EnCana revives its breakup plan

Article Excerpt

ENCANA CORP. $58 (New York symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 751.1 million; Market cap: $43.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; WSSF Rating: Average) will split itself into two separate companies. One will keep the EnCana name, and will focus on unconventional natural gas. The other will operate as Cenovus Energy Inc., and will specialize in oil-sands projects, oil refineries and conventional natural gas. The new EnCana will account for about two-thirds of the company’s current production and reserves. Cenovus will account for the remaining third. EnCana had hoped to complete the split in early 2009, but the stock-market decline and tight credit markets would have made it difficult for the two new, smaller companies to raise capital to fund new projects. Now that conditions have improved, EnCana has decided to go ahead with the split. In September, Cenovus sold $3.5 billion in new long-term notes. EnCana will give its shareholders one new common share in each of the two new…