Pick of the U.S. Oil and Gas Producers – Buys at Less Than Four Times Cash Flow

Article Excerpt

CIMAREX ENERGY $41.40 (New York symbol XEC; SI Rating: Extra risk) (303-295-3995; www.cimarex.com; Shares outstanding: 82.5 million; Market cap: $3.4 billion) is an oil and gas explorer and producer primarily focused in western Oklahoma, Kansas, the upper Gulf Coast areas of Texas and South Louisiana, the Permian Basin area of West Texas, plus the Gulf of Mexico. Cimarex’s production averaged 448.5 million cubic feet equivalent per day in the latest quarter. Natural gas makes up 73% of production. The company expects production for the full year 2007 to average 450 million cubic feet per day. In the three months ended September 30, 2007, 2007, Cimarex’s cash flow was $235.3 million or $2.88 a share, down 2.7% from $241.7 million or $2.95 a share a year earlier. The decline was largely due to higher costs. Even so, the company’s shares still trade at just 3.6 times cash flow. Long-term debt of $526.3 million is only 15% of market cap. Cimarex is using its strong cash…