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Commentary: Could falling oil prices spark a financial crisis?

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Not only has financing come from company shareholders and traditional banks, but hundreds of billions of dollars have also come from junk-bond investors looking for high returns. Junk-bond debt in energy has reached $210 billion, which is about 16 percent of the $1.3 The situation will compound itself if oil prices stay low.

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Today’s Stunted Oil Prices Could Cause Oil Price Shock In 2020

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As oil prices remain unsteady and OPEC continues to make headlines every hour, the world is focused on oil’s immediate future. With this kind of impending discrepancy between supply and demand, the industry needs to start looking for new sources of oil, and quickly. by Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com.

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Opinion: The Current Oil Price Rally Is Reaching Its Limits

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Oil prices have climbed by about 50 percent from their February lows, topping $40 per barrel. But the rally could be reaching its limits, at least temporarily, as persistent oversupply and the prospect of new shale production caps any potential price increase. That has sparked a renewed sense of optimism among oil traders.

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Oil price collapse hurting some more than others

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US oil and gas rig counts dropped to their lowest level in over four years, falling by an additional 74 units for the week ending on January 16. The lower count provides fresh evidence that low oil prices are forcing drillers to pare back operations and slash spending. That pushed companies to focus on wet gas and oil.

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Opinion: Consumers winning with low oil prices, for now

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Columbia and Associate Director of the Maguire Energy Institute at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas says it has: “No question we’re seeing the effects of lower oil prices throughout the economy.”. The question begs then, has that money shown up in other parts of the economy?

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Wall Street Losing Millions From Bad Energy Loans

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Oil companies continue to get burned by low oil prices, but the pain is bleeding over into the financial industry. Major banks are suffering huge losses from both directly backing some struggling oil companies, but also from buying high-yield debt that is now going sour. by Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com.

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Opinion: Here’s what will send oil prices back up again

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Those claiming that oil will continue to fall from here and remain low for evermore, however, are flying in the face of both history and common sense. The question we should be asking ourselves is not if oil prices will recover, but when they will. Supply alone, however, doesn’t determine price.