Royalty trusts: Cash flow’s up at Pengrowth

Article Excerpt

PENGROWTH ENERGY TRUST $20.11 (Toronto symbol PGF.UN; SI Rating: Average) lost $0.23 a unit in the three months ended March 31, 2008, mostly due to losses on commodity hedging contracts and foreign exchange losses. It lost $0.29 a unit in the year-earlier quarter. However, cash flow per unit grew 55.4%, to $0.87 from $0.56, mostly due to higher oil and natural gas prices. Revenue rose 5.9%, to $457.6 million from $432.1 million. Pengrowth paid out 77% of its cash flow as distributions in the latest quarter, down from 135% a year earlier. Pengrowth’s improving cash flow should let it keep paying monthly distributions of $0.225 a unit (13.1% yield), as well as replenish its reserves through drilling and acquisitions. Pengrowth is a buy among royalty trusts. trusts…