Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What do you think about Range Resources in the U.S.? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

Range Resources, $54.99, symbol RRC on New York (Shares outstanding: 156.9 million; Market cap: $9.0 billion; www.rangeresources.com), develops, explores for and acquires oil and natural-gas properties in the U.S. southwest (48% of 2010 production) and the Appalachian region (52% of production). Range recently sold some of its Barnett Shale assets in Texas for $900 million. It’s also selling some non-core assets for another $250 million. The proceeds from these sales will let it fund its capital-spending plans for at least two years. As part of these plans, Range plans to increase drilling at its Marcellus Shale properties. Shale gas is natural gas that is trapped in rock formations. To extract it, companies must pump water and chemicals into the rock. This fractures the rock and releases the natural gas. The company’s outlook is positive, but the stock trades at a high 16.7 times this year’s forecast cash flow of $3.30 a share. That high multiple will likely limit its prospects for share-price…