Best Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:MMP,WPZ,MRO,APA,WLL,HAL,

Vladimir Putin stands accused in the media and global public opinion of rigging his recent reelection, imprisoning his political enemies, murdering Russian spies turned double-agent, meddling in Western elections, seizing Crimea, destabilizing Ukraine, supporting a murderous dictator in Syria and exporting arms to terrorist nations like Iran.

At the same time, the country of Russia is more than Mr. Putin, despite his authoritarian and heavy-handed methods. Russia is the world's 12th-largest economy, with a GDP in excess of $1.5 trillion, larger than many developed economies such as Australia (No. 13), Spain (No. 14) and the Netherlands (No. 18).

Its export sector produces a positive balance of trade for Russia, currently running at over $16 billion per month. Russia has not had a trade deficit in over 20 years. Russia is also the world's largest oil producer, with output of 10.6 million barrels per day, larger than both Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Russia has the largest landmass of any country in the world and a population of 144 million people, the ninth largest of any country. Russia is also the third-largest gold-producing nation in the world, with total production of 250 tons per year, about 8% of total global output and solidly ahead of the U.S., Canada and South Africa.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Danny Vena, Timothy Green, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  With that in mind, we asked three Motley Fool investors to choose companies they believed would help baby boomers reach their goals. They offered convincing arguments for Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE:MMP), General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).

• [By Motley Fool Transcribing]

  Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallJan. 31, 2019 1:30 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Meanwhile, Valero Energy is investing in new midstream infrastructure that it could eventually drop down to its MLP, including those under construction in two joint ventures it formed with Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP) last year. The first one will invest $380 million in building new refined products pipelines and storage assets in central Texas, which should start service by the middle of next year. Meanwhile, Valero and Magellan Midstream are also building a new marine terminal near Houston. Valero will pour $410 million into the terminal, which should start up in early 2020. Magellan sees the potential to invest another $700 million to double the terminal's size in the future, which is a project that it could partner with Valero.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Oil and gas investors have been through the wringer over the past few years. Even the most stable investments in this industry -- pipelines, processing, and logistics -- haven't been spared. Case in point: Shares of Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP) have declined 18% over the past three years despite the company posting consistent revenue and cash flow growth. To top it off, there has been a slew of regulatory and tax changes in recent months that will have a significant impact on this particular industry.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Williams Partners (WPZ)

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Williams Pipeline Partners LP (NYSE:WPZ) – US Capital Advisors decreased their Q3 2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Williams Pipeline Partners in a research note issued to investors on Monday, May 14th. US Capital Advisors analyst B. Followill now forecasts that the pipeline company will post earnings per share of $0.39 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.41. US Capital Advisors also issued estimates for Williams Pipeline Partners’ Q4 2018 earnings at $0.45 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $1.87 EPS.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Loxo Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOXO) rose 17.1 percent to $163.30 in pre-market trading as the company disclosed that LOXO-292 Phase 1 trial abstract was selected for 'Best of ASCO'. CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTMX) rose 11.5 percent to $27.15 in pre-market trading after the company announced presentations at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting. Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) rose 12.3 percent to $5.47 in pre-market trading after reporting narrower-than-expected Q1 loss. Flotek Industries, Inc. (NYSE: FTK) shares rose 7.1 percent to $3.62 in the pre-market trading session. Baozun Inc. (NASDAQ: BZUN) shares rose 5.8 percent to $47.65 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) rose 5.5 percent to $46.00 in pre-market trading. Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) rose 5.3 percent to $40.50 in pre-market trading after The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE: WMB) announced agreement to acquire all public equity of Williams Partners in a $10.5 billion deal. Koss Corporation (NASDAQ: KOSS) shares rose 4.6 percent to $2.72 in pre-market trading after surging 12.55 percent on Wednesday. Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) rose 4.5 percent to $5.85 in pre-market trading after gaining 5.66 percent on Wednesday. Farmer Bros. Co. (NASDAQ: FARM) rose 4.1 percent to $27 in pre-market trading after climbing 7.90 percent on Wednesday. Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE: KOS) rose 4 percent to $7.70 in pre-market trading.

   

• [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.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) CEO Lee Tillman feels the same way. He stated on the company's first-quarter call that: "Our financial flexibility is at the top of our peer group and was further strengthened by receipt of proceeds from Libya and our final Canadian oil sands payment. This flexibility allows us to pursue multiple high-return uses of free cash, but we are taking a disciplined approach and we are not considering large-scale M&A."

• [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 Zacks]

  Oil production is surging in Canada but producers are far from happy as their profit margin is sinking and they are striving to stay competitive with their U.S. counterparts. While upstream companies like Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO), Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) and others are enjoying the shale boom and rebound in prices in the United States, their Canadian counterparts like Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE: CVE) and others are thinking of reducing production. The primary reason behind this is the shortage of pipelines in the country. In short, pipeline construction in Canada has failed to keep pace with rising domestic oil production – the heavier sour variety churned out of the oil sands –  resulting in infrastructural bottlenecks. This has also forced producers to give away their products at a discounted rate.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) based its 2019 plans on oil averaging $50 a barrel. At that price point, the company can fund its $2.6 billion capital spending plan -- enough money to grow its U.S. oil production by 12% this year -- and its dividend with plenty of room to spare. Marathon has so much breathing room that it can fund its 2019 budget as well as its dividend at $45 oil, which means it's on track to produce a gusher of free cash now that oil is in the mid-$50s. Marathon currently expects to return the bulk of that money to shareholders through additional share repurchases, which sets up investors to potentially earn some high-octane total returns this year if oil keeps going higher.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $22.09, but opened at $21.63. Marathon Oil shares last traded at $21.47, with a volume of 12430818 shares traded.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of Melrose Industries PLC (LON:MRO) have received an average rating of “Buy” from the nine analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 255 ($3.30).

