Updating Chesapeake Energy, ATN International and Chipotle Mexican Grill

Article Excerpt

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY $4.30 (New York symbol CHK; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (405-848-8000; www.chk.com; Shares outstanding: 912.3 million; Market cap: $3.8 billion; No dividends paid) is the second-largest producer of natural gas in the U.S. and the country’s 12th largest producer of oil and gas liquids. The company has sold off non-core assets over the last couple of years to focus on its low-risk, high-return properties. Those moves have cut its operating costs. They’ve also helped return Chesapeake to profitability; it made $0.15 a share for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. It earned $0.18 a year earlier. The company’s long-term debt of $9.2 billion remains a high 2.5 times its $2.9 billion market cap. That adds risk. However, most of that debt is at fixed interest rates, which reduces Chesapeake’s exposure to rising rates. Chesapeake Energy is still a buy. ATN INTERNATIONAL $72.00 (Nasdaq symbol ATNI; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (340-777-8000; www.atni.com; Shares outstanding: 16.0 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; Dividend yield: 0.9%) operates in two main areas: its communications business provides…