A boost in exploration spurs these producers

Article Excerpt

CRESCENT POINT ENERGY $15.20 (Toronto symbol CPG; Shares outstanding: 541.7 million; Market cap: $7.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 2.4%; www.crescentpointenergy.com) produces oil and natural gas in Western Canada. It is now focused on its Bakken light oil development in southeastern Saskatchewan. The operation’s output is 90% oil and 10% gas. In the three months ended December 31, 2016, Crescent Point’s cash flow per share fell 21.4%, to $0.77 from $0.98. The company’s daily output fell 6.3%, to 165,097 barrels of oil equivalent from 176,108. The decline was mostly due to the sale of non-core properties. On December 31, 2016, Crescent Point’s long-term debt was $3.7 billion, or a somewhat high 47% of market cap. However, the company recently raised $650 million by selling shares in order to pay down some of that debt. Crescent Point plans to spend $1.5 billion on exploration and development spending this year. That’s up 36.4% from the $1.1 billion spent in 2016. Daily production should…