Top Energy Companies To Buy Right Now

In fits and starts, the U.S. economy appears to be gaining steam.

Recent economic reports have been giving mixed signals -- the consumer is feeling better while manufacturers retrench a bit -- but on balance, the recent trends hint at GDP growth in excess of 2.5% in the second half of this year and perhaps near 3% by next year. The challenge for investors is to find companies that are poised to grow in tandem with the economy.

I screened every company in the S&P 400, 500 and 600, looking for companies that have recently seen their 2013 earnings per share (EPS) outlooks boosted and are now expected to boost EPS by at least 20% in 2014 and again in 2015. Two industries are heavily represented in this group: energy and housing.

Housing Industry Profits Are Set To Rise

Best Forestry Stocks To Buy For 2015: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)

Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes) is engaged in the oilfield services industry. Baker Hughes is a supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. It also provides industrial and other products and services to the downstream refining, and the process and pipeline industries. The Company may conduct its operations through subsidiaries, affiliates, ventures and alliances. It operates in more than 80 countries worldwide. The Company operates in five segments. Four of these segments represent its oilfield operations and their geographic organization: North America (U.S. Land, Gulf of Mexico and Canada), Latin America, Europe/Africa/Russia Caspian and Middle East/Asia Pacific. Its Industrial Services and Other segment includes downstream chemicals, process and pipeline services, and the reservoir development services group.

The geographic organization supports its oilfield operations and is responsible for sales, field operations and well site execution. Western Hemisphere operations consist of four regions - Canada, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, and the United States Land, Gulf of Mexico and Latin America regions. Eastern Hemisphere operations consist of five regions - Europe, England; Africa, France; Russia Caspian, Russia; Middle East, United Arab Emirates, and Asia Pacific, Malaysia.

Oilfield Operations

The Company offers a suite of products and services to its customers worldwide. Its oilfield products and services fall into one of two groups, Drilling and Evaluation or Completion and Production. The Drilling and Evaluation group consists of Drill Bits, Drilling Services, Wireline Services, and Drilling and Completion Fluids. Drill Bits includes Tricone and PDC or diamond drill bits used for performance drilling, hole enlargement and coring. Drilling Services includes conventional and rotary steerable systems used to drill wells directionally and horizontally; measurement-while-drilling and! logging-while-drilling systems used to perform reservoir navigation services; drilling optimization services; tools for coil tubing drilling and wellbore re-entry systems; coring drilling systems, and surface logging.

Wireline Services includes tools for both open hole and cased hole well logging used to gather data to perform petrophysical and geophysical analysis; reservoir evaluation coring; casing perforation; fluid characterization; production logging; well integrity testing; pipe recovery, and seismic and microseismic services. Drilling and Completion Fluids includes emulsion and water-based drilling fluids systems; reservoir drill-in fluids, and fluids environmental services.

The Completion and Production group consists of Completion Systems, Wellbore Intervention, Intelligent Production Systems, Artificial Lift, Tubular Services, Upstream Chemicals and Pressure Pumping. Completion Systems includes products and services used to control the flow of hydrocarbons within a wellbore, including sand control systems; liner hangers; wellbore isolation; expandable tubulars; multilaterals; safety systems; packers and flow control, and tubing conveyed perforating. Wellbore Intervention includes products and services used in existing wellbores to improve their performance, including thru-tubing fishing; thru-tubing inflatables; conventional fishing; casing exit systems; production injection packers; remedial and stimulation tools, and wellbore cleanup.

Intelligent Production Systems includes products and services used to monitor and dynamically control the production from individual wells or fields, including production decisions services; chemical injection services; well monitoring services; intelligent well systems, and artificial lift monitoring. Artificial Lift includes electric submersible pump systems; progressing cavity pump systems; gas lift systems, and surface horizontal pumping systems used to lift large volumes of oil and water when a reservoir is no long! er able t! o flow on its own. Tubular Services includes hammer services; tubular running systems, and completion assembly systems. Upstream Chemicals includes chemicals and chemical application systems to provide flow assurance, integrity management and production management for upstream hydrocarbon production. Pressure Pumping includes cementing, stimulation, including hydraulic fracturing, and coil tubing services used in the completion of new oil and natural gas wells and in remedial work on existing wells, both onshore and offshore.

