At the end of 2016 we wrote about a new era for oil and a new pricing pattern that we thought would hold into 2017. Is the snake still stuck in the drain? How well is our price prediction holding up and what does it mean for M&A and the much beleaguered oil field services … More What’s new in oil?
How do we even start to sum up 2016 on in one blog? Great tomes will surely be written about a year in which so many orthodoxies were overturned and paradigms shifted. But we’re going to give it our best shot by picking what we think are five standout moments– i.e. those we think best … More What happened in 2016?
The OPEC deal announced last week helped to propel the price of a barrel of Brent Crude over the $50 mark, the highest for well over a year and almost double its January low. But prices have stalled since, underlining our view that this isn’t a one way ticket. So where next for oil?
Will volatility thwart M&A ambitions in 2016? Markets have recovered from their dire start to 2016; but lingering uncertainty will keep them in a volatile holding pattern for a while yet. Thus far, this doesn’t seem to have seriously dulled companies’ deal making appetites. We are seeing fewer ‘mega-deals’, but a robust core market in … More Will volatility thwart M&A ambitions in 2016?
Global equities reached an eight week high this week. In the way this works now, this is partly because of some good news and also because of some bad news that becomes good news because it’s raised hopes for further/continued stimulus. While we all ponder how on earth we got into this confused state, here … More Hopes and fears in six charts
In March 2015 we discussed the opportunities and threats posed as $3t of global bonds traded with negative yields. Last week, that figure hit $6t – one third of the total market. Meanwhile, more central banks are talking or enacted NIRP – Negative Interest Rate Policy – raising some awkward questions. It’s tough to build … More Feeling negative – Take II
Markets dived again this week and cheap oil is looking like more of a hindrance than a help. Its more obvious negative effects aren’t helping banks; but again the outlook warrants a reality check in bank stocks , not the current mass exit. There are plenty buffers left before banks hit a systemic crisis – unless panic crashes through them. … More We need to talk about oil
