If you read an earnings report or listened to conference call this quarter, you might have heard a recurring theme. Or at least I did, as almost every company I followed this earnings season blamed Mother Nature for missing analyst estimates. What was interesting is that this time it wasn't the retailers that were using the weather as an excuse. Instead, companies engaged in oil and gas production were the ones�complaining about the weather.
On Heckmann's (NYSE: HEK ) recent conference all, the frack-water treatment specialist made mention of the weather nearly two dozen times. The executive chairman led off the call by saying, "As you can see by our release, we had a very strong quarter in the face of fairly tough weather." The company missed analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines, and "without question weather was the biggest factor for the first quarter," according to CEO Mark Johnsrud.
Top 5 Gas Stocks To Own Right Now: Halliburton Company(HAL)
Halliburton Company provides various products and services to the energy industry for the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas worldwide. It operates in two segments, Completion and Production, and Drilling and Evaluation. The Completion and Production segment offers production enhancement services, completion tools and services, cementing services, and Boots & Coots. Its production enhancement services include stimulation and sand control services; completion tools and services comprise subsurface safety valves and flow control equipment, surface safety systems, packers and specialty completion equipment, intelligent completion systems, expandable liner hanger systems, sand control systems, well servicing tools, and reservoir performance services; cementing services consist of bonding the well and well casing, while isolating fluid zones and maximizing wellbore stability, and casing equipment; and Boots & Coots include well intervention services , pressure control, equipment rental tools and services, and pipeline and process services. The Drilling and Evaluation segment provides field and reservoir modeling, drilling, evaluation, and wellbore placement solutions that enable customers to model, measure, and optimize their well construction activities. Its services comprise fluid services, drilling services, drill bits, wireline and perforating services, testing and subsea services, software and asset solutions, and integrated project management and consulting services. The company serves independent, integrated, and national oil companies. Halliburton Company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Conrad]
Halliburton (HAL-N32.381.876.13%), like Schlumberger, is an oilfield-services company, with completion and production as well as drilling and evaluation segments. Halliburton is scheduled to release fourth-quarter results this morning. Analysts forecast an adjusted profit of 63 cents, equivalent to 126 per cent year-over-year growth, and $4.9-billion of sales, equivalent to 32 per cent year-over-year growth. In the third quarter, Halliburton posted 87 per cent profit growth, beating the consensus expectation by 3.4 per cent, but its stock still fell 4.8 per cent on the announcement. Analysts are bullish on Halliburton, with 89 per cent advising clients to purchase shares. A $53.21 me dian target implies 37 per cent upside.
Bullish Scenario: Deutsche Bank predicts that the stock will soar 61 per cent to $63 in 2011.
Bearish Scenario: Sanford Bernstein rates the stock “market perform” with a $46 target.
- [By ETF Authority]
Halliburton (HAL) is trading at $36.26. HAL is one of the leading oil equipment and service companies. The shares have traded in a range between $27.21 to $57.77 in the past 52 weeks. The 50-day moving avera ge is $39.37 and the 200-day moving average is $45.12. Earnings estimates for HAL are at $3.37 per share in 2011, and $4.49 for 2012. The book value is about $12.68. HAL pays a dividend of 36 cents per share which gives a yield of 1%. In July, 2011, UBS set a price target of $68 per share for HAL.
- [By Ethan Roberts]
The third company with “energized” insider buying is oil and gas producer Haliburton (NYSE:HAL). On Feb. 3, Director Murry Gerber purchased 30,000 shares of HAL stock at $36.84 per share, for a total of over $1.1 million. However, Gerber is a fairly new board member, so that somewhat tempers my enthusiasm for his fi rst purchase since becoming a director. And unfortunately for him, those shares could have been purchased for as little as $31 as recently as December 2011.
In fact, it was quite an interesting week for Gerber, who also purchased over $1.1 million worth of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) stock the day before.
It’s been a roller coaster ride for Haliburton, which provides various products and services to the energy industry for exploring, developing and producing oil and natural gas worldwide, in the past year. After peaking in August around $57 per share, the stock pulled all the way back to below $28 in October, but has fought its way back to above $38 in February.
