oil prices
In addition to TransCanada (see page 41), we like the outlook of these four utilities. Like TransCanada, Emera and Fortis are expanding in the U.S. These purchases cut their reliance on Canada, and should enhance their earnings and dividends for years to come. Canadian Utilities and ATCO have both suffered lately due to their high exposure to Alberta, where low oil prices have hurt the economy and power prices. However, their new projects should let them continue to raise their dividends....
CENOVUS ENERGY INC. $18 (Toronto symbol CVE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 833.2 million; Market cap: $15.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 1.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cenovus.com) owns oil sands projects and conventional wells in Western Canada. It ships its oil to its 50%-owned refineries in Illinois and Texas. Due to low oil prices, Cenovus has shrunk its workforce by 31% since the start of 2015. These cuts should save it $200 million this year; it lost $403 million, or $0.49 a share, in 2015. The cuts should also help Cenovus quickly expand profits when oil prices recover. Cenovus is still a buy.
SNC-LAVALIN GROUP INC. $47 (www.snclavalin.com) acquired U.K.-based Kentz Corp. for $2.1 billion in August 2014. Kentz sells engineering and construction services to oil and gas firms. The purchase is helping SNC win more contracts in the Middle East....
SNC-LAVALIN GROUP INC. $47 (www.snclavalin.com) acquired U.K.-based Kentz Corp. for $2.1 billion in August 2014. Kentz sells engineering and construction services to oil and gas firms. The purchase is helping SNC win more contracts in the Middle East....
Imperial Oil is selling its remaining Esso gas stations. This will let the company focus on its oil sands operations. These projects will prosper when oil prices recover, and enhance the company’s growth prospects. IMPERIAL OIL $41.25 (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares outstanding: 847.6 million; Market cap: $34.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.4%; www.imperialoil.ca) is a major integrated oil company with oil sands projects in Alberta and conventional oil and gas operations across Western Canada. It also operates three refineries. Imperial is now selling its 497 company-owned Esso gas stations to independent operators for $2.8 billion. Following the sale, franchisees will operate all 1,700 Esso stations across Canada....
Imperial Oil is selling its remaining Esso gas stations. This will let the company focus on its oil sands operations. These projects will prosper when oil prices recover, and enhance the company’s growth prospects.
IMPERIAL OIL $41.25 (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares outstanding: 847.6 million; Market cap: $34.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.4%; www.imperialoil.ca) is a major integrated oil company with oil sands projects in Alberta and conventional oil and gas operations across Western Canada....
IMPERIAL OIL $41.25 (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares outstanding: 847.6 million; Market cap: $34.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.4%; www.imperialoil.ca) is a major integrated oil company with oil sands projects in Alberta and conventional oil and gas operations across Western Canada....
PENGROWTH ENERGY $1.54 (Toronto symbol PGF; Shares outstanding: 543.0 million; Market cap: $792.8 million; TSINetwork Rating: Average; No dividends paid; www.pengrowth.com) has moved up on news that prominent Toronto investor Seymour Schulich now owns 14.7% of the company’s shares. That makes him Pengrowth’s largest shareholder. Schulich has a long history of investing in small oil and mining firms. These include a 27.6% stake in Birchcliff Resources (Toronto symbol BIR). Birchcliff is a recommendation of Stock Pickers Digest, our newsletter that focuses on aggressive investments. Schulich’s involvement is likely a plus for Pengrowth. But its shares will need stronger oil prices in order to move higher....
PENGROWTH ENERGY $1.54 (Toronto symbol PGF; Shares outstanding: 543.0 million; Market cap: $792.8 million; TSINetwork Rating: Average; No dividends paid; www.pengrowth.com) has moved up on news that prominent Toronto investor Seymour Schulich now owns 14.7% of the company’s shares. That makes him Pengrowth’s largest shareholder. Schulich has a long history of investing in small oil and mining firms. These include a 27.6% stake in Birchcliff Resources (Toronto symbol BIR). Birchcliff is a recommendation of Stock Pickers Digest, our newsletter that focuses on aggressive investments. Schulich’s involvement is likely a plus for Pengrowth. But its shares will need stronger oil prices in order to move higher....
Parkland Fuel will raise its dividend in 2016 and continue to expand with the purchase of 17 Esso stations and the franchise rights for On the Run convenience stores.
Here’s the text of the quarterly letter I recently sent to our Portfolio Management clients: “Investors can find lots of things to worry about today, in politics, economics, terrorism, military developments and so on. However, today’s biggest single worry for most investors is the downturn in the stock market. Both the Canadian and U.S. markets hit a peak early last year, and have been generally moving down ever since. As stocks fell, their prices became more volatile. Many commentators wonder if this slump signals the start of a new recession. If so, it’s natural to wonder if the next recession will be like the last one, in 2007-2009, or even worse....