Forest Oil (FST) (HLX) (UPL) (REXX) (PDCO) (PETD) Ratings, Price Targets

Forest Oil (NYSE: FST), Helix Energy Solutions Group (NYSE: HLX), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE: UPL), Rex Energy (NASDAQ: REXX), Patterson Companies (NASDAQ: PDCO) and Petroleum Development (NASDAQ: PETD) ratings and price targets.

Forest Oil (FST) was downgraded by Capital One to a “Neutral” rating.

Helix Energy Solutions Group (HLX) was downgraded by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) from an “Equal Weight” rating to an “Underweight” rating.

Ultra Petroleum (UPL) was downgraded by Capital One to a “Neutral” rating.

Rex Energy (REXX) was downgraded by Capital One to a “Neutral” rating.

Patterson Companies (PDCO) was downgraded by Barclays Capital (NYSE:BCS) from an “Equal Weight” rating to an “Underweight” rating.

Petroleum Development (PETD) was downgraded by Brean Murray Carret & Co. from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating. They have a price target of $46.00 on the company.

Banner (BANR) (PACD) (PBY) (RBC) (CCL) (UPL) Ratings, Price Targets

Banner Co. (NASDAQ: BANR), Pacific Drilling (NASDAQ: PACD), Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY), Regal Beloit (NYSE: RBC), Carnival Co. (NYSE: CCL) and Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: UPL) ratings and price targets.

Pacific Drilling (PACD) is now covered by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB). They have a “Buy” rating on the firm.

Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY) is now covered by Benchmark Co.. They have a “Buy” rating and a price target of $14.00 on the firm.

Regal Beloit (RBC) is now covered by RBC Capital. They have an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $64.00 on the firm.

Carnival Co. (CCL) had its “Buy” rating reiterated by Nomura (NYSE:NMR).

Banner Co. (BANR) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL) was upgraded by Canaccord Genuity from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $53.00 on the firm, up from $50.00.

U.S. Energy (USEG) (PRCP) (LOPE) (UPL) (CKEC) (APEI) Ratings Reiterated

U.S. Energy Corp. (NASDAQ:USEG), Perceptron (NASDAQ:PRCP), Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), Carmike Cinemas (NASDAQ:CKEC) and American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) had ratings on them reiterated by analysts.

Rodman & Renshaw reiterated its "Outperform" rating on U.S. Energy Corp. (USEG).

Barrington Research reiterated its "Outperform" rating on Perceptron (PRCP).

Barrington Research reiterated its "Outperform" rating on Grand Canyon Education (LOPE).

Ladenburg Thalmann reiterated its "Buy" rating on Ultra Petroleum (UPL).

Barrington Research reiterated its "Outperform" rating on Carmike Cinemas (CKEC).

Barrington Research Maintains "Perform" Rating on American Public Education (APEI).

Ultra (UPL) (MOH) (RBC) (WCG) EPS Estimates Changed

Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: UPL), Molina Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: MOH), Regal Beloit (NYSE: RBC) and WellCare Group (NYSE: WCG) had EPS estimates on them adjusted by analysts.

Wedbush cut its EPS estimates on Molina Healthcare Inc. (MOH). They have an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $30.00 on the company.

Oppenheimer cut its EPS estimates on Regal Beloit (RBC). They have an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $68.00 on the company, down from $73.00.

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) cut its EPS estimates on Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL). They have a “Buy” rating and a price target of $59.00 on the company.

Wedbush raised its EPS estimates on WellCare Group (WCG). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $52.00 on the company.

Kinross (KGC) (RJF) (UPL) (MXIM) (COG) (DEP) Downgraded

Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC), Raymond James (NYSE: RJF), Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: UPL), Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (NASDAQ: MXIM), Cabot Oil & Gas (NYSE: COG) and Duncan Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE: DEP) downgraded by analysts.

Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC) was downgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Raymond James (RJF) was downgraded by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL) was downgraded by Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC) from an “Outperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating.

Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (MXIM) was downgraded by Longbow Research from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) was downgraded by Goldman Sachs from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Duncan Energy Partners L.P. (DEP) was downgraded by Ladenburg Thalmann from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target $44.00 on the company.

Disney (DIS) (UPL) (CAAS) (JRCC) (PAET) (GMR) Downgraded

Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS), Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: UPL), China Automotive Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CAAS), James River Coal Company (NASDAQ: JRCC), PAETEC Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: PAET) and General Maritime Co. (NYSE: GMR) downgraded by analysts.

Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL) was downgraded by Howard Weil from an “Outperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating. They have a price target of $55.00 on the company.

China Automotive Systems Inc. (CAAS) was downgraded by Maxim Group from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

Walt Disney (DIS) was downgraded by Wunderlich from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating. They have a price target of $39.00 on the company, down from $42.00.

James River Coal Company (JRCC) was downgraded by Brean Murray from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

PAETEC Holding Corp. (PAET) was downgraded by RBC Capital from an “Outperform” rating to a “Sector Perform” rating. They have a price target of $5.00 on the company, down from $6.00.

General Maritime Co. (GMR) was downgraded by FBR Capital from an “Outperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating.

Chevron (CVX) (RIG) (DRQ) (UPL) (CRZO) Trade Up as Energy Falls

Shares of Chevron (NYSE:CVX), Transocean (NYSE:RIG), Dril-Quip, Inc. (NYSE:DRQ), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL) and Carrizo Oil & Gas (NASDAQ:CRZO) traded up on Thursday, although oil and gas fell 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.

