Energy Sector News

 

AdvisorAnalyst - Oil and Energy

AdvisorAnalyst Views » oil
16 May 2012 at 10:45pm
Insight on investing and markets to get you going.

  • The European-Russian Gas Disagreement
    by Dr. Kent Moors
    18 Apr 2011 at 9:46pm
    The European-Russian Gas Disagreement by Kent Moors Ph.D. |  published April 18th, 2011 As you read this, my wife Marina and I are somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, bound for Germany. We'll be there for 10 days, and some of my time there will be spent on the subject of this column. Most of the [...]
  • All Aboard the Earnings Train! (Watson)
    by Gareth Watson, Richardson GMP
    18 Apr 2011 at 8:59pm
    All Aboard the Earnings Train! April 18, 2011 Gareth Watson, CFA – Vice President, Investment Management and Research, Richardson GMP It was a tough week for North American markets as earnings season in the U.S. started off with Alcoa reporting results on Monday. Unfortunately Alcoa, along with other companies that reported this week such as [...]
  • Approaching the Eraser (Hussman)
    by John Hussman, Hussman Funds
    18 Apr 2011 at 9:04am
    Approaching the Eraser by John P. Hussman, Ph.D., Hussman Funds Market conditions in stocks continue to be characterized by a hostile syndrome of overvaluation, overbought conditions, overbullish sentiment, and rising interest rates, which has historically been associated with a poor return/risk profile, on average, across a wide variety of subsets of historical data. Though I [...]
  • Raising Lazarus From The Dead?
    by Leo Kolivakis
    17 Apr 2011 at 11:05pm
    by Leo Kolivakis, Pension Pulse Via Pension Pulse. Today is Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of Holy Week for the Orthodox Church. I'm not particularly religious but decided to stop off St-George church this afternoon to light a candle. Nobody was there; it was so peaceful and serene, just the way I like it when [...]
  • The Race Is On: Drilling Technology v. Rising Oil Prices
    by Dr. Mark J. Perry
    17 Apr 2011 at 10:52pm
    by Dr. Mark J. Perry, via EconMatters Basic economic theory tells us that one of the predictable consequences of resources becoming more expensive is that higher prices will stimulate discovery, exploration and greater production on the supply side.  And that's exactly what we're seeing now in Texas for oil and gas, according to this WSJ article [...]
  • March CPI – Fed Finds Itself Between a Rock and a Hard Place
    by Asha Bangalore, Northern Trust
    16 Apr 2011 at 1:41pm
    March Consumer Price Index – Fed Finds Itself Between a Rock and a Hard Place April 15, 2011 by Asha Bangalore, Northern Trust   The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.5% in March, following a similar increase in February.  The 3.5% increase of the energy price index and the 0.8% jump in food prices made [...]
  • Will China's Economy Overheat?
    by US Global Investors
    16 Apr 2011 at 1:11pm
    Will China's Economy Overheat? By Frank Holmes, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, U.S. Global Investors China’s GDP growth continued at a blistering pace during the first quarter of 2011, rising 9.7 percent from the previous year, according to economic data released today from the People’s Bank of China. Once again this outpaced many forecasts—even that [...]
  • The Economy and Bond Market Cheat Sheet (April 18, 2011)
    by US Global Investors
    16 Apr 2011 at 1:07pm
    The Economy and Bond Market Cheat Sheet (April 18, 2011) Treasury bonds rallied sharply this week sending yields lower across the maturity spectrum. Bonds rallied on a combination of factors including, increased concerns surrounding European sovereign debt risks, modestly weak economic data, better than expected CPI report on Friday and general risk aversion as the [...]
  • Energy and Natural Resources Market Cheat Sheet (April 18, 2011)
    by US Global Investors
    16 Apr 2011 at 1:03pm
    Energy and Natural Resources Market Cheat Sheet (April 18, 2011) Strengths Copper inventories in warehouses monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange dropped 4.8 percent. China has exported 42,600 metric tons of refined copper during the first two months of 2011, eight times the amount in the last year. Mexico (up 13 percent year over year) [...]
  • Could High Oil Prices Cause A Global Economic Deflation?
    by Kurt Cobb
    15 Apr 2011 at 10:13am
    by Kurt Cobb, via EconMatters As the European Central Bank (ECB) prepares to raise interest rates to prevent inflation, the bank cites rising commodity prices, particularly oil prices, as a sign of that inflation. What the bank and other market participants don't seem to understand is that high commodity prices and, in particular, high oil [...]
 

