Within the Exploration and Production space, Goldman Sachs analyst Brian Singer recommends selling stocks where the valuation post recent rallies "appears at odds" with the company's competitive positioning. With that in mind, Singer downgraded both California Resources (CRC) and Chesapeake Energy (CHK) to Sell from Neutral. California Resources has a low decline rate and competitive supply cost but unfavorable debt cost that does not warrant the extent of its current valuation premium, says the analyst. For Chesapeake, Singer sees less favorable supply cost and corporate returns. The analyst also upgraded Murphy Oil (MUR) to Neutral from Sell. He believes the stock's current valuation appears more in line with its competitive positioning. Singer recommends buying "low cost oil suppliers" Encana (ECA), Parsley Energy (PE), Pioneer Natural (PXD) and EOG Resources (EOG) and Chevron (CVX).

Notable companies reporting before tomorrow's open, with earnings consensus, include Exxon Mobil (XOM), consensus $2.20... Chevron (CVX), consensus $2.87... AbbVie (ABBV), consensus $2.23... HCA Healthcare (HCA), consensus $5.01... Colgate-Palmolive (CL), consensus 81c... Charter (CHTR), consensus $7.92... AutoNation (AN), consensus $4.27.

Chevron announced that its 50% owned affiliate Tengizchevroil has safely commenced operations at its Wellhead Pressure Management Project, or WPMP, at the Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan. TCO achieved this milestone by converting its first metering station at Tengiz to low pressure and activating the associated Pressure Boost Facility, or PBF. This marks important progress for TCO's overall expansion project at Tengiz. The WPMP is designed to maintain the existing processing plants' full capacity by lowering the flowing pressure at the wellheads and then boosting the pressure to the existing plants.