Daily Update — July 15, 2025
Exploring Energy Recovery; AI in the Oil Industry; and Pension Overallocation to Private Equity
Today is Tuesday, July 15, 2025, and here’s your curated selection of Essential Intelligence on global markets from S&P Global. Subscribe to be notified of each new Daily Update.
Energy Transition & Sustainability
Listen: Change Makers: Rodney Clemente, Energy Recovery
Rodney Clemente, Energy Recovery’s senior vice president of water, joined “EnergyCents” podcast hosts Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how the company is using its membrane-separation technologies to improve the energy intensity and economics of water desalination.
Energy Recovery, with roots in the desalination industry, designs and manufactures energy-efficiency solutions that help its customers cut costs and become environmentally sustainable.
Artificial Intelligence
Oil companies race for AI edge in upstream projects
Energy companies are leaning into AI to speed up exploration, improve efficiency and streamline maintenance for cost savings as investment remains a sectorwide challenge.
At the OPEC International Seminar in Vienna held July 9–10, executives from the world's leading oil producers showcased their use of AI, which is already shaving weeks off exploration times and saving billions of dollars. In the oil sector, AI is speeding up procedures at every stage of the production life cycle.
Private Markets
Majority of pension funds juggle overallocation to private equity
About 62% of global pension funds exceeded their private equity allocation targets at the end of June, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data. The median actual allocation across 294 pension funds was $339.8 million, compared to a target allocation of $312.0 million.
One factor behind overallocation is the lack of private equity exits, which has created liquidity issues for limited partners. Exits, which provide cash distributions back to investors, fell to a two-year low in value and volume in the first quarter. Private equity firms have also been holding buyout acquisitions longer, and new deals have been muted despite $2.5 trillion in capital raised but not yet deployed.
Explore S&P Global's Private Equity and Private Debt Fair Value Services for tailored solutions to meet the increasing demands for robust valuation processes in alternative assets.
In case you missed it
- The US will start charging 35% tariffs on Canadian imports from Aug. 1, a move that will affect agricultural products, metals and other commodities.
- Ample US oil output dampened the price impact of the recent Iran conflict and has given US President Donald Trump leeway to make foreign policy decisions that would not have been possible in the past, according to former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette.
- Asian crude palm oil prices hit a high of more than two months on July 10, driven by higher Bursa Malaysia Derivative futures due to lower palm production in June and an anticipated rise in demand.
Upcoming events
- Climate Stress Testing: Adapting to Evolving UK & EU Regulations | July 16 (Webinar)
- Sustainability Nexus: Midyear Economic Trends in Sustainability in 2025 | July 16 (Webinar)
- Reshaping the Rules: Understanding the NAIC’s Proposed Investment Framework Overhaul | July 17 (Webinar)
- Look Forward: The Future of Capital Markets | Webinar Replay