Lear (LEA) (HRS) (CNQR) (RDS-A) (JIVE) (RIMM) Ratings, Price Targets

Lear (NYSE:LEA), Harris (NYSE:HRS), Concur Technologies (NASDAQ:CNQR), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Jive Software (NASDAQ:JIVE) and Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) Ratings, Price Targets

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) downgraded Lear (LEA) from an "Overweight" rating to an "Equal Weight" rating.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) downgraded Harris (HRS) from an "Overweight" rating to an "Equal Weight" rating.

FBR Capital downgraded Concur Technologies (CNQR) from an "Outperform" rating to a "Market Perform" rating.

ING Group initiated coverage on Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A). They have a "Buy" rating on the company.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) initiated coverage on Jive Software (JIVE). They have a "Buy" rating on the company.

Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) upgraded Research In Motion (RIMM) from a "Sell" rating to a "Hold" rating.

BP (BP) (APC) (COP) (XOM) (RDS-A) (HAL) (CVX) (MRO) Jumped Monday

BP (NYSE:BP), Anadarko (NYSE:APC), Conoco (NYSE:COP), Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Halliburton (NYSE:HAL), Chevron (NYSE:CVX) and Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) all closed up Monday on news consumer spending was slightly up.

Crude for October delivery climbed $1.90 to $87.27 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest settlement since Aug. 17. Prices have dropped 4.5 percent this year.

Brent oil for October settlement jumped 52 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $111.88 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The European benchmark traded at a premium of $24.61 to U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures, compared with a record $26.21 on Aug. 19.

Marathon closed at $26.41, gaining $0.52. or 2.01 percent. Chevron closed at $98.74, jumping $1.89, or 1.95 percent. Halliburton ended the session at $42.81, climbing $1.35, or 3.26 percent. Royal Dutch Shell closed at $65.33, rising $1.11, or 1.73 percent. Exxon closed at $74.12, increasing $1.48, or 2.04 percent. Conoco closed the day at $67.78, up $2.27, or 3.47 percent. Anadarko closed at $71.75, gaining $2.48, or 3.58 percent. BP closed at $39.25, rising $1.06, or 2.78 percent.

Conoco (COP) (XOM) (RDS-A) (HAL) (CVX) Trading Mixed

Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) and Chevron (NYSE:CVX) were trading mixed today as oil prices were trading down in the session.

Crude-oil futures were trading down $0.79 to $97.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

U. S. crude oil prices also gained some back from earlier losses spurred by comments from the German Bundesbank, which said growth in Europe's largest economy will probably slow down.

Chevron (CVX) was trading at $103.43, falling $0.44, or 0.42 percent, as of 1:51 PM EDT. Halliburton (HAL) was at $47.35, gaining $0.45, or 0.96 percent. Shell (RDS-A) was trading at $70.00, down $0.63, or 0.89 percent. Exxon Mobil (XOM) was at $82.04, losing $0.29, or 0.35 percent. Conoco (COP) was trading at $72.88, up $0.18, or 0.25 percent.

Coverage on (RDS-A) (RIMM) (NUVA) (PCBK) Initiated

Coverage on shares of Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A), Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM), NuVasive (NASDAQ:NUVA) and Pacific Continental (NASDAQ:PCBK) was initiated by analysts.

Madison Williams initiated coverage on NuVasive (NUVA), starting them off with a "Sell" rating.

Keefe Bruyette initiated coverage on Pacific Continental (PCBK), starting them off with an "Outperform" rating.

ThinkEquity initiated coverage on Research In Motion (RIMM), starting them off with a "Hold" rating.

RBC Capital Markets initiated coverage on Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A), starting them off with a "Top Pick" rating.

Hess (HES) (RDS-A) (OIS) (PQ) (SLB) Trade Mixed as Energy Falls

Shares of Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES), Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Oil States Intl., Inc. (NYSE:OIS), PetroQuest Energy (NYSE:PQ) and Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) on Thursday as oil and gas were down on the day.

After the International Energy Agency expressed concerns about the effects of higher oil and gasoline prices on the global economy, oil fell in Thursday trading.

