A handful of the world’s largest energy companies are laden with their highest debt levels to date, and it's causing investors concern.
Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and BP combined have accumulated $184B in net debt—more than double their 2014 levels. Crude prices have been on a descent since 2014, and at one point prices bottomed out to $27/barrel this year, the Wall Street Journal reports. Prices have rebounded and are hovering around $50/barrel at present.
The companies’ debt and inability to pay their expenses has created concerns regarding their ability to pay dividends and find new sources of oil. “Eventually something will give,” Carmignac Commodities Fund manager Michael Hulme told the WSJ. “These companies won’t be able to maintain the current dividends at $50 to $60 oil—it’s unsustainable.” [WSJ]
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