Imperial expands its output

Article Excerpt

IMPERIAL OIL LTD., $92.99, is a buy. The company’s (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares outstanding: 509.0 million; Market cap: $48.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 3.1%; www.imperialoil.ca) crude oil exports to the U.S. comply with the USMCA (U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement), so they remain exempt from U.S. tariffs. Imperial continues to move ahead with several new projects. Those include expanding its 71%-owned Kearl oil sands operation (ExxonMobil owns the other 29%). It expects to increase Kearl’s production, from an average of 281,000 barrels a day in 2024 to 300,000 barrels in the next two to three years. Imperial also expects to cut Kearl’s cash operating costs from $19.67 U.S. a barrel in 2024 to $18.00 U.S. Despite tariff uncertainty, Imperial’s shares have gained 3.3% since the start of 2025. They now trade at an attractive 8.7 times this year’s likely cash flow of $10.64 a share. Imperial Oil is a buy. buy…