Posted on Monday, January 27th, 2020 by MarketBeat StaffThere are more than 450 energy companies traded on public markets. Given the sheer number of pipeline companies, power plant operators, oil and gas production companies and other energy stocks, it can be hard to identify which energy companies are going to outperform the market.
Fortunately, Wall Street's brightest minds have already done this for us. Every year, analyst issue approximately 8,000 distinct recommendations for energy companies. Analysts don't always get their "buy" ratings right, but it's worth taking a hard look when several analysts from different brokerages and research firm are giving "strong buy" and "buy" ratings to the same energy stock.
This slide show lists the 15 energy companies that have the highest average analyst recommendations from Wall Street's equities research analysts over the last 12 months.
#1 - Nuvista Energy (OTCMKTS:NUVSF)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 3.0
Ratings Breakdown: 4 Buy Ratings, 0 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $4.00 (114.5% Upside)
NuVista Energy Ltd., an oil and natural gas company, engages in the exploration, development, delineation, and production of condensate, and oil and natural gas reserves in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Canada. It primarily focuses on the condensate-rich Montney formation in the Wapiti area of the Alberta Deep Basin. NuVista Energy Ltd. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
#2 - NexTier Oilfield Solutions (NYSE:NEX)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.9
Ratings Breakdown: 7 Buy Ratings, 1 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $8.38 (53.5% Upside)
NexTier Oilfield Solutions Inc. provides integrated well completion services primarily in the United States. Its principal service offerings include horizontal and vertical fracturing, wireline perforation and logging, and engineered solutions. The company also provides cementing and drilling services; and engineering software and technical guidance for remedial cementing applications and acidizing. Its customers primarily include integrated and large independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies. The company has 29 hydraulic fracturing fleets, 34 wireline trucks, 24 cementing pumps, and other ancillary assets located in the Permian Basin, the Marcellus Shale/Utica Shale, the Eagle Ford Formation, the Bakken Formation, and other active oil and gas basins. NexTier Oilfield Solutions Inc. was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. NexTier Oilfield Solutions Inc. is a subsidiary of Keane Investor Holdings LLC.
#3 - Vivint Solar (NYSE:VSLR)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 3.0
Ratings Breakdown: 6 Buy Ratings, 0 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $11.67 (34.6% Upside)
Vivint Solar, Inc. provides distributed solar energy primarily to residential customers in the United States. It owns and installs solar energy systems through long-term customer contracts. The company also sells photovoltaic installation products, as well as solar renewable energy certificates. As of December 31, 2018, it had an aggregate capacity of 1,060.9 megawatts covering approximately 154,600 homes. The company was formerly known as V Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Vivint Solar, Inc. in April 2014. Vivint Solar, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Lehi, Utah.
#4 - Parkland Fuel (OTCMKTS:PKIUF)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.8
Ratings Breakdown: 3 Buy Ratings, 1 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $42.00 (15.8% Upside)
Parkland Fuel Corporation operates as a marketer, distributor, and refiner of fuel and petroleum products in Canada and the United States. The company's Retail segment supplies and supports a network of 1,855 retail gas stations under the Ultramar, Esso, Fas Gas Plus, Pioneer, Chevron, and Race Trac, as well as operates convenience stores under the On the Run/Marché Express brand. Its Commercial segment offers bulk fuel, propane, heating oil, lubricants, agricultural inputs, oilfield fluids, and other related products and services to commercial, industrial, and residential customers in various industries, such as oil and gas, construction, mining, forestry, fishing, and transportation. Its brands include Bluewave Energy, Columbia Fuels, Sparlings Propane, Island Petroleum, Propane Nord-Ouest, PNE Propane, Sol Petroleum, Chevron, and Ultramar. The company's Supply segment manages fuel supply contracts; purchases fuel from refiners, refines fuel, and distributes fuel through rail and highway carriers to wholesale and reseller customers. This segment also offers gasoline and diesel; liquid petroleum gas, such as propane and butane; and other fuel and petroleum products, which include crude oil, aviation fuel, asphalt, fuel oils, gas oils, ethanol, and biodiesel. Its Parkland USA segment operates retail service stations; and delivers gasoline, distillates, propane, and lubricating oils under the SPF Energy, Farstad Oil, Superpumper, and Rhinehart brands. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
#5 - BP (NYSE:BP)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.8
Ratings Breakdown: 10 Buy Ratings, 3 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $47.05 (23.4% Upside)
