4-Star Stocks Poised to Pop: Western Refining

• Email
• Share
• Print

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 135,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, independent refiner Western Refining (NYSE: WNR) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Western Refining's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Western Refining facts

Headquarters	El Paso, Texas
Market Cap	$558.9 million
Industry	Oil and Gas Refining and Marketing
Trailing-12-Month Revenue	$9.54 billion
Management	CEO Paul Foster (since 2000) COO Jeff Stevens (since 2008)
Return on Equity (average, last three years)	35.5%
Competitors	Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO) ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP)
CAPS Members Bullish on WNR Also bullish on	Vale (NYSE: VALE) Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL)
CAPS Members Bearish on WNR Also Bearish on	Tesoro (NYSE: TSO) MBIA (NYSE: MBI)

Sources: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's, and Motley Fool CAPS.

Over on CAPS, fully 725 of the 769 members who have rated Western Refining -- some 94% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include All-Stars mrindependent and TSIF, both of whom are ranked in the top 6% of our community.

Just last week, mrindependent brought the stock's recent drop to our community's attention:

This stock sold off recently. Despite its heavy debt load, the company seems to be a bargain at its current price of $8.53, which is less than its $12 per share book value. I believe the company will continue to be profitable for the foreseeable future.

In a pitch from two weeks earlier, TSIF weighs Western Refining's pros and cons:

Western Refining has some good refineries in some nice locations in the mid-west, some, but not all away from the hurricane belt. It also has a chain of gas stations that generally are more profitable than a refinery. As with most of the refiners it also makes asphalt, which is a play on the stimulus … Refiners tend to have low margins, but are good at holding profitability. With a forward P/E of 6.5 and book just below 1, Western Refining is an "average" pick. Cash flow is positive, but debt to cash flow is a little high. Still, with oil/gas prices stabilizing, and making a reasonable profit, Western Refining is in better shape than a lot of other companies in this recession.

What do you think about Western Refining, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 135,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started.