Successful exploration gives them an edge

Article Excerpt

CIMAREX ENERGY $104.19 (New York symbol XEC; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (303-295-3995; www.cimarex.com; Shares outstanding: 84.1 million; Market cap: $8.8 billion; Dividend yield: 0.4%) is an oil and gas explorer and producer. Natural gas makes up 56% of its output. Cimarex’s properties are in the Mid-Continent region of the U.S., which includes Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas; the Permian Basin of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico; and the Texas Gulf Coast. In the three months ended December 31, 2010, Cimarex’s production averaged a record 604.5 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent per day (this measure includes oil). That’s up 29% from a year earlier. The gain was the result of the company’s successful exploration and development efforts. Higher production and rising oil and gas prices helped push up Cimarex’s cash flow per share by 68.8% in the latest quarter, to $3.73 from $2.21. The strong cash flow prompted the company to raise its quarterly dividend by 25%, to $0.10 from $0.08. The…