Topic: Dividend Stocks

PRECISION DRILLING CORP. $6.31 – Toronto symbol PD

PRECISION DRILLING CORP. $6.31 (Toronto symbol PD; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resource sector; Shares outstanding: 292.8 million; Market cap: $1.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.precisiondrilling.com) provides contract drilling services to land-based oil and gas producers, mainly in North America. It operates 335 rigs.

In the quarter ended September 30, 2014, Precision’s revenue rose 19.7%, to $584.6 million from $488.5 million a year earlier. That’s mainly because producers in Western Canada and the U.S. require more rigs that can reach deeper pockets of oil and gas.

Earnings jumped 79.4% in the quarter, to $52.8 million, or $0.18 a share. A year earlier, Precision earned $29.4 million, or $0.10 a share.

The company is spending less on rigs in response to the recent drop in oil prices. It now expects capital spending of $493 million in 2015, down from the $885 million it plans to spend in 2014. Precision has long-term contracts for most of its new rigs, which cuts the risk of these investments.

Even with the recent oil-price decline, Precision’s earnings per share will probably rise from a projected $0.79 in 2014 to $0.81 in 2015. The stock trades at just 7.8 times the 2015 forecast.

In addition, Precision recently raised its dividend by 16.7%. The new annual rate of $0.28 a share yields 4.4%.

Precision Drilling is a buy.

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