Top 5 Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015

For this company, big is beautiful. Scale has become a burden for oil majors struggling to grow their production, but this oil services firm can still count it a blessing, observes Richard Moroney, editor of Dow Theory Forecasts.

Founded in 1926, Schlumberger (SLB), operates in all major facets of oilfield services, essentially covering the lifespan of reservoirs that house natural gas and oil.

About 75% of the 27 energy equipment and services companies in the S&P 1500 Index have market values below $5 billion. By comparison, Schlumberger's market cap tops $106 billion.

Schlumberger's scale��reater operating cash flow than its three largest US rivals combined��llows the company to pursue opportunities worldwide.

North America generated 31% of sales for the 12 months ended June, followed by Europe and Africa (28%), Middle East and Asia (23%), and Latin America (18%).

The US land-drilling industry suffers from declining rig counts and relatively weak pricing. But international markets have rebounded, especially Saudi Arabia, China, and Australia.

Top 5 Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015: ChemoCentryx Inc (CCXI)

ChemoCentryx is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing orally-administered therapeutics to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer. The Company targets the chemokine system, a network of molecules, including chemokine ligands and their associated receptors, as well as related chemo-attractant receptors, all of which are known to drive inflammation. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had four drug candidates in clinical development. Its drug candidates include Traficet-EN (CCX282, GSK'786 or vercirnon), CCX140, CCX354, CCX168, CCX872, CCX507 and CCX662. The Company is also advancing several additional independent drug candidates through preclinical development. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary is ChemoCentryx Limited.

The Company's drug candidate Traficet-EN (CCX282, GSK'786), is to control the inflammatory response underlying IBD by targeting the chemokine receptor known as CCR9. The Company has completed nine clinical trials with Traficet-EN in a total of 785 subjects, including five Phase I clinical trials (three in the United States and two in the United Kingdom), one thorough QT study in the United States (an assessment of cardiovascular safety which is required for regulatory approval), and three Phase II clinical trials (one in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, one in Finland and one (PROTECT-1) in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom). As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� Traficet-EN drug candidate is in four pivotal Phase III clinical trials being conducted by its partner Glaxo Group Limited (GSK).

The Company's independent drug candidate CCX140, targets the chemokine receptor known as CCR2. CCX140 is a potent and selective antagonist of CCR2 that is found on subsets of monocytes and macrophages, which are cells of th! e immune system. In January 2011, the Company completed a 159-patient randomized Phase II clinical trial, conducted in Australia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and New Zealand, to assess the safety and tolerability of CCX140 in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, CCX140 demonstrated biological activity through a dose-dependent decrease in fasting plasma glucose.

CCX354 targets the chemokine receptor known as CCR1. Synovial fluid from the joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients contains high levels of activated CCR1 chemokine ligands. The Company completed two Phase I clinical trials in a total of 84 healthy subjects, conducted in Switzerland followed by a Phase I/II clinical trial in 24 patients with stable RA, conducted in Belgium and Romania, and a Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial in 160 patients with moderate-to-severe RA, conducted in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Ukraine. GSK exercised its option to further develop and commercialize CCX354 in November 2011 and had an exclusive right to initiate a Phase II b clinical trial for CCX354 in RA.

CCX168 targets the chemo-attractant C5a receptor (C5aR), which binds to a biologically activated fragment of the complement protein known as C5. As of December 31, the Company completed a Phase I clinical trial for CCX168, conducted in Switzerland. The Company initiated a Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial in AAV in the fourth quarter of 2011. Its CCX872 is an independent next generation CCR2 drug candidate for the treatment of metabolic diseases, its CCX507 is an independent drug candidate for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and CCX662 is an independent drug candidate for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

