Phillips 66 Rounds Out Cash-Rich 2022; Dividend Remains Solid

Image Source: Phillips 66 By Brian Nelson, CFA On January 31, Phillips 66 (PSX) reported messy fourth-quarter 2022 results. Adjusted earnings, however, came in at $1.899 billion, which showed a nice advance from the $1.298 billion mark in the year-ago period. The company’s adjusted earnings, however, fell from the $3.122 billion number it recorded in the prior sequential period. On a sequential basis, adjusted earnings in its refining business fell to $1.626 billion from $2.883 billion. Here’s what drove the weakness: The decrease was due primarily to lower realized margins. Realized margins declined from $26.87 per barrel in the third quarter to $19.73 per barrel in the fourth quarter mainly due to lower market crack spreads and clean product differentials. … Read more

Valuentum Weekly: Outsized Energy Exposure Continues to Buoy Newsletter Portfolios

Image: Light crude oil futures once traded for roughly -$40 (negative $40) during the COVID-19 crisis, but have now rocketed to more than $120 in recent trading. Image Source: TradingView. This note was emailed to members Sunday, March 6, 2022. Markets   The S&P 500, as measured by the SPY, is down 9% year-to-date, a modest pullback, in our view, particularly in light of the fantastic performance the past few years. Though not necessarily welcome, a down year every now and then for the broader market indexes and a modest bear market can only be expected, at times. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, as measured by the DIA, is down more than 7% year-to-date (not too bad), while the Nasdaq–as measured by the … Read more