Thursday, January 27, 2022

Quite A Day -- And It's Not Quite Over -- January 27, 2022

NY:

  • anticipating winter storm this weekend;
  • but severe cold could persist in to mid-February; link here;

Subsidies for fossil fuel:

  • add Denmark to list of countries providing subsidies for households using natural gas; link here; previously posted; 
  • ignores UN climate agreement(s), COP26 from just a few months ago;

GS:

  • forecast, link here:
  • WTI will rise 16% to $101 / bbl and Brent by 17% to $105 / bbl by year-end 2023
  • S&P 500 companies in the Energy sector will post 2022 earnings growth of 84% followed by 2023 growth of 22% compared with consensus bottom-up estimates of 37% growth this year followed by a 4% decline in 2023
  • Brent hits $90 / bbl for first time since 2014; link here;

US shale: Bloomberg catching on;

  • for first time in a decade, US shale producers are in the free cash flow sweet spot;
  • oil at $79: producers can return $50 billion in cash to investors and lift output by 2 million bopd
  • that's equivalent to the entire ANNUAL production of Nigeria and Venezuela combined;
  • or they could return $75 billion and grow daily output by just 500,000 bbls

Bakken: just a bit more valuable; link here, or go direct to WP paywall;

  • a federal judge just invalidated the oil and gas leases that the Biden administration auctioned off in the largest offshore lease sale in US history in the GoM last year;
  • 1.7 million acres of leases vacated; XOM, CVX, others
  • $192 million in leases; link here;

Ukraine:

  • Biden phones Ukraine president: "brace for invasion"; link here;
  • Russians just moved 100,000 troops to the Ukraine border including tons of armor; incredible video at link, especially if you like armored vehicles;
  • General Patton would have been impressed;
  • Bloomberg: invasion may be imminent; link here;

Natural gas: link here; as contracts expire;

  • greatest one day gain in natural gas in history; up almost 50% in one day;
  • US can't source natural gas that would be required for Europe if sanctions on Russia follow incursion; 
  • futures hit $7.346, the highest intraday price since November, 2008, before falling back to $6.265;
    • move signaled a short squeeze ahead of the contract's expiration; link here;

IPO debacle:

  • Robinhood: perhaps the greatest post-IPO disaster ever seen in 25 years; link here;
  • $5,000 investment at the top back in August, 2021, now worth $600

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A Musical Interlude

She Thinks I Still Care, Teddy Thompson

Energy Transfer Set For Highest Return In Sector -- Rigzone -- January 27, 2022

Link here. 

A cash bonanza may help Energy Transfer LP deliver the highest return among major U.S. oil and natural gas pipeline operators. 

The company owned by billionaire Kelcy Warren is seen reporting a record annual profit next month, boosted by sales of gas at skyrocketing prices during last February’s Texas freeze. The largest U.S. pipeline operator also signaled more cash will soon be returned to shareholders via dividends and buybacks as it has slashed debt following a decade of expansion. 

As a “first step”, Energy Transfer announced Tuesday, January 25, 2022, a 15% increase in its quarterly cash distribution to 17.5 cents per common unit. 

The Dallas-based company, which operates more than 114,000 miles (183,000 kilometers) of pipelines across North America, trades at a discount to major rivals. Energy Transfer’s enterprise value is at 7.7 times the company’s forecast earnings before items such as taxes and interest. That compares with 10 times for Kinder Morgan Inc. and 9.6 times for Enterprise Products Partners LP. 

Much more at the link.

And then this:

Analysts are targeting a share price for Energy Transfer that is 55% above current levels, the biggest upside in the industry, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The stock has risen about 13% this year, trailing an almost 17% gain in the S&P 500 Energy Index.

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A Musical Interlude

He Thinks He'll Keep Her, Mary Chapin Carpenter

When It Rains, It Pours -- And No One Has Even Mentioned This Yet Today! Natural Gas Jumped 50% Today -- January 27, 2022

Link here.

