Investopedia: Transocean's Lull Creates Buying Opportunity

Offshore drilling company Transocean (NYSE:RIG) shows the power of the "whisper" number. Although the company reported disappointing results on Thursday, the stock actually traded up - a move that does not seem to make much sense until you look at the prior month's trading and see that the stock has been going almost straight down. 


Even allowing that other drillers like Noble (NYSE:NE) and Pride (NYSE:PDE) haven't done well either, Transocean stands out. Likewise, Rowan (NYSE:RDC), Atwood (NYSE: ATW), and SeaDrill (Nasdaq:SDRL) have all been weak on a generally poor near-term outlook for offshore operators. Also keep in mind that Transocean's earnings estimate dropped by about one-third over the past three months - investors were bracing for bad news, they got it, and they are apparently relieved it was not even worse than they assumed.


Q1 Results - No Work, No Money
Transocean owns an impressive fleet of rigs (about 20% of the worldwide offshore fleet), but they are little more than depreciating hunks of metal when there are not enough orders to keep them busy. For the first quarter, revenue was basically flat with the fourth quarter. Dayrates were actually a fair bit better, up about 5%, and rates were even better for ultra-deepwater and harsh-environment rigs. (For more, see A Primer On Offshore.)


To continue, please click below:
http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/Transoceans-Lull-Creates-Buying-Opportunity-RIG-NE-PDE-RDC-SDRL-APC-STO0509.aspx