Hedges cut Pengrowth’s risk

Article Excerpt

PENGROWTH ENERGY CORP. $4.15 (Toronto symbol PGF; Aggressive Growth and Income Portfolios, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 530.2 million; Market cap: $2.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; Dividend yield: 5.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.pengrowth.com) recently started up its Lindbergh oil sands project in eastern Alberta, which should produce 16,000 barrels a day by the end of 2015. Due to falling oil prices and Lindbergh’s completion, Pengrowth plans to spend $200 million to upgrade and maintain its properties in 2015, down 74.0% from $770 million last year. But even with the lower spending, Pengrowth expects to produce between 73,000 and 75,000 barrels a day (57% oil and liquids, 43% natural gas) in 2015, or about 1.5% more than in 2014, thanks to Lindbergh. The company has hedged 75% of its 2015 oil production at $93.96 (Canadian) a barrel, which is well above today’s price of $49.40 U.S. It has also hedged 49% of its gas output at $3.77 (Canadian) per thousand cubic feet,…