Imperial stays on target

Article Excerpt

IMPERIAL OIL LTD., $97.84, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares o/s: 535.8 million; Market cap: $51.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 2.5%; www.imperialoil.ca) gets over 90% of its production from oil sands operations in Alberta. Imperial also has conventional oil and natural gas operations in the West and holds stakes in offshore projects in Atlantic Canada. Imperial has shut down its Winnipeg Products Pipeline, which transports gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from the U.S. border to customers in the greater Winnipeg region. The company decided to close the line after an inspection revealed that a portion could leak. It expects it will take three months to replace that segment. Meantime, Imperial will use railcars and trucks to deliver those fuels. It’s unlikely that the shutdown will meaningfully impact Imperial’s earnings. In fact, thanks to the 15% increase in crude oil prices since the start of 2024, the stock is now hitting new all-time highs. Even so, it trades at just 11.7 times…