Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi Pat: Can you please comment on Total S.A.? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: Total S.A. (ADR), $52.69, symbol TOT on New York (Shares outstanding: 2.4 billion; Market cap: $126.4 billion; www.total.com), is one of the world’s largest publicly traded integrated oil companies. Total is based in France. The company is involved in various aspects of the oil and gas industry around the world. It also has interests in refineries, chemical production and service stations. In the three months ended September 30, 2012, Total’s earnings rose 5.7%, to $1.85 per ADR from $1.75. Revenue fell 4.4%, to $62.4 billion from $65.2 billion. Total’s oil and gas production declined 2% during the quarter, to 2.3 million barrels a day. That was largely due to one-time events, including equipment problems in the North Sea, flooding in Nigeria and a pipeline explosion in Yemen. However, higher profits at the company’s refining and marketing businesses offset the drop in production revenue. The company produces all of its oil and gas outside Europe. It is now expanding its…