Director, Head of Research, Smartkarma

Pranav Rao

Director, Head of Research

Smartkarma

Smartkarma unites the fragmented investment industry, connecting institutional investors, independent research providers, and corporates within a single network.

Research Reinvented

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Welcome to Curator’s Cut - a fortnightly roundup of standout themes from the 1,300+ insights published on Smartkarma.</li>
<li>In this cut, we review the outlook for energy markets amid the Persian Gulf conflict, highlight coverage of gold miners large and small, and identify opportunities in Japanese financials.</li>
<li>Want to dig deeper? Comment or message with the themes you’d like to see highlighted next.</li>
</ul>


Welcome to Curator’s Cut - a fortnightly roundup of standout themes from the 1,300+ insights published on Smartkarma.
In this cut, we review the outlook for energy markets amid the Persian Gulf conflict, highlight coverage of gold miners large and small, and identify opportunities in Japanese financials.
Want to dig deeper? Comment or message with the themes you’d like to see highlighted next.


Curator's Cut: Crude Reality, Reshuffling Gold Miners & Banking on Japanese Fintech

Oil and Gas, Mint Finance

Suhas Reddy

Oil and Gas

Deep Fundamental Analysis

Mint Finance

Mint Finance's investment research blends deep fundamental analysis with technical & quant insights. Investment strategies straddle across multiple asset classes with risk management embedded into every trade to deliver an outsized reward-to-risk ratio.

Mint Finance's research is centered around three key themes. First, energy transition and climate change. Second, artificial intelligence. Third, shifting world order with its impact across politics and monetary economics.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Global oil majors are slashing jobs and investments as weak demand, OPEC+ supply hikes, and rising costs drive the sharpest industry retrenchment since the 2020 collapse.</li>
<li>U.S. producers face added strain from tariffs, cost inflation, and consolidation, forcing capex cuts, layoffs, and highlighting the slowdown of shale-driven growth that once powered record output.</li>
<li>ExxonMobil emerges strongest among peers, supported by low debt, robust free cash flow, advantaged low-cost assets, and global diversification, giving it unmatched resilience in a prolonged low-price environment.</li>
</ul>


Global oil majors are slashing jobs and investments as weak demand, OPEC+ supply hikes, and rising costs drive the sharpest industry retrenchment since the 2020 collapse.
U.S. producers face added strain from tariffs, cost inflation, and consolidation, forcing capex cuts, layoffs, and highlighting the slowdown of shale-driven growth that once powered record output.
ExxonMobil emerges strongest among peers, supported by low debt, robust free cash flow, advantaged low-cost assets, and global diversification, giving it unmatched resilience in a prolonged low-price environment.


Oil and Gas Giants Shift from Expansion to Discipline Amid Supply Glut and Cost Pressures

Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

<ul><li>Diamondback Energy reported its second-quarter 2025 results, showcasing its consistent focus on enhancing shareholder value through operational efficiencies and strategic asset management.</li><li>The company continues to leverage its expertise in acquiring and optimizing assets, particularly in the Permian Basin, where it has historically demonstrated proficiency in cost reduction and improved execution.</li><li>One of the highlights of the quarter included successful integration of previous acquisitions, notably Endeavor, which was executed smoothly without operational disruptions.</li></ul>

Diamondback Energy reported its second-quarter 2025 results, showcasing its consistent focus on enhancing shareholder value through operational efficiencies and strategic asset management.The company continues to leverage its expertise in acquiring and optimizing assets, particularly in the Permian Basin, where it has historically demonstrated proficiency in cost reduction and improved execution.One of the highlights of the quarter included successful integration of previous acquisitions, notably Endeavor, which was executed smoothly without operational disruptions.

Diamondback Energy: Initiation of Coverage- Unlocking Hidden Value Through Advanced Zone Development!

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/santos-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:711:1" rel="noopener">Santos Ltd (STO AU)</a> has disclosed a “final” non-binding proposal from the XRG consortium at US$5.76 (A$8.89), a 27.7% premium to the undisturbed price of A$6.96 (13 June).</li>
<li>The offer is subject to several regulatory approvals. FIRB approval is the primary risk due to a foreign government-controlled entity controlling critical domestic infrastructure assets.</li>
<li>The offer is attractive compared to peer multiples and historical trading ranges. Retail has a mixed view on the offer, which should not be an issue for the vote.  </li>
</ul>



Santos Ltd (STO AU) has disclosed a “final” non-binding proposal from the XRG consortium at US$5.76 (A$8.89), a 27.7% premium to the undisturbed price of A$6.96 (13 June).
The offer is subject to several regulatory approvals. FIRB approval is the primary risk due to a foreign government-controlled entity controlling critical domestic infrastructure assets.
The offer is attractive compared to peer multiples and historical trading ranges. Retail has a mixed view on the offer, which should not be an issue for the vote.  


