Some have wondered why gas prices haven't plunged while America's energy production booms. The simple answer is that oil is a global commodity and fairly easy to transport, so it's priced on the global market. Rising U.S. production has been mostly offset by Iranian sanctions. There's little net impact on price.
Natural gas is different. It's more difficult to transport, so prices tend to vary depending on location. America's energy boom has pushed natural gas prices down, hitting decade-lows last year. That has a big impact on home energy bills, as the Energy Information Administration noted this week:
Consumers spent 2.7% of their household income on home energy bills last year, the lowest percentage in 10 years. Aggregate home energy expenditures by U.S. households fell $12 billion in 2012 from the 2011 level. In 2012, prices for residential natural gas decreased 3% from the previous year, while household electricity prices stayed about the same.�
Top 5 Oil Companies To Watch For 2014: El Paso Corporation(EP)
El Paso Corporation operates in the natural gas transmission, and exploration and production sectors of the energy industry primarily in the United States. It offers natural gas transmission services to a range of customers, including natural gas producers, marketers, and end-users, as well as other natural gas transmission, distribution, and electric generation companies through its interests in approximately 43,100 miles of interstate pipeline system. The company also operates approximately 240 billion cubic feet of storage capacity, and an LNG receiving terminal in Elba Island, Georgia. In addition, El Paso Corporation focuses on the exploration, acquisition, development, and production of natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids in the United States, Brazil, and Egypt, as well as engages in midstream business. The company primarily sells its domestic natural gas and oil to third parties. As of December 31, 2010, it had proved natural gas and oil reserves of approximat ely 3.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalents. The company was founded in 1928 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Louis Navellier]
El Paso Corp. (NYSE:EP) is an energy company that operates in the natural gas transmission and exploration and production sectors of the energy industry. Clearly the turbulent market hasn’t affected El Paso stock — it’s up 40% year to date.
- [By Brian Stoffel]
El Paso, added to the Rising Star collection by Jordan DiPietro, is a two-headed beast. "El Paso is an exploration and production company second, and a pipeline operator first," he says.
This means that while exploration and production are subject to the vagaries of changing oil prices, the pipelines can act as a steady stream of reliable income.
So far, the company's objective of building out its pipelines has been coming up aces: "[El Paso] has three pipeline projects that are on schedule and expected to come in about 25% under budget. With an $8 billion backlog of pipeline projects coming into fruition in the next few years, the company has multiple opportunities to boost earnings."
- [By Ken Sweet]
Shares of El Paso Corp. (EP), owner of the nation's largest natural gas pipeline network, got a boost from increased investor interest in natural gas and stronger-than-expected earnings.
The company recently raised its full-year guidance to between $1and $1.10 a share, citing higher oil and gas prices.
Investors also responded positively to El Paso's decision last month to spin off its natural gas exploration and production division into a separate company, allowing El Paso to focus solely on its pipeline, transportation and distribution businesses.
- [By Chuck]
El Paso (EP-N17.920.372.11%) is a natural gas transmission, exploration and production company. It receives “buy” ratings from an impressive 80 per cent of analysts.
El Paso has significant interests in the 42,000-mile North American natural gas pipeline system, which will increase in importance in coming years as the U.S. segues from foreign-produced oil to domestically-abundant natural gas. El Paso has grown net income 7.2 per cent a year, on average, since 2007, but cut its dividend from a high of five cents in 2009, hurting its perception with investors. Currently, the company pays one cent a quarter, equaling an annual yield of 0.3 per cent. Analysts don't expect a near-term boost.
Still, El Paso is an attractive investment because it has pricing power over those who need to transport or store natural gas and has ample profit margins. In the third quarter, the gross margin jumped from 54 per cent to 64 per cent and the operating margin rose from 34 per cent to 44 per cent. In addition to its stable pipeline business, El Paso's exploration unit has interest in many of the so-called emerging shale plays in the U.S., including the Haynesville, Eagle Ford and Wolfcamp properties. JPMorgan, which rates El Paso “overweight”, recently cut its 2011 natural gas price forecast to $4.35 per thousand cubic feet from $5.06 and its 12-month target for El Paso to $15.50.
From a longer-term perspective, El Paso is particularly attractive relative to exploration stocks because it has lucrative prospects, coupled with stable transportation cash flow. Also, it remains undervalued relative to peer investments, selling for a trailing earnings multiple of 11, a forward earnings multiple of 13, a book value multiple of 2.2, a sales multiple of 2.1 and a cash flow multiple of 5.4, 43 per cent, 29 per cent, 50 per cent, 32 per cent and 41 per cent industry discounts.
