Supply Oustrips Demand For Oil Services; Q2 Reports May Be Catalyst

WIth demand outstripping the supply of oil field services it's likely that many companies in the sector will offer bullish commentary on pricing power as they report earnings for the second quarter, a Bank of America analyst said Wednesday. The market for land rigs is "effectively sold out" while spare capacity for hydraulic fracturing equipment is below 10 percent, according to Bank of America's Douglas L. Becker. The exception: mobile offshore drilling rig demand has deteriorated and the sector faces increasing down time and declining day rates for their equipment. Companies in the group "remain consensus shorts," Becker said. Becker rolled out a second-quarter preview for the sector in which many of his nearly two-dozen earnings estimates were ahead of consensus views. Top billings in Becker's report go to U.S. Silica Holdings Inc.

and Patterson-UTI Energy Inc.

where his estimates diverge widely from Street view. Becker's Patterson target is $40, with $64 for U.S. Silica. Becker sees U.S. Silica 2015 earning $3.30 cents a share compared with a consensus forecast of $2.91 cents. For Patterson, Becker forecast 2015 earnings of $2.50 a share, versus a consensus of $2.02. Halliburton Co.

"should be a beneficiary as well" Becker said, adding that Schlumberger Ltd.

"also remains broadly well-positioned. Becker has an $80 target on Haliburton and $133 ib Schlumberger. Recent spin-off NOW Inc.

"looks vulnerable" according to Becker, who expects the company to post second-quarter earnings of $0.30 cents a share compared with a consensus of $0.33 cents. Schumberger reports July 18, Haliburton on July 21, Patterson-UTI on July 24 and U.S. Silica and Now Inc. on July 29.