FTXN News and Press, First Trust Nasdaq Oil & Gas ETF From 04/19/22

OPEC output increased by 57 kb/d according to secondary sources in March 2022. Most of the increase in OPEC output was from Saudi Arabia (54 kb/d) followed by Kuwait (25 kb/d), and UAE (23 kb/d). Five OPEC members saw increases of less than 15 kb/d (total of 44 kb/d for that group of ...

In the following article reprinted from May 2020, Jim Puplava explained the difficulty OPEC nations face in producing more oil and why investors should position for a coming energy shock and much higher inflation. It is widely believed the Saudis could produce 12.5 million barrels a d...

Crude oil supply and demand issues are creating a bullish stance. Buying crude oil sensitive companies on weakness makes the most sense. Factors driving this bullish stance include: the Russian quandary, abandonments of sensible crude transportation between the US and Canada and w...

The broader equity categories turned in negative results in Q1. U.S. large-cap stocks, as measured by the S&P 500 Index, held up the best at a decline of 4.6%. Bonds performed worse than many of the equity categories, despite typically being viewed as a safe haven investment. In t...

Does the yield curve inversion cause a recession or does it just provide a signal? Is the inversion only about expected future monetary policy? Do other factors also influence the shape of the curve, and if so, can we disentangle the various factors? There is a lot that we don’...

Russia is a key supplier of refined products to OECD Europe, supplying about 39% of total imports according to the IEA. The natural gas market has provided support to middle distillates in two forms. If refiners are unable to increase middle distillate yields significantly, strong...

Inflation expectations have kept the Federal Reserve center stage as they commenced their interest rate rising cycle in March. The war in Ukraine and Omicron’s spread in China impacted inflation and supply chains differently, but both delay supply chain normalization. Regar...

The growing determination of the European Union countries to move away from dependence on imports of Russian oil and gas provides an opportunity for Middle Eastern producers of hydrocarbons. But taking advantage of this opportunity will be somewhat difficult. In the short run, the Gul...

Stock markets fell in the first quarter as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine destabilized the growth outlook, amplified concerns about rising interest rates and unleashed geopolitical risks. While the conflict has created many uncertainties, we believe the impact of persistent infla...

We see the West’s drive for energy security slowing growth, increasing inflation and stoking demand for non-Russian fossil fuels to alleviate consumer pain. Data last week showed U.S. inflation at 40-year highs and a robust labor market. We expect the Fed to deliver on this yea...