For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 4, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Marathon Oil Corporation (MRO), Exxon (XOM), ConocoPhillips (COP), Chevron (CVX) and Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD).

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Here are highlights from Tuesday’s AnalystBlog:

Marathon Beats, Production Up

Marathon Oil Corporation’s (MRO) third-quarter 2009 results came in better-than-expected, helped by the contribution from increased oil and natural gas production. Earnings per share, excluding mark-to-market and divestment losses, came in at 61 cents, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 56 cents.

However, as

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SAP AG (SAP) reported third quarter of 2009 net income from continuing operations of 60 cents per share, compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 58 cents. U.S. GAAP software and software-related service revenues were €1.94 billion (previous year: €1.99 billion), a decrease of 3%. U.S. GAAP total revenues were €2.51 billion (€2.76 billion), a decrease of 9%. U.S. GAAP software revenues were €525 million (€763 million), a decrease of 31% (30% at constant currencies). In the third quarter of 2009, SAP closed major contracts in several key regions including Dagrofa/SuperGros, Prada S.p.A., SeverStal OAO, Surgutneftegaz OAO, Swiss Life AG, and Telefonica, S.A. (TEF) in EMEA; Banco Industrial S.A., ConocoPhillips (COP), Dolby Laboratories (DLB), Fairfax County, Research In Motion Limited (RIMM) and Valero Services Inc. in Americas; and APL Co. Pte. Ltd, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia, HDFC Standard Life ...

Marathon Oil Corporation’s (MRO) third-quarter 2009 results came in better-than-expected, helped by the contribution from increased oil and natural gas production. Earnings per share, excluding mark-to-market and divestment losses, came in at 61 cents, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 56 cents. However, as has been the case with the other oil majors that have already reported -- Exxon (XOM), ConocoPhillips (COP) and Chevron (CVX) -- earnings and revenue comparisons with the year-earlier period were quite ugly, severely hampered by lower realized commodity prices and weak refining margins. Marathon’s adjusted earnings per share plunged 77.9%, while sales declined 37.9% to $14.5 billion. Lower Prices More Than Offset Increased Upstream Volumes Income from the upstream segment totaled $491 million during the quarter, down 43.5% from the year-ago level. The company reported production (available for sale) of 393,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day (BOE/d), ...

ConocoPhillips (COP) reported third-quarter earnings of $1.00 per share, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 93 cents. However, earnings per share were well below the year-earlier figure of $3.39. This pronounced fall was mainly due to significantly lower commodity prices and a steep decline in refining margins, which more than offset production improvements and lower costs. The Exploration and Production segment reported earnings of $978 million during the quarter, down nearly 75% year over year. The fall was mainly due to lower commodity prices, partially offset by higher volumes and lower operating costs. Daily production from the E&P segment (including Canadian Syncrude) averaged 1.79 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (MMBOE/d), up from 1.75 MMBOE/d in the year-ago quarter. The year-over-year increase in production from new developments in the U.K., Russia, Norway, Vietnam, China and Canada has more than offset the impact of normal ...

Recently, the federal government’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) issued an overall bullish report, showing a smaller-than-expected build in crude stockpiles. Further, the data showed that gasoline inventories were down as predicted, while distillate stocks also declined, though fell short of expectations. In its release, the agency said that crude inventories rose by 1.3 million barrels for the week ending October 16, much lower than analysts' expectations. This is the second successive week in which the crude buildup has been lower than originally anticipated. A major contributing factor to the modest increase can be attributed to a fall in crude oil imports, which dropped to the lowest level in two months. Current crude oil stocks, at 339.1 million barrels, are 8.9% above the year-earlier level and remain above the upper limit of the average for this time of the year (depicted in the first EIA chart below). The ...

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is hosting today's Vienna meeting between Russia, France, the U.S, and Iran, which will attempt to finalise an agreement on sending Iranian uranium abroad for enrichment.  Iran says it will enrich the uranium itself, if talks fail.  Nuclear talks have uncovered differing opinions on sanctions for Iran from Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev.  Russia-U.S. talks on a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 1) are being held today in Geneva, with Medvedev saying that he aims to complete negotiations by December.  Russia, Venezuela and Iran have proposed replacing the dollar as the currency for oil transactions.  Russian oil major Lukoil says its partner ConocoPhillips has no plans to sell its stake.  Nigerian and Serbian companies have both announced new joint ventures with Gazprom.  Alexander Lebedev's Timan Oil and ...

Yesterday, the U.S. Energy Department's weekly inventory release showed a less-than-expected build in crude stockpiles. However, the headline news was centered on a sharp drop in gasoline stocks and refinery utilization that pushed oil prices to a fresh 2009 peak and lifted energy stocks. The federal government’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a 400,000 barrels rise in crude inventories for the week ending October 9, much less than analyst expectations. The modest increase can be attributed to scaled back operations by the refiners (prompted by weak profit margins) even as imports fell. This follows last week’s report, which showed an unexpected rise in oil supply figures, against consensus forecast of a buildup. Current crude oil stocks, at 337.8 million barrels, are 9.6% above the year-earlier level and remain above the upper limit of the average for this time of the year (depicted in the first EIA chart ...

The Moscow Times reports that TNK-BP intends to invest $1.3 billion in upgrading refineries in Russia and Ukraine over the next five years.  Transneft has announced that second-quarter net income advanced 71% from the same period last year.  Total has reportedly received approval from a Russian regulator to purchase a 49% stake in the operator of a gas condensate field in northwest Russia.  China Petrochemical Corporation may help Rosneft fund a Russian refinery in the Far East.  Rosneft is apparently looking for licenses to more than 30 oil and gas deposits in the Arctic offshore area.  Kaisun Energy Group has announced it will buy out a Russian oilfield company, Nobel Holdings Investments, invested in by China Investment Corp.  Kaisun's share prices rose to a record high following the announcement.  Developing oil in Iraq will ...

According to ITAR-TASS, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has commented that Russia does not object to selling energy resources using domestic currencies.  How done is the Russia-China gas deal? wonders the the FT.  Gazprom will buy 500 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan next year.  The Times has a piece on the 'take-and-pay' system which is now causing friction between suppliers and buyers.  Norway's Aladdin has signed a five-year contract to provide gas from a field in the Komi republic to a Gapzrom subsidiary.  ConocoPhillips is apparently 'non-committal' on a possible sale of its 20% stake in Lukoil.  Serbia expects as much as $13.4 billion to be invested in modernizing its energy sector by 2015, and is working with Gazprom.  Iraq has given a consortium led by Eni the right to develop its ...

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has said that some countries have offered to provide Iran with uranium enriched to 20% for peaceful use as nuclear reactor fuel.  In a move to decrease energy consumption, Russia plans to ban the production and sale of all kinds of incandescent light bulb from January 1, 2014.  Gazprom hopes to take a 10% share of the US natural gas market within five years.  The company's deputy CEO, Alexander Lebedev, has apparently also said that it plans to gain a 25% share of the global market by 2020.  Bloomberg reports that the gas giant is in talks with Petroleo Brasileiro SA on joint operations.  Lukoil has said that it has no corroboration of reports that its partner, ConocoPhillips, may halve its stake in the Russian company.  Russia and Bolivia may establish ...