Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Why American oil can keep booming despite crazy swings

Head-spinning price swings have returned with a vengeance to the oil market.

A few words from Saudi Arabia about OPEC and Russia pumping more sent crude crashing 8% in the span of just a few days. The dramatic sell-off wiped out a chunk of the recent spike above $70 a barrel that was driven by concerns about President Trump's sanctions on Iran.

Yet the crazy price moves are unlikely to derail the years-long recovery for the American oil industry from the 2014-2016 crash, which wiped out hundreds of thousands of jobs and sparked dozens of bankruptcies.

Enormous improvements in shale drilling technology have made oil companies more resilient than the last time they faced major volatility. US oil production is soaring and on track to shatter all-time records.

Equally important: The boom-to-bust oil industry is working hard not to repeat mistakes of the recent past. Companies have slashed costs, cleaned up their balance sheets and adopted a more disciplined approach aimed at avoiding expensive projects that can lead to financial trouble.

"The crash is still fresh in everyone's minds. They're trying to be much more conservative," said Muhammed Ghulam, an analyst at Raymond James who covers the sector.

While US oil prices had shot up in recent weeks beyond $65 and then $70 a barrel, most energy CEOs weren't banking on that to continue. Analysts say oil companies were budgeting for $50 to $55 oil -- and everything above that was icing on the cake.

"It might be a bumpier ride, but there probably won't be any bankruptcies or major job cuts any time soon. The companies that were going to go bankrupt would have done it at $26 a barrel," said Ghulam.

The oil rally hit major turbulence last week after Saudi Arabia, the de-facto leader of OPEC, said at a CNN-hosted panel that Russia and OPEC nations were in talks to pump more oil. That would be a big reversal from the production cuts that lifted prices dramatically over the past year.

"It is the intent of all producers to ensure that the oil market remains healthy, and if that means adjusting our policy in June, we are certainly prepared to do it," Saudi energy minister Khalid Al-Falih said.

While that's welcome news to American drivers grappling with $3-a-gallon gas prices, those words sent crude plunging by 4% on Friday, its biggest drop in nearly a year. Crude lost another 2.5% on Tuesday to about $66 a barrel. Major oil stocks like Chevron (CVX) and Hess (HES) were also seeing red.

American energy companies are built to weather this storm.

Shale oil companies have become vastly more efficient thanks to impressive technology gains that have boosted productivity. Big improvements in drilling techniques have allowed frackers to drill more -- at lower costs.

Across the Permian Basin, the biggest US oil field, the average break-even cost for a project is around $45 a barrel, according to Raymond James. The firm estimates that in 2017 new US oil wells produced more than triple what they could in 2012.

"It's really cheap to drill in the US. You could see prices plunge 20% tomorrow and there'd still be a decent amount of increases in production," said Ghulam. He noted that companies like Occidental Petroleum (OXY), the biggest player in the Permian, and Marathon Oil (MRO), can stay profitable even if prices drop below $60 a barrel.

Another key is that oil CEOs, under pressure from shareholders, are focusing resources on their best projects and trying to avoid the high-risk ones. That makes the industry less exposed to the recent plunge in prices.

"The energy sector has really figured out how to operate in a lower price environment," said Brian Youngberg, senior energy analyst at Edward Jones. "The near-term volatility doesn't really impact what they're doing."

That more disciplined approach means instead of spending all of their cash flows on pumping more, companies are saving for a rainy day and paying down debt.

It's a big 180 from 2013-2014 when $100 oil lulled companies into a fall sense of security. They bet on expensive projects that required high prices -- and got caught overextended when prices plunged.

"The industry has a history of spending a lot of money, unwisely in many cases. The shock of 2014 and 2015 really altered that," said Youngberg.

Friday, May 25, 2018

Halcon Resources (HK) Shares Gap Down to $5.27

Halcon Resources (NYSE:HK)’s share price gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $5.39, but opened at $5.27. Halcon Resources shares last traded at $5.19, with a volume of 3651231 shares changing hands.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on HK shares. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Halcon Resources from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 3rd. Stephens reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $13.00 target price on shares of Halcon Resources in a research note on Monday, February 26th. TheStreet cut shares of Halcon Resources from a “c-” rating to a “d+” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 20th. Imperial Capital reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $9.00 target price (down from $12.00) on shares of Halcon Resources in a research note on Friday, March 2nd. Finally, ValuEngine cut shares of Halcon Resources from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $9.50.

