Why Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.'s Shares Jumped Today
Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of drilling service company Patterson-UTI Energy, rose 13% today after announcing earnings.
So what: Fourth-quarter revenue was up 1%, to $659 million, but net income fell 72%, to $16.6 million, or $0.11 per share. After pulling out one-time items, earnings were $0.28 per share, which was $0.06 higher than estimates.
Now what: Drilling activity has picked up late in 2013 and into 2014, which is one reason the company outperformed expectations. That should continue this year because oil prices have remained high, and natural gas is now high enough to attract drilling activity. The service industry can be volatile depending on drilling trends, but I like the space this year, and Patterson-UTI should be one of the beneficiaries of increased drilling in the U.S.
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The article Why Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.'s Shares Jumped Today originally appeared on Fool.com.
Travis Hoium has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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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