IMPERIAL OIL $43.85 - Toronto symbol IMO

IMPERIAL OIL $43.85 (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares outstanding: 847.6 million; Market cap: $37.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.1%; www.imperialoil.ca) reported that its earnings per share jumped 20.8% in the three months ended September 30, 2012, to $1.22 from $1.01 a year earlier.

Cash flow per share rose 18.8%, to $1.52 from $1.28, while revenue gained 4.9%, to $8.3 billion from $7.9 billion.

Maintenance shutdowns and asset sales lowered production by 3.7%, to 285,000 barrels a day. However, earnings from oil refining and distribution (52% of the total) rose 97.1%.

Imperial trades at 8.2 times its likely 2012 cash flow of $5.33 a share. The $0.48 dividend yields 1.1%.

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.