What happened
Shares of Eclipse Resources (NYSE: ECR) are soaring today, up nearly 12% as of 11:17 a.m. EDT, after the company announced solid Q2 earnings.
So what
Eclipse Resources reported strong second-quarter results after the market closed yesterday. While the natural gas driller turned in an adjusted loss of $2.8 million, or $0.01 per share, that was a huge improvement from last year, when it lost $24.1 million, or $0.11 per share. Furthermore, that was $0.01 per share ahead of the consensus estimate. Fueling the expectation-beating result was the fact that production came in well above the high end of its guidance range thanks to the stronger-than-expected performance from wells completed with its innovative "Gen4" design.
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In addition to the impressive second-quarter showing, Eclipse Resources announced that it entered into a commitment agreement with Sequel Energy Group to establish a drilling joint venture in the Utica Shale. Under the terms of the agreement, Sequel has committed to fund up to $325 million to drill 34 wells through the end of next year. The commitment agreement would enable Eclipse to boost production without needing to invest as much capital.
Now what
Eclipse Resources' newest well design is the latest in a string of innovations from the company that has enabled it to meet or exceed its production guidance in all 11 quarters since it went public. Meanwhile, its proposed drilling agreement with Sequel gives it the flexibility to continue growing over the next year while maintaining its financial strength. These two factors could fuel even more gains for investors in the coming years if gas prices cooperate.