Globe and Mail Energy and Resources Blog

Report On Business - Energy Resources RSS feed
17 May 2012 at 5:43am

 

SeekingAlpha - Energy Sector

Energy Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha

  • Why High Oil Prices Are Likely Here to Stay
    by Frank Holmes
    11 Apr 2011 at 5:11pm
    Frank Holmes submits:

    A number of forces continued to push oil prices higher last week, reaching their highest levels in the U.S. since September 2008.

    One factor fueling the run has been the continued decline of the U.S. dollar. You can see from the chart that oil and the dollar historically are negatively correlated. This means that a rise in oil prices generally coincides with a decline in the dollar, and vice versa. The U.S. dollar has seen a dramatic decline since the beginning of the year as oil prices have moved some 30 percent higher. This could be due to fact that roughly two-thirds of the U.S. trade deficit is related to oil imports.


    (Click to enlarge)

    Despite the run up, oil's upward rate of change is still within its normal trading pattern over the past 60 trading days. Accordingly, this may imply that it isn't a spike and we haven't crossed


    Complete Story »
  • Weekly Market Outlook: Healthcare and Energy Sectors Stand Out
    by Price Headley
    11 Apr 2011 at 4:53pm
    Price Headley submits:

    The bulls just didn't have enough gas in the tank to make it three weeks in a row. The lack of gain, however, isn't even the alarming part; stocks only lost ground to a tiny degree. The red flag is the shape of the chart and the way things progressed over the last five days.

    We'll look at that idea in detail below. First up though, a quick review of the major economic numbers.

    Economic Calendar

    Last week was minimal in terms of economic data flow, and only a small amount of the small amount we got actually meant anything. What's that? Unemployment claims – both new and continuing – sank a tad (not enough), while consumer credit levels soared well beyond expectations (up $7.6 billion versus the forecasted $2.0 billion increase).

    The coming week will be more turbulent; here are the biggies to watch for, in that they actually


    Complete Story »
  • Gas Prices Getting Close to 2008 Highs
    by Bespoke Investment Group
    11 Apr 2011 at 4:39pm
    Hickey and Walters (Bespoke) submit:

    Below is a chart showing the distance that both gas prices and oil are currently trading from their 2008 highs. As shown, the price of oil is still 22% from its 2008 high, while the price at


    Complete Story »
  • Progress Energy Challenged but Looming Merger Brightens Future
    by Zacks.com
    11 Apr 2011 at 4:20pm
    Zacks.com submits:

    We reiterate our Neutral rating on Progress Energy Inc. (PGN) as the company continues to face challenges in Florida. Also, the fluctuations in commodity prices, the uncertain regulatory environment and the pending approvals for its merger with Duke Energy Inc. (DUK), keep us on the sidelines.

    On the positive side, though, we like Progress Energy for its ongoing merger deal with Duke Energy, which will make it the largest utility with over 7 million customers in 6 states. We believe the merger is a strategic fit for both companies and will be earnings accretive to the combined entity. We also like Progress Energy for its increased generation capacity, market expansion, cost-cutting initiatives, debt reduction, high dividend yield and improving balance sheet.

    Raleigh, North Carolina-based Progress Energy is one of the nation’s larger pure-play electricity utilities with a solid opportunity for rate base growth in the long-term. Going forward, the company


    Complete Story »
  • How Shale Gas Snuck Up on the Beltway Elites
    by Mark J. Perry
    11 Apr 2011 at 4:17pm
    Mark J. Perry submits: AEI's Steve Hayward has an excellent article on "The Gas Revolution" in the Weekly Standard, here are some key paragraphs:

    One remarkable aspect of the shale gas revolution is that it was not the product of an energy policy edict from Washington, or the result of a bruising political battle to open up public lands and offshore waters for new exploration. Although the Halliburtons of the world are now big in the field, its pioneers were mostly smaller risk-taking entrepreneurs and technological innovators. George P. Mitchell, an independent producer based in Houston, is widely credited as being the prime mover in shale gas, pushing the idea against skeptics. The technology was mainly deployed on existing oil and gas leaseholds or on private land beyond the reach of bureaucrats (for the time being, anyway). That is why shale gas seemed to sneak up unannounced to the media and Beltway elites, even


    Complete Story »
  • Shale Gas and the Severance Tax
    by Kent Moors
    11 Apr 2011 at 3:51pm
    Kent Moors submits:

    The U.S. hydrocarbon era began in 1859, when Colonel Edwin Drake (who wasn't really a colonel of anything) drilled the first successful oil well at Titusville, Pennsylvania.

