Tempus in the Times kicks off with engineering firm Kentz, which has made a strategic play to enter the liquefied natural gas market in Australia, thereby gaining access to the export markets of Asia. The company makes most of its money from oil and gas but also has significant interest in mining projects and is paying a tasty dividend of 12.3 cents. Shares are trading at around 10 times forward earnings, and the group is planning a strategic review that will address what to do with a a growing cash pile. Tempus likes the stock: hold for future growth (Last IC rating: Buy, 21 Feb).
Salamander Energy also gets some encouraging words from Tempus. The company is now focusing on just three projects in Thailand and Indonesia, with the Indonesian site estimated to be a major find, of over 600m barrels of oil. Losses have been reduced from $169.5m to $45.5m and the shares trade at 0.67 per cent of net assets. At that ratio and with reasonable upside potential Tempus's suggestion is buy (Last IC rating: Buy, 26 Mar).
In the Telegraph Questor is licking his lips over Lamprell, which makes most of its money making so called jack-up rigs for the oil and gas sectors. These are boats which have extendible legs, so they can support themselves on the sea bed. With a huge global appetite for exploration the company is seeing its order book at record levels, which Questor points out may lead to further profit upgrades as the year progresses. Trading at 12 times 2012 earnings and 9.7 times projected 2013 revenues Questor says buy (Last IC rating: Buy, 12 Oct).
