Biomarin (BMRN) (O) (PEI) (PXP) (BWA) (CADX) Price Targets Changed

Biomarin Pharma (NASDAQ: BMRN), Realty Income Corp. (NYSE: O), Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE: PEI), Plains Exploration & Production Company (NYSE: PXP), BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) and Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CADX) had price targets on them adjusted by analysts.

Biomarin Pharma (BMRN) had its price target raised by Summer Street Research from $32.00 to $40.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Realty Income Corp. (NYSE: O) had its price target raised by RBC Capital from $36.00 to $38.00. They have a “Top Pick” rating on the company.

Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PEI) had its price target raised by Barclays Capital from $9.00 to $12.00. They have an “Equal Weight” rating on the company.

Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP) had its price target raised by RBC Capital from $45.00 to $47.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

BorgWarner Inc. (BWA) had its price target lowered by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) to $89.00.

Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CADX) had its price target lowered by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) to $11.00.

Plains (PXP) (CTL) (PNNT) (CVH) (PETD) (DF) Upgraded

Plains Exploration & Production Company (NYSE: PXP), CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL), PennantPark Investment Corp. (NASDAQ: PNNT), Coventry Health Care, Inc. (NYSE: CVH), Petroleum Development Co. (NASDAQ: PETD) and Dean Foods Co (NYSE: DF) upgraded by analysts.

Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP) was upgraded by Global Hunter Securities from an “Accumulate” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $54.00 on the company, up from $40.00.

CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) was upgraded by DA Davidson from an “Underperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $36.00 on the company.

PennantPark Investment Corp. (PNNT) was upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $12.00 on the company.

Coventry Health Care, Inc. (CVH) was upgraded by Standpoint Research from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $35.00 on the company.

Petroleum Development Co. (PETD) was upgraded by Hilliard Lyons from a “Neutral” rating to a “Long” rating. They have a price target of $40.00 on the company.

Dean Foods Co. (DF) was upgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from an “Underperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $10.00 on the company.

Netflix (NFLX) (RRC) (PXP) (NRGY) (NWSA) Price Targets Change

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), Range Resources (NYSE: RRC), Plains Exploration & Production Company (NYSE: PXP), Inergy (NASDAQ: NRGY) and News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA) had their price targets adjusted by analysts.

Wedbush raised its price target on Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) from $80.00 to $100.00. They have an “underperform” rating on the company.

Morgan Keegan slashed its price target on Inergy (NASDAQ: NRGY) to $40.50.

Wunderlich boosted its price target on News Corp. (NWSA) from $14.00 to $18.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Dahlman Rose raised its price target on Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP) from $40.00 to $50.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

RBC Capital raised its price target on Range Resources (RRC) from $70.00 to $85.00. They have an “outperform” rating on the company.

Netflix closed Tuesday at $287.29, gaining $8.29, or 2.97 percent. Range Resources closed at $63.52, rising $2.52, or 4.13 percent. News Corp. ended the day at $15.79, jumping $0.82, or 5.51 percent. Plains Exploration & Production Company closed at $40.72, climbing $1.51, or 3.85 percent. Inergy closed at $35.28, up $0.13, or 0.37 percent.

Whiting (WLL) (PXP) (VQ) (CXPO) (CLR) Trade Up on Weak U.S. Dollar

Shares of oil companies Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP), Venoco Inc. (NYSE:VQ), Crimson Exploration (NASDAQ:CXPO) and Continental Resources (NYSE:CLR) traded higher Wednesday after a report from the Energy Information Administration saying gas inventory was up less than expected and oil inventory was flat.

Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery was up $3.19, or 3.3 percent, to settle at $100.10 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Retail gasoline prices continued to fall, dropping almost 2 cents on Wednesday for a national average of $3.926 a gallon. Gasoline demand continues to fall in wake of high prices at the pump.

Heating oil for June increased 6.08 cents to settle at $2.9059 a gallon and gasoline futures jumped 3.62 cents to settle at $2.9555 a gallon. Natural gas gained 2 cents at $4.266 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Brent crude rose $2.31 in London, or 2.1 percent, to settle at $112.30 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the dollar against a basket of six currencies, traded at 75.438, down a little from 75.441 late Tuesday. That was also a factor in oil prices going up, as well as other commodity prices as well.

