18 years in Wall Street, left after finding out it was all horseshit. Founder/ Master and Commander: iBankCoin, finance news and commentary from the future.
I’m not going to pretend to know what’s at stake here, especially with kids who are cursed with muscular dystrophy. But the FDA advisory panel voted against approval for a drug that was, apparently, being tested without the full benefits of science. Critics argue the trials were too small–because parents didn’t want to sign kids to a trial that potentionally would give them a placebo instead of an active drug.
It’d be the equivalent to signing a death warrant for your child, all for the love of science.
Shares have risen like a Phoenix since the lows set this morning, based upon the belief that the FDA will cave into political pressures and approve the drug, in spite of the board advising otherwise.
S&P slashed Exxon’s credit rating to AA+, based on the fact that the company is being run by a bunch of asshats.
Let me explain the ways this company has shot itself in the foot.
Their oil fields are dying. Last year they only replaced 67% of lost oil production. Peak Exxon.
The company bought natural gas producer XTO Energy for $40 billion in 2009, the peak of natural gas. That company would be worth nothing today.
Retarded joint venture with Russian driller that resulted in a $1 billion loss.
And then there’s this: the company has wasted $54 billion in stock buybacks since 2012, as the companies debt more than doubled.
“The company’s debt level has more than doubled in recent years, reflecting high capital spending on major projects in a high commodity price environment and dividends and share repurchases that substantially exceeded internally generated cash flow,” S&P wrote in the note.
Exxon now has $34 billion in debt, declining production due to old wells, and a management team who thinks the best way to spend $54 billion is to buy its own stock.
Lazy fuckers.
The only two American companies left with a AAA rating is JNJ and MSFT.
Thanks to the latest housing and durable goods data, the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow model is forecasting red hot economic growth for the first quarter of 2016 of 0.4%, up from a paltry 0.3%
No wonder why the Fed is so worried about rapid runaway inflation.
Pioneer Resources is sharply higher today on better than expected results. What’s interesting to note is that cheap crude has not deterred them from producing oil. Moreover, they fully intend to deploy additional resources at $50 crude, as stated in today’s call.
Via Briefing.com
The co hit record production again, Q1 2016, 222,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, 55% oil so co is well along in its movement from 52% to 56% oil (Above Pioneer’s guidance range of 211 MBOEPD to 216 MBOEPD)
Oil production is up 10,000 oils a barrel per day or 9% versus Q4, obviously driven by the growth of the Spraberry/Wolfcamp horizontal drilling program
Increase of 7 MBOEPD, or 3%, vs. Q4 2015
Placed 55 horizontal wells on production in the Spraberry/Wolfcamp during Q1
All wells benefited from completion optimization
Continuing to realize significant capital efficiency gains in the Spraberry/Wolfcamp
Co has increased oil and gas derivative coverage for 2017
2016 Outlook:
Pioneer plans to maintain 12 horizontal rigs in the northern
Spraberry/Wolfcamp based on favorable well returns in this area
Currently operating 12 horizontal rigs in the northern Spraberry/Wolfcamp and 2 horizontal rigs in the southern Wolfcamp JV (both will be terminatedby the end of June)
This activity level is expected to deliver production growth of 12%+ in 2016 compared to 10%+ previously and will allow the Company to continue to progress its completion optimization program
The higher forecasted growth rate reflects improving Spraberry/Wolfcamp well productivity
Planned capital expenditures for drilling activity and vertical integration spending continue to be $2.0 B for 2016
Pioneer expects to add 5 to 10 horizontal rigs when the price of oil recovers to ~$50 per barrel and the outlook for oil supply/demand fundamentals is positive
Strong commodity derivatives position helps protect the Company’s cash flow
Oil derivative coverage of ~85% for 2016 and ~50% for 2017
Gas derivative coverage of ~70% for 2016 and ~25% for 2017
Strong investment grade balance sheet coupled with forecasted cash flow enables Company to grow production and fund its expected capital program through 2017 without increasing debt
It’s becoming abndantly clear who is benefitting from this rout in crude. All of the marginal, highly leveraged, producers are getting crushed, while the larger operators continue to drill and acquire assets like it’s business as usual. This had nothing to do with supply/demand dynamics.
As oil continues to March higher, producers like PXD are shining up their rigs, getting ready to deploy them back into the field, as crude stair-steps back towards $100 for no discernible reason, other than the fact that it’s business as usual.
This is the nightmare that keeps repeating. No one is talking about this yet. But, come summer, if a deal isn’t hammered out yet, this is going to become an issue for markets and the EU.
