Will the GKP or 88E share price make you richer in 2019?

Will 88 Energy Ltd (LON: 88E) beat Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited (LON: GKP) in 2019? I see only one winner.

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

What’s happened in the world of 88 Energy (LSE: 88E) since I last examined the company in October? Several things of significance, as it happens.

A big one was the raising of an additional £5.56m (before expenses) through a new share placing with “domestic and international institutional and sophisticated investors” (I love the “sophisticated”, whatever that’s supposed to mean).

The new cash is needed, among other things, to keep the company’s drilling and testing programme going at its Icewine project in Alaska, where 88E could be sitting on very significant hydrocarbon deposits. Current targets will continue to be probed, while the company will also try to “identify and exploit new opportunities on the North Slope of Alaska.”

Progress

Financial pressure has been eased by the raising of this new cash, but the last couple of operations updates have really only been about progress with infrastructure and engineering. That’s all good and seems to be going according to plan. But what investors are really waiting for is progress on the commercial viability of its Alsakan prospects which, so far, don’t appear to be easy to get at.

The other big development is the new fall in oil prices. While it had already slipped a bit, the price of a barrel was still above $75 back in late October, but it’s now dropped below $60 — currently a few cents below $58, as I write.

That’s got to hurt “oil tomorrow” prospectors like 88 Energy. I’d expect it to impact on the likelihood and possible terms of the farm-out deal the firm is working on — and there’s not long to go to the targeted end-of-2018 now.

Profitable

Recent news from Gulf Keystone Petroleum (LSE: GKP) has been more welcome, though dull (which, in the world of oil investing, can be very good). It’s essentially been a steady stream of “Shaikan Payment Update” notifications telling us of the millions the Kurdistan Regional Government has been paying the company for its oil.

The payment for September shipments came to $27.1m (with $21.2m net to the company), and that’s pretty much representative of its regular monthly receipts.

The other big positive about Gulf Keystone, as evidenced by interim results, is that it’s nicely profitable. The six months to 30 June brought in a record post-tax profit of $26.7m, and the company recorded a cash balance of $219m (which had risen to $240m by 7 September) set against $100m in debt. That debt was refinanced in July, and looks solid for the next five years.

Volatile

The Gulf Keystone share price is, again, very much dependent on the oil price, and we’ve seen another big fall as the price per barrel dips further. But the shares are still up more than 55% so far in 2018, and are up 90% over the past 12 months.

The success of Gulf Keystone is something that 88 Energy investors will hope to emulate. But it’s important to remember that Gulf’s survival and success came at a big cost to early investors — those who owned shares back when the payments crisis was in full swing were effectively wiped out.

Even with cheaper oil, Gulf looks relatively safe to me and a decent investment. But I see 88 Energy as still a pure gamble.

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Alan Oscroft has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Investing Articles

Is GSK a bargain now the share price is near 1,333p?

Biopharma company GSK looks like a decent stock to consider for the long term, so is today's lower share price…

Read more »

Snowing on Jubilee Gardens in London at dusk
Investing Articles

Could December be a great month to buy UK shares?

Christopher Ruane sees some possible reasons to look for shares to buy in December -- but he'll be using the…

Read more »

Young mixed-race couple sat on the beach looking out over the sea
Investing Articles

Sticking to FTSE shares, I’d still aim for a £1,000 monthly passive income like this!

By investing in blue-chip FTSE shares with proven business models, our writer hopes he can build sizeable passive income streams…

Read more »

Growth Shares

BT shares? I think there are much better UK stocks for the long term

Over the long term, many UK stocks have performed much better than BT. Here’s a look at two companies that…

Read more »

British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

After a 540% rise, could this penny share keep going?

This penny share has seen mixed fortunes in recent years. Our writer looks ahead to some potentially exciting developments in…

Read more »

Silhouette of a bull standing on top of a landscape with the sun setting behind it
Investing Articles

Is the S&P 500 going to 10,000 by 2030? This expert thinks so

One stock market strategist sees animal spirits taking hold and driving the S&P 500 index even higher by the end…

Read more »

Investing Articles

I’m expecting my Phoenix Group shares to give me a total return of 25% in 2025!

Phoenix Group shares have had a difficult few months but that doesn't worry Harvey Jones. He loves their 10%+ yield…

Read more »

Hand of person putting wood cube block with word VALUE on wooden table
Investing Articles

14.5bn reasons why I think the Legal & General share price is at least 11% undervalued

According to our writer, the Legal & General share price doesn’t appear to reflect the underlying profitability of the business. 

Read more »