IBM (NYSE: IBM ) just launched a $1 billion initiative to build and test Flash technology for enterprise solutions. The company said that Flash is already an integral part of consumer products, and that the technology could help companies tackle Big Data challenges.
IBM said in a press release statement that Flash could reduce transaction times for banking, trading and telecommunications by up to 90%, and batch processing times by up to 85%. The company also said its Flash technology could reduce energy consumption by up to 80% in data centers.
"Because it contains no moving parts, the technology is also more reliable, durable, and more energy efficient than spinning hard drives," the company stated in the release.
IBM will spend the $1 billion to develop and design Flash solutions for servers, storage systems, and middleware. The company plans to set up 12 "Centers of Competency" around the world to run proof-of-concept scenarios for companies, using real-world data.
Top 10 Shipping Stocks To Invest In 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 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.
- [By Laura Brodbeck]
Thursday
Earnings Expected From: AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVEO), Kirkland��, Inc (NASDAQ: KIRK), Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG), Stein Mart, Inc. (SMRT: NASDAQ), Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: MRFM), SeaWorld Entertainment (NYSE: SEAS), Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE: EGY) Economic Releases Expected: Chinese retail sales, French CPI, Brazilian retail sales, US retail sales, Japanese industrial productionFriday
- [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 payrollsPosted-In: Bank Of England European Central Bank Federal ReserveNews Eurozone Previews Global Economics Federal Reserve Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga
Top Energy Stocks For 2014: Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.(CLF)
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc., a mining and natural resources company, produces iron ore pellets, lump and fines iron ore, and metallurgical coal products. The company operates six iron ore mines in Michigan, Minnesota, and eastern Canada; two iron ore mining complexes in Western Australia; five metallurgical coal mines located in West Virginia and Alabama; and one thermal coal mine located in West Virginia. It also owns a 45% economic interest in a coking and thermal coal mine located in Queensland, Australia; and a 30% interest in Amapa, a Brazilian iron ore project in Latin America, as well as chromite properties in Ontario, Canada. The company, formerly known as Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Materials have posted the weakest performance, just barely eking out a gain on the year, with technology and energy also falling behind the overall return of the S&P 500. For materials, the slowdown in China has sent commodity producers of all kinds for a loop. In particular, with slower construction activity, U.S. Steel (NYSE: X ) and other steel companies have seen their stocks tumble throughout 2013. That in turn has caused a cascade effect, as coal and iron-ore supplier Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF ) has seen less demand for its vital inputs for the steel-making process. Gold's big decline last week only hurt matters by sending precious-metals miners down for the count as well.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) is up 1% today after the beaten-down iron and coal miner said it would spend $200 million to buy back its shares. Citigroup’s Brian Yu would have preferred Cliffs using the cash to pay down its debt:
ReutersCliffs Natural�� Board approved a $200 mln share repurchase program that translates to 8.1% of current shares outstanding or 7.0% of outstanding if we include the mandatory convertible preferred. With net-debt of $3.1 bln at the end of 2Q14 and estimated leverage of 4.4x for 2014E, our expectation is that deleveraging would be more of a priority, especially with iron ore priced around $90/tonne, approximating Citi�� 2015 forecast of $90/tonne. On our 2015E numbers, Cliffs Natural�� leverage jumps to 6.0x, assuming the company idles Bloom Lake. If management opts to run Bloom Lake to facilitate a drawn-out sale, there would be downside risk to our numbers, holding all else equal.
In our opinion, the buyback program could make sense if the Board is more positive on iron ore prices vs our expectations and expects to fund the buyback with proceeds from asset sales. As well the high dividend yield of 3.8% is not supporting the current share price, in our view, and could be jettisoned as a source of funds for the buyback.
Shares of Cliffs Natural Resources have gained 1% to $15.96 at 1:37 p.m. today. They’ve dropped 39% so far this year.
- [By Steven Russolillo]
Companies like iron-ore miner Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.(CLF) and videogame maker GameStop have fallen more than 20% this year, and data from Markit shows that short sellers have managed to turn those steep declines into profits.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Today’s been a lousy day for Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF).
