Club holdings Coterra Energy (CTRA) and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) delivered fourth-quarter earnings beats Wednesday. But we’ll be watching for how the market responds to higher capital expenditure outlooks and lower quarterly dividends for both of these Texas-based oil-and-gas firms. Coterra’s total revenue increased 2.5% year-over-year, to $2.28 billion, beating analysts’ forecasts of $2.11 billion, according to estimates compiled by Refinitiv. Coterra’s adjusted diluted earnings-per-share (EPS) grew 40% compared with the year prior, to $1.16 a share, narrowly beating expectations for EPS of $1.10, Refinitiv data showed. Pioneer’s total revenue increased 18% year-over-year, to $5.10 billion, beating analysts’ forecasts of $3.53 billion, according to Refinitiv. Pioneer’s adjusted diluted EPS grew 29% on an annual basis, to $5.91 a share, topping expectations for EPS of $5.77, Refinitiv data showed. Note : Both companies are scheduled to host their earnings conference calls with analysts and investors Thursday at 10:00 a.m. ET. Bottom line Solid production and pricing, coupled with low costs, helped both companies deliver fourth-quarter results ahead of expectations. But with investors looking ahead to 2023, Coterra and Pioneer could both see their stock prices come under pressure over concerns about lower dividends on a sequential basis and higher capital expenditures in 2023 — as was the case with Club holding Devon Energy (DVN) last week. That move prompted us to reduce our exposure to any potential post-earnings downside by trimming Coterra and Pioneer late last week. However, given last week’s energy sell-off some of the dividend news may have already been priced into their share prices. After a strong 2022, energy stocks have stumbled out of the gate this year, tracking the declines in the underlying commodities. West Texas Intermediate crude — the U.S. oil benchmark — has fallen about 7.5% this year, to hover around $74 a barrel, while natural gas has seen its value come down by more than half, to around the low $2-per-cubic-foot level. We’ll look for more color on both companies’ 2023 frameworks tomorrow on their conference calls. For the moment, we reiterate 2 ratings on both firms. In afterhours trading Wednesday, Coterra was trading up more than 2%, at $23.80 a share, while Pioneer was up nearly 1%, at $207.11 a share. Capital allocation Coterra Energy said its upcoming quarterly fixed-plus-variable dividend will be 57 cents a share — factoring in a base dividend of 20 cents a share and a variable of 37 cents a share — compared with 68 cents per share in the prior quarter. Still, the new annualized payment represents a hefty 9.8% dividend yield based on Coterra’s closing price of $23.26 on Wednesday. Coterra also increased its annual base dividend to 80 cents per share from 60 cents, while announcing a new $2 billion share repurchase program. The company continues to target returning 50% or more of its free cash flow to shareholders, but its new priorities are to pay out the higher base dividend first, repurchase stock second, and pay variable dividends third. The decision to put more emphasis on share repurchases instead of variable dividends makes sense given the stock’s weak performance since June of last year. Management currently expects the company will generate $1.9 billion of free cash flow in 2023. After funding the base dividend, at least $400 million would be left over for additional shareholder returns. Pioneer said its upcoming quarterly fixed-plus-variable dividend will be $5.58 a share — factoring in a base dividend of $1.10 a share and a variable of $4.48 a share — compared with $5.71 per share in the prior quarter. But the annualized dividend yield based on Pioneer’s closing price of $205.27 Wednesday provides shareholders with a significant 10.87% yield, making it still one of the highest yielding companies in the S & P 500 . Pioneer also continues to make headway on its share repurchase program. The company bought back $400 million worth of stock in the fourth quarter and said Wednesday it has already bought back $250 million so far in the current quarter. Fourth-quarter production Coterra Energy’s oil-and-gas production came in above the high end of the company’s guidance and edged out analysts’ estimates, too. Meanwhile, Pioneer’s oil production slightly missed analysts’ forecasts — a disappointing outcome given the company is oil-weighted and crude returns higher profit margins than natural gas. Even so, Pioneer beat expectations on production of natural gas liquids and gas. Notably, Pioneer doesn’t hedge its oil production, making its realized pricing closer to that of the underlying commodity. Pioneer closed all its hedges at the start of 2022, a prescient move considering crude’s gains last year. 2023 outlook Guidance provided by Coterra and Pioneer echoed that of Devon: Softer production but higher capital expenditures in 2023. Coterra’s total production outlook for oil and gas was below estimates at the mid-point. But it beat on expectations for oil production, which should please investors given the high margins of crude production. On the other hand, Pioneer’s total production outlook was slightly higher than expected, though oil was roughly in line at the mid-point. Capital expenditure outlooks were higher than expected, too, and we suspect both companies are feeling some of the same inflationary pressures Devon cited last week . Still, both are very low cost operators. Coterra sees its corporate free cash flow breakeven at $45 per barrel of WTI and $2.25 per one thousand cubic feet of Henry Hub natural gas, while Pioneer’s 2023 corporate breakeven is $39 per barrel of WTI. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long CTRA, PXD, DVN. 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.
