Look beyond the oil price plunge

Article Excerpt

Five years ago, the old EnCana Corp. split itself into two new firms: the new Encana, which focuses on natural gas, and Cenovus Energy, which owns oil sands properties and refineries. Lower gas prices have cut Encana’s share price by 30% since the split. Due to the recent drop in oil prices, Cenovus’s stock has gained about 9% in the last five years. Energy prices could fall further, as new production techniques, particularly hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) and horizontal drilling, add to supplies. However, a colder-thannormal winter would boost oil and gas demand for heating. In the long term, world oil demand will continue to grow as consumers in emerging markets become prosperous enough to buy motorcycles, cars and trucks. That’s good news for Cenovus and Encana, whose high-quality reserves should last decades. CENOVUS ENERGY INC. $29 (Toronto symbol CVE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 757.1 million; Market cap: $22.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.0; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork…