Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now

LONDON: We have a number of interim updates of various kinds coming from�FTSE 100� (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE  ) �companies next week, with quite a few of them having their first quarters ending in March. And, after a good finish for many of them for 2012, investors will be keenly waiting to see how 2013 is shaping up.

Here are three companies from the U.K.'s top index that will be bringing us news next week:

BP
It's time for a first-quarter update from�BP� (LSE: BP  ) (NYSE: BP  ) next Tuesday and, after the firm's travails since the Gulf of Mexico disaster, many will be looking for signs that it's time to invest in the oil and gas giant's shares. I think the shares are cheap, and have had them in the�Fool's Beginners' Portfolio�since last August; but what do City analysts think?

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Chevron Corporation(CVX)

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment involves in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as holds interest in a gas-to-liquids project. The Downstream segment engages in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products primarily under the Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex brand names; transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacture and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses, and fuel and lubricant additives. It a lso produces and markets coal and molybdenum; and holds interests in 13 power assets with a total operating capacity of approximately 3,100 megawatts, as well as involves in cash management and debt financing activities, insurance operations, real estate activities, energy services, and alternative fuels and technology business. Chevron Corporation has a joint venture agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corp. and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in May 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is based in San Ramon, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carlson]

  Chevron provides administrative, financial, management and technology support to the United States and international subsidiaries that engage in petroleum operations, chemicals operations, mining operations, power generation and energy services. Cramer holds 500 shares of CVX stocks. CVX has a dividend yield of 3.21% and returned 10.91% since the beginning of this year. It has a market cap of $195.53B and a P/E ratio of 8.52. Phill Gross and Robert Atchinson invested over $300 million in CVX.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Chevron (NYSE:CVX) provides support to its subsidiaries in the following fields: petroleum operations, chemicals operations, mining operations, power generation and energy services. While many stocks on the NYSE have underperformed in 2011, Chevron stock is up 8% year to date.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Range Resources Corporation(RRC)

Range Resources Corporation, an independent natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of natural gas properties primarily in the Appalachian and southwestern regions of the United States. The company?s Appalachian region drilling and producing activities include tight-gas, shale, coal bed methane, and conventional natural gas and oil production in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, and West Virginia. It owns 4,969 net producing wells, approximately 2,750 miles of gas gathering lines, and approximately 1.8 million gross acres under lease. The company?s Southwestern drilling and producing activities cover the Barnett Shale of North Texas, the Permian Basin of West Texas and eastern New Mexico, the East Texas Basin, the Texas Panhandle, and the Anadarko Basin of Western Oklahoma. It owns 1,954 net producing wells, as well as approximately 886,000 gross acres under lease. As of December 31, 2010, Range Resources Corporation had had 4.4 Tcfe of pr oved reserves. It sells gas to utilities, marketing companies, and industrial users. The company was formerly known as Lomak Petroleum, Inc. and changed its name to Range Resources Corporation in 1998. Range Resources Corporation was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) is an independent natural gas and oil company that explores, develops and acquires primarily natural gas and oil properties in the U.S. This is another stock that is up big, gaining 46% year to date.

Top Stocks To Watch Right Now: Worthington Energy Inc (WGAS)

Worthington Energy, Inc. (Worthington), formerly Paxton Energy, Inc., incorporated July 30, 2004, is an oil and gas exploration and production company with assets in Texas and in the Gulf of Mexico. Worthington�� assets in Texas consist of a minority working interest in limited production and drilling prospects in the Cooke Ranch area of La Salle County, Texas, and Jefferson County, Texas, all operated by Bayshore Exploration L.L.C. (Bayshore). The Company�� assets in the Gulf of Mexico consist of a leasehold working interests in certain oil and gas leases located offshore from Louisiana, upon which no drilling or production has commenced as of December 31, 2011, and a 10.35% interest in the recently drilled I-1 well and a 2% royalty interest in 14,400 acres in the Mustang Island Tract 818. On March 27, 2012, it acquired certain assets from Black Cat Exploration & Production, LLC.

In Texas, the Company has working interests ranging from 4% to 31.75% (net revenue interests ranging from 3% to 23.8125%) in the various wells. In the Gulf of Mexico it has a 70% leasehold working interest, with a net revenue interest of 51.975%, of certain oil and gas leases in the Vermillion 179 tract and 10.35% interest in the recently drilled I-1 well and a 2% royalty interest in 14,400 acres in the Mustang Island Tract 818. As of December 31, 2011, it had one producing well that generated average total monthly net revenue.