The sun sets behind a crude oil pump jack on a drill pad in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S. November 24, 2019.
Angus Mordant | Reuters
Club holdings Coterra Energy (CTRA) and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) delivered fourth-quarter earnings beats Wednesday. But we’ll be watching for how the market responds to higher capital expenditure outlooks and lower quarterly dividends for both of these Texas-based oil-and-gas firms.
The GV90 is set to raise the bar as the most luxurious Genesis SUV. If you thought the GV80 was impressive, wait until you see this larger, three-row electric flagship. After it was recently spotted in the US, we are getting our first glimpse of the ultra-luxe Genesis GV90’s interior.
First look at the Genesis GV90 interior in the US
Genesis previewed the flagship SUV at the NY Auto Show last March with the Neolun concept, which the brand refers to as its “ultra-luxe vision of luxury SUVs.”
It’s not only stunning on the outside, but the full-size SUV will introduce advanced new tech and upscale design features for “a whole new level of luxury.”
Drawing inspiration from Korean aesthetics, the interior is fit for royalty. The concept featured a “Royal Indigo” cashmere and a vintage-like “Purple Silk” leather. Genesis topped it off with dark-colored wood accents for an even more luxurious feel.
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After it was spotted in public in California, it looks like the interior of the Genesis GV90 will retain some elements from the concept.
The new photos, courtesy of The Korean Car Blog, offer a sneak peek at what we can expect when it arrives in production form.
You’ll notice that the color scheme remains largely the same, with purple accents on the door trim, seats, and other interior elements.
The GV90 will serve as the luxury brand’s tech beacon, featuring Hyundai Motor’s latest technology and software. A 24″ infotainment system will sit at the center with navigation and voice command recognition.
It will also feature a 3D audio experience with tweeters, midrange speakers, woofers, and subwoofers strategically placed, creating an immersive audio experience. The iconic Crystal Sphere is not only a centerpiece, but it will also serve as a hi-fi tweeter speaker.
According to Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis’ chief creative officer, the concept is “the epitome of timeless design and sophisticated craftsmanship.” Do you agree?
With GV90 models now in public testing, Genesis appears to be on track to launch the flagship SUV in mid-2026. Earlier this month, we got a closer look at the exterior after it was caught testing at the Nürburgring with less camo.
More details, including prices and final specs, will be revealed closer to launch. However, it is expected to ride on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which will replace its current E-GMP.
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The SEC has formally dropped its lawsuit against Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao, bringing an end to one of the last remaining crypto enforcement actions brought by the agency.
In a Thursday filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, lawyers for the SEC and Binance jointly moved to dismiss the case, which was first brought in June 2023.
The original complaint accused the crypto exchange of violations including illegally serving U.S. users, inflating trading volumes, and commingling customer funds. The agency also claimed that Binance unlawfully enabled trading in crypto assets it viewed as unregistered securities, an argument that was also used against Coinbase, Kraken, and others under prior SEC leadership.
The dismissal marks a symbolic end to one of the most aggressive crypto crackdowns in U.S. history, and comes as the Trump administration makes a concerted effort to prove that it’s an ally to the industry. The Justice Department has already shut down its crypto enforcement team, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is now set to be led by a venture capitalist with close ties to crypto.
Binance is the largest digital assets exchange in the world by volume. It recently forged ties with World Liberty Financial, a project that aspires to be a crypto bank and funnels 75% of profits to entities linked to the Trump family. Binance is taking a $2 billion investment from the Emirati state fund MGX entirely in USD1, a stablecoin newly launched by the World Liberty team.
