Gunkul Engineering, or GUNKUL, has agreed to sell a 50% stake in a total of 12 power plant projects to Gulf Development, or GULF, for 466.5 million baht, equivalent to roughly 336.7 megawatts of proportional installed capacity, or MWe. GUNKUL will retain the remaining 50% stake in those projects, according to an analysis by Asia Plus Securities following an analyst meeting at which management clarified the details. The main purpose of the transaction is to manage debt obligations and increase investment capacity, after GUNKUL secured power purchase agreements, or PPAs, for all 319 megawatts under the Phase 2.1 projects. If it continued to hold 100%, debt burdens and financial covenants were likely to tighten during 2027 to 2030 and could limit its ability to take part in new projects under the PDP2026 plan, Direct PPA, and New S-Curve businesses. This restructuring is therefore preparation to support the goal of raising power generation capacity from about 2,100 MWe at present to 3,000 MWe within the next three years. Although cutting its stake from 100% to 50% will reduce earnings recognition from the projects, Asia Plus Securities sees three main offsetting benefits: lower investment and interest burdens along with the opportunity to recognise revenue from EPC and O&M work on the joint venture projects; the ability to keep joint venture debt off its financial statements, which keeps the IBD/EBITDA ratio within the covenant ceiling of no more than 6 times and is likely to decline from 2028 onward, potentially opening the door to a credit rating upgrade and lower funding costs in the future; and a stronger financial position that boosts investment capacity, with room estimated for about 700 MWe of additional investment in 2028, rising by roughly another 2,000 MWe in 2031. The research team is keeping its existing forecasts, viewing this restructuring as having no significant impact on the projects' long-term returns, and maintains its 2027 fair value for GUNKUL at 6.40 baht per share with a continued accumulate recommendation for long-term investment.
Constellation Signs 20-Year Google Nuclear Deal Backed by $4.3 Billion Upgrade
Constellation Energy Corporation has signed a 20-year deal with Google to add 890 megawatts of new nuclear power by upgrading 11 existing reactors, backed by $4.3 billion in new investment. The partnership also includes a separate 15-year agreement covering 2,700 megawatts from Constellation's existing nuclear fleet. Constellation expects its first upgrade by 2028, with the full 890-megawatt expansion not expected until 2032. The company is spending $4.3 billion to add 890 megawatts, compared with more than $35 billion for about 2,200 megawatts at the last new U.S. reactors, Vogtle 3 and 4 in Georgia, which took about 15 years. Constellation shares surged 12.2% on October 6, though the stock is still down about 18% this year and trades at a forward non-GAAP P/E of 22.04x, about 17% under its 5-year average of 26.53x.
Energy Transition & Power Demand › Nuclear Generation & Utilities ▲Supply
Energy Transition & Power Demand › Firm Power & Transition Fuels ▲Supply
CEG · Capital · Positive The deal is backed by $4.3 billion in new investment to upgrade 11 existing reactors.
CEG · Demand · Positive Constellation signed a 20-year deal with Google to add 890 MW of new nuclear power plus a 15-year agreement for 2,700 MW from its existing fleet.
GOOG · Demand · Positive Google signed long-term nuclear power agreements with Constellation to secure 890 MW of new and 2,700 MW of existing carbon-free capacity.
Schneider Electric to buy PTC for $22.6 billion as deal wave sweeps sectors
Schneider Electric SE agreed to acquire U.S.-based engineering software developer PTC Inc. for $22.6 billion, or €20.1 billion, paying $205 per share in an all-cash deal. The transaction was among a string of major deals reported across sectors this week. Viatris said it will acquire all outstanding shares of Pacira BioSciences for $36.50 per share in cash, an aggregate equity value of $1.65 billion, while CD&R and McKesson agreed to acquire Option Care Health for $32.05 per share, valuing it at approximately $5.8 billion including debt, sending its shares up 34% in early trading Tuesday. Energy Transfer agreed to acquire Vaquero Midstream in a $2.625 billion deal consisting of $1.95 billion in cash and about 33.3 million newly issued Energy Transfer common units, and Cenovus Energy agreed to acquire Athabasca Oil in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about C$5.7 billion, a 14% premium to Athabasca's 20-day volume-weighted average trading price. Canadian utilities Emera and Canadian Utilities agreed to an all-stock merger worth C$14.3 billion, or US$10 billion, creating a combined company with a C$72 billion enterprise value and a regulated rate base of C$45 billion serving roughly 6 million customers. Separately, TKO LLC proposed to acquire Service Properties Trust's entire hospitality portfolio for $2.0 billion, and CCC Intelligent Solutions soared 13% in after-hours trading on a report that GTCR and Elliott Investment Management are in advanced discussions to purchase the car-insurance software firm.
Energy Transition & Power Demand › Natural Gas Value Chain ▲Capital
CCC · Capital · Positive CCC Intelligent Solutions soared 13% after-hours on a report that GTCR and Elliott are in advanced talks to acquire the firm.