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The company has a current ratio of 3.20, a quick ratio of 3.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $869.68 million, a P/E ratio of -34.60 and a beta of 3.95.

Halcon Resources (NYSE:HK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 2nd. The energy company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.03) by ($0.03). Halcon Resources had a negative return on equity of 3.42% and a net margin of 117.87%. The company had revenue of $49.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $44.34 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.06 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 63.6% compared to the same quarter last year. equities analysts predict that Halcon Resources will post 0.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other news, Director Darryl Schall bought 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $5.48 per share, with a total value of $38,360.00. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Floyd C. Wilson bought 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 9th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $5.22 per share, with a total value of $261,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,669,486 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,714,716.92. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 3.70% of the company’s stock.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Highbridge Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Halcon Resources during the first quarter worth $891,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Halcon Resources by 57.1% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 5,561,127 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $27,083,000 after buying an additional 2,021,349 shares in the last quarter. Meghalaya Partners L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Halcon Resources by 463.6% during the first quarter. Meghalaya Partners L.P. now owns 1,950,000 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $9,497,000 after buying an additional 1,604,020 shares in the last quarter. Wexford Capital LP lifted its holdings in shares of Halcon Resources by 255.7% during the first quarter. Wexford Capital LP now owns 1,138,558 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $5,545,000 after buying an additional 818,483 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nokomis Capital L.L.C. lifted its holdings in shares of Halcon Resources by 48.4% during the first quarter. Nokomis Capital L.L.C. now owns 2,619,353 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $12,756,000 after buying an additional 854,867 shares in the last quarter. 98.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Halcon Resources

Halcè´¸n Resources Corporation, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, production, exploration, and development of onshore oil and natural gas assets in the United States. As of February 28, 2018, the company held interests in 21,679 net acres in the Monument Draw area of the Delaware Basin, located in Pecos and Reeves Counties, Texas; and 27,035 net acres in the Hackberry Draw area of the Delaware Basin, located in Pecos and Reeves Counties, Texas.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Health Insurance Innovations (HIIQ) Expected to Post Quarterly Sales of $69.14 Million

Equities research analysts expect Health Insurance Innovations (NASDAQ:HIIQ) to announce sales of $69.14 million for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Three analysts have issued estimates for Health Insurance Innovations’ earnings. The lowest sales estimate is $66.50 million and the highest is $71.10 million. Health Insurance Innovations reported sales of $61.78 million in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 11.9%. The company is expected to announce its next quarterly earnings report on Wednesday, August 1st.

On average, analysts expect that Health Insurance Innovations will report full-year sales of $297.50 million for the current fiscal year. For the next fiscal year, analysts expect that the business will report sales of $312.98 million per share, with estimates ranging from $300.60 million to $325.35 million. Zacks Investment Research’s sales averages are an average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that cover Health Insurance Innovations.

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Health Insurance Innovations (NASDAQ:HIIQ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.02. Health Insurance Innovations had a return on equity of 20.15% and a net margin of 6.17%. The firm had revenue of $67.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.53 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.36 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 21.3% on a year-over-year basis.

HIIQ has been the subject of a number of research reports. Zacks Investment Research raised Health Insurance Innovations from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Craig Hallum reissued a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price target (up from $38.00) on shares of Health Insurance Innovations in a research note on Thursday, March 1st. ValuEngine lowered Health Insurance Innovations from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Raymond James raised Health Insurance Innovations from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $34.60 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 1st. Finally, B. Riley initiated coverage on Health Insurance Innovations in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $38.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. Health Insurance Innovations currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.62.

In related news, Director John Fichthorn acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $26.64 per share, with a total value of $133,200.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $79,920. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Anthony Barkett acquired 13,574 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Saturday, September 15th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $22.00 per share, with a total value of $298,628.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 6,512 shares in the company, valued at $143,264. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought a total of 27,683 shares of company stock valued at $566,562 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 55.94% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bowling Portfolio Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Health Insurance Innovations during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,608,000. Ashford Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Health Insurance Innovations during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,430,000. Teachers Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Health Insurance Innovations by 11.1% during the 4th quarter. Teachers Advisors LLC now owns 22,474 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $561,000 after acquiring an additional 2,253 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP lifted its stake in shares of Health Insurance Innovations by 27.5% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 61,700 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,539,000 after acquiring an additional 13,298 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CAS Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Health Insurance Innovations during the 4th quarter worth approximately $18,717,000. 72.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Health Insurance Innovations stock traded up $1.95 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $31.05. 803,546 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 403,193. Health Insurance Innovations has a 12 month low of $12.65 and a 12 month high of $37.38. The firm has a market cap of $487.60 million, a PE ratio of 25.88 and a beta of 0.43.

