Poised to gain from higher resource prices

Article Excerpt

MAJOR DRILLING $28.70 (Toronto symbol MDI; SI Rating: Speculative) (www.majordrilling.com; 1-866-264-3986; Shares outstanding: 23.7 million; Market cap: $680.9 million; Dividend yield: 1.4%) is a large contract-drilling company that mainly serves the mining industry. Major Drilling’s shares have moved up from $23 in mid-December, even though the company reported lower revenue and earnings in the latest quarter. In the three months ended October 31, 2009, Major Drilling’s revenue fell 60.5%, to $75.5 million from $191.0 million a year earlier. However, drilling markets are recovering: the latest quarter’s revenue was up 21% from the quarter ended July 31. The company earned $4.1 million, or $0.17 a share, in the latest quarter. That’s down from the $29.3 million, or $1.23 a share, that it earned a year earlier. But it’s a big improvement from the quarter ended July 31, when it made just $200,000. Cash flow was $12.3 million, or $0.52 a share, in the latest quarter. Major Drilling expects to see a continued rebound…