Teck begins its turnaround

Article Excerpt

Teck’s shares have rebounded strongly since falling to $3.65 in January 2016. That’s mainly because the company is doing a good job holding down its costs while it waits for metallurgical coal, copper and zinc prices to recover. The direction of commodity prices depends on many things, particularly economic growth rates around the world. Still, we feel Teck’s lower costs and high-quality reserves put it in a strong position to rapidly expand its profits as prices stabilize. TECK RESOURCES LTD. $10 (Toronto symbol TCK.B; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 576.3 million; Market cap: $5.8 billion; Price-to sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 1.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.teck.com) is a leading producer of metallurgical coal, a key ingredient in steel making. Its six coal mines (five in B.C. and one in Alberta) account for 11% of global demand. Asian customers buy 75% of the company’s coal. In 2015, coal accounted for 37% of its revenue and 34% of its…