<div id="readability-page-1"><ul><li>Fracking Halliburton And The Big Bet South Of The Border </li></ul><p>YPF Sociedad Anónima <span>NYSE: YPF<span></span></span> reported higher first-quarter revenue, record first-quarter adjusted EBITDA and sharply improved free cash flow, as executives said the company continued shifting its portfolio toward shale production in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta formation.</p><div><p><span></span><span>Get <strong>YPF Sociedad Anónima</strong> alerts:</span></p></div><p>Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Horacio Marín said revenue for the first quarter of 2026 totaled $4.95 billion, up 9% from the previous quarter and 7% from a year earlier. He attributed the sequential increase mainly to higher international prices since March and the company’s policy of aligning domestic gasoline and diesel prices with international parity levels. The year-over-year increase reflected stronger local fuel demand and record refinery processing, he said.  </p><ul><li>3 Targeted Oil Plays as the Iran Crisis Lifts Crude</li></ul><p>Adjusted EBITDA reached nearly $1.6 billion, which Marín described as the highest first-quarter level in YPF’s history. The adjusted EBITDA margin was 32%, while adjusted EBITDA rose 24% sequentially and 28% year over year. Marín said the improvement was driven by higher shale oil production, better pricing dynamics and changes in the upstream cost structure as the company focuses more heavily on shale.  </p><h2>Free Cash Flow and Balance Sheet Improve</h2>  <p>YPF generated $871 million in free cash flow during the quarter, an improvement of $1.8 billion from a year earlier. Marín said the figure was supported by operating performance and approximately $500 million in proceeds from strategic M&amp;A activity. The company’s net leverage ratio fell to 1.57 times from 1.9 times at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 and from a peak of 2.1 times in the third quarter of 2025.  </p><p>Finance Vice President Pedro Kearney said M&amp;A activity contributed a net $504 million to quarterly cash flow, led by about $410 million from the final proceeds of the Profertil divestiture and roughly $85 million from the partial sale of the Manantiales Behr field. Kearney said the Manantiales Behr transaction has a total price of $410 million, with an earn-out of up to $40 million, and that the remaining balance is expected to be collected through 2028.  </p><p>Kearney said YPF ended March with $1.7 billion in liquidity, up $500 million during the quarter. The company raised nearly $1 billion across international and local markets and bank facilities in the first quarter. That included a $550 million reopening of its 2034 bond at an 8.1% yield, which Kearney said was the lowest international market rate secured by YPF in nine years. The company also issued about $285 million in local U.S. dollar MEP bonds and prepaid approximately $750 million of debt obligations scheduled to mature between 2026 and 2028.  </p><h2>Shale Oil Output Drives Upstream Performance</h2>  <p>YPF’s shale oil production reached 205,000 barrels per day in the first quarter, up 5% sequentially and 39% year over year. Shale oil represented 76% of total oil production. Marín said the company remains on track for a full-year target of approximately 215,000 barrels per day and a December exit rate of 250,000 barrels per day.  </p><p>Maximiliano Westen, vice president of strategy, business development and control, said growth in shale oil fully offset continued divestments from conventional fields. Conventional oil production declined more than 45% year over year to 66,000 barrels per day in the first quarter. Upstream lifting costs fell 42% year over year to $8.80 per barrel of oil equivalent, while lifting costs in shale oil hub blocks reached about $4 per BOE. Westen said La Angostura Sur had lifting costs of around $3 per BOE, the lowest among YPF fields.  </p><p>La Angostura Sur was highlighted as a key growth asset. Marín said the block produced about 2,000 barrels per day of shale oil 18 months ago and is now producing approximately 55,000 barrels per day. He said it is the No. 5 Vaca Muerta block, represents about 25% of YPF’s shale oil production and has a breakeven price below $40 per barrel. YPF owns 100% of the block and is targeting a plateau of about 100,000 barrels per day.  </p><p>Natural gas production averaged 32.8 million cubic meters per day, down 12% year over year, which Westen attributed mainly to the company’s exit from mature conventional fields, partially offset by shale gas expansion.  </p><h2>Downstream Sets Processing Record as Fuel Pricing Buffer Begins</h2>  <p>YPF’s refinery processing averaged 344,000 barrels per day in the first quarter, up 3% sequentially and 8% year over year. Westen said this marked another record processing level and supported record production of premium gasoline and middle distillates, allowing YPF to avoid imports, supply local peers and export to neighboring countries.  </p><p>Domestic gasoline and diesel dispatch volumes declined 3% from the previous quarter due to seasonality but increased 8% from a year earlier. YPF maintained a 57% market share, or 60% when including gasoline and diesel produced by YPF and sold through third-party stations.  </p><p>Executives also discussed the company’s local fuel pricing strategy. Marín said YPF was able to largely pass through higher international prices in March, but demand began to weaken late in the month, particularly in gasoline. Westen said fuel demand in late March fell by about 10% compared with early March. In response, YPF temporarily postponed further pass-through of international price increases for 45 days beginning in April.  </p><p>Marín said the decision was made by YPF “without any government interference” and was later adopted by other major industry operators. He said the goal was to protect demand while reaffirming an import-parity strategy in a free-market environment. The company’s midstream and downstream adjusted EBITDA margin was $19.10 per barrel in the first quarter and, based on preliminary April figures, about $24 per barrel.  </p><h2>Infrastructure and LNG Projects Advance</h2>  <p>YPF said it continued to secure infrastructure needed for Vaca Muerta growth. Westen said VMOS shareholders approved the allocation to YPF of 44,000 barrels per day of additional pipeline capacity, increasing YPF’s stake in VMOS from about 25% to 30%. He also said Oldelval is expected to expand transportation capacity by roughly 150,000 barrels per day by year-end, with YPF holding about 40,000 barrels per day of that incremental capacity.  </p><p>On the Argentina LNG project, Marín said founding partners YPF, Eni and XRG, the international energy investment arm of ADNOC, are working toward a final investment decision by year-end. The project contemplates total investment of approximately $24 billion, excluding upstream, including financing costs. Marín said market sounding drew interest from about 50 institutional investors, with initial appetite exceeding project financing needs.  </p><p>For the CESA tolling phase, in which YPF holds a 25% equity stake, Marín said CESA signed an LNG supply partnership with Germany-based SEFE for 2 million tons per year over eight years starting in late 2027. He said the volume represents about 30% of CESA’s total capacity and corresponds to the capacity of the first vessel, Gimi.  </p><p>During the question-and-answer session, Marín said the Middle East conflict has increased financing appetite for Argentina LNG and may accelerate discussion of future expansion. He also said YPF is seeking more competition among service companies in Vaca Muerta and expects cost improvements, while reiterating that the company’s capital allocation remains focused on unconventional assets.</p><h2>About YPF Sociedad Anónima <span>NYSE: YPF<span></span></span></h2><p>YPF Sociedad Anónima <span>NYSE: YPF<span></span></span> is an integrated oil and gas company headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The company’s primary businesses encompass upstream exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, midstream transportation and storage, and downstream refining and distribution. YPF operates several major refineries and a nationwide network of service stations, supplying fuels, lubricants, and petrochemical products to both retail and industrial customers. </p><p>Founded in 1922 as Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, YPF was the world’s first state‐owned oil company.</p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in YPF Sociedad Anónima Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider YPF Sociedad Anónima, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. 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<p>YPF Sociedad Anónima reported a strong Q1 with $4.95 billion in revenue, a 9% increase from the previous quarter, and record adjusted EBITDA of nearly $1.6 billion. The company improved free cash flow to $871 million, driven by higher shale oil production, which reached 205,000 barrels per day. YPF's net leverage ratio decreased to 1.57, and it ended March with $1.7 billion in liquidity. The company continues to focus on shale production in Argentina's Vaca Muerta formation.</p>

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