The stock of (CNQ) pushed substantially higher this winter, clearing major psychological resistance at $50, before pulling back in healthy-correction fashion.

Further, given the better than 50% gain, if you bought Canadian Natural Resources when first discussed here at the split-adjusted price of $31.80 on May 24, 2010, now may be a good time to consider taking some profits off the table with CNQ.

Continue reading Canadian Natural Resources: Oil Sands Sector Winner

Canadian Natural Resources: Oil Sands Sector Winner originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When the CEO of Walmart says that inflation is coming, we best be on the lookout. As head of America's largest retailer, Bill Simon is in a unique place to see inflation traveling all the way through the supply chain.

Walmart's (WMT) advanced computer systems are the some of the largest and most advanced computer systems in the world -- on par with computers the U.S. military uses. Every product and purchase is tracked to get stores resupplied as quickly as possible, usually just in time. As a retailer, Walmart is going to be keeping track of costs and profit margins very closely. Managers all across the company are carefully watching the reports.

Continue reading Is Inflation Here? Walmart Warns of Rising Prices

Is Inflation Here? Walmart Warns of Rising Prices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Oil Closes at Two-and-a-Half Year High

Oil Closes at Two-and-a-Half Year High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

BP's (BP) headache continues over its planned share swap with Russian-owned Rosneft. According to a report from Sky News, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) announced its concerns over the impact of the swap. ABI reportedly controls 10% to 15% of the U.K. stock market.

ABI's reservations also include a Swedish court's decision to block BP's planned venture with Rosneft in the Arctic. Perhaps most concerning of all -- and not just to ABI -- is Wednesday's report announcing that U.S. prosecutors are considering manslaughter charges against BP for its Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Eleven oil workers were killed as a result of the spill.

Continue reading With BP's Problems, Who Enters the Void?

With BP's Problems, Who Enters the Void? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Recently Anadarko (APC) has agreed to buy BP's 93% interest in the Wattenberg Plant, located in the northeastern part of Colorado, for about $575 million. Anadarko already owns the remaining interest in the plant.

Anadarko is the largest producer of natural gas in the Wattenberg field and the deal will provide Anadarko with 100% ownership of the plant. The company relies heavily on natural gas, which we estimate accounts for nearly 40% of its stock value. It vies for business with established oil and gas producers like Exxon Mobil, (XOM) ConocoPhillips (COP), Chevron (CVX), BP (BP) and Duke (DUK).

Continue reading Anadarko's Acquisition of BP's Wattenberg Adds to Gas Assets

Anadarko's Acquisition of BP's Wattenberg Adds to Gas Assets originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With several major developments occurring around the world, many investors may wonder how they could affect their portfolios or their lives. Here are two of the current, newsworthy events and how investors may interpret them.

Libya

The oil from Libya totaled about 2 million barrels a day before the revolution, half of which was exported. About 1 million barrels a day are no longer available to the world. That isn't enough to really affect the price of oil for a long period of time. Plenty of other countries can supply that amount without straining their capacity. But they're unlikely to step in to fill the gap when oil prices are above $100 a barrel. That price should recede once the conflict finishes and a more stable government is in place.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Libya and Japan -- What They Mean for Investors

Comfort Zone Investing: Libya and Japan -- What They Mean for Investors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ConocoPhillips (COP) is likely to gain in the short-term from political tensions in Libya and other Middle Eastern regions due to a rise in crude oil prices globally. However the recent news in Japan following fears of a nuclear crisis gives us some concern. ConocoPhillips and competitors like Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM), BP (BP) and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC) and Chevron Corporation (CVX) are sensitive to changes in oil prices.

While we expect ConocoPhillips's price of crude oil and LNGs (per barrel) will increase to around $83 by the end of the Trefis forecast period, Trefis members forecast the price rising to $102, implying an upside of 5% to our price estimate for COP stock.

Continue reading High Oil Prices to Support Conoco Shares Despite Japan's Woes

High Oil Prices to Support Conoco Shares Despite Japan's Woes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Financial Times has seen a U.S. diplomatic cable from WikiLeaks that states that Iran has bought significant amounts of gold. The word is that Tehran holds 300 tons of gold, up from 169 tons in 1996.

Gold, oil and the U.S. dollar: The oil-rich Middle East sells oil throughout the world. Oil is priced in dollars. The U.S. dollar is the reserve currency for oil. That means that Mideast countries are loaded with U.S. dollars.

Continue reading WikiLeaks Cable Cites Iran's Gold Buying

WikiLeaks Cable Cites Iran's Gold Buying originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• WTI crude was up $3.67 per barrel to $101.67. Brent crude rose $2.10 per barrel to $110.62.
• In the grain market, June wheat futures rose 48-2 cents per bushel to $7.10 per bushel.
• Corn futures were up the 30 cent limit to $6.46 per bushel.

