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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Pioneer Natural Resources, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Devon Energy Corp and Canadian Natural Resources
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For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 27, 2020 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Pioneer Natural Resources Company , ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) , Chevron Corporation (CVX), Devon Energy Corporation (DVN - Free Report) and Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ - Free Report) .
Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:
Shale Oil & Gas M&As Pick Up: What Investors Must Know
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the shale oil and gas industry are the current hot topic in the energy sector. Companies with better access to capital are boosting their portfolio through acquisitions and paying relatively low prices for assets. Weak commodity price environment, triggered largely by the coronavirus pandemic-induced demand destruction, has affected multiple debt-ridden companies in the shale patches, thereby forcing them to get under the umbrellas of better-positioned acquirers.
Significant M&As
The present market situation is allowing companies with more access to capital to acquire rich shale assets at beaten-down prices. So far, we have witnessed some significant M&A deals in this turbulent period. Recently, Pioneer Natural Resources acquired a smaller rival Parsley Energy, in turn boosting Permian presence. ConocoPhillips agreed to acquire Concho Resources Inc. in an all-stock deal, which will create one of the largest upstream companies in the world. Chevron Corp. acquired Noble Energy for the latter’s Eastern Mediterranean assets. Devon Energy Corp. is merging with WPX Energy to create a bigger company with premium acreage position in the economic core of the Delaware Basin.
In another deal, Canadian Natural Resources agreed to acquire all issued and outstanding common shares of smaller rival, Painted Pony Energy, for its Northeast British Columbia assets in Canada.
Most Investable Upstream Companies are Taken
While all these M&As have left investors guessing about the next acquisition, Pioneer Natural’s CEO Scott Sheffield gave an interesting insight. Bloomberg quoted him saying that the best companies worth investing in are already taken. He said, “There’s only going to be three or four independents that are investable by shareholders” after the latest market downturn.
Why Some Will Survive While Others Won’t?
This is the interesting part wherein we will dig deeper and not just talk about how the weak price environment is the reason for this series of M&As.
When oil price was profitable, most of the companies rampantly boosted production using debt capital rather than just employing free cash flow. However, the current energy market with low demand and weaker prices are drying up free cash flows and making debt repayment difficult.
The situation has forced some shale operators to discontinue drilling and completion activities, as well as reduce capital expenditures, which will likely result in a decline in the remaining economically producible reserves. Halted drilling amid ongoing production will decrease proved developed producing reserves, one of the most important requirements to obtain financing from banks, or in other word, capital. These upstream companies’ lack of access to capital is blurring their way forward.
So, the decline in proved developed producing reserves and access to capital is hampering many of the producers, while the survivors with ample capital and less levered balance sheets are positioning themselves for a thriving future, when commodity prices will improve. Moreover, their ability to generate free cash flow, even in the current weak price environment, is highly reflective of the strength in their operations.
Hence, the survivors will look for opportunities to expand their portfolio and enhance synergy derivations through acquiring lucrative assets at beaten-down prices. The current market volatility has created a window of opportunities for them.
More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!
It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market.
Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Pioneer Natural Resources, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Devon Energy Corp and Canadian Natural Resources
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 27, 2020 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Pioneer Natural Resources Company , ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) , Chevron Corporation (CVX), Devon Energy Corporation (DVN - Free Report) and Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ - Free Report) .
Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:
Shale Oil & Gas M&As Pick Up: What Investors Must Know
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the shale oil and gas industry are the current hot topic in the energy sector. Companies with better access to capital are boosting their portfolio through acquisitions and paying relatively low prices for assets. Weak commodity price environment, triggered largely by the coronavirus pandemic-induced demand destruction, has affected multiple debt-ridden companies in the shale patches, thereby forcing them to get under the umbrellas of better-positioned acquirers.
Significant M&As
The present market situation is allowing companies with more access to capital to acquire rich shale assets at beaten-down prices. So far, we have witnessed some significant M&A deals in this turbulent period. Recently, Pioneer Natural Resources acquired a smaller rival Parsley Energy, in turn boosting Permian presence. ConocoPhillips agreed to acquire Concho Resources Inc. in an all-stock deal, which will create one of the largest upstream companies in the world. Chevron Corp. acquired Noble Energy for the latter’s Eastern Mediterranean assets. Devon Energy Corp. is merging with WPX Energy to create a bigger company with premium acreage position in the economic core of the Delaware Basin.
In another deal, Canadian Natural Resources agreed to acquire all issued and outstanding common shares of smaller rival, Painted Pony Energy, for its Northeast British Columbia assets in Canada.
Most Investable Upstream Companies are Taken
While all these M&As have left investors guessing about the next acquisition, Pioneer Natural’s CEO Scott Sheffield gave an interesting insight. Bloomberg quoted him saying that the best companies worth investing in are already taken. He said, “There’s only going to be three or four independents that are investable by shareholders” after the latest market downturn.
Why Some Will Survive While Others Won’t?
This is the interesting part wherein we will dig deeper and not just talk about how the weak price environment is the reason for this series of M&As.
When oil price was profitable, most of the companies rampantly boosted production using debt capital rather than just employing free cash flow. However, the current energy market with low demand and weaker prices are drying up free cash flows and making debt repayment difficult.
The situation has forced some shale operators to discontinue drilling and completion activities, as well as reduce capital expenditures, which will likely result in a decline in the remaining economically producible reserves. Halted drilling amid ongoing production will decrease proved developed producing reserves, one of the most important requirements to obtain financing from banks, or in other word, capital. These upstream companies’ lack of access to capital is blurring their way forward.
So, the decline in proved developed producing reserves and access to capital is hampering many of the producers, while the survivors with ample capital and less levered balance sheets are positioning themselves for a thriving future, when commodity prices will improve. Moreover, their ability to generate free cash flow, even in the current weak price environment, is highly reflective of the strength in their operations.
Hence, the survivors will look for opportunities to expand their portfolio and enhance synergy derivations through acquiring lucrative assets at beaten-down prices. The current market volatility has created a window of opportunities for them.
More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!
It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market.
Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021.
Click here for the 6 trades >>
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.