Moody’s analyst on shale downturn

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“I’ve covered this industry since the late 70s and I would have to say I haven’t seen a situation like this, of this magnitude. We’ve concluded that this is not a normal cyclical downturn.”

Carol Cowan, a Moody’s senior analyst

“Shale was a hot growth area and companies made the mistake of borrowing too much. It’s amazing that so many people were willing to lend them money. Many are going to file for bankruptcy, and bondholders and equity are going to get wiped out en masse.”

George Schultze, founder and chief investment officer of Schultze Asset Management in New York