Entries by Simon Lack

Chesapeake Takes One For the Team

Today’s news that Chesapeake (CHK) is going to sell $12BN in assets in response to continued weak natural gas prices looks like good news. Depending on the buyers, it’s possible that the new owners could have a sufficiently long horizon that they won’t need to drill just to generate near term cashflow to finance debt payments. […]

Why Germany's Already on the Hook for 450BN Euros

As I’ve watched the ongoing saga in Europe, the discussions of sustainable Debt:GDP and other elements of the “Maastrict Criteria” I’ve often been puzzled at why these figures were so important. The U.S. represents a large single currency union, and although different states have incurred different levels of indebtedness there is no Federal law dictating […]

The Case for JC Penney

It’s hard to watch JC Penney’s CEO, Ron Johnson, give his presentation yesterday without feeling a tinge of excitement that we’re at the beginning of something new in retailing. His absorbing performance promises a new paradigm in retailing. Turning around JCP won’t just be a question of spending ad dollars more wisely or weaning customers off perennial […]

Chesapeake Responds to Market Forces

To make any money in natural gas E&P stocks you need to look carefully at balance sheets and production costs. Natural gas prices have been collapsing because of oversupply and a mild winter. The success of shale drilling is hurting many natural gas E&P companies whose activities have led to an abundance of cheap gas. […]

Looking Beyond $2.71 Natural Gas

Natural Gas prices have been declining for years. The shale gas boom has been great for servicers and consumers, but drillers have been producing so much natural gas that they’re almost giving it away. The Wall Street Journal has an article highlighting the steady increase in domestic production (up around 50% since 2005) and the […]

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