These high dividends look secure

Article Excerpt

BONAVISTA ENERGY $12.98 (Toronto symbol BNP; Shares outstanding: 181.5 million; Market cap: $2.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 6.5%; www.bonavistaenergy.com) explores for oil and gas in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. Its production is 62% gas and 38% oil. In the three months ended June 30, 2013, Bonavista’s cash flow per share rose 28.6%, to $0.63 from $0.49 a year earlier. Gas prices increased 67.0%, to $3.64 per thousand cubic feet from $2.18. Production rose 4.4%, to 72,554 barrels of oil equivalent a day (including gas) from 69,506. Bonavista cut its monthly dividend by 41.7% in January 2013, to $0.07 from $0.12. That’s helping it save cash for exploration and development. The new annual rate of $0.84 a share still yields a high 6.5%. As well, Bonavista now pays out just 37% of its cash flow as dividends, so more cuts are unlikely. The stock trades at 5.6 times Bonavista’s forecast 2013 cash flow of $2.30 a share. The…