Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Can I have your recommendation on SeaDrill? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

SeaDrill Ltd., $39.82, symbol SDRL on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 467.1 million; Market cap: $18.6 billion; www.seadrill.com), is a leading offshore drilling company. Norway-based SeaDrill has a fleet of 66 drilling rigs that can operate in shallow to very deep water. SeaDrill only started up in 2005, so it owns modern, high-quality drilling rigs that are in great demand. As a result, the company’s utilization rates are high, in the 93% to 97% range. In the three months ended June 30, 2012, SeaDrill’s revenue rose 12.8%, to $1.1 billion from $995 million a year earlier. That’s mainly because higher oil prices pushed up demand for the company’s rigs. Even with the revenue increase, earnings fell 8.6%, to $562 million from $615 million. Earnings per share fell at a faster pace of 18.7%, to $1.09 from $1.34, on more shares outstanding. The company had fewer gains on its investments during the quarter; this was the main reason for the earnings drop. Operating earnings, which exclude…