National Oilwell Varco Worth a Look - Analyst Blog
December 23 2011 - 8:30AM
Zacks
The growth in global energy demand
will continue to boost drilling activity, with the employment of
technology to find and recover oil/gas resources. As such,
opportunities for a global large-cap oilfield services company like
National Oilwell Varco (NOV) will
also improve, as it captures the economic benefit of this trend.
Supported by strong consistency in its earnings/cash flows,
attractive fundamentals and a positive outlook, we remain
optimistic about the firm’s near-term prospects.
National Oilwell Varco, which ranks
ahead of Cameron International Corp.
(CAM) as the biggest U.S. maker of
oilfield equipment, currently retains a Zacks #2 Rank, which
translates into a short-term Buy rating.
The company – one of the largest
manufacturers of drilling equipment in the world – has a large
installed base of rigs worldwide that provides for a steady
recurring revenue stream through demand for maintenance, parts and
other expendable products.
Late October, National Oilwell
Varco reported better-than-expected third quarter results, helped
by robust activity levels, as well as good project execution skills
and manufacturing efficiency.
Earnings per share (excluding
transaction charges) came in at $1.26, comfortably above the Zacks
Consensus Estimate of $1.17 and the year-ago adjusted profit of 97
cents. Quarterly revenue rose 24.2% year-over-year – from $3,011.0
million to $3,740.0 million – and was 2.4% above our
projection.
National Oilwell Varco’s strong
backlog, which now stands at more than $10 billion, not only
reflects steady demand from its customers but also offers long-term
earnings and cash flow visibility. This enables it to navigate the
current uncertain environment better than many of its peers.
Following the Gulf of Mexico oil
spill, we expect the company to benefit from the near-term
requirements of better offshore safety equipment. Stricter
regulations on drilling could translate into enhanced opportunities
for equipment suppliers like National Oilwell Varco.
Last year’s acquisition of Advanced
Production and Loading PLC (“APL”) will further boost National
Oilwell Varco’s earnings visibility by expanding its floating
production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) product line, one
of the fastest-growing areas of the offshore market. The recent
influx of offshore rig awards adds to the positive sentiment.
Last but not the least, National
Oilwell Varco has a strong balance sheet with long-term debt of
just $510 million and a growing pile of cash balance ($3.9 billion
at the end of the third quarter). Moreover, since it commenced
paying dividends in 2009, management has increased the payout
twice. This indicates National Oilwell Varco's healthy financial
position.
As such, we believe National
Oilwell Varco is favorably positioned to continue accelerating
revenue and earnings growth over the next few quarters.
Houston, Texas-based National
Oilwell Varco, formerly National Oilwell, is a world leader in the
design, manufacture and sale of comprehensive systems, components,
products and equipment used in oil and gas drilling and production
worldwide.
The company reached its current
form following the March 2005 merger between National Oilwell and
Varco International. National Oilwell Varco organizes its
operations in three business segments: Rig Technology, Petroleum
Services & Supplies, and Distribution Services.
CAMERON INTL (CAM): Free Stock Analysis Report
NATL OILWELL VR (NOV): Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment Research
Cooper Cameron (NYSE:CAM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
Cooper Cameron (NYSE:CAM)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024