The RBC team points out that despite the huge difference in benchmark oil prices year over year, oil services costs are coming down much faster and steeper than many budgets had planned for. This could provide an earnings tailwind for some top stocks to buy. The RBC team have four top stock rated Overweight that they think could surprise to the upside: Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC), ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN) and Oasis Petroleum Inc. (NYSE: OAS).
Anadarko Petroleum
Not only is this a top stock to buy at RBC, but some think the company is a very possible acquisition target. Anadarko 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.
The RBC analysts feel that with the resolution of Tronox liabilities and the resulting tax adjustments, they expect the Wall Street focus may shift back to the positive underlying operating trends and the potential for further monetization and sell-down of major assets in 2014 and next year. They also think the company could come in higher than consensus.
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Anadarko investors are paid a 1.15% dividend. The RBC price target is $102. The Thomson/First Call consensus estimate is $99.10. Shares closed higher Thursday at $93.46. Earnings will be reported on May 4.
ConocoPhillips
This top intergrated is a solid growth play, and an outstanding dividend-paying stock. The company has spent the past five years divesting assets, and although it is cash rich, it has somewhat dampened earnings and growth expectations all year long, which could prove just the catalyst that helps it come in above current expectations.
ConocoPhillips is a major global E&P company with operations and activities in 30 countries that include the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Norway, China, Australia, offshore Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, Russia and Qatar. There has also been speculation recently that the company is considering selling some of the North Sea assets it owns, including Aasta Hansteen, Alvheim and Grane fields. That sale could raise as much as $1 billion for the company.
ConocoPhillips investors are paid an outstanding 4.25% dividend. The RBC price target is set at $78, and the consensus target is $75.19. Shares closed Thursday at $68.26. The company reports April 30.
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Devon Energy
This company is expected to have 48% or more of its total 2015 production in natural gas. Devon is an independent driller primarily active in the United States. More than 70% of its U.S. reserves are in natural gas, with most of that lying in Texas’ Barnett Shale. The company plans to invest a total of more than $1.1 billion in the Eagle Ford Shale and drill more than 200 wells. Daily production is just under 2 billion cubic feet. The company is also the second-largest oil producer among North American onshore independents, so this is a very balanced play for investors.
The RBC thinks that the company may provide the well results from its new larger completion design in the Permian Bone Spring play and Eagle Ford Shale when it announces quarterly results. Solid results could also be a big boost for the stock.
Devon investors are paid a 1.45% dividend. While the RBC price target is $76, the consensus target is posted much lower at $71.48. Devon closed Thursday at $66.30. The company is expected to report on May 5.
Oasis Petroleum
This independent E&P company is focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional oil and natural gas resources, primarily operating in the Williston Basin. While operating solely in North Dakota’s Bakken shale formation, the company is considering plans to construct a gas processing plant to process natural gas from the Wild Basin portion of North Dakota’s Bakken shale formation in the next two years.
Oasis is considering creating a master limited partnership (MLP) for the $200 million North Dakota gas processing plant, taking advantage of a key financial trend in the energy sector to generate cash. While the MLP would very likely be sold to investors, it could raise the kind of capital to help fund a big capital project like a plant.
The RBC price target for the stock is $20, and the consensus target $17.92. Shares closed on Thursday at $16.46. The company is expected to report on My 6.
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With oil rallying recently, interest has headed back to the very beaten-down energy sector. While the days of $100 a barrel oil are probably long gone, prices should start to settle in and slowly drift higher over the next two years.
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