LUKOIL - Profit attributable to PJSC "LUKOIL" shareholders was RUB 109.1 bln, up 75.0% year-on-year. Profit growth was mainly driven by significant negative non-cash foreign exchange effect in the first quarter of 2017. Excluding this factor, profit attributable to PJSC "LUKOIL" shareholders increased by 13.5%.

FT - Most oil majors can now cover dividends and capital expenditure at prices around $50 per barrel, meaning that, at $80, they make a healthy surplus.

REUTERS - Retail sales, the key gauge for consumer demand, the primary driver of economic growth, were up 2.4 percent year-on-year in April after a 2.0 percent rise in the year to March. Capital investment, the next most important driver, was up 3.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter after increasing 1.4 percent in the same period a year earlier.

BLOOMBERG - Natural gas will probably emerge as the main fossil fuel “winner” as it balances renewables in power generation and is used as a substitute for oil in petrochemicals. Long-term gas demand is set to increase by 15 percent, or by 750 billion cubic meters, compared to business as usual,

BLOOMBERG - The fund shocked markets around the world in November when it asked for permission to divest oil and gas companies to reduce financial risk, arguing Norway as a whole is already heavily exposed to oil as western Europe’s biggest petroleum producer. At the time of the proposal, the fund held about $40 billion of shares in oil giants such as Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

IMF - “Egypt’s growth has continued to accelerate during 2017/18, rising to 5.2 percent in the first half of the year from 4.2 percent in 2016/17. The current account deficit has also declined sharply, reflecting the recovery in tourism and strong growth in remittances, while improved investor confidence has continued to support portfolio inflows. In addition, gross international reserves rose to $44 billion by end-April, equal to 7 months of imports.

IMF - the region remains the main engine of global growth, accounting for more than 60 per cent of the global growth. Regional output is projected to grow by 5.6 per cent in 2018 and 2019; 5.6 per cent is about 0.1 percentage point higher than we expected in last October, supported by trade as well as accommodative global financial conditions.

IMF - Sub-Saharan Africa is set to enjoy a modest growth uptick, and decisive policies are needed to both reduce vulnerabilities and raise medium-term growth prospects. Average growth in the region is projected to rise from 2.8 percent in 2017 to 3.4 percent in 2018,

IMF - growth for the region to increase from 1.3 percent in 2017 to 2 percent in 2018. For 2019 growth to continue to pick up to 2.8 percent.

OGJ - Bahrain plans to raise $1 billion for energy investments in a fund the government calls unique among Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

REUTERS - Saudi Arabia’s first quarter budget deficit stood at 34.3 billion Saudi riyals ($9.15 billion), around 18 percent of the total gap forecast for 2018, the finance ministry said

SHELL - Royal Dutch Shell plc (“Shell”) announces an agreement to sell its entire stake in Canadian Natural Resources Limited (“Canadian Natural”)

WBG - For Nigeria to tap its spatial drivers of development, policymakers may want to focus on investments that reinforce clusters and economies of scale; optimize the connectivity between rural areas and the major urban markets; and address structural and land management issues in major urban nodes and along major growth corridors to remove or alleviate barriers that undermine the growth potential.

REUTERS - Qatar is taking a nearly 19 percent stake in Rosneft (ROSN.MM), rescuing the Russian oil major from its stalled deal to sell a major stake to China’s CEFC.

U.S. DOE - Energy storage will play an increasingly critical role in the resilient grid of the future. Storage systems provide important services, including improving grid stability, providing backup power, and allowing for greater integration of renewable resources. Today’s dominant storage options have limitations that inhibit their use as long-duration solutions, particularly their high cost.