FORDING CANADIAN COAL TRUST $24.06 (Toronto symbol FDG.UN; SI Rating: Average) holds a 60% interest in Elk Valley Coal in B.C., the world’s second-largest supplier of metallurgical coal, a key ingredient in steelmaking. Elk Valley supplies approximately 21% of the global market.

Fording has vast reserves of coal. Mining could continue at current rates for 25 years; with further development, its …read more »

APACHE CORP. $67 (New York symbol APA; Aggressive Growth Portfolio; Resources sector; WSSF Rating: Average) explores for and produces oil and natural gas in North America, the UK, Argentina, Australia and Egypt. Its reserves are roughly half oil and half natural gas.

The company hedges just 10% of its production, which we feel is wise in today’s volatile energy environment. Not …read more »

COMPTON PETROLEUM $11.69 (Toronto symbol CMT; SI Rating: Speculative) (403-237-9400; www.comptonpetroleum.com; Shares outstanding: 128.2 million; Market cap: $1.5 billion) produces oil and natural gas in Alberta.

In the three months ended September 30, 2006, Compton’s revenue fell 13.9%, to $124.9 million from $145.1 million. Cash flow per share fell 19%, to $0.47 from $0.58.

Compton’s average daily production rose 13.1% in the …read more »

OILEXCO INC. $6.76 (Toronto symbol OIL; SI Rating: Speculative) (403-262-5441; www.oilexco.com; Shares outstanding: 197.3 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion) is an oil and gas company focused on the UK North Sea.

As some of the biggest pools of oil in the North Sea are depleted, most major oil and gas companies, such as British Petroleum and RoyalDutch/Shell, have withdrawn from actively …read more »

Most junior oil and gas stocks are now trading near their lows for the year on investor worries that oil and natural gas prices will remain low, or even drop further.

Oil now trades at around $61 U.S. a barrel, down from the record high of over $78 that it reached in July this year. Still, global demand for oil continues …read more »

TECK COMINCO LTD. $90 (Toronto symbol TCK.B; Conservative Growth Portfolio; Resources sector; SI Rating: Average) has agreed to acquire a 16% interest in Tahera Diamond Corp., which operates a diamond mine in Nunavut. Teck also received warrants, which, if exercised, would increase its stake to 24.9%.

Teck paid $30 million for this investment, which is just 6% of the $504 million …read more »

AGRIUM INC. $36 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; SI Rating: Average) is a leading producer of nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizers and crop protection products. It has 12 major production facilities in Canada and the United States, and one in Argentina that it operates through a joint venture.

Sales to farmers and other agricultural customers account for the …read more »

We picked Agrium as our “Stock of the Year” in 2005, and again in 2006. We liked its low-cost operations, and its low p/e (then about 10). Although the company’s exposure to natural gas prices adds to its volatility, recent acquisitions have helped cut its risk. It should also benefit from increasing worldwide demand for food, and for renewable fuels.

That’s …read more »

TECK COMINCO LTD. $86 (Toronto symbol TCK.B; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; SI Rating: Average) is the world’s secondlargest supplier of zinc, behind Xstrata plc. Manufacturers add zinc to steel to prevent it from rusting. Zinc accounts for about a third of Teck’s profits.

The company is also a leading producer of lead, copper and gold, and owns 40% of the …read more »

PETRO-CANADA $50 (Toronto symbol PCA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; SI Rating: Average) operates major oil and natural gas projects in Western Canada and Newfoundland. Canada accounts for 75% of its total production. Petro-Canada has expanded its international presence in the past few years, and now gets 25% of its production from the North Sea, Algeria and Libya.

Oil accounts for …read more »