Updating ENCANA CORP., ANDREW PELLER LTD. and IGM FINANCIAL INC.

Article Excerpt

ENCANA CORP. $35 (Toronto symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 751.3 million; Market cap: $26.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 2.3%; SI Rating: Average) focuses on developing unconventional natural-gas properties. The company has several landholdings in the Horn River Basin in northeastern B.C. Early drilling indicates that this area contains large amounts of shale gas, which is natural gas that is trapped in rock formations. To extract it, companies must pump water and chemicals into the rock. This fractures the rock and releases the natural gas. EnCana has recently signed a contract with Korea Gas Corp. Under this deal, Korea Gas will contribute $565 million over the next three years to help develop some of EnCana’s Horn River properties. In return, Korea Gas will receive half of any production, which should begin in 2017. To put this deal in context, EnCana earned $1.8 billion U.S., or $2.35 U.S. a share, in 2009. EnCana is a buy. ANDREW PELLER…