DEVON ENERGY $26.22

DEVON ENERGY $26.22 (New York symbol DVN; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (405-235-3611; www.dvn.com; Shares outstanding: 510.3 million; Market cap: $12.5 billion; Dividend yield: 0.9%) is undertaking a number of measures to conserve cash and shore up its balance sheet while it waits for oil and gas prices to recover. The company plans to cut its workforce by 20%. This will save it up to $500 million a year when combined with other cost cutting. Devon will also reduce its quarterly dividend by 75%, to $0.06 from $0.24. The shares now yield 0.9%. The dividend cut will save it $320 million a year. Devon plans to lower its exploration and development spending this year, to between $900 million and $1.1 billion. That’s down 75% from 2015. As well, the company will sell as many as 79.4 million shares at $18.75 each to raise $1.5 billion. Like most oil and gas stocks, Devon has moved down along with lower oil prices. Still, we recommend that most investors maintain some exposure to the Resources sector—and oil and gas stocks—as part of a well-balanced portfolio. Devon Energy is 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.