Transocean (NYSE:RIG) closed Thursday at $69.06, jumping $1.14, or 1.68 percent.

Anadarko (APC) (CRZO) (UPL) (EPD) (GST) Trade Mixed as Oil Prices Rebound

Shares of Anadarko (NYSE:APC), Carrizo Oil & Gas (NASDAQ:CRZO), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD) and Gastar Exploration Ltd (AMEX:GST) traded mixed 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.

Anadarko (APC) closed Friday at $74.06, falling $0.27, or 0.36 percent.

Ultra Petroleum (UPL) Trades Up as Oil, Gas Rise

Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL) traded up Tuesday as crude oil, natural gas and gasoline prices jumped, pushing up the share price of the company.

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.

Ultra Petroleum Corp. participates in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, and operation of oil and natural gas properties.

Ultra Petroleum (UPL) closed at $46.65, rising $0.61, or 1.32 percent.

Carrizo (CRZO) (UPL) (WTI) (LUFK) (XOM) Trade Up as Oil Prices Rebound

Most oil and related companies performed strong Monday, as Carrizo Oil & Gas (NASDAQ:CRZO), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), W&T Offshore (NYSE:WTI), Lufkin Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUFK) and Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) traded up 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.

Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO) closed Monday at $36.51, climbing $2.24, or 6.54 percent.

Ratings on (SWY) (TWTC) (UPL) (USM) Reiterated by Analysts Today

Analysts reiterated their ratings on Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY), TW Telecom (NASDAQ: TWTC), Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: UPL) and United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) today.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) reiterated a “neutral” rating on Safeway Inc. (SWY). They have a price target of $25.00 on the company.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) reiterated an “equal weight” rating on TW Telecom (TWTC).

Global Hunter Securities reiterated an “accumulate” rating on Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL).

Goldman Sachs reiterated a “neutral” rating on Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL).

Gabelli reiterated a “buy” rating on United States Cellular Corporation (USM).

Ratings on (SPRD) (UPL) (TEVA) (VRTX) Upgraded

Analysts upgraded their ratings on Spreadtrum Communicationss (NASDAQ: SPRD), Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: UPL), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (NASDAQ: TEVA) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) today.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) upgraded Spreadtrum Commications (SPRD) from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating.

Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating.

Canaccord Genuity upgraded Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL) from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating.

ThinkEquity upgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating.

Biggest Losers (TZOO) (KRA) (PFCB) (NTSP) (UPL) on May 6

Among the big, negative movers on Friday, May 6, were Travelzoo Inc (TZOO), Kraton Performance (KRA), P.F.Chang's China (PFCB), Netspend Holdings (NTSP) and Ultra Petroleum (UPL).

Travelzoo Inc (TZOO) was down $1.57, to close at $72.98, a loss of 2.11 percent.

Kraton Performance (KRA) fell $1.51 on the day to close at $38.29, a loss of 3.79 percent.

P.F.Chang's China (PFCB) dropped $1.49 to close at $38.85, a loss of 3.69 percent.

Netspend Holdings (NTSP) declined $1.49 to close the session at $9.22, a loss of 13.91 percent.

Ultra Petroleum (UPL) plunged $1.47 to end the day at $46.00, a loss of 3.10 percent.

Shares of (HES) (CRK) (UPL) (WTI) (OIS) 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 Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES), Comstock Resources (NYSE:CRK), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), W&T Offshore (NYSE:WTI), Oil States Intl., Inc. (NYSE:OIS), 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.

Hess Corporation (HES) closed Friday at $77.47, gaining $0.95, or 1.24 percent.

Exxon Mobil (XOM) (UPL) (SWN) (KMP) (WLL) Trade Down on Slowing Oil Demand

Oil companies and other industry-related companies Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN), Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE:KMP) and Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL) 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.

Whiting Petroleum (WLL) closed Wednesday at $64.05, falling $2.00, or 3.03 percent.

Petrohawk (HK) (UPL) (WTI) (PETD) (CAM) Drop as Oil Prices Fall

Decreasing demand for fuel has pushed down oil inventories and the price of oil, putting pressure on Petrohawk Energy Corp. (NYSE:HK), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), W&T Offshore (NYSE:WTI), PDC Energy (NASDAQ:PETD) and Cameron International (NYSE:CAM).

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.

Cameron International (CAM) closed Tuesday at $50.79, falling $1.69, or 3.22 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.

Chesapeake (CHK) (XCO) (CRZO) (UPL) Trade Up on Gas, Oil Price Jumps

Exco Resources Inc. (NYSE:XCO), Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE:CHK), Carrizo Oil & Gas (NASDAQ:CRZO) and Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL) close up 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.

Chesapeake closed Friday at $33.67, gaining $0.45, or 1.35 percent.

Devon (DVN) (UPL) (TAT) (BHI) (COP) Close Mixed as Oil, Gas Rise

Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), TransAtlantic Petroleum (NYSE:TAT), Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE:BHI), Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) and Conoco (NYSE:COP) 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.

GeoResources (GEOI) (UPL) (TAT) (APA) Close Mixed as Oil Settles at $112.21

GeoResources (NASDAQ::GEOI), Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), TransAtlantic Petroleum (NYSE:TAT) and Apache Corp (NYSE:APA) closed mixed 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 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.