The Company competes with Schlumberger, Halliburton, Weatherford, National Oilwell Varco, Champion Technologies, Ecolab, Newpark Resources, and Frac Tech Services.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Baker Hughes (BHI)

  The guru�� third largest holding is in Baker Hughes where he holds on to 9,699,551 shares of the company�� stock. His holdings make up for 3.4% of his total portfolio and 2.39% of the company�� shares outstanding.

• [By Associated Press]

  HOUSTON (AP) -- Oilfield services company Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI  ) says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by 10 this week to 1,764.

Top Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: VAALCO Energy Inc (EGY)

VAALCO Energy, Inc. (VAALCO), incorporated in 1985, is an independent energy company principally engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. VAALCO owns producing properties and conducts exploration activities as operator in Gabon, West Africa, conducts exploration activities as an operator in Angola, West Africa, and has conducted exploration activities as a non-operator in the British North Sea. The Company owns minor interests in production activities as a non-operator in the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Etame, Avouma, South Tchibala and Ebouri fields produced approximately 8.1 million barrels of oil (2.3 million barrels of oil net to the Company).

Offshore Gabon

The Company�� primary source of revenue is from the Etame Production Sharing Contract related to the Etame Marin block located offshore the Republic of Gabon. VAALCO operates the Etame Marin block on behalf of a consortium of companies. As of December 31, 2010, VAALCO owned a 30.35% interest in the exploration acreage within the Etame Marin block. The Company owns a 28.1% interest in the development areas surrounding the Etame, Avouma, South Tchibala and Ebouri fields, each of which is located on the Etame Marin block. The Company produces from the Etame, Avouma, South Tchibala and Ebouri fields on the block.

Onshore Gabon

The Mutamba Iroru block is ocated onshore near the coast in central Gabon. The Mutamba Iroru block contains an exploration area of approximately 270,000 acres.

Offshore Angola

The Company has 40% working interest in Offshore Angola. The four year primary term with an optional three year extension awards the Company exploration rights to 1.4 million acres offshore central Angola.

Onshore Domestic-Texas

In July 2011, the Company acquired a 480 acre lease in the Granite Wash formation in North Texas. In November 2011, the Company commen! ced drilling a second well on the initial Granite Wash formation lease.

Onshore DomesticMontana

In May 2011, the Company acquired a 70% working interest in approximately 5,200 acres (3,640 net acres) in Sheridan County, Montana in the Middle Bakken formation. In September 2011, it acquired a 65% working interest in approximately 22,000 gross acres covering the Middle Bakken and deeper formations in the East Poplar unit and the Northwest Poplar field in Roosevelt County, Montana.

DomesticOutside Operated

The Company has minor interests in Brazos County, Texas producing from the Buda/Georgetown formations. The Company also owns certain minor non-operated interests in the Ship Shoal area of the Gulf of Mexico and in Pickens County, Alabama.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Friday

  Earnings Expected From: Covidien plc. (NYSE: COV), Eldorado Gold Corporation (NYSE: EGO), Vaalco Energy Inc. (NYSE: EGY) Economic Releases Expected: �US Wholesale Trade, US non-farm payrolls

  Posted-In: Bank Of England European Central Bank Federal ReserveNews Eurozone Previews Global Economics Federal Reserve Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

• [By Nitish]

  VAALCO Energy, Inc. (EGY) last month reported net income of $24.7 million or $0.43 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2014 compared to net income of $7.1 million or $0.12 per diluted share for the comparable period in 2013. Second quarter 2014 revenues were $52.1 million compared to$29.1 million in the second quarter of 2013, primarily due to the higher volumes of crude liftings in the second quarter of 2014 as compared to the second quarter of 2013.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Vaalco Energy (NYSE: EGY  ) hopes to put some power into its common stock by repurchasing a chunk of outstanding shares. The company's board has authorized a repurchase program for up to $25 million worth of stock. The initiative will be in force for one year.