The Company competes with Abbott Laboratories, Amgen Inc, AstraZeneca plc, Biogen Idec Inc, Bayer AG, Elan Corporation plc, Glaxo Group Limited, Merck & Co Inc, Merck Serono, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Novartis AG! , Pfizer ! Inc, Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi SA, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Incyte Corp and UCB Pharma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  ChemoCentryx, Inc. (Nasdaq:CCXI), reported that Thomas J. Schall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, will present at the BioCentury NewsMakers in the Biotech Industry Conference on Friday, September 7, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time at the Millennium Broadway Hotel & Conference Center in New York, NY.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  The last few weeks haven't been particularly encouraging for Crohn's disease sufferers. In August, GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) and ChemoCentryx (NASDAQ:CCXI) reported that a jointly-developed Crohn's drug, vercirnon, had failed to meet its late-stage trial endpoints. Though the in-development drug isn't dead in the water (GSK and CCXI could rework the drug, the testing regimen, or use it for other indications), it doesn't look good. Then this month - just a few days ago - Coronado Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:CNDO) reported that its Phase 3 trials of Crohn's disease drug TSO had also failed to meet its primary endpoints as well. Like vercirnon, CNDO isn't completely out of luck here with the treatment, but forging ahead with further development of the treatment is grasping at straws. Crohn's sufferers don't need to give up home just yet, however - TNI Biotech Inc. (OTCMKTS:TNIB) appears to have a Crohn's treatment that works, and should be able to sidestep the problems that plagued ChemoCentryx, GlaxoSmithKline, and Coronado Biosciences.

Top 5 Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015: Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc.(SNSS)

Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of oncology therapeutics for the treatment of solid and hematologic cancers. The company?s principal product includes Vosaroxin, an anti-cancer quinolone derivative for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It is conducting various clinical trials of Vosaroxin, including Phase II clinical trial, known as VALOR trial in combination with cytarabine for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory AML; and a Phase II clinical trial, known as REVEAL-1 in previously untreated patients of age 60 years or older, as well as completed a Phase II single-agent trial of Vosaroxin in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. In addition, the company is conducting a Phase II/III trial, known as the Less Intensive 1 in patients older than 60 years with AML or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. It has a license agreement with Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. , Ltd. for the development and commercialization of Vosaroxin; a collaboration agreement with Millennium for the development of pan-Raf kinase inhibitor and one additional undisclosed kinase inhibitor program in oncology; and a collaboration agreement with Biogen Idec, Inc. to discover, develop, and commercialize small molecule inhibitors of a preclinical kinase inhibitor program in immunology. The company formerly known as, Mosaic Pharmaceuticals, Inc., was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The biggest new holdings are Virgin Media�and Constellation Brands. Other new holdings of interest include Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNSS  ) , which has many investors hopeful about the phase 3 trials of its leukemia drug vosaroxin, which could be a blockbuster.

10 Best Asian Stocks For 2015: Clariant AG (CLN)

Clariant AG is a Switzerland-based holding company engaged in the chemical sector. The Company's key markets include Paints, comprising decorative interior and exterior, primers, varnishes, anticorrosion and industrial applications, Construction, comprising concrete applications, roofing, tiling, sealants and primers, Adhesives, comprising wood, paper, lamination, packaging and Pressure Sensitive Adhesives, and Textile, leather and paper, comprising various functional effects and coatings. The Company diversifies its business into several units, including Additives, Catalysis & Energy, Emulsions, Functional Materials, Industrial & Consumer Specialties, Leather Services, Masterbatches, Oil & Mining Services, Paper Specialties, Pigments and Textile Chemicals. In every business unit, the Company diversifies five geographical regions, including Europe, Latin America, North America, Asia/Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. In January 2014, it sold its Detergents & Intermediates business. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Clariant slid 1.6 percent to 15.57 francs, dropping for a seventh day. UBS removed the company from its most preferred list because of the shares��recent rally. Clariant (CLN) has surged 26 percent this year, while the SPI has gained 21 percent.

