Why Frac Spreads Affect Some MLP Stocks
Companies in the natural gas processing space—many of which are MLPS—keep an eye on the fractionation or “frac” spread. Here’s why.
Energy & Utilities
Stock news and analysis in the energy sector, including petroleum, natural gas, and green energy,
Energy & Utilities Why did the market punish Exelon?
Exelon Corporation’s (EXC) stock has been hammered in the last six years. In 2008, the stock was trading at ~$90 per share. Early this year, the stock was available at less than $27 per share.
Is preferred equity a trend for master limited partnerships?
Recently, two master limited partnerships issued preferred equity, which is a relatively rare avenue of financing for MLPs.
Crude Oil’s Comeback: Analyzing Oil-Weighted Stocks
On August 15, 2016, US crude oil (USO) (OIIL) (USL) (SCO) contracts for September delivery closed at $45.74 per barrel—2.8% above its previous closing price.
Must-know: Supply-related factors that affect ONEOK Partners
Natural gas, crude oil, and NGL (or natural gas liquid) supply is affected by several factors that could be supply related or demand related.
Westmoreland Coal’s Canadian Operations: An Overview
Westmoreland’s Canadian operations Westmoreland Coal (WLB) acquired seven surface mines in Alberta and Saskatchewan, a stake in an activated carbon plant, and a char plant in Canada from Sherritt International in 2014. As of January 1, 2016, WLB’s Canadian operations are grouped as one entity, Prairie Mines & Royalty ULC. Its Canadian operations hold total […]
How the Decline in Crude Oil Prices Affected Marathon Oil
Although crude oil prices have rallied ~78% from their lows in February 2016, crude is still trading ~57% lower than its high two years ago.
Will US Crude Oil Futures Test a 3-Year High?
US crude oil (USO) futures hit $60.73 per barrel in early morning trade on January 2, 2018—the highest level since June 2015.
How PPL’s Returns Fared Compared to Its Peers in 2018
PPL (PPL), the top-yielding stock among the S&P 500 Utilities, has underperformed its peers in terms of total returns in 2018.
Global Crude Oil Supply Outages Near 5-Year Low
The US Energy Information Administration estimates that global crude oil supply outages fell by 247,000 bpd (barrels per day) to 2.0 MMbpd (million barrels per day) in June 2017.
National Oilwell Varco’s Q2 2018 Earnings and the Market
Since April 26 when National Oilwell Varco released its Q1 2018 financial results, NOV stock has risen 10%.
US Crude Oil Inventories Fell below the 5-Year Average
The EIA reported that US crude oil inventories fell by 7.2 MMbbls to 483.4 MMbbls on July 14–21, 2017. Inventories fell below the five-year range.
Analyzing the Natural Gas Futures Spread
On December 18, the natural gas futures for January 2019 closed at a premium of ~$0.7 to the January 2020 futures.
US Crude Oil Rigs Were Flat Last Week
Baker Hughes reported that US oil rig counts were flat at 738 on November 10–17, 2017. The rigs rose 63.3% from the same period in 2016.Consumer Overview: Ambre Energy—a coal and oil shale export company
Ambre Energy was founded in June 2005. It’s an Australian-American coal and oil shale company. The company’s Australian headquarters are located at Brisbane. The head American office is located at Salt Lake City, Utah. The company operates in three business lines—U.S. coal export infrastructure, international coal marketing and trading, and U.S. thermal coal production.
Why PAA Was the Biggest MLP Loser Last Week
Plains All American Pipeline (PAA) was the biggest MLP loser last week, which ended on January 19, 2018. The partnership ended the week 6.1% lower.
Natural Gas Prices Are Trading above Key Moving Averages
US natural gas inventories are 25% higher than their five-year average. High natural gas inventories could also limit the upside for US natural gas prices.
Must-know: An introduction to Phillips 66
Phillips 66 (PSX) is an energy company. It’s based in Texas. Phillips 66 started operating independently as a publicly-traded company on April 4, 2012, when it separated from ConocoPhillips (or COP).
Will Saudi Arabia’s Production and Exports Support Crude Oil Futures?
The EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) estimates that Saudi Arabia’s crude oil production rose by 50,000 bpd (barrels per day) to 10.20 MMbpd (million barrels per day) in July 2017 compared to the previous month.
Crude Oil Futures: What Could Drive Volatility This Week?
US crude oil (DWT) (UCO) futures hit $58.95 per barrel on November 24, 2017—the highest level in nearly three years.
A Look at the Rig Count and Natural Gas
On December 15, 2017, the natural gas rig count was 88.6% lower than its record high in 2008.
Will Natural Gas Rise This Week?
On April 18–26, natural gas active futures rose 1.8%. Natural gas to closed at $2.58 per MMBtu on April 26.
Stone Energy’s Stock Performance in 2018
Stone Energy stock has increased the most among our top five companies. Stone Energy stock has risen 60% YoY (year-over-year).
US Distillate Inventories Rose for the Seventh Time in 8 Weeks
US distillate inventories rose by 4.2 MMbbls (million barrels) to 143.1 MMbbls between December 29, 2017, and January 5, 2018.
