Whiting Petroleum Corporation (WLL): Today's Featured Basic Materials Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Whiting Petroleum Corporation (WLL) pushed the Basic Materials sector higher today making it today's featured basic materials winner. The sector as a whole closed the day down 0.8%. By the end of trading, Whiting Petroleum Corporation rose 60 cents (1.4%) to $42.54 on average volume. Throughout the day, 1.7 million shares of Whiting Petroleum Corporation exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 2.1 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $42.07-$43.17 after having opened the day at $42.32 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $41.94. Other companies within the Basic Materials sector that increased today were: Gulf Resources (GURE), up 20.2%, Lightbridge (LTBR), up 16.4%, Longwei Petroleum Investment Holding Limite (LPH), up 13%, and USEC (USU), up 10.8%.

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Whiting Petroleum Corporation, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, development, exploitation, exploration, and production of oil and gas primarily in the Permian Basin, Rocky Mountains, Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast, and Michigan regions of the United States. Whiting Petroleum Corporation has a market cap of $4.82 billion and is part of the energy industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 12.4, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 12.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday. Currently there are 20 analysts that rate Whiting Petroleum Corporation a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and six rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Whiting Petroleum Corporation as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, good cash flow from operations and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

• You can view the full Whiting Ratings Report.

On the negative front, Cardero Resources Corporation (CDY), down 12.1%, BMB Munai (BMBM), down 11.8%, TransAtlantic Petroleum (TAT), down 10.5%, and Ivanhoe Energy (IVAN), down 9.6%, were all laggards within the basic materials sector with E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (DD) being today's basic materials sector laggard.

• Use our basic materials section to find sector-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the basic materials sector could consider Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) while those bearish on the basic materials sector could consider ProShares Short Basic Materials Fd (SBM).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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• Whiting Petroleum Corporation Income Statement