At the one end of the extreme spectrum of speculative investments are famous FAANG’s (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google).On the other end of the spectrum are the so-called dividend aristocrats – blue-chip companies that pay high dividends.
As the investors are getting more and more concerned with the possibility of the market downturn, they are looking for “safer” investments.
In the second quarter, BP posted a $2.8 billion profit, which exceeded analyst expectations and is about four times higher than the same period last year. For BP, this is standout performance in a quarter where Exxon disappointed.
BP said its oil-and-gas production was 3.6 million barrels per day of oil-equivalent, and the company has started projects in Azerbaijan, Russia and Egypt.The CFO of BP, Brian Gilvary, indicated that the company has already paid 80% of this year's planned settlement payments related to the Gulf of Mexico tragedy, which indicates that profitability may not be inhibited by payouts in the second half of the year (assuming there's not another tragedy and lawsuit). CEO Bob Dudley said that looking forward, the company is planning for oil prices in the $50–$65 per barrel range, which is conservative by today's prices -- crude is trading around $70 a barrel.
Exxon Mobil produced less energy, and missed profit expectations in the latest quarter.
The energy major’s total production dropped by -7% globally in Q2.The firm also cited planned maintenance as a factor behind lower production.
Exxon’s Q2 profit rose by 18% to $3.95 billion, falling short of projections.
But there's still some potential chance for the company to bounce back – thanks to its +30% production growth in Permian Basin of West Texas and Bakken of North Dakota last quarter, and the firm’s plans of investing billions of dollars in overseas projects that it hopes will bolster long-term growth.
The San Francisco and Oakland cases were thrown out some time ago, and now a U.S. district judge has dismissed New York's attempt to do the same.
The lawsuits alleged that oil giants like BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, and Royal Dutch Shell knew about the climate impact of oil production and drilling, but they ignored their own scientific findings and broadly accepted scientific findings.The judges reviewing the case more or less arrived at the same conclusion, which was that problems related to climate change should be dealt with by Congress and the executive branch, not oil companies.
Texas could surpass Iraq and Iran in oil production by next year, as suggested by a HSBC analysis.
The rapid explosion of oil output from the state could catapult Texas to the position of the 3rd highest oil producer (behind Russia and Saudi Arabia) if it were a country, according to HSBC.
The two major oilfields of the state, the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford are projected to pump a combined output of 5.6 million barrels per day in 2019 – compared to 2.5 million barrels per day in 2014, according to HSBC analysis.Iraq and Iran are estimated to produce 4.8 million and 3 million barrels per day respectively next year.
However, it remains to be seen if the Permian Basin can resolve its existing infrastructural/ logistical bottlenecks such as pipeline shortages, and how far it can channel its massive production potential into effective supply networks.
SNP_____BUY_____China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation
8.XOM_____BUY_____Exxon Mobil Corporation
Also there is a large number of Independent Oil and Gas providers on the stock market and after analysing them here is the list of stocks that you should consider to BUY from this sector as well:
1.