On Thursday, our Under the Radar Moversnewsletter suggested shorting small cap offshore oil and gas services stock PHI Inc (NASDAQ: PHIIK):
We’re a little bit late to the party here, but that’s ok – there’s still some meat left on the bone, so to speak. Were looking for the stock to continue on to the lower edge of a long-term (and bearish) trading range that should allow it to peel back to at least the lower $12’s. We’ve see PHIIK shares tumble with great speed and distance a couple of times already, and we’re about halfway through round three.
What we’re hoping for, however, as that the third time is the last time the bulls bother trying to stage a recovery. Often enough, stocks can go from bad to worse to horrible as the market gives up on a company after delays and disappointments. That’s PHI to be sure.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2018: Halliburton Company(HAL)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [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 Tyler Crowe]
2016 was an interesting year for Halliburton (NYSE:HAL). Not only did the oil-field services company work through one of the largest downturns in the history of oil and gas, but it also had to deal with the financial fallout from a major acquisition blowing up in its face. When it reported fourth-quarter and fiscal 2016 earnings this week, the company showed that it had taken a big blow, but was ready to move on to the next big thing in the oil and gas market. Let’s take a quick look at the company’s results for the year that was, and see what could be in store in the coming quarters.
- [By Matthew DiLallo]
Following a series of M&A announcements in the oilfield-services sector since the onset of the oil market downturn, French oil-field service company Technip and U.S. oilfield equipment company FMC Technologies (NYSE:FTI) hooked up in an all-stock deal valuing the combined company at $13 billion. Shareholders of each company will own 50% of the combined entity, to be named TechnipFMC, which implies a roughly $6.5 billion acquisition valuation for each entity. The transaction, which should close early next year, will “combine Technip’s innovative systems and solutions, state-of-the-art assets, engineering strengths, and project management capabilities with FMC Technologies’ leading technology, manufacturing, and service capabilities.” Further, it should save $400 million in annual costs by 2019. Moreover, it will enable the combined company to compete better against larger oil-field service rivals Baker Hughes (NYSE:BHI), Halliburton (NYSE:HAL), and Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB), which have all gained strength during the downturn either through M&A activities or cost savings initiatives.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2018: Range Resources Corporation(RRC)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Chris Lange]
The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Wednesday was Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) which traded downabout 12% at $17.90. The stocks 52-week range is $17.68 to $43.60. Volume was about 25 million versus the daily average of 5.6 million shares.
- [By Matthew DiLallo]
According to a report by PLS, producers spent more than $23 billion locking up prime positions in the Permian Basin and another $7 billion on Mid-Continent acreage acquisitions. However, most of those were smaller deals, with the top transaction weighing in at $2.5 billion. Meanwhile, the Ark-La-Tex region near the Gulf Coast quietly tied for the second hottest M&A geography in the country, largely because of Range Resources (NYSE:RRC) acquisition of Memorial Resource Development. Range Resources paid $4.2 billion, which includes the assumption of debt, to gain a leading position in the Lower Cotton Valley region of Northern Louisiana. Not only is the play saturated with natural gas, but it’s also near the Gulf Coast, which is expected to see increased demand from new petrochemical and industrial complexes as well as LNG export facilities. In other words, Range Resources made a big bet on higher gas prices along the Gulf Coast.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) dropped about 12.8% Wednesday to register a new 52-week low of $17.71 after closing at $20.30 on Tuesday. The 52-week high is $43.60. Volume was nearly 20 million, nearly 4 times the daily average. The natural gas producer missed estimates this morning and revised its growth projections downward. It was one of several energy companies that took some price target cuts from analysts.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) is rated Buy with a lowered price target of $43. The 2017 EPS estimate has been lowered from $0.85 to $0.68, and the 2018 estimate waslowered from $1.60 to $1.52. Shares closed at $27.34 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $27.07 to $46.96, and the consensus price target is $46.42. Range Resources is a Jefferies Franchise Pick.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Talk about a Barron’s bounce!Range Resources (RRC) has soared to the top of the S&P 500 today after Barron’s touted it in the pages of the magazine this weekend.
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Range Resources gained 4.1% to $28.47, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.3% to2,375.31.
Barron’s Andrew Bary called Range Resources “an unappreciated energy play.” He explains why:
With major market indexes at record highs, natural-gas stocks are among the few depressed industry groups. Blame a warm winter and weakening gas prices.
Range Resources (ticker: RRC), a leading U.S. gas producer, looks undervalued. Its shares, at $27, are down 20% this year and are much below their 52-week high of $47, set last June. Range drilled the first well in the now-prolific Marcellus region of Pennsylvania more than a decade ago and amassed one of its largest land positions there610,000 acres. Its $4.2 billion purchase of Memorial Resource Development last September gave it access to what the company views as a prolific and underappreciated gas region: northern Louisiana
Range Resources’ market capitalization rose to $7 billion today from $6.8 billion on Friday. It reported net income of $521 million on sales of $1.4 billion in 2016.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2018: Apache Corporation(APA)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
Cramer and the AAP team are detailing their outlook for portfolio energy names Apache (APA) and Cimarex (XEC) . Find out what they’re telling their investment club members 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 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 Apache’s (APA) mixed results are a buying opportunity. Find out what they’re telling their investment club members with a free trial 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.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 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 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) .
