Natural gas prices jumped Thursday following a multiweek swoon, providing a lift to shares of Club holding Coterra Energy (CTRA), which lately has relied on the commodity for more than half its operating revenues. U.S. natural gas prices rose nearly 4% Thursday to roughly $3.81 per million British thermal units (MMBtu). Coterra shares climbed nearly 3% to over $25 apiece. Thursday’s natural gas gains — on top of a 0.88% jump on Wednesday — reverse some of its recent losses. But only partially. As recently as Dec. 15, U.S. natural gas prices settled at nearly $7 per million British thermal units. So far in 2023, natural gas remains down around 12%. Unusually warm winter weather across the U.S. and Europe is a major culprit for the falling prices. Demand for natural gas fell in response, with less of it is needed to heat homes. Proof is in the data. The amount of working gas in storage actually rose 11 billion cubic feet in the week ended Jan. 6, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said Thursday. That’s the first weekly inventory build in January on record, according to FactSet. Of course, the price of natural gas matters to consumers and their energy bills. It also matters greatly to investors in Houston-based Coterra, the product of a 2021 merger between Cabot Oil & Gas and Cimarex Energy. Coterra has the most natural gas exposure of the three exploration and production (E & P) firms in the Club portfolio, with the commodity accounting for nearly 58% of its operating revenue through the first three quarters of 2022; fourth-quarter results aren’t out yet. Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD), by contrast, has generated 11% of its operating revenue from natural gas over the same span. That figure is roughly 14% for Devon Energy (DVN). Oil and natural gas liquids are the other major products all three E & P companies sell. In a very basic sense, the higher the price of natural gas, the more money Coterra can make from its operations — which ultimately influences the company’s free cash flow and, by extension, its dividend payment. But the company’s realized price in a quarter can be different than the average market prices over that same timeframe. This is because companies like Coterra will enter into agreements to sell natural gas or oil at a predetermined price at a future date. Sometimes, that agreed-upon price will be higher than the market price on that day. Other times, it will be lower. This is what determines the difference between a company’s realized price and the spot price of the commodity in question. Coterra investors still pay attention to the swings in natural gas prices. The company’s sales are not fully hedged, so what happens to market prices does impact the amount of revenue it generates. In an interview with Jim Cramer earlier this week, Coterra CEO Tom Jorden sought to downplay worries about natural gas price declines. “Prices are constructive on both oil and gas, and our returns are really extraordinary at current conditions,” he said Tuesday night. The Club and other shareholders care a great deal about those returns. Coterra employs a fixed-plus-variable dividend, so the payout changes quarterly based on the company’s free cash flow in the trailing three months. The company has committed to returning at least 50% of its free cash flow each quarter to shareholders. Including dividends and stock buybacks, Coterra returned 74% of free cash flow in the third quarter and 80% in the second quarter. At Wednesday’s closing price of $24.69 per share, Coterra’s dividend yield stood at roughly 11%, based on its most recent payout of 68 cents on Nov. 30 . “We can never predict the price going forward, but we can control being good at the business, being disciplined in our investments and managing a prudent, healthy balance sheet,” Jorden told Jim. No doubt, predicting the price of volatile commodities is a tough task. But agencies and research firms still do so. In its short-term outlook issued Tuesday, the U.S. EIA forecasted natural gas prices to average $4.90 per MMBtu this year, down nearly 10% from its prior projection of $5.43. Through the first nine months of 2022, Coterra’s realized natural gas price was $4.79 per MMBtu. This is notable because even though natural gas soared to over $9 per MMBtu at times in the spring and summer of last year, Coterra’s realized sale price wasn’t nearly as high as market prices. This helps explain why the Club hasn’t run for the hills as natural gas prices fell in recent weeks. Volatility is to be expected, and we know Coterra is able to maintain a very attractive dividend even if commodity prices are a bit lower than where they were in 2022. In a very uncertain market environment, being invested in companies that return significant capital to shareholders is a good place to be. Jim said Wednesday morning he believed Coterra was worth buying at current levels, due in part to reassurances Jorden provided on recent reserve write-downs at the company. Elsewhere in energy, the Club trimmed its position in oilfield services Halliburton (HAL) on Thursday. While we still like the stock overall, we wanted to be disciplined due to its recent strength and book some profits. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long CTRA, DVN, PXD and HAL . See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
Pipes at the landfall facilities of the ‘Nord Stream 1’ gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022.
Hannibal Hanschke | Reuters
Natural gas prices jumped Thursday following a multiweek swoon, providing a lift to shares of Club holding Coterra Energy (CTRA), which lately has relied on the commodity for more than half its operating revenues.
Another one bites the dust. Hyundai Motor has halted production of another luxury EV in the US to focus on more popular models like its best-selling Tucson SUV.
Hyundai is shifting its EV production plans in the US
The move is part of a broader shift in Hyundai’s global production network as it gears up for upcoming policy changes, including higher tariff rates and the elimination of tax credits for electric vehicles in the US.
According to a new report from Business Korea, Hyundai has already ceased production of the Genesis Electrified GV70 in the US. Industry sources claim that Hyundai halted production of the luxury EV at its manufacturing plant in Alabama in June.
The Genesis Electrified GV70 marked a milestone as it rolled off the assembly line in February 2023, becoming Hyundai’s first US-made electric vehicle.
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Hyundai invested nearly $300 million to upgrade the facility and boost SUV production, including under the luxury Genesis brand. However, sales have failed to live up to expectations.
