Ensign Resource Service GroupESI.TOTOP PICKSep 09, 2024Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 04, 2026. Market Open.
It is undervalued and has under-performed where it should be. Although it has rallied 30% BMO sees better opportunities in the oil services business. The next quarter is about paying down the rest of the $600 million debt. If all the debt is paid off then it needs to re-instate the dividend. Paying down the debt should transfer to the value of the stock.
It had a market cap of $400 million before the pandemic and the market cap is still $400 million. Yet it has paid down 1/2 billion in debt and is still trading at its valuation pre-pandemic. As it continues to pay down debt the market will realize its value. He doesn't have insolvency issues with this stock.
It is in its third year (of three years) of paying back $600 million in debt. It still has $158 million to pay back in the second, third and fourth quarters this year. Oil prices are off but management still thinks they can do it with flexibility in capital spending and a supportive banking syndicate. The CEO and CFO collectively bought $250 000 of stock recently. This could be significant since there has generally not been much insider buying in the last few months since the April sell-off. If the debt is paid off they will have all this free cash flow for other purposes including re-instating the dividend, which would lead to a stock price increase,
Still likes it. Has a price-free cash flow ratio of 2. Revenues depend on commodity prices, but the Oil Patch has become much more stable. They continue to pay down debt, so down the road can raise the dividend. Shares are down because sentiment to oil services is negative, and the company carries debt.
It is paying down debt at $200 million per year and is half-way through the process of paying off the total of $600 million. When debt is paid off and it is generating $200 million excess capital it can use this capital for dividends and share buybacks. As they approach this point we should see the stock price increase. It is worth about $450 million today. Buy 7 Hold 2 Sell 0