Tap into a gas rebound

Article Excerpt

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY $21.75 (New York symbol CHK; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (405-848- 8000; www.chkenergy.com; Shares outstanding: 666.5 million; Market cap: $14.5 billion; Dividend yield: 1.6%) is the second-largest natural gas producer in the U.S. Chesapeake continues to sell assets to meet its debt-reduction targets—it’s now selling properties in the Eagle Ford and Haynesville shale formations to Exco Resources for $1 billion. With this deal, Chesapeake has now sold $3.6 billion of properties this year. By the end of 2013, it aims to raise that to $6 billion to $7 billion. These sales, plus its cash flow from production, will let it pay for its planned 2013 exploration and development spending of $7.6 billion. The company will also be able to lower its debt. On March 31, 2013, Chesapeake’s long-term debt was $13.4 billion, or a high 96% of its market cap. Natural gas prices are up over 80% since early 2012, but shares of many producers, including Chesapeake, have not…