$80 Oil Is Too Enticing For U.S. Drillers To Ignore

$80 Oil Is Too Enticing For U.S. Drillers To Ignore

Despite multiple signals from the U.S. oil industry that it will continue treating the oil price recovery cautiously, signs are emerging that production growth is accelerating in some key locations, notably the Permian. Reuters reported this week, citing frac spread data from Tudor, Pickering, Holt and Co, that the rate of oil well completions in …

Henry Kaufman blasts Powell on inflation… You must watch the video

Henry Kaufman blasts Powell on inflation… You must watch the video

(Bloomberg) — Henry Kaufman is one of the rare Wall Street veterans who can authoritatively draw parallels between the inflation scare of the 1970s and today’s alarming run-up in prices. And he has zero confidence Chair Jerome Powell’s Federal Reserve is ready for the battle it now faces. Kaufman decades ago was the celebrated chief …

Fed’ Daly ‘definitely’ sees rate hike as early as March

Fed’ Daly ‘definitely’ sees rate hike as early as March

(Reuters) – Federal Reserve policymakers this week signaled they will start raising U.S. interest rates in March to battle inflation that’s eroding the value of workers’ recent wage gains and putting the policysetters under a political spotlight. In what were among the last public comments from U.S. central bankers before their next rate-setting meeting, Fed …

Who says omicron cases are off the charts global infection and death are setting new records

Who says omicron cases are off the charts global infection and death are setting new records

The World Health Organization reported record numbers of cases of Covid-19 globally for a single week amid the omicron surge. A report from the WHO published Tuesday noted that the highest numbers of new cases over the week came from the U.S., with 4.6 million new cases. But hospitalizations are lower than in previous surges, …

Fed’s ‘most important task’ is to control inflation, Brainard says

Fed’s ‘most important task’ is to control inflation, Brainard says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Controlling inflation that has spiked to nearly a 40-year high is the “most important task” facing the Federal Reserve right now, Fed Governor Lael Brainard said in prepared remarks for a Senate hearing on her nomination to become vice chair of the U.S. central bank. “We are seeing the strongest rebound in …

Empty shelves in some U.S. grocers as supply chain woes continue

Empty shelves in some U.S. grocers as supply chain woes continue

Empty shelves have returned at supermarkets as grocery employees call out sick and truckloads of food arrive late. That’s one of the latest outcomes of the omicron variant, which is straining the workforce. Investors are seeing the pressure and bracing for a longer period of high costs for labor, transportation and food. Shares of major …

U.S. COVID hospitalizations up about 33%, deaths up about 40% over past week -CDC chief

U.S. COVID hospitalizations up about 33%, deaths up about 40% over past week -CDC chief

As the Omicron variant continues to sweep across the U.S., especially in the Northeast, unvaccinated people of all ages are at increased risk — including children. The U.S. is averaging 260 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations a day, up nearly 30% from last week.  Health officials say pediatric hospitalizations in New York City rose nearly five-fold from …

U.S. oil producers ramp up fracking in sign of stronger output gains

U.S. oil producers ramp up fracking in sign of stronger output gains

Jan 12 (Reuters) – As oil prices have surged past $80 a barrel, U.S oil and gas producers are paving the way for faster production by expanding new well completions in the Permian Basin of west Texas and New Mexico, the country’s top shale oil field, according to research data. The number of pressure pumping …

US inflation at 7.0% in December, 39-year high

US inflation at 7.0% in December, 39-year high

The U.S. Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most widely used gauge for tracking inflation, rose to an annual clip of 7.0%, hitting predictions made by economists. This marks the highest increase since June 1982, beating last month’s 6.8%. The core CPI, which excludes more volatile energy and food prices, accelerated to 0.6% month-over-month, …