SNC needs higher commodity prices

Article Excerpt

SNC-LAVALIN GROUP INC. $43 (Toronto symbol SNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 151 million; Market cap: $6.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.0; SI Rating: Average) recently bought Newfoundland-based Spectrol Energy Services Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Spectrol sells engineering and technical services to oil and natural-gas producers off Canada’s east coast. SNC hopes the acquisition will let it take advantage of the recent jump in oil prices. However, 60% of SNC’s earnings already come from customers in the resource sector, and commodity prices are still well below last year’s peaks. As well, tight credit markets could make it difficult for these clients to borrow cash for new projects. SNC-Lavalin is a hold. hold…