Out Fox The $treet

 The revelation that Whiting Petroleum Corp ( NYSE: WLL     ) only paid a 5% premium to average prices over the last 60 days to purchase the stock of fast-growing Bakken producer Kodiak Oil and Gas Corp ( NYSE: KOG     ) was clearly unusual. Typically, a growing company doesn't accept a buyout without a substantial premium. In this case, the deal creates a formidable producer in the Bakken to rival Continental Resources ( NYSE: CLR     ) .  Is it possible that Kodiak shareholders benefited more from accepting a meager premium? The deal  Whiting Petroleum agreed to buy Kodiak Oil and Gas for .177 shares of WLL per KOG share, or the equivalent of $13.90 per share based on the July 11 closing price of Whiting. Though the deal offers a 5% premium above the average of price of Kodiak over the last 60 days, any investor in the stock might be disappointed that it accepted an offer below the prior closing price. The stock, though...

As Halcon Resources ( NYSE: HK     ) gets prepared to report earnings on Feb. 26, a few key points will pique investor interest. The oil exploration and production company holds plenty of promise due to the experienced management team that sold Petrohawk Energy to BHP Billiton for $12.1 billion, yet the balance sheet, loaded with $3.3 billion of debt, has constrained its growth prospects. While debt can be used to grow a company faster if it can produce more cash than the interest costs, in many cases a large debt load can reduce growth rates below maximum potential. With Halcon Resources, the growth rate has constantly been scaled back due to the divestiture of non-core assets. Unfortunately, the sell-off of assets often creates a downward spiral in production, even though the proceeds from the sales can be utilized to fund core asset growth. Read the full article here . Disclosure: No position mentioned. Please review the disclaimer page for more detail...

With the recent run-up in Carrizo Oil & Gas ( NASDAQ: CRZO     ), you are probably wondering if the stock has any room for future gains. Balancing long-term potential and the risk of losing 100% in gains can be a difficult task. The company is a small exploration firm focused on the production of oil in the Eagle Ford Shale, Niobrara Shale, and natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. In addition, it recently completed the first well in the Utica Shale. Read the full article here . Disclosure: Long CRZO. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

Last week,  Halcon Resources (NASDAQ: RAM ) announced a secondary offering of up to 43.7 million shares that caused the stock to crash. The stock traded at $6 for a few days prior to offering announcement, though typical of any “surprise” secondary, the plunge provides an opportunity to scoop up shares of a good company. The company is a growing oil exploration and production firm heavily indebted from an asset more » Disclosure: No positions mentioned. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

On first thought, the announcement by TPG-Axon that SandRidge Energy (SD) should fire the CEO that founded the company and brought it to this position seemed ridiculous. After more research, the investor might just have a point. The activist investor submitted a letter last Thursday arguing that the Board of Directors should be realigned and the CEO should resign. SandRidge is an oil and natural gas exploration and production company that primarily focuses on the Mid-Continent, Permian Basin, and Gulf of Mexico. CEO Tom Ward has become a prominent leader in the oil exploration field making it further unlikely that he will be ousted. He was an original founder of Chesapeake Energy (CHK) that left to start SandRidge. The combined experience suggests that he has the knowledge to make this company successful. Read the full article at Seeking Alpha. Disclosure: No positions mentioned: Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

Back in July of last year, I did a series of articles about companies with relatively cheap valuations that were expecting the fastest earnings growth in 2012 (See 1, 2, 3, 4). These companies offered the potential for huge stock gains if earnings estimates were met. Unfortunately, just as I wrote those articles the global economy went into a tailspin due to the European debt crisis and stock prices collapsed along with the earnings estimates of the majority of those stocks Now as global stock markets appear ready to head upwards, it seemed like a good time to revisit this list. It is always a good idea to check the outcome of a previous concept. How did the stocks perform? Were earnings estimates met? What about the valuation now? Read full article on Seeking Alpha. Disclosure: Long CRZO, MTW, and TEX. Please review the disclaimer page for more details.

This is the fourth and final article focusing on the stocks with the fastest earnings growth rates for 2012 according to the SteetAuthority report . The first three articles focused on Take Two Interactive ( TTWO ), Patriot Coal ( PCX ), Accuride ( ACW ), and Meritor ( MTOR ). The final article will focus on the better remaining options. All of the companies on the list expect earnings to soar more than 100% from fiscal 2011 to 2012. If the numbers are hit, than any of the picks could provide solid stock returns. The remaining list includes Allstate Corp ( ALL ), with a market cap around $16B, all the way to SMART Modular Tech ( SMOD ), with only $580M in market cap. All of them have relatively low forward PEs considering they expect earnings to expand by triple digits. The key is to determine which stocks have the potential to expand on these earnings beyond 2012. One-off situations such as ALL aren't as appealing. Read the full article at Seeking Alpha. Disclo...