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The head of Irans Energy Optimization Organization stated that, as part of three ongoing proposals to manage Irans gasoline supply, Iran is considering a proposal to allocate 30 liters of gasoline per person per month, with the quota being transferable and tradable.August 16th - Next week, UK consumer prices will be the focus of media attention, while the shortage of AI-powered memory chips and rising energy costs are keeping the Bank of England on high alert. Data to be released on Wednesday is expected to show inflation accelerating for the first time in four months, with a survey of economists showing a median forecast of a 2.9% jump in July. This marks the beginning of an upward trend expected to continue into the second half of the year, ending a period of positive news regarding price pressures. As the impact of the Iran war on prices becomes increasingly apparent – especially given the still strong economic performance – this data could further unsettle Bank of England policymakers. While the inflation outlook is largely dependent on developments in the Middle East, artificial intelligence is emerging as a potential "dark horse." The Bank of England has warned that the rapid expansion of AI computing power is driving up the cost of memory chips used in mobile phones, laptops, and game consoles. Data from the British Retail Consortium in July indicates that rising chip costs are being passed on to the prices of electronic products.OpenAI Codex Product Manager: Let Sol manage a high-performing team of Luna agents for you. These models know each other very well and can work together to achieve goals with amazing speed and efficiency.Market sources say that some units at the Libyan power company have stopped operating after the explosion.On August 16th, ahead of Nvidias (NVDA.O) highly anticipated $500 billion financing deal this week, investors were already concerned about approximately $70 billion in "shadow liabilities" that werent on the balance sheets of major AI companies but could surface in the worst-case scenario. With Nvidias latest move, the company may be providing tens of billions of dollars in so-called "residual value support" for debt transactions related to AI infrastructure development—essentially using its high credit rating to help control customers financing costs. With computing power demand surging, such guarantees are practically a "free lunch" for giants like Nvidia and Broadcom: they can expand sales to customers and AI companies without having to include the related debt on their balance sheets. These arrangements typically involve multiple stages: a special purpose entity borrows to purchase chips, the loan supported by cash flow generated from contracts with companies that will use the technology in the future. If the company stops making payments, the assets are re-leased or sold to repay the remaining debt. If a funding gap still exists, the guarantor makes up the difference. Theoretically, this process carries extremely low risk. However, some havent fully grasped this logic. DoubleLine portfolio manager Mariya Entina stated, "Its like playing the rules; youre trying to get special treatment from rating agencies to get the highest possible rating. Were entering an era of financial engineering. Thats one of my concerns: when financial engineering prevails, the true financial situation gets obscured."

Phillips 66 Trademarks Mark Lashier will Succeed Greg Garland as CEO

Haiden Holmes

Apr 13, 2022 09:44

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Lashier, a chemical engineer who joined the firm three decades ago in the chemicals division, was named president and chief operating officer a year ago after leading Chevron Phillips Chemical Co, the company's joint venture with Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX), since 2017.


Garland has considered refining as a mature company and has concentrated its efforts on expanding its energy infrastructure, chemicals, and establishing a presence in electric vehicle battery components. It spent around $150 million last year for a 16.5% share in Novonix Ltd, an Australian provider of lithium-ion battery materials.


Garland "built a market-leading diversified energy manufacturing and logistics organization while investing for the future and producing solid financial returns," according to Glen Tilton, lead independent director of Philips 66.


Although the Houston company's non-refining initiatives have generated great shareholder returns, its shares have lately underperformed bigger competitors that benefitted from increasing gasoline margins during pandemic lockdowns.


Lashier is expected to pursue Garland's diversification approach, which includes biofuels, hydrogen, and battery components. However, he must demonstrate that he can match competitors Marathon Petroleum Corp (NYSE:MPC) and Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO), which increased shareholder returns by selling off retail operations and diversifying into renewable diesel, analysts said.


Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) traded at $81.97 on Tuesday, up 13% year to date, compared to 34% year-to-year gains at Marathon and Valero and around 96% year-to-date gains at PBF Energy (NYSE:PBF).


"Lashier's task is to increase the company's value," Matthew Blair, an analyst at Tudor Pickering Holt & Co., said. "He will face inquiries regarding the company's non-refining businesses' value and what he can do to boost stock price performance and capitalize on the potential valuation."