Biden Set To Ban Future Offshore Oil Drilling: 4 Stocks, 2 ETFs To Watch
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 06 2025
0mins
Source: Benzinga
Biden's Offshore Drilling Ban: President Joe Biden plans to ban offshore drilling along most of the U.S. coast, protecting over 625 million acres of ocean from future oil and gas drilling, citing environmental concerns and community feedback.
Impact on Oil Industry: The ban could significantly affect companies in the oil and gas sector, including those providing offshore drilling services, as well as potentially limiting future fossil fuel production efforts by the incoming Trump administration.
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Analyst Views on RIG
Wall Street analysts forecast RIG stock price to fall
7 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
2 Hold
3 Sell
Hold
Current: 6.820
Low
3.00
Averages
5.38
High
10.00
Current: 6.820
Low
3.00
Averages
5.38
High
10.00
About RIG
Transocean Ltd. is an international provider of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells. The Company's primary business is to contract its drilling rigs, related equipment and work crews on a dayrate basis to drill oil and gas wells. As of February 9, 2017, it owned or had partial ownership interests in and operated 56 mobile offshore drilling units. As of February 9, 2017, its fleet consisted of 30 floaters, seven harsh environment floaters, three deepwater floaters, six midwater floaters and 10 high-specification jackups. As February 9, 2017, it also had four ultra-deepwater drillships and five high-specification jackups under construction or under contract to be constructed. Its contract drilling services operations are spread across oil and gas exploration and development areas throughout the world. The Company's drilling fleet can be characterized as floaters, including drillships and semisubmersibles, and jackups.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Borr Drilling's Stock Plunge: Borr Drilling (BORR) fell 16% after missing revenue expectations, exacerbating the decline in the high-beta sector, indicating increased market sensitivity to oil price fluctuations.
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- Backlog Growth: The company announced approximately $1.6 billion in new backlog, raising total backlog to over $7 billion, including a three-year contract with Var Energi at a daily rate of $450,000, reflecting robust market demand.
- Debt Management Progress: By retiring $358 million in debt, Transocean continues its deleveraging strategy, expecting to retire at least $750 million in total debt by the end of 2026, highlighting its commitment to financial health.
- Outlook Adjustment: Although the company reduced the upper end of its 2026 revenue outlook by $50 million to $3.9 billion, it raised capital expenditure expectations by $20 million, partly for environmental upgrades in Norway, with anticipated cost recovery through contract provisions by year-end.
See More
Oil Price Drop Triggers Market Volatility
- Oil Risk Premium Unwound: Reports of a potential U.S.-Iran peace resolution led to a drop in crude oil prices, unwinding the $15-20 per barrel 'Hormuz risk' premium that had been embedded since April, negatively impacting energy stocks.
- Borr Drilling's Stock Plunge: Borr Drilling (BORR) fell 16% after missing revenue expectations, exacerbating the decline in the high-beta sector, indicating increased market sensitivity to oil price fluctuations.
- Other Energy Stocks Decline: SM Energy (NYSE:SM) dropped 5%, Transocean (NYSE:RIG) fell 5.6%, and Valaris (NYSE:VAL) decreased by 5.8%, reflecting a general bearish sentiment in the energy sector, prompting caution among investors.
- Valaris Stock Volatility: Valaris has experienced 26 moves greater than 5% in the past year; despite today's decline, the market has not altered its fundamental perception, with a 94.5% increase year-to-date, indicating long-term investment potential.
See More
United Microelectronics Hits 52-Week High Amid AI Chip Demand
- UMC Stock Surge: United Microelectronics' stock soared to $18.10, a 52-week high, driven by rising demand for AI infrastructure and semiconductor supply constraints, reflecting strong market confidence in its growth prospects.
- New Product Launch: The company introduced a 14nm embedded high-voltage FinFET platform targeting premium smartphones and OLED displays, achieving a 40% reduction in power consumption and a 35% decrease in chip size, thereby enhancing its competitive edge in specialized semiconductor manufacturing.
