Dividends look safe despite lower oil prices

Article Excerpt

In the past few years, Suncor and Imperial Oil have used their improving cash flow to pay down debt. That put them in a better position to cope with the current slump in crude oil prices, and to keep raising their dividends. SUNCOR ENERGY INC. $42 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol SU; Cyclical-Growth Payer Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $54.6 billion; Dividend yield: 5.2%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.suncor.com) is Canada’s largest integrated oil firm, with major projects in the Alberta oil sands. It also has four refineries (three in Canada and one in Colorado) and 1,875 Petro-Canada gas stations. With the December 2023 payment, Suncor raised its quarterly dividend by 4.8%, to $0.545 from $0.52. The annual rate of $2.18 yields a high 5.2%. The company recently completed its purchase of French oil producer TotalEnergies SE’s remaining Canadian operations, including its 31.23% stake in the Alberta’s Fort Hills oil sands project, for $1.47 billion. Suncor now owns 100% of Fort…