High-quality reserves cut Chevron’s risk

Article Excerpt

CHEVRON CORP. $108 (New York symbol CVX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $205.2 billion; Price-tosales ratio: 2.0; Dividend yield: 4.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.chevron.com) is the second-largest integrated oil company in the U.S. by revenue, after ExxonMobil (New York symbol XOM). Producing oil and natural gas supplies about 25% of Chevron’s revenue. Based on current production rates, its reserves of 11.1 billion barrels (57% oil, 43% gas) would last 11.7 years. The other 75% of revenue comes from the company’s refineries, petrochemical operations and 7,800 gas stations in the U.S. Those refuelling stations operate under the Chevron and Texaco banners. Chevron owns 325 of the locations; it supplies fuel to an additional 6,000 outside the U.S. Plunging oil and gas prices take their toll The company’s production has remained steady over the past five years. However, oil and gas prices have dropped over 50% during that time. As a result, Chevron’s revenue fell 52.7%, from $241.9 billion…