The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.63%) has risen 0.16% late in today's trading after the Department of Commerce reported a 3.7% increase in durable-goods orders last month. Aircraft bookings rose 57.5% to drive the growth as Boeing signed deals for 127 aircraft, up from 16 a month earlier.
The bullish news has helped push oil up 0.7% today, near $98 per barrel. Oil has fallen most of the week on rising inventories in the U.S., but there's mildly positive economic data coming out of the U.S. and China, which should keep demand growing worldwide. But what has really driven energy stocks today is earnings.
Explorer Cabot Oil & Gas (COG 8.62%) has seen its stock pop 6% today after reporting a 47% rise in revenue to $435.9 million and a 73% spike in adjusted net income to $74.6 million, or $0.18 per share. A 61% spike in production drove results, overcoming a 9% decline in price realized for natural gas.
Noble Energy (NBL +0.00%) said adjusted net income from continuing operations -- which pulls out one-time items and derivative gains or losses -- more than doubled to $351 million, or $0.97 per share. Again, it was production that drove growth because sales volumes were up 26% from a year ago and international sales were up 33%.
National Oilwell Varco (NOV 4.36%) benefited from increased drilling overall in the quarter. The company's revenue was up 7% to $5.69 billion, driven by a 12% increase in rig technology revenue. Net income rose 20% to $636 million, or $1.49 per share. Cash flow was also a record at $1 billion.
Energy prices haven't improved in the natural-gas space like they did for oil companies, but increased production has picked up the slack. That's what has kept Cabot Oil & Gas and Noble Energy growing over the past year. For National Oilwell Varco, the additional drilling activity both onshore and offshore has helped drive results and the company gives investors the ability to profit from increased energy activity without betting on specific projects.
The energy industry is hot, and these three companies are profiting from the boom.