CVE · Capital · Positive Cenovus Energy agreed to acquire Athabasca Oil in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about C$5.7 billion.
EMA · Capital · Positive Emera agreed to an all-stock merger with Canadian Utilities worth C$14.3 billion, creating a combined utility with a C$72 billion enterprise value.
ET · Capital · Positive Energy Transfer agreed to acquire Vaquero Midstream for $2.625 billion in cash and newly issued common units.
MCK · Capital · Positive McKesson, with CD&R, agreed to acquire Option Care Health for $32.05 per share, valuing it at about $5.8 billion including debt.
OPCH · Capital · Positive CD&R and McKesson agreed to acquire Option Care Health for $32.05 per share, a takeover deal that lifts its shares.
Venture Global Signs 20-Year LNG Deal With ConocoPhillips as RBC Cuts Q3 EBITDA Estimate
Venture Global has signed a new long-term LNG sales deal with ConocoPhillips while drawing a cut to its Q3 adjusted EBITDA estimate from RBC Capital Markets. The Sales and Purchase Agreement commits ConocoPhillips to buy 1.0 million tonnes per annum of LNG from 2030 for 20 years. RBC Capital Markets reduced its Q3 adjusted EBITDA estimate for Venture Global, citing basis differential headwinds, while maintaining a positive view on the stock. Venture Global shares trade at US$13.16, having pulled back around 14% on a 1 month share price basis after an 87% year to date share price return, with a 1 year total shareholder return of about 40%. The most followed narrative pegs fair value at about $16.67 per share, implying the stock is 21% undervalued, though that view could fray if Calcasieu Pass arbitration outcomes absorb more cash than expected or if LNG pricing weakens faster than analysts currently model.
Fluxys Belgium Posts H1 2026 Sales of €342.97 Million and Net Income of €46.78 Million
Fluxys Belgium reported half year 2026 sales of €342.97 million and net income of €46.78 million, with higher basic earnings per share than a year earlier. The shares now trade at €21.2, up 1.44% over one day and 3.41% over seven days, though the 30-day return is down 5.78%; the 90-day return is 8.16% and the year-to-date gain is 10.99%. The stock carries a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.6x, above the 12.5x peer group average and the 13.9x average for the broader European oil and gas industry, while revenue is expected to decline 2.8% per year. A discounted cash flow model values the shares at €1.5 each, far below the current price. Over one year total shareholder return is 16.66%, against a broadly flat 3-year total shareholder return of 0.09% and a 5-year total shareholder return that declined 18.04%.
ConocoPhillips Reviews $7 Billion Offer for European Assets as Analysts Turn Bullish
ConocoPhillips confirmed it is reviewing an unsolicited offer of up to US$7.00 billion for certain European assets, a relatively small portion of its portfolio. The company said the review reflects a focus on portfolio discipline rather than any large-scale reshaping of its business, and any sale would sit alongside its existing growth drivers in LNG and long-life conventional projects. Separately, analysts remain upbeat on ConocoPhillips' near-term earnings prospects, citing a positive Earnings ESP of 17.36% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) ahead of its next earnings release previously expected on November 5, 2026. The company's narrative projects $68.0 billion in revenue and $11.4 billion in earnings by 2029, requiring 1.8% yearly revenue growth and about a $2.1 billion earnings increase from $9.3 billion today. The most bearish analysts had assumed revenue would slip to about US$62,000,000,000 by 2029 and earnings to about US$9,900,000,000.
Energy Transition & Power Demand › Natural Gas Value Chain Capital
COP · Capital · Neutral ConocoPhillips is reviewing a US$7.0 billion unsolicited offer for certain European assets, a portfolio-discipline move rather than a reshaping of the business.
UBS Raises Q4 Dutch TTF Gas Forecast to €75 on Middle East LNG Losses
UBS raised its fourth-quarter Dutch TTF gas price forecast to €75 per megawatt-hour from €62 previously, citing major disruptions to Middle Eastern liquefied natural gas exports. In an October 5 report, the bank said Middle Eastern LNG supply fell by approximately 60 billion cubic metres between March and September, while additional production elsewhere contributed nearly 40 bcm, including 17 bcm from the United States. Asian LNG imports dropped around 9 bcm year-on-year and European imports fell approximately 10 bcm, cushioning the price impact. UBS also lifted its 2027 forecast to €45 from €40, reflecting slower recovery in Qatari LNG exports and continued European efforts to phase out Russian gas. European gas storage remains roughly 15% below seasonal averages, with inventories expected to enter winter at 74% capacity and decline to approximately 25% by spring, and the bank estimates Europe could need around 27 bcm more LNG during winter than in this year's summer months. Under a prolonged disruption with colder weather, UBS sees fourth-quarter TTF prices averaging €90/MWh with potential peaks near €120/MWh, while faster Qatari recovery and milder temperatures could bring prices towards €50/MWh.