MERRILL

Merrill Lynch Slashes Rates On Trio of Oil Giants

Merrill Lynch on Thursday said it cut its rating on oil drilling companies Rowan Cos Inc., ENSCO International Inc. and Global Marine Inc., citing slack demand in the Gulf of Mexico drilling market. In a research note, Merrill cut its near-term rating on all three to "neutral" from "buy." Merrill pointed out that the offshore drilling stocks have fallen "significantly" from their highs, but added "these stocks will most likely not rise until rig demand increases and pricing stabilizes." Merrill said that it previously believed drilling demand would improve by the late part of 2001, but it now looks as though that will not occur until early 2002. Shares of Global Marine were down $0.33 cents at $15.30. ENSCO was down $0.27 cents at $18.63, while Rowan was down $0.06 at $16.95 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Cruise Powerhouse Carnival Corp. Commences Intermediate Ratings

Merrill Lynch said on Monday it had started coverage of Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise line operator, with "intermediate" and "long term accumulate" ratings. Merrill said in a research note Carnival had a leading and growing market share in the expanding cruise industry, and both the company's and industry's prospects are reinforced by high consumer satisfaction levels and strong value ratings. It added that it had a 12-18 month price objective of $32 for Carnival - whose

Mersey Docks & Harbor Downgraded

Merrill Lynch downgraded its intermediate-term rating on Mersey Docks & Harbour Plc to "accumulate" from "buy," while keeping a long-term "acumulate" rating on the stock. "We believe MDK's attractive valuation by itself is not compelling enough to support a dramatic re-rating," Merrill analysts said in a research note. They cut their 12-month price objective on the stock to 620 pence from 665p. – (Reuters)

Double Hull Tankers Files for IPO

Double Hull Tankers, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. (NYSE:OSG), filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposedinitial public offering of its common stock. Double Hull Tankers, Inc. is a newly formed Marshall Islands corporation which intends to acquire a fleet of seven oil tankers, consisting of three VLCCs and four Aframaxes, from subsidiaries of OSG

Container Shippers Seek Rate Hikes

A group of container-shipping companies will reportedly seek rate increases of between 10 and 15 percent next year on cargo traveling to the United States from Asia. The group, the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, represents 14 container-shipping companies that handle goods ranging from clothes to electronics, toys and home furnishings. Cargo in the trade, of which the group handles more than 70 percent, has been valued at more than $200 billion a year.

Royal Caribbean Prices Public Offering

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has priced the public offering of 10,800,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $46 11/16 per share. Of the 10,800,000 shares offered, 10,000,000 shares are being sold by the company, and 800,000 shares are being sold by a selling shareholder. The company has granted to the underwriters of the offering an option to purchase up to an additional 1,620,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments

Yangzijiang to Benefit From Ship Orders: Merrill Lynch

Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said that it sees Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Ltd. benefiting from potential orders after a revival of interest from container shipping firms in larger vessels. The broker’s outlook came after reports that Taiwan's Evergreen, the world's sixth-largest container shipping firm, ordered 10 vessels with a capacity of 13,800 twenty-foot containers (TEU) each. "Evergreen Marine decided to lease ten 13

Merrill Lynch "Reduces" P&O's Rating

Merrill Lynch said on Monday it had cut its rating on British shipping and logistics group The Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) to "reduce" from "neutral" in the intermediate term. Analysts at the investment bank also cut their long-term rating on the stock to "accumulate" from "buy", citing a worsening outlook for the company's container business. They expected second-quarter results for P&O Nedlloyd (P&O's joint venture with Dutch Koninklijke Nedlloyd Groep)

LNG Demand Rises, Nuclear Power Shunned

According to a report from The Telegrapch, nuclear power has become a hard sell in many parts of the world since the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan and natural gas continues to benefit. Bank of America Merrill Lynch said it saw demand rising so fast for natural gas that it expects the market to start tightening in the second half of next year.  Source: The Telegraph  

GlobalSantaFe to Present at Global Energy Conference

GlobalSantaFe Corporation Chief Executive Officer Jon Marshall will present at 8:25 a.m. EST in New York on Wednesday, November 5, 2003, at the Merrill Lynch 2003 Global Energy Conference.