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Participants and monitors for this national competition should not divulge the contents of this exam. No parts of this test can be
reproduced without written permission of the Dow Jones News Fund.
Copyright 2013 Dow Jones News Fund, Inc.
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8. The ____________________ defended its spying programs saying it did not violate American citizens privacy.
9. Russia granted asylum to _______________________ after he spent several weeks in an airport transit area.
10. Security forces slaughtered hundreds as the Muslim Brotherhood rebelled in ___________________________.
PART 3 BUSINESS VOCABULARY. Define the financial terms and provide an example.
Profit Margin--
Gross Revenue--
Subprime Lending --
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PART 4 WRITING AND REPORTING. Write a news article using only the facts and quotes provided. You
may use a pencil or a pen; please ensure your completed story is clearly marked. If stapling a computer printout or
additional sheet of paper for this exercise, please make sure your name, university and date are on it.
FACTS
The companies are turning instead to developing current projects, unable to justify buying more property while fields
bought during the 2009-2012 flurry remain below their purchase price, according to analysts.
North American oil and gas deals, including shale assets, plunged 52 percent to $26 billion in the first six months from
$54 billion in the year-ago period. During the drilling frenzy of 2009 through 2012, energy companies spent more than
$461 billion buying North American oil and gas properties, the data show.
The spending slowdown by international companies including BHP Hilliton Ltd. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc comes amid a
series of write-downs of oil and gas shale assets, caused by plunging prices and disappointing wells.
The deal-making slump, which may last for years, threatens to slow oil and gas production growth as companies that built
up debt during the rush for shale acreage cant depend on asset sales to fund drilling programs. The decline has pushed
acquisitions of North American energy assets in the first-half of the year to the lowest since 2004.
Those companies that have to sell assets will likely fetch lower prices, said Fadel Gheit, an analyst at Oppenheimer & Co.
Inc. in New York. Producers with the highest debt levels that need cash to fund development, such as Chesapeake Energy
Corp., of Oklahoma City, are most at risk of having to accept lower offers from buyers, Gheit said in a phone interview.
QUOTES
Their appetite has slowed, said Stephen Trauber, Citigroup Inc.s vice chairman and global head of energy
investment banking, who specializes in large oil and gas acquisitions. It hasnt stopped, but it has slowed.
People do not sell unless they really need the money to invest in better options, Gheit said.
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Page 4 of 4
Participants and monitors for this national competition should not divulge the contents of this exam. No parts of this test can be
reproduced without written permission of the Dow Jones News Fund.
Copyright 2013 Dow Jones News Fund, Inc.
4. What does LIBOR stand for ? London Interbank Offered Rate, the interest rate banks are prepared to pay
to borrow money from each other.
Page 1 of 4
divided by sales. It measures how much out of every dollar of sales a company actually keeps in
earnings. Profit margin is displayed as a percentage; a 20% profit margin, for example, means the
company has a net income of $0.20 for each dollar of sales.
Gross Revenue--"Raw" sales income; the amount customers actually pay the company when they make
their purchases.
Non Profit Corporation--an organization incorporated under state laws and approved by both the state's
Secretary of State and its taxing authority as operating for educational, charitable, social, religious,
civic or humanitarian purposes. A nonprofit corporation (also called "not for profit corporation") is
formed by incorporators, has a board of directors and officers, but no shareholders. Churches,
hospitals, universities, the United Way etc.
Limited Liability Company -- A limited liability company is a hybrid type of legal structure that provides
the limited liability features of a corporation and the tax efficiencies and operational flexibility of a
partnership.The "owners" of an LLC are referred to as "members." Depending on the state, the
members can consist of a single individual (one owner), two or more individuals, corporations or other
LLCs.
Subprime Lending --Typically, subprime loans are for persons with blemished or limited credit histories. The
loans carry a higher rate of interest than prime loans to compensate for increased credit risk. E.g., Home
refinance loans account for higher shares of subprime lenders' total origination than prime lenders'
originations; Subprime lenders are more likely to have terms like "consumer," "finance," and "acceptance" in
their lender names. Payday loans, car title loans.
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PART 4 WRITING AND REPORTING. Write a news article using only the facts and quotes provided. You
may use a pencil or a pen; please ensure your completed story is clearly marked. If stapling a computer printout or
additional sheet of paper for this exercise, please make sure your name, university and date are on it.
FACTS
The companies are turning instead to developing current projects, unable to justify buying more property
while fields bought during the 2009-2012 flurry remain below their purchase price, according to analysts.
North American oil and gas deals, including shale assets, plunged 52 percent to $26 billion in the first six
months from $54 billion in the year-ago period. During the drilling frenzy of 2009 through 2012, energy
companies spent more than $461 billion buying North American oil and gas properties, the data show.
The spending slowdown by international companies including BHP Hilliton Ltd. and PLC comes amid a
series of write-downs of oil and gas shale assets, caused by plunging prices and disappointing wells.
The deal-making slump, which may last for years, threatens to slow oil and gas production growth as
companies that built up debt during the rush for shale acreage cant depend on asset sales to fund drilling
programs. The decline has pushed acquisitions of North American energy assets in the first-half of the
year to the lowest since 2004.
Those companies that have to sell assets will likely fetch lower prices, said Fadel Gheit, an analyst at
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. in New York. Producers with the highest debt levels that need cash to fund
development, such as Chesapeake Energy Corp., of Oklahoma City, are most at risk of having to accept lower
offers from buyers, Gheit said in a phone interview.
QUOTES
Their appetite has slowed, said Stephen Trauber, Citigroup Inc.s vice chairman and global head of
energy investment banking, who specializes in large oil and gas acquisitions. It hasnt stopped, but it has
slowed.
People do not sell unless they really need the money to invest in better options, Gheit said.
Page 3 of 4
SHALE GRAB IN THE U.S. STALLS AS FALLING VALUES REPEL SHALE BUYERS
North American oil and gas deals, including shale assets, plunged 52 percent to $26 billion in the first six
months from $54 billion in the year-ago period. During the drilling frenzy of 2009 through 2012, energy
companies spent more than $461 billion buying North American oil and gas properties, the data show.
The spending slowdown by international companies including BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) and Royal Dutch
Shell Plc (RDSA) comes amid a series of write-downs of oil and gas shale assets, caused by plunging prices
and disappointing wells.
The companies are turning instead to developing current projects, unable to justify buying more property
while fields bought during the 2009-2012 flurry remain below their purchase price, according to analysts.
The deal-making slump, which may last for years, threatens to slow oil and gas production growth as
companies that built up debt during the rush for shale acreage cant depend on asset sales to fund drilling
programs. The decline has pushed acquisitions of North American energy assets in the first-half of the
year to the lowest since 2004.
Those companies that have to sell assets will likely fetch lower prices, said Fadel Gheit, an analyst at
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. in New York. Producers with the highest debt levels that need cash to fund
development, such as Chesapeake Energy Corp., of Oklahoma City, are most at risk of having to accept lower
offers from buyers, Gheit said in a phone interview.
People do not sell unless they really need the money to invest in better options, Gheit said.
Their appetite has slowed, said Stephen Trauber, Citigroup Inc.s vice chairman and global head of
energy investment banking, who specializes in large oil and gas acquisitions. It hasnt stopped, but it has
slowed.
Page 4 of 4