ReutersIt’s shares have dropped 4.7% to $17.78 at 2:31 p.m. today, joining a selloff that has caused�Rio Tinto�(RIO) to fall 2.4% to $52.11, BHP Billiton (BHP) to decline 2.8% to $64.82 and Vale (VALE) to drop 3.2% to $12.62.
The reason: China’s export data was tres terrible and commodity prices have dropped across the board–especially iron ore. And the one thing Cliffs Natural resources can’t afford is lower prices for iron ore.
Axiom Capital’s Gordon Johnson and James Bardowski explain why:
In summary, given our view on 2014 iron ore prices, we believe [Cliffs Natural Resources] will likely blow through its debt covenants in 2014, further cut its dividend, and likely need to do a very large dilutive equity deal (if the company is not able to execute these options, we see acute liquidity risk in the offing). While we recognize� [Cliffs Natural Resources] has recently replaced its senior management team (CEO/Chairman & CFO), providing a new, more risk-averse approach to allocating capital, given our view on iron ore prices (anchored by what we see as structurally slower growth in China), we view the issues plaguing the company currently as structural. While we see a turnaround as possible, $114 iron ore suggests bankruptcy is a growing reality, inspiring our report�� title ��iving On A Prayer��
The sad thing is that it didn’t have to be this way, Johnson and Bardowski say. Cliffs Natural Resources once had a steady business selling iron to non-coastal companies but wanted to get in on the China play. So it purchased other mines, culminating in the acquisition of Consolidated Thompson. Now it’s paying for it.
Shares of Cliffs Natural Resources have plunged 32% so far this year, while Rio Tinto has fallen 7.7%, BHP Billiton has dropped 4.9% and Vale has declined 17%.
Top Energy Stocks For 2014: World Point Terminals LP (WPT)
World Point Terminals, LP, incorporated on April 19, 2013, is a fee-based Delaware limited partnership formed to own, operate, develop and acquire terminals and other assets relating to the storage of light refined products, heavy refined products and crude oil. WPT GP, LLC is the general partner of the Company. It operates in a single reportable segment consists primarily of the fee-based storage and terminaling services it performs under contracts with its customers. The Company�� storage terminals are located in the East Coast, Gulf Coast and Midwest regions of the United States and, as of May 31, 2013, had a combined available storage capacity of 12.4 million barrels. The Company provides terminaling and storage of light refined products, such as gasoline, distillates and jet fuels; heavy refined products, such as residual fuel oils and liquid asphalt, and crude oil. Most of its terminal facilities are located on waterways, and have truck racks. Several of its terminal facilities also have rail or pipeline access. As of May 31, 2013, approximately 93% of its available storage capacity was under contract.
The Company generates revenue from Storage Services Fees, Ancillary Services Fees and Additive Services Fees. Storage Services Fees are its customers pay base storage services fees, which are fixed monthly fees paid at the beginning of each month to reserve storage capacity in its tanks and to compensate it for receiving up to a base product volume on their behalf. The Company charges ancillary services fees to its customers for providing services, such as heating, mixing and blending its customers��products that are stored in its tanks; transferring its customers��products between its tanks; at its Granite City terminal, adding polymer to liquid asphalt, and rail car loading and dock operations. The Company generates revenue from fees for injecting generic gasoline, gasoline, lubricity, red dye and cold flow additives to its customers��products.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
World Point Terminals (NYSE: WPT) owns and operates terminals and other assets for the storage of light refined products, heavy refined products and crude oil. World Point’s storage terminals are located in the East Coast, Gulf Coast and Midwest regions of the US. The partnership debuted on Aug. 9, and units have gained 2 percent since. The partnership agreement provides for a minimum quarterly distribution of $1.20 per unit on an annualized basis. At the recent closing price of $19.64/unit, this equates to a minimum annualized yield of 6.1 percent.
Top Energy Stocks For 2014: FX Energy Inc (FXEN)
FX Energy, Inc. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with production, appraisal, and exploration activities in Poland. The Company operates within two segments of the oil and gas industry: the exploration and production (E&P) segment in Poland and the United States, and the oilfield services segment in the United States. The Company also has oil production, oilfield service activities, and a shale acreage position in the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its oil and gas production was 4.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas (12.0 million cubic feet equivalent per day). The Company concentrates its exploration operations in Poland primarily on the Rotliegend sandstones of the Permian Basin. The Company has identified a core area consisting of approximately 852,000 gross acres surrounding PGNiG�� producing Radlin field.
