Wells Fargo on Wednesday upgraded Halliburton (HAL) to the equivalent of a buy rating from hold, authoring a favorable investment case that closely aligns with the Club’s rationale for owning the oilfield services company. In addition to the bullish rating adjustment, analysts at Wells Fargo also raised their price target on Halliburton shares to $52 from $33, a nearly 49% upside from where the stock closed Tuesday. Halliburton’s stock price surged roughly 5% on Wednesday, to nearly $37 a share. “Macroeconomic headwinds may persist, but energy security and overall global oil & gas supply challenges…have created a sustained undersupply situation, which should sustain commodity prices and upstream investment,” the analysts wrote in a research note Wednesday. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude — the U.S. oil benchmark — climbed nearly 3% Wednesday, to $88 a barrel. The Wells Fargo note came on the heels of Halliburton reporting better-than-expected third-quarter results on Tuesday. “Against tight supply, demand for oil and gas is strong and we believe it will remain so,” CEO Jeff Miller said. “While broader market volatility is clear, what we see in our business is strong and growing demand for equipment and services,” he added. The Club stuck with the stock through turbulent summer months because we continue to expect tight oil-market conditions to lead to increased drilling activity in the coming years, benefiting companies like Halliburton. Miller on Tuesday also noted there is little spare capacity for oil drilling equipment, enabling Halliburton to charge more for its services while demand holds up. That’s something Wells Fargo also referenced, contending it should result in higher margins at Halliburton and other energy services firms. Big picture After falling more than 26% in the third quarter, crude prices have staged a strong recovery this quarter on the back of an agreement by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+, to cut production by 2 million barrels a day from next month. WTI has rebounded by more than 10% since the start of October. The turning tide for oil prices has helped support stock prices across the industry. Energy has been the best-performing sector in the S & P 500 in October by a wide margin, advancing more than 23% month-to-date. Halliburton’s robust third quarter — and Wells Fargo’s subsequent upgrade Wednesday — come as the Club’s other energy holdings are set to report quarterly results in the coming days. Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) reports Thursday after the bell. Devon Energy (DVN) and Coterra Energy (CTRA) are scheduled to follow next week, reporting after the close on Nov. 1 and Nov. 3, respectively. The Club take We think Wells Fargo’s upgrade of Halliburton is well-reasoned, highlighting why we’ve maintained our position in the company despite the stock’s rollercoaster ride since we first invested in March . We see the long-term need for…
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