Top Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP)

Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP) is engaged on the acquisition, development and production of onshore oils and natural gas properties in the United States. All of the Company's proved reserves are located in the Black Warrior Basin in Alabama, the Cherokee Basin in Kansas and Oklahoma, the Woodford Shale in the Arkoma Basin in Oklahoma and the Central Kansas Uplift in Kansas and Nebraska. The Company operates its oil and natural gases properties as one business segment: the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's total estimated proved reserves were approximately 201.3 billions of cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), approximately 76% of which were classified as proved developed, and 97% of which are natural gas and 3% of which are oil. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was the operator of approximately 88% of the 2,785 net wells in which the Company owned an interest. In March 2013, it announced sale of its Robinson's Bend Field assets, located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

Black Warrior Basin

The Black Warrior Basin is a coalbed methane basins in the country. The multi-seam vertical wells in the basin range from 500 to 3,700 feet deep, with coal seams averaging a total of 25 to 30 feet of net pay per well. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 100% working interest (an approximate 75% average net revenue interest) in its wells in the Black Warrior Basin, where the Company had 507 producing natural gas wells. The Black Warrior Basin is located in western Tuscaloosa County and Pickens County, Alabama, and encompasses a surface area of approximately 109 square miles. The field has been developed on 80-acre spacing. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was developing its properties in the field on both 40- and 80-acre spacing. The field has seven compressor stations with 800-1,200 horsepower compressors, approximately 170 miles of gas gathering lines (wells to header) and approximately 25 miles of trans! portation lines (header to compressor). In addition, there are approximately 152 miles of water gathering pipes and 28 miles of water transportation pipes. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Black Warrior Basin were approximately 84.9 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88% of which were classified as proved developed, and all of which are natural gas.

Cherokee Basin

The Cherokee Basin is located in the Mid-Continent region in southern Kansas, northern Oklahoma, and western Missouri. It covers approximately 26,500 square miles. The production is natural gas produced from coals and shales. There are multiple producing coal zones in the Cherokee Basin, including the Rowe, Riverton, Weir-Pitt, and Dawson zones. In addition, there are other productive shale zones, as well as conventional sandstone and limestone potential, which can add natural gas and oil production. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned approximately 2,261 net producing wells in the Cherokee Basin. The Company operates in excess of 20 booster compressors and stations to gets its natural gas to sales points owned by ONEOK Gas Transportation, L.L.C., Scissortail Energy, LLC, Enogex Gas Gathering & Processing, LLC, Enogex Inc., and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. The Company operates a substantial portion of its production in the Cherokee Basin. The Company also own a 50% working interest in wells operated by Bullseye Operating, L.L.C. (Bullseye) and a 50% interest in Bullseye itself. Bullseye operates approximately 500 gross wells in Washington and Nowata Counties in Oklahoma and sells its production through the Cotton Valley producers cooperative, Cotton Valley Compression, L.L.C. The Company's gross working interest in its Cherokee Basin properties is approximately 80%, with its average gross working interest in its operated properties being approximately 100% and its average gross working interest in its non-operated Cherokee Basin properties being a! pproximat! ely 50%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Cherokee Basin were approximately 110.7 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 66% of which were classified as proved developed, and 95% of which were natural gas and 5% of which were oil.

Woodford Shale

The Woodford Shale is located in the Arkoma Basin in southern Oklahoma. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 82 well bores, or approximately 9 net producing wells, located in Coal and Hughes counties. This area is gas-rich and is characterized by multiple productive zones. The production of natural gas in the Woodford Shale comes from shale rock that has been stimulated through fracturing jobs after a horizontal well has been drilled. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's 82 wells had an average gross working interest of 11.3% and an average net revenue interest of 9.1%. Approximately 90% of the wells are operated by affiliates of Devon Energy Corporation (Devon) and Newfield Exploration Mid-Continent, Inc. (Newfield), with the remaining wells operated by three additional companies. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Woodford Shale were approximately 5.2 billions of cubic feet equivalent.