Bullish Scenario: BMO Capital Markets forecasts an advance of 31 per cent to $19.
Bearish Scenari! o: Goldman Sachs ranks the stock “neutral”, with a $14 target.
Top 5 Oil Companies To Watch For 2014: Chesapeake Energy Corporation(CHK)
Chesapeake Energy Corporation engages in the acquisition, development, exploration, and production of natural gas and oil properties in the United States. It also provides marketing and other midstream services. The company?s properties are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. As of December 31, 2010, it had interests in approximately 45,800 gross productive wells. The company?s proved reserves include 17.096 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent. Chesapeake Energy Corporation was founded in 1989 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sam Collins]
Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) is one of the largest independent exploration and production companies in the United States. It focuses on U.S. onshore natural gas production east of the Rocky Mountains.?
On Jan. 30, the company said that Cnooc Ltd. (NYSE: CEO) would pay $1.3 billion for access to acreage held by Chesapeake Energy. CHK has also developed a dominant natural gas shale position, and S&P “expects its expertise in unconventional drilling to carry over to liquids development.”?
Technically, the close above $28 represents a major breakout from a three-year consolidation. The target for CHK is $39.
Hot Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: Weatherford International Ltd(WFT)
Weatherford International Ltd. provides equipment and services used in the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. It offers artificial lift systems, which include reciprocating rod lift systems, progressing cavity pumps, gas lift systems, hydraulic lift systems, plunger lift systems, hybrid lift systems, wellhead systems, and multiphase metering systems. The company also provides drilling services, including directional drilling, ?Secure Drilling? services, well testing, drilling-with-casing and drilling-with-liner systems, and surface logging systems; and well construction services, such as tubular running services, cementing products, liner systems, swellable products, solid tubular expandable technologies, and inflatable products and accessories. In addition, it designs and manufactures drilling jars, underreamers, rotating control devices, and other pressure-control equipment used in drilling oil and nat ural gas wells; and offers a selection of in-house or third-party manufactured equipment for the drilling, completion, and work over of oil and natural gas wells for operators and drilling contractors, as well as a line of completion tools and sand screens. Further, the company provides wireline and evaluation services; and re-entry, fishing, and thru-tubing services, as well as well abandonment and wellbore cleaning services; stimulation and chemicals, including fracturing and coiled tubing technologies, cement services, chemical systems, and drilling fluids; integrated drilling services; and pipeline and specialty services. It serves independent oil and natural gas producing companies. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tom Bishop]
Weatherford International (WFT) is trading around $14. Weatherford is a leading provider of equipment and services to the oil and gas industry, based in Switzerland. These shares have traded in a range betwe en $10.85 to $26.25 in the last 52 weeks. The 50-day moving average is $15.46 and the 200-day moving average is $19.62. WFT is estimated to earn about 88 cents per share in 2011 and $1.67 for 2012. Analysts at UBS set a $28 price target for WFT share.
Top 5 Oil Companies To Watch For 2014: EQT Corporation(EQT)
EQT Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated energy company in the United States. It operates in three segments: EQT Production, EQT Midstream, and Distribution. The EQT Production segment engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas, natural gas liquids, and crude oil in the Appalachian Basin. This segment?s properties are located primarily in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, it had 5.2 trillion cubic feet of proved reserves across 3.5 million acres. The EQT Midstream segment provides gathering, processing, transmission, and storage services for the independent third parties in the Appalachian Basin. It has approximately 10,900 miles of gathering lines and 770 miles of transmission lines. The Distribution segment distributes and sells natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and eastern Kentucky. It also operates a gathering system in Pennsylvania; and purchases and delivers gas to customers. This segment serves approximately 276,500 customers consisting of 257,900 residential customers, and 18,600 commercial and industrial customers. The company was formerly known as Equitable Resources, Inc. and changed its name to EQT Corporation in February 2009. EQT Corporation was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Louis Navellier]
EQT Corp. (NYSE:EQT) was formerly known as Equitable Resources, Inc. and is a natural gas producer in the Appalachian Basin. Potential investors might be nervous to buy in this market, but EQT is a standout buy, up 40% in 2011.
Top 5 Oil Companies To Watch For 2014: Nexen Inc.(NXY)
Nexen Inc. operates as an independent energy company worldwide. The company?s Conventional Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops, and produces crude oil and natural gas from conventional sources. This segment operates in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, and offshore West Africa, Colombia, and Yemen. Nexen?s Oil Sands segment develops and produces synthetic crude oil from the Athabasca oil sands in northern Alberta. The company?s Shale Gas segment explores for and produces unconventional gas from shale formations in northeastern British Columbia. Nexen Inc. was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
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