HAL has a current P/E of 12.02 and, but a meager 1% dividend yield. As with Dominion, if natural gas and oil prices continue to rise, this stock should benefit. However, as the one-year daily chart shows, there’s some overhead resistance at $38 and then again at $40. For that reason, I would look for a pullback to between $35 and $ 35.50 before purchasing HAL.
It’s also comforting to know that one would be buying shares cheaper than the company insiders!
Top 5 Gas Stocks To Own Right Now: Worthington Energy Inc (WGAS)
Worthington Energy, Inc. (Worthington), formerly Paxton Energy, Inc., incorporated July 30, 2004, is an oil and gas exploration and production company with assets in Texas and in the Gulf of Mexico. Worthington�� assets in Texas consist of a minority working interest in limited production and drilling prospects in the Cooke Ranch area of La Salle County, Texas, and Jefferson County, Texas, all operated by Bayshore Exploration L.L.C. (Bayshore). The Company�� assets in the Gulf of Mexico consist of a leasehold working interests in certain oil and gas leases located offshore from Louisiana, upon which no drilling or production has commenced as of December 31, 2011, and a 10.35% interest in the recently drilled I-1 well and a 2% royalty interest in 14,400 acres in the Mustang Island Tract 818. On March 27, 2012, it acquired certain assets from Black Cat Exploration & Production, LLC.
In Texas, the Company has working interests ranging from 4% to 31.75% (net revenue interests ranging from 3% to 23.8125%) in the various wells. In the Gulf of Mexico it has a 70% leasehold working interest, with a net revenue interest of 51.975%, of certain oil and gas leases in the Vermillion 179 tract and 10.35% interest in the recently drilled I-1 well and a 2% royalty interest in 14,400 acres in the Mustang Island Tract 818. As of December 31, 2011, it had one producing well that generated average total monthly net revenue.
The Mustang Island 818-L Field, located in the Kleberg County waters of the Gulf of Mexico, is a field re-habilitation project targeting bypassed or only partially produced gas-condensate. Total production from the wells within the seismic coverage was 125.6 billion cubic feet. In January 2011, the Hercules Offshore 205 jack-up rig was contracted to re-enter the I-Well on the Mustang License Area. The oil and gas leases are located in the VM 179, which is in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico offshore from Louisiana. VM 179 is at 85 inches water depth approximately ! 46 miles offshore Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico.
10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own Right Now: Occidental Petroleum Corporation(OXY)
Occidental Petroleum Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an oil and gas exploration and production company primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Oil and Gas; Chemical; and Midstream, Marketing, and Other. The Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and condensate and natural gas. Its domestic oil and gas operations are located in Texas, New Mexico, California, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, and West Virginia; and international oil and gas operations are located in Bahrain, Bolivia, Colombia, Iraq, Libya, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. As of December 31, 2010, this segment had proved reserves of approximately 3,363 million barrels of oil equivalent. The Chemical segment manufactures and markets basic chemicals, including chlorine, caustic soda, chlorinated organics, potassium chemicals, and ethylene dichloride products; vinyls, such as vinyl chloride monomer and polyvinyl chloride; and other chemicals comprising chlorinated isocyanurates, resorcinol, sodium silicates, and calcium chloride products. The Midstream, Marketing, and Other segment gathers, treats, processes, transports, stores, purchases, and markets crude oil that includes natural gas liquids and condensate, as well as natural gas and carbon dioxide. This segment also involves in the power generation; and trades around its assets comprising pipelines and storage capacity, as well as oil and gas, other commodities, and commodity-related securities. Occidental Petroleum Corporation was founded in 1920 and is based in Los Angeles, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Gordon Wilcox]
Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) Occidental, the fourth-largest U.S. oil company by market value, announced earlier this year it would reduce its Bakken Shale footprint due to high operating costs. However, the California-based company emphasized Bakken is still part of its long-term plans. Additionally, it should be noted Occidental said it would shift resources out of the Bakken to other U.S. shale plays, such as the Monterey Shale and the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico.
As is the case with most oil equities, there are risks that must be acknowledged with Occidental. First, while the company does not drill offshore, it does operate in some politically volatile places, including Libya. Second, the company is the dominant producer in the Monterey Shale, but California has been slow to approve new drilling permits there. That could weight on Occidental’s output numbers over the medium-term.
