RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazil’s Petrobras may increase investments in its next five-year business plan by up to 10% over the previous one, which would place the state-run oil company’s capital expenditures at around $86 billion, Chief Financial Officer Sergio Caetano Leite said in an interview on Monday.
The increase in the 2024-2028 plan, still being discussed, would include some $4 billion in inflation adjustments and between $1 billion and $4 billion for new projects, Leite said.
The plan, set to be published by year end, will be the first since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office in January pledging to increase investments by the oil giant while using it to drive a green transition.
Low carbon projects, Leite said, would account for a large part of the increase in investments expected for the new plan.
“We are going to adjust the plan for inflation and signal larger investments based on that correction,” the executive said. “But there is indeed more money going to investments.”
He said that if the low-carbon projects “are profitable and technically applicable, we might take those inflation-adjusted $82 billion up to $86 billion.”
Last month, Petrobras CEO Jean Paul Prates told Reuters the company’s next five-year business plan would keep total investments roughly in line with the last.
The 2023-2027 plan, approved last December, includes expenditures of $78 billion.
Even with the projected increase, Leite said, Petrobras expects to maintain its gross debt between $50 billion and $65 billion. That metric reached $58 billion in the second quarter, up 8.7% from the prior quarter.
“There is room for leverage of up to $65 billion, but we would not like to use all of that,” he said.
“Petrobras generates a lot of cash, so we will continue to use part of the cash to invest. We are very careful with the company’s indebtedness, we do not want to indebt Petrobras beyond what is reasonable.”
Petrobras’ net profit slipped 47% in the second quarter to 28.8 billion reais ($5.85 billion) amid a drop in global oil prices fuel prices.
Leite noted that the income drop was not as large as those reported by some global peers.
Exxon Mobil posted a 56% net income decrease in the period. Net profits slid 48% at Chevron, 56% at Shell and 49% at TotalEnergies.
“It is very likely that we will deliver a company at the end of the year with higher market cap and prepared for the future”, Leite said. Petrobras shares are up 46% so far this year.
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.