Activities and Presence in Poland
The Company conducts its activities in Poland in project areas, including Fences, Blocks 287, 246, and 229 near the Fences concession, Warsaw South, Kutno, Northwest, and Edge. In the Fences during 2011, it completed the Lisewo-1 well as a commercial well and drilled the Plawce-2 well in a tight sand area. In its other concessions it drilled the Machnatka-2 well, a noncommercial Zechstein/Carboniferous test, in the Warsaw South concession, and started drilling the Kutno-2 well, a deep Rotliegend test, in the Kutno concession. The Fences concession area encompasses 852,000 gross acres (3,450 square kilometers) in western Poland�� Permian Basin. The Fences concession area encompasses 852,000 gross acres (3,450 square kilometers) in western Poland�� Permian Basin. The Company has drilled 11 conventional wells targeting Rotliegend structures through the date of this filing. Eight of these wells are commercial. The Company is produce from four of these eight wells.
The Block 287 concession area is 12,000 acres (50 square kilometers) located approximately 25 miles so! uth of the Fences concession area. The Company owns 100% of the exploration rights. As of December 31, 2011, it has reentered only the Grabowka-12 well. During 2011, it produced at an average daily rate of approximately 0.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The Company has a 100% interest in a concession south of its Fences project area covering approximately 241,000 acres (975 square kilometers). The Company hold a 51% interest in a total of 874,000 acres (3,538 square kilometers.) in east-central Poland. During 2011, it entered into a farmout agreement with PGNiG under which it earned a 49% interest in the entire Warsaw South concession in return for paying certain seismic and drilling costs. It subsequently drilled the Machnatka-2 well to test Zechstein and Carboniferous potential in the western part of the concession area.
The Company holds a 100% interest in 706,000 acres (2,856 square kilometers). The area encompasses a Rotliegend structure (Kutno) with projected four-way dip closure. It started drilling the Kutno-2 well during 2011. It hold concessions on 828,000 acres (3,351 square kilometers) in west-central Poland, in Poland�� Permian Basin directly north of PGNiG�� BMB and MLG oil and gas fields. The Company has a 100% interest in four concessions in north-central Poland covering approximately 881,000 acres (3,567 square kilometers). As of December 31, 2011, it held oil and gas exploration rights in Poland in separately designated project areas encompassing approximately 4.6 million gross acres. The Company is the operator in all areas, except its 852,000 gross-acre core Fences project area, in which it hold a 49% interest in approximately 807,000 acres and a 24.5% interest in the remaining 45,000 acres.
U.S. Activities and Presence
The operations consist of shallow, oil-producing wells in the Southwest Cut Bank Sand Unit (SWCBSU), of Montana. Its oil wells produce approximately 155 barrels of oil per day, net to its interest. From its fie! ld office! in Montana, the Company also provides oilfield services. The Company produces oil from approximately 10,732 gross (10,418 net) acres in Montana and 400 gross (128 net) acres in Nevada. In 2011, the Company entered into a joint venture with two other companies, American Eagle Energy, Inc., and Big Sky Operating LLC, in which it pooled our approximately 10,000 net acres in our SWCBSU with their approximately 65,000 net acres, the Americana leases, along with a farmout agreement that provides the group with an ability to earn an interest in an additional 7,000 acres covered by the Somont leases. During 2011, it drilled three vertical wells on joint venture acreage to obtain log and core data. The Company also drilled a 3,600-foot lateral from one of these three wells, the Anderson 14-29, and carried out a multistage fracture. The Company is testing oil potential in the Anderson 14-29 well. The Company has a one-third working interest in all formations below the Cut Bank in its SWCBSU.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
Another energy player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is FX Energy (FXEN), which is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with principal production, reserves and exploration in Poland and oil production, oilfield service and exploration activities in the U.S. This stock is off to a slow start in 2013, with shares off by 14%.