Central Kansas Uplift

The Central Kansas Uplift is an oil prone region located in Kansas and southern Nebraska. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a gross acreage position of 4,345 acres, or approximately 1,050 net acres and the Company owned 39 gross wells, or approximately 8 net producing wells. Murfin Drilling Company, Inc., an oil producer in Kansas, operates all of the Company's wells in this region. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the average gross working interest in the wells is approximately 21% and the average net revenue interest is approximately 17%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's proved reserves in the Central Kansas Uplift were approximately 0.5 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88%! of which! were classified as proved developed and all of which were oil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The bulk of these awards came in the form of a single multiple-award, task-order contract to be shared among several energy companies:

  Constellation Energy Partners LLC's (NYSEMKT: CEP  ) Constellation NewEnergy subsidiary Privately held ECC Renewables LLC Enel Green Power North America, a subsidiary of Italy's Enel SpA LTC Federal LLC Siemens' (NYSE: SI  ) Government Technologies unit

  These five firms are now authorized to bid for individual task orders under an umbrella contract for the procurement of renewable and alternative energy from facilities that are designed, financed, constructed, operated and maintained by private companies on private land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. The ceiling value on this contract is $7 billion, thus accounting for 84% of the value of all Pentagon contracts awarded yesterday.

Top Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp (PEGFF.PK)

Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp. (Pacific Rubiales) is a producerand seller of natural gas and heavy crude oil. The Company also purchases crude oil from third parties to be used as diluents and for trading purposes. The Company owns Meta Petroleum Corp. (Meta), an oil branch which operates the Rubiales/Piriri and Quifa oil fields in the Llanos Basin in association with Ecopetrol; and Pacific Stratus Energy Colombia Corp. (Pacific Stratus), which operates the wholly owned La Creciente gas field in the northern part of Colombia and other light and medium oil fields. In addition to its production assets, it has investment in oil pipelines in Colombia, including the Oleoducto de los Llanos S.A. Pipeline and the new Oleoducto Bicentenario de Colombia pipeline, under construction. In November 2013, Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp acquired Petrominerales Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Value Digger]

  C&C Energia was acquired by Pacific Rubiales (PEGFF.PK) for $9.5 (including the shares for Platino Energy), three months later. Nobody else had ever written an online article about C&C Energia.

• [By Value Digger]

  Apart from the momentum traders, the growth seekers have to check it out too. Manitok Energy is another growth company with a non-existent coverage from the online publications, although it has been growing by leaps and bounds during the last couple of years. I really enjoy uncovering such companies. In fact, by discovering under-followed growth companies with very attractive valuations is how I started my articles with SeekingAlpha one year ago. It was when I uncovered C&C Energia. I recommended this debt-free South American producer at ~$5.7 in August 2012. C&C Energia was bought out by Pacific Rubiales (PEGFF.PK) a couple of months later at $9.81. My article is here.

Top Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: NK Lukoil OAO (LKOH)

NK Lukoil OAO (Neftyanaya Kompaniya LUKOIL OAO or NK LUKOIL OJSC) is a Russia-based integrated oil and gas company. The Company is engaged in the business of oil exploration, production, refining, marketing and distribution. It is an owner of refineries, gas processing, petrochemical plants and gas stations network located in Russia, Eastern and Western Europe, as well as Africa. The Company�� petroleum products are sold in the Russian Federation, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, Eastern and Western Europe, Asia and the United States. NK Lukoil OAO operates through numerous subsidiaries and affiliated companies. In April 2013, the Company acquired a 100% of Samara-Nafta ZAO and completed acquisition of CJSC Kama-Oil. In June 2013, it sold a 99.57% stake in Lukoil Odes'kyi NPZ PAT. The Company�� major shareholder is NKO ZAO NRD with a stake of 91.60%. In December 2013, it consolidated a 100% stake in ISAB Srl. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Julia Leite]

  Brazil�� Ibovespa (IBOV) fell to a six-week low, while the real slid to its weakest level in four years, spurring central bank intervention. Housing Development Finance Corp. drove India�� S&P BSE Sensex down, while the rupee completed its worst month in a year. OAO Lukoil (LKOH), Russia�� second-largest oil producer, slipped 2.3 percent as crude slumped.

