Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:RIG,MMP,WLL,RRC,ECA,HAL,APA,MRO,WPZ,COP,

Stocks look set to end the week with a big drop as oil fell and investors around the world plunged into government bonds.

for The Wall Street Journal

S&P 500 futures have fallen 0.6%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures have declined 0.5%. Nasdaq Composite futures have dropped 0.7%.

Urban Outfitters (URBN) has tumbled 8.7% to $25.50 after reporting in an SEC filing that its same-store sales are dropping faster than Street expectations.

H&R Block (HRB) has climbed 3.1% to $22.20 after beating earnings forecasts by a penny and hiking its dividend.

Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) has gained 1.2% to $5.16 after getting upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Macquarie.

Mattress Firm (MFRM) has plunged 14% to $29.00 after missing earning forecasts and lowering its guidance.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Transocean Inc.(RIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Three stocks on my watchlist that look incredibly cheap and will likely be high up on my next buy list are LGI Homes (NASDAQ:LGIH), U.S. Silica Holdings (NYSE:SLCA), and Transocean (NYSE:RIG). Here's why they look compelling to me now and why Wall Street seems to be assigning them such modest valuations. 

• [By Max Byerly]

  Ocean Rig UDW (NYSE: RIG) and Transocean (NYSE:RIG) are both mid-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, valuation, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  An issue of Transocean LTD (NYSE:RIG) debt rose 2.5% against its face value during trading on Wednesday. The high-yield debt issue has a 6.8% coupon and will mature on March 15, 2038. The bonds in the issue are now trading at $85.45. Price moves in a company’s debt in credit markets sometimes anticipate parallel moves in its share price.

• [By Max Byerly]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of Transocean (NYSE:RIG) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning.

  Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on RIG. Bank of America increased their price objective on Transocean from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 18th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Transocean from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 30th. Susquehanna Bancshares set a $11.00 price objective on Transocean and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 12th. Cowen set a $11.00 price objective on Transocean and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, January 11th. Finally, Piper Jaffray set a $11.00 price objective on Transocean and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $11.79.

• [By The Ticker Tape]

  TD Ameritrade clients appeared to take some profits in multiple names during the period. Oil companies were popular sells with ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), BP  PLC (ADR) (NYSE: BP), National-Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE: NOV), and Transocean LTD (NYSE: RIG) all net sold. Oil prices traded near three-year highs on higher global demand and possible OPEC-led production cuts. COP and BP both traded at multi-year highs, while NOV and RIG reached 52-week highs, enticing clients to take profits in all four names. Alcoa Corp. (NYSE: AA) traded at levels not seen since before the financial crisis following proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, and was net sold. For the third month in a row, Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) was net sold after CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress regarding the misuse of user data and a beat on earnings.

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  Transocean Ltd  (NYSE:RIG)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 19, 2019, 9:00 a.m. ET

  Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks:

  Operator

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Magellan Midstream Partners L.P.(MMP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  The midstream partnership sector is deeply out of favor today, despite the fact that these companies provide vital services moving and processing oil and natural gas. For conservative investors, Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD) and Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE:MMP) are two high-yield stocks that appear to be on sale today, still off roughly 30% and 20% from their 2014 highs, respectively. Here's what you need to know to decide if Enterprise or Magellan is the better buy for you.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Over the past five years, Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP) has generated a total return of nearly 70%. That's quite impressive considering that most master limited partnerships (MLPs) have lost value over that timeframe. One of the reasons the company has delivered such strong total returns is that it has steadily increased its payout even as rivals have either stopped raising their distribution, or cut it. Magellan has avoided this fate by investing within its means instead of stretching to grow at a faster pace.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  If you are an investor in Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP), you aren't in it for the thrills of rapid growth and skyrocketing stock prices. Instead, you're probably looking for a consistent, reliable business that will continue to churn out cash. If that is the case, then this past quarter's earnings report was right up your alley. By no means was it exciting, but it was another quarter of delivering consistent results.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Whiting Petroleum Corporation(WLL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) was reiterated as Overweight and the target price was raised to $56 from $45 (versus a $50.78 close) at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with a $71 target price (versus a $50.48 close) at Morgan Stanley.

  Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included DocuSign, Embraer, Goodyear, Macy’s, Micron Technologies, Raytheon, Smartsheet and more.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE:WLL) – Seaport Global Securities increased their Q1 2019 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Whiting Petroleum in a report issued on Wednesday, May 23rd. Seaport Global Securities analyst M. Kelly now expects that the oil and gas exploration company will post earnings of $0.98 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.55. Seaport Global Securities has a “Buy” rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Seaport Global Securities also issued estimates for Whiting Petroleum’s Q2 2019 earnings at $0.87 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.85 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.89 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $3.58 EPS.

