IMPERIAL OIL $54.20 - Toronto symbol IMO

IMPERIAL OIL $54.20 (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares outstanding: 847.6 million; Market cap: $45.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Div. yield: 1.0%; www.imperialoil.ca) recently opened the first phase of its massive Kearl oil sands project in Alberta, and the second phase should start up next year. This project will help the company double its production, to 600,000 barrels a day, by 2020.

Oil sands projects are harder to operate than conventional properties, and they need high oil prices to earn a profit. However, Imperial’s refineries help shield it from a drop in oil prices because they pay less for the crude they need.

The stock trades at a moderate 12.2 times Imperial’s likely 2014 earnings of $4.45 a share.

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.