• [By Maria Levitov]

  Russia�� Micex Index extended a five-day drop to 3.4 percent, led by OAO Lukoil (LKOH) and OAO Gazprom. Ukraine�� dollar-denominated bonds gained, sending yields to the lowest this week, as President Viktor Yanukovych announced possible investments from China. The PX Index slid to a seven-week low in Prague as Vienna Insurance Group AG plunged 4.2 percent.

• [By Rajhkumar K Shaaw]

  Russian stocks rose as oil, the nation�� main export earner, climbed. OAO Lukoil (LKOH) gained for the first time this week. Benchmark gauges in Hungary and Turkey also advanced. Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS, the Turkish carmaker part-owned by Fiat SpA, climbed for a second day on bets plans to roll out a new vehicle will boost revenue from exports.

Top Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Rock Energy Inc (RENFF.PK)

Rock Energy Inc. (Rock) is an energy company engaged in the exploration for and development and production of crude oil and natural gas in Western Canada. Rock owns 35,915 (35,881 net) acres of land in the Plains area of east central Alberta and west central Saskatchewan. Rock owns 6,280 (5,960 net) acres of land in the Onward area of south west Saskatchewan, which consists primarily of two Lloydminster heavy oil pools. As of December 31, 2011, the Mantario area consisted of 4,480 (4,480 net) acres of land. Its Bigstone area, which is within the Greater Kaybob region includes Rock�� Saxon, Tony Creek and Waskahigan properties. As of December 31, 2011, Rock owned 101,278 (58,992 net) acres of land in the Elmworth area of Alberta, with two dimensions (2D) and three dimensions (3D) seismic coverage. The property included 38 (12.77 net) producing natural gas wells. During the first quarter of 2012, Rock acquired an additional 5,748 (5,748 net) acres of land. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Value Digger]

  Same thing happened with Rock Energy (RENFF.PK), when I recommended it at $1 about three months ago. My article is here.

  Rock Energy is at $1.3 today, and its annual report confirmed my bullish call. I have been alone in that bullish call once again.

Top Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Airgas Inc.(ARG)

Airgas, Inc., through its subsidiaries, distributes industrial, medical, and specialty gases, as well as hardgoods in the United States. The company offers various gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, helium, and hydrogen; welding and fuel gases, such as acetylene, propylene, and propane; and carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, ultra high purity grades, special application blends, and process chemicals. Its hardgoods products comprise welding consumables and equipment, safety products, and construction supplies, as well as maintenance, repair, and operating supplies. The company also engages in the rental of gas cylinders, cryogenic liquid containers, bulk storage tanks, tube trailers, and welding and welding related equipment. In addition, the company manufactures and distributes liquid carbon dioxide, dry ice, nitrous oxide, ammonia, refrigerant gases, and atmospheric merchant gases. It serves repair and maintenance, industrial manufacturing, energy and infrastructure co nstruction, medical, petrochemical, food and beverage, retail and wholesale, analytical, utilities, and transportation industries. The company operates an integrated network of approximately 1100 locations, including branches, retail stores, packaged gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities, and distribution centers. Additionally, it provides retail solutions to retail customers, such as florists, grocers, restaurants and bars, tire and automotive service centers, and others. The company markets its products through multiple sales channels, including branch-based sales representatives, retail stores, strategic customer account programs, telesales, catalogs, e-business, and independent distributors. Airgas, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Radnor, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Airgas (NYSE: ARG) is expected to report its Q2 earnings at $1.22 per share on revenue of $1.28 billion.

  The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $1.55 per share on revenue of $21.68 billion.