On the bright side, Occidental does compensate investors for their patience. The dividend has more than quadrupled since 2003.
- [By Paul]
Occidental Petroleum (OXY-N75.722.463.36%) is an integrated oil-and-gas company, with operations in the U.S.
The Los Angeles-based company has strong operating momentum, having grown 12-month sales 27 per cent and net income 76 per cent. Its stock has been a top performer over a three-year span, having gained 12 per cent a year, on average. Occidental has a market capitalization of $78-billion. It receives positive rankings from 84 per cent of researchers. It is scheduled to report fourth-quarter results on Jan. 26. Analysts forecast a 17 per cent year-over-year rise in adjusted earnings and a 7.6 per cent gain in sales. Occidental has an average earnings surprise rate of 6.6 per cent. It beat the consensus expectation by 8.2 per cent last quarter.
Like Chevron and El Paso, what is most attractive about Occidental is its relative value amid strong secular growth. Its stock sells for a forward earnings multiple of 13 and a book value multiple of 2.5, 28 per cent and 43 per cent peer discounts. Its PEG ratio, the stock's P/E divided by researcher's long-term growth forecast, of 0.3 represents a 70 per cent discount to estimated fair value, a compelling bargain. Occidental pays a quarterly dividend of 38 cents, converting to an annual yield of 1.6 per cent. It has grown the payout 16 per cent and 18 per cent annually, on average, respectively, over three- and five-year spans. JPMorgan, optimistic about Occidental's long-term trajectory, is skeptical of the recent rally.
Bullish Scenario: Goldman Sachs has a target of $111, suggesting a 13 per cent advance.
Bearish Scenario: JPMorgan has a target of $90, implying that the stock will drop 8 per cent.
- [By Steven Goldberg]
Occidental Petroleum (OXY, $86.66, 3.0%) finds most of its oil and gas in Texas and California, largely through cost-effective techniques of drilling in proven oilfields. The company, which also operates abroad, has a strong balance sheet that lets it take advantage of distressed properties. Unlike many major oil and gas companies, Oxy Pete isn't burdened by a low-profit refining and marketing business (that is, gasoline stations). The stock changes hands at 12 times estimated earnings for the next 12 months. Oxy says it will probably buy back shares in the near future.
Top 5 Gas Stocks To Own Right Now: Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP (BWP)
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP is a limited partnership company. The Company owns and operates three interstate natural gas pipeline systems including integrated storage facilities. Its business is conducted by its primary subsidiary, Boardwalk Pipelines, LP (Boardwalk Pipelines) and its subsidiaries, Gulf Crossing Pipeline Company LLC (Gulf Crossing), Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP (Gulf South) and Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (Texas Gas) (together, the operating subsidiaries), which consist of integrated natural gas pipeline and storage systems. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it formed Boardwalk Midstream, LP (Midstream), and its operating subsidiary, Boardwalk Field Services, LLC (Field Services), which is engaged in the natural gas gathering and processing business. In December 2011, Boardwalk HP Storage Company, LLC (HP Storage), a joint venture between Boardwalk Pipelines and Boardwalk Pipelines Holding Corp. (BPHC) acquired Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C. (Petal), Hattiesburg Gas Storage Company (Hattiesburg). In December 2011, it acquired a 20% equity interest in HP Storage.
The Company�� pipeline systems originate in the Gulf Coast region, Oklahoma and Arkansas and extend north and east to the midwestern states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. It serves a mix of customers, including producers, local distribution companies (LDCs), marketers, electric power generators, direct industrial users and interstate and intrastate pipelines. The Company provides a portion of its pipeline transportation and storage services, through firm contracts, under which the Company�� customers pay monthly capacity reservation charges. Other charges are based on actual utilization of the capacity under firm contracts and contracts for interruptible services. During 2011, approximately 82% of its revenues were derived from capacity reservation charges under firm contracts; approximately 14% of its revenues were derived from charges-based on actual utilization under firm contr! acts, and approximately 4% of its revenues were derived from interruptible transportation, interruptible storage, parking and lending (PAL) and other services. Its expansion projects include South Texas Eagle Ford Expansionand Marcellus Gathering System and HP Storage.
