Canadian Research at a Glance
Transcription
Canadian Research at a Glance
EQUITY RESEARCH CANADIAN RESEARCH AT A GLANCE January 14, 2015 Price Target Revisions ! Corus Entertainment Inc. ! Suncor Energy Inc. Summary Dividend supports the stock, but valuation out-of-sync with organic trends Summary Walking the Talk Summary Cigar Lake 2014 production within guidance; 2015 guidance lower than expectations Summary 2014 production in line with guidance; Q4/14 results below expectations Summary Q1/15 Results - Delivering Another Good Quarter Summary 1Q results modestly below consensus; dividend increased +4.6% ! Bulking Up - RBC's Weekly Review ! Canadian Oilfield Services – Impact Summary IODEX falls back below $70/t as Chinese steel prices decline ! Summary Q4/14 preview and best ideas ! ! Q1/15 Global Mining Best Ideas Summary Lumber Stats: production growth in 2014 almost entirely out of the US ! ! Turnin' to the Right - Canadian Summary PMO; DETNOR; TLW; GPX Summary Wrapping up a turbulent 2014 ! Summary Ux spot price up $0.15/lb to $35.40/lb; TradeTech down $0.10/lb to $35.40/lb First Glance Notes ! Cameco Corporation ! Capstone Mining Corp. ! Cogeco Cable Inc. ! Corus Entertainment Inc. Industry Comments of accelerated U.S. rig decline forecast Correction: Canadian Diversified Financials Forest Products Portfolio RBC International E&P Daily Oilfield Services Insights Uranium Weekly Summary Summary Priced as of prior day's market close, EST (unless otherwise noted). For Required Non-U.S. Analyst and Conflicts Disclosures, see Page 11. EQUITY RESEARCH U.S. RESEARCH AT A GLANCE January 14, 2015 Price Target Revisions ! KB Home ! Kinder Morgan, Inc. ! Mohawk Industries, Inc. ! Suncor Energy Inc. Summary 4Q14A Earnings Review Summary Refreshed and Ready to Go; Reiterate Outperform Summary Updating the long thesis Summary Walking the Talk Summary Cigar Lake 2014 production within guidance; 2015 guidance lower than expectations Summary Q4/14 deliveries ahead on bizjets; large cabin regional jets still soft Summary Incremental management comments on reimbursement and NASH pipeline Summary Preannounced Slightly Weaker than Expected Quarter Summary Management breakfast underscores why we are bullish; earnings power underestimated Summary Re-calibrating EPS estimates on adjusted rig count mix Summary Re-calibrating EPS estimates on adjusted rig count mix Summary Lowering estimates after re-calibrating land rig forecast Summary FY15 guidance less negative than feared Summary Lowering estimates after re-calibrating land rig forecast Summary A Positive View from the Cloud World Tour Summary Lowering estimates after re-calibrating land rig forecast Summary Netlist injunction a blow to ULLtraDIMM but does not affect our model Summary Re-calibrating EPS estimates on adjusted rig count mix Summary Reduces 2015 CapEx Budget By 55%; New Fasken Wells Looked Solid Summary Re-calibrating EPS estimates on adjusted rig count mix ! Bulking Up - RBC's Weekly Review ! Forest Products ! Multi-Industry 4Q14 Earnings Summary IODEX falls back below $70/t as Chinese steel prices decline Summary Lumber Stats: production growth in 2014 almost entirely out of the US Summary 2015 Estimates Headed Lower ! ! Q4/14 Coatings Earnings Preview: Summary Through January 13, 2015 First Glance Notes ! Cameco Corporation ! Embraer S.A. ! Gilead Sciences ! Stryker Corp. Company Comments ! Akorn Inc. ! Baker Hughes, Inc. ! Halliburton Company ! Helmerich & Payne Inc. ! IHS Inc. ! Nabors Industries Inc. ! Oracle ! Patterson-UTI Energy ! SanDisk Corporation ! Schlumberger Limited ! Swift Energy Company ! Weatherford International Industry Comments Preview Nexus.One Summary Raising Targets on Pricing and Raws Benefit RBC European Industrials Daily Summary ! ! RBC International E&P Daily ! US Oilfield Services: Re-Calibrating Accelerating rig count decline; Encouraging healthcare survey; Fenner Summary PMO; DETNOR; TLW; GPX Summary January 2014 Land Drilling Report US Land Forecast – 34% Drop in 2015 2 EQUITY RESEARCH Investment Strategy Research ! Underlying Earnings Trends Summary In-Depth Reports ! Internet Q4 EPS Preview Summary Q4 EPS Preview for the Mid-Large Cap Internet Stocks 3 EQUITY