The Mustang Island 818-L Field, located in the Kleberg County waters of the Gulf of Mexico, is a field re-habilitation project targeting bypassed or only partially produced gas-condensate. Total production from the wells within the seismic coverage was 125.6 billion cubic feet. In January 2011, the Hercules Offshore 205 jack-up rig was contracted to re-enter the I-Well on the Mustang License Area. The oil and gas leases are located in the VM 179, which is in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico offshore from Louisiana. VM 179 is at 85 inches water depth approximately ! 46 miles offshore Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Sunoco Inc.(SUN)

Sunoco, Inc., through its subsidiaries, refines and markets petroleum products in the United States. Its Logistics segment operates refined product and crude oil pipelines and terminals; and acquires and markets crude oil and refined products. As of December 31, 2011, this segment owned and operated approximately 5,400 miles of crude oil pipelines and approximately 2,500 miles of refined product pipelines. It also operates 42 active terminals that receive refined products from pipelines and distribute them to third parties. The company?s Retail Marketing segment engages in the retail sale of gasoline and middle distillates; and operation of convenience stores. This segment operates outlets primarily in Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Its Refining and Supply segment offers petroleum products, including gasoline and residual fuel oil, as well as middle distillates, such as jet fuel, heating oil , and diesel fuel; and commodity petrochemicals comprising propylene-propane, benzene, and cumene. This segment offers its products to wholesale and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Carnival Corporation(CCL)

Carnival Corporation operates as a cruise and vacation company. It provides cruises to various vacation destinations with a portfolio of cruise brands comprising Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn in North America; and AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Ibero Cruises, and P&O Cruises in Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company also involves in operation of hotels, as well as offers tour and transportation services. It operates approximately 98 ships, as well as owns and operates 15 hotels or lodges that include 3,420 guest rooms; 395 motorcoaches; and 20 domed rail cars. The company sells its cruises through travel agents, including wholesalers and tour operators. Carnival Corporation was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hutchinson]

  A sizable debit put spread on the operator of cruise lines may be one investor's way of prepping for shares in Carnival Corp. to pullback should the global economy continue to slow and the likelihood of a possible double-dip recession in Europe and the United States increase. Consumers who might have otherwise splurged on a cruise vacation this winter, may choose instead to hoard their discretionary dollars given heightened uncertainty in the air. Fewer cruise-goers could hurt Carnival's chances of pleasing analysts and investors when the company releases its fourth-quarter earnings report on December 21. Shares in Carnival Corp. today fell as much as 3.65% to $28.52, before turning positive this afternoon, gaining 0.75% to trade at $29.81 by 1:10 pm in New York. It looks like the options trader purchased the roughly 7,000-lot Jan. 2012 $20/$25 put spread this morning for an average net premium of $1.20 per contract. The spread positions the trader to profit should CCL's s hares drop 20.2% to breach the average breakeven price of $23.80 at expiration next year. Maximum potential profits of $3.80 per contract are available to the investor in the event that Carnival Corp.'s shares plunge 32.9% to trade below $20.00 at January expiration day. Shares in CCL last traded below $20.00 back in March 2009.

• [By John Reese]  

  Carnival Corporation is a cruise and vacation company. CCL recently traded at $29.5 and has a 3.4% dividend yield. CCL lost 5.8% during the past 12 months. The stock has a market cap of $23.4 billion, P/E ratio of 12.5 and forward P/E ratio of 9.8. The stock has total debt/equity ratio of 0.41 and Beta of 1.48. Harris Associates had more than $250 Million in CCL at the end of March 2011.

• [By Hawkinvest]

  Carnival Corporation (CCL) is a leading cruise line company, operating under various brands which include: Carnival Cruise Lines, Seabourn, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard, AIDA, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises and Costa Cruises. Carnival is currently facing a number of issues which include the recent capsizing of the Costa Concordia cruise liner off the coast of Italy. That cruise line disaster has resulted in extra expenses, and the company recently warned that it saw reduced bookings. It also said it could not estimate the full impact of the loss at this time.

  Carnival has significant exposure to the economy in Europe, and that could be a further drag on results. European consumers might cut back on vacation spending over economic concerns and high prices at the pump. In addition, fuel is a major expense for this company, and rising oil prices could hurt financial results for Carnival in the coming months. The stock might drop further as these headwinds continue over the coming months.