About Health Insurance Innovations

Health Insurance Innovations, Inc operates as a cloud-based technology platform and distributor of individual and family health insurance plans, and supplemental products in the United States. It offers short-term medical plans that provides three months of health insurance coverage with various deductible and copay levels; health benefit insurance plans, which offer daily cash benefit for hospital treatment and doctor office visits, as well as accidental injury and death or dismemberment benefits; and supplemental insurance products, including pharmacy benefit cards, dental plans, vision plans, cancer/critical illness plans, deductible and gap protection plans, and life insurance policies.

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Monday, May 21, 2018

��Greek-like crisis�� fears hang over Italy���s markets as populists ready government

Italy��s two largest antiestablishment parties are ready to present their prime minister candidate to President Sergio Mattarella on Monday, moving one step closer to forming a government that analysts fear could plunge the country into a sovereign debt crisis and threaten the future of the eurozone.

On Sunday, the populist 5 Star Movement and far-right anti-immigrant League party agreed on the main members of their cabinet, including who they��d like to see as prime minister in their coalition government. The name of the proposed prime minister has not been confirmed, but local media point to Giuseppe Conte, a 54-year-year old university professor without much political experience.

Mattarella is expected to confirm the coalition, paving the way for a euroskeptic government to lead the eurozone��s third largest economy.

��The prospect for a new Greek-like crisis but on a larger scale in Italy are rising. An inexperienced and malcontent government appears set to assume office and poses a new potential threat to the euro even if the data improves,�� said strategists at BBH in a note on Monday.

The 5 Star Movement and League already look set on a collision course with the European Union, having promised to challenge Brussels��s budget guidelines and rules on immigration.The two coalition parties have also vowed to increase fiscal spending and cut taxes �� moves some worry could throw the Italian economy into disarray and create a new sovereign debt crisis.

Those concerns have spooked traders in Italian markets. The FTSE MIB stock index I945, -0.92% lost 0.8% to 23,261.22 on Monday, falling in an otherwise upbeat European trading session. That loss comes after the index dropped 2.9% last week for its biggest weekly slump since the week of the election in early March.

The euro EURUSD, -0.0170% �fell to a five-year low around $1.1762, although that slide partly was due to a rising dollar.

In the bond market, traders are also demanding a higher yield to buy Italian paper, an indicator markets are becoming nervous about the country��s financial stability. The yield on 10-year Italian government bonds TMBMKIT-10Y, +4.86% �rose 6 basis points to 2.281% on Monday, while the spread over German bunds rose to its highest level since October last year at 173 basis points, or 1.73 percentage point.

While still far from the danger zone, rising bond yields in Europe revive memories of the Greek debt crisis in 2015. After months of negotiations between Greece��s government and its international creditors, the two sides in July 2015 reached a deal to avert a Greek default. At the time, there were worries that a bankruptcy in Greece could lead to ��Grexit�� �� shorthand for Greece leaving the eurozone �� and eventually spell the end for the entire monetary union.

Moreover, it stirs memories of the worst days of the eurozone debt crisis in 2011 and 2012, when the 2-year Italian yield soared to more than 7%. Yields later retreated, with ECB President Mario Draghi��s 2012 pledge to do ��whatever it takes�� to preserve the euro and the eventual formulation of a never-used program of emergency bond purchases serving to calm fears. Later, the ECB��s introduction of bond buying via its quantitative easing program helped drive yields lower across the eurozone.

The 5 Star Movement and League dialed back euroskeptic rhetoric ahead of the March election and are no longer calling for an Italy referendum on the shared currency. However, their disapproval of EU and ECB fiscal rules are keeping breakup fears alive. Markets reacted last week when a draft proposal on shared power called on Brussels to come up with a plan that would let member countries leave the euro if they so desired, language that was later dropped.

In that vein, France��s economy minister, Bruno Le Maire, warned on Sunday that a failure by Italy to stick to the EU��s financial rules could threaten stability of the entire eurozone monetary union.

