http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Asian-oil-firms-gains-built/story.aspx?guid={84C78F17-EAE7-46B1-8F39-78BF0B510504}
Asian oil shares may shift gears with crude prices
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Once crude eases back, Chinese oil companies may be hit especially hard
TOKYO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of major oil companies in Asia are riding the recent rally in crude futures, which have climbed to their highest level in five months, but some analysts say that hefty supplies and weak demand may soon send oil prices -- and oil-related stocks -- lower again.
"Oil stocks are running ahead of their fundamentals," analysts at Credit Suisse wrote in a note to clients Tuesday. "They are running ahead of the oil price."
Shares of Chinese oil companies, in particular, are "looking expensive, and investors should take profit," the analysts said.
Demand out of China, the world's second-largest oil consumer, has been key to a recovery in oil prices.
But in China, "oil production growth outlook for oil-related companies generally looks unexciting in 2009 and 2010," according to analysts at Goldman Sachs.
"Given that that China only accounted for 10% of global oil consumption in 2008, we think the primary earnings driver for the oil companies will therefore be the future spot oil prices, which are more or less a function of global growth conditions [rather] than simply a China-driven story," the analysts wrote in a research note Tuesday, citing some 2008 statistical data from BP Plc.
"Oil prices have gone too high based on fundamentals, in our view [with] inventories at [a] record and no sign of demand resurrection," J.P. Morgan analyst Brynjar Bustnes wrote in Monday note to clients.
He downgraded Cnooc to neutral from overweight "on strong performance and high valuation."
Cnooc's stock rallied 14% in three days and has "reached fair value in the short to medium term," said Bustnes.
But analysts at Credit Suisse said they prefer Sinopec over PetroChina and Cnooc, with Sinopec having the "most upside/least downside" potential.
As for oil, some analysts said prices may still head higher in the longer term.
"The possibility of higher oil prices does exist," said Williams. "The reasons are the usual: wars, revolutions or terrorist attacks in exporting counties or attempts to block any of the major transit choke points," he said.
And "it is conceivable, but not likely, that OPEC could cut production by enough to raise prices," he said. End of Story
Asian oil shares may shift gears with crude prices
-------------
Once crude eases back, Chinese oil companies may be hit especially hard
TOKYO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of major oil companies in Asia are riding the recent rally in crude futures, which have climbed to their highest level in five months, but some analysts say that hefty supplies and weak demand may soon send oil prices -- and oil-related stocks -- lower again.
"Oil stocks are running ahead of their fundamentals," analysts at Credit Suisse wrote in a note to clients Tuesday. "They are running ahead of the oil price."
Shares of Chinese oil companies, in particular, are "looking expensive, and investors should take profit," the analysts said.
Demand out of China, the world's second-largest oil consumer, has been key to a recovery in oil prices.
But in China, "oil production growth outlook for oil-related companies generally looks unexciting in 2009 and 2010," according to analysts at Goldman Sachs.
"Given that that China only accounted for 10% of global oil consumption in 2008, we think the primary earnings driver for the oil companies will therefore be the future spot oil prices, which are more or less a function of global growth conditions [rather] than simply a China-driven story," the analysts wrote in a research note Tuesday, citing some 2008 statistical data from BP Plc.
"Oil prices have gone too high based on fundamentals, in our view [with] inventories at [a] record and no sign of demand resurrection," J.P. Morgan analyst Brynjar Bustnes wrote in Monday note to clients.
He downgraded Cnooc to neutral from overweight "on strong performance and high valuation."
Cnooc's stock rallied 14% in three days and has "reached fair value in the short to medium term," said Bustnes.
But analysts at Credit Suisse said they prefer Sinopec over PetroChina and Cnooc, with Sinopec having the "most upside/least downside" potential.
As for oil, some analysts said prices may still head higher in the longer term.
"The possibility of higher oil prices does exist," said Williams. "The reasons are the usual: wars, revolutions or terrorist attacks in exporting counties or attempts to block any of the major transit choke points," he said.
And "it is conceivable, but not likely, that OPEC could cut production by enough to raise prices," he said. End of Story