• [By Max Byerly]

  TCW Group Inc. raised its stake in Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE:WLL) by 21.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 25,733 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,618 shares during the period. TCW Group Inc.’s holdings in Whiting Petroleum were worth $871,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  ClariVest Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE:WLL) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 53,424 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,816,000.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Shares of Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE:WLL) have been given an average rating of “Buy” by the thirty-two ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have given a hold recommendation, fifteen have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $46.58.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Range Resources Corporation(RRC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) – Research analysts at Piper Jaffray Companies upped their Q1 2019 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Range Resources in a report issued on Monday, August 27th. Piper Jaffray Companies analyst D. Kistler now anticipates that the oil and gas exploration company will post earnings of $0.43 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.42. Piper Jaffray Companies has a “Buy” rating and a $27.00 price objective on the stock. Piper Jaffray Companies also issued estimates for Range Resources’ Q2 2019 earnings at $0.35 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.44 EPS, FY2019 earnings at $1.61 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $0.39 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $1.93 EPS.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Media headlines about Range Resources (NYSE:RRC) have been trending somewhat positive on Saturday, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. The research group identifies positive and negative press coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Range Resources earned a daily sentiment score of 0.07 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the oil and gas exploration company an impact score of 46.3371462950661 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) – Equities research analysts at Piper Jaffray Companies issued their Q3 2018 earnings per share estimates for shares of Range Resources in a report issued on Sunday, October 7th. Piper Jaffray Companies analyst K. Harrison expects that the oil and gas exploration company will post earnings of $0.17 per share for the quarter. Piper Jaffray Companies currently has a “Buy” rating and a $27.00 target price on the stock. Piper Jaffray Companies also issued estimates for Range Resources’ Q4 2018 earnings at $0.16 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $0.88 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $0.38 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $0.33 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.47 EPS, FY2019 earnings at $1.58 EPS, Q1 2020 earnings at $0.63 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $0.42 EPS, Q3 2020 earnings at $0.45 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $2.02 EPS.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Range Resources (RRC)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  OppenheimerFunds Inc. lowered its holdings in Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) by 68.2% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 30,532 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock after selling 65,576 shares during the quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc.’s holdings in Range Resources were worth $444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  RRCoin (CURRENCY:RRC) traded down 5% against the dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 14:00 PM ET on September 22nd. One RRCoin token can now be purchased for approximately $0.0093 or 0.00000139 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges. RRCoin has a total market cap of $0.00 and approximately $463,836.00 worth of RRCoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. In the last seven days, RRCoin has traded 1.4% higher against the dollar.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Encana Corporation(ECA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Sentinel Trust Co. LBA lessened its stake in shares of Encana Corp (NYSE:ECA) (TSE:ECA) by 37.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 328,255 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 195,760 shares during the quarter. Encana accounts for about 1.0% of Sentinel Trust Co. LBA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Sentinel Trust Co. LBA’s holdings in Encana were worth $4,283,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shares of Encana Corp (NYSE:ECA) (TSE:ECA) have been given an average rating of “Buy” by the twenty-four analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twenty-one have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $16.17.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Encana (NYSE:ECA) (TSE:ECA) had its target price raised by Morgan Stanley from $16.00 to $20.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning. Morgan Stanley currently has a buy rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Halliburton Company(HAL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) had its buy rating reiterated by analysts at Raymond James. They currently have a $55.00 price target on the stock.

  Hannover Re Common Stock (FRA:HNR1) had its neutral rating reiterated by analysts at DZ Bank AG.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. decreased its position in shares of Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) by 2.9% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 43,482 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock after selling 1,312 shares during the period. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Halliburton were worth $2,035,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Earnings season is now in full swing, with today's key reports from Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL) and Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL). Thanks to tax cuts, expectations are high. Analysts expect profit growth to top 18%, which would be the biggest jump in seven years. But there are a few bearish trends that are still lurking in the market. And if you're serious about making money, you need to know how to harness them and target individual stocks for life-changing gains. Money Morning Quantitative Specialist Chris Johnson explains.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  SemGroup (NYSE: SEMG) and Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability and risk.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Apache Corporation(APA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Both Apache (NYSE:APA) and Noble Energy (NYSE:NBL) have signed on to the private-equity-backed EPIC Pipeline, which will move 590,000 barrels of crude per day to the Texas coast when it starts operations in the second half of next year.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Apache (NYSE:APA) was upgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a sell rating to a hold rating.

