The US Pentagon has acquired a 35% equity stake in North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), a private oil company granted concessions to 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan crude reserves, making it potentially the world's second-largest oil company by reserves. This unprecedented deal, brokered under the Trump administration, aims to secure critical energy resources and counter Chinese and Russian influence in Venezuela. The US government also holds rights to purchase oil at production cost and influence company governance. However, the deal faces legal and political uncertainties, including concerns over the controversial CEO and potential reversals under future administrations. The arrangement is primarily geopolitical, intended to stabilize Venezuelan oil production and bolster US strategic reserves.
The article compares two popular U.S. retirement income ETFs: Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) and JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPI). SCHD focuses on growing qualified dividends from strong American companies, offering a lower yield (~3...
Chevron has raised its dividend for 39 consecutive years, with a recent 4% increase in 2026 and a current yield of about 3.08% at $104 oil prices. The company showed strong Q2 2026 earnings and cash flow, comfortably covering dividends, but its payou...
Shell plc completed a $16.5 billion acquisition of ARC Resources Ltd., boosting its production by 370,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and targeting 4% annual growth through 2030. The company also agreed to acquire the remaining 67% of Tri Star ...
Chevron's $7 billion expansion in Venezuela's Orinoco Belt has boosted its stock to a 52-week high, but a Bloomberg economist warns the deal resembles the 1953 US-backed Iran coup that initially secured oil access but led to decades of lost supplies ...
RBC Capital Markets remains positive on gold despite near-term consumer challenges and higher US Treasury yields, citing strong central bank demand and geopolitical tensions boosting gold repatriation. In oil, geopolitical risks in the Strait of Horm...