Top 5 Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015: Rackspace Hosting Inc(RAX)

Rackspace Hosting, Inc. operates in the hosting and cloud computing industry. It provides information technology (IT) as a service, managing Web-based IT systems for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large enterprises worldwide. The company?s service suite includes dedicated hosting comprising customer management portal and other management tools that manage data center, network, hardware devices, and operating system software; and cloud computing that enables customers to provide and manage a pool of computing resources, as well as delivery of computing resources to business when they need them. It offers cloud servers, cloud files, and cloud sites, as well as cloud applications, such as email, collaboration, and file back-ups; and hybrid hosting that provides a combination of dedicated hosting and cloud computing services. The company also offers customer support services. It sells its service suite through direct sales teams, third-party channel partners, an d online ordering. The company was formerly known as Rackspace.com, Inc. and changed its name to Rackspace Hosting, Inc. in June 2008. Rackspace Hosting, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX) shares climbed 12.87% to $34.63 in the pre-market trading session on confirmation of approach by potential buyers and partners.

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Alamy You can never know in advance all the news that will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From the release of a new video game console to an earnings report out of the world's largest retailer, here are some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Host in the Machine: Most Internet users take web-hosting for granted, but leading websites and apps wouldn't be available if it wasn't for the growing fleet of servers manned by companies specializing in getting websites up and running. Rackspace (RAX) is a market darling among web hosts, and on Monday it will serve up its latest financials. This has become a competitive market as providers aim to host websites and cloud computing solutions. The end result is that analysts see Rackspace growing its revenue by a hearty 15 percent, but they also see profitability declining during the quarter. Tuesday -- KFC in China: Yum! Brands (YUM) is the parent company behind the fast food team of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC. A surprisingly large portion of Yum! Brands' business in recent years has come from expanding its chicken chain in China. But the market has been challenging lately. Same-store sales for Chinese KFC locations plunged 14 percent in its latest quarter. As a result of its poor performance in the world's most populous nation, Yum! Brands is temporarily offering monthly same-store sales updates. It will offer an update on how October went on Tuesday after the market close. Wednesday -- Panic at the Cisco: It may seem like a long time ago, but there was a brief moment in time -- just before the dot-com bubble popped -- that Cisco (CSCO) commanded the largest market capitalization in the country. The Internet was all the rage with investors, and Cisco was the leading provider of routers, switches, and other networking gear that kept the whole web connected. The past few years have been volatile for Cisco, with the tech bellwet

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Rackspace Hosting Inc. (NYSE: RAX) was supposed to have its earnings report out after the close of trading on Monday. The big news is not that Rackspace managed to beat�revenue expectations -�Rackspace also announced that Lanham Napier has retired from the company as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors.

Top 5 Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015: Brazilian Real(BK)

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, a financial services company, provides various products and services worldwide. The company offers a range of equity, fixed income, cash, and alternative/overlay products, as well as distributes investment management products. It also provides investment management, wealth and estate planning, and private banking solutions to high-net-worth individuals and families, charitable gift programs, endowments and foundations, and related entities, as well as offers mutual funds, separate accounts, and annuities. In addition, the company provides global custody and fund, securities lending, investment manager outsourcing, performance and risk analytics, alternative investment, securities clearance, collateral management, corporate trust, broker-dealer, and employee investment plan services, as well as clearing services and global payment/working capital solutions to institutional clients. Further, it offers American and global depositary re ceipt programs, cash management solutions, payment services, liquidity services, foreign exchange, global clearing and execution, managed account services, and global prime brokerage solutions to corporations, public funds, government agencies, foundations, and endowments; global financial institutions, including banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, insurance companies and central banks; and financial intermediaries, independent registered investment advisors, and hedge fund managers. Additionally, the company provides credit-related services, and global markets and institutional banking services; engages in business exits, and corporate treasury activities; and leases financing portfolios. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation was founded in 1784 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Bank of America involved, again
  Reuters reports that fraud fighter Lisa Epstein discovered that mortgage servicers have been feeding mortgage bond investors incorrect information concerning the mortgages that lie within the MBSes they hold. Servicers such as Bank of America and Ocwen Financial (NYSE: OCN  ) , for example, have supplied information to bond trustees Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) and Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK  ) indicating that homes that have long since been sold or paid off are still in foreclosure.