Energy

UBS Adds Top Energy Pick to Equity Focus List and Upgrades Sector

With the stock market seemingly printing new highs every day, anxious investors are starting to wonder if it is time to pull the trigger and sell, or add capital to the surge. One thing is for sure, certain sectors are dominating the tape, and energy has jumped to the forefront due to demand, geopolitical issues and new government policy changes.

In a new report the wealth management research team at UBS acknowledges all the items driving the sector and the firm lifts its rating on the sector to Neutral from Underweight. While citing the items mentioned above, plus a growing drive for North American energy independence by the end of the decade, they see huge demand for the top exploration and production and oilfield services leaders.

Here is the newest addition to the UBS equity focus list and the other energy names already on the list.

Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB) is the largest oilfield services company in the world, with far-reaching operations all around the globe. The stock makes its debut on the UBS equity focus list, and could be poised for years of solid growth. UBS and other Wall Street analysts think the company will continue to drive margins on execution, technologies, and efficiencies.

Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and China are expected to be the strongest markets in 2014, and that should continue into next year. Investors are paid a 1.5% dividend The UBS price target for the stock is $135, and the Thomson/First Call consensus target is lower at $128.80. The stock closed Tuesday at $117.85 a share.

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Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) continues to flex its muscle and remains a top stock to buy. The stock has been a huge winner for investors, up more than 40% in the past year. Over the next three years, the UBS team is forecasting a solid 5% increase in margins, which is in line with the company’s current guidance. That strong number combined with the frac calendar tightening in some regions should bode well for the large-cap sector leader. Investors are paid a 0.9% dividend. UBS has a $72 price target, while the consensus target is $75.28. Halliburton closed Tuesday at $70.85.

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Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) is a top exploration and production name on the list, and the UBS team likes that the stock trades at a discount in valuation to their peers. As one of the largest investors in the thriving Permian basin in West Texas, the company is able to drive outstanding production growth while selling off almost $10 billion in assets to raise capital. Investors are paid a 1% dividend. It is Outperform rated at UBS, and the firm has a $108 price target. The consensus target is $99.22. The stock closed at $100.55.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC) is one of the biggest independent oil and gas producers in the country, with exploration or production work in all major domestic drilling areas, as well as in South America, Africa, Asia and New Zealand. Worldwide, natural gas makes up just over half of Anadarko’s reserves, but 87% of the new wells it drilled in the United States last year were gas wells.

With demand for natural gas rising, that could bode extremely well for Anadarko’s future earnings. The company has daily production over 2.6 billion cubic feet. Investors are paid a 1% dividend. UBS has a $118 price target. The consensus price target is set at $118. Anadarko ended Tuesday at $109.33.

While the geopolitical instability could subside as the summer and rest of the year pass, the increasing demand from around the world is likely to stay in place. With the United States looking to replace Saudi Arabia as the top oil producer in the world, the top stocks in the sector are likely to remain among the best bets for investors.

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