EnCana locks in gas prices

Article Excerpt

ENCANA CORP. $50.27 (Toronto symbol ECA; Shares outstanding: 750 million; Market cap: $37.7 billion; SI Rating: Average) earned $4.4 billion before unusual items in 2008, up 7.4% from $4.1 billion in 2007. Earnings per share rose 9.3%, to $5.86 from $5.36 on fewer shares outstanding. Cash flow per share rose 12.8%, to $12.48 from $11.06. A 6% rise in production, plus much higher oil and natural-gas prices in the first half of 2008, were behind the gains. Through hedging contracts, EnCana has locked in prices for two-thirds of its natural gas production for the first ten months of 2009. The average price of $9.13 per thousand cubic feet that EnCana gets under these deals is 125.4% more than the current spot price of $4.05. Gas accounts for over 80% of EnCana’s total output. EnCana is a buy. buy…