How Lower Refinery Margins Impact Crude Oil Prices
Gasoline production increased due to lower crude oil prices in 2015 and 1H16. This stemmed from higher refinery margins for oil refiners.
US Crude Oil Imports from Saudi Arabia Hit a 7-Year Low
US crude oil imports have fallen 4.5% YTD. US crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia are at a seven-year low at 524,000 bpd for the week ending July 14, 2017.Energy & Utilities Why the triple top and triple bottom patterns are important
The triple top pattern is formed in the uptrend. In this pattern, three consecutive peaks are formed. The peaks have roughly the same price level.
An overview of the Targa Resources and Atlas Pipeline deal
The combined company will create a midstream enterprise with more than 22,500 miles of crude oil and natural gas pipelines across the U.S. The $7.7 billion deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015.
These Utilities Have Increased Dividends for 45+ Years
Investors take shelter under relatively safe utility stocks amid market turmoil due to their stable dividend payment abilities.
Why MLPs Saw a New 52-Week Low Last Week
MLPs went through some carnage last week. The Alerian MLP Index (^AMZ), which tracks the performance of 50 energy MLPs, saw a new 52-week low of 258.45.
Hedge Funds Cut Their Net Long Positions before OPEC’s Meeting
Hedge funds cut their net bullish positions on US crude oil futures and options by 5,872 contracts or 1.7% to 343,840 contracts on November 14–24, 2017.
Centennial Resource Development: Stock Performance in 2018
Centennial Resource Development stock has declined ~15% YoY. The Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) has declined ~4.5% YoY.
Can CNX Resources Report Higher Profits in 4Q17?
CNX Resources (CNX) is set to report its 4Q17 and 2017 earnings on February 6, 2018, before the market opens. CNX is expected to report 1,000% higher profits YoY than 4Q16.
Inside Alliance Resource Partners’ Mining Operations
Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP) operates eight underground mining complexes in two regions: Illinois and Appalachia.
Will the OPEC and Non-OPEC Meeting Drive Crude Oil Futures?
September WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil (RYE) (VDE) (UCO) futures contracts rose 1.1% to $49.58 per barrel on August 4, 2017.
What Do Overvalued Water Utilities Indicate?
Given the sharp rally during the past six months, major water utilities are trading at huge premiums compared to their historical valuation multiples.
Flotek Industries’ Current Valuation versus Its Peers
Sell-side analysts expect Flotek’s adjusted EBITDA to rise sharper in the next four quarters compared to its peers.
How Hedge Funds Feel about Natural Gas Right Now
On September 29, the CFTC (U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission) is slated to release its weekly “Commitment of Traders” report.
Analyzing the Top MLP Closed-End Funds in 1Q18
NTG invests primarily in MLPs and their affiliates. The fund has ~$1 billion of assets under management. NTG focuses on natural gas infrastructure MLPs.
Why the RAAX ETF Has Reduced Its Exposure to Coal Equities
At launch, RAAX had a small weighting to coal, but in May, this exposure was completely eliminated based on falling coal equity prices and weakening supply and demand data.
Cushing Oil Inventories Are near November 2015 Low
The EIA estimated that Cushing’s crude oil inventories fell by 2,753,000 barrels or 4.7% to 55.5 MMbbls (million barrels) on November 24–December 1, 2017.
Behind the Earnings of US Water Utilities in 2016
US water utilities have experienced a cyclical but flat earnings growth pattern in the past couple of years.
US Distillate Inventories Are near a 3-Year Low
US distillate inventories fell by 302,000 barrels to 128.9 MMbbls (million barrels) on October 20–27, 2017. It’s the lowest level since April 10, 2015.
Analyzing Weatherford International’s 2Q17 Performance
In 1H17, Weatherford’s revenues fell 8%—compared to 1H16. It managed to lower its net losses significantly during this period.
What Do Refining Stock Valuations Reveal?
With respect to the price-to-earnings ratio, larger players Marathon Petroleum (MPC), Tesoro (TSO), and Phillips 66 (PSX) trade higher than the average valuations.
These 5 S&P 500 Utilities Offer Highest Dividend Yields
The Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), which tracks the S&P 500 Utilities Index, is currently trading at a dividend yield of 3.5%.
US Natural Gas Consumption Could Help the Prices
US natural gas consumption fell 0.17% to 57.1 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) on October 12–18, 2017. It rose 3.1% from the same period in 2016.
KMI, WMB, and OKE: Understanding Their Key Business Focus
Kinder Morgan transports natural gas, refined petroleum, crude oil, condensate, CO2, and other products through its network of pipelines.
Could Oil Rig Count Stop Natural Gas Fall?
In the week ended October 6, 2017, the natural gas rig count fell by two to 187.
Apache Stock: What Are Analysts’ Recommendations?
On June 11, Argus upgraded Apache stock from “hold” to “buy.” On March 7, UBS initiated coverage on Apache stock with a “sell” rating.