Ready for more: Sixteen months after finishing a terminal and sending the first cargo of U.S. shale gas overseas, Cheniere Energy is already preparing for its next round of export projects. Bloomberg reports Cheniere is looking at new ways to finance more terminals that chill gas to a liquid and ship it across the globe. The company may skip banks altogether and seeking other capital sources, CEO Jack Fusco says. Cheniere does have room to grow: It’s leased additional acres at its flagship Sabine Pass terminal in Lake Charles and has the option to purchase more land at a Corpus Christi, Texas, site, where another export project is under construction. Read more.
On the rise: Once-struggling Olive Garden is making a comeback. Bloomberg reports same-store sales grew 4.4% last quarter to help the chain outperform its casual dining peers. The growth marks the fourth straight quarter of better-than-projected gains at Olive Garden and helped send parent company Darden Restaurants on its biggest rally in three months. Over the past three years, the restaurant has added healthier options, gone to a back-to-basics menu and overhauled kitchen operations. “Olive Garden’s emphasis on to-go orders, entry-level price points, and fully customizable offerings once again proved successful,” says David Palmer, RBC Capital Markets analyst. “Customers are demanding value.” The company’s performance brings broader optimism that the U.S. dining sector can turn things around after a slump this year. Read more.
Feeling good: U.S. consumers became more confident in June—with more Americans pleased by current conditions but slightly less hopeful about what the next six months hold, The Associated Press reports. The Conference Board, a business research group, says its consumer confidence index rose to 118.9 this month from 117.6 in May. The gains suggest that many Americans expect the economy to keep expanding, although the pace of growth is unlikely to accelerate much. More consumers described current business conditions as “good” and jobs as “plentiful.” The upbeat results may reflect the robust 4.3% unemployment rate. But fewer of them expect business conditions to improve over the next six months relative to the survey results in May. Read more.