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey, John Bromels, and Anders Bylund]

  Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU), Apache (NYSE:APA), and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) are three such companies that Wall Street has given up on, but that could be a big mistake. Here are the reasons why three Motley Fool contributors think the market is wrong about these stocks.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA) stunned the oil and gas world in late 2016 by announcing the discovery of the Alpine High play in a long-overlooked spot of the Permian Basin. The company believed that it had uncovered more than 3 billion barrels of oil and even more natural gas, which would drive growth for years to come. However, that growth wouldn't materialize overnight because Apache first had to build out the infrastructure needed to develop the field from scratch. 

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  To see why we believe some of the richest players in the world are preparing for a market collapse, click here.

  Stocks to Watch Today: WTW, CHK, BBY Shares of Weight Watchers International Inc. (NASDAQ: WTW) cratered more than 30% after the company fell well short of earnings expectations after the bell and issued worse-than-expected 2019 guidance. The firm reported adjusted earnings of $0.46, a figure that missed expectations by $0.14. The firm also issued weak forward guidance. After yesterday's slump, Oprah Winfrey's stake in the company plunged by a whopping $48 million. Shares of Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) popped 10.2% after the natural gas producer reported earnings before the bell. Higher natural gas prices in the fourth quarter helped bolster the firm's bottom line. Total natural gas sales jumped 37% in Q4 to $3.07 billion, well above analysts' expectations of $2.28 billion. That strong natural gas revenue helped the firm report adjusted EPS of $0.49, which was a 49% jump year over year. Shares of Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) popped 10% after the electronics retailer topped Wall Street earnings expectations before the bell. The firm's profit of $2.72 topped consensus expectations by $0.15 per share. The firm cited stronger-than-expected same-store sales, hiked its dividend from $0.45 to $0.50, and issued a positive 2019 outlook. Today, look for more earnings reports from Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA), Box Inc. (NYSE: BOX), Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB), Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF), Fitbit Inc. (NYSE: FIT), HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ), L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB), Lowe's Co. Inc. (NYSE: LOW), Office Depot Inc. (NYSE: ODP), and Square Inc. (NYSE: SQ).

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of DFT Energy LP's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=DFT+Energy+LP

  These are the top 5 holdings of DFT Energy LPWhiting Petroleum Corp (WLL) - 400,000 shares, 18.19% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 2.56%Hess Corp (HES) - 170,000 shares, 11.57% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 30.77%Noble Energy Inc (NBL) - 200,000 shares, 8.15% of the total portfolio. Southwestern Energy Co (SWN) - 1,360,000 shares, 7.92% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 4.62%Anadarko Petroleum Corp (APC)
• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL) bounded upward more than 55% for the quarter, fueled by rising crude prices and its strong first-quarter results. After struggling to scrape by on lower oil prices, Whiting's cash flow has surged this year, providing it enough money to fund its drilling program with more than $100 million to spare during the first quarter.

• [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.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Penn Capital Management Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE:WLL) in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 318,157 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,783,000.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday. The firm issued an outperform rating and a $67.00 price objective on the oil and gas exploration company’s stock. Oppenheimer also issued estimates for Whiting Petroleum’s Q3 2018 earnings at $0.64 EPS, Q4 2018 earnings at $0.80 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $2.97 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $1.45 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $1.50 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $5.99 EPS.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) by 7.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,922,654 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock after acquiring an additional 212,459 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Halliburton were worth $132,397,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market had another topsy-turvy day, with various major benchmarks moving in different directions from each other. The worst losses came for the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, which was down largely on worries about social media companies and the potential for government regulation of their operations. Elsewhere, though, a few indexes actually managed to post gains, with investors overcoming anxiety on trade and instead focusing on favorable business fundamentals. Some troubling news affecting certain high-profile individual stocks weighed on the overall market. RH (NYSE:RH), Workday (NASDAQ:WDAY), and Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) were among the worst performers on the day. Here's why they did so poorly.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage loss in the S&P 500 ahead of the close was Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) which fell about 6% to $37.05. The stock's 52-week range is $36.82 to $57.86. Volume was about 18 million compared to the daily average volume of about 8 million.

• [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.

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Packer & Co Ltd's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Packer+%26+Co+Ltd

  These are the top 5 holdings of Packer & Co LtdBall Corp (BLL) - 625,005 shares, 7.52% of the total portfolio. Hess Corp (HES) - 2,039,400 shares, 6.78% of the total portfolio. Anadarko Petroleum Corp (APC) - 1,432,600 shares, 6.35% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 14.37%Citigroup Inc (C) - 604,500 shares, 6.34% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 11.04%General Electric Co (GE) - 1,118,800 shares, 5.98% o