The euro traded at $1.4233, strengthening after falling to $1.4193 and up slightly from its $1.4219 close on Tuesday.

Traders bought commodities, including oil, on the weaker greenback.

Continental Resources (CLR) closed Wednesday at $63.15, gaining $2.14, or 3.51 percent.

Encana (ECA) (HES) (LINE) (NOV) (PXP) Trade Mixed as Oil Prices Rebounded

Shares of Encana Corp. (NYSE:ECA), Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES), Linn Energy, LLC (NASDAQ:LINE), National-Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE:NOV) and Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP) traded mixed even as oil prices closed Friday in positive territory.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for June delivery on Friday settled at $99.65 a barrel, up 68 cents, or 0.69 percent, after trading in a range of $97.09 to $100.70.

For the week, front-month crude climbed $2.47, or 2.5 percent.

ICE Brent for June delivery settled at $113.83 a barrel, up 85 cents, or 0.75 percent, after trading in a range of $111.72 to $114.92. The Brent crude contract for July delivery was at 66 cents, or 0.6 percent higher on Friday, at $112.99. Last week, Brent crude jumped $4.70, or 4.3 percent.

The U.S. dollar index was up 0.8 percent higher at $75.72 as the euro was down 1 percent against the dollar at $1.411. On Friday, European officials said that Greece, Ireland and Portugal's sovereign debt problems may be worse than previously believed.

NYMEX June gasoline settled at $3.0744 a gallon, up 1.05 cents, or 0.34 percent, after trading in a range of $3.0342 to $3.1388.

For the week, front-month RBOB fell 1.57 cents, or 0.5 percent.

NYMEX June heating oil closed at $2.9422 a gallon, rising 2.85 cents, or 1 percent.

Front-month heating oil for last week was up 9.65 cents.

Encana Corp. (ECA) closed Friday at $32.64, dropping $0.30, or 0.91 percent.

Transocean (RIG) (PETD) (PXP) (NOG) (RDS-A) Trade Positive as Oil, Gas Rise

Crude oil, natural gas and gasoline prices jumped Tuesday, pushing up the share prices of Transocean (NYSE:RIG), PDC Energy (NASDAQ:PETD), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP), Northern Oil and Gas (Amex:NOG) and Shell (NYSE:RDS-A).

Benchmark crude for May delivery rose $1.33 to settle at $103.88 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Heating oil jumped 3.94 cents to settle at $3.0012 a gallon. Gasoline futures climbed 10.13 cents to settle at $3.3797 a gallon, while natural gas for June delivery increased 8.7 cents to settle at $4.303 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Uncertainty remains as to the effects of the flooding along the Mississippi River could have on regional refinery operations, which could slow down gasoline production and put upward pressure on prices.

Transocean (RIG) closed at $68.36, up $0.39, or 0.59 percent.

Berry (BRY) (PXP) (LINE) (OIS) (COP) Trade Up as Oil Prices Rebound

Most oil and related companies performed strong Monday, as Berry Petroleum (NYSE:BRY), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP), Linn Energy, LLC (NASDAQ:LINE), Oil States Intl., Inc. (NYSE:OIS) and Conoco (NYSE:COP) traded mixed as the price of oil rebounded.

Gastar was the only one of the list above to close down Monday.

Crude oil for June delivery climbed $5.37 to settle at $102.55 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the largest one-day boost since February 22.

Brent crude for June settlement jumped $6.77, or 6.2 percent, to $115.90 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

Wholesale gasoline prices soared 5 percent on Monday to $3.20 a gallon on fears that refineries in Mississippi may have to shut down because of the Mississippi River flooding.

The average U.S. price of a gallon of regular gasoline Monday fell by a penny to $3.96, according to AAA.

Immediate delivery futures of Texas crude oil rose $5.53 to $102.71 a barrel. Natural gas was up 0.06 cents to $4.17 per mbtu, while gasoline prices fell 20.17 cents to 329.18 cents a gallon.

Berry Petroleum (BRY) closed Monday at $49.02, climbing $1.67, or 3.53 percent.

Shares of (ROSE) (PXP) (CLR) (EPM) Trade Mixed as Oil Closed Down 15% Last Week

Companies exposed to oil and the industry traded mixed to end the week, as oil prices plummeted 15 percent last week, taking Rosetta Resources (NASDAQ:ROSE), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP), Continental Resources (NYSE:CLR), Evolution Petroleum (Amex:EPM), and others, down with it.

