SL Advisors Talks Markets

Last week’s inflation print supported the value of midstream energy in a portfolio for preservation of purchasing power. We’ve noted this recently (see A Healthy Correction last paragraph). The most recent 3.8% CPI reading is driving longer term inflation expectations higher. Incoming Fed chair Kevin Warsh has his work cut out for him satisfying both […]

1Q earnings have been coming in to heightened expectations following strong equity performance so far this year. Energy Transfer (ET), Targa Resources (TRGP) and Cheniere (CEI) all beat median Street EBITDA forecasts and raised full year guidance. AI-driven demand for natural gas to power data centers remains an important theme. ET has described the volume […]

We’ve felt for several weeks that financial markets were too optimistic in expecting a rapid re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz (see Calmer But Not Resolved and A Healthy Correction). Commercial shipping can only resume once the threat of Iranian attacks is resolved, an achievement  we felt was beyond the ability of military action short […]

We spent last week traveling in Austria with friends. The impact of the Iran War felt closer – and not just because an Iranian missile could theoretically hit Vienna. This part of the world is highly energy dependent. They rely on imports for just over half of their primary energy, and about the same share […]

In Wealth, War and Wisdom (2008), Barton Biggs showed how financial markets often react with greater insight into the shifting fortunes of war than the general population. During World War II for example, German stocks peaked in 1941, well before the military disaster at Stalingrad. The US market rallied following the Battle of Midway in […]

Normally I regard a “healthy correction” after a long rally as the description of those uninvolved. There’s nothing healthy about a market drop for the longs, regardless of if it was preceded by an extended rally, as is the case for energy this year. A sell-off under any circumstances is only good for shorts and […]

LNG export terminals usually have the ability to export more than their nameplate capacity. This is how we exported a record 18.8 Billion Cubic Feet Per Day (BCF/D) of natural gas in March, compared with FERC’s estimated sustainable limit of 14.6-15 BCF/D. Venture Global’s (VG) Plaquemines facility was the strongest at exceeding stated capacity. Cheniere’s […]

The disruption of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports from Qatar has a short term and long term consequence. As spot benchmark prices rose in Europe and Asia, traders focused on the near-term profit opportunity. LNG export terminals contract most of their capacity for long periods (10-20 years) to reduce their exposure to gas prices. Of […]

Trump 1.0 was not kind to energy investors. Although the sector welcomed his pro-energy regulatory approach, it came with a desire for low oil prices. Covid was the final straw as lockdowns forced everyone to stay at home, crushing oil demand and briefly sending crude prices negative. The American Energy Infrastructure Index (AEITR) delivered –6.2% […]

It’s not easy to make the Persian Gulf safe for commercial shipping. On Wednesday a Thai vessel was hit by three “unidentified projectiles” near the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire. Several other vessels were hit towards the end of the week. In total 22 civilian ships have been hit in the Persian Gulf since […]