Tag Archives: Lufkin Industries

What Does GE's Recent Purchase Say About the Oil Industry?

By Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy, The Motley Fool

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On the surface, General Electric‘s  announcement that it will buy Lufkin Industries  just appears to be a manufacturing giant picking up an oilfield services manufacturing specialist. If you dig deeper, though, you find that this could be a big signal of what is to come in North American oil and gas production. Lufkin’s specialty is building artificial lift equipment for oil and gas wells, a service normally reserved for mature wells that need a little extra help bringing resources to the surface. 

With so much drilling happening in the U.S. over the past few years, there may be a big boom for this type of particular equipment in the next couple of years. With this purchase, not only is GE locking up a larger market share in this particular industry, but the high price it paid, it shows how valuable this market could be. in this video, Fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe discusses how the deal went down, and he also gives some possible investment ideas that follow this particular trend.

For GE, the recent financial crisis struck a blow, but management took advantage of the market‘s dip to make strategic bets in energy. If you’re a GE investor, you need to understand how these bets could drive this company to become the world’s infrastructure leader. At the same time, you need to be aware of the threats to GE‘s portfolio. To help, we’re offering comprehensive coverage for investors in a premium report on General Electric, in which our industrials analyst breaks down GE‘s multiple businesses. You’ll find reasons to buy or sell GE today. To get started, click here now.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/what-does-ges-energy-purchase-say-about-the-indust/

GE's Bet On Lufkin Bolsters Its Growing Energy Business

By Trefis Team, Contributor

General Electric announced on Monday that it is expanding its oil and gas business with the acquisition of Lufkin Industries for $3.3 billion. Lufkin is a leading provider of artificial lift technology, which helps improve production from oil wells whose natural pressure is insufficient to bring oil/gas to the surface. This technology is used in approximately 94% of the 1 million oil wells in production worldwide, and the market for it is expected to expand further due to an increasing number of maturing oil fields.

From: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/04/11/ges-bet-on-lufkin-bolsters-its-growing-energy-business/

Law Office of Brodsky & Smith, LLC Announces Investigation of Lufkin Industries, Inc.

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Law Office of Brodsky & Smith, LLC Announces Investigation of Lufkin Industries, Inc.

BALA CYNWYD, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Law office of Brodsky & Smith, LLC announces that it is investigating potential claims against the Board of Directors of Lufkin Industries, Inc. (“Lufkin” or the “Company”) (NAS: LUFK) relating to the proposed acquisition by General Electric Co. (“GE“).

Under the terms of the transaction, Lufkin shareholders will receive only $88.50 in cash for each share of Lufkin stock they own. The investigation concerns possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of state law by the Board of Directors of Lufkin for not acting in the Company’s shareholders’ best interests in connection with the sale process to GE. The transaction may undervalue the Company and will result in a loss for many long term shareholders. For example Lufkin stock traded at $89.17 as recently as July 7, 2011 and $94.42 on April 19, 2011. In addition, Lufkin’s lift technologies are currently utilized in 94% of the oil-producing wells worldwide. This has resulted in Lufkin generating a record $1.3 billion in revenues in 2012, a 37% increase from the prior year.

If you own shares of Lufkin stock and wish to discuss the legal ramifications of the proposed transaction, or have any questions, you may e-mail or call the law office of Brodsky & Smith, LLC who will, without obligation or cost to you, attempt to answer your questions. You may contact Jason L. Brodsky, Esquire or Evan J. Smith, Esquire at Brodsky & Smith, LLC, Two Bala Plaza, Suite 602, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, by e-mail at investorrelations@brodsky-smith.com visiting http://brodsky-smith.com/562-lufk-lufkin-industries-inc.html, by calling toll free 877-LEGAL-90.

