Out Fox The $treet

WPX Energy ( NYSE: WPX     ) continues to build the foundation for growth, yet the improvements aren't showing up in recent results. Like any oil and gas exploration and production company trying to turn around operations, any gains in the short term can quickly be offset by declining production from old wells. Until the company can drill enough new wells, the positive results can be hidden, as is the case with WPX Energy. The first quarter sequential gain in natural gas production is a signal that WPX has finally turned the corner. Combined with a substantial increase in oil production, the company is set to benefit from the suddenly surging natural gas prices and stubbornly high oil prices. Read the full article here . Disclosure: No positions mentioned. Please read the disclaimer page for more details. 

The major difference between an IPO and a spin-off is that one gets major media 'spin', while the other can be vastly ignored. The lack of a major financial transaction-- and hence, fees-- tends to reduce the push by investment houses. Just by viewing articles posted on this very website one can quickly derive that the general public has less interests in spin-offs versus IPOs, to their own detriment. This provides a major advantage to alert investors. Outside the major spin-offs, like the upcoming ones at Kraft (KFT) and ConnocoPhillips (COP), the others fall under the radar by the investing community. Historically, spin-offs have provided solid returns for savvy investors. This is partly due to investors ignoring or not understanding the new security, but also because spin-offs allow both the parent and the spun off company to thrive, with each management team free to focus on its direct business. A few interesting spin-offs took place around year-end to little or no fanfare....