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cris vicari

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  • TEPCO Deal Keeps Chevron One Step Ahead

    By cris vicari - June 26, 2012 | Tickers: ATPAQ.PK, BP, CHK, CVX, XOM

    Investors should be pleased with Chevron's (NYSE: CVX) recent actions. It will sell a stake in its Wheatstone project to Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) as part of a deal with the company. I think this will be good for Chevron and should lead to improvements in the stock.

    According to this deal, TEPCO will purchase additional liquid natural gas from Chevron. It will also receive 10% of the interest more »

  • Microsoft is not the Only Way to Play the Surface

    By cris vicari - June 25, 2012 | Tickers: DELL, HPQ, INTC, MSFT, ORCL

    Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is taking some huge risks with the Surface, the biggest of which is entering the computer hardware field directly. In the long run, this could help it create an integrated business model that could reduce costs and increase revenues. But in the short run, it could hurt its relationship with some important traditional partners and customers.

    The Surface is a clear challenge to such traditional Microsoft partners more »

  • An Analyst Darling

    By cris vicari - June 25, 2012 | Tickers: APA, EOG, XOM, RDS-A

    In late May, EOG Resources (NYSE: EOG) was placed on Goldman Sach’s conviction buy list replacing giant Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM).  If the stock reaches Goldman’s price target of 149, that would represent about a 56% increase from current levels.  Similarly, FBR Capital raised its target on EOG from $125 up to $140.  UBS has joined the party as well, raising the stock to a buy on June more »

  • Mining Setbacks Continue to Dog Freeport-McMoRan

    By cris vicari - June 25, 2012 | Tickers: AU, ABX, VALE, FCX, RIO

    Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) has had to face a number of problems with its operation in Indonesia lately, but things are looking up as the company has received permission from the Indonesian government to export unprocessed ore.

    This is very good news for the mining company indeed. Very soon the Indonesian government will impose new rules and restrictions on the export of mined resources. Permission is a breakthrough for the company more »

  • Is Apache's Growth worth the Risks?

    By cris vicari - June 23, 2012 | Tickers: APC, APA, EOG, RDS-A

    With a company like Apache (NYSE: APA), it takes a lot of effort to form a clear opinion about its future. Given the same data, analysts' expectations and price targets vary quite widely. Much of this is due to the market for oil and gas exploration. The market is not where investors would like it to be. Natural gas is at almost unprofitable prices, and oil prices are dropping as more »

  • BP Gets on the Right Track

    By cris vicari - June 19, 2012 | Tickers: BP, COP, TOT

    Still lagging behind ExxonMobil (XOM), and Chevron (CVX), BP (NYSE: BP) is making headway through positive traction. The company was watched closely for the past couple of years to see how it would handle all of the messy cleanups, lawsuits, and excessive media coverage. Fortunately for investors, BP has surprised the naysayers and continues to impress the public with its clean initiatives and its proactive strategic plan to do whatever more »

  • Exxon's Australian Expansion Keeps Stock On Bullish Trend

    By cris vicari - June 19, 2012 | Tickers: CHK, XOM, RDS-A

    There's a group of scientists that hypothesize that the dinosaurs of old sacrificed their mobility for an expansion or increase in size, making it hard for them to manage themselves effectively.

    Perhaps you are not interested in that little bit of natural history opinion, but I am sure that you will be interested in fossil fuel producer ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), the largest oil company in the world, as far more »

  • Lagging Energy Sector Hides Apache's True Potential

    By cris vicari - June 18, 2012 | Tickers: APA, CVX, EOG, XOM, MRO

    Apache (NYSE: APA) is a favorable asset for any investor interested in the long-term growth potential in the E&P industry.  Apache is experiencing a lull in its stock price as is the majority of the industry at this time. Despite record-low gas prices, Apache managed to post record high revenues through the first quarter of 2012. Apache has a balanced and diversified portfolio focused on liquid and gas production more »

  • BHP Calms Olympic Dam Speculators

    By cris vicari - June 18, 2012 | Tickers: BHP, VALE, GG, RIO, SLW

    Despite the many concerns that were raised surrounding the issue, it seems that the BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) Olympic dam will not be delayed after all.

     

    BHP is trying to calm the concerns of many that work on its Olympic dam following reports that the company would back away from $80 billion worth of projects. This caused some concern regarding whether or not the company would reach a decision on more »

  • Political Polarization in Peru Threatens Miners Within its Borders

    By cris vicari - June 13, 2012 | Tickers: BVN, NEM

    Opposition to mining projects has polarized Peruvian politics and now threatens the future of mining in the Andean nation. Protests against the giant Minas Conga copper and gold project being developed by Newmont (NYSE: NEM) and Beunaventura (NYSE: BVN) and other projects got so rowdy that the nation's president effectively declared a state of emergency. A state of emergency is a euphemism for martial law.

