This weekend in Barron's online: a profile of Schlumberger, looking for summer bargains among stocks, as well as the prospects for Kinder Morgan, TNT Express, ABM Industries and more.
Cover Story
"Right on Target" by Sandra Ward.
Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) has 50 percent or more upside, says this week's cover story in Barron's. The energy services giant has stepped up its game and is focusing more of its world-class services in North America.
The article discusses this Houston-based company's aggressive push to gain share among onshore exploration-and-production companies in North America and how it has become a leader in extracting liquids from shale basins via the booming hydraulic fracturing business that is reshaping the industry.
See how recent acquisitions are helping to shape Schlumberger and how the company compares to smaller rivals Halliburton and Baker Hughes. See also why its shares are not yet reflecting the prospects for sharp earnings gains.
See also: 3 Energy Companies Investing In Startups
Feature Stories
Andrew Bary's "Richard Kinder's Brilliant Financial Move" asks whether, after Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI) surprised investors by announcing that it would buy in its master limited partnerships (MLPs), this ploy can create value?
"Searching for Summer Discounts" by Jack Hough makes the case that though the broad market may look fully priced, the recent retreat has brought some stocks back down to reasonable levels. See the article to find out where the bargains are.
In "Europe's TNT Express Needs to Rethink Its Route," Jonathan Buck explains how this Netherlands-based package-delivery company has struggled to find the best strategy to thrive in its fiercely competitive market.
Shares of ABM Industries (NYSE: ABM) look cheap, says "Cashing In by Cleaning Up" by David Englander. See why rising office occupancy rates are a sign of better days ahead for this New York-based window washer, carpet cleaner and furniture polisher.
See "Ready, Set: Go Japan" for Leslie P. Norton's profile of the MainStay ICAP International Value fund. Find out why the fund's managers are bullish on Japan, even if its market is far off its 1989 high after investors fled in 2013. "People are underappreciating the structural reform under way," says one manager.
"A Bull's Advice: Get Ready for S&P 2500" by Lawrence C. Strauss features an interview with Stephen Auth, who is a chief investment officer of asset manager Federated Investors. See why Auth thinks the bears have underestimated the economy and the markets.
Michael Vallo's "Master of Disaster" offers the best advice from independent financial advisor Spuds Powell. In this article, Powell explains how and why he and his team at Kayne Anderson Rudnick are ready for a market correction.