Light, sweet crude oil for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange dropped $2.62 to settle at $97.18 a barrel, matching the eight-week low of March 15. The U.S. Oil Fund (USO) closed down 1.1 percent on Friday.

For the week, the June oil futures contract fell 14.7 percent to $113.93.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery fell $2.62, or 2.6%, to close at $97.18 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In London, Brent crude finished the day off $1.67 at $109.13 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Republicans went on the offensive against higher oil and gas prices by passing a bill to hasten the leasing process dragging on in the Gulf of Mexico as the Obama administration drag their feet on taking action. The bill would also require leasing to be allowed off the coast of Virginia.

According to Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), the bill helped push down the price of oil as it sent a message to the market they're serious about the future supply.

All Obama has done so far has obsessed on the fantasy of green, clean or so-called alternative energy; a dubious matter at best, and at worst, ignoring what they country needs now and is available to it.

In other Nymex trading for June contracts, heating oil fell 4.12 cents to $2.8457 a U.S. gallon and gasoline futures were down 0.53 cents to $3.0901 a U.S. gallon. Natural gas fell 3.4 cents to $4.297 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Rosetta Resources (ROSE) closed Friday at $41.10, jumping $1.83, or 4.66 percent.

Encana (ECA) (PXP) (SWN) (DVN) Pressured as Oil Falls

Oil and oil-related companies Encana Corp. (NYSE:ECA), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP), Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN) and Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) were pressured Thursday as crude for June delivery dropped below the $100 a barrel mark.

Crude oil for June delivery was down $9.44, or 8.6 percent, to $99.80 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The price has fallen 12 percent so far this week, declining every day of the week. Crude has soared 25 percent over the last year.

Gasoline for May delivery was down 22.71 cents, or 6.8 percent, to $3.0954 a gallon on the Nymex, the lowest settlement in five weeks. Gasoline has jumped 39 percent in a year.

Averaged across the nation, regular gasoline at the pump increased 0.3 cent to $3.985 a gallon on Wednesday, according to the website of AAA. That's highest price of gasoline since July 24, 2008.

Heating oil for May delivery was down 25.61 cents, or 8.1 percent, to $2.8869 a gallon on the Nymex. Heating oil has climbed 32 percent over the last year.

The New York Mercantile Exchange reported that oil futures settled at $99.80, down $9.44 or 8.6 percent on Thursday.

Government figures show gasoline demand in America has dropped about 2 percent over the last month, which added to rises in inventory, should push gasoline prices down again.

Encana Corp. (ECA) closed Thursday at $32.13, down $0.49, or 1.50 percent.

Halliburton (HAL) (BRY) (END) (PXP) (RRC) Trade Down on Slowing Oil Demand

Oil companies and other industry-related companies Halliburton (NYSE:HAL), Berry Petroleum (NYSE:BRY), Endeavour International (NYSE:END), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP) and Range Resources (NYSE:RRC) all closed down Wednesday as oil prices took a breather.

Oil prices dropped after a government report showed that inventories are growing as demand softens in the U.S. Benchmark crude for June delivery was down $1.81 to settle at $109.24 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In other NYMEX trading for June contracts, heating oil fell 4.78 cents to settle at $3.143 a gallon, gasoline futures lost 0.69 cent to $3.3225 a gallon and natural gas was lower by 9.4 cents to $4.644 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The U.S. dollar index shrunk 0.15 percent to $73.01, down from Tuesday's 73.127 close. The dollar index has fallen 7.5 percent so far in 2011.

Berry Petroleum (BRY) closed Wednesday at $48.54, falling $2.95, or 5.73 percent.

Kinder Morgan (KMP) (PXP) (WLL) (TAT) Drop as Oil Prices Fall

Decreasing demand for fuel has pushed down oil inventories and the price of oil, putting pressure on Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE:KMP), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP), Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL), TransAtlantic Petroleum (NYSE:TAT).

Light, sweet crude for June delivery settled down $2.47, or 2.2%, at $111.05 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. London Brent crude for June fell $2.67 to settle at $122.45 a barrel.

