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Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
4 Oil Giants Invest Billions to Lead the Low-Carbon Energy Shift
The energy world is changing fast, and for oil and energy companies, the message couldn't be clearer: low-carbon solutions aren't just a nice-to-have anymore — they're essential. With record-breaking heat, stricter regulations and growing pressure from customers, cutting carbon isn't just about doing the right thing — it's opening up real business opportunities. It's pushing companies to innovate, explore new markets, and rethink what it means to lead in this space. For oils-energy companies and investors, this shift isn't just about keeping up with regulations. It's about staying competitive, finding new paths to grow, and making sure their investments are built to last. In today's fast-changing energy world, integrated oil and gas companies are in a great position to lead the way. These big players handle everything — from finding and extracting oil and gas to refining it and getting it to customers, which gives them the know-how and resources to try new ideas and technologies. Companies like Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM, Shell plc SHEL, TotalEnergies SE TTE, and Chevron Corporation CVX aren't just sticking to traditional oil and gas anymore — they're upgrading their whole systems to include low-carbon solutions like carbon capture, hydrogen, and renewable energy. By combining what they've done for years with these new, cleaner options, they're finding smart ways to stay competitive and make real progress toward a greener future. Because they cover the entire process, they can move quickly, make smart investments, and lead the industry through one of its biggest transformations yet. Low-carbon solutions — from carbon capture to hydrogen and renewables — are vital for several reasons: Regulatory Pressure and Market Demand: Governments worldwide are tightening emissions standards and setting legally binding climate commitments. This means companies that can't show real progress on decarbonization risk losing their license to operate, facing higher costs, or missing lucrative contracts. Massive Market Opportunity: Hard-to-decarbonize sectors like industry, power, and transportation account for about 80% of global CO2 emissions. The market for emission-reduction technologies in these sectors could be worth up to $6 trillion by 2050. For oil and energy companies, this is a huge opportunity to capture new value pools and diversify revenue streams. Investor and Consumer Expectations: Investors are increasingly channeling capital toward businesses with strong sustainability credentials, while consumers are demanding cleaner products. Companies that lead in low-carbon innovation can enhance their brand, attract investment, and build long-term customer loyalty. Cost Savings and Efficiency: Advanced carbon management technologies and smart energy systems can help businesses slash energy waste, cut costs, and increase operational efficiency—all while reducing their environmental impact. Future-Proofing: As the energy transition accelerates, companies that invest early in low-carbon solutions will be better positioned to adapt to changing policies, technologies, and market dynamics. Let's explore how the largest energy companies — ExxonMobil, Shell, TotalEnergies, and Chevron — are evolving to lead in the low-carbon future: ExxonMobil, a Spring, TX-based integrated oil and gas company, is placing big bets on carbon capture and low-carbon hydrogen. In its first-quarter 2025 results, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company reported earnings of $7.7 billion and highlighted ongoing transformation efforts to ensure resilience in uncertain markets. Notably, ExxonMobil has pledged up to $30 billion between 2025 and 2030 for lower-emission initiatives, with about 65% of this investment aimed at reducing emissions across the broader industry, not just its operations. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. The Baytown low-carbon hydrogen project, poised to be one of the world's largest blue hydrogen facilities, serves as a key pillar of this strategy. Using CCS technology, Baytown will capture up to 10 million metric tons of CO2 annually, enabling both ExxonMobil and third-party emitters to cut emissions at scale. ExxonMobil's deep infrastructure and engineering expertise give it a strong advantage in commercializing these solutions efficiently. The company is also advancing biofuels and lithium extraction, aiming to support both the decarbonization of its operations and those of other industries. Furthermore, ExxonMobil is deploying advanced methane detection and reduction technologies, underlining its commitment to tackling all major greenhouse gases as part of its broader emissions-reduction strategy. Shell's first-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings were $5.6 billion, but the real story is its portfolio transformation. The company sold its Nigerian onshore operations for $2.4 billion, exiting a legacy region with significant operational risks. Simultaneously, Shell acquired Pavilion Energy, strengthening its LNG trading capabilities and positioning itself for long-term growth in cleaner fuels. The Zacks Rank #3 company is also ramping up investments in renewable power and hydrogen. While specific hydrogen projects weren't disclosed in the first quarter, the London-based integrated oil and gas company has a clear capital expenditure (CapEx) outlook of $20-$22 billion, much of it directed at transition technologies, including renewables, energy storage, and distributed energy platforms. Shell is accelerating its energy transition strategy by investing $10-$15 billion in low-carbon solutions between 2023 and 2025, with a strong focus on hydrogen, renewables, and carbon capture. A key milestone in Shell's sustainability initiatives is the construction of Holland Hydrogen I in Rotterdam, poised to become Europe's largest renewable hydrogen plant when it begins operations in 2025. This facility will use offshore wind power to produce green hydrogen, which will help