Strong Earnings Push Energy Stocks Higher
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen 0.16% late in today's trading after the Department of Commerce reported a 3.7% increase in durable-goods orders last month. Aircraft bookings rose 57.5% to drive the growth as Boeing signed deals for 127 aircraft, up from 16 a month earlier.
The bullish news has helped push oil up 0.7% today, near $98 per barrel. Oil has fallen most of the week on rising inventories in the U.S., but there's mildly positive economic data coming out of the U.S. and China, which should keep demand growing worldwide. But what has really driven energy stocks today is earnings.
Explorer Cabot Oil & Gas has seen its stock pop 6% today after reporting a 47% rise in revenue to $435.9 million and a 73% spike in adjusted net income to $74.6 million, or $0.18 per share. A 61% spike in production drove results, overcoming a 9% decline in price realized for natural gas.
Noble Energy said adjusted net income from continuing operations -- which pulls out one-time items and derivative gains or losses -- more than doubled to $351 million, or $0.97 per share. Again, it was production that drove growth because sales volumes were up 26% from a year ago and international sales were up 33%.
NationalOilwell Varco benefited from increased drilling overall in the quarter. The company's revenue was up 7% to $5.69 billion, driven by a 12% increase in rig technology revenue. Net income rose 20% to $636 million, or $1.49 per share. Cash flow was also a record at $1 billion.
Energy prices haven't improved in the natural-gas space like they did for oil companies, but increased production has picked up the slack. That's what has kept Cabot Oil & Gas and Noble Energy growing over the past year. For National Oilwell Varco, the additional drilling activity both onshore and offshore has helped drive results and the company gives investors the ability to profit from increased energy activity without betting on specific projects.
The energy industry is hot, and these three companies are profiting from the boom.
A great bet for energy growth
National Oilwell Varco is on fire and these kind of results are why our energy analysts like the stock so much. In fact, our special free report called the stock "The Only Energy Stock You'll Ever Need." Find out more about this company in this limited-time report. Click here to access your report -- it's totally free.
The article Strong Earnings Push Energy Stocks Higher originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Travis Hoium has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends National Oilwell Varco. The Motley Fool owns shares of National Oilwell Varco. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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