  Get Apache Co alerts:

  Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) was upgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a sell rating to a hold rating.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  The IEA's forecast bodes well for oil stocks, especially those that have underperformed during the rally over the past year. Two that stand out are Newfield Exploration (NYSE:NFX) and Apache (NYSE:APA), since both have lost value even though oil has been red-hot. Because of that, they trade at dirt cheap valuations versus their peers. That underperformance doesn't make sense given the growth these companies can deliver at much lower oil prices.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Apache Co. (NYSE:APA) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 4,704 shares of the energy company’s stock, valued at approximately $220,000.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close was Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) which rose over 5% to $41.75. The stock's 52-week range is $33.60 to $51.21. Volume was 4.8 million compared to the daily average volume of 4.4 million.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Marathon Oil Corporation(MRO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Marathon Oil (MRO)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market largely gained ground on Friday, although triple-digit gains for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were offset somewhat by modest losses in the Nasdaq Composite. European Union tariffs were set to take effect today on more than $3 billion in U.S. goods, representing the latest escalation in trade tensions between the U.S. and trade partners across the globe. Yet investors were ready for a break after several days of poor performance for the overall market, and good news from several companies helped set a positive mood on Wall Street. Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO), WillScot (NASDAQ: WSC), and Del Taco Restaurants (NASDAQ:TACO) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) is another oil company built to thrive at lower oil prices. At $50 oil, Marathon can generate enough cash to grow production at a 10% to 14% annual pace for the next several years while living within cash flow. At $60 oil, Marathon's plan would generate about $500 million in free cash flow. With oil above that level even after the recent OPEC chatter, Marathon is on pace to produce a windfall of excess cash this year. 

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  The company's Powder River Basin assets also generated strong drilling results, with several wells topping 1,000 BOE/D. Finally, while the company did drill four wells in the Bakken, it has deferred completing them until later this year. That program is one to keep an eye on given the results Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) delivered last quarter, when it completed record-setting wells in the Three Forks and Middle Bakken formations.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, January 30th, RTT News reports. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of 0.05 per share by the oil and gas producer on Monday, March 11th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 19th.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Williams Partners L.P.(WPZ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) was off to a great start in 2018 thanks to the growth of its majority-owned master limited partnership, Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ). There's plenty more where that came from, which was clear from the comments of CEO Alan Armstrong on the accompanying quarterly conference call. While he didn't fill in every detail about what lies ahead, he made sure investors knew that the company's future looks bright.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Natural gas pipeline giant Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) announced today that it agreed to acquire the rest of its master limited partnership (MLP) Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) that it didn't already own in a $10.5 billion deal. Not to be outdone, Canadian energy infrastructure giant Enbridge (NYSE:ENB) made an offer to acquire its namesake MLP Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE:EEP), along with the rest of its publicly traded entities, including Spectra Energy Partners (NYSE:SEP). These transactions have big implications not only for investors in these entities but for those who own other pipeline companies, too.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Natural gas pipeline giant Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) and its MLP Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) reported mixed second-quarter results after the close Wednesday. Earnings declined fractionally due to asset sales and some higher costs. Cash flow, on the other hand, moved slightly higher thanks in part to lower interest expenses as a result of  debt reduction. However, while both numbers underwhelmed in Q2, they should head much higher in the coming year because Williams has several expansion projects under way that should boost its bottom line.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ) and Targa Resources (NYSE:TRGP) are both large-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and valuation.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market stayed in a pretty narrow range on Thursday, climbing early in the session but then slowly drifting lower through the afternoon hours. In the absence of major news, investors largely looked forward to key events like trade negotiations among the world's largest economies. Other financial markets saw mixed moves as well, with 10-year Treasury yields climbing above 3.1% while oil prices stayed comfortably above $70 per barrel. Despite the quiet day, some companies had good news that pushed their shares sharply higher. World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE:WWE), Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:CHK), and Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) were among the best performers on the day. Below, we'll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so well.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: ConocoPhillips(COP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Naples Global Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 8.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,279 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 648 shares during the quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $495,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Arrow Financial Corp grew its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 23.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,894 shares of the energy producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,695 shares during the quarter. Arrow Financial Corp’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $554,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) has been one of the hottest oil stocks in the sector over the past year. Shares of the U.S. oil giant are up an eye-popping 57% over that time frame, adding $26 billion to its market cap. That's a significantly higher return than most other oil stocks, which are only up by a mid-teens rate on average.

• [By ]

  As things stand right now, analysts anticipate that at least some Iranian oil will come off the market as a result of the sanctions. That lost output would further tighten an oil market that suddenly has little margin for error thanks to red-hot demand and tame supply growth. That's the recipe for higher oil prices and could make top-tier U.S. oil stocks Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE:APC), Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) big winners in the coming years.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  However, the region has been growing so fast that oil producers are on pace to exceed its pipeline capacity in a matter of months. While several new lines are under development, drillers have already started slowing down. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) and Noble Energy (NYSE:NBL) were among several producers that recently announced plans to reallocate some of their drilling activities to other regions. In ConocoPhillips' case, it plans to drill more wells in the Eagle Ford shale, while Noble Energy will likely allocate more capital to Eagle Ford and the DJ Basin.