    What is happening these days in the state capital of Harrisburg may one day loom as a watershed moment of equal importance. This time, however, the subject is natural gas.

    I was in Harrisburg Saturday to address the annual convention of the Pennsylvania AP Broadcasters Association, the statewide professional TV and radio organization. My topic was off-the-radar news stories about drilling in the Marcellus Shale – the unconventional shale gas basin emerging as likely to be a main new source of natural gas, especially in the energy-dependent Northeast.

    The prospect of a major local source capable of fulfilling energy needs for the next couple of centuries was enthralling for the journalists in the room. But how to report on the developments as they


    Complete Story »
  • 3 Oil and Natural Gas Companies Filling Japan's Energy Gap
    by David Fessler
    11 Apr 2011 at 3:41pm
    David Fessler submits:

    Companies around the globe are lining up to help the Japanese after their unprecedented crisis. Last Friday, I wrote about one of the world’s top steelmakers that will see significant growth.

    Today I’m going to focus on the effect that Japan’s woes have had on the oil and gas industry, and a few companies which stand to benefit.

    On the oil side, crude giant Saudi Aramco has indicated that it’s prepared to help on the supply side. Aramco CEO Khalid Al-Falih promised that his company will do whatever it can to accommodate Japan’s needs: “Japan will have a priority in the months to come as it deals with this disaster and tries to recover.”

    There’s no question Japan’s needs have significantly changed since the earthquake. Still, promising to deliver oil is one thing; getting it there is quite another matter…

    The Oil Tanker Industry Steps Up

    Japan has more than


    Complete Story »
  • Cracks in Oil's Bullish Facade? How to Profit From Dropping Crude Prices
    by Brian L. Wilson
    11 Apr 2011 at 2:15pm
    Brian L. Wilson submits:

    I've been surprised how far crude oil has come up since the Egyptian crisis. Mubarak's resignation initially seemed to quell the surge in oil prices, but the current prices are simply not justified on an intrinsic supply and demand equilibrium. Demand is not going to justify $112/bbl crude for very long. Without Middle East headlines hyped by CNN, oil was sub $90/bbl in February, and has appreciated around 30% since. The U.S. dollar index shows that the greenback has become weaker since oil started its run, but those numbers point to an approximate 3.5% decline.

    The crisis in Libya has run on for quite a while, with oil continuously breaking resistance levels. Clearly being a supply side issue, the removal of Libya from the list of oil supplies during its revolution has a minor effect on the actual supply demand equilibrium due to the increase in production from Saudi Arabia.


    Complete Story »
  • Should the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve Be a Price Intervention Tool?
    by Dian L. Chu
    11 Apr 2011 at 1:50pm
    Dian L. Chu submits:

    In early March, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley told NBC that the Administration was considering releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) if it deems the high oil prices would threaten the U.S. economic recovery.

    President Obama, in a press conference on March 11, also reiterated that a plan to tap the SPR was "teed up" and said he would move quickly should ‘conditions’ worsen. However, the President refused to say what price could trigger a release.

    SPR - How Many Barrels & Where

    Based on information from the Dept. of Energy (DOE) web site, the SPR, established after the 1973-74 oil embargo, is stored in salt caverns along the Texas, and Louisiana, coastline (see DOE map), and is the largest stockpile of government-owned emergency crude oil in the world.

    The SPR completed its fill program on December 27, 2009. Today's inventory of 726.5 million barrels, with


    Complete Story »
  • ABB Group: A Cleantech Company?
    by Tom Konrad
    11 Apr 2011 at 1:42pm
    tom konrad Tom Konrad (AltEnergyStocks) submits:

    Power and automation giant ABB, Ltd. (ABB) was named Cleantech Corporation of the Year at the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco. The company has been focused on acquiring start ups in the cleantech space for the last couple of years, with two significant ones in 2010: Ventyx, a provider of IT systems to utilities, and Baldor Electric (BEZ), the premier supplier of high-efficiency motors in the U.S.

    I very much like ABB's approach to cleantech. I'd even written about Baldor as a good way to invest in energy efficiency earlier in 2010 just a couple months before the buyout announcement.

    While ABB is touting its eco-sheik acquisitions in smart grid (Ventryx, Trilliant) and Electric vehicle charging (Ecototality), they seldom mention one of the best reasons for a clean energy investor to be interested in the company: ABB has long been a leading supplier of electric transformers, substations, and high-voltage DC


    Complete Story »