- [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.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2018: Crescent Point Energy Corp (16)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Kana Nishizawa]
China Coal Energy Co., the countrys second-largest producer of the fuel, sank 3.1 percent after the government said it will cut coal consumption. Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd. (16), the worlds second-biggest developer, fell 1.4 percent after trimming its sales target. Gold producers led materials companies lower as the precious metal headed for its steepest weekly loss since June amid expectations the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee will next week decide to reduce stimulus.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2018: Talisman Energy Inc.(TLM)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Jayson Derrick]
On the other hand, the analysts are Underweight on Eni SpA (ADR) (NYSE: E), Repsol Oil & Gas Canada Inc (USA) (NYSE: TLM) and OMV AG given their asset bases, which offer an inferior risk to reward profile and limited differentiation in cost reductions.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2018: Marathon Oil Corporation(MRO)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Chris Lange]
The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Wednesday was Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) which traded down 8.7% at $14.86. The stocks 52-week range is $9.65 to $19.28. Volume was about 108% of the daily average of around 11.32 million shares. The company had no specific news but was continuing to drop from falling crude prices.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) shares were up a whopping 209.9% at $18.08 on Wednesday, and the 70.5 million shares at the close was almost 5 times normal trading volume. Marathon Oil has a consensus analyst price target of $18.12 and a 52-week trading range of $6.52 to $18.55. The company has a total market cap of $15 billion.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) dropped about 1% Thursday to post a new 52-week low of $11.50 after closing Wednesday at $11.61. The 52-week high is $19.28. Volume was about 30% lower than the daily average of about 13.7 million shares. The company had no specific news.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Marathon Oil (MRO) tumbled to the bottom of the S&P 500 today after oil tumbled after data pointed to higher inventories of crude.
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Marathon Oildropped 8.7% to $14.87, while the S&P 500 fell 0.2% to 2,362.98, as Front Month Nymex Crude futures for April delivery slid 5.4% to $50.28., leading some to wonder if the price oil could drop below $50 a barrel.
It wasn’t just Marathon that got clipped as the eight worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500 came from the energy sector, including Murphy Oil (MUR), which fell 6.7% to $25.87, Devon Energy (DVN), which slid 6.5% to $40.72, and Chesapeake Energy (CHK), which stumbled 6.1% to $4.94. No surprise, then, that the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) slumped 2.6% to $69.65.
The oil rout began after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. oil inventories rose by 8.2 million barrels to reach $518.4 million, a record level.
Marathon Oil’s market capitalization fell to $12.6 billion today from $13.8 billion yesterday. It reported a net loss of $2.1 billion on sales of $4.1 billion in 2016.
- [By Dustin Blitchok]
Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) was upgraded from Neutral to Positive at Susquehanna on Friday after the oil giant sold off its Canadian subsidiary for $2.5 billion and bought 71,000 acres of oil fields in New Mexico for $1.1 billion.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2018: Whiting Petroleum Corporation(WLL)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Paul Ausick]
Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) posted a new 52-week low of $4.81 on Friday, down about 7.5% compared with Thursday’s closing price of $5.20. The stock’s 52-week high is $13.39. Volume totaled around 21 million shares, about 5% higher than the daily average. The company had no specific news.
- [By Matthew DiLallo]
That sell-off in the oil market weighed on financially challenged oil stocks, which will struggle if crude continues dropping. Among the biggest losers were Abraxas Petroleum (NASDAQ:AXAS), Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL), Denbury Resources (NYSE:DNR), California Resources (NYSE:CRC), and Cobalt International Energy (NYSE:CIE).
- [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 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.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2018: Transocean Inc.(RIG)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [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.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) was last seen trading up 17.1% at $12.91. Its volume of more than 42 million shares equated to right at 3 times normal volume. Transocean has a consensus analyst price target of $9.72 and a 52-week trading range of $7.67 to $14.50. The company has a total market cap of $4.7 billion.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
The stock market lost ground on Monday, sending major market benchmarks lower by more than half a percentage point. The Dow lost its grip on the 20,000 mark in the wake of concerns about economic growth and new U.S. immigration policy, and some believe that the broader geopolitical climate could have a negative impact on global commerce that in turn could start affecting multinational corporations’ business prospects. In addition, bad news from some individual companies weighed on the markets, and Transocean (NYSE:RIG), Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD), and New Gold (NYSEMKT:NGD) were among the worst performers on the day. Below, we’ll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so poorly.
- [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 Chris Lange]
The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Thursday was Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) which traded down over 7% at $9.68. The stocks 52-week range is $8.68 to $16.66. Volume was about 19 million versus the daily average of 12.1 million shares.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2018: ONEOK Partners L.P.(OKS)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Garrett Cook]
Citi maintains Buy ratings on Targa Resources (NYSE: TRGP), ONEOK (NYSE: OKE) and Oneok Partners (NYSE: OKS) citing the companies stories around natural gas liquids (NGLs).
- [By Matthew DiLallo]
Energy infrastructure companies ONEOK (NYSE:OKE) and TransCanada (NYSE:TRP) are both emerging from the energy market downturn as stronger entities. Each made smart acquisitions, with TransCanada buying U.S. gas pipeline company Columbia Pipeline Group, while ONEOK is in the process of gobbling up its MLP,ONEOK Partners (NYSE:OKS). While these deals enhanced the growth profiles of both companies, TransCanada still stands out as the better buy for long-term income investors. Here’s why.
