2309 GMT - The Middle East conflict and crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has made Qatar LNG assets less valuable in the eyes of investors. That could trigger M&A among liquefied natural gas producers, making Woodside Energy a viable target, Macquarie says. It notes that U.S. majors trade on 40%-50% higher multiples than European or Australian energy companies. So, it contends that this would enable U.S. majors to make all-stock offers to unlock value unavailable in Woodside's current structure. Macquarie's price target on Woodside rises 9%, to A$32.80/share, after incorporating a 20% probability of an M&A approach over the next 12 months. It also upgrades Woodside to "outperform," from "neutral." Woodside ended Thursday at A$29.49. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 16, 2026 19:09 ET (23:09 GMT)

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