Category: energy

Volkswagen Invests in Batteries, Raw Materials in Race for Affordable EV

BERLIN—Volkswagen plans to invest 180 billion euros ($193 billion) over five years in areas including battery production and raw material sourcing in a bid to cut electric vehicle costs and protect its market share, it said on Tuesday. Over two-thirds of the company’s five-year investment budget announced on Tuesday is allocated to electrification and digitalization,…


Oil Prices Continue Slump in Fallout From SVB Shutdown

LONDON—Oil prices dropped more than $2 a barrel on Tuesday, extending the previous day’s slide, as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank rattled equities markets and sparked fear about a fresh financial crisis. Brent crude futures fell $1.64, or 2 percent, to $79.13 a barrel by 1001 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI)…


Shares Tumble as Stress Creeps Into Markets

LONDON—Global shares slid on Tuesday as a brewing U.S. banking crisis prompted investors to downgrade their expectations for interest rate hikes, even ahead of key inflation data later in the day. As recently as a week ago, investors were just recovering from a reality-check that prompted many to assume that rates around the world were…


Capitol Report: Biden Attempts to Calm Nation Over Fears of Banking Crisis; Biden Changes Course on Fossil Fuels

The White House makes sweeping moves following two historic bank failures in just a matter of days. What is President Joe Biden announcing, and how do lawmakers and investors react? Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), a member of the Financial Services Committee, joins us to discuss the factors behind the sudden bank collapse and give his…


Biden Approves Scaled-Down Alaska Willow Oil Project

The Biden administration has green-lit a scaled-back version of the $8 billion Willow oil field development project, angering climate activists while delighting lawmakers from Alaska who have been battling to secure the project. On Monday, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced that it had approved three of the originally proposed five drilling pads by…


Crude Oil Prices Slide $4 as Banking Fears Rattle Markets

LONDON—Oil prices fell $4 on Monday along with equities as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank raised fears of a fresh financial crisis, but a recovery in Chinese demand provided support. Brent crude futures were down $3.96, or 4.8 percent, to $78.82 per barrel by 1220 GMT. West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude futures (WTI) fell…


Europe’s Bank Shares Plunge, Bonds Rally Despite SVB Rescue Effort

LONDON, SYDNEY—Europe’s bank shares suffered their biggest fall in over a year and bond markets saw a gigantic repricing of rate hike bets on Monday as global efforts to limit the fallout from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) failed to ease fears. The dollar slid too as Wall Street heavyweights such as Goldman…


China Secures Australian Lithium For Almost 70 Percent Below Market Value

An Australian mining company with links to China has been subject to a state government inquiry for selling lithium around 70 percent below the current market prices despite being under administration. Alita Resources, which operates the Bald Hill lithium mine in Western Australia via its subsidiary Lithco, is expected to export 150,000 tonnes of lithium…


Saudi Aramco Reports Record Profit of $161.1 Billion in 2022

DUBAI—Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco on Sunday reported a record annual net profit of $161.1 billion for 2022, up 46 percent from the previous year on higher energy prices, increased volumes sold, and improved margins for refined products. The profits, which are around triple that of Exxon’s $56 billion, follow similar reports in February from…


Windfall Taxes Just Add More Problems to the Energy Crisis

Commentary If there is one sin worse today than producing fossil fuels, it is making money while doing it. The Australian energy industry is looking on with apprehension at repeated calls for so-called “windfall profit taxes.” There is no predicting the current government, which has shown zero circumspection against interference in energy markets at any…