Debt-Laden Chesapeake Energy Files For Chapter 11 Proceedings
Debt-Laden Chesapeake Energy Files For Chapter 11 Proceedings


Shale oil and natural gas company Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) on Sunday filed for bankruptcy protection proceedings to eliminate its $7 billion debt load and strengthen its balance sheet.
The U.S. oil and gas producer said it filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas to facilitate a “comprehensive balance sheet restructuring”.
Chesapeake has been grappling with the financial fallout of the oil and gas prices collapse, as the economic downturn tied to the coronavirus impact curtails energy demand.
As part of a restructuring agreement, the company has secured $925 million in debtor-in-possession financing from certain lenders under its revolving credit facility, which will be available upon court approval.
The financing package will provide Chesapeake with the capital necessary to fund its operations during the court-supervised Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings, it said. In addition, certain lenders under the company's revolving credit facility have also agreed to the principal terms of a $2.5 billion exit financing, consisting of a new $1.75 billion revolving credit facility and a new $750 million term loan.
Furthermore, Chesapeake said it has the support of its term loan lenders and secured note holders to backstop a $600 million rights offering upon exiting the Chapter 11 process.
“Despite having removed over $20 billion of leverage and financial commitments, we believe this restructuring is necessary for the long-term success and value creation of the business," Chesapeake's President and CEO Doug Lawler said. “By eliminating $7 billion of debt we are positioning Chesapeake to capitalize on our diverse operating platform and proven track record of improving capital and operating efficiencies and technical excellence.”
“With these demonstrated strengths, and the benefit of an appropriately sized capital structure, Chesapeake will be uniquely positioned to emerge from the Chapter 11 process as a stronger and more competitive enterprise," Lawler added.
The stock dropped 7.3% to $11.85 at the close on Friday. Shares have plunged a whopping 93% year-to-date, with the oil and gas giant reporting a “going concern” warning in its May quarterly financial filing.
Unsurprisingly, the stock shows a Strong Sell Street consensus, with 5 Sell ratings. Meanwhile the average analyst price target stands at $5.33, indicating 55% downside potential in the shares over the coming year.
Earlier this month Scotiabank analyst Matthew Sorenson noted that if bankruptcy proceedings are forthcoming, about $7 billion in impairment value would need to be overcome before common equity holders received any value for their shares. Sorenson reiterated a Sell rating on the stock. (See Chesapeake stock analysis on TipRanks).
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The post Debt-Laden Chesapeake Energy Files For Chapter 11 Proceedings appeared first on TipRanks Financial Blog.
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Bitcoin price must break $31K to avoid 2023 ‘bearish fractal’
BTC price needs to recoup some more key levels before ditching longer-term bearish risk, the latest Bitcoin analysis says.
Bitcoin…

BTC price needs to recoup some more key levels before ditching longer-term bearish risk, the latest Bitcoin analysis says.
Bitcoin (BTC) held above $30,000 at the Oct. 23 Wall Street open as analysis said BTC price strength could cancel its “bearish fractal.”

BTC price preserves majority of early upside
Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView followed BTC/USD as it hovered near $30,700, still up 2.5% on Oct. 23.
The largest cryptocurrency made snap gains after the Oct. 22 weekly close, stopping just shy of $31,000 in what became its highest levels since July.
Now, popular trader and analyst Rekt Capital is keen to see the $31,000 level break.
“Bitcoin has Weekly Closed above the Lower High resistance to confirm the breakout,” he commented alongside the weekly chart.

Rekt Capital argued that BTC/USD could disregard the bearish chart fractal in play throughout 2023 next. This had involved the two year-to-date highs near $32,000 forming a doubletop formation, with downside due as a result.
Specifically, Bitcoin requires a “breach” of $31,000 in order to do so.
#BTC
— Rekt Capital (@rektcapital) October 23, 2023
Is Bitcoin on the cusp of invalidating the Bearish Fractal?
Here are the Bearish Fractal Invalidation Criteria:
a) Bull Market Support Band holds as support ✅
b) Weekly Close beyond Lower High resistance ✅
c) Breach of $31k yearly highs ❌$BTC #Crypto #Bitcoin https://t.co/4H3OMiDzFB pic.twitter.com/mjoO8OF1Qs
More encouraging cues came from the True Market Deviation indicator from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode.
As noted by its lead analyst, Checkmate, on Oct. 23, the metric, also known as the Average Active Investor (AVIV) profit ratio, has crossed a key level.
Bitcoin’s True Mean Market price (TMM) — the level that BTC/USD spends exactly 50% above or below — is now below its spot price, at $29,780.
“Have we now paid our bear market dues?” Checkmate queried, describing TMM as Bitcoin’s “most accurate cost basis model.”

Institutions awaken in “Uptober"
Analyzing the potential drivers of the rally, meanwhile, James Van Straten, research and data analyst at crypto insights firm CryptoSlate, flagged the potential approval of the United States’ first Bitcoin spot-price-based exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Related: BTC price nears 2023 highs — 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week
While not yet awarded the green light, a U.S. spot ETF is being treated as an inevitability after legal battles resulted in regulators losing sway.
“The potential approval of a spot ETF for Bitcoin has spurred a significant increase in bullish inflows in the crypto market,” Van Straten wrote in an update published on Oct. 23.
He noted that Glassnode data shows inflows via over-the-counter (OTC) trading desks spiking since late September.
“In addition, the Purpose Bitcoin ETF, with its holdings of approximately 25,000 Bitcoin, has observed consistent inflow throughout the past month. Even though these inflows might not be termed as ‘large,’ they denote a positive market sentiment,” he continued.
“This uptick in inflows across various platforms indicates an optimistic market response to the potential approval of a Bitcoin ETF, bolstering the overall landscape of digital assets.”

The largest Bitcoin institutional investment vehicle, the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), continues to see a lower discount to the Bitcoin spot price, having already seen its smallest negative margin since December 2021.
This stood at -13.12% as of Oct. 23, per data from monitoring resource CoinGlass.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
cryptocurrency bitcoin crypto btc etf cryptoUncategorized
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