Stock Market Today, Feb. 20: Kosmos Energy Surges After Ghana Extends Licenses to 2040 and Details $2B Drilling Plan

By Eric Trie – Feb 20, 2026 at 5:57PM ESTNYSE: KOSKosmos EnergyMarket Cap$847MToday's Changeangle-down(21.19%) $0.38Current Price$2.15Price as of February 20, 2026 at 3:58 PM ETKosmos Energy rallied after Ghana extended its key offshore licenses through 2040 and the company outlined a 20-well drilling expansion. ExpandNYSE: KOSKosmos EnergyToday's Change(21.19%) $0.38Current Price$2.15Key Data PointsMarket Cap$847MDay's Range$1.98 - $2.1952wk Range$0.84 - $3.36Volume1.9MAvg Vol18MGross Margin-128.49%Kosmos Energy (KOS +21.19%), deep-water oil and gas exploration and production, closed Friday at $2.16, up 22.03%. The stock moved higher after Ghana ratified license extensions on Kosmos Energy’s core offshore blocks through 2040. Investors will be watching how expanded drilling plans and hedging will reshape reserves and future cash flows.The company’s trading volume reached 45.8 million shares, which is approximately 151% above compared with its three-month average of 18.2 million shares. Kosmos Energy went public in 2011 and has fallen 88% since going its IPO.How the markets moved todayS&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) rose 0.70% to 6,910, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) gained 0.90% to finish at 22,886. Within oil & gas exploration & production names, Occidental Petroleum (OXY +0.60%) closed at $51.84 (+0.60%) and Devon Energy (DVN 0.80%) ended at $44.30 (-0.60%).What this means for investorsKosmos Energy shares rose after Ghana’s parliament approved extensions for the company’s Jubilee and TEN offshore licenses through 2040. This decision extends the life of its core Ghana assets and reduces uncertainty about long-term development plans.The company announced an amended plan for Jubilee that includes up to 20 new wells and projected capital spending in Ghana of up to $2 billion. Kosmos expects the updated plans to increase its 2P reserves and has started hedging 2027 production to improve cash-flow visibility as investment increases. Options activity and renewed analyst attention also contributed to the share increase, but the primary driver was the clearer outlook for longer-term production and reserve growth in Ghana. Investors will be monitoring the execution of the new well program and how spending aligns with the updated investment plans.Read NextAug 8, 2022 •By Motley Fool TranscribingKosmos Energy (KOS) Q2 2022 Earnings Call TranscriptMay 9, 2022 •By Matt DiLalloWhy Kosmos Energy Stock Is Plunging TodayMay 9, 2022 •By Motley Fool TranscribingKosmos Energy (KOS) Q1 2022 Earnings Call TranscriptFeb 28, 2022 •By Motley Fool TranscribingKosmos Energy (KOS) Q4 2021 Earnings Call TranscriptNov 8, 2021 •By Motley Fool TranscribingKosmos Energy (KOS) Q3 2021 Earnings Call TranscriptNov 8, 2021 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerWhy Kosmos Energy Stock Dropped More Than 10.5% TodayAbout the AuthorEric Trie is a Motley Fool contributing stock analyst covering technology and semiconductors, healthcare, financial services, and consumer sectors. Previously, he worked in investment analysis and financial writing. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Rutgers University. Eric lives in New York City and is an avid sports fan.CMFIdeaMachineStocks MentionedKosmos EnergyNYSE: KOS$2.15 (+21.19%) $+0.38Occidental PetroleumNYSE: OXY$51.84 (+0.60%) $+0.31Devon EnergyNYSE: DVN$44.30 (0.80%) $0.35*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.