Natural gas bulls scored major points last week when the Department of Energy approved a second LNG plant for exports to countries not in a free trade agreement with the U.S. But beyond the elation of exporters and worries for domestic natural gas sellers, there's a secret sector that just might benefit from natural gas prices. Here's what you need to know.
Regulation elation
The Department of Energy announced last week that it has given the go-ahead to the $10 billion Freeport LNG project to export liquefied natural gas to countries not members of free trade agreements ��an honor previously held solely by Cheniere Energy's (NYSEMKT: LNG ) Sabine Pass Terminal.
The obvious winners here include Freeport owners ConocoPhillips�and Dow Chemical, as well as other energy companies like Dominion�and Sempra Energy�currently applying for their own export permits.
Hot Chemical Stocks To Watch Right Now: LyondellBasell Industries NV(LYB)
LyondellBasell Industries N.V. manufacturers and sells chemicals and polymers, refines crude oil, produces gasoline blending components, and develops and licenses technologies for production of polymers. The company?s Olefins and Polyolefins segment offers olefins, including ethylene, propylene, and butadiene; aromatics, such as benzene and toluene; polyolefins, which comprise polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and linear low-density polyethylene; specialty polyolefins, including catalloy process resins, PP compounds, and polybutene-1 resins; and ethylene derivatives, which comprise ethanol. Its Intermediates and Derivatives segment provides propylene oxide (PO); PO co-products, including styrene monomers and TBA derivative isobutylene; PO derivatives, such as propylene glycol, propylene glycol ethers, and butanediol; acetyls, such as methanol, acetic acid, and vinyl acetate monomers; ethylene derivatives, which comprise ethylene oxide , ethylene glycol, and ethylene glycol ethers; and flavor and fragrance chemicals. The company?s Refining and Oxyfuels segment offers gasoline and components, ultra low sulfur diesel, jet fuel, and lube oils; diesel, feedstock, fuel oil, gasoline, and bitumen; and gasoline blending components, including methyl tertiary butyl ether, ethyl tertiary butyl ether, and alkylate. Its Technology segment develops and licenses polyolefin and other process technologies. This segment also develops, manufactures, and sells polyolefin catalysts, as well as provides technology services, which comprise safety reviews, training and start-up assistance, engineering services for process and product improvements, and manufacturing troubleshooting. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. has operations in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. is a subsidiary of Prochemie GmbH.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Harding]
LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB): On 3/31/11 Viking Global Investors reported holding 3,878,500 shares with a market value of $153,394,672. This comprised 1.32% of the total portfolio. On 6/30/11, Viking Global Investors held 11,800,693 shares with a market value of $454,562,700. This comprised 3.81% of the total portfolio. The net change in shares for this position over the two quarters is 7,922,193. About the company: LyondellBasell Industries NV is a manufacturing company.? The Company produces chemicals, fuels, and polymers used for packaging, clean fuels, durable textiles, medical applications, construction materials, and automotive parts.? LyondellBasell Industries operates globally and is headquartered in the Netherlands.
- [By ETF Authority]
LyondellBasell (LYB) manufactures and sells chemicals and polymers, refines crude oil, produces gasoline blending components, and develops and licenses technologies for the production of polymers. It has been given a buy rating by UBS Investment Research. On December 10, 2010, LyondellBasell announced the deve lopment of a new Asian Propylene Oxide project with its joint venture partner. Dividends of $70-90 million per year are expected from this project. UBS' global operating rate forecast, in addition to an assumed start-up date of 2016, supports a margin estimate of $0.30/lb. Also, the plant is assumed to have a capacity of 250k million tons per annum. Shares of the company are currently trading around $39 per share. Cabot Corporation (CBT) operates as a specialty chemicals and performance materials company and is a competitor of LyondellBasell. Cabot has a dividend yield of 2.1%, while LyondellBasell has a dividend yield of 2.9%. LyondellBasell also generated a higher return-on-equity of 24.5%, versus the 13.5% generated by Cabot. Hedge funds prefer LYB over CBT. At the end of the third quarter, there were 44 hedge funds with bullish bets on LyondellBasell, vs. 14 for Cabot. Howards Marks' Oaktree Capital initiated a brand new po sition in LYB during the third quarter.
Hot Chemical Stocks To Watch Right Now: Celanese Corporation (CE)
Celanese Corporation, a technology and specialty materials company, engages in manufacture and sale of value-added chemicals, thermoplastic polymers, and other chemical-based products. It operates through four business segments: Advanced Engineered Materials, Consumer Specialties, Industrial Specialties, and Acetyl Intermediates. The Advanced Engineered Materials segment offers specialty polymers for application in automotive, medical, and electronics products, as well as other consumer and industrial applications. The Consumer Specialties segment provides cellulose acetate flake, film, and tow that are primarily used in filter products applications; Sunett, a sweetener; and food protection ingredients, such as sorbates and sorbic acid for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. The Industrial Specialties segment produces emulsions and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) performance polymers. Its emulsions products are used in applications, such as paints and coatings, adhesives, construction, glass fiber, textiles, and paper; and EVA performance polymers are used in flexible packaging films, lamination film products, hot melt adhesives, medical products, automotive, carpeting and photovoltaic cells. The Acetyl Intermediates segment offers acetyl products, including acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer, acetic anhydride, and acetate esters for use as starting materials for colorants, paints, adhesives, coatings, and medicines. It also provides organic solvents and intermediates for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and chemical products. The company offers its products directly, as well as through distributors and electronic marketplaces in North America, Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and South America. Celanese Corporation was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Best Medical Companies To Watch For 2014: Airgas Inc.(ARG)
Airgas, Inc., through its subsidiaries, distributes industrial, medical, and specialty gases, as well as hardgoods in the United States. The company offers various gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, helium, and hydrogen; welding and fuel gases, such as acetylene, propylene, and propane; and carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, ultra high purity grades, special application blends, and process chemicals. Its hardgoods products comprise welding consumables and equipment, safety products, and construction supplies, as well as maintenance, repair, and operating supplies. The company also engages in the rental of gas cylinders, cryogenic liquid containers, bulk storage tanks, tube trailers, and welding and welding related equipment. In addition, the company manufactures and distributes liquid carbon dioxide, dry ice, nitrous oxide, ammonia, refrigerant gases, and atmospheric merchant gases. It serves repair and maintenance, industrial manufacturing, energy and infrastructure co nstruction, medical, petrochemical, food and beverage, retail and wholesale, analytical, utilities, and transportation industries. The company operates an integrated network of approximately 1100 locations, including branches, retail stores, packaged gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities, and distribution centers. Additionally, it provides retail solutions to retail customers, such as florists, grocers, restaurants and bars, tire and automotive service centers, and others. The company markets its products through multiple sales channels, including branch-based sales representatives, retail stores, strategic customer account programs, telesales, catalogs, e-business, and independent distributors. Airgas, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Radnor, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tom Bishop]
Airgas Inc. (NYSE:ARG) was also the subject of a takeover bid, this one a little unwelcome. The company received a bid from Air Products (NYSE:APD) at $60 per share, a 38% premium from where the stock had been trading.
Airgas rejected the offer claiming that the offer "very significantly undervalues Airgas and its future prospects and is not in the best interests of Airgas stockholders." Airgas finished up 39% in February 2010, and is currently trading at $65 per share as the market is anticipating a possible higher bid.
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