BP p.l.c. engages in energy business worldwide. It operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Rosneft. The Upstream segment is involved in the oil and natural gas exploration, field development, and production; midstream transportation, storage, and processing; and marketing and trading of liquefied natural gas (LNG), biogas, power and natural gas liquids (NGLs). This segment also engages in the ownership and management of crude oil and natural gas pipelines; processing facilities and export terminals; and LNG processing facilities and transportation, as well as in NGLs processing business. The Downstream segment refines, manufactures, markets, transports, supplies, and trades in crude oil, petroleum, and petrochemical products and related services to wholesale and retail customers. It offers gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel; lubricants, and related products and services to the automotive, industrial, marine, and energy markets under the Castrol, BP, and Aral brands; and petrochemical products, such as purified terephthalic acid, paraxylene, acetic acid, olefins and derivatives, and specialty petrochemical products. The Rosneft segment engages in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons, as well as jet fuel, bunkering, bitumen, and lubricants activities. This segment also owns and operates 13 refineries in Russia; and approximately 2,960 retail service stations in Russia and internationally. The company also produces ethanol, bio-isobutanol, bio-power, and solar energy; transports hydrocarbon products through time-chartered and spot-chartered vessels; and holds interests in onshore wind sites. BP p.l.c. was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
#6 - Pacific Drilling (NYSE:PACD)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 3.0
Ratings Breakdown: 3 Buy Ratings, 0 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $7.00 (270.4% Upside)
Pacific Drilling S.A., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an offshore drilling contractor. It provides offshore drilling services to the oil and natural gas industry. The company contracts its fleet of rigs to drill wells for its customers. It has a fleet of seven drillships. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
#7 - Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 3.0
Ratings Breakdown: 10 Buy Ratings, 0 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $34.13 (24.8% Upside)
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. provides midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, petrochemicals, and refined products. The company operates through four segments: NGL Pipelines & Services, Crude Oil Pipelines & Services, Natural Gas Pipelines & Services, and Petrochemical & Refined Products Services. The NGL Pipelines & Services segment offers natural gas processing and related NGL marketing services, as well as NGL export docks and related services. It operates approximately 19,200 miles of NGL pipelines; NGL and related product storage facilities; 16 NGL fractionators; and liquefied petroleum gas and ethane export terminals, and related operations. The Crude Oil Pipelines & Services segment operates approximately 5,300 miles of crude oil pipelines; and crude oil storage and marine terminals located in Oklahoma and Texas, as well as a fleet of 360 tractor-trailer tank trucks used to transport crude oil. It also engages in crude oil marketing activities. The Natural Gas Pipelines & Services segment operates approximately 19,700 miles of natural gas pipeline systems to gather and transport natural gas in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming. It leases underground salt dome natural gas storage facilities in Texas and Louisiana; owns an underground salt dome storage cavern in Texas; and markets natural gas. The Petrochemical & Refined Products Services segment operates propylene fractionation and related activities, including 800 miles of pipelines; butane isomerization complex and related deisobutanizer units; and octane enhancement and high purity isobutylene production facilities. It also operates approximately 4,100 miles of refined products pipelines; and terminals, as well as provides refined products marketing and marine transportation services. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
#8 - Chevron (NYSE:CVX)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.6
Ratings Breakdown: 9 Buy Ratings, 4 Hold Ratings, 1 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $139.36 (24.6% Upside)
Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy, chemicals, and petroleum operations worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment is involved 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 operates a gas-to-liquids plant. The Downstream segment engages in refining crude oil into petroleum products; marketing crude oil and refined products; transporting crude oil and refined products through pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacturing and marketing commodity petrochemicals, and fuel and lubricant additives, as well as plastics for industrial uses. It is also involved in the cash management and debt financing activities; insurance operations; real estate activities; and technology businesses. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corporation and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is headquartered in San Ramon, California.
#9 - Concho Resources (NYSE:CXO)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.8
Ratings Breakdown: 18 Buy Ratings, 6 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $115.86 (40.3% Upside)
Concho Resources, Inc. engages in the acquisition, development and exploration of oil and natural gas properties. Its operations include Delaware Basin, and Midland Basin. The company was founded on February 22, 2006 and is headquartered in Midland, TX.
