Oil (NYSEARCA:USO) is no different than any other commodity. Capex spending drives future supplies, and if the cost to produce is above the current price, then expensive production will be shut-in. To some OPEC producers, however, this logic doesn’t seem to apply and this is especially true for Iraq.
Iraq is one of the main reasons why the oil markets didn’t rebalance in 2015. As US oil production stalled in the summer of 2015, Iraq ramped up oil production from 3.5 million b/d to over 4.3 million b/d. Its neighbor Saudi Arabia also raised production by a similar amount adding to the oversupply.
Already constrained from the low oil price environment, Iraq went on to press international oil companies (IOC) to ramp up oil production, but at a lower budget. Initially, IOCs were able to find cost cutting initiatives, but as the old saying goes, “Low commodity prices cure low commodity prices.”
In this wonderful piece by WSJ, the reporters interview the IOCs that are currently operating in Iraq. With low oil prices constraining Iraq’s fiscal budget, the demand to increase oil production at lower budgets seems impossible. As the article highlights, Shell had plans to initially double output from 200k b/d to 400k b/d in the Majnoon oil field, but now is “focusing on sustaining production.”
Hot Oil Stocks To Own For 2018: Apache Corporation(APA)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
Cramer and Jack Mohr think Apache’s (APA) management has positioned the company for growth through both innovation and efficiency. Read what they are telling their investment club members with a free subscription to Action Alerts PLUS.
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
Cramer and the AAP team say news and caution are weighing on energy and health-care sectors. Find out what they’re telling their investment club members about Apache (APA) , Cimarex (XEC) , Arconic (ARNC) and Allergan (AGN) with a free trial subscription to Action Alerts PLUS.
- [By Lee Jackson]
These companies also reported insider buying last week: Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA), Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL), Revlon Inc. (NYSE: REV), Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (NYSE: VRX) and U.S. Steel Corp. (NYSE: X).
- [By Chris Lange]
The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Tuesday was Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) which traded down over 7% at $42.51. The stocks 52-week range is $38.14 to $69.00. Volume was over 14 million versus the daily average of 3.4 million shares.
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
Cramer and the Action Alerts PLUS team say they still believe in their embattled Permian names, Cimarex (XEC) and Apache (APA) , both of which have benefited from a slow rotation in recent weeks. These names can produce and profit here. Schlumberger (SLB) remains best in class and Magellan Midstream Partners just might be the best way to play oil given that the pipelines will be needed to transport the new wave of oil able to be drawn out of the ground from increasingly efficient American producers. Get in on the discussion by getting a free trial subscription to Action Alerts PLUS.
Hot Oil Stocks To Own For 2018: Whiting Petroleum Corporation(WLL)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
In trading on Wednesday, energy shares fell by 1.43 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Westmoreland Coal Company (NYSE: WLB), down 9 percent, and Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE: WLL), down 7 percent.
- [By Lisa Levin]
In trading on Wednesday, energy shares fell by 0.76 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE: WLL), down 6 percent, and Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZN) down 7 percent.
- [By Lisa Levin]
In trading on Monday, energy shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.67 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE: WLL), down 5 percent, and Gulfport Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: GPOR) down 6 percent.
Hot Oil Stocks To Own For 2018: Transocean Inc.(RIG)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Paul Ausick]
Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) dropped about 5.4% Wednesday to post a new 52-week low of $7.48 after closing at $7.91 on Tuesday. The stock’s 52-week high is $16.66. Volume of more than 20 million was about a third higher than the daily average of about 16 million. The company announced Tuesday that it had agreed to buy Norwegian firm Songa Offshore for $3.4 billion, including $2.3 billion in Songa’s debt. Investors don’t like the deal.
- [By Teresa Rivas]
Transocean (RIG) is rising Thursday afternoon, thanks to an upbeat fourth quarter.
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
The oilfield services company said it earned 63 cents a share (a figure that excludes $13 million in net unfavorable items), well ahead of the nickel a share in earnings analysts expected. Revenue fell 47.4% year over year to $974 million, also above the $806 million consensus estimate. Transocean said its contract backlog was $11.3 billion as of its February fleet status report. Raymond Jamess Praveen Narra and J. Marshall Adkins reiterated an Underperform rating on the stock following the report. They praised the companys ongoing cost controls and strong revenue efficiency, which they expect to continue. But still arent ready to recommend the stock amid a difficult macro backdrop. More detail from their note:
Transocean continued to minimize costs and maximize efficiency amid a challenging offshore environment, reporting 4Q16 adjusted EBITDA of $414 million, higher than our estimate of $363 million and consensus of $394 million. The beat was driven by lower than expected costs of $344 million (adjusting for favorable litigation), which came in ~12% lower than our estimate of $385 million and guidance of guidance of $375-385 million. Total revenue efficiency came in at 100.3%, as it was boosted by bonus incentives and possibly effective results from the new contracting model, particularly in the high-spec jackup market. The beat to our estimates was also driven by higher than anticipated revenues, which came in at $805 million, above our estimate of $788 million, but below the consensus estimate of $812 million. We note, our adjusted revenue excludes $169 million in early termination fees during the quarter.
The shares are up 6.6% to $14.16 in recent trading, although theyre down 4% year to date.
- [By Jason Hall]
April was another bad month for offshore drilling stocks. Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG), ENSCO Plc. (NYSE:ESV), Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (NYSE:DO), Atwood Oceanic Inc.(NYSE:ATW), and Noble Corporation (NYSE:NE) all held up relatively well through the first third of the month, but then start to fall around April 10.
Hot Oil Stocks To Own For 2018: Encana Corporation(ECA)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Money Morning News Team]
Canada-based Encana Corp. (NYSE: ECA) was the eighth top oil company stock in 2016, with a 131% gain over the year. ECA and its subsidiaries focus on developing, exploring, producing, and marketing natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and oil in North America.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Encana Corp. (NYSE: ECA) is rated Buy with an unchanged price target of $16. The EPS estimate for 2017 was lowered from $0.42 to $0.34, and the 2018 estimate was also lowered, from $1.47 to $1.28. The shares ended the weekat $11.44, in a 52-week range of $4.90 to $13.85. The consensus 12-month price target is $14.95.
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Vodafone Group (VOD) , Schlumberger (SLB) , Encana (ECA) , Arconic (ARNC) and AdvanSix (ASIX) .
Cramer was bearish on U.S. Silica Holdings (SLCA) .
