ECA closes PrairieSky sale

Article Excerpt

ENCANA CORP. $25.05 (Toronto symbol ECA; Shares outstanding: 741.0 million; Market cap: $17.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.3%; www.encana.com) has completed its plan to sell shares of subsidiary PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. (Toronto symbol PSK) to the public. Encana sold the shares at $28 each. They have since jumped 40%, to $39.23. PrairieSky Royalty owns the oil and natural gas rights to 5.2 million acres in Alberta. It will not drill wells or explore for new reserves. Instead, it will collect royalties from other oil and gas producers. That should generate steady cash flows for monthly dividends. The sale proceeds were $1.67 billion, and Encana now owns 54% of PrairieSky. In the future, it may hand out that stake as a special dividend to its shareholders. Encana is a buy. buy…