Top Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015

Weatherford International (NYSE: WFT  ) is going through an identity crisis of sorts that I'm surprised hasn't raised some legal red flags or caused more concern on Wall Street. The company maintains its main operational office in Houston, was formerly legally based in Bermuda, moved to Switzerland in 2009, and now seeks the greener pastures of Ireland to operate at lower costs and further attract top talent. What's going on here? Is Weatherford gaming the system, or�is it�possibly hiding something? One thing's for sure, this is perfectly legal but something sure doesn't smell right since tax shelters are increasingly being vilified in political circles here in the�United States. Ireland has also been under pressure to make�its tax structures harder to abuse by multinational corporations.�

The oil services player has been looking to capitalize on the favorable tax structure that�the Swiss have benefited for years and years. With greater international scrutiny of Swiss tax laws as well as top executive and board member pay, Weatherford is now hoping to incorporate in Ireland while maintaining its tax domicile in Switzerland. Keep in mind that�tech companies like Apple, Google, and even Facebook�all take advantage of Ireland's favorable tax rate environment. That doesn't make it right for Weatherford to follow�the same�path.�

Top Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015: International Tower Hill Mines Ltd (THM)

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (ITH) is an exploration-stage company. The Company is engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring and evaluating mineral properties, and either joint venturing or developing these properties further or disposing of them when the evaluation is completed. As of December 31, 2011, the Company controlled a 100% interest in its Livengood project in Alaska, the United States. The Livengood property is located approximately 115 kilometers northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska in the Tolovana Mining District within the Tintina Gold Belt. The property is approximately 145 square kilometers and consists of fee land leased from the Alaska Mental Health Trust. The project area is centered on Money Knob. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  He increased his holdings in gold companies in the fourth quarter accordingly. Gold stocks he found attractive in the fourth quarter are: Novagold Resources (NG), Randgold Resources (GOLD), Iamgold Corp. (IAG), Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX), Agnico Eagle (AEM) and International Tower Hill (THM).

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  With no revenues, and therefore no profits, International Tower Hill Mines Ltd (NYSEMKT:THM) shouldn't qualify as "investment worthy" in any way, shape, or form. Indeed, the near-100% loss that THM shares have suffered since early 2011 might scare off even the gutsiest of traders. Yet, there's something undeniably bullish about this stock right now.

• [By Anthony Mirhaydari]

  For now, I continue to recommend investors maintain a cautious stance, focusing on the buying interest coming into safe-haven assets like U.S. Treasury bond and precious metals while booking profits in biotech stocks that have been red hot this month. The leveraged Direxion 3x Treasury Bond Bull (TMF) is up nearly 7% in my Edge Letter Sample Portfolio since it was added on Jan. 10. I just sold Tower Hill Mines (THM) and Rosetta Genomics (ROSG) for gains of 46% and 18% respectively.

Top Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015: iShares S&P 500 Value Index Fund (IVE)

iShares S&P 500 Value Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poor's 500/Citigroup Value Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market. It is a subset of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, and consists of those stocks exhibiting the strongest value characteristics in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, representing approximately 51% of the market capitalization of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

The Fund uses a representative sampling strategy in seeking to track the Index. Barclays Global Fund Advisors (BGFA) serves as an advisor to the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Fabian]

  In addition, this sector has likely benefited from the rotation out of high-beta growth stocks and into value-oriented segments that are more defensive in nature.� The energy sector is the second largest allocation in the iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (NYSE: IVE), with more than 15 percent of the underlying holdings.�

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Central Securities Corp (CET)

Central Securities Corporation is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Company�� primary investment objective is growth of capital. Central Securities Corporation invests primarily in common stocks, but it may invest in bonds, convertible bonds, preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, warrants, options real estate, or short-term obligations of governments, banks and corporations.

The Company, from time to time, invests in securities, the resale of which is restricted. Central Securities Corporation invests in various sectors, including insurance, Semiconductor, Technology Hardware and Equipment, Diversified Industrial, Energy, Software and Services, Banking and Finance and other.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joe Eqcome]

  Actionable Items:

  Highest Positive Spread: ING Emerging Markets High Dividend Equity Fund (IHD)Focus Stock: Central Securities Corporation (CET)Last Week's Focus Stock: Central Securities Corporation

  Junk Bonds Debacle: The $85 billion monthly bond-purchase program has produced a selloff for "junk" bonds. The U.S. Treasurys jumped 0.18% to 4.39% on Wednesday. The benchmark 10-Year Treasury note has risen 0.5% in the past month.

Top Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015: Western Refining Inc.(WNR)

Western Refining, Inc. operates as an independent crude oil refiner and marketer of refined products. The company operates in three segments Refining Group, Wholesale Group, and Retail Group. The Refining Group segment operates two refineries in Texas and Mexico; two stand-alone refined product distribution terminals in New Mexico; and four asphalt terminals in Texas, as well as operates crude oil transportation and gathering pipeline system in New Mexico. It refines various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and other products from crude oil, other feedstocks, and blending components; and acquires refined products through exchange agreements and from various third-party suppliers. This segment sells its products through its wholesale group and service stations, independent wholesalers and retailers, commercial accounts, and sales and exchanges with oil companies. The Wholesale Group segment distributes commercial wholesale petroleum products primarily in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah for retail fuel distributors, as well as for the mining, construction, utility, manufacturing, transportation, aviation, and agricultural industries. The Retail Group segment operates service stations, which include convenience stores or kiosks that sell various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, general merchandise, and beverage and food products to the general public. As of February 24, 2012, it operated 210 service stations with convenience stores or kiosks located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in El Paso, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Westlake also finds Western Refining (WNR) and�Delek US (DK) interesting, while upgrading�Calumet Specialty Products to Neutral from Underperform as “the themes which drove expected underperformance have now become more visible.”

