Topic: How To Invest

Hi, Pat: I have Methanex in my portfolio, and would like to know your opinion about it. Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Methanex Corp., $13.50, symbol MX on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 92 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion), is a Vancouver-based producer and distributor of methanol. Methanex produces 53% of its methanol in Chile, Trinidad (including its 63.1% stake in Atlas Methanol) and New Zealand. The company also resells methanol produced by others; this accounted for 34% of its sales in 2008. Methanex’s extensive distribution system makes it the world’s largest methanol supplier. Methanol is usually made by mixing natural gas with steam, then putting the resulting gas mixture through a liquid conversion and distillation process to create pure methanol: a clear, liquid hydrocarbon that is water soluble and biodegradable. Methanol is used in a wide range of products, including windshield-washer fluid, recyclable plastic bottles, plywood floors, paint, silicone sealants and synthetic fibres. It is sometimes blended with gasoline. Methanol is also increasingly used in other fuels, such as biodiesel and dimethyl ether (DME). DME is a gaseous, methanol-based fuel that is used for cooking…