High-yielding Energy Trusts Still Attractive

Article Excerpt

FORDING CANADIAN COAL TRUST $32 (Toronto symbol FDG.UN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Units outstanding: 147.5 million; Market cap: $4.7 billion; SI Rating: Average) owns 60% of the Elk Valley Coal Partnership, which operates six coal mines in British Columbia and Alberta. Teck Cominco owns the other 40%, and manages the mines. Fording exports most of its coal to steelmakers in Asia. In the second quarter of 2007, Fording earned $0.72 a unit from continuing operations, down 24.2% from $0.95 a year earlier. Fording blamed the drop mainly on a 17% decrease in average coal prices. Revenue fell 9.0%, to $418.3 million from $459.8 million, and cash flow per share fell 22.6%, to $0.82 from $1.06. Despite the weaker earnings, Fording should be able to keep paying quarterly distributions of $0.65 a unit (8.1% yield). Its plan to focus on higher-quality coal may limit future volume growth, but should help it extract higher prices from customers. The recent sale of its industrial…