Q: Hi 5i,
Although not a full position for me, I've held TOU in what was my RSP and is now my RIF since energy plunged post COVID - my cost base is a touch over $18.00. Between capital appreciation and dividends, I've done well since 2020 and like the name. But I don't want to let sentimental attachment cloud my judgment.
Aside from dividends, TOU has delivered literally nothing since the spring of 2023 when it was, as it is now, trading around $58.00 per share - although those dividends are not to be minimized, now being in the range of 11% or so per annum based on my cost price, not including the special dividends that TOU does pay periodically.
Given these particulars coupled with your view of the next 5 to 10 years of possibly increasing LNG sales which I know some are optimistic about – but which I don’t know to be a certainty - is there reason to hold TOU or would the money be better placed in ENB or another energy related name that pays healthy dividends but also features the possibility of share price appreciation that isn’t based on the hope of LNG sales to Asia?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Peter
Although not a full position for me, I've held TOU in what was my RSP and is now my RIF since energy plunged post COVID - my cost base is a touch over $18.00. Between capital appreciation and dividends, I've done well since 2020 and like the name. But I don't want to let sentimental attachment cloud my judgment.
Aside from dividends, TOU has delivered literally nothing since the spring of 2023 when it was, as it is now, trading around $58.00 per share - although those dividends are not to be minimized, now being in the range of 11% or so per annum based on my cost price, not including the special dividends that TOU does pay periodically.
Given these particulars coupled with your view of the next 5 to 10 years of possibly increasing LNG sales which I know some are optimistic about – but which I don’t know to be a certainty - is there reason to hold TOU or would the money be better placed in ENB or another energy related name that pays healthy dividends but also features the possibility of share price appreciation that isn’t based on the hope of LNG sales to Asia?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Peter
5i Research Answer:
We might not focus too much on the recent two years and more on TOU's longer term performance. ENB is fine and we like it, and it is more stable, but we think TOU has more upside potential overall. The sector needs to co-operate, and certainly sentiment is not good right now. But if an investor wants a Canadian natural gas company, we would continue to view TOU as best-in-class. The company is financially strong and the stock is cheap. WHEN the sector moves, we would expect much better performance over time. Management has sold other companies and a takeover is always a possibility as well.