��Investors might have not realized it yet but the resolution of the Italian political deadlock with the League and 5 Star Movement parties close to forming a coalition government might not be such a positive development after all,�� said Konstantinos Anthis, head of research at ADS Securities, in a note.

��The formation of a working government would be favorable compared to the lack of political leadership but the agenda of the two parties puts to the question Italy��s future in the European Union,�� he said.

Italy has a long history of political t

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Why Nordstrom Investors Are More Worried Than Ever

Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) has suffered along with much of the rest of the retail industry for quite a while now, as changes in the ways shoppers like to shop have forced companies across the sector to adapt their business practices and adopt new technologies. Some had hoped that the upscale Seattle-based retailer would prove immune to those trends, but Nordstrom hasn't escaped the resulting downward pressure. Now that it seems unlikely that the Nordstrom family will succeed in pulling off a leveraged buyout of the retailer, shareholders want to feel more confident about the future direction the company will take, especially as competitors have started to show signs of a recovery.

Coming into Thursday's first-quarter financial report, Nordstrom investors wanted to see a nice bounce from what had been a somewhat mixed performance to close 2017. Nordstrom's results were solid, but key elements were weak enough to sustain concerns about whether the retailer can keep up with competitors and find a path toward a more complete recovery.

Nordstrom storefront with shoppers walking in front and diners at a balcony cafe above the entrance.

Image source: Nordstrom.

How Nordstrom started 2018

Nordstrom's first-quarter results were reasonably good in most investors' eyes. Total revenue was up 6% to $3.56 billion, net sales were up 6% to $3.56 billion, which was about double the growth rate that those following the stock were looking to see. Net income climbed 38% to $87 million, and that produced earnings of $0.51 per share, topping the consensus forecast for $0.43 per share on the bottom line.

Yet Nordstrom wasn't able to impress its followers in every fundamental aspect of its business. Comparable sales were up just 0.6% during the quarter, slowing by two full percentage points over the past three months. The company said part of the reason for the disparity between overall sales growth and its comps came from the fact that it shifted a Nordstrom Rewards loyalty event into the first quarter of the current year, which could potentially cause a downward impact when the retailer reports its current-quarter results three months from now.

Interestingly, there was a shift in the relative performance of Nordstrom's two key segments. The full-line Nordstrom brand posted comparable sales gains of 0.7%, with kids' apparel and men's apparel leading the charge higher. Yet the off-price segment, which includes Nordstrom Rack and Last Chance clearance stores, only managed to post comparable sales growth of 0.4%. Traditionally, Nordstrom has seen better gains from its off-price stores, so the shift in consumer demand is a bit of a surprise for those following the retailer.

Nordstrom reported some mixed fundamental performance. On one hand, higher occupancy costs weighed on gross profit, and pre-opening expenses related to its Men's Store NYC flagship sent overhead expenses slightly higher as a percentage of total revenue as well. Yet the retailer said it finished the quarter in a good position with its inventory.

The elephant in the room

To bolster growth, Nordstrom has continued its expansion plans. The company opened eight stores to start the year, including the NYC Men's Store and seven Nordstrom Rack locations in the U.S. and Canada. In a strategic shift, Nordstrom included the three Nordstrom Rack stores in Toronto and Calgary in its full-price category in its press release, even though most of the retailer's promotion stresses the off-price nature of the actual stores. Further expansion in the Canadian market is expected during the remainder of the fiscal year.

Yet neither the press release nor the conference call directly addressed what now seems to be the Nordstrom family's scuttled leveraged buyout plans. Instead, Nordstrom talked about the refocus of its strategic efforts. The company continues to expand its digital capabilities, integrating digital and brick-and-mortar assets to serve customers as effectively as possible. The key Los Angeles market, which is Nordstrom's largest, will be a testing ground from which the retailer hopes to learn lessons it can apply across its store network.

Nordstrom made only minor moves with its guidance, boosting the lower end of its pre-tax profit range by $10 million. Current projections for earnings of between $3.35 and $3.55 per share represented a $0.05 per share bump to the bottom part of the range. Yet Nordstrom still sees comps growing just 0.5% to 1.5%.

Nordstrom investors seemed nervous in general about the report, and the stock fell 8% in pre-market trading Friday following the Thursday afternoon announcement. Without clearer direction about how Nordstrom can boost its growth back to levels that long-term shareholders are used to seeing, it's going to be difficult to give investors the confidence they want going forward.