Chesapeake Energy Corporation CHK has announced that the pending merger with Southwestern Energy SWN is anticipated to close early in the fourth quarter of this year. Chesapeake Energy had announced the acquisition of rival natural gas firm Southwestern Energy in an all-stock deal, in January 2024. The deal was valued at approximately $7 billion.
The acquisition was originally anticipated to be closed by the end of the second quarter. However, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) request for additional information on the transaction postponed the deal.
Chesapeake Energy CEO Dell'Osso commented on the current state of the U.S. natural gas market, mentioning that it is oversupplied at present. In this situation, he believes that the company should be cautious about its overall supply strategy. The post-merger company will adjust the supply as and when the management believes that the oversupply issue has been resolved.
A situation of oversupply in the market is believed to negatively impact prices. Natural gas prices made a massive plunge earlier this year. As a result, several gas producers in the United States are cutting back on production.
Dell’Osso has highlighted that Chesapeake Energy’s current gas production is about 3 billion cubic feet per day, which may increase to 7 billion cubic feet per day following the closure of the deal.
Zacks Rank and Key Picks
Currently, both CHK and SWN have a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the energy sector are PEDEVCO Corp. PED and VAALCO Energy EGY. PEDEVCO presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while VAALCO Energy carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
PEDEVCO is engaged in the acquisition and development of energy assets in the United States and Pacific Rim countries. The company stands to benefit significantly from its holdings in the Permian Basin, one of the most prolific oil-producing regions in the United States, as well as in the D-J Basin in Colorado, which includes more than 150 high-quality drilling locations. Combined with bullish oil prices, this is expected to boost the company's production and overall profitability.
VAALCO Energy is an independent energy company involved in upstream business operationswith a diversified presence in Africa and Canada. Having a large inventory of drilling locations in premium Canadian Acreage, the company’s production outlook seems bright.
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Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK): Free Stock Analysis Report
Southwestern Energy Company (SWN): Free Stock Analysis Report
Vaalco Energy Inc (EGY): Free Stock Analysis Report
Pedevco Corp. (PED): Free Stock Analysis Report