Brodsky & Smith, LLC
Jason L. Brodsky, Esquire
Evan J. Smith, Esquire
877-LEGAL-90
investorrelations@brodsky-smith.com
http://brodsky-smith.com/562-lufk-lufkin-industries-inc.html

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  Pennsylvania

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The article Law Office of Brodsky & Smith, LLC Announces Investigation of Lufkin Industries, Inc. originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Law Firm Brower Piven Announces Investigation of Lufkin Industries, Inc. Proposed Buyout

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Law Firm Brower Piven Announces Investigation of Lufkin Industries, Inc. Proposed Buyout

STEVENSON, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The securities litigation firm of Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation, has commenced an investigation into possible breaches of fiduciary duty to current shareholders of Lufkin Industries, Inc. (“Lufkin” or the “Company”) (NAS: LUFK) and other violations of state law by the board of directors of Lufkin relating to the proposed buyout of the Company by General Electric Company. The firm’s investigation seeks to determine, among other things, whether Lufkin’s board of directors breached their fiduciary duties by failing to maximize shareholder value.

As stated in the press release announcing the proposed buyout, Lufkin shareholders will receive $88.50 in cash for each share of Lufkin common stock they own.

If you currently own common stock of Lufkin and would like to learn more about the investigation being conducted by Brower Piven, you may email or call Brower Piven, who will, without obligation or cost to you, attempt to answer your questions. You may contact Brower Piven by email at hoffman@browerpiven.com, by calling (410) 415-6616, or at Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation, 1925 Old Valley Road, Stevenson, Maryland 21153. Attorneys at Brower Piven have combined experience litigating securities and other class action cases of over 60 years.

Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation
Stevenson, Maryland
Charles J. Piven, (410) 415-6616
hoffman@browerpiven.com

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  District of Columbia  Maryland

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article Law Firm Brower Piven Announces Investigation of Lufkin Industries, Inc. Proposed Buyout originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Will GE Eventually Become an Energy Company?

By Taylor Muckerman and Joel South, The Motley Fool

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Early Monday morning, General Electric announced that it would be acquiring Lufkin Industries for around $3.3 billion. This acquisition continues the trend that we have seen start with GE in 2007; since that time, it has spent $11 billion to purchase companies in the energy space.

Nothing artificial about what Lufkin brings to GE
What GE is getting with Lufkin Industries is a company that is heavily involved in artificial lift. This service has proven vital to the oil and natural gas industry due to its ability to increase well efficiency once pressure inside the well has dropped. Estimates are that 95% of wells worldwide utilize some form of artificial lift, so this segment could provide a nice boost to GE‘s business as global drilling continues to pick up.

Artificial lift is a critical service and is just one part of Halliburton’s portfolio
Domestic oil and gas service companies have taken a hit in the recent past due to a slowdown in the natural gas drilling boom of the last couple of years. As this market looks to rebound, investors would be wise to consider Halliburton, one of the top companies in the business and one of those most in tune with the domestic market. To access The Motley Fool’s new premium research report on this industry stalwart, simply click here now and learn everything you need to know about how Halliburton is positioning itself both at home and abroad.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Earning Season Begins, and the Markets Move Higher

By Matt Thalman, The Motley Fool

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Now that earnings season is finally here, investors can focus on more of the important factors: earnings, revenue, margins — all the fun stuff. Alcoa kicked things off last night, and although the company beat earnings estimates, a revenue decline has some investors concerned.

But the company’s slight misfortune has not held back the markets today. As of 12:50 p.m. EDT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 51 points, or 0.35%. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ have both risen 0.28%. While the markets are climbing, a few of the Dow’s big components are being left behind.

McDonald’s has lost 0.5% today. Recently, several hundred fast-food workers in New York City gathered to protest their pay, which averages $8.25 per hour in the state of New York. The protest has some wondering whether a statewide, or even companywide, strike would make a difference. But many doubt that a walkout would change the status quo, pointing to Wal-Mart workers’ long and varied disputes with their employer. 

Shares of General Electric are down 0.5% today. One reason for the decline is the company’s announcement yesterday that it will purchase Lufkin Industries for $3.1 billion. The purchase price is a 38% premium over Lufkin’s closing price of last Friday. Some shareholders and analysts believe GE overpaid for the oilfield equipment manufacturer.  

