Buy these conservative energy stocks

Article Excerpt

ENCANA CORP. $16.87 (Toronto symbol ECA; Shares outstanding: 956.9 million; Market cap: $14.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 0.5%; www.encana. com) is one of North America’s largest producers of natural gas and oil. The company continues to benefit from its plan to focus on four main properties: Montney (B.C.), Duvernay (Alberta), and Eagle Ford and Permian (both in Texas). Those four fields produce large amounts of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) such as propane, butane and ethane. In the third quarter, ended September 30, 2016, the company produced an average of 338,000 barrels a day (65% gas, 35% oil and liquids). Due to recent asset sales, that production is down 15.1% from 398,300 barrels a year earlier. Cash flow per share in the quarter dropped 34.1%, to $0.29 from $0.44 (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). However, that was up 38.1% from $0.21 a share in the second quarter of 2016. Encana plans to spend…