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ConocoPhillips To Buy Marathon Oil For $17 Billion All-Stock Deal

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ConocoPhillips headquarters in Houston, Texas, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. Callaghan O’Hare | Bloomberg | Getty Images

(CTN News) – On Wednesday, ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil reached a deal for Marathon Oil to be purchased by ConocoPhillips for a whopping $17 billion in stock.

This deal, which occurs at a time when the oil and gas sector as a whole is going through significant consolidation, will enhance its shale assets. Under the agreement, ConocoPhillips will have two billion more barrels of resources in the United States. This will enable the company to expand its presence in North Dakota, Texas, and New Mexico’s shale formations.

The acquisition of Marathon Oil “further deepens our portfolio and fits within our financial framework,” as stated in a statement issued by ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance, “by adding high-quality, low-cost of supply inventory next to our leading unconventional position in the United States.”

According to analysts at Truist Securities, ConocoPhillips would be positioned as one of the biggest asset owners in the Bakken shale play in North Dakota and the Eagle Ford play in Texas as a result of the transaction. The settings of these two plays are in the American Southwest.

The acquisition will cause Conoco’s market capitalization to increase to above $150 billion, according to Andrew Dittmar, an Enverus M&A analyst. Conoco will be able to align itself with several majors and solidify its position as the biggest independent producer thanks to this. He believes that although Conoco will surpass BP in size, it will still be smaller than Shell.

On a Wednesday conference call, Andy O’Brien, senior vice president of strategy, commercial, sustainability, and technology at ConocoPhillips, announced that the company will add about 1,000 new locations and boost its production in Eagle Ford to nearly 400,000 barrels per day. According to O’Brien, the new body will boost output in the Bakken region by more than 200,000 barrels per day.

Permian Basin production will exceed 400 units for ConocoPhillips.

Furthermore, the company intends to increase Equatorial Guinea’s net liquid natural gas capacity by a total of two million metric tons annually. Equatorial Guinea is located on Africa’s western coast.

Moreover, Dittmar states that a thorough inquiry of the acquisition is expected to be conducted by the Federal Trade Commission. Having said that, the fact that Marathon’s assets are dispersed throughout numerous basins could facilitate regulatory approval.

ConocoPhillips is going to overtake EOG Resources to become the largest operator, which means that the Energy and Transportation Commission’s top priority and area of attention will be the Eagle Ford.

The consolidation wave ConocoPhillips is the last of the major three oil companies in the US to successfully finish a significant purchase. In the autumn of last year, when the sector was going through a wave of consolidation that was changing the business, its two bigger competitors, Exxon Mobil and Chevron, announced blockbuster partnerships.

In order to increase shareholder profits, American oil corporations are growing even more by acquiring lucrative oil fields. Governments are trying to expedite the shift away from fossil fuels in an effort to mitigate the effects of climate change, but this is still taking place.

After the agreement is finalized in the fourth quarter, ConocoPhillips’ profitability, capital flow, and shareholder returns will all increase as a result of the transaction including Marathon Oil, according to Lance.

Buybacks will ConocoPhillips reach $7 billion and $20 billion within three years.

It is anticipated that the merger will save $500 million in the first year due to the near proximity of the firms’ assets. Reducing the amount of money spent on operating and administrative costs will result in these reductions.

Following the news, ConocoPhillips’ stock saw a decline of more than three percent in the afternoon trading session, while Marathon Oil’s shares saw an increase of more than eight percent. With a market valuation of $137 billion, ConocoPhillips is the third-biggest energy company in the US, while Marathon Energy is valued at $14.4 billion.

At a cost of sixty billion dollars, Exxon finalized the acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources after getting approval from the Federal Trade Commission. The merger between Hess Corporation and Chevron, which is valued at approximately $53 billion, was approved by the company’s shareholders on Tuesday.

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PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

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(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

water

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP

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