RESEARCH UK & European Research at a Glance January 14, 2015 Company Comments ! International Consolidated Airlines Summary Aer Lingus scenarios - waiting is an option Summary IODEX falls back below $70/t as Chinese steel prices decline Industry Comments ! Bulking Up - RBC's Weekly Review ! Q1/15 Global Mining Best Ideas Summary Portfolio Find our Research at: RBC Insight (www.rbcinsight.com): RBC's global research destination on the web. Contact your RBC Capital Markets' sales representative to access our global research site, or use our iPad App "RBC Research" Thomson Reuters (www.thomsononeanalytics.com) Bloomberg (RBCR GO) SNL Financial (www.snl.com) FactSet (www.factset.com) 4 Price Target Revisions Corus Entertainment Inc.(TSX: CJR.B; 22.49) Haran Posner (Analyst) (416) 842-7832; haran.posner@rbccm.com Drew McReynolds, CFA, CA (Analyst) (416) 842-3805; drew.mcreynolds@rbccm.com 26.00 52 WEEKS Rating: Price Target: 24JAN14 - 12JAN15 Sector Perform 22.00 ▼ 23.00 Dividend supports the stock, but valuation out-of-sync with organic trends We maintain our Sector Perform rating and lower our price target to $22 following softer-than-expected 1Q results. 25.00 24.00 23.00 22.00 21.00 2000 1500 1000 500 J F M A Close M J 2014 J A S O N D J Rel. S&P/TSX COMPOSITE INDEXMA 40 weeks EPS, Ops Diluted Prev. 2013A 1.65 2014A 1.77 2015E 1.85↓ 1.96 2016E 1.98↓ 2.08 P/E 13.6x 12.7x 12.2x 11.4x All values in CAD unless otherwise noted. • Trimming estimates and reducing target to $22. On the heels of 1Q results, we are modestly lowering our revenue growth and margin assumptions in both television and radio. Our F2015E and F2016E EBITDA estimates decrease from $308MM and $319MM, respectively, to $300MM and $309MM. We continue to see support for the shares driven by the company’s solid FCF generation (8.3% FCF yield in F2015E) and attractive dividend yield (5.1%). However, our Sector Perform rating reflects (i) FTM EV/EBITDA valuation of 9.3x after Tuesday’s puzzling share price gain (+7.5%) and our downward estimate revisions (upperend of the 5-year range of 6.5-9.5x); (ii) our desire to see a return to consistently positive organic revenue growth (particularly given rising structural headwinds for linear broadcast); and (iii) elevated regulatory risk pending a CRTC decision on Let’s Talk TV (channel unbundling would be negative, and Corus has meaningful exposure). Suncor Energy Inc.(TSX: SU; 34.81; NYSE: SU) Greg Pardy, CFA (Analyst) (416) 842-7848; greg.pardy@rbccm.com Franz Hargo Muljo, CA (Associate) 416 842 8588; franz.muljo@rbccm.com Rating: Price Target: 52 WEEKS 24JAN14 - 12JAN15 46.00 44.00 42.00 40.00 Outperform 41.00 ▼ 42.00 Walking the Talk Suncor Energy’s revised 2015 budget pointed toward a $1 billion (13%) reduction in its capital spending to a mid-point of $6.5 billion, with production guidance unchanged at 540,000 – 585,000 boe/d. 38.00 36.00 34.00 32.00 30000 20000 10000 J F M Close A M J 2014 J A S O N D Rel. S&P/TSX COMPOSITE INDEXMA 40 weeks EPS, Ops Diluted Prev. 2013A 3.13 2014E 3.28 2015E 0.89↑ 0.79 2016E 1.78↓ 1.80 P/E 11.1x 10.6x 39.1x 19.6x All values in CAD unless otherwise noted. J • In our minds, Suncor’s decision to live within its means is logical and potentially savvy should acquisition opportunities arise – possibly in US refining, as we move through 2015 and into next year. Suncor remains our favorite integrated oil producer. • Cutting $1 billion in Capital. Suncor announced a $1 billion cut to its 2015 capital program, which now ranges from $6.2 – $6.8 billion. Oil sands expenditures now account for 62% of its 2015 budget – up from 60% previously. These initiatives encompass its unsanctioned 20,000 b/d MacKay River expansion, as well as the White Rose Extension. Sustained operating expense reduction initiatives of $600 – $800 million are also targeted to be phased in over two years. Suncor’s revised 2015 guidance also pointed toward a total 2015 workforce reduction of 1000 employees (mainly contractors), while a hiring freeze has moved into place for roles not critical to operations and safety. First Glance Notes Fraser Phillips, P.Eng. (Analyst) (416) 842-7859; fraser.phillips@rbccm.com Steve Bristo, CFA (Associate) (416) 842-7826; steve.bristo@rbccm.com Thomas Klein (Associate) (416) 842-5339; thomas.klein@rbccm.com Cameco Corporation(TSX: CCO; 17.60; NYSE: CCJ) Rating: Outperform Cigar Lake 2014 production within guidance; 2015 guidance lower than expectations • Production from Cigar Lake in 2014 in line with expectations: Cameco announced today that total production for 2014 from Cigar Lake was 0.34 million pounds (100% basis), in the middle of the guidance range of 0.2 - 0.6 million pounds. 