CENOVUS ENERGY INC. $21 - Toronto symbol CVE

CENOVUS ENERGY INC. $21 (Toronto symbol CVE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 828.4 million; Market cap: $17.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 5.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cenovus.com) has temporarily shut down its Foster Creek oil sands project in northern Alberta, as forest fires in the area are hindering traffic on the main access road to the site.

Cenovus own 50% of Foster Creek, while U.S.-based ConocoPhillips (New York symbol COP) owns the other 50%. In the first quarter of 2015, Cenovus’s share of this project’s output was 68,000 barrels a day, or 31% of its total daily oil production of 218,000 barrels.

The fires have also forced other oil projects in Alberta to close. In all, these operations account for 9% of the province’s total production. However, the shutdowns have increased the spot price of Western Canadian crude, which should help Cenovus offset the lost revenue.

Cenovus is still a buy.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.