Energy & Commodities
You can definitely make a killing with gold miners, but they do have their drawbacks... That's why this unique type of company may be a better option for investors... Read More
You can definitely make a killing with gold miners, but they do have their drawbacks... That's why this unique type of company may be a better option for investors... Read More
Do I think this stock can eventually recoup these losses? Yes. But that’s not the right question. The better question is whether this cash could be better deployed elsewhere... Read More
Do I think this stock can eventually recoup these losses? Yes. But that’s not the right question. The better question is whether this cash could be better deployed elsewhere... Read More
Any business can crank out hefty profits when conditions are favorable. The true test is how well it performs when the operating climate cools. As a group, energy stocks underperformed during the bull market. That’s no secret, given the persistent weakness in oil prices. The price of benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTIC) crude was once above $100 per barrel in 2014. After falling to the low $30s by 2016, prices have since only recovered to the mid-$60s. You can see how this affected stocks in the sector, as represented by the SPDR Energy Select Sector ETF (NYSE: XLE),… Read More
Any business can crank out hefty profits when conditions are favorable. The true test is how well it performs when the operating climate cools. As a group, energy stocks underperformed during the bull market. That’s no secret, given the persistent weakness in oil prices. The price of benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTIC) crude was once above $100 per barrel in 2014. After falling to the low $30s by 2016, prices have since only recovered to the mid-$60s. You can see how this affected stocks in the sector, as represented by the SPDR Energy Select Sector ETF (NYSE: XLE), on the chart below. This is exactly what makes a company like Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) so special. We’re up more than 54% (with dividends reinvested) on the holding over at The Daily Paycheck. That not only blows the sector out of the water, but also the entire market. We just got a glimpse of the kind of operating expertise necessary to pull that kind of performance off – and why I think it’s still a “buy” today. Inside The Numbers The company's core refining margins slipped to $11.18 per barrel… Read More
It’s one of the biggest deals in the oil business in years. The question, of course, is whether shareholders will be happy with the end result. The good news: now that the deal is consummated, we’re about to find out. I’m talking, of course, about Occidental Petroleum’s (NYSE: OXY) recent acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum. The Case For OXY For those who may have missed the news, Occidental finalized its acquisition of Anadarko on August 8th. I covered the protracted bidding war between Occidental and Chevron in this piece back in May. In it, I discussed Warren Buffett’s financing arrangement with… Read More
It’s one of the biggest deals in the oil business in years. The question, of course, is whether shareholders will be happy with the end result. The good news: now that the deal is consummated, we’re about to find out. I’m talking, of course, about Occidental Petroleum’s (NYSE: OXY) recent acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum. The Case For OXY For those who may have missed the news, Occidental finalized its acquisition of Anadarko on August 8th. I covered the protracted bidding war between Occidental and Chevron in this piece back in May. In it, I discussed Warren Buffett’s financing arrangement with Occidental, which helped sweeten the pot and seal the deal. Here’s what I said about the arrangement: Occidental, one of the portfolio holdings in my High-Yield Investing premium newsletter, has since come forward with an offer of $76 per share, or $38 billion. That’s not only more generous than Chevron’s $65 bid, but it also has a higher cash component (50% versus 25%). While Anadarko has rebuffed previous advances from Occidental, in part because of concerns that OXY shareholders might balk, it has no choice but to seriously consider this offer. So how does Warren Buffett fit in? Well,… Read More
Believe it or not, but the first battery came about from the dissection of a frog. In 1780, Luigi Galvani was dissecting a frog affixed to a brass hook. When he touched the frog’s leg with his iron scalpel, the leg twitched. Galvani believed the energy stemmed from the frog and called it “animal electricity.” His friend and physicist Alessandro Volta thought differently. Volta thought the animal electricity was actually a result of two different metals joined together. Volta was right. After much experimentation, he invented the first true battery around 1800, called the Voltaic Pile. The voltaic pile consisted… Read More
Believe it or not, but the first battery came about from the dissection of a frog. In 1780, Luigi Galvani was dissecting a frog affixed to a brass hook. When he touched the frog’s leg with his iron scalpel, the leg twitched. Galvani believed the energy stemmed from the frog and called it “animal electricity.” His friend and physicist Alessandro Volta thought differently. Volta thought the animal electricity was actually a result of two different metals joined together. Volta was right. After much experimentation, he invented the first true battery around 1800, called the Voltaic Pile. The voltaic pile consisted of pairs of copper and zinc discs piled on top of each other, separated by a layer of cloth or cardboard soaked in brine. The device pile produced a continuous stream of electricity, albeit only an hour’s worth at best. Still, it was a major leap forward that launched a rapid evolution in batteries. Today, alkaline batteries are what you’ll usually find when you purchase a pack of AA or AAA batteries. Alkaline batteries are still in high demand, but there’s been a major shift towards lithium. In fact, we have good reason to believe that lithium batteries are the… Read More