Continue reading Crisis in Japan Creates More Demand for Commodities

Crisis in Japan Creates More Demand for Commodities originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Except for the safe haven of U.S. treasuries and the U.S. dollar, most other commodities are getting slaughtered in the wake of the Japanese crisis.

Here are some prices of nearby contracts compared to five days ago:

• WTI crude is trading at $97.68 per barrel, down from $105.
• Wheat is at $6.89 per bushel, down for $7.89.

Continue reading Commodities Have Been Clobbered over the Past Week

Commodities Have Been Clobbered over the Past Week originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East has put pressure on the Obama Administration to resume issuing permits for deep water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Noble Energy (NBL) was the first to obtain a permit since the BP (BP) disaster.

Noble is an international oil and gas exploration company that operates in the U.S. and internationally. In the U.S. it has operations on the West Coast, Rocky Mountains, mid continent and the Gulf of Mexico. Its international operations are located in the Middle East, South American and West Africa.

Continue reading Noble Energy Resumes Deep Water Drilling in the Gulf

Noble Energy Resumes Deep Water Drilling in the Gulf originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gas prices are rising and show no signs of coming back down. In fact the predictions are for higher prices to come. At the moment, gasoline averages $3.542 per gallon, according the the AAA motorist group, as reported by CNNMoney.

The highest recorded nationwide price was $4.114 on July 17, 2008. Forecasters are looking for the $4.00 per gallon marker to be hit by this summer.

Continue reading Will Rising Gas Prices Hurt the U.S. Economy?

Will Rising Gas Prices Hurt the U.S. Economy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Chinese government released trade data that portrays a $7.3 billion deficit. Is that believable or just convenient amid the international pressure to raise the value of their currency? We can hardly believe what comes out of Washington, so data coming out of China has to be quite suspect.

I'm sure they retained qualified independent auditors to ascertain the validity of the figures -- yeah right ...

Continue reading Chasing Value: A Chinese Trade Deficit?

Chasing Value: A Chinese Trade Deficit? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Rising Costs and Political Tensions Could Weigh on Exxon Mobil

Rising Costs and Political Tensions Could Weigh on Exxon Mobil originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chevron Corporation (CVX) is one of the largest energy companies in the world, engaging in a variety of businesses like exploration & production of oil and natural gas as well as refining, transportation and trading. The company competes with other established oil producers like ExxonMobil Corporation (XOM), ConocoPhillips (COP), BP (BP) and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC).

Our price estimate for Chevron stands at $104, which is in line with market price.

Continue reading Chevron's Move to Exit Coal Mining Makes Sense

Chevron's Move to Exit Coal Mining Makes Sense originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Department of Energy has had to up its forecast its forecast for oil prices for 2011 and 2012 from last month. The updated forecast takes into account the loss of one million barrels per day from the Libyan conflict, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Last month, the DOE's Energy Information Administration's (EIA) estimate for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was $91 per barrel for 2011. Now, EIA forecasts WTI crude to average $102 per barrel in 2011 and $104 per barrel in 2012. The EIA qualified its forecast with this statement: "There is significant uncertainty surrounding this forecast."

Continue reading DOE Raises Forecasts for Oil and Gasoline Prices

DOE Raises Forecasts for Oil and Gasoline Prices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC) is among the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the world, with about 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves. The company explores and produces natural gas, crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Its major operations are located onshore United States and in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Anadarko also has operations in Algeria, Brazil, China, Ghana, Indonesia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and other countries. Its main competitors are ExxonMobil, BP, ConocoPhillips and Chevron.

Continue reading Anadarko Stock Price Justified Given Optimistic Cost Control Outlook

Anadarko Stock Price Justified Given Optimistic Cost Control Outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Bernanke Finally Admits to Inflation Gain from Commodity Prices

Bernanke Finally Admits to Inflation Gain from Commodity Prices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) is the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the world and competes with other major oil companies like BP, Chesapeake, Anadarko and Chevron. In our recent article titled Sizing Up Egypt's Impact on Exxon, we tried to give an idea of Egypt's importance for Exxon Mobil and how the unrest in the country could affect its stock price. We also discussed how the situation in Libya forced BP to start evacuating its staff from the country in our article Unrest in Libya Could Jeopardize BP Exploration Deal. With the political unrest spreading to more countries over the past few weeks, this may be a bigger concern for Exxon Mobil and other oil & gas majors worldwide. We have a current price estimate of $78.97, which is about 10% below the market price.

Continue reading Assessing Jasmine Revolution's Impact on Exxon Mobil Production

Assessing Jasmine Revolution's Impact on Exxon Mobil Production originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Chavez & Gaddafi, Real Blues Brothers

Serious Money: Chavez & Gaddafi, Real Blues Brothers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.