Shares of IBM are flat, having recovered from earlier losses, as Hewlett-Packard releases its newest servers, the Moonshot line. The Moonshot is expected to outperform traditional server systems in nearly every way imaginable. As demand for cloud computing grows, customers will want servers designed to handle large workloads at high speeds — servers like the Moonshot. If HP’s server is as good as advertised, IBM may experience some short-term effects, but it will likely bounce back if it can produce a competitive device in the future. 

More on McDonald’s
McDonald’s turned in a dismal year in 2012, underperforming the broader market by 25%. Looking ahead, can the golden arches reclaim their throne atop the restaurant industry, or will this unsettling trend continue? Our top analyst weighs in on McDonald’s future in a recent premium report on the company. Click here now to find out whether a buying opportunity has emerged for this global juggernaut.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; FoolAnalyticsData.push({ eventType: “TickerReportPitch”, …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Dow Gains, but Alcoa Falls Short

By Jeremy Bowman, The Motley Fool

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After spending most of the day in negative territory, the Dow Jones Industrial Average made a late run to finish up 48 points or 0.3% as optimism about the beginning of earnings season seemed to take over late in the day. Following multiple reports last week about a slowing job market, Wall Street seemed happy to shift its focus elsewhere as earnings reports begin to roll in.

Alcoa kicked off the quarterly reports in style, gaining 1.8% during the trading session, and reporting overall profit growth of 59% to $149 million or $0.13 a share, even as revenue continued to slide, falling 3%, on weak aluminum demand. Still, the manufacturer managed to lift earnings per share with growth in its downstream segment, which sells products such as aluminum wheels and aircraft parts. EPS topped expectations of $0.13 a share, but sales came in a bit short. Shares were down 1.3% in after-hours trading.

Elsewhere on the Dow, Coca-Cola jumped 2% as separate reports reaffirmed the growth potential in the energy-drink industry. Wells Fargo said that energy drinks should push overall growth in the beverage industry while UBS put in its own vote of confidence in the industry, saying that Monster Beverage had strong upside potential in international sales. After hours, Monster, once thought of as a buyout target for Coca-Cola, also announced a $200 million share-buyback program. Shares of the energy-drink maker were up 4.7% today.

Johnson & Johnson led the Dow laggards today, finishing down 1.1% after getting downgraded by JPMorgan Chase. Michael Weinstein dropped his rating from “overweight” to “hold,” saying that the health-care giant’s stock trades at an 8% premium to its intrinsic value and that he expects the company lower its guidance soon.  

Shares of General Electric finished up 0.8%, but it sent Lufkin Industries, a maker of oil pumps and similar transmission products, up 37.6%, after agreeing to acquire it. GE will pay about $3 billion for Lufkin, a move that gives the conglomerate increased exposure to the fast-growing shale oil-and-gas industry, and will make GE Oil & Gas the company’s third largest unit. The deal is expected to close in June.

Finally, outside the Dow, CEO Ron Johnson was finally ousted from J.C. Penney following one of the more tumultuous years in retail history. Johnson’s brand revamp never took and cost more the company more than a quarter of its sales, and the retailer has already taken several steps to undo his decisions, such as bringing back markdowns. Former CEO Mike Ullman, who led the company for nearly seven years before being replaced by Johnson, will be back at the helm. Investors seemed uninspired by the decision, as shares were off 9.9% after hours.

Materials industries are traditionally known for their high barriers to entry, and the aluminum industry is no exception. Controlling about 15% of global production in this highly consolidated industry, Alcoa is in …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

How Bank of America Helped Send the Dow Higher

By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool

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First-quarter earnings reports are finally here, but before the first release of the official earnings season came this afternoon, the Dow Jones Industrials managed to start things off on an optimistic note, rising 48 points even as many analysts fear that any slowdown in earnings could trigger a reversal in the stock market‘s impressive gains over the past four years. Broader market measures rose more substantially, with gains of more than half a percent for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite.

The biggest percentage gainer in the Dow was Bank of America , which climbed 2%. Despite having acquired a terrible image from its needing bailout support and its attempts to raise income in the aftermath of the financial crisis, B of A has been reworking its image, and Fool contributor Amanda Alix points to “super-branches” with luxury accoutrements as well as more advanced ATM technology as evidence that the bank has learned from its past missteps.

