The deal comes the same day Saudi Arabia launches a share sale for Aramco, yielding billions for the country's economic transformation.
Books opened early Sunday morning offering a price range between 26.70 ($7.12) and 29 Saudi riyals per share. Aramco on Thursday announced its plan to sell 1.545 billion shares — a stake of around 0.64%.
The shares trade more like a bond than a stock, paying out healthy dividends but rarely joining the rallies and selloffs that define the energy sector.
As crude oil trading in May reaches its conclusion and OPEC+, a select group of Russia-led oil producers and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) spearheaded by Saudi Arabia, convenes to discuss its production levels, an interesting bit of data has emerged.
U.S. oil drillers are sticking to pledges to temper spending on boosting output, keeping the world's top crude producer on course for slower growth in 2024 in what may ease pressure on OPEC+ to make further supply cuts this weekend.
OPEC+ members on Sunday are expected to review voluntary output cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day. Oil market analysts generally agree that group will likely keep those cuts in place.
Oil futures were little changed early Friday, but were on track for their first monthly declines of 2024 as traders fretted over gasoline demand and awaited a weekend decision on production cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies.
Analysts have lowered their 2024 oil price forecast for the first time since February, reflecting lower risks to supply from ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, as markets gear up for a meeting of OPEC and its allies this weekend.
Saudi Arabia said Friday it will sell a second sliver of stock in its state oil giant Aramco worth billions of dollars, its first tranche since its initial public offering back in 2019.
The oil-producing Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies could extend existing output cuts this week, delegates and analysts tell CNBC, even as focus shifts from Middle East tensions to summer demand. Four OPEC+ delegates, who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of talks, told CNBC the 2.2 million-barrels-per-day supply reductions will likely be prolonged, with one noting that the alliance would avoid shifting approach at a time when oil prices are relatively stable.
Oil prices fell early on Friday as investors responded to comments from U.S. Fed officials who said it was too soon to start considering rate cuts, and following a surprise build in U.S. gasoline stocks that weighed on the market.
Canada has agreed to assess whether naphthenic acids found in northern Alberta's oil sands tailings ponds should be classed as toxic under federal law, a move that could pave the way for stricter regulations, environmental group Ecojustice said on Thursday.