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STANTEC INC. $33.78 (Toronto symbol STN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (780-917-7288; www.stantec.com; Shares outstanding: 93.9 million; Market cap: $3.1 billion; Dividend yield: 1.3%) sells a range of consulting, project-delivery, design and technology services. Stantec has made a big acquisition that will give it a major global presence in the water infrastructure industry. It’s paying $795 million U.S. to buy MWH Global. The infrastructure firm has 187 offices in 26 countries. MWH Global works on a number of large water infrastructure projects around the world, including the Panama Canal Third Set of Locks project. It also develops dams, hydroelectric power plants, water treatment facilities, coastal restoration and environmental assessment programs....
PASON SYSTEMS $17.91 (Toronto symbol PSI; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-301-3400; www.pason.com; Shares outstanding: 84.1 million; Market cap: $1.6 billion; Dividend yield: 3.8%) serves the drilling contractors of oil and gas firms in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina. The company provides them with rental equipment for monitoring and managing landbased oil rigs. Its systems also let clients remotely collect data from their drilling operations. For the three months ended December 31, 2015, Pason’s revenue fell 56.7%, to $59.8 million from $138.2 million a year earlier. A rise in the U.S. dollar partially offset the slowdown in oil and gas drilling. The company lost $841,000, or $0.01 a share, compared to a profit of $47.2 million, or $0.57, a year ago. The lower revenue was the main reason for the decline. Cash flow per share was positive, though it was down sharply, to $0.21 from $0.72....
COMPUTER MODELLING GROUP $10.24 (Toronto symbol CMG; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-531-1300; www.cmgl.ca; Shares outstanding: 78.8 million; Market cap: $806.5 million; Dividend yield: 3.9%) sells software and services that help conventional oil and gas producers create 3D models of reservoirs. That lets them squeeze more out of those deposits by injecting steam or chemicals. Without the technology, they typically recover only 25% to 30% of the oil and gas. Producers using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, methods also use Computer Modelling’s software to determine the best drilling locations and depths. In the three months ended December 31, 2015, the company’s revenue fell 15.8%, to $21.2 million from $25.2 million a year earlier. Software licensing revenue (94% of the total) fell 13.8%, while consulting and professional services revenue (6%) fell 40.0%....
SASOL LTD. (ADR) $32.23 (New York symbol SSL; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (082- 883-9697; www.sasol.com; ADRs outstanding: 651.4 million; Market cap: $21.3 billion; Dividend yield: 2.4%) is a South Africa-based company that converts coal and natural gas into motor fuels. It also produces oil and gas and mines coal. Sasol now plans to delay the completion of its $8.9 billion plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Production will now start in 2019, rather than 2018. When finished, the facility will convert natural gas, or ethane, into ethylene— a chemical used to make plastics and other consumer products. The new plant should triple Sasol’s U.S. production. It should also help to offset some of the currency and political risks of operating in South Africa....