5 28.00 52 WEEKS 24JAN14 - 12JAN15 26.00 24.00 22.00 20.00 18.00 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 J F M A Close M J 2014 J A S O N D J Rel. S&P/TSX COMPOSITE INDEXMA 40 weeks All values in CAD unless otherwise noted. Capstone Mining Corp.(TSX: CS; 1.93) Fraser Phillips, P.Eng. (Analyst) (416) 842-7859; fraser.phillips@rbccm.com Melissa Oliphant (Associate) 416 842 4126; melissa.oliphant@rbccm.com 3.30 Rating: 24JAN14 - 12JAN15 3.00 2.70 2.40 2.10 1.80 20000 15000 10000 5000 F M Close A M J 2014 J A S Sector Perform 2014 production in line with guidance; Q4/14 results below expectations 52 WEEKS J • 2015 Cigar Lake Production expected to be 6 to 8 million pounds, lower than previous guidance: The guidance is on a 100% basis. The guidance is below our estimate and previous guidance of 11 million pounds on a 100% basis. The last time Cameco reported 2015 - 2017 guidance for Cigar Lake was Q3/13, at which point the guidance matched the mine plan in the 2012 technical report. • Lower 2015 production guidance a negative for Cameco, but a positive for the uranium market, in our view: The lower Cigar Lake production is a positive for the uranium market. However, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on prices given our forecast that the market remains in surplus out to 2020. • Cigar Lake still expected to reach full design rates by 2018: Cameco continues to expect that full production rates of 18 million pounds (100% basis), or 9 million pounds for Cameco's 50.025% interest will be reached by 2018. • Reporting details: Cameco will report Q4/14 results on Friday, February 6, 2015 after market close. A conference call will be held Monday, February 9 at 11:00 a.m. ET. Dial in: 416-340-8530 or 1-800-769-8320. O N D Rel. S&P/TSX COMPOSITE INDEXMA 40 weeks All market data in CAD; all financial data in USD. Drew McReynolds, CFA, CA (Analyst) (416) 842-3805; drew.mcreynolds@rbccm.com Jie He (Associate) 416 842 4123; jie.he@rbccm.com Haran Posner (Analyst) (416) 842-7832; haran.posner@rbccm.com J • Capstone's 2014 copper production in line with guidance: Capstone produced 228 Mlbs of copper in concentrate and cathode in 2014, 1.4% below guidance of 231 Mlbs, with slight misses at Pinto Valley, Cozamin and Minto. • Q4/14 production declined QoQ and came in below our estimates: Capstone produced 50.9 Mlbs of copper in Q4/14, down 10% QoQ and 7% below our estimate due to lower than expected production from all mines. • Lower than planned throughput and grades at Pinto Valley: Pinto Valley produced 33.5 Mlbs of copper in Q4/14, down 5% QoQ but just 2% below our estimate. Capstone reported that lower than planned throughput and grades contributed to the result. • 9% decline in copper grade at Cozamin: Capstone reported that ground support remediation activities continued to impact the release of higher-grade mining areas. • At Minto, the processing of lower-grade stockpile resulted in grades 26% below last quarter for copper production of 7.3 Mlbs, 31% lower than Q3/14 but in line with company guidance. Capstone supplemented the processing of stockpile with ore from the M-Zone and Area 118 underground, which was advanced in the mine plan after it was announced that Minto North will not come into production until late 2015 due to permitting delays. Capstone this morning stated that it expects to receive the required permits in March. • 2015 outlook: Capstone will release 2015 operating and capital guidance from January 19-23, 2015. • Financial reporting details: Capstone will report 2014 financial results on February 17, 2015 after market close. Cogeco Cable Inc.