  Here are some key points for CCL:

  Current share price: $30.74

  The 52 week range is $28.52 to $44.11

  Earnings estimates for 2012: $2.18 per share

  Earnings estimates for 2013: $2.62 per share

  Annual dividend: $1 per share which yields about 3.2%

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Valero Energy Corporation(VLO)

Valero Energy Corporation operates as an independent petroleum refining and marketing company. The company operates through three segments: Refining, Ethanol, and Retail. The Refining segment engages in refining, wholesale marketing, product supply and distribution, and transportation operations. It produces conventional gasoline, distillates, jet fuel, asphalt, petrochemicals, lubricants, and other refined products. This segment also offers conventional blendstock for oxygenate blending, reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending, gasoline meeting the specifications of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), CARB diesel fuel, low-sulfur and ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel. The Ethanol segment produces ethanol and distillers grains. The Retail segment sells transportation fuels at retail stores and unattended self-service cardlocks; convenience store merchandise and services in retail stores; and home heating oil to residential customers. Valero Energy Corpora tion markets its refined products through bulk and rack marketing network; and sells refined products through a network of approximately 6,800 retail and wholesale branded outlets under the Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, Ultramar, Beacon, and Texaco names in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Aruba, and Ireland. As of December 31, 2011, it owned 16 petroleum refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.0 million barrels per day; and operated 10 ethanol plants with a combined nameplate production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion gallons per year. The company was formerly known as Valero Refining and Marketing Company and changed its name to Valero Energy Corporation in August 1997. Valero Energy Corporation was founded in 1955 and is based in San Antonio, Texas.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Fleetcor Technologies Inc (FLT)

FleetCor Technologies, Inc. (FleetCor) is an independent global provider of specialized payment products and services to businesses, commercial fleets, oil companies, petroleum marketers and government entities in countries throughout North America, Latin America and Europe. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company processed more than 215 million transactions on its networks and third-party networks. The Company operates in two segments: North American and International segments. The Company provides its payment products and services in a variety of combinations to create payment solutions for its customers and partners. In August 2011, the Company acquired Mexican prepaid fuel card and food voucher business based in Mexico City, Mexico. On December 13, 2011, the Company acquired Allstar Business Solutions Limited, a fleet card company based in the United Kingdom. In July 2012, the Company acquired a Russian fuel card company. In July 2012, the Company acquired CTF Technologies, Inc.

The Company uses third-party networks to deliver its payment programs and services. In order to deliver its payment programs and services and process transactions, it owns and operates closed-loop networks through which it electronically connects to merchants and captures, analyzes and reports information. The Company also provides a range of services, such as issuing and processing. The Company markets its payment products directly to a range of commercial fleet customers, including vehicle fleets of all sizes and government fleets. Among these customers, it provides its products and services to small and medium commercial fleets. The Company also manages commercial fleet card programs for oil companies, such as British Petroleum (BP) (including its subsidiary Arco), Chevron and Citgo, and over 800 petroleum marketers.

The Company sells a range of fleet and lodging payment programs directly and indirectly through partners, such as oil companies and petroleum marketers. It provides it! s customers with various card products that function like a charge card to purchase fuel, lodging and related products and services at participating locations. The Company supports these cards with issuing, processing and information services that enable it to manage card accounts, facilitate the routing, authorization, clearing and settlement of transactions. The Company provides these services in a variety of outsourced solutions ranging from an end-to-end solution (consisting issuing, processing and network services) to limited back office processing services.

In addition, the Company offers a telematics solution in Europe that combines global positioning, satellite tracking and other wireless technology to allow fleet operators to monitor the capacity utilization and movement of their vehicles and drivers. The Company offers prepaid fuel and food vouchers and cards in Mexico that may be used as a form of payment in restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations. Approximately 10.4% of its revenue during the year ended December 31, 2011 came from its lodging and telematics products.

During 2011, the Company owns and operates eight closed-loop networks in North America and internationally. Fuelman network is the Company�� primary fleet card network in the United States. Corporate Lodging Consultants network (CLC) is the Company�� lodging network in the United States and Canada. The CLC Lodging network covers more than 17,700 hotels across the United States and Canada. Commercial Fueling Network (CFN) is the Company�� members only unattended fueling location network in the United States and Canada. Keyfuels network is the Company�� primary fleet card network in the United Kingdom.

CCS network is the Company�� primary fleet card network in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Petrol Plus Region (PPR) network is the Company�� primary fleet card network in Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Mexican network is the Company�� fuel! and food! card and voucher network in Mexico. Allstar network is the Company�� fleet card network in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the Company issues corporate cards that utilize the MasterCard payment network, which includes 176,000 fuel sites and 398,000 maintenance locations across the country. The networks of locations owned by the Company�� oil and petroleum marketer partners in both North America and internationally are utilized to support the card programs of these partners.

UNION TANK Eckstein GmbH & Co. KG (UTA) operates a network of over 46,000 fleet card-accepting locations across 38 countries throughout Europe, including more than 31,000 fueling sites. DKV operates a network of over 45,000 fleet card-accepting locations across 36 countries throughout Europe, including more than 30,500 fueling sites. In Mexico, the Company issues fuel cards and food cards that utilize the Carnet payment network, which includes approximately 8,700 fueling sites and 78,890 food locations across the country.

