Cenovus raises its dividend

Article Excerpt

CENOVUS ENERGY, $16.58, remains a buy for long-term gains. The company (Toronto symbol CVE; Shares outstanding: 2.0 billion; Market cap: $32.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 0.8%; www.cenovus.com) continues to sell less-important assets to pay down the debt it took on as part of the Husky acquisition. On January 1, 2021, the Cenovus completed its acquisition of rival oil producer Husky Energy Inc. in a friendly all-stock takeover. Cenovus recently agreed to sell Husky’s 337 retail gas stations to Parkland Corp. (Toronto symbol PKI) and Federated Co-operatives for $420 million. Separately, Cenovus is selling its oil and gas properties in Wembley, Alberta, to an undisclosed buyer for $238 million. Meantime, the company has doubled your quarterly dividend. Starting with the December 31, 2021, payment, investors now receive $0.035 share instead of $0.0175. The stock yields 0.8%. The oil giant also plans to repurchase 7% of its shares. Cenovus is a buy. buy…