Too little , too late
The company will outspend cash flow next year, with its cash flow of $1 billion to $1.2 billion reflecting a cash shortfall of $550 million, based on U.S. crude prices of US$50 per barrel and US$2.75 natural gas prices.
Our position: Analysts and the company executives are sleep walking past the graveyard.
Encana Corp slashes dividend and cuts capital spending
- from Tuesday Financial Post
Encana Corp. is planning to “reset” its dividend next year as it adjusts to a protracted downturn that has seen oil prices decline to a six year-low.
The Calgary-based company said it is cutting its dividend by 79 per cent to six cents from 28 cents. The company’s stock tumbled more than eight per cent on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday.
“This reset better aligns our dividend with our cash flow or balance sheet and recognizes the very high quality investment options in our portfolio,” CEO Doug Suttles told analysts during a conference call outlining the company’s 2016 capital program.
Canada’s oil and gas sector is in the middle of an austerity drive, as one of the world’s highest-cost jurisdictions comes to terms with prices that have dipped below US$35 per barrel and have lost more than 50 per cent of their value in the space of a year.
The industry has lost 35,000 jobs since OPEC members started driving down prices by raising output in a bid to squeeze out high cost-producers in November 2014.
Canadian companies have responded by reducing headcounts, shelving projects, reining in capital expenditure and cutting dividends to protect their balance sheets — and there may be little respite in the new year.
Encana plans to cut its capital spending by 27 per cent next year to between US$1.5 billion to US$1.7 billion, with half the budget allocated to its Permian basin straddling Texas and New Mexico.
Indeed, the company plans to raise investment in its Permian operations to around $800 million from $700 million a year earlier, but will throttle back in Eagle Ford, and in the Canadian shale plays of the Duvernay and Montney, as it focuses on the most cost-effective play in its portfolio.
While the capital budget was in line with expectations, both total production and liquids production fell short of expectations, which will likely see our cash flow estimates come down with leverage increasing further,” wrote Kyle Preston, an analyst with National Bank Financial Inc. The analyst sees the company’s announcement as “negative,” and cut its price target to US$8 from US$10.
The company will outspend cash flow next year, with its cash flow of $1 billion to $1.2 billion reflecting a cash shortfall of $550 million, based on U.S. crude prices of US$50 per barrel and US$2.75 natural gas prices.
“While we do not see any near-term risk of breaching any debt covenants, we believe the budget may have to be revised down again if commodity prices remain at or near current levels for an extended period,” Preston said.
NONSENSE_ look where prices are – don’t base analysis on dreams:
Crude Oil & Natural Gas
| INDEX | UNITS | PRICE | CHANGE | %CHANGE | CONTRACT | TIME ET | 2 DAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CL1:COM
WTI Crude Oil (Nymex)
|
USD/bbl. | 35.71 | -1.64 | -4.39% | |||
|
CO1:COM
Brent Crude (ICE)
|
USD/bbl. | 37.14 | -1.31 | -3.41% | |||
|
CP1:COM
Crude Oil (Tokyo)
|
JPY/kl | 28,540.00 | -870.00 | -2.96% | |||
|
NG1:COM
Natural Gas (Nymex)
|
USD/MMBtu | 1.79 | -0.03 | -1.70% |
Read More on The Sector Sea Change at http://www.youroffshoremoney.com
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed a growing glut, with crude inventories up 4.8 million barrels last week. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast a decrease of 1.4 million barrels.
“Only the staunchest contrarian could derive anything bullish out of that report,” said Peter Donovan, broker at Liquidity Energy in New York.
“The actual numbers were more bearish than all expectations, as well as more bearish than the API report released last night,” he said.
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