow Compensation

By Fiona MacDonald - May 20, 2013 Kuwait, the third-biggest producer in OPEC, replaced senior executives of its state oil industry in an infusion of “fresh blood” after the government paid $2.19 billion in compensation for a cancelled joint venture... Full Story

Total CEO: Unlikely Probed Oil Firms Involved in Alleged Price Rigging

By Geraldine Amiel PARIS--The head of French oil company Total SA (TOT) said Friday he believed the companies being investigated as part of a European Commission probe into alleged oil-price manipulation weren't involved in such activities... Full Story

Colonial Pipeline: Gasoline Mainline Operations Have Returned to Normal

By Rose Marton-Vitale Colonial Pipeline Co. on Friday said normal operations resumed shortly before midnight on Thursday on its Line 1 gasoline mainline after successfully completing a line repair near Hebert, Texas... Full Story

Weather

NOAA Sees Above-Normal Summer Temperatures for Much of U.S.

NEW YORK--Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected across much of the U.S. this summer, government forecasters said Thursday in a forecast for June through August... Full Story

NOAA Doesn't Expect El Nino, La Nina Conditions in Coming Months

By David Bird NEW YORK--U.S. government forecasters said Thursday they don't expect El Nino or La Nina weather conditions to develop through late summer in the Northern Hemisphere... Full Story

May Day snow storm hits Colo., Wyo., Midwest

DENVER (AP) — People in parts of Colorado and Wyoming pulled puffy jackets, hats and umbrellas out of the closet again Wednesday for another round of wet spring snow... Full Story