(TSX: CCA; 74.75) Rating: Outperform Q1/15 Results - Delivering Another Good Quarter • Consolidated Q1/15 results slightly ahead of our expectations and in line with consensus. Consolidated revenue and EBITDA were $497MM (+4.6% YoY) and $219MM (+3.5%), respectively, slightly ahead of our estimates of $497MM and $216MM (consensus was $496MM and $219MM). Consolidated EBITDA margins were 44.0%, versus our estimate of 43.4% and 44.5% in Q1/14. Adjusted EPS of $1.16 exceeded our $1.11 estimate (consensus was $1.13). F2015 guidance was reiterated. • What to look for on the 9:30am ET conference call (#800-524-8950, code: 9732023#). (i) an update on the IPTV footprint overlap (estimated at 35%-40%); (ii) the extent to which higher programming costs were reflected in Q1/15 Canadian Cable margins; (iii) the business contribution to better than expected 6 52 WEEKS 24JAN14 - 12JAN15 70.00 Internet subscriber growth; (iv) early traction with TiVo in Ontario; and (v) and update on acquisition opportunities. 65.00 60.00 55.00 50.00 900 600 300 J F M A Close M J 2014 J A S O N D J Rel. S&P/TSX COMPOSITE INDEXMA 40 weeks All values in CAD unless otherwise noted. Corus Entertainment Inc.(TSX: CJR.B; 21.02) Haran Posner (Analyst) (416) 842-7832; haran.posner@rbccm.com Drew McReynolds, CFA, CA (Analyst) (416) 842-3805; drew.mcreynolds@rbccm.com 26.00 52 WEEKS Rating: 1Q results modestly below consensus; dividend increased +4.6% 24JAN14 - 12JAN15 25.00 24.00 23.00 22.00 21.00 2000 1500 1000 500 J F M Close A M J 2014 J A S O N D Rel. S&P/TSX COMPOSITE INDEXMA 40 weeks All values in CAD unless otherwise noted. Sector Perform J • 1Q15 results modestly below expectations. Despite a $4MM favourable variance in corporate costs, revenue and EBITDA in the seasonally important 1Q period were $227MM (+0.5% YoY) and $93MM (+1.1% YoY), respectively below our estimates of $238MM and $99MM (consensus $232MM and $96MM). Reported YoY growth includes the contribution from H&S. The main reason for the negative variance versus our estimate was lower-than-expected (high margin) advertising revenue, reflecting general softness in the ad market across all verticals, particularly in Women and Family. Consolidated EBITDA margins were 41.1% versus our forecast of 41.4%, and adjusted EPS was $0.60 versus our $0.67 estimate (consensus $0.65). • Dividend increase in-line with expectation; guidance unchanged. The company announced a +4.6% dividend increase, which was consistent with our expectation for an increase in the low- to mid single-digit range (we modeled +5%). As expected, the company did not provide an update to F2015 guidance (EBITDA in the $300-320MM range and FCF of ">$180MM"). Given the 1Q results, Corus would need to grow EBITDA nearly +10% in the remainder of the year in order to hit the midpoint of EBITDA guidance at $310MM (and nearly +5% to reach the low-end of guidance at $300MM). Industry Comments Fraser Phillips, P.Eng. (Analyst) (416) 842-7859; fraser.phillips@rbccm.com Bulking Up - RBC's Weekly Review Melissa Oliphant (Associate) 416 842 4126; melissa.oliphant@rbccm.com • What's Hot: China's December coal imports came in at an 11-month high of 27.2 Mt, up 29.4% MoM, on pre-winter purchasing and ahead of the implementation of import restrictions on trace element content, effective January 1. However, December imports were down 23.2% YoY, continuing the weak YoY trend for China's coal imports. • What's Not: Thermal coal prices fell to fresh multi-year lows, with FOB Richards Bay and European-delivered CIF ARA down 4.7% and 8.7% this week, respectively. • Our View: There have been recent supportive moves in oil, currency, and freight rates for iron ore producers, which have helped to offset the fall in iron ore prices through Q4 2014. These factors may provide some near term support for earnings for iron ore miners; however, we do expect oil and freight to recover in the second half of the year, and further supply increases will keep iron ore prices under pressure, leaving a challenging medium term outlook. • Met coal prices declined in Asia including premium LV HCC FOB Australia (-0.4%). • Thermal coal: FOB Newcastle, FOB Richards Bay, and CIF ARA prices fell by 1.8%, 4.7%, and 8.7%, respectively. Chris Drew, CFA (Analyst) +61 2 9033 3060; chris.drew@rbccm.com