Elsewhere in the financial sector, AIG climbed nearly 4% to a 52-week high as the company seeks to block a potential shareholder derivative lawsuit that former chairman and CEO Hank Greenberg wants to file against the U.S. government. Greenberg seeks to argue that the terms of the government‘s bailout of the insurance company were unfair to AIG, but AIG correctly anticipates a huge potential outcry from outraged taxpayers if such a suit were to go forward. Meanwhile, AIG also completed the sale of its American Fuji Fire and Marine subsidiary to White Mountains Insurance, with the deal that was announced last year having had to wait for regulatory approval before proceeding. AIG has done a good job of recovering from the financial crisis by concentrating on its core business, and investors who got in after the financial meltdown have reaped the benefits.

Finally, Weatherford International rose nearly 4% on the heels of General Electric‘s deal to buy Lufkin Industries announced this morning. As a fellow oil-services provider, Weatherford is rising on speculation that merger and acquisition activity in the space could rise as a result of the GE acquisition. Yet GE almost certainly wouldn’t be interested after having bought Lufkin, and with Weatherford’s market cap of nearly $10 billion, it would take a similarly big buyer to pull off a buyout of that size. It’s hard to see Weatherford as an acquisition candidate even after the Lufkin buyout.

Today’s gains add to the huge returns that investors have earned as Bank of America’s stock doubled in 2012. Are there more gains yet to come? With significant challenges still ahead, it’s critical to have a solid understanding of this megabank before adding it to your portfolio. In The Motley Fool’s premium research report on B of A, analysts Anand Chokkavelu, CFA, and Matt Koppenheffer, financials bureau chief, lift the veil on the bank’s operations, including detailing three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. Click …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Will GE's Big Oil Bet Pay Off?

By Chris Hill, The Motley Fool

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The following video is from Monday’s MarketFoolery podcast, in which host Chris Hill, along with analysts Jason Moser and Matt Argersinger, discuss the top business and investing stories of the day.

General Electric announced on Monday that it’s buying oilfield services firm Lufkin Industries  for $3.3 billion. Shares of Lufkin were up sharply on the news, but shares of GE were down. Did GE overpay? What does the deal mean for investors going forward? In this installment of MarketFoolery, our analysts talk about what the deal means for investors and discuss some other oil stocks on their radar.

For GE, the recent financial crisis struck a blow, but management took advantage of the market‘s dip to make strategic bets in energy. If you’re a GE investor, you need to understand how these bets could drive this company to become the world’s infrastructure leader. At the same time, you need to be aware of the threats to GE‘s portfolio. To help, we’re offering comprehensive coverage for investors in a premium report on General Electric, in which our industrials analyst breaks down GE‘s multiple businesses. You’ll find reasons to buy or sell GE today. To get started, click here now.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

GE to Acquire Lufkin Industries for $3.3 Billion

By Tim Brugger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

GE‘s oil and gas unit has agreed to acquire Lufkin Industries for a total of $3.3 billion, the companies announced today.

The $3.3 billion purchase price, equal to $88.50 for each outstanding share of Lufkin stock, will provide GE Oil and Gas with what unit CEO Daniel Heintzelman calls  “avanced technologies, combined with new drilling practices, [that] are revolutionizing the oil and gas industry.”

Lufkin’s artificial lift technologies are currently utilized in 94% of the approximately 1 million oil-producing wells worldwide. Artificial lift will complement GE Oil and Gas’ existing electric submersible pump (ESP) capabilities, a segment of the lift industry Lufkin is not currently active in.  Lufkin has 4,500 employees, located in more than 40 countries. It is headquartered in Texas.

The $88.50 offer is approximately 38% higher than Lufkin’s closing share price prior to the announcement, on Friday. Lufkin generated a record $1.3 billion in revenues in 2012, a 37% increase from the prior year. The agreement is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, as well as customary closing conditions being met. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2013.

