Shell plcSHEL
▼ NegativeRegulationrelevance
Six European governments are pressing Brussels to revive a windfall tax on energy-company profits, threatening Shell's cash flow.
Impact on stocks 1
Energy Transition & Power Demand▼ · 1 stocks
Shell plcTheme Impact 1
Off-coverage companies
Related news
▼2impact 4
Oil continues to plunge: WTI falls below $96, Brent below $100 after Trump prepares to negotiate with Iran
Global crude oil prices fell for a fourth consecutive trading day, with West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery dropping $5.25, or 5.23%, to $95.05 a barrel, slipping below the $96 a barrel level, while Brent crude for November delivery fell $4.60, or 4.43%, to $99.27 a barrel, slipping below the $100 a barrel level. The decline followed reports that President Donald Trump is ready to negotiate with Iran and that the United States will not strike the Houthis, an Iranian ally, even though Saudi Arabia has urged the United States to act. The New York Times reported that President Trump said on September 20 that he was open to meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, and stated that options for dealing with Iran include destroying Iran entirely, letting Iran decline economically, or making a deal with Iran. Meanwhile, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of Iran's negotiating team, said Iran has submitted its conditions to the United States through intermediary countries to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
▲
Equinor Signs Long-Term LNG Supply Deal With Thailand's PTT Trading
Equinor ASA has signed a long-term agreement with Thailand's PTT Trading for the supply of liquefied natural gas, though the Norwegian energy firm did not disclose the contract's volume. The deal builds on an existing relationship in which Equinor regularly supplies PTT Trading with crude and refined products. The agreement supports Equinor's recently announced plan to expand its global LNG portfolio to nearly 10-15 million tons per year by the early 2030s, with a particular push in Europe and Asia. Equinor produces LNG at the Hammerfest LNG plant in northern Norway and also buys LNG under long-term contracts with Cheniere Energy, having lifted its first cargo from Cheniere's Sabine Pass facility in August. The company said the United States will play a crucial role in its LNG business as it seeks to meet growing demand from Europe and Asia.
▼
Super El Nino Threatens Natural Gas Demand, Putting ETFs in Focus
Meteorologists have upgraded El Nino to "Super" status, a shift expected to bring milder-than-average winter temperatures across the northern United States and Canada and suppress the heating demand that drives natural gas consumption. Vaisala Xweather recently projected that winter 2026-27 would rank as the sixth-hottest since 1950 in the Lower 48 states, with December-February gas-weighted heating degree days 5% below the 10-year average, as cited in a Natural Gas Intelligence Report. With underground storage inventories already well above five-year historical averages, continued inflows and limited withdrawals could pressure natural gas futures, reduce producers' gas sales and compress operating margins. Among the funds highlighted for investors already exposed to the sector, the United States 12 Month Natural Gas ETF UNL holds $16.15 billion in net assets and charges 165 basis points in fees, while the Amplify Samsung U.S. Natural Gas Infrastructure ETF USNG holds $10.7 million, provides exposure to 25 U.S.-listed natural gas equities and charges 59 basis points, with Solaris Energy Infrastructure SEI at an 8.44% weight. The Corgi Natural Gas Power & Turbines ETF GASZ holds $9.2 million, spans the natural gas power generation and turbine ecosystem and charges 35 basis points, with Caterpillar Inc. CAT at a 13.86% weight.