decarbonize Shell's refineries and support clean transportation. Beyond hydrogen, Shell is rapidly expanding its EV charging infrastructure and renewable energy generation, particularly in wind and solar. The company's carbon capture initiatives, such as the Polaris CCS project in Canada, are designed to capture significant volumes of CO2 and support Shell's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Shell's progress is evident in its achievement of over 60% of its targeted reduction in operational emissions by 2030, even as it adapts its long-term plans to the evolving energy landscape. Among the most aggressive movers, TotalEnergies, a France-based integrated oil and gas company, is rapidly expanding its renewable electricity and green hydrogen assets. In first-quarter 2025, the Zacks Rank #3 company posted strong results driven by an 18% year-over-year rise in electricity production, largely powered by renewables. TotalEnergies also acquired VSB Group, a German renewables developer, further cementing its role in Europe's green energy ecosystem. A landmark initiative is its partnership with Air Liquide to build two green hydrogen facilities in the Netherlands, targeting 45,000 tons of annual production. These projects aim to reduce up to 450,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year, primarily by decarbonizing TotalEnergies' refining operations, while supporting broader EU climate targets. TotalEnergies' integrated approach combines renewable generation, storage, and distribution, positioning the company as a key player in Europe's evolving green energy ecosystem and enhancing its resilience in a rapidly changing market. Chevron, a Houston, TX-based Integrated Oil and Gas company, is taking a more measured yet innovative path. The first-quarter 2025 earnings were $3.5 billion, with highlights including the start-up of the Ballymore field in the Gulf of America. On the decarbonization front, the Zacks Rank #3 company launched a 5-megawatt solar-to-hydrogen project in California's Central Valley, its first such initiative. The facility uses solar energy to produce hydrogen for industrial and transport applications, showcasing Chevron's intent to blend renewables with traditional energy. In addition, Chevron is supporting more than 140 clean-tech startups through its Chevron Technology Ventures, investing in lithium production, recently acquired lithium-rich acreage as part of a strategic expansion and intelligent fracking technologies to boost efficiency while reducing emissions. The shift to low-carbon energy is no longer a distant ideal — it's a critical business transformation already underway. Leading oil and energy companies are evolving from fossil fuel producers into diversified energy innovators. For investors, this means opportunities to back companies with bold decarbonization strategies that promise growth, resilience, and competitive advantage. In the race to net zero, those who invest early and think beyond traditional oil and gas will define the energy leaders of tomorrow — and reap the rewards today. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Chevron Corporation (CVX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report TotalEnergies SE Sponsored ADR (TTE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Shell PLC Unsponsored ADR (SHEL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Nvidia (NVDA) Nears $4 Trillion as Huang Looks Beyond Chips -- Toward Robots
Nvidia (NVDA, Financials) isn't just the chip king anymore; it's turning its gaze toward something even bigger humanoid robots. As the company brushed up against a $3.89 trillion market cap this week, CEO Jensen Huang took the stage in Paris and said it plainly; robotics, he believes, could become the largest industry in the world. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with NVDA. That might sound ambitious; then again, so did AI a few years ago and Nvidia now dominates that space too. At the VivaTech conference, Huang introduced AEON: a full-stack humanoid robot developed with Sweden's Hexagon (HXGBY, Financials). It's not a mock-up or sci-fi concept; it's built, operational, and aiming straight for real-world deployment. Forecasts are starting to catch up. Nvidia's robotics and automotive division brought in $1.7 billion in fiscal 2024; analysts now expect that number to hit $7.55 billion by the early 2030s. If AEON gains commercial ground and it might those projections could prove too modest. Earlier this year, things looked shakier. U.S. chip export curbs to China sparked some turbulence; Nvidia stock dipped, and traders got nervous. But the pause didn't last; the stock is now up 19% for the year and once again holds the crown as the world's most valuable public company. The bigger story? That crown might soon be gilded in robotics, not just silicon. There's also seasonality working in Nvidia's favor. Historically, Q3 tends to be quiet a 4% average gain. But Q4 is where things pop; Nvidia has averaged a 23% rally in the final quarter, according to Dow Jones data. That pattern, paired with the robotics momentum, could set the stage for a breakout into even higher valuation territory. Nvidia is already in a class of its own a company that not only scaled the AI summit, but may now have the tools to build entirely new mountains. Other tech giants are maturing; Nvidia still has untouched runways. Robotics may be the next trillion-dollar catalyst and Huang knows it. As of this week, Nvidia is just $50 billion shy of Microsoft's (MSFT, Financials) all-time market cap peak. That number could fall by next week; or even tomorrow. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
To Understand the Economy, This Fed President Is Ditching His Desk
DURHAM, N.C.—Sitting around a table with 15 local business leaders, Tom Barkin peppered them with questions like an economic detective. Are you planning to expand or shrink your workforces? Are you making new investments or pulling back? When the conversation turned to inflation, the Richmond Fed president extracted an uncomfortably honest answer about how President Trump's tariffs have some firms thinking about their power to raise prices.