2 Sizzling Hot Basic Materials Stocks: ConocoPhillips (COP), Halliburton Company (HAL)

ConocoPhillips (COP) ended last trading session with a change of 0.37 percent. It trades at an average volume of 6.65M shares versus 6.33M shares recorded at the end of last trading session. The share price of $45.84 is at a distance of 22.8 percent from its 52-week low and down -13.32 percent versus its peak. The company has a market cap of $57.66B and currently has 1.26B shares outstanding. The share price is currently -4.39 percent versus its SMA20, -6.51 percent versus its SMA50, and 2.44 percent versus its SMA200. The stock has a weekly performance of -5.13 percent and is -8.09 percent year-to-date as of the recent close.

On February 2, 2017 ConocoPhillips (COP) reported a fourth-quarter 2016 net loss of $35 million, or ($0.03) per share, compared with a fourth-quarter 2015 net loss of $3.5 billion, or ($2.78) per share. Excluding special items, fourth-quarter 2016 adjusted earnings were a net loss of $318 million, or ($0.26) per share, compared with a fourth-quarter 2015 adjusted net loss of $1.1 billion, or ($0.90) per share. Special items for the current quarter were primarily driven by gains on a sale in Senegal and a Minnesota iron ore reversionary interest, as well as net benefits from non-cash impairments.

Halliburton Company (HAL) recently recorded -0.06 percent change and currently at $50.88 is 55.31 percent away from its 52-week low and down -13.14 percent versus its peak. It has a past 5-day performance of -5.43 percent and trades at an average volume of 8.04M shares. The stock has a 1-month performance of -9.93 percent and is -5.61 percent year-to-date as of the recent close. There were about 866.59M shares outstanding which made its market cap $44.09B. The share price is currently -5.15 percent versus its SMA20, -7.22 percent versus its SMA50, and 6.01 percent versus its SMA200.

On March 7, 2017 Halliburton Company (HAL) announced that Chief Financial Officer Mark McCollum is leaving the Company effective immediately to become Chief Executive Officer at Weatherford International plc (WFT). Halliburton Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Robb L. Voyles, has been named interim CFO and will manage the CFO responsibilities in addition to his current responsibilities until a replacement is found. Halliburton has engaged an executive search firm to conduct a comprehensive search for its next CFO. The Company also announced the promotion of Lyn Beaty to senior vice president of Finance effective immediately.