Topic: Growth Stocks

BIRCHCLIFF ENERGY $9.05 – Toronto symbol BIR

BIRCHCLIFF ENERGY $9.05 (Toronto symbol BIR; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-261-6401; www.birchcliffenergy.com; Shares outstanding: 152.2 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; No dividends paid) develops, produces and explores for oil and gas, mainly in the Peace River Arch area near the Alberta/B.C. border. About 84% of its output is gas. The remaining 16% is oil.

In the three months ended September 30, 2014, Birchcliff’s production rose 38.8%, to 34,235 barrels of oil equivalent a day from 24,662 a year earlier. Cash flow per share jumped 66.7%, to $0.50 from $0.30, on the increased output and higher gas prices.

Birchcliff recently completed Phase 4 of its gasplant expansion in Pouce Coupe, Alberta. That raised the facility’s capacity by 20% and will let Birchcliff bring the additional gas it is now producing to market.

For all of 2014, the company is spending $447 million on exploration and development, up from $251 million in 2013. This spending will raise its output as high as 40,000 barrels a day by year-end. Birchcliff will likely spend around $450 million in 2015.

The company is forecast to generate cash flow of $2.08 a share in 2015. That estimate will fall if oil prices remain below $80 U.S. a barrel for some time, but Birchcliff’s high weighting in natural gas will largely offset lower oil prices. The stock trades at 4.4 times the current forecast, which is reasonable in light of Birchcliff’s growth prospects.

Birchcliff is still a buy for aggressive investors.

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