Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) has underperformed the S&amp;P500 and Russell 2000 indices during 2024 (Fig 1).</li><li>The S&amp;P 500 has gained ~18%, outpacing the ~8% rise in the XLE and the ~6% rise in the Russell 2000.</li><li>The XLE’s 1H24 performance likely reflects oil prices trading in the $75 - $80/bbl band for much of the first six months of 2024 and natural gas prices which were negatively impacted by mild winter weather. </li></ul>

The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) has underperformed the S&amp;P500 and Russell 2000 indices during 2024 (Fig 1).The S&amp;P 500 has gained ~18%, outpacing the ~8% rise in the XLE and the ~6% rise in the Russell 2000.The XLE’s 1H24 performance likely reflects oil prices trading in the $75 - $80/bbl band for much of the first six months of 2024 and natural gas prices which were negatively impacted by mild winter weather. 

US Oil & Gas - Seeking a Balance Between Growth and Capital Returns to Shareholders

European Event-Driven Analyst

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Conocophillips is set to acquire Marathon Oil in an all-stock deal (0.2550 COP US per 1 MRO US) valued at $22.5 billion ($30.33/share), including $5,379 million in net debt.</li>
<li>Most of the frenzy in the US oil industry has focused on the consolidation within the Permian Basin, a maturing region that offers opportunities to reduce costs and increase profitability.</li>
<li>The acquisition of Marathon will add highly complementary acreage to ConocoPhillips’ existing U.S. onshore portfolio. Spread as of 4 June is 2.6%/4.7% (gross/annualised, assuming settlement by late Q4).</li>
</ul>


Conocophillips is set to acquire Marathon Oil in an all-stock deal (0.2550 COP US per 1 MRO US) valued at $22.5 billion ($30.33/share), including $5,379 million in net debt.
Most of the frenzy in the US oil industry has focused on the consolidation within the Permian Basin, a maturing region that offers opportunities to reduce costs and increase profitability.
The acquisition of Marathon will add highly complementary acreage to ConocoPhillips’ existing U.S. onshore portfolio. Spread as of 4 June is 2.6%/4.7% (gross/annualised, assuming settlement by late Q4).


ConocoPhillips/Marathon Oil and Shale Consolidation

High Quality Stock Setups, Weekly Stock Bull Finder

Weekly Stock Bull Finder

High Quality Stock Setups

Finding high potential stock setups on quality companies

<ul><li>The start of the second half of the year so far has seen a change in the market themes versus the first half of the year.</li><li>Microsoft’s declaration in January 2023 that AI would emerge as the next computing platform coupled with Nvidia’s shocking earnings guide up last quarter, coupled with a weaker dollar and decline in bond yields, provided fuel in the first half of the year for the technology sector and garnered investor eyeballs to anything closely associated with AI.</li><li>However, on Microsoft’s most recent earnings call on July 25th, CFO Amy Hood stated “Even with strong demand and a leadership position, growth from our AI services will be gradual as Azure AI scales and our copilots reach general availability dates. So for FY '24, the impact will be weighted towards H2.”</li></ul>

The start of the second half of the year so far has seen a change in the market themes versus the first half of the year.Microsoft’s declaration in January 2023 that AI would emerge as the next computing platform coupled with Nvidia’s shocking earnings guide up last quarter, coupled with a weaker dollar and decline in bond yields, provided fuel in the first half of the year for the technology sector and garnered investor eyeballs to anything closely associated with AI.However, on Microsoft’s most recent earnings call on July 25th, CFO Amy Hood stated “Even with strong demand and a leadership position, growth from our AI services will be gradual as Azure AI scales and our copilots reach general availability dates. So for FY '24, the impact will be weighted towards H2.”

