Investors want US shale producers to cut debt and pay dividends

摘要

Rystad Energy of Norway found that many of the 33 largest US shale operators reduced their leverage ratios in H2 2018.However,this action reduced free cash flow,making it more difficult to service 2019 debt payments and to provide the dividends that shareholders demand.Rystad now expects dividends will probably be around $2.3B,down significantly from initial projections of $6.3B.Senior Analyst with the company,Alisha Lukash,stated,”The obvious gap in expected versus likely dividend payments confirms the industry's inability to deliver sustained investors’payback while simultaneously deleveraging.”