9 Oil Stocks With Hot Prospects

Company profile: Tesco, with a market value of $466 million, is a manufacturer of oil-field equipment for the energy industry.

Investor takeaway: Its shares are down 4.6% % this year, but have a three-year, average annual return of 5.9%. Analysts give its shares three "buy" ratings, three "buy/holds," and two "holds," according to a survey of analysts by S&P. Analysts' consensus is for earnings of $1.36 per share this year, growing by 9% to $1.48 per share in 2013. S&P has it rated "strong buy," with a $21 price target, which is a 75% premium to its current price.

S&P says: "We see (the company) with little debt, having outstanding flexibility to pursue long-term plans, such as leveraging its proprietary tubular (pipe) business in the international offshore market or for expansion in the deep water Gulf of Mexico."

7. Hornbeck Offshore Services(HOS)

Company profile: Hornbeck, with a market value of $1.4 billion, provides technologically advanced offshore supply vessels serving the offshore oil and gas industry, primarily in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. It also has a large fleet of tug and tank barges, which transport petroleum in the Northeast.

Investor takeaway: Its shares are up 28% this year and have a three-year, average annual return of 22%. Analysts give its shares seven "buy" ratings, four "buy/holds," and three "holds," according to a survey of analysts by S&P. S&P has a "buy" rating on its shares, but with only a slight premium to its $40 price target.

6. FMC Technologies(FTI)

Company profile: FMC Technologies, with a market value of $11 billion, is a global provider of high-technology products for the energy industry, including subsea and surface production and processing systems.

Investor takeaway: Its shares are down 10% this year, but have a three-year, average annual return of 29%. Analysts give its shares seven "buy" ratings, five "buy/holds," 13 "holds," and one "sell, according to a survey of analysts by S&P.

S&P has a "buy" rating with a $65 price target on it, a 19% premium to the current price.

5. Baker Hughes(BHI)

Company profile: Baker Hughes, with a market value of $21 billion, is one of the world's largest oil-field products and services companies.

Dividend Yield: 1.28%