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another stock that's starting to trend within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is Western Refining (WNR), a crude oil refiner and marketer of refined products. It also operates service stations and convenience stores. This stock is off to a decent start in 2013, with shares up 10.8%.

  If you look at the chart for Western Refining, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares soaring higher from its low of $25.47 to its recent high of $32.09 a share. During that uptrend, shares of WNR have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. This stock has also moved back above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. That move has now pushed shares of WNR within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in WNR if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $32.09 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.96 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then WNR will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $34 to $36.50 a share. Any high-volume move above $36.50 will then give WNR a chance to tag its 52-week high at $39.42 a share.

  Traders can look to buy WNR off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below either its 200-day at $30.06 a share or its 50-day at $29.30 a share. One can also buy WNR off strength once it takes out that breakout level with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

  This is yet again another name that the bears are in love with, since the current short interest as a percentage of the float for WNR is crazy high at 39.7%. A monster short-squeeze could easily tr

• [By Dan Dzombak]

  Third among oil and gas stocks today was Western Refining (NYSE: WNR  ) up 4.14%, to $32.43. During the refiners' drop on Tuesday and Wednesday, Delek dropped 11%. Despite the comeback today, the stock is still down 7.32% from where it was before the plunge. Last month, after crushing its earnings, Western Refining announced they were considering launching a master limited partnership for some of their midstream assets. MLP spinoffs have been a hot topic the past year as more and more companies take advantage of investors' hunt for yield, and the tax savings MLPs offer. Fool senior analyst Jim Mueller added to his holdings of Western Refining in February at prices slightly higher than today --�find out why by reading his pitch here.

Top Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015: Five Prime Therapeutics Inc (FPRX)

Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc., incorporated on December 20, 2001, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing protein therapeutics. Protein therapeutics is antibodies or drugs developed from extracellular proteins or protein fragments that block disease processes, including cancer and inflammatory diseases. The Company�� advanced product candidates include FP-1039/GSK3052230 (FP-1039), FPA008 and FPA144. FP-1039 is a protein therapeutic that traps and neutralizes cancer-promoting fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), involved in cancer cell proliferation and new blood vessel formation. FPA008 is an antibody that inhibits colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R), and is being developed to treat patients with inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). FPA144 is an antibody that inhibits FGF receptor 2b (FGFR2b), and is being developed to treat patients with gastric cancer and potentially other solid tumors.

FP-1039

FP-1039 is a protein therapeutic, which includes the extracellular part of FGFR1. FP-1039 acts as an inhibitor of FGFs, because the FGFR1 portion of the molecule binds to FGFs and prevents them from binding to FGFR1 on tumor and blood vessel cells. Because FGF proteins circulating in the blood are called ligands, FP-1039 is called a ligand trap. FP-1039 also includes a portion of an antibody called the Fc region. In preclinical testing, it observed inhibition of tumor growth with single-agent FP-1039, particularly in tumors withFGFR1 gene amplification, including squamous NSCLC and SCLC.

FPA008

FPA008 is an antibody that inhibits CSF1R and is being developed to treat patients with RA. FPA008 also has the potential to treat patients with other inflammatory diseases, including lupus nephritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. These are chronic, incurable disorders with serious medical complications and disability for ! which better therapies with novel mechanisms of action are needed. FPA008 is an anti-CSF1R antibody, which it designed to block the ability of IL-34 and CSF1 to bind to and activate CSF1R. FPA008 reduces the numbers and activity of monocytes and macrophages that cause disease, and prevents the production and release of inflammatory factors. The Company and others has demonstrated that both IL-34 and CSF1 are present at increased levels in the inflamed joints of patients with RA.

FPA144

FPA144 is a monoclonal antibody directed against a form of FGFR2, or FGFR2b. When the FGFR2 gene is amplified by cancer cells, the FGFR2b protein is expressed at abnormally high levels on the tumor�� surface. This occurs in some patients with gastric and lower esophageal cancers. The tumor cells that have too much FGFR2b protein on their surface can be identified by special staining tests performed on the tumor. Because FGFR2b is the target for FPA144, patients��tumors can be screened for this protein, helping to identify the patients most likely to respond to FPA144 treatment.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell and Tess Stynes var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); p]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are Keurig Green Mountain Inc.(GMCR), JA Solar Holdings Co.(JASO) and Five Prime Therapeutics Inc.(FPRX)

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Breaking news

  Alcoa (NYSE: AA) is investing US$13 million to expand its wheel manufacturing plant in Europe, to meet growing demand for its lightweight, durable, low-maintenance aluminum truck wheels. To read the full news, click here. L & L Energy (NASDAQ: LLEN) announced today that its Special Independent Committee has appointed Mr. Nicholas Chen, Managing Partner at Pamir Law Group, to replace Mr. Mark Bartlett. To read the full news, click here. Five Prime Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FPRX) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) announced today that they have signed a collaboration agreement for the discovery, development and commercialization of immuno-oncology therapies directed toward targets identified in two undisclosed immune checkpoint pathways using Five Prime's proprietary target discovery platform. To read the full news, click here. First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) on Sunday announced the completion of the 1.3MW(DC) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant at Kitakyushu-shi. Powered by First Solar FS Series 3 Black PV modules, the plant will generate approximately 1,400 MWh of clean and safe solar electricity per year. To read the full news, click here.

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