TotalEnergies shares drop as lower refining margins and oil prices hit Q3 results
Investing.com -- Shares of TotalEnergies (EPA:TTEF )s fell on Tuesday following the company’s trading update for the third quarter of 2024, which flagged weaker performance in several key areas.
At 5:01 am (0901 GMT), TotalEnergies was trading 4.2% lower at €59.86.
The update pointed to lower refining margins, reduced production, and a decline in oil prices as factors weighing on the company’s financial results.
The company reported that its average liquids price during the quarter was $77 per barrel, down from $81 in the second quarter and reflecting a broader softness in global oil prices.
“TTE's trading update looks overall inline, and we see limited downgrades relative to VA consensus' Adj. Net Operating Income of $5.0bn,” said analysts at Jefferies in a note.
Brent crude prices, a global benchmark, averaged $80.3 per barrel, a drop from $85 in the prior quarter and down from $86.7 in the same period last year.
Refining margins were a particular point of concern. TotalEnergies' European Refining Margin Marker plunged to $15.4 per ton in the third quarter, a drop from $44.9 in the second quarter, and well below the $100.6 level seen a year ago.
This sharp decline is expected to impact the company’s downstream results, which are projected to show a decrease compared to earlier quarters.
“Downstream results are expected to sharply decrease given much lower refining margins in Europe and in the Rest of the World,” the company said in a statement.
TotalEnergies also flagged production issues, including unplanned shutdowns at the Ichthys LNG project in Australia and disruptions in Libya due to security concerns.
Despite these challenges, hydrocarbon production remained steady at 2.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, supported by the continued ramp-up of the Mero 2 project in Brazil.
Natural gas prices, on the other hand, saw an uptick. TotalEnergies reported an average gas price of $5.78 per million British thermal units, up from $5.05 in the second quarter.
The company’s liquefied natural gas operations performed relatively well, with average LNG prices increasing slightly to $9.91 per MBtu, contributing to solid results in its Integrated LNG segment, which is expected to generate over $1 billion in earnings.
As per the company's sensitivity estimates, a $10 change in the price of oil could impact its adjusted net operating income by $2.3 billion and its cash flow by $2.8 billion.
Source: Investing.com