Bought Vermillion Energy (VET)

Hedgeye's oil price Risk Range went to bullish trend on the 17th July after being bearish for a year.

Looking for something to trade, I came across Vermillion Energy:

• Half its 1Q22 revenue is from oil (2/3rds of that from Canada, 1/3rd from Europe), and half from gas (70% of this half is priced in AECO (Canada), 30% from Europe.  in Q2, we expect 40% from Europe).
• Leverage on the high side, they are concentrating on reducing it.  Mostly fixed rate.  Negligible dividend.  Some buybacks.
• 2P reserves of 14 years, not great.  Read somewhere there are some questions about how they depreciate their reserves.  No breakdown by oil and gas.
• Its a high beta stock: it dropped 60% from the peak last July's peak to the trough.  Could be due to Canada's oil and gas pricing varying more than WTI (due to lack of transportation from Canada) and the wild variations in European gas pricing.
• 1Q22 Annualised EPS is $8, trading at CAD 18, thats less than 3X a year's earnings.  Not a lot has to go right.
• European Windfall taxes end in Dec 2023....if they are not renewed.  Pro forma, removal of the windfall tax would have added another 5% to their 1Q22 earnings.

Its a trade - not a Buffet-like stock to pass to your grandkids.  Hopefully the trend lasts a few months or quarters.  I'll sell it when Hedgeye's oil trend changes.  Would not hold a stock this volatile thru a downturn.

Bought a 1% position last night @ USD 13.25, after the stock dipped for 4 days.  I would go up to 3%.  The problem is it rarely dips enough to take a big position.

My positions haven't changed much:

• The portfolio is quite oily, and has started to go up with oil.
• Removed some shorts that changed to bullish trend.
• Added some long term index puts.
• Have VET and Silver in an "Inflation Trades" basket.  2% total.

Update 6th Aug 2023:

• Increased VET position to 2.5%.  It wont go down enough to buy a big position.
• Silver position increased to 1.5%.
• SPX looking bearish, may buy more puts (June 24) if we get a bounce next week.  If things work out this could be my last chance to buy.

Update: 8th Aug 2023 morning: Increased VET to 3% last night.  Last night's rebound was weak.  SPX is no longer oversold, AAPL has broken down and VIX has broken out.  Look to press shorts, probably tonight.