Lower costs will spur your oil returns

Article Excerpt

We continue to advise that all investors maintain some exposure to the oil and gas industry. To further cut your risk, stick with integrated producers like Suncor and Imperial oil, particularly as their cost-cutting plans should give them more room for dividend increases. SUNCOR ENERGY INC. $52 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol SU; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $67.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3: Dividend yield: 4.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.suncor.com) is Canada’s largest integrated oil firm, with major projects in the Alberta oil sands. It also operates four refineries (three in Canada and one in Colorado), along with 1,875 Petro-Canada gas stations. Investor continue to benefit from Suncor’s new strategy to focus on its main oil sands properties and sell its less-important operations. Thanks to that plan, the stock has gained 35% in the past year. The company now aims to lower its break-even production costs by $10 U.S. a barrel (for West Texas Intermediate crude) to $43…