MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s private sector has drawn up a broad package of proposed energy investments for the government worth almost $92 billion, according to a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday, providing a potential lift to the country’s misfiring economy.
With 275 projects from 2020 to 2024 encompassing everything from power generation, storage and transportation to exploration and production of natural gas, the 1.787 trillion peso ($91.5 billion) package could significantly influence the government’s national energy plan, which is due to be presented soon.
The projects sketched out were the product of discussions between Mexico’s business coordinating council (CCE) and dozens of energy companies, including Royal Dutch Shell PLC , Mexico’s IEnova , a unit of U.S. firm Sempra Energy , France’s Engie SA and Italy’s Enel SpA , the document showed.
Under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico has pursued a more statist approach to the energy sector, but some members of his administration believe attracting more private capital is vital for lifting growth.
CCE President Carlos Salazar and Antonio del Valle, head of the Mexican Business Council (CMN), submitted the investment plan on Monday to Alfonso Romo, chief of staff to Lopez Obrador, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Energy Minister Rocio Nahle told Reuters she would be analyzing the private sector plan with Lopez Obrador in the coming days. The projects are due to be privately funded.
A CCE spokesman said a range of energy projects and potential investment amounts were still under discussion.
Romo’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A CMN spokesman had no comment.
A source at IEnova said the company had “actively” worked with the CCE to compile feasible projects. Shell, Enel and Engie did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Romo told a news conference on Tuesday the government was reviewing which projects would be part of the energy plan, and said Mexico needed to do more to encourage growth.
“Energy is becoming a big opportunity to send a message not just to the energy sector, but also to other sectors that are welcome here, to everyone who wants to invest,” Romo said.
Dragged down by tepid investment and concern over the government’s economic policies, the economy slipped into a mild recession last year, undermining support for Lopez Obrador, who pledged to speed up growth when he took office in December 2018.
How much of the CCE energy blueprint could be adopted is unclear due to differences of opinion over energy policy.
Lopez Obrador, Nahle and Manuel Bartlett, head of state power utility CFE, are advocates of a stronger role for the state. Others, including Romo, want the government to open up the sector to more private capital to boost jobs and growth, an argument also made by Mexico’s business leaders.
The private sector energy pitch foresees the creation of well over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs. Under the proposals, the bulk of the work on the projects should be front-loaded into the early years of the 2020-2024 time frame.
Three of the states with the biggest concentration of proposed energy projects were Veracruz, Oaxaca and Yucatan, poorer regions in the south and east of the country that the president has pledged to transform economically.
($1 = 19.5218 Mexican pesos)
(Reporting by Dave Graham; Additional reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez and Adriana Barrera; Editing by Leslie Adler)
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
