Cenovus EnergyCVE.TOTOP PICKJan 15, 2014Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jul 21, 2026. Market Open.
Lightened up a bit after the runup. Price of oil will come down, but the bigger question is where will it level out? A hard one to gauge, but his sense is that it will take longer to get supplies out. (He's not a big believer in the pending agreement yet.)
In general oil isn't going back to where it was, and these stocks will be pretty good buys. One of the best oil-levered plays. MEG purchase was brilliant.
Set-it-and-forget-it way to get exposure to bullish oil thesis. New floor for oil is $80, and higher in years to come. Downstream exposure (refineries), with margins at record highs. Top decile oilsands assets. Another record quarter. Really likes management. Yield is 2.09%.
(Analysts’ price target is $43.47)EPS of 50c surpassed the 42c estimate, and revenue of $10.88B beat forecasts by 2%. Results demonstrated Cenovus' substantial expansion through its MEG Energy acquisition, with record upstream production of 917,900 barrels per day in Q4 providing crucial volume protection against softer crude prices. Despite a recent geopolitical boost to oil prices, WTI has averaged $61.40 in Q1, down roughly 14% from Q1 2025. With stable to growing production, operating cash flow will likely face pressure in Q1 and throughout the year without a sustained price rebound. Shareholder returns should remain a focus, but buybacks are expected to moderate from last year's approximately C$2 billion as Cenovus manages MEG-related debt and works toward its C$4 billion net debt target. They remain fully comfortable with the position, though commodity price direction will be critical. Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free
(A Top Pick Jan 3/13. Down 8.8%.) Had “best in class” operating metrics coming out of 2008 in the downturn and they got paid for that in the marketplace. Had some operational difficulties last year, but these assets are multi-decade assets and there will be a bad year here and there, but as a long-term investor, that just gives you a chance to accumulate more. Have been growing their dividend which he likes to see. Going to have lots of free cash flow but it’s a little bit further out because they have growth projects in front of them that they are spending money on.