Suncor rejects spinoff demand

Article Excerpt

SUNCOR ENERGY INC. $49 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol SU; Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.44 billion; Market cap: $70.6 billion; Dividend yield: 3.8%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.suncor.com) is Canada’s largest integrated oil firm, with major projects in the Alberta oil sands. Suncor also operates four refineries, along with 1,875 Petro-Canada gas stations. Activist investment firm Elliott Management, which owns 3.4% of Suncor’s shares, recently sent a letter to the board of directors recommending ways to unlock shareholder value. That includes selling or spinning off its network of gas stations. Elliott feels these moves would boost Suncor’s share price to $60, or 22% more than the current price. The oil giant has rejected the proposal and will hang on to the gas stations. However, it does plans to sell its offshore properties near the U.K. and Norway, as well as wind-energy operations. Suncor is a buy. buy…