Commodity-focused techs with gains ahead

Article Excerpt

PASON SYSTEMS $21.70 (Toronto symbol PSI; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-301-3400; www.pason.com; Shares outstanding: 82.1 million; Market cap: $1.8 billion; Dividend yield: 2.4%) rents equipment for monitoring and managing oil and gas rigs. It also sells communication technology, such as its satellite system, which companies use to remotely collect data from their drilling operations. Pason serves oil and gas producers and drilling contractors throughout Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Argentina and Australia. In the three months ended June 30, 2013, Pason’s revenue fell 2.1%, to $82.4 million from $84.1 million a year earlier. Less drilling in the U.S. and Canada offset strong international sales. Still, cash flow per share rose 5.1%, to $0.62 from $0.59. That’s because the company cut costs at its U.S. operations, which account for 71% of its revenue. Pason holds cash of $195.4 million, or $2.38 a share, and has no debt. The company raised its quarterly dividend by 8.3% with the April 2013 payment, to $0.13 from…