Use these two to profit from oil rebounds: Suncor and Imperial Oil

Article Excerpt

Oil stocks have rebounded lately, mainly on hopes COVID-19 vaccines will boost travel volumes in 2021. Our top industry picks remain Suncor and Imperial Oil—their refining operations help shield them from lower crude prices. SUNCOR ENERGY INC. $24 remains a buy. The company (Toronto symbol SU; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.5 billion; Market cap: $36.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.suncor.com) is Canada’s largest integrated oil firm, with major projects in the Alberta oil sands. Just as important, investors tap the company’s four refineries (three in Canada and one in Colorado), along with 1,500 Petro-Canada gas stations. In anticipation of higher oil prices, Suncor expects to increase its production in 2021 by 10%, to between 740,000 and 780,000 barrels a day. It also plans to increase its capital spending in 2021 by about 9%, to between $3.8 billion and $4.5 billion. At the same time, the company now expects cash costs at its oil sands properties to decline…