Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: Can you give me your thoughts please on Perpetual Energy? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Perpetual Energy, $4.17, symbol PMT on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 145.7 million; Market cap: $607.5 million; www.perpetualenergyinc.com), is a Canadian energy company that mostly produces natural gas. Paramount Energy Trust converted into a dividend-paying corporation in June 2010, and changed its name to Perpetual Energy. Perpetual shares have moved down from as high as $5.47 in June 2010, but they still trade at a high 8.0 times this year’s forecast cash flow of $0.52 a share. The shares yield 8.6%, a well-above-average figure that suggests investors fear a dividend cut. In fact, without a rise in natural gas prices, a dividend cut of at least 33% is very likely. We don’t recommend Perpetual Energy. Energy…