Topic: How To Invest

Is BP a good long-term buy at its current price? Or is it a better strategy to buy Imperial Oil for the long-term as a core holding in a dividend growth portfolio? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

BP plc (ADR), $26.98, symbol BP on New York (Shares outstanding: 3.1 billion; Market cap: $84.5 billion), is now down more than 55% from the $60 level, where it traded before the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. But the company still faces many risks. On June 16, BP agreed to deposit $20 billion in an escrow fund to help individuals and businesses affected by the spill. It also halted its dividend. These moves remove some near-term uncertainties. However, the spill continues to release oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and the upcoming hurricane season adds risk that more of this oil will reach land and generate untold environmental devastation, and lawsuits to match. Moreover, the U.S. government and its agencies continue to investigate the spill. That adds further risk, because it raises the possibility that BP will have to pay further penalties and face ever more stringent regulation. We don’t recommend BP. If you are looking to invest in an integrated oil and…