+ ATB Financial – THE OWL … Daily Economic Comment
+ City of Calgary Business Tax Assessment notices have been mailed
+ current energy prices: live link to Bloomberg.com commodities data ; crude fell yesterday to below US$50/barrel for first time since 2009
+ Desjardins Group closed its acquisition of State Farm Canada’s business
+ Ensign Energy Services reported to be on verge of laying off 700 in California
+ Euro falls as European Central Bank drops hints of a stimulus package
+ Gazprom agreed to buy out its European partners (Wintershall, EDF and Eni) interest in scrapped South Stream pipeline project that was to have supplied southern Europe following
+ Hungerford Properties launched 7 acre mixed use condo project; Fairmore Business Park, a 4 building office and warehouse condo development (just off Macleod & Glenmore)
+ Keyera Corp. closed its $65 million acquisition of 70% interest in Ricinis deep-cut gas plant
+ kids are back in school; moms and dads are back at work – happy new year!
+ Laracina Energy Ltd. defaulted on debt interest payments to Canada Pension Plan Board (hey, that’s us!); strange circumstances as CPPIB is also a major shareholder and the company has lots of cash … tic toc
+ LNG - floating project of Excelerate Energy at Lacava Bay, Texas set to export in 2018 has been put on hold due to slumping markets
+ Nebraska Supreme Court decision on Keystone approval process expected this week
+ Obama administration flirting with KeystoneXL on two fronts: relaxing US export regulations & acknowledging approval of the pipeline will not impact domestic fuel prices – in the face of Republican noises about putting a new bill on the President’s desk with KeystoneXL approval woven in … tic toc
+ Shoreline Energy Corp. did not make debt interest payments; restructuring proposal coming to debenture holders
+ Southern Pacific Resource Corp. suspended debt interest payments, undergoing strategic review and capital restructuring
+ spring election debate: Chris Varcoe debates Don Braid
+ The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and Ontario Power Authority amalgamated; will operate as IESO
+ TSX dropped 361 points/2.5% yesterday; largest single-day drop in 20 months
+ Tundra Oil & Gas Ltd identified as last month’s $410 million buyer of assets from EOG Resources Inc.
+ 2014 – there were $3.5 billion in IPOs in Canada according to a PwC survey
+ 2014 – US$3.5 trillion worldwide in M & A deals according to Reuters report, best in 7 yrs.
+ 2015 – PwC economists published global predictions for 2015
+ 2015 – new 2015 Canadian Electrical Code now in effect – get it from CSA