And headline:

Folks watching closely:
  • President Biden; ISO NE; and, Germany.
  • Note to Texans: winter is not yet over. February is the cruelest month, and March can be bad, also. 

By the way, this jump in the pride of natural gas: for those not paying attention --

The jump in the price of natural gas came out after White House said they can't find alternate NG sources for Europe if Russia invades Ukraine and sanctions cut off Russian natural gas. 
Don't worry: US won't run short. White House won't ban NG exports, but there is simply a limit to how much natural gas can be exported, due to:

  • logistics; and,
  • contracts.

Ovintiv With Three New Permits; Three DUCs Reported As Completed; MRO With Another Monster Well -- Oil Settles Below $87 -- January 27, 2022

Tesla: in free fall. Fell over $100 today; now trading around $835. The meme, right or wrong, Tesla more interested in "the robot" than in actually rolling off new models.

Investors: all (?) oil stocks had a huge day. 

US admits finding non-Russian natural gas for Europe is a challenge: link to Tsvetana Paraskova. 

Active rigs:

$86.61
1/27/202201/27/202101/27/202001/27/201901/27/2018
Active Rigs3112556557

Three new permits, #38759 - #38761, inclusive:

  • Operator: Ovintiv (Newfield)
  • Field: Westberg (McKenzie)
  • Comments:
    • Ovintiv has permits for three more Clear Creek Federal wells in Westberg; to be sited in SESE 36-152-97; sited 804 FSL and between  807 FEL and 767 FEL;

Three producing wells completed:

  • 37741, 2,368, MRO, Leon USA 33-14TFH, Moccasin Creek, first production, 10/21; t--; cum 51K 11/21;
  • 37742, 3,567, MRO, Marion USA 33-14H,Moccasin Creek, first production, 10/21, t--; cum 114K 11/21;
  • 35768, 3,053, Whiting, Tarpon Federal 44-19-5H, Sand Creek, first production, 10/21; t--; cum 52K 11/21;

Initial production:

  • 37741:
PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN11-2021302882528795576092460822684209
BAKKEN10-20211822225220743281415442140560
  • 37742:
PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN11-2021305113151237523473021327070171
BAKKEN10-20213062928625017634940277364870
BAKKEN9-2021300170000
  • 35768: 
PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN11-20212231140314152028778875774641411
BAKKEN10-202192061020067869152178507941384

Apple Earnings, October - December, 2021

Updates

January 28, 2022: Goldman Sachs analyst -- very negative about Apple. Lumps it in which all consumer electronics. Wow, what a doofus. Sure he says it's neutral, but has same old argument we hear from these analysts about Apple every quarter. Their bottom line argument: "we're not convinced Apple can keep growing." Truly amazing. 

January 28, 2022: Jim Cramer -- 

Apple (AAPL) strong on all but the most supplied constrained (Mac tab) ... Tim Cook spent most of the time talking about installed base of 1.8 billion. Looking at almost 800 million subscribers ... Card on fire. No defaults for bills (almost unheard-of). China abnormally STRONG—highest-ever market share. Beginning to get the value of lifetime sub and notion of delivery system for content …

January 28, 2022: transcript.

January 27, 2021: Jim Cramer --

Gross margins came in at 43.8%, well ahead of the 42% consensus, and are representative of a 399bps YoY improvement. These benefited from the growth in Services, which boast a higher-margin profile.<
  • Driving that result was a 72.37% Services gross margin (+397bps YoY) and a 38.42% Products gross margin (+336bps YoY). Once again, we can see why the growth in Services is so important in terms of overall profitability.
  • While Services represented 15.75% of sales, it represented 26.04% of gross income.

As we've noted previously, the combination of stronger profitability and the recurring nature of the Services results, investors are putting a higher value on the associated earnings stream. As the growth in services has expanded, so too has the company's valuation multiple.

Later, 6:12 p.m. CT: active devices set record. 

  • record number of active Apple devices: 1.8 billion active devices, a new all-time record;
    • has grown from 1.5 active billion devices in January, 2020 and 1.65 active billion devices in January 2021; demand is still there.