Ken Tham, CFA (Analyst) +61 2 9033 3064; ken.tham@rbccm.com Steve Bristo, CFA (Associate) (416) 842-7826; steve.bristo@rbccm.com All values in USD unless otherwise noted. IODEX falls back below $70/t as Chinese steel prices decline 7 • Iron ore retreated below $70/t again this week. IODEX fell by 4.5% to $68.50/t after a decline in Chinese billet prices and rebar futures deepened the market’s bearish iron ore sentiment. • Steel: HRC and rebar prices were mixed in North America but declined in Europe and China. • Iron ore and coal freight rates declined, most notably Aus-China iron ore freight (-13.7%). Dan MacDonald, CFA (Analyst) (403) 299-2394; dan.macdonald@rbccm.com Matthew McKellar (Associate) 403 299 5045; matthew.mckellar@rbccm.com All values in CAD unless otherwise noted. Canadian Oilfield Services – Impact of accelerated U.S. rig decline forecast • We have re-calibrated our US land rig count forecast to reflect our view that the US land rig count bottoms in mid-2Q15 (from 3Q15 previously). We expect HZ rigs to drop 21% y/y in 2015 (from ~10% previously). • Total US land rig count is forecast to be down 50% peak-to-trough in 2015 (no change to our view), with the HZ count down 42% and non-HZ down 73%. On an YE15 exit rate basis, total US land rigs are now forecast to be down 34% y/y, with HZ down 21% and Non-HZ down 67%. • We have increased our forecast pricing decline in Canada from 5% to 10% q/q in Q1/15, driven by industry feedback and similar to what is being seen in the U.S. market. Our Canadian activity forecast is unchanged, calling for an acceleration of y/y declines in drilling activity through Q3/15, bottoming in late Q3/early Q4 2015. Geoffrey Kwan, CFA (Analyst) (604) 257-7195; geoffrey.kwan@rbccm.com Correction: Canadian Diversified Financials Charan Sanghera (Associate) 604 257 7657; charan.sanghera@rbccm.com • 2014 summary: Outperformers were mortgage stocks (low rates helping strong housing activity, housing downturn fears that did not materialize) and private equity stocks (value creation, US$ exposure). Asset managers (excluding Gluskin Sheff) surprisingly underperformed despite a positive backdrop. • Best ideas (in order): (1) Tricon; (2) CI Financial; and (3) Genworth Canada. Other Outperform rated stocks include GS, IGM, EFN, POW and PWF. • Upgrading Onex to Sector Perform (was Underperform); 12-month price target to $74 (was $66). • Price target and estimate revisions. See Exhibit 1 for estimate changes. 12month price target changes: AGF.b ($8, was $10); CF ($8.50, was $11); CIX ($37, was $38); EFN ($19, was $20); EQB ($71, was $75); FN ($24, was $26); GS ($35, was $36); HCG ($55, was $59); IFC ($88, was $84); IGM ($50, was $51); MIC ($47, was $50); OCX ($74, was $66); TCN ($11, was $10.50); and X ($54, was $55). All values in CAD unless otherwise noted. Q4/14 preview and best ideas Paul C. Quinn (Analyst) (604) 257-7048; paul.c.quinn@rbccm.com Forest Products Hamir Patel (Analyst) (604) 257-7145; hamir.patel@rbccm.com • NA lumber production increased 0.1% y/y to 5.0 billion board feet (Bbf) in October (+2.7% 10-Mo YTD) – US lumber production (+4.7% YTD) was 2.8 Bbf in October, up 1.5% y/y and 7.0% higher m/m. US production rose 9.0% m/m in the West and 5.1% in the South. Canadian lumber production (+0.3% YTD) was 1.5% lower y/y at 2.2 Bbf and up 3.1% m/m (+2.5% m/m in British Columbia and 3.8% higher in the rest of Canada). NA lumber consumption is tracking 5.4% higher YTD (+7.1% in the US but 3.0% lower in Canada). US lumber consumption increased 8.8% y/y to 3.9 Bbf in October (77% of NA production). • NA lumber shipments increased 3.1% y/y (+3.6% 10-Mo YTD) – US shipments were 1.0% higher y/y (+6.0% m/m). Canadian shipments increased 5.9% y/y (+6.5% m/m). NA exports to China of 328 mmfbm were down 21.3% y/y (+27.6% m/m). NA exports to Japan were 28.7% lower y/y (+10.2% m/m). US softwood log exports to China were down 47.1% y/y and exports to Japan fell 9.7%. Japanese demand has slowed since the 3% increase to their VAT tax in April. • Lower NA operating rates m/m – The US sawmill operating rate declined from 85% in September to 83% in October (+100 bps from a year ago). The Canadian sawmill operating rate