News

Canada Energy Regulator Commission issues new exemption orders to simplify approval process for negligible-risk oil and gas projects

• Says the exemption orders, effective December 1, will replace those previously issued under the National Energy Board Act
• ‘Negligible-risk projects’ are projects where authorization is already in place, but doesn’t cover certain things like adding storage facilities

Headlines via Reuters

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This regulatory change is a clear positive for the Canadian oil and gas industry, particularly for producers and midstream pipeline companies. By simplifying the approval process for “negligible-risk” projects, the CER is effectively reducing red tape, lowering compliance costs, and accelerating timelines for small-scale expansions and maintenance.

This move will likely be welcomed by the market as it improves capital efficiency for firms, allowing them to optimise existing assets and deploy capital more quickly without facing lengthy regulatory hurdles for minor projects, such as adding storage.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

You’re probably going to read this an think “ass covering”. I sure did. Fair enough I guess.

A consortium of major banks, including JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup, is struggling to put together a $20 billion loan for Argentina due to concerns about the country’s “virtually-bankrupt” status, according to a Wall Street Journal (gated) report.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the report states the loan is part of a larger $40 billion financial package championed by the Trump administration to support Argentina’s libertarian President, Javier Milei. This package also includes a $20 billion currency swap from the U.S. Treasury Department.

The banks are reportedly seeking a guarantee or pledge to ensure they will get their money back and are waiting for guidance from the U.S. Treasury on what collateral Argentina could provide, or if Washington itself would backstop the loan. The sources noted that while banks typically arrange such facilities, the Treasury is controlling the broader package, leaving the banks feeling they cannot act without U.S. government backing. The report concluded that the loan facility has not been finalised and might not come together if the banks’ concerns over collateral are not resolved.

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The market impact of this uncertainty is highly negative for Argentine assets, as the $20 billion bank loan is a critical component of the government’s $40 billion stabilisation plan.

This public hesitation from Wall Street’s biggest banks injects severe scepticism into the market, confirming fears that private capital remains unwilling to take on Argentine risk without an explicit U.S. government guarantee. This news will likely increase pressure on Argentina’s sovereign bond prices, widen the country’s risk spreads, and weaken the peso as investors fear the financial backstop for President Milei’s economic reforms is failing to materialise.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

Gold price (XAU/USD) holds positive ground around $4,370 after reaching a fresh record high near $4,380 during the early Asian session on Tuesday.

Gold price (XAU/USD) holds positive ground around $4,370 after reaching a fresh record high near $4,380 during the early Asian session on Tuesday.

The Canadian Dollar (CAD) fell back against the US Dollar (USD) on Monday, paring back recent gains and keeping the Loonie trapped on the bottom end of six-month lows against the Greenback. Market volatility is at a swing low point, limiting hard meaningful moves.

The Canadian Dollar (CAD) fell back against the US Dollar (USD) on Monday, paring back recent gains and keeping the Loonie trapped on the bottom end of six-month lows against the Greenback. Market volatility is at a swing low point, limiting hard meaningful moves.

I didn’t realise Trump wanted to move so qiu8ckjly on this!

The Trump administration is “opportunistically evaluating” a plan to take Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public, with a potential timeline as early as the end of 2025, according to a statement on Monday from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte.

Writing on the platform X, Pulte noted that while President Trump correctly decided against privatising the housing firms during his first term, he is now reassessing the possibility. This move aligns with Trump’s goal, which he first mentioned in May, of ending the long-running government conservatorship over the two housing giants.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been under U.S. control since 2008 after they sustained heavy losses in the subprime mortgage crisis.

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This news will likely trigger a volatile rally in the common (FNMA) and preferred (FMCC) shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Privatisation is the primary event that private shareholders and hedge funds have gambled on for over a decade, as it represents the only path for their equity to regain substantial value. A clear signal from the FHFA director, especially with a potential “end-2025” timeline, would be seen as a major positive catalyst.

However, any sustained gains would hinge on the “opportunistic” terms of the offering and, crucially, how the government’s own senior stake is handled.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

Apple’s stock hits a record high as Jim Cramer tells investors to hold, citing strong iPhone demand, services growth and market momentum.

I was encouraged by this news of German tax revenue rises. But not so much by the caveat that ministry popped in regarding the weak economic outlook. I imagine markets will have a similar response.

Germany’s combined federal and state tax revenues rose by 2.6% in September to 88.4 billion euros, according to a finance ministry report. Despite this increase, the ministry warned that the weak economy will not provide any short-term boost to future tax income.

This caution is due to Germany’s poor economic performance. After contracting in 2024, Europe’s largest economy is only expected to grow by 0.2% this year, with recent data showing falling exports and industrial orders. The September revenue growth was primarily driven by wage taxes, as value-added tax collections remained stagnant.

From January to September, tax revenues have increased by 6.2% over the same period in 2024. Looking ahead, analysts project a full-year revenue increase of 3.7% for 2025.

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The market impact of Germany’s September tax revenue figures is likely to be muted or even negative, despite the headline 2.6% rise.

Financial markets will almost certainly look past this single data point and focus on the finance ministry’s explicit warning that no economic momentum is expected. The report’s confirmation of stagnant VAT revenues—a key indicator of weak domestic consumption—along with the backdrop of falling exports and a minimal 0.2% growth forecast, reinforces the narrative of a struggling German economy. Consequently, this news offers little support for the Euro (EUR) or German equities (like the DAX index), as the underlying economic weakness detailed in the report is a far more significant driver for investor sentiment than the slightly better-than-expected tax collection.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

The USD/JPY holds firm on Monday, hovering around 150.60 amid a risk-on environment amid the Fed blackout period and the lack of US data, due to the government shutdown. The lack of market moving comments by US President Donald Trump, could keep the pair trading at familiar levels.