Front-month June reformulated gasoline blendstock, or RBOB, settled down $1.85 cents, or 0.6%, at $3.3294 a gallon. June heating oil lost 6.13 cents, or 1.9%, to settle at $3.1908 a gallon.

Gasoline prices on average across America have jumped to just under $4.00 a gallon, rising to $3.97 a gallon for regular gas, according to AAA.

Silver is considered the key catalyst for downward pressure on oil prices and trading, as it has become a proxy to some for risk appetite among commodity traders.

After selling out of silver commodity traders followed up with divesting of positions in oil as well.

Even so, it appears the slight strengthening of the U.S dollar played a bit role Tuesday as well.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP) closed Tuesday at $74.60, falling $1.24, or 1.64 percent.

Devon (DVN) (LINE) (TAT) (PXP) (OAS) Trade Down on Volatile Energy Day

Shares of Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), Linn Energy, LLC (NASDAQ:LINE), TransAtlantic Petroleum (NYSE:TAT), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP) and Oasis Petroleum (NYSE:OAS) closed down on the uncertainty following the death of Osama bin Laden.

Crude futures settled lower Monday after the death of Osama bin Laden stirred up oil markets, as traders attempted to measure the impact of the event on the stability in the Middle East.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery settled 41 cents, or 0.4%, lower at $113.52 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, in a volatile session that saw both two-and-a-half year highs near $115 a barrel and a decline to $110.82 a barrel.

Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange closed 77 cents lower at $125.12 a barrel.

Front-month June reformulated gasoline blendstock, or RBOB, settled 5.05 cents, or 1.5 percent down at $3.3479 a gallon. June heating oil settled 2.37 cents, or 0.7 percent lower at $3.2521 a gallon.

Oasis Petroleum closed Monday at $30.17, dropping $0.56, or 1.82 percent.

Apache (APA) (STR) (OAS) (PXP) (BOLT) Trade Mixed on Gas, Oil Price Jumps

Apache Corp (NYSE:APA), Questar Corporation (NYSE:STR), Oasis Petroleum (NYSE:OAS), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP) and Bolt Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:BOLT) close mixed Friday as oil and gasoline prices jump again.

Nymex light, sweet crude oil for June delivery rose $1.07 a barrel, to $113.93 a barrel. That's the highest close in two-a-half-years.

On Nymex, reformulated gasoline blendstock futures for May delivery expired at $3.4648 a gallon, up 3.5 cents Friday. That is the highest level since July 14, 2008. Prices have soared 23.17 cents, or 7.2 percent, over the past week.

AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report said the nationwide average price of regular gasoline was $3.909 a gallon Friday, up 6.1 cents from last week.

May heating oil expired at $3.2558 a gallon, up 2.42 cents, and the highest since April 8.

Tightening inventory and higher gasoline prices continue to push oil prices up. Another major factor, as it is with most commodities, is the ongoing collapse of the U.S. dollar. That will continue based on Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's comments he's not going to raise interest rates.

Apache closed Friday at $133.37, gaining $3.37, or 2.59 percent.

Petrohawk (HK) (NOG) (OAS) (HNR) (PXP) Close Mixed as Oil, Gas Rise

Petrohawk Energy Corp. (NYSE:HK), Northern Oil and Gas (Amex:NOG), Oasis Petroleum (NYSE:OAS), Harvest Natural Resources (NYSE:HNR) and Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP) closed mixed as oil, gasoline and natural gas moved up in price Thursday.

Oil settled higher in volatile trading Thursday, pushed up by a collapsing U.S. dollar. After soaring to close to $114 a barrel, West Texas Intermediate crude settled up 10 cents, at $112.86, in futures trading in New York.

Brent North Sea crude oil fell 11 cents to settle at $125.02 a barrel on the Ice Futures exchange.

In futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, natural gas climbed 15.7 cents to settle at $4.63 per million British thermal units.

Gasoline for May delivery jumped 1.04 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $3.4298 a gallon, the highest settlement since July 14, 2008. Futures have risen 47 percent in the past year.

The Dollar Index fell to the lowest level since July 31, 2008. The index was down 0.5 percent to 73.139, its eighth straight daily decline.