decreased from 82% in September to 77% in October (-300 bps from a year ago). All values in USD unless otherwise noted. Lumber Stats: production growth in 2014 almost entirely out of the US 8 Stephen D. Walker (Analyst) (416) 842-4120; stephen.walker@rbccm.com Fraser Phillips, P.Eng. (Analyst) (416) 842-7859; fraser.phillips@rbccm.com Q1/15 Global Mining Best Ideas Portfolio • We are publishing our weekly update to our Global Mining Best Ideas portfolio. For the quarter-to-date, the Q1/15 Global Mining Best Ideas List is up 1% compared to the MSCI World Metals & Mining Index, which is down 2%. Dan Rollins, CFA (Analyst) (416) 842-9893; dan.rollins@rbccm.com Sam Crittenden, P.Eng., CFA (Analyst) (416) 842-7886; sam.crittenden@rbccm.com Timothy Huff (Analyst) +44 20 7653 4866; timothy.huff@rbccm.com Des Kilalea (Analyst) +44 20 7653 4538; des.kilalea@rbccm.com Chris Drew, CFA (Analyst) +61 2 9033 3060; chris.drew@rbccm.com Jonathan Guy (Analyst) +44 20 7653 4603; jonathan.guy@rbccm.com Andrew D. Wong (Analyst) (416) 842-7830; andrew.d.wong@rbccm.com Paul Hissey (Analyst) +61 3 8688 6512; paul.hissey@rbccm.com All values in USD unless otherwise noted. Nathan Piper (Analyst) +44 131 222 3649; nathan.piper@rbccm.com RBC International E&P Daily Al Stanton (Analyst) +44 131 222 3638; al.stanton@rbccm.com PMO.L: Financial Resilience Underlined; DETNOR.OL: Q4 production ahead of expectation; Crude Price Decks; TLW.L: Trading Statement – 15th January; more questions than answers?; GPX.L: General meeting rescheduled for February Haydn Rodgers, CA (Associate) +44 131 222 4911; haydn.rodgers@rbccm.com PMO; DETNOR; TLW; GPX Victoria McCulloch, CA (Analyst) +44 131 222 4909; victoria.mcculloch@rbccm.com All values in USD unless otherwise noted. Dan MacDonald, CFA (Analyst) (403) 299-2394; dan.macdonald@rbccm.com Turnin' to the Right - Canadian Oilfield Services Insights Matthew McKellar (Associate) 403 299 5045; matthew.mckellar@rbccm.com The Canadian OFS group continued to suffer in December through declining commodity prices and decreased expectations for 2015 E&P capital spending. We will watch more intently for budget revisions from E&P companies as lower prices persist, especially from those who released earlier guidance on 2015 capex predicated on higher commodity price assumptions. All values in CAD unless otherwise noted. Wrapping up a turbulent 2014 We note several important trends in activity levels in 2014: • Increased service intensity per well (+ve CEU, SES): Average metres per well and days to drill, two key indicators of service intensity, trended higher in 2014. Average days to drill was up 7% and metres drilled per well was up 11%. • Strong horizontal activity (+ve PHX, CEU, SES): Horizontal drilling activity rose 10% in 2014, driven by a trend towards a rising amount of horizontal wells as a share of total wells drilled. However, while the relative share of total wells still seems to be increasing, we noted some deceleration in 2H14, and the absolute level will decline in 2015. • Fracturing-intensive gas wells support completions activity: Gas well completions were up 31% y/y, while oil well completions fell 6%. In aggregate, total well completions were essentially flat y/y. Given that gas wells are more fracturing intensive than oil wells, this was a net positive for pressure pumping demand. 9 • Gas wells drive licensing: Renewed interest in natural gas drove gas well licensing up 47% y/y, helping buoy total licensing to an increase of 12% y/y. Fraser Phillips, P.Eng. (Analyst) (416) 842-7859; fraser.phillips@rbccm.com Uranium Weekly Steve Bristo, CFA (Associate) (416) 842-7826; steve.bristo@rbccm.com • Ux spot price indicator was up $0.15/lb to $35.40/lb and TradeTech was down $0.10/lb to $35.40/lb. • Ux term price indicator was unchanged at $49.00/lb, and TradeTech was unchanged at $50.00/lb (quoted monthly at month-end). • Uranium Participation Corp. (UPC) traded up 1.7% over the past week to close at C$5.24 per share (vs. S&P/TSX -0.9%). • We estimate UPC is discounting a uranium price of $32.96/lb, a 6.9% discount to spot. Last week we estimated that UPC discounted a uranium price of $32.86/lb, a 6.8% discount to the then-prevailing