If you take a look at the chart for FX Energy, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation chart pattern for the last two months and change, with shares moving between $2.93 on the downside and $3.98 on the upside. Shares of FXEN are now starting to bounce higher off its 50-day moving average of $3.36 share, and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent range.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in FXEN if it manages to break out above some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.62 to $3.71 a share and then above more resistance at $3.98 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action 377,632 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then FXEN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.50 to $4.76 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give FXEN a chance to tag or trend above $5 a share.
Traders can look to buy FXEN off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $3.15 or $2.93 a share. One could also buy FXEN off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
- [By James E. Brumley]
If it seems like you've heard the market buzzing about FX Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FXEN) quite a bit of late, you're not crazy - it's been in the spotlight a little more than usual over the past few weeks. And for good reason. FXEN shares are about to explode higher. All they need is the right nudge. More on that in a second.
Top Energy Stocks For 2014: WPX Energy Inc (WPX)
WPX Energy, Inc. (WPX Energy), incorporated on April 19, 2011, is an independent natural gas and oil exploration and production company engaged in the exploitation and development of long-life unconventional properties. The Company focuses on exploiting its natural gas reserve base and related NGLs in the Piceance Basin of the Rocky Mountain region, and on developing its positions in the Bakken Shale oil play in North Dakota and the Marcellus Shale natural gas play in Pennsylvania. Its other areas of domestic operations include the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and the San Juan Basin in the southwestern United States. In addition, it owns a 69% controlling ownership interest in Apco Oil and Gas International, Inc. (Apco), which holds oil and gas concessions in Argentina and Colombia. As of December 31, 2010, it had proved reserves of 4,473 Bcfe, 59% of which were proved developed reserves. Average daily production as of March 31, 2011 was 1,251 MMcfe/d.
Bakken Shale
The Company acquired 89,420 net acres in the Williston Basin in North Dakota that is prospective for oil in the Bakken Shale. It acquired all of this acreage in December 2010 through the acquisition of Dakota-3 E&P Company LLC. As of December 31, 2010, it had three rigs operating on the Bakken Shale acreage. Since acquiring this acreage, the Company has drilled 10 operated wells on the Bakken Shale properties; nine Middle Bakken formation wells and one Three Forks formation well. Six of these wells have been completed and connected to sales with initial 30 day production rates ranging from 750 Boe/d to 1,100 Boe/d.
Marcellus Shale
The Company�� 99,301 net acres in the Marcellus Shale were acquired through two key transactions and additional leasing activities. In July 2010, the Company acquired 42,000 net acres in Susquehanna County in northeastern Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had five rigs operating in the Marcellus Shale.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Bank, perceived beneficiaries of tapering, had a big day Friday, helping to boost the S&P 500. JPMorgan Chase (JPM), for instance, rose 4,5% to $53.86, while Goldman Sachs (GS) rose 2.2% to $163.17. This week’s big winners included the Gap (GPS), which gained 13% to $41.43 after beating same-store-sales forecasts, and Transocean (RIG), which rose 12% to $53.45 after beating earnings predictions on Nov. 6. The S&P 500′s biggest loser this week: WPX Energy (WPX), which plunged 15% after its earnings were hit by lower natural gas prices.
- [By Aaron Levitt]
As we��e seen before, shareholder activism can lead to big wins in the oil sector. Midcap E&P firm WPX Energy (WPX) is a prime example. The oil stock was spun off from pipeline giant Williams (WMB) back in 2011 and has since focused on producing natural gas and natural gas liquids in Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Wyoming. This includes new acreage in the prolific Bakken shale.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
The S&P 500 dropped 1.3% to 1,747.15–its largest fall since August 27–while the Dow Jones Industrials fell 1% to 15,593.89–its biggest drop in almost a month. Among the stocks dragging the market down: Goldman Sachs (GS), which fell 2.4% to $159.64 after it said an investigation into its mortgage-bond business could boost its legal costs, AT&T (T), which dropped 2% to $35.11 after it acknowledged charging the US government for access to customer phone records, and WPX Energy (WPX), which fell 13% to $18.65 after releasing disappointing results. Just two Dow components–International Business Machines (IBM) and EI Du Pont De Nemours (DD)–finished the day in the black.
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