#10 - Ameresco (NYSE:AMRC)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 3.3
Ratings Breakdown: 4 Buy Ratings, 0 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $19.38 (-3.8% Upside)
Ameresco, Inc. provides comprehensive energy services for businesses and organizations in North America and Europe. It offers energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, energy security and resilience, asset sustainability, and renewable energy solutions. The company operates through U.S. Regions, U.S. Federal, Canada, and Non-Solar Distributed Generation segments. It designs, develops, engineers, and installs projects that reduce the energy, as well as operations and maintenance costs of customers' facilities. The company's projects primarily include various measures customized for the facility and designed to enhance the efficiency of building systems, such as heating, ventilation, cooling, and lighting systems. It also offers renewable energy products and services, such as the construction of small-scale plants for customers that produce electricity, gas, heat, or cooling from renewable sources of energy; and sells electricity and processed renewable gas fuel, heat, or cooling. In addition, the company provides enterprise energy management and consulting services; and sells solar photovoltaic (PV) energy products and systems. It serves federal, state, and local governments, as well as healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. As of December 31, 2018, the company owned and operated 87 small-scale renewable energy plants and solar PV installations. Ameresco, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts.
#11 - Enphase Energy (NASDAQ:ENPH)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.7
Ratings Breakdown: 9 Buy Ratings, 2 Hold Ratings, 1 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $35.05 (7.2% Upside)
Enphase Energy, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, and sells home energy solutions for the solar photovoltaic industry in the United States and internationally. The company offers semiconductor-based microinverter that converts energy at the individual solar module level and combines with its proprietary networking and software technologies to provide energy monitoring and control services. It sells its solutions primarily to distributors, as well as directly to large installers, original equipment manufacturers, strategic partners, and homeowners. Enphase Energy, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Fremont, California.
#12 - Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.9
Ratings Breakdown: 20 Buy Ratings, 4 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $179.73 (26.5% Upside)
Pioneer Natural Resources Company operates as an independent oil and gas exploration and production company in the United States. The company explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and gas. It has operations primarily in the Permian Basin in West Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale play in South Texas, the Raton field in southeast Colorado, and the West Panhandle field in the Texas Panhandle. As of December 31, 2017, the company had proved undeveloped reserves and proved developed reserves of approximately 45 million barrels of oil, 22 million barrels of NGLs, and 291 billion cubic feet of gas; and owned interests in 10 gas processing plants and 4 treating facilities. Pioneer Natural Resources Company is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
#13 - WPX Energy (NYSE:WPX)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 3.0
Ratings Breakdown: 21 Buy Ratings, 1 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $16.86 (34.6% Upside)
WPX Energy, Inc., an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company, engages in the exploitation and development of unconventional properties in the United States. The company operates 657 wells and owns interests in 808 wells covering an area of approximately 130,000 net acres located in Delaware Basin, Texas and New Mexico; and operates 323 wells and owns interests in 87 wells that covers an area of approximately 85,087 net acres situated in the Williston Basin, North Dakota. As of December 31, 2018, it had proved reserves of 479.3 million barrels of oil equivalent. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
#14 - Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 3.0
Ratings Breakdown: 20 Buy Ratings, 2 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $134.52 (62.4% Upside)
Diamondback Energy, Inc., an independent oil and natural gas company, focuses on the acquisition, development, exploration, and exploitation of unconventional and onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas. It primarily focuses on the development of the Spraberry and Wolfcamp formations of the Midland basin; and the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring formations of the Delaware basin, which are part of the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico. As of December 31, 2018, the company's net acreage position was approximately 461,218 acres in the Permian Basin; and estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves were 992,001 thousand barrels of crude oil equivalent. It also held working interests in 7,279 gross producing wells, as well as royalty interests in 2,645 additional wells. In addition, the company, through its subsidiary, Viper Energy Partners LP, owns mineral interests in approximately 532,295 gross acres and 14,841 net royalty acres in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale. Diamondback Energy, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Midland, Texas.
#15 - Noble Energy (NYSE:NBL)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.8
Ratings Breakdown: 16 Buy Ratings, 5 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $31.00 (43.1% Upside)
Noble Energy, Inc., an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids worldwide. The company owns, operates, develops, and acquires domestic midstream infrastructure assets in the DJ and Delaware Basins. Its principal assets are located in the US onshore unconventional basins and various global offshore conventional basins in the Eastern Mediterranean and off the west coast of Africa. As of December 31, 2018, the company had 1,929 million barrels oil equivalent of total proved reserves. Noble Energy, Inc. was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