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The article GE to Acquire Lufkin Industries for $3.3 Billion originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Tim Brugger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of General Electric Company. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Why Lufkin Shares Skyrocketed

By Brian Pacampara, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Although we don’t believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes — just in case they’re material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Lufkin Industries soared 38% today after industrial behemoth General Electric agreed to acquire the oil-field pump maker for $3.1 billion.

So what: The all-cash deal values Lufkin at $88.50 per share and represents a premium of about 38% to its closing price on Friday. GE is making the move to capitalize on the booming business of extracting oil and natural gas from shale rock, giving the shares of Lufkin peers like Weatherford International and Dover a small bump today as well.

Now what: The transaction, which was unanimously recommended by Lufkin’s board of directors, is expected to close in the second half of 2013. “Lufkin’s world-class people, equipment and services fit perfectly in our portfolio and will enable us to offer a wide range of artificial lift solutions to our customers in this fast-growing artificial lift sector,” GE Oil & Gas CEO Daniel Heintzelman said. So while Lufkin is likely all popped out at this point, GE‘s rapidly increasing presence in the oil-field services business might be worth buying into.

For GE, the recent financial crisis struck a blow, but management took advantage of the market‘s dip to make strategic bets in energy. If you’re a GE investor, you need to understand how these bets could drive this company to become the world’s infrastructure leader. At the same time, you need to be aware of the threats to GE‘s portfolio. To help, we’re offering comprehensive coverage for investors in a premium report on General Electric, in which our industrials analyst breaks down GE‘s multiple businesses. You’ll find reasons to buy or sell GE today. To get started, click here now.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Why J&amp;J's Slump Is Sinking the Dow

By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Recently, investors have started worrying a lot more that the stock market‘s rally has come too far too fast. With last week’s poor employment report underlining the fact that growth in jobs hasn’t kept pace with some other economic indicators, many investors have positioned themselves more defensively in anticipation of a potential downturn in stocks. Moreover, as earnings season begins, companies will reveal what really happened during the first quarter. This morning the stock market reflected that general uncertainty, and by 10:55 a.m. EDT the Dow Jones Industrials were down 0.26%, with the broader markets down less sharply.

In their anxiety, investors have gravitated to more defensive stocks in an effort to protect themselves from losses. But this morning, health care stalwart Johnson & Johnson is the biggest decliner in the Dow, falling 1.5% as the company got downgraded by an analyst at JPMorgan. The main problem the analyst cited was valuation, as J&J’s stock has rocketed higher even as the company faces potential liability linked to recent product recalls. The drop emphasizes how important it is to look at valuation, as even defensive stocks can fall if their prices get too far out of line with their prospects.

UnitedHealth has also given up ground, down 0.8%. With little news on the company, the move appears just to be a small giveback of some of the massive gains that UnitedHealth and fellow health insurers enjoyed last week when looming Medicare reimbursement rate cuts suddenly turned into modest increases. It increasingly appears that Obamacare may prove more of a positive than a negative for UnitedHealth and its peers, even though the company will have to cover conditions it would previously have excluded.

Finally, Lufkin Industries soared 38% on news that General Electric will buy the oil field equipment company for $88.50 per share, or $3.1 billion. The move is obviously great news for Lufkin shareholders, but it also shows the extent to which GE is trying to move forward in building up its energy exposure. Given the huge ramp-up in domestic energy-production, GE‘s bid to become a vital piece of the energy infrastructure and equipment business is clearly a growth opportunity.

Is Johnson & Johnson still a safe investment?
Johnson & Johnson’s critics are convinced that the company is spread way too thin. Find out more about whether J&J is too big for its own good or a well-diversified giant that’s perfect for your portfolio in the Fool’s new premium report outlining the Johnson & Johnson story in terms any investor can understand. Claim your copy by clicking here now

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

The Law Firm of Wohl &amp; Fruchter Commences Investigation into the Acquisition of Lufkin Industries, I

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:


The Law Firm of Wohl & Fruchter Commences Investigation into the Acquisition of Lufkin Industries, Inc. by General Electric Company

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The law firm of Wohl & Fruchter LLP has commenced an investigation into the proposed acquisition of Lufkin Industries, Inc. (Lufkin) (NAS: LUFK) by General Electric Company (GE).