- Enbridge and Meta Partnership: Enbridge's stock reached a record high of $57.00 following the announcement of a large renewable energy project in Wyoming, expected to provide approximately 1.6 gigawatts of renewable energy for Meta's data centers, further solidifying their energy partnership.
- Transocean's Positive Outlook: Transocean's stock hit $7.66 amid increasing demand for deepwater exploration, with Bank of America raising its price target to $4 while maintaining an Underperform rating, projecting stronger EBITDA for 2027 and 2028 that exceeds Wall Street expectations.
See More
Dominion Energy Stock Hits New High on NextEra Acquisition News
- Acquisition Boost: Dominion Energy (D) shares surged to a 52-week high of $68.97 after NextEra Energy announced a nearly $67 billion all-stock acquisition, reflecting strong market confidence in energy sector consolidation.
- Wall Street Optimism: RBC Capital analyst raised Dominion's price target from $66 to $72, acknowledging the company's growth potential, particularly in the context of energy-intensive data centers driven by AI demand.
- Transocean Stock Surge: Transocean (RIG) shares jumped to a 52-week high of $7.64 after Elliott Management disclosed its sizable position, indicating strong market sentiment for offshore drilling demand, with a remarkable 192% increase in stock price over the past year.
- Borr Drilling's Strong Growth: Borr Drilling (BORR) shares climbed to $6.66 due to plans to acquire five new jack-up rigs and strong growth indicators, with analysts expecting a 16.5% revenue increase to $252.36 million in Q1, showcasing robust performance amid rising oil prices.
See More
Oilfield Services and Equipment Stocks Show Strong Q1 Performance
- Performance Drivers: Oilfield services and equipment stocks delivered strong results in Q1, primarily driven by stability in the North American market, indicating signs of industry recovery that are expected to spur future investments and growth.
- Demand Resurgence: As the global economy gradually recovers, demand for oilfield services has significantly increased, particularly in North America, driving revenue growth and enhancing profitability for related companies.
- Investor Confidence Boost: Strong earnings reports have bolstered investor confidence in the oilfield services sector, potentially leading to increased capital inflows into the industry, further driving stock prices upward.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Industry analysts maintain an optimistic outlook for the coming quarters, believing that stable oil prices and sustained demand will provide favorable growth opportunities for oilfield services companies.
See More
Barclays: Best Time in Two Decades to Buy Oil Service Stocks
- Sector Upgrade: Barclays upgraded the U.S. energy service and technology sector from neutral to positive, raising ratings for oil service providers like Halliburton from equal weight to overweight, reflecting confidence in the sector's future performance.
- Oil Price Volatility: Although oil prices fell to $90.51 per barrel due to reports of a potential U.S.-Iran deal, nearly 20% down from early April's peak, Barclays analysts believe Middle Eastern events will lead to structurally higher oil prices, driving a multi-year upstream spending cycle.
- Positive Outlook for Halliburton: Barclays raised Halliburton's 12-month price target from $37 to $55, implying a 36% upside from Wednesday's close, indicating significant benefits for the company amid rising oil prices.
- Offshore Services Potential: Barclays also upgraded Patterson-UTI Energy and ProPetro Holding to overweight, forecasting an increase in active deepwater rigs from 122 to 131 by the end of 2027, which will provide a tailwind for offshore oil service companies.
See More
Transocean Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
- Strong Operational Performance: Transocean achieved a 98% uptime in Q1 2026, with adjusted EBITDA of $440 million and a margin exceeding 40%, demonstrating the company's competitive edge and profitability in the market.
- Backlog Growth: The company announced approximately $1.6 billion in new backlog, raising total backlog to over $7 billion, including a three-year contract with Var Energi at a daily rate of $450,000, reflecting robust market demand.
- Debt Management Progress: By retiring $358 million in debt, Transocean continues its deleveraging strategy, expecting to retire at least $750 million in total debt by the end of 2026, highlighting its commitment to financial health.
- Outlook Adjustment: Although the company reduced the upper end of its 2026 revenue outlook by $50 million to $3.9 billion, it raised capital expenditure expectations by $20 million, partly for environmental upgrades in Norway, with anticipated cost recovery through contract provisions by year-end.
See More
