Geopolitics Alpha

US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals

Published . Updated .

Key takeaways

  • US buyers are looking for extra shale inventory and added another $18 billion in purchases in October alone.
  • Exposed: USO, XLE, UNG, XOM, EQT
  • Market reaction: USO +2.4% on the day (still updating); XLE +1.6% on the day (still updating); EQT +1.7% on the day (still updating)

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US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals

US buyers are looking for extra shale inventory and added another $18 billion in purchases in October alone.

Directly affected

  • No company is named in this report.

Indirectly affected

  • USO United States Oil Fund-1.1% 30d

    United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • XLE Energy Select Sector SPDR+6.9% 30d

    Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • UNG United States Natural Gas Fund-13.5% 30d

    United States Natural Gas Fund: it follows natural-gas prices. Linked by “gas” (natural gas) in this story.

  • XOM ExxonMobil Holdings-2.7% 17d

    ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • CVX Chevron+3.3% 30d

    Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • COP ConocoPhillips+4.8% 30d

    ConocoPhillips (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • SHEL Shell+1.1% 9d

    Shell (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • EQT Eqt-0.9% 30d

    Eqt (crude petroleum and natural gas): gas producers and exporters earn more when gas prices rise. Linked by “gas” (natural gas) in this story.

Price reaction, T-5 to T+3

TickerT-5T-3T-1T0T+1T+2T+3
USO+2.78%+4.95%base+2.37%after closeafter closeafter close
XLE+2.11%-0.95%base+1.57%after closeafter closeafter close
UNG-10.81%-10.24%base+1.15%after closeafter closeafter close
XOM+3.07%+0.89%base+1.25%after closeafter closeafter close
CVX+2.73%+0.67%base+0.78%after closeafter closeafter close
COP+0.96%+0.52%base+1.36%after closeafter closeafter close
SHEL+4.68%+1.86%base+0.63%after closeafter closeafter close
EQT+0.99%-5.04%base+1.73%after closeafter closeafter close

Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.

US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals JPT Homepage

Source: JPT Homepage

The price since 11 Nov 2026: United States Oil Fund (USO) versus the S&P 500

CompanyWhenMoveStatus
COPthat day+1.36%still updating
COPthree days earlier+0.52%final price
COPfive days earlier+0.96%final price
Chevron (CVX)that day+0.78%still updating
Chevron (CVX)three days earlier+0.67%final price
Chevron (CVX)five days earlier+2.73%final price
Eqt (EQT)that day+1.73%still updating
Eqt (EQT)three days earlier-5.04%final price
Eqt (EQT)five days earlier+0.99%final price
Shell (SHEL)that day+0.63%still updating
Shell (SHEL)three days earlier+1.86%final price
Shell (SHEL)five days earlier+4.68%final price
United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)that day+1.15%still updating
United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)three days earlier-10.24%final price
United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)five days earlier-10.81%final price
United States Oil Fund (USO)that day+2.37%still updating
United States Oil Fund (USO)three days earlier+4.95%final price
United States Oil Fund (USO)five days earlier+2.78%final price
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE)that day+1.57%still updating
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE)three days earlier-0.95%final price
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE)five days earlier+2.11%final price
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)that day+1.25%still updating
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)three days earlier+0.89%final price
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)five days earlier+3.07%final price

Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story

Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).

United States Oil Fund (USO) on one side of this energy story

Companies mentioned with this story

  • USO United States Oil Fund

    For “US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals,” United States Oil Fund (USO) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • XLE Select Sector Spdr Tr

    For “US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals,” Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • UNG United States Natural Gas Fund

    United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 11 Nov 2026 story “US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals.” Reason on file: United States Natural Gas Fund: it follows natural-gas prices. Linked by “gas” (natural gas) in this story

  • XOM ExxonMobil Holdings

    ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 11 Nov 2026 story “US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals.” Reason on file: ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • EQT Eqt

    In “US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals,” Eqt (EQT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Eqt (crude petroleum and natural gas): gas producers and exporters earn more when gas prices rise. Linked by “gas” (natural gas) in this story

  • CVX Chevron

    For “US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals,” Chevron (CVX) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • OXY Occidental Petroleum

    For “US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals,” Occidental Petroleum (OXY) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Occidental Petroleum (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • SHEL Shell

    In “US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals,” Shell (SHEL) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Shell (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

United States Oil Fund (USO) and the energy link

“US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals” (11 Nov 2026) reaches United States Oil Fund (USO) through Energy.

For United States Oil Fund (USO), the reason on file says United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

A second company, Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE), is listed for a different reason: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

Dates and price levels for United States Oil Fund (USO)

UNG traded between 8.95 and 11.43 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 9.34. USO traded between 143.02 and 171.80 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 148.41. XLE traded between 63.05 and 70.15 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 66.70.

What the saved facts support for United States Oil Fund (USO)

46 out of 100Price not final

“US Oil and Gas M&A Activity Accelerates With $12.6 Billion in Third-Quarter Deals” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 8 linked companies. The price is not final yet.