ARC RESOURCES $25.55 - Toronto symbol ARX

ARC RESOURCES $25.55 (Toronto symbol ARX; Shares outstanding: 288.5 million; Market cap: $7.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; Dividend yield: 4.7%; www.arcresources.com) produces oil and natural gas in western Canada. Its average daily production of 892,021 barrels of oil equivalent is weighted 64% to gas and 36% to oil.

In the three months ended December 31, 2011, ARC’s cash flow per share rose 25.4%, to $0.79 from $0.63. That’s because the company raised its production by 8.7%. It also benefited from higher oil prices.

ARC has $2.4 billion of tax pools that are letting it offset taxes and maintain its 4.7% yield. The company’s long-term debt is $721.2 million, or a low 9.7% of its market cap. The shares trade at 8.5 times ARC’s forecast 2012 cash flow of $2.98 a share.

ARC plans to spend $760 million on exploration and development this year, up 4.7% from 2011. It has identified 8,000 potential drilling sites.

ARC Resources 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.