Because of differences of opinion, the Greeks, and the other people in Europe footing their bills, bailout talks have been delayed for months. The IMF and the EU want more draconian cuts to provide them with a 3.5% surplus. The Greeks are having an issue complying. Therein lies the issue.
The government has used between roughly nine billion euros ($10 billion) and 10 billion through repurchase agreements since last year, most of which has been rolled over, officials said.
“The situation is not pleasant but not as dramatic as last year,” said one government official, who declined to be named. “But the more time passes without concluding the review, we could find ourselves with our backs against the wall.”
“The cash earned an annual 3.7 percent on average in the second half of last year and the return during the first half of 2016 is similar, better than what the entities would have been earning from commercial banks,” a second official said.
No one at the finance ministry was immediately available to comment.
A third bailout deal of up to 86 billion euros was agreed last summer but a review of compliance with the terms of the agreement was expected to be completed late last year and Athens is still scrambling to conclude those requirements.
Greece needs the funds, more than 5 billion euros, to repay European Central Bank and IMF loans due in June and July.
Talks between Athens, European Union institutions and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have been snagged by disagreements over whether Greece’s cutbacks are enough to reach a primary surplus target of 3.5 percent by 2018.
“It has been a bumpy road since mid April but Greece can make it and not go bust until the end of May or early June by also using pension funds cash reserves and piling up state arrears if needed,” a senior government official told Reuters.
Don’t worry. If the Greeks keep this up, the EU will simply appoint a new leader to rule Greece, one who will obey their demands without terms.
I’ve never heard anyone stand up for women’s rights in these Middle East countries. I’d rather be a camel than a woman in these places.
The young Prince Mohammed has declared that the community isn’t convinced women should be permitted, by law, to drive in Saudi Arabia.
But don’t worry, positive changes are coming soon.
Allowing women to drive is “not a religious issue as much as it is an issue that relates to the community itself that either accepts it or refuses it,” said the 30-year-old prince, who has amassed unprecedented powers since his father, King Salman, ascended to the throne. “The community is not convinced about women driving” and sees negative consequences if it’s allowed, the prince said on Monday after outlining a plan to reduce the kingdom’s reliance on oil.
The prince had signaled his support for more freedom for women during an interview this month, saying “we believe women have rights in Islam that they’ve yet to obtain.” But when asked about the driving ban by a reporter on Monday, he said reform couldn’t be rushed. “Changes could happen in the future and we always hope they will be positive changes,” he said.
Our good friends the Saudis. A good rule of thumb, at least in my experience, is to judge others by the company he keeps. If we were to hold America to the same scrutiny, what does it say about us?
Tue Apr 26, 2016 8:43am ESTComments Off on Disaster Averted at Freeport; Company Reports In-Line Numbers
It looks like the company is on track and will continue to deleverage its balance sheet through asset sales. This is the quintessential commodity play, with large copper and oil interests, even gold. Back in the dark days of February, it looked as though the stock was heading to the ash heap of time. Now it’s looking more and more like a huge winner in the making, as investors sashay in and out of commodity stocks with genteel decorum.
Reports Q1 (Mar) loss of $0.16 per share, excluding $3.19/share in charges, in-line with the Capital IQ Consensus of ($0.16); revenues fell 15.1% year/year to $3.53 bln vs the $3.52 bln Capital IQ Consensus.
Consolidated sales totaled 1.1 billion pounds of copper, 201 thousand ounces of gold, 17 million pounds of molybdenum and 12.1 million barrels of oil equivalents (MMBOE) for first-quarter 2016, compared with 960 million pounds of copper, 263 thousand ounces of gold, 23 million pounds of molybdenum and 12.5 MMBOE for first-quarter 2015.
Consolidated sales for the year 2016 (adjusted for the anticipated closing of the Morenci transaction in second-quarter 2016) are expected to approximate 5.0 billion pounds of copper, 1.85 million ounces of gold, 71 million pounds of molybdenum and 54.4 MMBOE, including 1.15 billion pounds of copper, 195 thousand ounces of gold, 19 million pounds of molybdenum and 13.5 MMBOE for second-quarter 2016. Average realized prices were $2.17 per pound for copper, $1,227 per ounce for gold and $29.06 per barrel for oil for first-quarter 2016.
Consolidated unit net cash costs averaged $1.38 per pound of copper for mining operations and $15.85 per barrel of oil equivalents (BOE) for oil and gas operations for first-quarter 2016. Consolidated unit net cash costs for the year 2016 are expected to average $1.05 per pound of copper for mining operations and $15 per BOE for oil and gas operations.