The Company competes with Wright Express Corporation, Comdata Corporation, U.S. Bank Voyager Fleet Systems Inc., Edenred and Sodexo, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ed Carson]

  FleetCor isn't a one-stop financial behemoth. It's more of a truck-stop financial, providing fuel cards and budget management tools for trucking firms and other commercial and government fleets. In its most recent quarter, earnings per share rose 48%, the best gain in seven quarters. Revenue growth accelerated to 39%, the best in 10 quarters.

  Shares have been rising strongly for the past six months. The stock is up nearly 3% so far in 2013, hitting a fresh high intraday on Friday.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Imperial Oil Limited(IMO)

Imperial Oil Limited engages in the exploration, production, and sale of crude oil and natural gas in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration and production of conventional crude oil, natural gas, synthetic oil, and bitumen primarily in the Western Provinces, the Canada Lands, and the Atlantic Offshore. Its primary conventional oil producing asset includes the Norman Wells oil field in the Northwest Territories. The Downstream segment engages in the transportation and refining of crude oil, as well as blending, distribution, and marketing of refined products. It owns and operates crude oil, and natural gas liquids and products pipelines in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. The Chemical segment engages in the manufacture and marketing of various petrochemicals, including ethylene, benzene, aromatic and aliphatic solvents, plasticizer intermediates, and polyethylene resin. As of De cember 31, 2010, Imperial Oil Limited had 1,204 million oil-equivalent barrels of proved undeveloped reserves; maintained a nation-wide distribution system, including 24 primary terminals, to handle bulk and packaged petroleum products moving from refineries to market by pipeline, tanker, rail, and road transport; and sold petroleum products through 1,850 Esso retail service stations, of which approximately 510 were company owned or leased. The company was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Imperial Oil Limited operates as a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Stone Energy Corporation(SGY)

Stone Energy Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development, and operation of oil and gas properties in the Gulf of Mexico and the Appalachia region. As of December 31, 2010, it had estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves of approximately 473.9 billion cubic feet of gas equivalent. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana with additional offices in New Orleans, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; and Morgantown, West Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthews]

  Stone Energy (SGY) is trading at $19.88. Stone is an oil and gas drilling company with projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Appalachia, and Texas. These shares have traded in a range between $14.21 to $35.94 in t he last 52 weeks. The 50-day moving average is $24.54 and the 200-day moving average is $27.49. SGY is estimated to earn $3.58 per share in 2011 and $3.64 in 2012. In terms of PE ratios, this appears to be one of the cheapest oil stocks in the market. In July, Dahlman Rose set a $38 price target for SGY shares and Ladenburg Thalmann has a $30 target.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Encana Corporation(ECA)

Encana Corporation and its subsidiaries engage in the exploration for, development, production, and marketing of natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids. The company owns interests in resource plays that primarily include the Greater Sierra, Cutbank Ridge, Bighorn, and Coalbed Methane resource plays located in British Columbia and Alberta, as well as the Deep Panuke natural gas project offshore Nova Scotia in Canada. It also holds interests in resource plays comprising the Jonah in southwest Wyoming, Piceance in northwest Colorado, Haynesville in Louisiana, and Texas resource play, including east Texas and north Texas. The company serves primarily local distribution companies, industrials, energy marketing companies, and other producers. Encana Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Richard Young]

  You can see on my relative strength chart what is likely a bottom in EnCana (NYSE:ECA) shares. With EnCana’s competitor Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:CHK) announcing natural gas production cuts, it’s only a matter of time before other production companies do the same. The slowdown in drilling activity should put a bottom on the price of gas. The effect has translated into a bottom on EnCana Corp shares. Buy EnCana Corp. today and lock in a yield near 4%.

• [By Conrad]

  EnCana (ECA) is one of North America’s largest independent natural gas producers, boasting nearly 13 trillion cubic feet of reserves. Canada is ECA’s main stomping ground, since the company is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, but EnCana also has exploration efforts in Brazil, the Middle East, Greenland and even France.

  In late 2009, EnCana spun off its tar-sands oil business into a separate company, Cenovus (CVE). This was a very wise move, because it allowed the company to focus on its natural gas business and really leverage its massive reserves. Though natural gas prices are down from their historic levels, futures have doubled in the past five months. This is a very bullish sign for gas producers like EnCana.

• [By Nelson]

  Encana is not the oil and gas company it once was – it spun off its oil division early in 2009 as Cenovus (another good name to pick up if you want to add to any of the above four), while leaving Encana itself as a pure natural gas play.  But if you want to invest in nat gas, Encana is your Cadillac.  It’s probably the best choice out there for a large cap, extremely well-managed name that you won’t lose sleep over.  You only have to be concerned with the underlying commodity price.