Not so fast, Chevron. Last month, Chevron (NYSE: CVX) unveiled plans to acquire Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) for $33 billion in cash and stock. Anadarko execs signed on the dotted line, agreeing to a $1 billion breakup fee should the deal be scuttled for any reason. That was a mistake, particularly knowing there was another interested suitor. A few days ago, a Gulfstream corporate jet owned by Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) touched down in Omaha, Nebraska, home of Warren Buffett. It could have been a mere coincidence — but it wasn’t. Behind the scenes, Buffett was orchestrating a financial package… Read More
Not so fast, Chevron. Last month, Chevron (NYSE: CVX) unveiled plans to acquire Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) for $33 billion in cash and stock. Anadarko execs signed on the dotted line, agreeing to a $1 billion breakup fee should the deal be scuttled for any reason. That was a mistake, particularly knowing there was another interested suitor. A few days ago, a Gulfstream corporate jet owned by Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) touched down in Omaha, Nebraska, home of Warren Buffett. It could have been a mere coincidence — but it wasn’t. Behind the scenes, Buffett was orchestrating a financial package to help Occidental outbid Chevron for Anadarko. Occidental, one of the portfolio holdings in my High-Yield Investing premium newsletter, has since come forward with an offer of $76 per share, or $38 billion. That’s not only more generous than Chevron’s $65 bid, but it also has a higher cash component (50% versus 25%). While Anadarko has rebuffed previous advances from Occidental, in part because of concerns that OXY shareholders might balk, it has no choice but to seriously consider this offer. So how does Warren Buffett fit in? Well, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) has agreed to bankroll $10 billion toward the cost. Read More
Last week, I wrote an extensive piece detailing why big oil is having one of its best periods on record: Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) hauled in $6.4 billion in adjusted net income in the fourth quarter. BP (NYSE: BP) shattered expectations with a profit of $3.5 billion. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A) banked earnings of $5.7 billion. That’s $15.6 billion from just three companies — in a single quarter. For the year, the combined earnings of the five super-majors — this trio plus Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and Total (NYSE: TOT) — reached an incredible $80 billion. I also discussed why… Read More
Last week, I wrote an extensive piece detailing why big oil is having one of its best periods on record: Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) hauled in $6.4 billion in adjusted net income in the fourth quarter. BP (NYSE: BP) shattered expectations with a profit of $3.5 billion. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A) banked earnings of $5.7 billion. That’s $15.6 billion from just three companies — in a single quarter. For the year, the combined earnings of the five super-majors — this trio plus Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and Total (NYSE: TOT) — reached an incredible $80 billion. I also discussed why plans for a record $425 billion in spending on exploration this year should have investors excited. In that piece, I mentioned that I’m saving my top pick on this trend for my High-Yield Investing subscribers only, but that there were a number of ways for investors to profit. Today, I want to spend a little time on just one of the big oil producers — specifically, BP (NYSE: BP). #-ad_banner-#BP was no exception to the record fourth-quarter results posted by the major energy giants. The market was expecting an adjusted profit of $2.6 billion. The company delivered $3.5 billion, an… Read More
“A billion here, a billion there. Pretty soon you’re talking about real money.” I was reminded of this line when evaluating fourth-quarter results in the energy sector. That’s because the big multinational producers are generating profits that aren’t just huge by corporate standards — they dwarf the GDP of some small countries. Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) hauled in $6.4 billion in adjusted net income in the fourth quarter. BP (NYSE: BP) shattered expectations with a profit of $3.5 billion. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A) banked earnings of $5.7 billion. That’s $15.6 billion from just three companies — in a single… Read More
“A billion here, a billion there. Pretty soon you’re talking about real money.” I was reminded of this line when evaluating fourth-quarter results in the energy sector. That’s because the big multinational producers are generating profits that aren’t just huge by corporate standards — they dwarf the GDP of some small countries. Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) hauled in $6.4 billion in adjusted net income in the fourth quarter. BP (NYSE: BP) shattered expectations with a profit of $3.5 billion. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A) banked earnings of $5.7 billion. That’s $15.6 billion from just three companies — in a single quarter. For the year, the combined earnings of the five super-majors — this trio plus Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and Total (NYSE: TOT) — reached an incredible $80 billion. Indeed, we are talking about real money. —Recommended Link— Create a 10%+ Income Stream for Life We’re sitting on a collection of the safest, most generous monthly payers available. And while $11,200 in dividend checks is a welcome addition to anyone’s income, investors also love racking up capital gains as high as 446%. Start generating a 10%+ income stream for life today from these consistent companies.. Even more impressive than the… Read More