Santos (STO AU): XRG’s Non-Binding Offer Faces an FIRB Challenge

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Semiconductors (SMH,SOXX,NVDA,AVGO) have been leadership since late-2022, but they're extended and starting to see profit taking as market participants rotate into other laggard areas of the market (especially Energy).</li>
<li>The question is whether this new trend lasts a few days, or if this is the start of longer-term trend.</li>
<li>If there will be any lasting rotation away from Technology/semiconductors, SPX and QQQ would need to break strong short-term supports at 5370-5380 and $468-469, respectively. Until then, Tech/semis remain leadership</li>
</ul>


Semiconductors (SMH,SOXX,NVDA,AVGO) have been leadership since late-2022, but they're extended and starting to see profit taking as market participants rotate into other laggard areas of the market (especially Energy).
The question is whether this new trend lasts a few days, or if this is the start of longer-term trend.
If there will be any lasting rotation away from Technology/semiconductors, SPX and QQQ would need to break strong short-term supports at 5370-5380 and $468-469, respectively. Until then, Tech/semis remain leadership


Rotation Is the Lifeblood of a Bull Market; Still Bullish; Supports at SPX 5370-5380, QQQ $468-469

United States

Diamondback Energy Inc is an independent oil and natural gas company currently focused on the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas.

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Diamondback Energy (FANG US)

Curator's Cut: Crude Reality, Reshuffling Gold Miners & Banking on Japanese Fintech

This Curator's Cut highlights energy market outlook, gold miners coverage, and opportunities in Japanese financials from Smartkarma insights....

Pranav Rao

Oil and Gas Giants Shift from Expansion to Discipline Amid Supply Glut and Cost Pressures

Global oil majors are cutting jobs and investments due to weak demand and rising costs, with ExxonMobil emerging as the strongest player thanks to...

Mint Finance

Diamondback Energy: Initiation of Coverage- Unlocking Hidden Value Through Advanced Zone Development!

Diamondback Energy reported its second-quarter 2025 results, showcasing its consistent focus on enhancing shareholder value through operational...

Baptista Research

Santos (STO AU): XRG’s Non-Binding Offer Faces an FIRB Challenge

The offer is subject to several regulatory approvals. FIRB approval is the primary risk due to a foreign government-controlled entity controlling...

Arun George

Rotation Is the Lifeblood of a Bull Market; Still Bullish; Supports at SPX 5370-5380, QQQ $468-469

Rotation is the Lifeblood of a Bull Market; Bullish Outlook Intact; Expecting Short-term Support at $SPX 5370-5380 and $QQQ $468-469 (20-day MAs...

Vermilion Research

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

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Curator's Cut: Crude Reality, Reshuffling Gold Miners & Banking on Japanese Fintech

​This Curator's Cut highlights energy market outlook, gold miners coverage, and opportunities in Japanese financials from Smartkarma insights....

Pranav Rao

Oil and Gas Giants Shift from Expansion to Discipline Amid Supply Glut and Cost Pressures

​Global oil majors are cutting jobs and investments due to weak demand and rising costs, with ExxonMobil emerging as the strongest player thanks to...

Mint Finance

Diamondback Energy: Initiation of Coverage- Unlocking Hidden Value Through Advanced Zone Development!

Diamondback Energy reported its second-quarter 2025 results, showcasing its consistent focus on enhancing shareholder value through operational...

Baptista Research

Santos (STO AU): XRG’s Non-Binding Offer Faces an FIRB Challenge

The offer is subject to several regulatory approvals. FIRB approval is the primary risk due to a foreign government-controlled entity controlling...

Arun George

Rotation Is the Lifeblood of a Bull Market; Still Bullish; Supports at SPX 5370-5380, QQQ $468-469

Rotation is the Lifeblood of a Bull Market; Bullish Outlook Intact; Expecting Short-term Support at $SPX 5370-5380 and $QQQ $468-469 (20-day MAs...

Vermilion Research

This Curator's Cut highlights energy market outlook, gold miners coverage, and opportunities in Japanese financials from Smartkarma insights....

Global oil majors are cutting jobs and investments due to weak demand and rising costs, with ExxonMobil emerging as the strongest player thanks to...