Pengrowth Energy Corp Stock Downgraded (PGH)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Pengrowth Energy (NYSE:PGH) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, expanding profit margins and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, feeble growth in the company's earnings per share and deteriorating net income. Highlights from the ratings report include:

• Despite its growing revenue, the company underperformed as compared with the industry average of 11.7%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 11.4%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
• The gross profit margin for PENGROWTH ENERGY CORP is rather high; currently it is at 57.20%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Regardless of the strong results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of 0.30% trails the industry average.
• The current debt-to-equity ratio, 0.32, is low and is below the industry average, implying that there has been successful management of debt levels. Even though the company has a strong debt-to-equity ratio, the quick ratio of 0.43 is very weak and demonstrates a lack of ability to pay short-term obligations.
• The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 86.7% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $5.43 million to $0.72 million.
• Net operating cash flow has decreased to $126.49 million or 14.28% when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, when comparing the cash generation rate to the industry average, the firm's growth is significantly lower.

. Pengrowth Energy Corporation engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas reserves in Canada. It primarily explores for crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia. The company has a P/E ratio of 35.3, above the average energy industry P/E ratio of 32.9 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Pengrowth Energy has a market cap of $2.96 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and energy industry. Shares are down 24.6% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. You can view the full Pengrowth Energy Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.
-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

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