encana

BIRCHCLIFF ENERGY $7.86 (Toronto symbol BIR; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-261-6401; www.birchcliffenergy.com; Shares outstanding: 152.3 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; No dividends paid) explores for, develops and produces oil and gas, mainly in the Peace River Arch area near the Alberta-B.C....

ENCANA CORP. $10 (Toronto symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 849.9 million; Market cap: $8.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.2; Dividend yield: 0.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.encana.com) will complete the sale of its oil and gas properties in Colorado’s DJ Basin by July 31, 2016....

ENCANA CORP. $10 (Toronto symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 849.9 million; Market cap: $8.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.2; Dividend yield: 0.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.encana.com) will complete the sale of its oil and gas properties in Colorado’s DJ Basin by July 31, 2016....

ENCANA $10.53 (Toronto symbol ECA; Shares outstanding: 849.9 million; Market cap: $9.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 0.7%; www.encana.com) will sell its Gordondale land and infrastructure in northwestern Alberta to Birchcliff Energy Ltd....

ENCANA $10.53 (Toronto symbol ECA; Shares outstanding: 849.9 million; Market cap: $9.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 0.7%; www.encana.com) will sell its Gordondale land and infrastructure in northwestern Alberta to Birchcliff Energy Ltd....

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the Canada Day holiday, our next Hotline will go out on Thursday, June 30, 2016.

ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD, $52.30, symbol ATD.B on Toronto, has agreed to buy the Premium 7 chain in Estonia for an undisclosed amount.

The purchase comprises 23 fuel stations—11 full-service, with convenience stores; and 12 self-service.

With the transaction, Couche-Tard’s network in Estonia will grow by 40% and will total 77 company-operated stores and fuel stations....

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the Canada Day holiday, our next Hotline will go out on Thursday, June 30, 2016.

BCE INC., $59.89, Toronto symbol BCE, is Canada’s largest provider of landline telephone service, with 6.6 million customers in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces....

TRANSCANADA CORP., $55.59, Toronto symbol TRP, announced this week that it will build a new 800-kilometre natural gas pipeline in Mexico.

The project—called Sur de Texas-Tuxpan—will cost $2.1 billion U.S. and is part of a new joint venture agreement with Sempra Energy (New York symbol SRE).

The company will contribute $1.3 billion U.S....

ENCANA CORP. $8.97 (Toronto symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 849.9 million; Market cap: $7.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 0.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.encana.com) owns four key properties: Montney (B.C.), Duvernay (Alberta), and Eagle Ford and Permian (both in Texas). In addition to natural gas, these fields produce large amounts of oil and natural gas liquids, such as propane and butane. That cuts the company’s reliance on gas. In the three months ended March 31, 2016, Encana produced an average of 383,400 barrels a day (66% gas, 34% oil and liquids). Due to recent asset sales, that’s down 10.9% from 430,100 barrels a year earlier. The company’s four main properties now supply 70% of its overall production. Low oil prices have forced Encana to write down the value of its properties by $607 million (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars)....

IMPERIAL OIL LTD. $41 (Toronto symbol IMO; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Shares outstanding: 847.6 million; Market cap: $34.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.4; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.imperialoil.ca) is Canada’s second-largest integrated oil producer after Suncor. The company’s Alberta oil sands operations, including its 25% stake in the Syncrude project, supply 90% of its crude. Imperial also has conventional oil and gas operations in Western Canada, and invests in offshore projects in Atlantic Canada. In addition, it owns three refineries and makes petrochemicals. In March 2016, Imperial agreed to sell its 497 company-owned Esso gas stations to independent operators for $2.8 billion....