Pipeline and Storage Systems
The Company�� operating subsidiaries own and operate approximately 14,200 miles of pipelines, directly serving customers in twelve states and indirectly serving customers throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States through numerous interconnections with unaffiliated pipelines. In 2011, its pipeline systems transported approximately 2.7 trillion cubic feet of gas. Average daily throughput on its pipeline systems during 2011 was approximately 7.3 billion cubic feet. Its natural gas storage facilities are comprised of eleven underground storage fields located in four states with aggregate working gas capacity of approximately 167.0 billion cubic feet. the Company operates the assets of HP Storage on behalf of the joint venture.
The principal sources of supply for our pipeline systems are regional supply hubs and market centers located in the Gulf Coast region, including offshore Louisiana, the Perryville, Louisiana area, the Henry Hub in Louisiana and the Carthage, Texas area. Its pipelines in the Carthage, Texas area provide access to natural gas supplies from the Bossier Sands, Barnett Shale, Haynesville Shale and other gas producing regions in eastern Texas and northern Louisiana. The Henry Hub serves as the designated delivery point for natural gas futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Its pipeline systems also have access to unconventional mid-continent supplies, such as the Woodford Shale in southeastern Oklahoma and the Fayetteville Shale in Arkansas. The Company also accesses the Eagle Ford Shale in southern Texas; wellhead supplies in northern and southern Louisiana and Mississippi; and Canadian natural gas through an unaffil! iated pip! eline interconnect at Whitesville, Kentucky.
Gulf Crossing
The Company�� Gulf Crossing pipeline system originates near Sherman, Texas, and proceeds to the Perryville, Louisiana area. The market areas are in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Florida through interconnections with Gulf South, Texas Gas and unaffiliated pipelines.
Gulf South
The Company�� Gulf South pipeline system is located along the Gulf Coast in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The on-system markets directly served by the Gulf South system are generally located in eastern Texas, Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. These markets include LDCs and municipalities located across the system, including New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, and other end-users located across the system, including the Baton Rouge to New Orleans industrial corridor and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Gulf South also has indirect access to off-system markets through numerous interconnections with unaffiliated interstate and intrastate pipelines and storage facilities. These pipeline interconnections provide access to markets throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States.
Gulf South has two natural gas storage facilities. The gas storage facility located in Bistineau, Louisiana, has approximately 78 billion cubic feet of working gas storage capacity from which Gulf South offers firm and interruptible storage service, including no-notice service. Gulf South�� Jackson, Mississippi, gas storage facility has approximately five billion cubic feet of working gas storage capacity, which is used for operational purposes and is not offered for sale to the market.
Texas Gas
The Company�� Texas Gas pipeline system originates in Louisiana, East Texas and Arkansas and runs north and east through Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, K! entucky, ! Indiana, and into Ohio, with smaller diameter lines extending into Illinois. Texas Gas directly serves LDCs, municipalities and power generators in its market area, which encompasses eight states in the South and Midwest and includes the Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and Evansville and Indianapolis, Indiana metropolitan areas. Texas Gas also has indirect market access to the Northeast through interconnections with unaffiliated pipelines. Texas Gas owns nine natural gas storage fields, of which it owns the majority of the working and base gas. Texas Gas uses this gas to meet the operational requirements of its transportation and storage customers and the requirements of its no-notice service customers.
Field Services
In 2011, the Company formed its Field Services subsidiary and transferred to it approximately 100 miles of gathering and transmission pipeline. In 2012, the Company transferred to Field Services an additional 240 miles of pipeline and two compressor stations. Field Services is developing gathering and processing capabilities in south Texas and Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Michael Brush]
As for Boardwalk Pipeline Partners (NYSE:BWP), it operates natural gas pipelines in the U.S. transporting about 10% of the nation's natural gas on an annual basis. Although it generates just 6% of Loews' overall net income, it does so on a consistent basis. Personally, I like the natural gas tie-in. Lastly, it owns 100% of privately operated HighMount Exploration and Production, a Texas-based company that produces natural gas, LNG and oil in Texas and Oklahoma. In 2012, as a result of lower natural gas prices, it's had to take large impairment charges on its natural gas revenue. I'd expect its situation to improve in 2013. Loews has increased its book value per share by approximately 9.5% on an annualized basis over the past five years. Owning its stock instead of the energy-related holdings directly allows you to benefit from its other holdings at the same time.
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