Is it a good company at a reasonable price? Personally, I have never been a keen investor in the resource sector. There is a lot of volatility in this sector. For investors, there are periods where the 8% total return I want has not been met. I know some long term investors like the resource area. The stock price seems to be reasonable at this point in time.
I do not own this stock of ARC Resources Ltd (TSX-ARX, OTC-AETUF). When TFSA first came out, this stock was recommended for this account as it was an income trust at that point and most of the distributions were taxable. This stock is no longer an income trust and the distributions are now dividends and taxed as normal Canadian dividends.
When I was updating my spreadsheet, I noticed insiders were buying stock over the past year between $24.00 and $27.00. Buying was by all the officers I was following and some of the Directors.
If you had invested in this company in December 2015, for $1,002.00 you would have bought 26 shares at $16.70 per share. In December 2025, after 10 years you would have received $330.36 in dividends. The stock would be worth $1,545.00. Your total return would have been $1,875.36. This would be a total return of 7.18% per year with 4.43% from capital gain and 2.76% from dividends.
| Cost | Tot. Cost | Shares | Years | Dividends | Stock Val | Tot Ret |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $16.70 | $1,002.00 | 60 | 10 | $330.36 | $1,545.00 | $1,875.36 |
The current dividend yield is moderate with dividend growth has restarted. The current dividend yield is moderate (2% to 4% ranges) at 3.44%. The 5 and 10 year median dividend yields are also moderate at 2.76% and 3.32%. The historical median dividend yield is good (5% to 6% ranges) at 6.50%.
The dividends have increased by 25.9% per year over the past 5 years. However, dividends are lower than they have been in the past. Dividends were being deceased lastly from 2009 until 2020. I have dividend information for the past 29 years and there has been 12 years of dividend increases and 8 years of dividend decreases. Much of the problem with dividends has to do with this company being a Income Trust company in the past. Old Income Trust companies have had a hard time getting dividends right. The last dividend increase occurred in 2026 and it was for 10.5%.
The Dividend Payout Ratios (DPR) are good. The DPR for 2025 for Earnings per Share (EPS) is good at 35% with 5 year coverage at 24%. The DPR for 2025 for Funds from Operations (FFO) is good at 14% with 5 year coverage at 12%. The DPR for 2025 for Free Funds Flow (FFF) is good at 35% with 5 year coverage at 27%. The DPR for 2025 for Cash Flow per Share (CFPS) is good at 14% with 5 year coverage at 12%. The DPR for 2025 for Free Cash Flow (FCF) is good at 35% with 5 year coverage at 26%. (Only WSJ is giving out FCF information at the present time.)
| Item | Cur | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|
| EPS | 34.70% | 24.26% |
| FFO | 13.87% | 11.82% |
| FFF | 34.55% | 27.33% |
| CFPS | 13.58% | 11.68% |
| FCF | 35.32% | 26.28% |
Debt Ratios are good. The Long Term Debt/Market Cap Ratio for 2025 is good at 0.17 and currently at 0.18. The Liquidity Ratio for 2025 is too low at 0.70 and 0.70currently. If you added in Cash Flow after dividends, the ratios are fine at 2.48 and currently at 2.37. The Debt Ratio for 2025 is good at 2.97 and 2.17 currently. The Leverage and Debt/Equity Ratios for 2025 are good at 1.51 and 0.51 and currently at 1.85 and 0.85.
| Type | Year End | Ratio Curr |
|---|---|---|
| Lg Term R | 0.17 | 0.18 |
| Intang/GW | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| Liquidity | 0.70 | 0.70 |
| Liq. + CF | 2.48 | 2.37 |
| Debt Ratio | 2.97 | 2.17 |
| Leverage | 1.51 | 1.85 |
| D/E Ratio | 0.51 | 0.85 |
The Total Return per year is shown below for years of 5 to 29 to the end of 2025. Under the Capital Gain column is the portion of the Total Return attributable to capital gains. Under the Dividend column is the portion of the Total Return attributable to dividends. See chart below.
| From | Years | Div. Gth | Tot Ret | Cap Gain | Div. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | 25.93% | 38.67% | 33.82% | 4.85% |
| 2015 | 10 | -4.46% | 7.18% | 4.43% | 2.76% |
| 2010 | 15 | -3.00% | 3.23% | 0.09% | 3.14% |
| 2005 | 20 | -4.70% | 4.53% | -0.15% | 4.67% |
| 2000 | 25 | -3.82% | 15.87% | 3.31% | 12.56% |
| 1996 | 29 | -2.58% | 12.83% | 2.43% | 10.40% |
The 5-year low, median, and high median Price/Earnings per Share Ratios are 5.51, 7.62 and 10.52. The corresponding 10 year ratios are 7.97, 10.00 and 12.40. The corresponding historical ratios are 10.05, 12.18 and 14.29. The current P/E Ratio is 10.78 based on a stock price of $24.43 and EPS estimate for 2026 of $2.27. The current ratio is between the median and high ratios of the 10 year median ratios. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively reasonable but above the median.