Capital expenditures for oil and gas operations for the year 2016 are estimated to total $1.5 billion, excluding $0.8 billion in idle rig costs (which reduce operating cash flows). ~90 percent of the 2016 capital budget is expected to be directed to the GOM.
Operating cash flows for the year 2016 are expected to ~$4.8 bln, up from $3.4 bln (including $0.8 billion in working capital sources and changes in other tax payments). Capital expenditures are expected to ~$3.3 bln for FY16, down from $3.4 bln, consisting of $1.8 billion for mining operations (including $1.4 billion for major projects) and $1.5 billion for oil and gas operations.
FCX continues to advance discussions for the sale of certain interests in its mining and oil and gas assets to accelerate its debt reduction initiatives. While the process did not identify a buyer for the entire oil and gas business, a number of parties have interest in select assets, and FCX continues to engage in discussions with parties interested in potential asset or joint venture transactions. In the interim, FCX is taking immediate steps to reduce oil and gas costs further.
The stock is little changed in pre-market trading.
We’re getting multiple downgrades this morning after the FDA voted down SRPT’s muscular dystrophy drug, despite massive outpouring of support by trial patients and their families.
Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (SRPT), a developer of innovative RNA-based therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Peripheral and Central Nervous System Advisory Committee (PCNSC) met to review the new drug application (NDA) for eteplirsen as a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy amenable to exon 51 skipping. The advisory committee voted 6-7 against the finding of substantial evidence from adequate and well controlled studies that show that eteplirsen induces production of dystrophin to a level that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit (FDA Question #2). The advisory committee voted 3 – 7, with three abstentions, against finding substantial evidence based on the clinical results of the single historically controlled study (Study 201/202) that eteplirsen is effective for treatment of DMD (FDA Question #7).
“We would like to thank the hundreds of patients and families who participated in the discussion today, underscoring the critical unmet need of people living with Duchenne.” said Edward Kaye, M.D., Sarepta’s interim chief executive officer and chief medical officer. “We appreciated the opportunity to present our data to the advisory committee panel and will continue to work with FDA as they complete their review of the eteplirsen NDA. Today more than ever, we remain committed to our mission of bringing a treatment to the Duchenne community.”
This is fucking madness. China has a massive NPL (non-performing loans) problem, which amounts to $195 billion. The government has a mandatory 150% coverage ratio for these bad loans, which is extremely important to ensure the economy doesn’t blow up into ten thousand pieces of fortune cookie. Being that NPLs have soared by nearly 50% since last year, nothing could be more important to the health of the Chinese economy than to make sure its banks are well capitalized.
Right?
WRONG.
The banks have lobbyists over there too. They’ve managed to convince party bosses that lowering the coverage ratio to 120% is the best solution, aka a bailout.
What could go wrong?
Just remember, China has bottomed, Europe is picking up steam, Oil has bottomed.
This was one of the more powerful Cramer rants in quite some time. He discussed the driving force of this market, which is brutal and heartless job cuts.
It is the defined job of any CEO to manage expenses. Part of that job entails cutting the workforce in order to protect shareholder value. I understand some of you Bernie Sanders fuckheads believe GE is supposed to provide useless jobs for the benefit of lazy Americans. If that were the case, our corporate world would resemble our government controlled agencies and cities.
Would you like that?
No, of course not.
But if so many industries are culling their workforces, from tech to oil, where the hell are the new jobs coming from? Based on information provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of the new jobs are coming from retail trade (Walmart, Target etc), Construction and Healthcare (quasi-government financed workers).
Here are the statistics.
Based on the data above, there have been job losses across the mining, oil & gas and manufacturing sectors, year over year. However, the oil and gas losses only amount to a mere 12%. Tomfoolery!
Most of the gains were found in bars and restaurants, as people shove stuffed shells into their fat faces and washed them down with craft swill. Leisure and hospitality enjoyed big gains, as well as eduation and healthcare, construction, retail trade and finance.
The finance jobs will be gone soon, as every investment bank that I know is slashing expenses by firing people.
Everything else is easily explained by the dichotomy of classes which persists in this country, the have’s and the have nots. We are here to serve the aristocracy, provide them with leisure, build their castles, and beg their pardons at Disney World–while fetching their shoes at retail outlets.
The impressive jobs data is nothing less than a total farce, an illusion that is being used for propaganda purposes to sell the lie that the economy is great and everyone is working. People are working two, three jobs in order to meet monthly expenditures, hardly a sign of an economy on the cusp of breaking out.
Going forward, I’d find it incredible to believe those oil and gas jobs weren’t going to worsen, as well as deleterious drops in the financial and retail trade sectors.