Lufkin, based in Texas, makes pumping equipment that helps drillers extract more oil out of older fields or ones that need to be pumped because the oil and gas underground is not under enough pressure to be forced to the surface naturally.

On April 8, 2013, Lufkin announced that it had entered into an agreement for GE to acquire the company for $88.50/share in cash. The transaction is valued at $3.3 billion, including the assumption of debt.

Wohl & Fruchter’s investigation concerns, among other things, the fairness of the process used to approve the acquisition and whether the board of directors of Lufkin breached its fiduciary duties in connection with the transaction.

Additional information is available at http://www.wohlfruchter.com/cases/lufk.

Persons with relevant information, and Lufkin shareholders with questions about this investigation, are invited to contact our Firm by calling 866.582.8140, or contacting the attorney below.

About Wohl & Fruchter

Wohl & Fruchter LLP represents plaintiffs in litigation arising from fraud and other fiduciary breaches by corporate managers, as well as other complex litigation matters. Please visit our website, www.wohlfruchter.com, to learn more about our Firm, or contact one of our partners.

This release may be deemed to constitute attorney advertising.

Wohl & Fruchter LLP
J. Elazar Fruchter
845-425-4658
jfruchter@wohlfruchter.com
www.wohlfruchter.com

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  New York

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The article The Law Firm of Wohl & Fruchter Commences Investigation into the Acquisition of Lufkin Industries, Inc. by General Electric Company originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

GE to Buy Lufkin Industries for $3.1B in Bid to Expand Energy Business

By The Associated Press

Filed under: , , ,

Allison Joyce/Getty Images Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric, speaks at an NFL news conference on March 11 in New York.

By JONATHAN FAHEY

NEW YORK — GE has agreed to buy the oilfield equipment maker Lufkin Industries for $3.1 billion, furthering an effort by GE to grow its oil and gas operations.

General Electric Co. (GE) said Monday that it would pay Lufkin shareholders $88.50 a share, a 38 percent premium over Lufkin’s closing price on Friday of $63.93.

The companies valued the deal at $3.3 billion, which includes $200 million in debt to be assumed by GE.

CEO Jeff Immelt is in the process of transforming GE from a sprawling conglomerate to one that is more tightly focused on providing services and equipment to industrial customers. The company has shed divisions such as NBC Universal and is shrinking its banking operations.

At the same time, Immelt indicated the company would use some of its enormous cash balance to buy mid-sized companies that fit well into what the company already does. GE makes aircraft engines, natural gas-fired turbines and generators, wind turbines, medical devices and locomotives.

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General Electric is putting particular focus on oil and gas, hoping to capitalize on the boom in extracting oil from difficult places, such as deep offshore, shale formations under several U.S. states, or older depleting oil fields. GE bought Wellstream, a maker of flexible pipes for gathering oil undersea, in 2010, and a division of the John Wood Group, a maker of pumps and control systems, in 2011.

“Wells in the future are going to be more and more technically challenging,” said Dan Heintzelman, who runs GE‘s oil and gas division, in an interview Monday.

Lufkin Industries Inc. (LUFK), based in Lufkin, Texas, makes pumping equipment that helps drillers extract more oil out of older fields or ones that need to be pumped because the oil and gas underground is not under enough pressure to be forced to the surface naturally. Heintzelman said 94 percent of wells will require some form of pumping, known in the industry as artificial lift.

GE‘s oil and gas related revenue has tripled since 2005, to $15 billion, accounting for 10 percent of the company’s $147 billion total revenue last year.

Christopher Glynn, an analyst at Oppenheimer, said the deal fits nicely into GE‘s strategy. He said as oil and gas continues to get more expensive to produce there will be ample opportunity for GE‘s growing oil and gas division to offer products and services to help keep those costs in check and make fields more productive.

