Based on the aggregated intelligence of 170,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, oilfield service provider Hercules Offshore
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Hercules' business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Hercules facts
| Headquarters (Founded) | Houston (2004) |
| Market Cap | $289.23 million |
| Industry | Oil and gas drilling |
| Trailing-12-Month Revenue | $661.64 million |
| Management | CEO John Rynd (since June 2008) CFO Stephen Butz (since May 2010) |
| Return on Capital (Average, Past 3 Years) | 1% |
| Cash/Debt | $134.64 million / $879.32 million |
| Competitors |
Pride International Noble Diamond Offshore |
Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 98% of the 6,599 members who have rated Hercules believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include All-Star joblock and dnoble08.
Just last month, joblock highlighted Hercules as a rather slick selection: "As regulations continue to pour in, the fleet of working ships will be busy 24X7 for the next few years. Majors are way behind on their drilling schedules, and investors are getting impatient. Expect [the Gulf of Mexico] to boom by year end."
Shares of Hercules have been absolutely crushed for its big Gulf of Mexico exposure, but many Fools think it's just too cheap to ignore. For example, Hercules' price-to-book (0.4) is much lower than that of larger drillers Diamond Offshore (2.6), Noble (1.2), and Pride (1.3), as well as the more obvious offshore plays such as BP
While uncertainty surrounding the Gulf certainly remains, CAPS member dnoble08 thinks those risks are baked well into Hercules' price:
I don't envision natural gas prices appreciating significantly anytime soon but at current levels I am willing to withstand the inevitable short term risk. With the massive debt level this isn't a play for the faint of heart, but it should see an appreciation of at least 50% (likely more) within two years when things clear up. Clearly a company doesn't have to be flawless to make a handsome return it just has to be priced right. The way I see it buy stocks like you would make any other purchase and [Hercules] is sitting on the clearance shelf.
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