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We still see signs suggesting a test of the lows or a break to new lows is increasingly likely on the S&amp;P 500, Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), and Russell 2000 (IWM).</li>
<li>One of those signs is the fact that defensives (Utilities, Staples, pharma, Real Estate) remain at new RS highs.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, WTI crude oil and the Bloomberg Commodity index (DJP) are breaking out from 1-month consolidations, signaling upside continuation. Stick with the commodity and defensive Sectors.</li>
</ul>


We still see signs suggesting a test of the lows or a break to new lows is increasingly likely on the S&amp;P 500, Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), and Russell 2000 (IWM).
One of those signs is the fact that defensives (Utilities, Staples, pharma, Real Estate) remain at new RS highs.
Meanwhile, WTI crude oil and the Bloomberg Commodity index (DJP) are breaking out from 1-month consolidations, signaling upside continuation. Stick with the commodity and defensive Sectors.


Sticking With Commodity and Defensive Sectors; Buying Coal, Steel, Gold Stocks

<p>Our weight of the evidence approach continues to lead us to our view that the market remains mixed-yet-constructive overall. We explain our outlook below. </p><p>The S&amp;P 500 remains bullish, progressing past our first target of 4350 and now on its way to our next target of 4400-4406. As long as 4257-4275 support holds, we expect to see 4400 followed by 4460. Should 4257 fail to hold, our next support levels to watch would be 4164 followed by 4120; we are constructive as long as 4120 holds.</p>

Our weight of the evidence approach continues to lead us to our view that the market remains mixed-yet-constructive overall. We explain our outlook below. The S&amp;P 500 remains bullish, progressing past our first target of 4350 and now on its way to our next target of 4400-4406. As long as 4257-4275 support holds, we expect to see 4400 followed by 4460. Should 4257 fail to hold, our next support levels to watch would be 4164 followed by 4120; we are constructive as long as 4120 holds.

U.S. Equity Strategy: SPX 4400 Target In Sight

United States

Permian Resources Corporation operates as an oil and gas company. The Company focuses on the development of unconventional oil and associated liquid-rich natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin, as well as offers geology, engineering, and drilling services. Permian Resources serves customers in the United States.

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Permian Resources (PR US)

US Oil & Gas - Seeking a Balance Between Growth and Capital Returns to Shareholders

The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) has underperformed the S&P500 and Russell 2000 indices during 2024. The S&P 500 has gained ~18%, outpacing...

Water Tower Research

ConocoPhillips/Marathon Oil and Shale Consolidation

Conocophillips to acquire Marathon Oil in $22.5 billion all-stock deal, focusing on consolidation in Permian Basin for cost reduction and...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Weekly Stock Bullfinder - Week of 8/14

The start of the second half of the year so far has seen a change in the market themes versus the first half of the year.

Weekly Stock Bull Finder

Sticking With Commodity and Defensive Sectors; Buying Coal, Steel, Gold Stocks

Crude oil and the Bloomberg Commodity index $DJP are breaking out from 1-month consolidations, signaling upside continuation. Stick with the...

Vermilion Research

U.S. Equity Strategy: SPX 4400 Target In Sight

The S&P 500 remains bullish, progressing past our first target of 4350 and now on its way to our next target of 4400-4406. As long as 4257-4275...

Vermilion Research

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52-week Range

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US Oil & Gas - Seeking a Balance Between Growth and Capital Returns to Shareholders

The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) has underperformed the S&P500 and Russell 2000 indices during 2024. The S&P 500 has gained ~18%, outpacing...

Water Tower Research

ConocoPhillips/Marathon Oil and Shale Consolidation

​Conocophillips to acquire Marathon Oil in $22.5 billion all-stock deal, focusing on consolidation in Permian Basin for cost reduction and...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Weekly Stock Bullfinder - Week of 8/14

The start of the second half of the year so far has seen a change in the market themes versus the first half of the year.

Weekly Stock Bull Finder

Sticking With Commodity and Defensive Sectors; Buying Coal, Steel, Gold Stocks

Crude oil and the Bloomberg Commodity index $DJP are breaking out from 1-month consolidations, signaling upside continuation. Stick with the...

Vermilion Research

U.S. Equity Strategy: SPX 4400 Target In Sight

The S&P 500 remains bullish, progressing past our first target of 4350 and now on its way to our next target of 4400-4406. As long as 4257-4275...

Vermilion Research

Conocophillips to acquire Marathon Oil in $22.5 billion all-stock deal, focusing on consolidation in Permian Basin for cost reduction and...