Benchmark crude for June delivery fell $1.63 to settle at $98.93 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

June, heating oil fell 1.12 cents to settle at $2.8947 a gallon, gasoline dropped 2.95 cents to $2.926 a gallon and natural gas fell 10.5 cents to $4.161 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Hess Corporation (HES) closed Thursday at $78.08, gaining $0.89, or 1.15 percent.

Shares of BP (BP) (COP) (XOM) (RDS-A) (DVN) Close Up

Dropping fuel prices prices didn't stop shares of BP (NYSE:BP), ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A) and Devon Energy from all closing up on Tuesday.

Benchmark crude for June delivery dropped 47 cents to settle at $96.91 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell as low as $95.02 during the trading session.

Natural gas was down 3 percent, falling 13.3 cents to $4.246 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In Nymex trading in June contracts, heating oil fell 2.93 cents to settle at $2.8451 per gallon, gasoline futures were down 1.18 cents to settle at $2.9193 a gallon and natural gas declined 13.3 cents to settle at $4.246 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, Brent crude for June delivery was lower by 85 cents to settle at $109.99 on the ICE Futures exchange.

Exxon closed Tuesday at $80.41, gaining $0.17, or 0.21 percent.

Shell (RDS-A) Trades Down as Oil Prices Drop

Shell (NYSE:RDS-A) was under pressure as oil as gas prices fell Wednesday, dragging the majority of energy companies down as well.

Brent crude settled down $5.06 at $112.57 a barrel, while U.S. crude futures dropped $5.67 to settle at $98.21.

Natural gas for June delivery settled 6.5 cents, or 1.5%, lower, at $4.181 per million British thermal units on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The U.S. Oil Fund (USO) dropped 4.2 percent to closed at $39.35, the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down 2.9 percent to close at $74.28, and the U.S. gasoline fund LP (UGA) plunged 6.4 percent to close at $51.44.

Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an oil and gas company around the world.

Shell (RDS-A) closed Wednesday at $66.24, down $2.12, or 2.10 percent.

Shares of (APC) (APA) (CAM) (MRO) (RDS-A) Trade Down as Oil Continues to Fall

The share prices of Anadarko (NYSE:APC), Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Apache Corp (NYSE:APA), Cameron International (NYSE:CAM) and Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) traded down Monday as the falling price of oil and gas weigh on the companies.

U.S. crude futures fell 2.3 percent and gasoline futures dropped 5 percent to hit a nine-week low as worries mounted about high prices squelching energy demand and the fragile economy weigh on the industry.

Crude futures have fallen close to 15 percent so far on the month.

Oil futures were down 2.3 percent to $97.37 a barrel in New York. June Brent fell to $112.87, down 1 percent for Monday.

Gasoline futures for June delivery declined 14 cents, or 5.01 percent, to end the session at $2.93 a gallon, the lowest close since March 16.

U.S. gasoline at the retail level fell to $3.955 Monday from $3.961 Sunday. Diesel prices dropped $4.123 from $4.127.

June natural gas closed up 7 cents, or 1.7 percent, at $4.32 per million British thermal units. Natural gas prices were up on concerns flooding in Louisiana may cut back on supply.

Heating oil futures were down Monday, with the June heating oil contract closing at $2.87 a gallon, down 7 cents, or 2.3 percent.

Shell (RDS-A) (NOG) (HNR) (ROSE) (STR) Trade Down as Oil Prices Rebound

Shares of Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Northern Oil and Gas (Amex:NOG), Harvest Natural Resources (NYSE:HNR), Rosetta Resources (NASDAQ:ROSE) and Questar Corporation (NYSE:STR) traded down 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.

Shell (RDS-A) closed Friday at $69.63, falling $1.46, or 2.05 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.

Baker Hughes (BHI) (CXPO) (ECA) (STR) (RDS-A) Trade Mixed as Oil Prices Rebound

Most oil and related companies performed strong Monday, as Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE:BHI), Crimson Exploration (NASDAQ:CXPO), Encana Corp. (NYSE:ECA), Questar Corporation (NYSE:STR) and Shell (NYSE:RDS-A) 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.

Encana Corp. (ECA) closed Monday at $32.65, climbing $0.24, or 0.74 percent.

