For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – October 18, 2021 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras PBR, Chevron Corporation CVX, Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.A), TotalEnergies SE TTE and Murphy Oil Corporation MUR.Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:Brazil Offshore Leases Draw Little Interest from BiddersThe coronavirus pandemic-led challenges resulted in a global economic slowdown and an oil market collapse. Although the global economy has been recovering from the pandemic-induced crisis and oil prices have also rebounded to multi-year highs, energy companies appear to be rather conservative in their outlook.Brazil’s 17th bid round, which covers oil and natural gas licenses offshore, failed to attract the interest of major oil players as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc in the energy industry. The country was unable to sell exploration and production rights in the most prolific offshore oil-rich blocks. This is because the country’s first oil auction since the beginning of the pandemic brought just 37.1 million reais into state coffers.Nine companies signed up for the auction compared with 17 at the 16th bidding round held in 2019. This is the smallest number for an oil rights auction in Brazil, which indicates the low attractiveness of the blocks for sale. Some of the companies, which registered for the oil rights auction, were Petrobras, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, TotalEnergies and Murphy Oil. Officials downplayed the lack of overall interest in the round.In late 2020, Brazil announced details of its 17th bidding round. In total, there were 92 blocks up for sale in four offshore basins, which included Campos, Pelotas, Potiguar and Santos, covering 53,900 square kilometers. The combined minimum bids for the blocks were 558 million reais. However, only five blocks received bids, all of which are in the Santos Basin, offshore southeast Brazil.A few blocks on sale prompted speculations that they comprised part of productive geology known as the pre-salt, wherein billions of oil barrels are trapped beneath a layer of salt under the ocean floor. The blocks had a combined minimum contract of 270 million reais. There were also some blocks available near ecologically sensitive marine protected areas. However, none of them attracted bidders.Shell dominated the sale by acquiring stakes in five of the Santos basin blocks. The operator acquired 100% stakes in the S-M-1707, S-M-1715, S-M-1717, and S-M-1719 blocks for $5.5 million. Beside these, the company consolidated with Ecopetrol to lease S-M-1709 located in the Santos basin. Shell will hold a 70% operating interest in the block, while Ecopetrol will own the rest.The unsold blocks will now be evaluated for possible inclusion in Brazil’s Open Acreage program, which involves all blocks and mature fields that were not sold at previous auctions. Despite the results, the bidding round was a success, considering the high exploratory risks of the blocks up for sale. Energy companies are likely to be selective about assets at difficult times, which affected interests in the blocks.Media ContactZacks Investment Research800-767-3771 ext. 9339support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Time to Invest in Legal Marijuana If you’re looking for big gains, there couldn’t be a better time to get in on a young industry primed to skyrocket from $17.7 billion back in 2019 to an expected $73.6 billion by 2027. After a clean sweep of 6 election referendums in 5 states, pot is now legal in 36 states plus D.C. Federal legalization is expected soon and that could be a still greater bonanza for investors. Even before the latest wave of legalization, Zacks Investment Research has recommended pot stocks that have shot up as high as +285.9%. You’re invited to check out Zacks’ Marijuana Moneymakers: An Investor’s Guide. It features a timely Watch List of pot stocks and ETFs with exceptional growth potential.Today, Download Marijuana Moneymakers FREE >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Chevron Corporation (CVX): Free Stock Analysis Report Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A): Free Stock Analysis Report Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras (PBR): Free Stock Analysis Report Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR): Free Stock Analysis Report TotalEnergies SE Sponsored ADR (TTE): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research