monthly dividend

BONAVISTA ENERGY $4.63 (Toronto symbol BNP; Shares outstanding: 206.6 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 9.1%; www.bonavistaenergy.com) explores for oil and natural gas in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. Its output is 75% gas and 25% oil.

In the three months ended June 30, 2015, Bonavista’s cash flow per share fell 34.3%, to $0.44 from $0.67 a year earlier.

Most of that drop came from lower oil and natural gas prices; the company’s output fell only slightly, to 73,736 barrels of oil equivalent a day from 74,273 barrels.

...

PEMBINA PIPELINE $37.12 (Toronto symbol PPL; Shares outstanding: 340.4 million; Market cap: $13.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 4.7%; www.pembina.com) owns pipelines that carry half of Alberta’s conventional oil, 30% of Western Canada’s natural gas liquids (NGLs) and almost all of B.C.’s conventional oil.

Pembina also owns extensive facilities to extract, process and store NGLs.

In the three months ended March 31, 2015, the company’s cash flow per share fell 24.1%, to $0.63 from $0.83 a year earlier. That’s mainly because lower oil and gas prices cut profit margins and volumes at its NGL extraction business.

...

Shaw Communications, $26.76, symbol SJR.B on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 469.1 million; Market cap: $12.7 billion; www.shaw.ca), is one of Canada’s largest cable TV operators. The company has 1.9 million basic cable subscribers (mostly in Western Canada) and 851,569 satellite customers through its ownership of Shaw Direct. It also provides high-speed Internet to 1.9 million clients and telephone services to another 1.3 million. In September 2014, Shaw completed its $1.2-billion purchase of Colorado-based ViaWest, a privately held operator of data centres, cloud storage and information technology services. ViaWest has 27 data centres in the western United States....

Two energy exploration stocks for conservative investors—we give Peyto the edge over Bonavista right now thanks to its more secure dividend.

At a slow time for energy stocks, we like Pembina Pipeline and Veresen for their high yields and readiness to invest in new projects.

PEMBINA PIPELINE $37.12 (Toronto symbol PPL; Shares outstanding: 340.4 million; Market cap: $13.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 4.7%; www.pembina.com) owns pipelines that carry half of Alberta’s conventional oil, 30% of Western Canada’s natural gas liquids (NGLs) and almost all of B.C.’s conventional oil. Pembina also owns extensive facilities to extract, process and store NGLs. In the three months ended March 31, 2015, the company’s cash flow per share fell 24.1%, to $0.63 from $0.83 a year earlier. That’s mainly because lower oil and gas prices cut profit margins and volumes at its NGL extraction business....

BONAVISTA ENERGY $4.63 (Toronto symbol BNP; Shares outstanding: 206.6 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 9.1%; www.bonavistaenergy.com) explores for oil and natural gas in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. Its output is 75% gas and 25% oil. In the three months ended June 30, 2015, Bonavista’s cash flow per share fell 34.3%, to $0.44 from $0.67 a year earlier. Most of that drop came from lower oil and natural gas prices; the company’s output fell only slightly, to 73,736 barrels of oil equivalent a day from 74,273 barrels....

TD BANK $52.25 (Toronto symbol TD; Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $97.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.8%; www.td.com) owns 41.01% of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (Nasdaq symbol AMTD), one of the largest online brokerage firms in the U.S. TD has announced that Ameritrade would contribute $92 million (Canadian) to its earnings in its 2015 third quarter, which ends July 31, 2015, up 21.1% from $76 million a year earlier. To put these figures in perspective, TD earned $2.2 billion, or $1.14 a share, in its fiscal second quarter, which ended April 30, 2015. Ameritrade’s average daily trading volumes rose 8.0% in the second quarter, mainly due to an increase in derivatives trading....

ENERPLUS CORP. $10.14 (Toronto symbol ERF; Shares outstanding: 206.2 million; Market cap: $2.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 5.9%) produces an average of 100,855 barrels of oil equivalent a day (57% gas and 43% oil). Its properties are mainly in Alberta, Saskatchewan, B.C., North Dakota and Montana, as well as in the Marcellus shale, which passes through Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia.

Enerplus’s production rose 2.1% in the quarter ended March 31, 2015, but that wasn’t enough to offset sharply lower oil and gas prices; cash flow per share fell 51.4%, to $0.53 from $1.09.

Like ARC, Enerplus will cut spending this year. Its outlays will now total $480 million, down 40.8% from $811.0 million in 2014.

...

ARC RESOURCES $21.14 (Toronto symbol ARX; Shares outstanding: 340.0 million; Market cap: $7.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; Dividend yield: 5.7%; www.arcresources.com) produces oil and natural gas in Western Canada. Its average daily output of 120,354 barrels of oil equivalent is 64% gas and 36% oil. In the quarter ended March 31, 2015, ARC’s cash flow per share fell 38.7%, to $0.57 from $0.93 a year earlier. Production gained 13.9%, but its realized oil price fell 49.0% and its gas price declined 45.5%. Like many oil and gas producers, ARC is cutting back on exploration and development spending. This year, it will devote $550.0 million to this purpose, down sharply from $945.5 million in 2014....