IMPERIAL OIL $42.44 - Toronto symbol IMO

IMPERIAL OIL $42.44 (Toronto symbol IMO;Shares outstanding: 847.6 million; Market cap:$36.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average;Dividend yield: 1.1%; www.imperialoil.ca) hasagreed to pay $1.55 billion to buy 50% of CelticExploration (Toronto symbol CLT). Thecompany will purchase this stake from its parentcompany, ExxonMobil Corp. (New York symbolXOM), after Exxon completes its recent deal tobuy 100% of Celtic.

Celtic owns large, undeveloped shale gasdeposits along the B.C.-Alberta border. Thesefields hold a total of 128 million barrels of oilequivalent. Of that total, 76% is natural gas and24% is natural gas liquids, such as butane. Atthe end of 2011, Imperial’s proved reservestotalled 3.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

Imperial Oil 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.