Survey: Expect low energy prices, rising M&A activity this year

Energy professionals aren’t looking for oil and gas prices to rebound in the near future, but they’re looking for mergers and acquisitions activity to pick up in the year ahead.

Those are among the findings of a survey conducted by Capital One Securities, which polled 107 energy professionals who attended the North American Prospect Expo Summit in Houston in February.

According to the survey, 88 percent said they expect to see M&A activity increase this year. And as for prices, 66 percent said…

UIP, Lubert-Adler pay $13M for Adams Morgan apartments

Urban Investment Partners and Philadelphia-based Lubert-Adler Partners have acquired Embassy Towers, a 72-unit apartment building at 1620 Fuller St. NW.

The developers acquired the property from a private family consortium. D.C. property tax records list its previous owner as John Pyles and Mary Calomiris. The property has an assessed value of $9.7 million.

The developers will begin renovations of the rental building’s common areas and individual apartments. UIP says the building will continue…

Arlington and D.C. are top cities for graduates

Arlington and the District make the top five on a list of best cities for college graduates.

That list is based on jobs that require a degree, salaries and cost of living.

Financial planning site NerdWallet says that in D.C. and Arlington, up to 67 percent of the workforce is in management, business, science or the arts — fields that have the most jobs that require a bachelor’s degree or higher.

It ranks Arlington No. 2 on its list. The median income in Arlington is about $65,000, but rent…

Just one-third of local consumers are taking proactive steps to protect against identity theft

When it comes to protecting personal accounts and other data from hackers, Greater Washington residents have room for more vigilance.

A survey of D.C.-area consumers by credit reporting company Experian says just 37 percent of responders are at least somewhat likely to take proactive steps to safeguard their personal information, and 12 percent say they’re not likely to at all.

Almost half don’t even password protect smartphones or tablets.

Experian says the majority of Washington-area consumers…

AEP wants PUCO to hurry up with its PPA decision

A proposal to guarantee American Electric Power Company Inc. a profit on its stake in a coal-fired power plant was rejected by Ohio regulators last month, but the decision left open the possibility that another plan could be accepted.

AEP now warns that delays could lead it to pull its proposal for a plant owned by Ohio Valley Electric Corp., or OVEC, off the table. AEP owns a share of the southern Ohio power plant along with other utilities, and says its plan would give customers a price hedge…