{"id":65175,"date":"2026-07-21T17:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T21:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/moodys-upgrades-argentina-as-oil-markets-face-surprise-inventory-build\/65175\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T17:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T21:08:16","slug":"moodys-upgrades-argentina-as-oil-markets-face-surprise-inventory-build","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/moodys-upgrades-argentina-as-oil-markets-face-surprise-inventory-build\/65175\/","title":{"rendered":"Moody\u2019s Upgrades Argentina as Oil Markets Face Surprise Inventory Build"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Moody\u2019s Investors Service upgraded Argentina\u2019s sovereign credit rating to B3 from Caa1<\/strong>, citing a material decline in default risk and a positive outlook for future credit strengthening.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. API <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">crude oil<\/a> inventories saw a surprise build of 2.603 million barrels<\/strong>, sharply defying analyst expectations of a 1.5 million-barrel draw and pressuring energy prices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>EQT Corporation (<a href=\"\/stock\/EQT\">EQT<\/a>) reported Q2 2026 adjusted EPS of $0.39<\/strong>, slightly missing the $0.41\u2013$0.42 consensus estimate despite achieving record-setting drilling operations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Argentina\u2019s political landscape is stabilizing<\/strong>, with Moody\u2019s noting that the range of policy outcomes has narrowed, increasing the likelihood of continuity beyond the 2027 elections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Argentina\u2019s Credit Profile Strengthens Under Reform Agenda<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Moody\u2019s Investors Service<\/strong> has officially upgraded <strong>Argentina\u2019s sovereign rating to B3 from Caa1<\/strong>, signaling growing international confidence in the nation&#39;s economic trajectory. The agency revised the outlook to <strong>positive<\/strong>, reflecting expectations that the country&#39;s credit profile will continue to strengthen as macroeconomic stabilization moves into a more durable phase.<\/p>\n<p>According to the report, <strong>Argentina\u2019s default risk has declined materially<\/strong>, supported by sustained fiscal surpluses and declining inflation. <em>Analysts suggest that the narrowing range of policy outcomes increases the likelihood of policy continuity<\/em> even as the country approaches the 2027 elections, a factor that has historically been a source of significant market volatility.<\/p>\n<h2>Energy Markets Shaken by Unexpected Crude Build<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>American Petroleum Institute (API)<\/strong> released its weekly inventory report on Tuesday, revealing a <strong>2.603 million-barrel increase in U.S. crude oil stocks<\/strong>. This &quot;surprise build&quot; stands in stark contrast to the <strong>1.5 million-barrel draw<\/strong> that market analysts had forecasted, following a 564,000-barrel draw in the previous week.<\/p>\n<p>Additional data from the report showed a <strong>1.379 million-barrel decrease in gasoline inventories<\/strong>, while <strong>distillates rose by 1.759 million barrels<\/strong>. Stocks at the <strong>Cushing, Oklahoma<\/strong> delivery hub fell by 737,000 barrels, and the <strong>Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)<\/strong> saw an actual decline of 5.1 million barrels, highlighting a complex supply-demand dynamic in the domestic energy sector.<\/p>\n<h2>EQT Corporation Reports Production Records Amid Earnings Miss<\/h2>\n<p>Natural gas giant EQT Corporation (<a href=\"\/stock\/EQT\">EQT<\/a>) announced its second-quarter 2026 results, posting <strong>adjusted EPS of $0.39<\/strong>, which fell short of the <strong>$0.41\u2013$0.42<\/strong> expected by Wall Street. Despite the earnings miss, the company achieved a <strong>sales volume of 634 Bcfe<\/strong>, exceeding the high end of its own guidance due to superior well performance and operational efficiencies.<\/p>\n<p>The company highlighted several operational milestones, including drilling the <strong>longest lateral in shale history at over 29,000 feet<\/strong>. Looking ahead, EQT Corporation (<a href=\"\/stock\/EQT\">EQT<\/a>) raised its <strong>FY 2026 production guidance by approximately 90 Bcfe<\/strong>, while simultaneously reducing its full-year capital spending forecast by <strong>$25 million<\/strong>, signaling a focus on capital discipline and high-margin growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Moody\u2019s Investors Service upgraded Argentina\u2019s sovereign credit rating to B3 from Caa1, citing a material decline in default [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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