Brigham (BEXP) (OAS) (PXP) (LINE) Close Up as Oil Settles at $112.21

Brigham Exploration (NASDAQ::BEXP), Oasis Petroleum (NYSE:OAS), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP) and Linn Energy, LLC (NASDAQ:LINE) closed up Tuesday as oil for June delivery fell below the $112.21 it settled at, as the American Petroleum Institute reported at 4:30 PM EDT that U.S. crude-oil stockpiles soared 4.91 million barrels to 361 million. Apache was the only company of the four trading in the black Tuesday.

Oil for June delivery settled at $112.21 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil has risen 33 percent in the past year.

Prices dropped from the settlement after the American Petroleum Institute reported at 4:30 p.m. that U.S. crude-oil stockpiles soared 4.91 million barrels to 361 million. June oil was down 49 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $111.79 a barrel in electronic trading at 4:32 PM EDT.

Brent crude for June settlement on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange jumped 48 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $124.14 a barrel.

The dollar fell for a sixth day against the euro, equaling the longest losing streak since May 2009. Expectations are the Federal Reserve will continue to keep measures in to allegedly support the U.S. economy.

Gasoline climbed over 53 cents a gallon from January to March as unrest in Libya threatened its oil fields and helped push oil from $91 to $107 a barrel. The national average for gasoline is closing in on $3.90 a gallon. Diesel is at about $4.14.

Oil averaged $94.64 a barrel between January and March, compared with $78.89 in the same period last year.

Natural gas prices continue to stay low in comparison to three years ago. It's now trading at $4.38 per 1,000 cubic feet. In April 2008, natural gas contracts generated over twice that.

Berry (BRY) (BEXP) (CWEI) (PXP) Close Mixed as Oil Prices Pull Back

Oil prices should keep climbing toward the highs of 2008 as growing demand isn't matched by additional supplies and the price jump has been slow to cut into consumption, as Brigham Exploration (NASDAQ::BEXP), Berry Petroleum (NYSE:BRY), Clayton Williams Energy (NASDAQ::CWEI) and Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP) closed mixed Monday, April 25.

The front-month Brent crude-oil futures contract, the London benchmark, pulled back from a 2½-year high of $127 a barrel on April 11, amid concerns that soaring prices are hurting demand. It settled at $123.66 a barrel on Monday, up 5.4 percent so far in April. The front-month June contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange pulled back one cent to $112.28, still up 5.2 percent this month and 23 percent in 2011.

Benchmark crude for June delivery dropped a penny to settle at $112.28 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In London, Brent crude fell 33 cents to settle at $123.66 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

In other Nymex trading, heating oil was down 1.73 cents to settle at $3.1989 a gallon and gasoline futures increased a little less than a penny to settle at $3.2785 a gallon. Natural gas dropped 2.3 cents to $4.389 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Valero (VLO) (SWN) (PXP) (CRZO) Close Mixed as Oil, Gas Continue to Rise

Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP), Carrizo Oil & Gas (Nasdaq:CRZO) and Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) closed mixed Thursday as oil and gas prices continue to move up.

Crude oil prices climbed above $112 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Friday while the U.S. dollar was up after three days of faltering.

The dollar index jumped 0.14 percent to 74.10, making up a little lost ground.

May delivery crude oil rose 80 cents in New York to $112.25 a barrel. Home heating oil fell 1.85 cents to $3.2174 a gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline was up 2.93 cents to $3.2777 a gallon.

Henry Hub natural gas prices gained 11.3 cents to $4.423 per million British thermal units.

According to the AAA, the national average price of unleaded gasoline rose to $3.848 a gallon Friday from Thursday's $3.84.

Valero Energy closed Thursday at $29.03, gaining $0.66, or 2.33 percent. Carrizo Oil & Gas ended the day at $37.10, up $0.02, or 0.05 percent. Plains Exploration & Production closed at $35.03, down $0.22, or 0.62 percent. Southwestern Energy closed the session at $40.54, dropping $0.25, or 0.61 percent.

Crimson (CXPO) (CRK) (PXP) (CWEI) Close Up as Oil Prices Explode

Shares of Comstock Resources (NYSE:CRK), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP), Clayton Williams Energy (Nasdaq:CWEI) and Crimson Exploration (NASDAQ:CXPO) all closed up on Wednesday as oil prices surged in response to news oil inventories unexpectedly dropped.

