S&P Global Market Intelligence editors' picks for the best stories for the week ended Dec. 6.
Trade war headwinds for utility industrial customers could abate in 2020
The utility sector's exposure to trade headwinds is likely to continue into 2020 amid ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and China, according to a pair of analyst notes.
Governance in the spotlight as midstream partnerships fight to stay 'viable'
Add corporate governance concerns to the list of headaches midstream master limited partnerships may have to deal with during 2020. Already underwhelmed by MLPs' sluggish stocks and capital spending issues, sector experts also expect investors to push partnerships to reconsider how their businesses are structured.
Go big to go home: Analysts view prospect of changing M&A landscape
When Paulson & Co. Inc. announced Nov. 18 that it had shifted its position to support the planned $3.2 billion merger between Callon Petroleum Co. and Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc., SunTrust Robinson Humphrey said in an analyst note that the independent oil and gas sector needed the deal to go through.
Insurers pledging to abandon coal sector doubled in 2019, activists report
The number of insurance companies withdrawing coverage for the coal sector doubled in 2019, activists behind a campaign to drive a wedge between coal producers and insurers reported.
FERC's proposed PURPA changes spark fierce debate over rates for renewables
U.S. power industry stakeholders were sharply divided on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's proposal to relax its rules implementing the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, a more than 40-year-old law that requires electric utilities to buy power from cogeneration and small renewable energy plants.
Ørsted inks world's largest offshore wind power contract in Germany
Ørsted A/S has agreed to sell 100 MW of electricity from a planned offshore wind farm in Germany to Covestro AG, a producer of specialty chemicals. The 10-year power purchase agreement, or PPA, marks the largest such deal signed for an offshore wind park to date, according to the companies.