Trading as IMO on the TSX and NYSE, Imperial Oil is one of the big boys in the western Canada oil sands play. What with world tensions and declining oil reserves, the Canada oil sands is the place to be.

Did you know Exxon Mobil owns 70 pct of this behemoth?

As Peters & Co reports: IMO has steady operating results, higher margins. Did I mention, IMO likes to buy back its own stock ($542 mil in 1Q06 alone), and that its refinery operations were at 97-pct peak production?

Cara 100

GICS 10 Imperial Oil Ltd (IMO) (IMO) Financials

Here again, with crude oil prices pulling back, the stock market is not kind to these oils. So you need to use some common sense when stepping in. But if there is ever a crash in the market, this is one pony that's going to be early out of the barn.

Btw, in case you don't know, Peters & Co is the premier oil trading specialist broker-dealer in Canada. They produce exceptional quality research and financings in the oil patch. Here's their report on May 2 Imperial Oil. Download file