Oil prices exploded on Wednesday to roar above the $111 a barrel mark, as the U.S. Energy Information Administration announced oil inventories fell by 2.3 million barrels for the week ending April 15.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, May delivery for West Texas Intermediate crude rose $3.17 or 2.93 percent to reach $111.45 a barrel.

The weakness of the U.S. dollar helped boost a number of commodities, including oil, as the U.S. dollar index dropped 0.91 on Wednesday.

Home heating oil prices increased 6.29 cents to $3.2214 a gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline prices rose 4.42 cents to $3.2773 a gallon.

Henry Hub natural gas prices jumped 4.8 cents to $4.31 per million British thermal units.

The national average price of unleaded gasoline climbed to $3.837 a gallon Wednesday, up from Tuesday's $3.835, according to AAA.

Crimson Exploration closed Wednesday at $3.91, up $0.04, or 1.03 percent. Clayton Williams Energy closed at $94.18, gaining $2.01, or 2.18 percent. Plains Exploration & Production ended the trading session at $25.25, jumping $0.56, or 1.61 percent. Comstock Resources closed at $28.80, rising $0.45, or 1.59 percent.

Plains (PXP) (CRK) (CLR) (SWN) Close Up as Crude Prices Rebound

Shares of oil and energy companies like Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN), Continental Resources (NYSE:CLR), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE:PXP) and Comstock Resources (NYSE:CRK) all closed up Wednesday as crude oil prices rebounded after two days of trading down.

Crude-oil futures were up Wednesday, gaining strength after a period of weakness midway through the day as investors focused on a supply report and hefty gains for gasoline futures.

Crude for May delivery was up 86 cents, or 0.8%, to settle at $107.11 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures ended a two-day losing streak that had slashed almost 6 percent from prices on Friday.

The Energy Information Administration said crude oil inventories rose 1.6 million barrels for the week ended April 8.

The EIA reported a drop in gasoline inventories of 7 million barrels. Distillates supplies were down 2.7 million barrels.

Both figures showed deeper declines than projected. Analysts were looking for a decrease of 1.3 million for gasoline and unchanged stocks of distillates, which include diesel and heating oil.

Gasoline for May delivery increased 8 cents to $3.24 a gallon, also ending a two-session losing run and reaching the highest prices since Friday.

May heating oil was up 3 cents, or 1 percent, to $3.20 a gallon.

Comstock Resources closed Wednesday at $28.86, gaining $0.33, or 1.16 percent. Continental Resources closed at $66.63, up $0.90, or 1.37 percent. Southwestern Energy closed at $38.41, rising $0.39, or 1.03 percent. Plains Exploration & Production ended the day at $34.25, jumping $0.35, or 1.03 percent.

Goldman (NYSE:GS) Changes Ratings on Plains (NYSE:PXP), Consol (NYSE:CNX), Apache (NYSE:APA), Newfield (NYSE:NFX)

After the outlook for oil turned more bullish today, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) responded by either making ratings changes to Plains Exploration (NYSE:PXP), Consol Energy (NYSE:CNX), Apache Corp. (NYSE:APA) and Newfield Exploration (NYSE:NFX).

Reasoning behind the changes, according to Goldman, was probable upside for oil prices, lower natural gas prices, and higher value for M&A potential within the Goldman model.

They added Apache Corp. to its "Conviction Buy" list, while removing Newfield Exploration. Apache was added because of their strong exposure to the Permian Basin.

Plains Exploration was upgraded from "Neutral" to "Buy," and added to the "Conviction Buy" list as well. Particularly noted was their exposure to Eagle Ford and Granite Wash. Possible assets sales in the Gulf of Mexico could also improve the valuation of the company.

Consol Energy was downgraded from "Buy" to "Sell," saying downside from "sustained low gas prices will outweigh potential upside from expected non-core met coal reserve sales...."

Plains was trading at $28.61, falling $0.05, or 0.17 percent at 2:31 PM EST. Goldman has a price target of $36 on them. Consol was at $43.97, gaining $2.01, or 4.79 percent. Goldman lowered their price target on them from $44 to $38. Apache soared to $111.13, rising by $3.49, or 3.24 percent. Newfield was up to $68.57, gaining $1.74, or 2.60 percent.