Original Post

MacRumors. Yahoo!Finance. 

Record quarterly revenue.  

On a per share basis the numbers are even better due to huge share buybacks.

  • overall earnings/profit, up 20% year/year;
  • earnings / share, up 25% year/year    .

Holy mackerel! See the graphic at MacRumors link. Best quarter ever, and not only that, the new record was not trivial.

  • previous record: $110 billion
  • this quarter, new record: $124 billion
    • how many business days in a quarter? At five days a week? 65 days;
    • $125 billion / 65 days = almost $2 billion / normal business day

Dividend: no change in dividend. 

Numbers out, headline: "Apple smashes Wall Street expectations with historic 1Q22 revenue."

  • after numbers come out, shares up $3.07 / share; later, up as much as $5.68. / share; looks like will end up about $5 / share in the after hours. Wrong: now up over $7 share.
  • beats top and bottom line
  • cash hoard jumps: $202.6 billion from $190.5 billion; expect huge share buyback;
  • EPS: $2.10 / share vs $1.89 / share estimate
  • only iPad did not beat 
    • $7.25 billion vs $8.18 estimate; huge supply chain problem;
  • revenue beat: $123.95 billion vs %118.66 billion
    • quarter year ago: $111.4 billion
  • profit: $34.6 billion or $2.10 per share
    • quarter year ago: $28.8 billion or $1.68 per share
  • profit, total dollar profit, percent jump quarter-over-year-ago-quarter: 20% despite significant supply change shortages
  • profit, per share, percent jump quarter-over-year-ago-quarter: 25% despite  
    • profit per share increase y/y better than overall profit  y/y due to share buyback
    • Apple bought back $20 billion shares
  • revenue, percent jump quarter-over-year-ago-quarter: 11.3%
    • so, profit per share
  • margins: 43.8 vs forecast 41.7 estimate
  • iPhone: $71.6 billion vs $68.34 billion;
  • wearables: $14.7 billion vs 14.1 billion forecast;
  • services: beat at $19.5 billion vs $18.6 billion
  • waiting for guidance at conference call; probably won't be given; Apple seldom provides guidance;

Comments:

  • huge
  •  nothing broken
  • firing on all cylinders
  • March, 2022, should be better than December, 2021
  • has not been said yet, but indications are this is the best quarter Apple has ever reported;

Other Apple-related news:

  • Square Reader? New iPhone software could negate need for Square Reader attachment; link here.
  • Face ID: will work with "mask on." Incredible. This will help women in the Mideast, also. Link here.
  • Price cut: 64 GB wi-fi iPad Air for $539; down $60; link here.

Other earnings while waiting:

  • Robinhood, down 15% on greater loss than expected.
  • big slide; trading below $10; was $12.41 at the close;

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Now, Fast Money

Apple:

  • comments from correspondent on "Fast Money"
  • grew 21% in China; all-time revenue record in China
  • record number of "upgraders" in China
  • expects supply constraints in March to be less than in most recent quarter

Guy:

  • remarkable
  • should trade back at all-time highs
  • one nit-pick: services not as big a percent as one would liike

Karen:

  • a lot to really like about this quarter;
  • size of the beat was pretty impressive
  • what is the "right" P/E
  • right mix of hardware and software
  • wants to stay long
  • due to strange quarter, no real direct comparisons

BK:

  • is valuation too high or too low? Doesn't know; says "price" too low;
  • sentiment perspective: demand is still there; have probably reached passed recession worries;

Dan:

  • huge divergence between APPL and NASDAQ
    • AAPL trending up; NASDAQ trending down;
    • AAPL makes up huge percent of top 100 NASDAQ stocks; imagine the NASDAQ without AAPL

Melissa:

  • mentions Block (Square Reader); mentioned earlier;
  • Block will get hit badly; down 5% today;
  • Apple will take a lot of that Block business
  • Apple doesn't let many other companies take the prime rib; lets them lick up scraps, crumbs