Allen Good, CFA

Allen Good, CFA, is a director for Morningstar.

More From Allen Good

The company has set a course for improvement, but it still needs some help from oil prices.

The deal removes a high-cost portion of the company's production at an attractive valuation, while generating proceeds that allow it to accelerate its debt reduction and shareholder return plans.

Fourth quarter results were weaker than expected, but Chevron remains one of the better-positioned integrateds to succeed in an environment of ongoing low oil prices.

Management's plans seem to be a prudent way to ensure the health of the balance sheet and the safety of the dividend while preserving some upside to potential oil price increases.

The potential reduction won't have a meaningful sustainable impact on oil prices.

Management provided guidance that demonstrated continued progress in capturing industry cost deflation and improving operating efficiency.

Exxon's move to cut capital expenditures is a departure for the firm and shows the company expects prices to remain low for an extended period, writes Morningstar's Allen Good.

The energy giant's ability to generate cash, thanks to its scale and high-quality integrated operations, sets it apart and keeps it the most defensive of the group.

Despite a sharp reduction to future capital spending, Chevron still will deliver peer-leading growth over the next two years and holds the potential for additional growth in 2018 and beyond.

More About Allen Good

Allen Good, CFA, is a director, Europe, for Morningstar*. Based in Amsterdam, he covers the oil and gas industries as well as manages a team of multi-industry analysts. He is also chair of the Morningstar Research Services Economic Moat Committee, a group of senior members of the equity research team responsible for reviewing all Economic Moat ratings issued by Morningstar. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring consistent application of Morningstar’s Economic Moat methodology across sectors and regions as well as updating and revising the methodology. His specialty is global integrated oils such as Exxon, Chevron and Shell and US independent refiners such as Valero and Marathon Petroleum. He also contributes to developing hydrocarbon price and petroleum product margin forecasts used in valuation models.

Before joining Morningstar in 2008, He performed merger and acquisition advisory work for a middle-market investment bank. Before that, he spent several years at Black & Decker in various operational roles, primarily focused on manufacturing and distribution.

Good holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in business administration from Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

* Morningstar Holland BV (“Morningstar”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc

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