The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that National Bank Financial analyst Dan Payne has reaffirmed his "sector perforn" recommendation for Precision Drilling. The Globe's David Leeder writes in the Eye On Equities column that Mr. Payne gave his share target a $10 trim to $100. Analysts on average target the shares at $101.81. Mr. Payne says in a note: "The driller continues to best exemplify this market, where although lower 48 activity is languishing, its strength of operations in Canada and overall diversity continue to prove insulation. To that end, its operations north of the border remain stout, with its high-spec proving strong utilization with decent visibility through the back-half (a more level-loaded activity slate to the prior year), and which should continue to be seen through margins within the guided range for the period (approximately $14,000/day, down 5 per cent quarter-over-quarter with seasonality). That is in almost total opposition to the Lower 48 market, which continues to experience drag, where oil activity has stabilized in the trough, and gas activity is providing a silver lining with strong market share being realized for increased utilization in the Marcellus and Haynesville."