Energy & Utilities Roundup: Market Talk

The Wall Street Journal

Wed, December 24, 2025 astatine 11:30 AM CST 3 min read

The latest Market Talks covering Energy and Utilities. Published exclusively connected Dow Jones Newswires astatine 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.

0906 ET – Oil futures widen gains successful aboriginal U.S. commercialized with enactment from geopolitical hazard astir Venezuela and the Russia-Ukraine bid efforts. “We consciousness that excessive optimism regarding a speedy bid statement betwixt Ukraine and Russia has been quelled for now,” Ritterbusch and Associates says successful a note. The steadfast sees hazard to Venezuelan proviso arsenic “less supportive” than developments successful Russia-Ukraine. And with abundant planetary supply, “crude fundamentals proceed to supply a important offset against the geopolitical factor.” WTI is up 0.2% astatine $58.52 a barrel, and Brent edges up 0.1% to $62.44.([email protected])

0545 ET – The merchantability of BP’s involvement successful its Castrol lubricants concern is simply a affirmative measurement forward, with the terms tag broadly successful enactment with expectations, Quilter Cheviot expert Maurizio Carulli writes. The lipid large is selling 65% of the business, alternatively than the 100% hoped for, retaining the remainder nether a associated task with Stonepeak. Still, BP has an enactment to merchantability its remaining involvement successful the associated task aft a two-year lockup period. The woody reinforces BP’s strategy reset, which was started by erstwhile CEO Murray Auchincloss and expected to beryllium accelerated by incoming CEO Meg O’Neill, Carulli writes. Shares are up 0.05% astatine 427.70 pence. ([email protected].)

0509 ET – BP’s Castrol lubricants concern merchantability is detrimental to the semipermanent dividend sustainability and net prime of the group, RBC analysts write, questioning the rational down the deal. “We deliberation the amended semipermanent enactment would person been to chopped the buyback arsenic it has been funded by the equilibrium expanse anyway, oregon look to divest immoderate of the upstream assets successful development,” they say. BP is selling a 65% involvement successful Castrol for $8 cardinal and plans to usage the wealth to chopped debt. Shares are up 0.1% astatine 4.28 pounds and person risen 8.8% implicit the twelvemonth to date. ([email protected])

0453 ET – BP investors look blessed with the terms the institution got for the merchantability of a bulk stock of its Castrol lubricants business, AJ Bell concern manager Russ Mould writes. The adjacent cardinal trial volition beryllium the company’s strategical reappraisal which is expected successful February, helium adds. Newly appointed Chair Albert Manifold and incoming CEO Meg O’Neill mightiness person an easier occupation to present extremist alteration to the institution than erstwhile CEO Murray Auchincloss fixed that they are some outsiders, Mould adds. “Auchincloss arguably ne'er recovered from his ain strategical reset successful February this twelvemonth which fell abbreviated of astir investors’ expectations, truthful BP cannot spend a akin disappointment this clip around,” helium says. Shares are level astatine 427.50 pence and up 8.8% implicit the twelvemonth to date. ([email protected].)