CHEVRON CVX:DETAILED FUNDAMENTAL ANALYSIS+NEXT TARGET LONG 🔔

Oil prices are rising sharply as demand recovers from the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus. Chevron stock is up about 25 percent in 2021 as the company undoubtedly benefits from a global economic recovery and a rebound in tourism. The company recently reported a net income of $3.1 billion and free cash flow of more than $5 billion in the second quarter, nearly completely because of a recovery in demand for the fuel that moves people and goods around the world and generates the electricity on which the modern world depends.

The reality today is that oil and natural gas meet most of that demand.

But that reality is evolving, and Chevron is not standing still as the energy world changes around the company. Management reported on July 30, but the previous day it announced in a press release what may prove to be even more important to investors in the coming years than the $3 billion in oil and gas profits for the quarter.

On July 29, Chevron issued a press release titled "Chevron Announces Management Change." Companies issue such announcements fairly regularly, and if you don't put a lot of intellectual effort into it, this announcement might not seem like such a big deal. Still, there is an opinion that it deserves more scrutiny.

So what exactly did the company do? In a nutshell, it announced a new business that would focus on low-carbon energy projects. The company appointed Jeff Gustavson, a veteran who has been with the company for 21 years and most recently served as vice president of exploration and production in North America, as president of this new venture, called Chevron New Energies.

CEO Michael Wirth has described the unit as a reflection of Chevron's "higher revenue, lower carbon" strategy and said that "the allocation of resources in the new organization will accelerate growth in several business lines that we expect will become part of a lower-carbon energy system."

There are two points that underscore the significance of this move. First, Chevron New Energies is not just a business that will become part of a larger segment but will function as an independent unit in which Gustavson is now an officer and reports directly to the CEO. Clearly, the company's management-and almost certainly the board of directors, which plays an important role in developing corporate strategy-understands the importance of investing in low- and no-carbon energy.

Second, it makes good business sense. In discussing Chevron's earnings, Chief Financial Officer Pierre Breber noted that there are certainly regulatory reasons to invest in low-carbon energy, but many Chevron customers want low-carbon energy sources, such as airline operators who are looking for renewable jet fuel.

Not to exaggerate, but the fact remains that Chevron's present and much of its future prospects are still tied to oil and natural gas and the products derived from them. The economic recovery now underway, including a return to a more normal level of transportation of people and goods, will be fueled by oil.

This will remain unchanged for many years. It is also the source of cash that will fund Chevron's dividend, which yields more than 5% at recent prices, as well as the money the company will spend to build a low-carbon energy business. One final note on Chevron's strategy. During the earnings announcement, company executives stressed that the company is not looking to move into technologies such as wind and solar power, saying the company has no competitive advantage. Instead, it will seek technologies where its existing scale and expertise can make a profit, such as renewable fuels, clean hydrogen, and carbon capture.

Many would agree that Chevron will not be able to rely on fossil fuels forever. Making this a big enough corporate priority to create a new business, led by a company employee who reports directly to the CEO, is a sign that Chevron is taking the reality of climate change - or at least its implications for its business - seriously. Undoubtedly, investors should pay more attention to this situation.