spot price. • We rate Uranium Participation Corp. Outperform with a target price of C$6.00 per share Thomas Klein (Associate) (416) 842-5339; thomas.klein@rbccm.com All values in USD unless otherwise noted. Ux spot price up $0.15/lb to $35.40/lb; TradeTech down $0.10/lb to $35.40/lb 10 Required disclosures Non-U.S. analyst disclosure Nathan Piper;Al Stanton;Haydn Rodgers;Victoria McCulloch;Dan MacDonald;Matthew McKellar;Paul C. Quinn;Hamir Patel;Greg Pardy;Franz Hargo Muljo;Drew McReynolds;Jie He;Haran Posner;Fraser Phillips;Melissa Oliphant;Chris Drew;Ken Tham;Steve Bristo;Thomas Klein;Stephen D. Walker;Dan Rollins;Sam Crittenden;Timothy Huff;Des Kilalea;Jonathan Guy;Andrew D. Wong;Paul Hissey;Geoffrey Kwan;Charan Sanghera (i) are not registered/qualified as research analysts with the NYSE and/or FINRA and (ii) may not be associated persons of the RBC Capital Markets, LLC and therefore may not be subject to FINRA Rule 2711 and NYSE Rule 472 restrictions on communications with a subject company, public appearances and trading securities held by a research analyst account. Conflicts disclosures This product constitutes a compendium report (covers six or more subject companies). 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Additional distribution may be done by the sales personnel via email, fax or regular mail. Clients may also receive our research via third party vendors. Please contact your investment advisor or institutional salesperson for more information regarding RBC Capital Markets research. RBC Capital 11 Markets also provides eligible clients with access to SPARC on its proprietary INSIGHT website. SPARC contains market color and commentary, and may also contain Short-Term Trade Ideas regarding the securities of subject companies discussed in this or other research reports. SPARC may be accessed via the following hyperlink: https://www.rbcinsight.com. A Short-Term Trade Idea reflects the research analyst's directional view regarding the price of the security of a subject company in the coming days or weeks, based on market and trading events. A Short-Term Trade Idea may differ from the price targets and/or recommendations in our published research reports reflecting the research analyst's views of the longer-term (one year) prospects of the subject company, as a result of the differing time horizons, methodologies and/or other factors. Thus, it is possible that the security of a subject company that is considered a long-term 'Sector Perform' or even an 'Underperform' might be a short-term buying opportunity as a result of temporary selling pressure in the market; conversely, the security of a subject company that is rated a long-term 'Outperform' could be considered susceptible to a short-term downward price correction. Short-Term Trade Ideas are not ratings, nor are they part of any ratings system, and RBC Capital Markets generally does not intend, nor undertakes any obligation, to maintain or update Short-Term Trade Ideas. Short-Term Trade Ideas discussed in SPARC may not be suitable for all investors and have not been tailored to individual investor circumstances and objectives, and investors should make their own independent decisions regarding any Short-Term Trade Ideas discussed therein. Analyst certification All of the views expressed in this report accurately reflect the personal views of the responsible analyst(s) about any and all of the subject securities or issuers. No part of the compensation of the responsible analyst(s) named herein is, or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed by the responsible analyst(s) in this report. Disclaimer RBC Capital Markets is the business name used by certain branches and subsidiaries of the Royal Bank of Canada, including RBC Dominion Securities Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, RBC Europe Limited, RBC Capital Markets (Hong Kong) Limited, Royal Bank of Canada, Hong Kong Branch and Royal Bank of Canada, Sydney Branch. The information contained in this report has been compiled by RBC Capital Markets from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made by Royal Bank of Canada, RBC Capital Markets, its affiliates or any other person