Cenovus is still better for new buying

Article Excerpt

We like Encana and Cenovus, mainly due to their high-quality reserves and low operating costs. However, Encana’s exposure to weak gas prices hurts its appeal. ENCANA CORP. $15 (Toronto symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 971.0 million; Market cap: $14.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.6; Dividend yield: 0.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.encana.com) has four key properties: Montney (B.C.), Duvernay (Alberta), and Eagle Ford and Permian (both in Texas). In addition to natural gas, these fields produce large amounts of oil and natural gas liquids such as propane and butane. In the quarter ended December 31, 2017, Encana produced 335,200 barrels a day (54% gas, 46% oil). That’s up 4.3%, from 321,500 barrels a year earlier. The company’s cash flow in the quarter rose 47.0%, to $444 million from $302 million a year earlier (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). Due to more shares outstanding, cash flow per share gained 31.4%, to $0.46 from $0.35. The increases came from…