EnCana’s hedges have paid off so far

Article Excerpt

ENCANA CORP. $52 (Toronto symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 750.6 million; Market cap: $39 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; SI Rating: Average) is a leading North American producer of natural gas and oil. Natural gas accounts for 80% of its production. In July 2008, gas prices shot up to around $12 per thousand cubic feet (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars), but have fallen to around $3.38 today. The drop was partly caused by cooler spring weather. This has cut air-conditioner use, so electric utilities are burning less gas. Gas companies have also increased supplies by importing liquefied natural gas and bringing new projects into production. Like many resource companies, EnCana uses hedging contracts to lock in its selling price for natural gas. These help shield it from changing prices. The company has hedged two-thirds of its natural-gas production at an average price of $9.13 through October. EnCana has also hedged 35% of its expected…