This stock compares to Trinidad Drilling (TDG-T) and both are on his coverage list. He likes what he sees out of Ensign. It has $740 million debt versus $1.7 billion of equity. Their book value is $10.77 and the stock trades at $6. They have a very big presence in the United States. Of $1 billion in 2017 revenue, $459 billion came from the US, $262 from Canada and the rest international. They’re in the Middle East and in Mexico and Venezuela. Venezuela adds some risk to the stock. He is hoping to add coverage on weakness.

(A Top Pick Jan 6 /17, Down 29.59%)  When you buy cyclical, you need to be prepared when it goes the wrong way. This is still a world class company. They have done a lot of innovation through the years, return on capital has been very consistent for many years, and of course the last few years haven’t been great. The services companies are really tough, they are the first ones to get cut, and then when things starts to get better they are the last ones to go up. Energy didn’t quite have as good a year as they thought and services got left behind.

(A Top Pick Jan 6/17. Down 15%.) Services are more cyclical, and in general will lag the producers. Also, they had a “not so great” quarter, which took the stock down. Overall, he still really likes this. It has been a really great company, and if you get the opportunity to buy it at a cheap price, he would stick with it.

He considers this a medium risk company. He finds any of the service companies riskier, and have lagged, versus the producers. When you are in the services game, you are the last in line when things are good, and 1^st in line when things get bad. They are just starting to get an upswing after the energy prices improved. This is at its all-time low in terms of return on invested capital, but they have a tremendous track record. It is also undervalued. Dividend yield of 5.03%. (Analysts’ price target is $9.81.)

He prefers something like Vermilion which doesn’t have to cut its dividend. These fracing companies should be able to come out of this situation really beaten up and still really do well, as long as they get through it. The timing is starting to feel right.

Driller.  A little more conservative than PD-T.  If we get a significant bump in commodity prices it would come back.  The sector is too volatile.

Still a little early for the drillers, particularly the fracers where this one is placed. Feels they have a couple of very, very ugly quarters in front of them, and earnings revisions are still coming. He would be more inclined to buy the unlevered producers.