Athabasca Oil Sands CorpATH.TOCOMMENTJul 19, 2017Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 05, 2026. Market Open.
What do you want to own today? Canada. Oil. Asset duration. Free cashflow. Share buybacks. This name checks off every single box. Still sees over 100% upside long term at $80 oil in this name, so he's trying to sit on his hands and not sell.
He'd have made it a Top Pick again today if he were allowed.
The high is around $8. It just broke above recent highs in the consolidation zone. Pretty important technical resistance is around $7. Likes it here, and doesn't mind buying at these levels. Positive, long-term trend on the 5-year chart.
Awesome chart, especially given how choppy crude's been. Crude picking up would be an additional tailwind.
Is benefiting from weakness in American shale. The Oil Sands have been overlooked for a long while; the Oil Sands have supply unlike much of the world which is and will face oil supply shortages. ATH has no debt. They will have over 50 years of stay-flat inventory. Have low or no growth, but will buy back as much as stock free cash flow allows. There is a take-put premium in the current share price. At $70 oil, this will trade at 11% free cash flow yield. He sees $80 oil in a year or more, but not for the next 9 months at least. Great managers.
No debt. Roughly $134M net cash. Business model is defendable down to $50 oil. Purish-play, oil sands name. Very clean story. Modest growth, 50+ years of stay-flat inventory. Residual free cashflow dollars are being used to buy back shares. In March alone, bought back 2% of shares outstanding. Management team is underestimated, has done a fantastic job. Gives you exposure to better days ahead for oil. No dividend.
(Analysts’ price target is $6.19)
If you want to be in Canada, and want a very small cap and uber leverage to the oil price, this is a pretty good pick. They did a royalty deal on their oil sands project, which was nothing short of genius. Payments don’t start until oil exceed something like $70-$75. Their total cash/cost break-evens are around $44. If you are a believer in $65-$70 oil, this stock could really, really work. If you are a believer that we are stuck in a $50-$60 range for the next year, there are better areas to be in.