I also have Funds from Operations (FFO) data. The 5-year low, median, and high median Price/ Funds from Operations Ratios are 3.33, 4.38 and 5.43. The corresponding 10 year ratios are 3.35, 4.71 and 5.57. The corresponding historical ratios are 5.16, 6.46 and 7.20. The current P/FFO Ratio is 4.62 based on a stock price of $24.43 and FFO estimate for 2026 of $5.29. The current ratio is between the low and median ratios of the 10 year median ratios. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively reasonable and below the median.
I also have Free Funds Flow (FFF) data. The 5-year low, median, and high median Price/ Free Funds Flow Ratios are 10.85, 12.54 and 14.22. The corresponding 10 year ratios are 14.91, 18.42 and 21.93. The current P/FFF Ratio is 6.98 based on a stock price of $24.43 and FFF estimate for 2026 of $3.50. The current ratio is below the low ratio of the 10 year median ratios. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively cheap.
I get a Graham Price of $27.17. The 10-year low, median, and high median Price/Graham Price Ratios are 0.59, 0.82 and 0.96. The current ratio is 0.90 based on a stock price of $24.43. The current ratio is between the median and high ratios of the 10 year median ratios. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively reasonable but above the median.
I get a 10-year median Price/Book Value per Share Ratio of 1.53. The current ratio is 1.69 based on a Book Value of $8,294M, Book Value per Share of $14.48 and a stock price of $24.43. The current ratio is 10% above the 10 year median ratio. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively reasonable but above the median.
I also have a Book Value per Share estimate for 2026 of $14.88. This implies a ratio of 1.64 with a stock price of $24.43 and Book Value of $8,491M. The current ratio is 7% above the 10 year median ratio. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively reasonable but above the median.
I get a 10-year median Price/Cash Flow per Share Ratio of 4.75. The current P/CF Ratio is 4.70 based on Cash Flow per Share estimate for 2026 of $5.20, Cash Flow of $2,997M and a stock price of $24.43. The current ratio is 1% below the 10 year median ratios. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively reasonable and below the median.
I get an historical median dividend yield of 6.50%. The current dividend yield is 3.44% based on dividends of $0.84 and a stock price of $24.43. The current dividend yield is 47% below the historical median yield. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively expensive. However, the dividends on this stock have gone up and down a lot, so this is not a very good test.
I get a 10 year median dividend yield of 3.32%. The current dividend yield is 3.44% based on dividends of $0.84 and a stock price of $24.43. The current dividend yield is 4% above the 10 year median yield. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively reasonable and below the median. However, the dividends on this stock have gone up and down a lot, so this is not a very good test.
The 10-year median Price/Sales (Revenue) Ratio is 3.32%. The current P/S Ratio is 2.19 based on a stock price of $24.43, Revenue estimate for 2026 of $6,356M, and Revenue per Share of 11.14. The current ratio is 20% below the 10 year median ratio. This stock price testing suggests that the stock price is relatively cheap.
Results of stock price testing is that the stock price could be reasonable. The 10 year dividend yield test says it is reasonable and below the median. The P/S Ratio test says it is cheap. However, analysts expect Revenue to increase 30% in 2026 after an increase for in 2025 of 20%. You have to wonder. A lot of the rest of the testing is saying that the stock price is reasonable and above and below the median.
When I look at analysts’ recommendations, I find Strong Buy (5), Buy (4), Hold (3), Underperform (2), Sell (1). The consensus would be a Buy. The 12 month stock price consensus is $28.00 with a high of $35.00 and low of $25.50. The consensus stock price of $28.00 implies a total return of 18.05% with 14.61% from capital gains and 3.44% from dividends based on a current stock price of $24.43.
Analyst on Stock Chase are not keen on this stock at the present time. One analyst said that there are issues with its Attachie Project and they would like to see a resolution first. Aditya Raghunath on Motley Fool is bullish on this stock. Amy Legate-Wolfe on Motley Fool is also bullish on this stock. The company put out a Press Release about their fourth quarter of 2025 results.
Simply Wall Street via Yahoo Finance reviews this stock and says it is undervalued. They have two warnings out of earnings are forecast to decline by an average of 2.2% per year for the next 3 years and unstable dividend track record.
Arc Resources is a natural gas and condensate-focused producer in Canada's Western Sedimentary Basin. Its web site is here ARC Resources Ltd.
The last stock I wrote about was about was Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd (TSX-CP, NYSE-CP) ... learn more. The next stock I will write about will be FirstService Corp (TSX-FSV, NASDAQ-FSV) ... learn more on Monday, February 16, 2026 around 5 pm.
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