Binance and World Liberty are also deepening their footprint in Pakistan, where WLF co-founder Zack Witkoff, the son of U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, recently struck a deal with the government. Around the same time, Zhao was appointed as an adviser to Pakistan’s newly formed Crypto Council, a state-backed body tasked with shaping national digital asset policy.
The SEC was the last major regulator still pursuing Binance after a $4.3 billion settlement with the U.S. government last year that saw Zhao plead guilty and step down as CEO, while avoiding jail time and retaining much of his wealth.
The agency’s motion to dismiss was granted with prejudice, meaning the SEC can’t refile the same claims.
Under the SEC’s new leadership, the agency has shifted away from enforcement and toward engagement and regulatory rollback. It’s held a series of roundtables led by Commissioner Hester Peirce and newly appointed Chair Paul Atkins.
The SEC has also begun dismantling key rules that once kept Wall Street on the sidelines. In January, it scrapped Staff Accounting Bulletin 121 — a controversial directive issued under former Chair Gary Gensler that forced banks to count crypto holdings as liabilities on their balance sheets. Peirce celebrated the reversal on X, posting, “Bye, bye SAB 121! It’s not been fun.”
In February, the agency followed up with new guidance indicating that it doesn’t view most meme coins as securities under federal law, providing a boon to the Trump family.
President Trump and several of his family members are closely tied to crypto ventures, including the $TRUMP token, which launched just before his January inauguration. The coin currently boasts a market cap of about $2.4 billion, with its website claiming that 80% of the supply is held by the Trump Organization and affiliated entities.
After its electric vehicle sales more than doubled in the first quarter, GM claims it’s now the “#1 EV seller” in Canada. With a full lineup of 13 all-electric vehicles, GM sold more EVs than Tesla in Canada.
GM tops Tesla to become the #1 EV seller in Canada in Q1
GM’s electric vehicle sales in Canada surged by 252% in the first three months of 2025, with new Chevy and Cadillac models driving growth.
The Chevy Equinox EV led the way with 1,892 units sold, followed by the Silverado EV with 894 units. Cadillac’s new entry-level OPTIQ had a strong showing, with 615 models sold, nearly matching the 720 units sold of its first EV, the LYRIQ.
Even the GMC Hummer EV Pickup and SUV saw more demand, with sales up 232% (186) and 88% (252), respectively.
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Combined, the automaker sold a total of 5,750 EVs in Q1. According to GM, this was enough to top Tesla to become “the #1 EV seller in Canada.”
GM Canada recently posted on social media, saying, “We claimed the top spot as Canada’s #1 EV seller!” The news comes as registration data show that Tesla registered just 524 vehicles in Quebec in Q1, down 87% from the same period last year.
The steep decline in sales comes after the Quebec government paused federal EV incentives from February to April 1st. Canada also paused its iZEV rebate program in January, which offered up to $5,000 on the purchase or lease of an EV. Like the US federal EV Tax credit, it was designed to be used at the point of sale to help lower prices.
Chevy Equinox EV LT (Source: GM)
GM also registered significantly fewer Equinox and Blazer EVs in Quebec during the quarter. Despite higher year-over-year (YOY) sales, GM’s electric vehicle (EV) sales were down considerably from the over 15,000 in Q4 2024.
Cadillac OPTIQ EV (Source: GM)
The American automaker will continue to expand its lineup with the launch of the new Cadillac Escalade IQL, Lyriq-V, and Visiq.
By the end of the year, we also expect to get our first look at the next-gen Chevy Bolt EV with deliveries starting in 2026.
Electrek’s Take
GM is building momentum with new models rolling out, which now cover nearly every segment. In the US, GM surpassed Ford and Hyundai Motor, including Kia, to become the second-largest seller of EVs last year.
Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US. The new electric Equinox, or “America’s most affordable 315+ miles range EV,” as GM calls it, is quickly becoming a top seller. The Blazer and Silverado EVs are also gaining traction.
Cadillac reported its best first quarter since 2008, with retail sales increasing by 21%. After delivering the first models in Q1, the entry-level OPTIQ is off to an impressive start with 1,716 units sold.
GM will top off its US electric vehicle lineup with the next-gen 2026 Chevy Bolt EV due out later this year or in early 2026.