Genesis Electrified GV70 production at Hyundai’s Alabama plant (Source: Hyundai Motor)
In the first seven months of the year, Hyundai built just 1,367 Genesis GV70 EVs in Alabama, 18% fewer compared to the same period last year. Last month, sales sank to a record low with just 15 models delivered.
After halting production in June, Hyundai has been just selling down inventory rather than producing new models.
With the federal EV tax credit set to expire at the end of September, Hyundai is shifting production plans in the US and globally.
2025 Genesis Electrified GV70 (Source: Genesis)
The Korean auto giant is expected to lean into higher-profit SUVs and hybrids, like the Santa Fe and Tucson, to offset the extra costs. With production of the Santa Fe Hybrid surging to 6,888 last month, Hyundai could replace the electric Genesis GV70 with more popular SUVs at the facility.
Will the Genesis Electrified GV70 still be made in the US?
Hyundai is currently reviewing a few different options. For one, it could relocate the GV70 EV to its new manufacturing plant in Georgia, to be built alongside the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9.
The Business Korea report claims Hyundai is “seriously considering” building the luxury EV in South Korea and exporting it to the US. Although it would get hit with the added tariffs, analysts believe it could be less expensive than creating a new production line.
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai will do the same with the new IONIQ 6, which is set to launch later this year. Instead, the company is expanding production of its top-selling Tucson SUV.
In response to Trump’s 25% tariff rate on imports, Hyundai is shifting all Tucson production from Kia’s plant in Mexico to Alabama.
2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 (Source: Hyundai)
The news comes after Hyundai already pulled one luxury EV from its US lineup, the Genesis Electrified G80, earlier this month.
As the EV tax credit deadline approaches, Hyundai is offering some of the biggest discounts in the US. After cutting lease prices again last month, the 2025 IONIQ 5 is now listed starting from just $179 per month. Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, the 2026 IONIQ 9, can be leased from $419 per month.
Genesis is also offering generous savings with up to $18,000 off the Electrified GV70 and $13,750 off the GV60 to move inventory.
Ready to try one out for yourself? We’re here to help you get started. You can use our links below to find Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9 models in your area.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday accused India of profiteering from cheap Russian oil imports during the war in Ukraine, describing the practice as “arbitrage” and condemning it as unacceptable.
“They are just profiteering. They are reselling,” Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in an interview. “This is what I would call the Indian arbitrage — buying cheap Russian oil, reselling it as product.”
“They’ve made $16 billion in excess profits — some of the richest families in India,” Bessent said.
India buys Russian oil at a discount due to sanctions, refines it into gasoline and diesel, and then sells the product back to regions that have sanctioned Moscow such as Europe, said Matt Smith, an oil market analyst at Kpler.
India’s imports of Russian oil have surged since the Kremlin launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Prior to the invasion, India imported a miniscule amount of Russian crude.
New Delhi is now Russia’s biggest customer importing 1.5 million bpd in July, according to data from Kpler. China is the second largest buyer of Russian oil, importing about 1 million bpd last month.
President Donald Trump earlier this month ordered an additional 25% tariff on India’s exports to the U.S. to punish New Delhi for buying Russian oil. The tariffs take effect next week.
Trump is threatening what he calls “secondary tariffs” on Russian oil buyers like India to pressure the Kremlin to reach a negotiated settlement with Ukraine. So far, however, the U.S. has spared China from secondary tariffs over its imports of Russian crude.
When asked about China’s imports, Bessent suggested that Beijing’s imports were less egregious in the eyes of the Trump administration because it was also a major buyer before Russia invaded Ukraine.
But India actually started buying Russian oil in a major way at the behest of the U.S., said Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy and a former advisor to President George W. Bush.
The Biden administration had asked India to accept Russian oil as other countries imposed bans in order to prevent a major oil price spike after the invasion Ukraine that would result in high gasoline prices in the U.S., McNally told CNBC.
“India played a key role in the price cap sanction mechanism designed by the U.S. and its European allies to ensure Russian oil still flowed while trying to crimp the revenue Moscow earned,” McNally said.
CNBC has reached out to the Indian embassy in the U.S. for comment.
Ridgefield, Connecticut, just commissioned a sizable new solar carport at Ridgefield High School, and it’s set to pay big dividends for the town of around 7,000 residents.
The 1,038 kW system will generate around 1.3 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity every year. That’s enough to power nearly 100 homes annually. Over the next 25 years, the installation is expected to save the school district about $1.5 million in energy costs while significantly cutting its carbon footprint.
The project was built in partnership with Davis Hill Development, the Connecticut Green Bank, and Patriot Renewable Energy Capital, with AEC Solar managing engineering, procurement, and construction. Crews pushed to finish the work on an accelerated summer schedule so it wouldn’t disrupt the school year.
Financing came through a mix of support from the Green Bank, a tax equity investment, and federal Investment Tax Credits made possible by the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which shows how supportive federal policy can translate directly into local cost savings.
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What makes the system especially interesting is how it’s wired. The carport ties into four separate town- and school-owned meters, maximizing the use of on-site solar while plugging into programs like Connecticut’s Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (NRES), Zero Emission Renewable Energy Credits (ZRECs), and Class I RECs.
This isn’t Ridgefield’s first solar rodeo. The town began its sustainability push nearly a decade ago, installing rooftop solar across eight other schools and municipal buildings. The high school carport is its latest step forward.
Mariana Cardenas Trief, director of investments at the Connecticut Green Bank, said, “This is the latest of multiple solar projects that we have worked with DHD Renewables and the Town to complete, and we are proud to continue this support as they reduce their energy costs and move Connecticut closer to its clean energy goals.”
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