Lufkin shares climbed $23.94, or 37.5 percent, to $87.87 in premarket trading. GE shares edged up 13 cents to $23.06 about 45 minutes ahead of …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Market Minute: ExxonMobil Sued Over Arkansas Pipeline Spill

By DailyFinance Staff

Shelby-tuned 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - live at New York Auto Show reveal

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The Dow Industrials edged slightly lower last week, while the S&P 500 lost one percent and the Nasdaq dropped two.

Two Arkansas residents have filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil (XOM). They’re seeking $5 million in damages, claiming a pipeline spill has caused a permanent drop in their property values.

General Electric (GE) is expanding its oilfield services business, agreeing to buy Lufkin Industries for $3.3 billion. Lufkin makes equipment used in oil and gas production.

Anheuser-Busch (BUD) says the Justice Department has accepted the company’s revised concessions, and will no longer block the company’s effort to acquire Mexican beer maker Modelo. The deal is valued at more than $20 billion. As part of the accord with antitrust regulators, Anhueser-Busch will sell more of Modelo’s assets to Constellation Brands.

UPS (UPS) plans to appeal a ruling by European regulators, who are blocking the company’s planned acquisition of Dutch rival TNT Express. That deal is valued at $6.7 billion.

You’ve probably never heard of CPI Corp. (CPI), but you’ve no doubt seen its work. For years the company provided the portraits sold at Sears (SHLD), Wal-Mart (WMT) and Babbies ‘R’ Us. But CPI abruptly closed it business on Friday. It had been a mainstay at Sears since 1959.

Earnings season begins after the market closes this afternoon. As usual, Alcoa (AA) will be the first major company to report. Analysts expect both sales and earnings to edge lower compared to a year ago because of slumping aluminum prices. Overall, Thomson Reuters expects corporate earnings to increase by only 1.5 percent for the quarter, while other analysts say that may be too optimistic.

And J.C. Penney (JCP) and Macy’s (M) are back in court today in their fight over the right to sell Martha Stewart‘s line of home goods. The court battle was suspended for a month to allow for mediation, but that has not produced a settlement.

-Produced by Drew Trachtenberg

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Lufkin Industries Passes This Key Test

By Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool

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There’s no foolproof way to know the future for Lufkin Industries (NAS: LUFK) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen — and before your stock craters as a result.

A cloudy crystal ball
In this series, we use accounts receivable and days sales outstanding to judge a company’s current health and future prospects. It’s an important step in separating the pretenders from the market’s best stocks. Alone, AR — the amount of money owed the company — and DSO — the number of days’ worth of sales owed to the company — don’t tell you much. However, by considering the trends in AR and DSO, you can sometimes get a window onto the future.

Sometimes, problems with AR or DSO simply indicate a change in the business (like an acquisition), or lax collections. However, AR that grows more quickly than revenue, or ballooning DSO, can, at times, suggest a desperate company that’s trying to boost sales by giving its customers overly generous payment terms. Alternately, it can indicate that the company sprinted to book a load of sales at the end of the quarter, like used-car dealers on the 29th of the month. (Sometimes, companies do both.)

Why might an upstanding firm like Lufkin Industries do this? For the same reason any other company might: to make the numbers. Investors don’t like revenue shortfalls, and employees don’t like reporting them to their superiors.

Is Lufkin Industries sending any potential warning signs? Take a look at the chart below, which plots revenue growth against AR growth, and DSO:

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. FQ = fiscal quarter.

The standard way to calculate DSO uses average accounts receivable. I prefer to look at end-of-quarter receivables, but I’ve plotted both above.

Watching the trends
When that red line (AR growth) crosses above the green line (revenue growth), I know I need to consult the filings. Similarly, a spike in the blue bars indicates a trend worth worrying about. Lufkin Industries‘s latest average DSO stands at 64.6 days, and the end-of-quarter figure is 65.1 days. Differences in business models can generate variations in DSO, and business needs can require occasional fluctuations, but all things being equal, I like to see this figure stay steady. So, let’s get back to our original question: Based on DSO and sales, does Lufkin Industries look like it might miss its numbers in the next quarter or two?

I don’t think so. AR and DSO look healthy. For the last fully reported fiscal quarter, Lufkin Industries‘s year-over-year revenue …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance