Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: What are your thoughts on Seadrill? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Seadrill Ltd., $37.77, symbol SDRL on New York (Shares outstanding: 469.1 million; Market cap: $18.9 billion; www.seadrill.com), is a leading offshore drilling company. The Norway-based firm has a fleet of 53 drilling rigs that can operate in shallow to very deep water. It also has 19 more rigs under construction, most of which will be ready within two years. Seadrill only started up in 2005, so it owns modern, high-quality drilling rigs that are in strong demand. As a result, the company’s utilization rates are high, in the 93% to 97% range. In January 2014, Seadrill sold shares of subsidiary North Atlantic Drilling (New York symbol NADL) to the public. This business operates eight rigs that specialize in deepwater drilling in harsh environments, like the North Sea and Arctic Ocean. Seadrill now owns 70% of North Atlantic Drilling. In the three months ended March 31, 2014, Seadrill’s revenue fell 3.5%, to $1.22 billion from $1.27 billion a year earlier. That’s because major oil…