    Newmont has had to more »

  • Anadarko's Centerra Delays Could Be a Big Setback

    By cris vicari - June 13, 2012 | Tickers: APC, ATPAQ.PK, BP, COG, CVX

    Anadarko (NYSE: APC) has experienced some setbacks in its oil drilling operations in the Centerra development in east Loveland, Colorado where the company's oil drilling operations were recently put on hold.

    The plans between Centerra and Anadarko to sign a lease deal that would allow for the drilling activities to continue have been temporarily, one must hope, shelved. Anadarko wishes to get hold of the gas reserves that are more »

  • Browser Market About to Get More Competitive for Microsoft

    By cris vicari - June 13, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG, MSFT

    Our Internet browser is something many of us simply take for granted. A few years back, I would never have even thought to switch to a browser more suited to my preferences before discovering the wonders of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Chrome, and just stuck it out with my computer’s pre-installed Internet Explorer. Even Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), the developer of Internet Explorer, has dubbed Internet Explorer the browser we ‘love more »

  • Chevron's Bad Month Not Reason To Sell Stock

    By cris vicari - June 13, 2012 | Tickers: CVX, XOM

    The plaintiffs in the ongoing court case against Chevron (NYSE: CVX) brought by litigants in Ecuador over legacy pollution costs recently filed suit against the company in Canada in an attempt to enforce an $18 billion judgment. In response, Chevron released a statement indicating that "the Ecuador judgment is a product of bribery, fraud, and it is illegitimate. The company does not believe that the Ecuador judgment is enforceable in more »

  • Oracle Vs HP - Who Really Wins?

    By cris vicari - June 12, 2012 | Tickers: HPQ, INTC, IBM, ORCL

    In a lawsuit that MarketWatch senior columnist, Therese Poletti, admits could happen only in Silicon Valley, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) recently began its case against Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) over a server chip that almost nobody uses any more. To put into context just how accurate Ms. Poletti’s characterization of the situation is, if this case involved two Wall Street firms, “Main Street” would be calling foul – the rumors would abound more »

  • Barrick Ready to Profit from a Gold Rush

    By cris vicari - June 12, 2012 | Tickers: AU, ABX, GG, KGC, NEM

    A rise or fall in the price of gold stocks is usually determined to a certain degree by the price of gold in the market and the events particular to individual stocks. Given the fact that Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) is not making the news for any events that have much potential to affect it, inferences about its direction can be based on the market conditions currently affecting the price more »

  • A Turnaround is on the Horizon for HP

    By cris vicari - June 11, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, DELL, HPQ, MSFT

    Right now is the best time for investors to add Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) shares to their portfolio. HP is already implementing a transition and turnaround plan focused on restructuring organically through improving efficiencies, quality of operations and margins within the business.

    The current low stock price may be the best opportunity to purchase shares at a discount before the turnaround process begins to reflect the true value and potential of more »

  • Playing the E&P Bottom

    By cris vicari - June 8, 2012 | Tickers: NFX, OXY

    Newfield Exploration (NYSE: NFX) is an exploration and production company based in Texas, with a portfolio of holdings that focus on gas. Over the past year, management has naturally altered this portfolio to meet the global increase in liquids commodity prices. As gas prices rise and oil prices (for the 6-month short term) slump, it is unclear what the “real” story is on exploration and production companies (E&Ps) like more »

  • Occidental Positioned to Become a Major Player in Libya

    By cris vicari - June 8, 2012 | Tickers: BP, OXY, RDS-A

    When the bombs began raining down on the cities and towns of Libya, Gaddafi’s henchmen tried every possible method to stay in control and continue their vicious attacks on civilians and foreign interests. All that is over now, and oil companies have begun to move back to Libya. In fact, Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) has been operating in Libya for quite some time after the regime fell, though there more »

  • A Good Play for Investors Eyeing Oil & Gas

    By cris vicari - June 8, 2012 | Tickers: COG, CVX, XOM, NBL, OXY

    The biggest recent news about Noble Energy (NYSE: NBL) is that it will soon sell its North Sea assets to Maersk. Reports say that Maersk will purchase "a 30% stake in two British oil fields and a production unit from Noble Energy" for a total of $127 million. The sale should be complete well before the end of the year, assuming the current reports are accurate. The purchase means that more »

  • Exxon Walks a Tightrope With Kurdistan

    By cris vicari - June 7, 2012 | Tickers: XOM, RDS-A

    Just a few months ago, the city of Erbil in Kurdistan was a desolate corner in the Middle East, where people lived in the fear of gunfire and grenades. The chaotic relationship between the Kurds and the mainland Iraqis didn’t help much to ease the anxiety of regular people living in the capital of Kurdistan. Further away from the city, the security concerns were so high that people usually more »