Shares of (CHK) (GEOI) (RRC) (NOV) (RDS-A) 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 Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE:CHK), GeoResources (NASDAQ:GEOI), Range Resources (NYSE:RRC), National-Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE:NOV) and Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), 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.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) closed Friday at $30.95, gaining $0.09, or 0.29 percent.

Biggest Losers (CNR) (GPI) (RIG) (NEM) (RDS-B) on May 6

Among the big, negative movers on Friday, May 6, were China Metro-Rural (CNR), Group 1 Automotive (GPI), Transocean Inc. (NYSE:RIG), Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-B).

China Metro-Rural (CNR) was down $1.00, to close at $2.32, a loss of 30.12 percent.

Group 1 Automotive (GPI) fell $0.98 on the day to close at $40.68, a loss of 2.35 percent.

Transocean Inc. (NYSE:RIG) dropped $0.98 to close at $67.79, a loss of 1.43 percent.

Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) declined $0.97 to close the session at $53.72, a loss of 1.77 percent.

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A) plunged $0.94 to end the day at $72.68, a loss of 1.28 percent.

Biggest Losers (FSYS) (GES) (SHS) (GPN) (RDS-A) on May 6

Among the big, negative movers on Friday, May 6, were Fuel Systems Solutions (FSYS), Guess (GES), Sauer-Danfoss Inc. (SHS), Global Payments Inc. (GPN) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A).

Fuel Systems Solutions (FSYS) was down $1.16, to close at $25.44, a loss of 4.36 percent.

Guess (GES) fell $1.12 on the day to close at $41.62, a loss of 2.62 percent.

Sauer-Danfoss Inc. (SHS) dropped $1.05 to close at $59.20, a loss of 1.74 percent.

Global Payments Inc. (GPN) declined $1.02 to close the session at $51.65, a loss of 1.94 percent.

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A) plunged $1.01 to end the day at $71.83, a loss of 1.39 percent.

Shell (RDS-A) (CRK) (PQ) (CXPO) (EPM) Trade Down on Slowing Oil Demand

Oil companies and other industry-related companies Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Comstock Resources (NYSE:CRK), PetroQuest Energy (NYSE:PQ), Crimson Exploration (NASDAQ:CXPO) and Evolution Petroleum (Amex:EPM) 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.

Crimson Exploration (CXPO) closed Wednesday at $3.57, falling $0.19, or 5.05 percent.

Shell (RDS-A) (EPD) (HNR) (NOG) (STR) Trade Down as Oil Demand Falls

Falling demand for fuel has pushed down oil inventories and the price of oil, putting pressure on Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD), Harvest Natural Resources (NYSE:HNR), Northern Oil and Gas (Amex:NOG) and Questar Corporation (NYSE:STR).

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.

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A) closed Tuesday at $76.14, falling $1.26, or 1.63 percent.

Shell (RDS-A) (NOV) (UPL) (CRZO) (VLO) Trade Down on Volatile Energy Day

Shares of National-Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE:NOV), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), Carrizo Oil & Gas (NASDAQ:CRZO), Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A) 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.

Royal Dutch Shell closed Monday at $77.40, dropping $0.08, or 0.10 percent.

PetroQuest (PQ) (BPL) (NOV) (PBR) (RDS-A) Trade Mixed on Gas, Oil Price Jumps

Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), PetroQuest Energy (NYSE:PQ), Buckeye Partners L.P. (NYSE:BPL), National-Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE:NOV) and Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) close mix 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.

Shell closed Friday at $77.48, falling $0.13, or 0.17 percent.

Exxon (XOM) (RDS-A) (TSO) (HES) (APA) Closed Mixed as Oil, Gas Rise

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO), Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES) and Apache Corp (NYSE:APA) 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.

Vaalco (EGY) (DVN) (RDS-a) (APC) Close Up as Oil Settles at $112.21

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. Even so, energy companies like Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY), Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), Shell (NYSE:RDS-a) and Anadarko (NYSE:APC) all closed up on the day.

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 rose more than 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 remain low compared with three years ago. It's currently trading at $4.38 per 1,000 cubic feet. In April 2008, natural gas contracts garnered over twice that.