Statoil ASA Global Energy Company
Jan Muska, a financial analyst with Fidelity Investments, must evaluate Statoil ASA for possible inclusion in the company’s Energy Fund portfolio. During the period January 1, 2001 – September 15, 2006, Statoil’s stock, which was listed as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) on the NYSE, outperformed the S&P 500 by a wide margin. In August 2006, an ING analyst issued a report changing the firm’s rating on Statoil from buy to hold. In October 2006, ValuEngine issued a market “outperform” rating and set a target price of $28.40 per share. With conflicting analyst opinions on Statoil’s value, Muska must prepare his own evaluation of Statoil’s financial performance and valuation and make a recommendation to the portfolio manage of Fidelity’s Energy Fund.