Stockchase Opinions

Eric Nuttall Cenovus Energy CVE-T DON'T BUY Mar 11, 2025

A value trap. The ultimate catalyst (fixing their downstream) keeps getting deferred and deferred. Share buybacks in recent months is sluggish. A very cheap stock, but downstream keeps biting them. He's cheering for them, but look at CNQ instead.

$18.700

Stock price when the opinion was issued

oil gas
It's the ideal tool to help you make quicker, more informed decisions for managing and tracking your investments.

You might be interested:

DON'T BUY

The ZEO ETF recently broke out to new highs. But this one is not a leader among those. He prefers CNQ, IMO or SU.

PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Nov 22/23, Down 1%)

One of his worst calls in 2024 backing this instead of SU. Downstream challenges continue. Negative EBITDA in a quarter matters. Sentiment is really bad toward these guys. Quality inventory. He sold for a tax loss, plans to come back when confident that downstream issues (refining, which is a low-margin business) are fixed.

WATCH

Energy stocks are in a holding pattern, and this one is typical. Take a look at the 3-year chart. In a trading range, but looks to be cracking support and that's a danger. Technically, he'd be a bit concerned.

BUY

Likes the energy space, and this name is his play. Pipelines to the West Coast have opened up. 

TRADE

Trades under 12x PE and are buying back lots of shares. Likes it. Options: sell the April $25 call and get 20 cents, not a big premium, but leaving lots upside to get closer to the upper-$20s. But he is not selling calls on CVE, because he expects the share price to recover. But at $27-28, he will sell at $30s. For new money, he will sell $20-22 puts.

SELL
Sell, and switch to PPL?

She doesn't own any producers, and she owns PPL, so she likes that idea.

BUY

Q4 missed on downstream margins. Upstream projects are on schedule and on budget. Expects FCF to inflect meaningfully as spending drops and production starts to kick in. Sector faces headwinds, but this is a name you can go to. Way cheaper than peers. Nice production growth, cashflow growth, shareholder returns of 8%. Would be adversely hit by tariffs. All in, he'd be a buyer.

WATCH

Coming into the time when you want to own energy, between mid-February and May/June. Chart shows it's at, or maybe below, support. He'd need to see a bounce to be bullish on it. Watch for another 2 weeks or so; if it breaks down, you have to get out.

DON'T BUY

Downstream operations have been extremely weak. Look at the dividend history. They've cut the dividend in the past, so not a stable dividend payer. Dividend looks high because stock price is low. Look elsewhere.