as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. All opinions and estimates contained in this report constitute RBC Capital Markets' judgement as of the date of this report, are subject to change without notice and are provided in good faith but without legal responsibility. Nothing in this report constitutes legal, accounting or tax advice or individually tailored investment advice. This material is prepared for general circulation to clients and has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. The investments or services contained in this report may not be suitable for you and it is recommended that you consult an independent investment advisor if you are in doubt about the suitability of such investments or services. This report is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Past performance is not a guide to future performance, future returns are not guaranteed, and a loss of original capital may occur. RBC Capital Markets research analyst compensation is based in part on the overall profitability of RBC Capital Markets, which includes profits attributable to investment banking revenues. 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Any U.S. recipient of this report that is not a registered broker-dealer or a bank acting in a broker or dealer capacity and that wishes further information regarding, or to effect any transaction in, any of the securities discussed in this report, should contact and place orders with RBC Capital Markets, LLC. To Canadian Residents: This publication has been approved by RBC Dominion Securities Inc.(member IIROC). Any Canadian recipient of this report that is not a Designated Institution in Ontario, an Accredited Investor in British Columbia or Alberta or a Sophisticated Purchaser in Quebec (or similar permitted purchaser in any other province) and that wishes further information regarding, or to effect any transaction in, any of the securities discussed in this report should contact and place orders with RBC Dominion Securities Inc., which, without in any way limiting the foregoing, accepts responsibility for this report and its dissemination in Canada. 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Accordingly, any recipient should, before acting on 12 this material, consider the appropriateness of this material having regard to their objectives, financial situation and needs. If this material relates to the acquisition or possible acquisition of a particular financial product, a recipient in Australia should obtain any relevant disclosure document prepared in respect of that product and consider that document before making any decision about whether to acquire the product. This research report is not for retail investors as defined in section 761G of the Corporations Act. To Hong Kong Residents: This publication is distributed in Hong Kong by RBC Capital Markets (Hong Kong) Limited and Royal Bank of Canada, Hong Kong Branch (both entities which are regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ('HKMA') and the Securities and Futures Commission ('SFC')). Financial Services provided to Australia: Financial services may be provided in Australia in accordance with applicable law. Financial services provided by the Royal Bank of Canada, Hong Kong Branch are provided pursuant to the Royal Bank of Canada's Australian Financial Services Licence ('AFSL') (No. 246521). RBC Capital Markets (Hong Kong) Limited is exempt from the requirement to hold an AFSL under the Corporations Act 2001 in respect of the provision of such financial services. RBC Capital Markets (Hong Kong) Limited is regulated by the HKMA and the SFC under the laws of Hong Kong, which differ from Australian laws. To Singapore Residents: This publication is distributed in Singapore by the Royal Bank of Canada, Singapore Branch, a registered entity granted offshore bank licence by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. This material has been prepared for general circulation and does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any recipient. You are advised to seek independent advice from a financial adviser before purchasing any product. 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