Just Energy Group (JE-T)

Just energy vs. Crius Energy Trust: Similar companies, valuations and dividends. He prefers Crius because he knows it better and are shifting their client portfolio to more commercial and higher-margin companies. He likes this shift.

Just Energy vs. Crius: Just's chart hasn't performed well. It trades at a fair 5x EBITDA. Problem with these companies is that they're an energy marketers, but the market believes it better to own the client (producer), not the marketer. You're much better with Cruis: activist investors moved onto the board, better yield, less levereg.

He has other recommendations in this space. They have had several issues in the past, including weather reducing demand. They have a new CEO focused on new strategies. With a high dividend, most of the earnings are spoken for and the dividend could be at risk in the next year. Yield 10%.

Doesn't own it now. Two areas he's watching are their new solar initiatives, and them getting further into Europe. Neither are as strong as he expected. Dividend yield is nearly 9% which has attracted investors, which could be sustainable.

Double down? Hasn’t looked at this for a long time, so can’t give a good opinion. They are trying to diversify in Japan, but who knows if they have the expertise in that. However, he would not double down.

(A Top Pick July 27/16. Down 9.57%.) Was hoping to see a continued turnaround in their business, but they had a softer quarter and he sold his holdings at a loss. Likes the business longer-term, but wants to make sure it is going in the right direction from a quarterly standpoint.

ENB-T vs. JE-T. Ask yourself why you should sell ENB-N. You should not sell it because they have raised the dividend every year. ENB-T is a safe, stable company that grows the dividend and never loses money. They can continue to grow the dividend. JE-T has been a great recovery story, but he would not sell ENB-T to buy JE-T. ENB-T moved their money into the US which everyone wanted to do.

An OK business. It’s a marketer on energy. One of the knocks has been leverage on the balance sheet, so they de-levered the balance sheet over time. However, it is a business that is on a treadmill for life, a lot of churn. Clients leave and you always have to acquire new ones. Prefers, Crius Energy Trust (KWH.UN-T) which trades at a significantly cheaper valuation and gives a 9% yield with a 58% payout ratio. Thinks the market is undervaluing the assets. Also, it has no debt on the balance sheet.

(Market Call Minute.) This is a risky business model, so he would stay away.

The stock in Price to Book is very, very expensive. Trading at about 20X Book. The stock, a little while ago, got up to its FMV, but recently on expectations of much improved earnings, the earnings forecasts have really shot up. Analysts have more than 100% upside for the stock. It also has a sweet yield. The dividend is well covered.

Their last quarter had disappointing numbers on the number of customers they were adding. This is still a pretty attractive business. They are looking at new markets in the solar area as well as expansion to Europe. If you own, wait for a quarter or 2 for the numbers to start to improve, when he expects the stock will start to respond accordingly.

*SHORT* This is a long-term short for him. They essentially sell energy contracts door-to-door, and knock on literally millions of dollars a year. You have to ask yourself when is the last time you bought something from a door-to-door salesman, let alone engaged in a multiyear energy contract. Also the attrition rate is about 16% a year.

Their value proposition to customers is not something he is particularly comfortable with. They provide you certainty on your cost of living, etc., but in exchange for a big certainty premium. He has not been able to figure out how that is a repeatable strategy over time. Also, it is a captive universe. Once you have knocked on every door, there is a lot of time before you can go back. Because of this, it is not a growth stock.

This does energy services and energy marketing, so they are a reseller of different products such as natural gas. Now they’ve just gotten into solar. Have done test marketing both in California and New York, which has gone well, so they are going to start to roll it out across the country. They are also starting to take their existing traditional services over into Europe. The company is on a bit of a growth path, and he thinks you could start to see the earnings accelerate. Trading at a fairly reasonable valuation. Dividend yield of 6.21%.