Valued at a market cap of $13 billion, ARC Resources (TSX:ARX) is a Calgary-based energy producer. In the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025, it reported production of 408,000 BoE (barrels of oil equivalent) per day, representing 7% year-over-year growth and 10% on a per-share basis. Full-year free cash flow almost doubled to $1.3 billion, while it returned 75% of this cash to shareholders via buybacks and dividends.
ARC Resources operates as Canada’s largest pure-play Montney producer with over one million net acres across Alberta and northeastern British Columbia.
The company owns and operates significant infrastructure across its asset base, creating a low-cost structure that competitors can’t match.
During Q4, ARC realized a natural gas price of $3.77 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), nearly $1.50 above AECO (Alberta Energy Company) pricing, according to the company’s earnings call.
CEO Terry Anderson explained the strategy: “In 2025, we curtailed nearly 400 million cubic feet a day of natural gas at Sunrise during periods when natural gas prices were low. This highlights our disciplined approach of focusing on profitability over BOEs.”
This discipline enabled ARC to defer approximately $50 million in capital expenditures while preserving resources for improved pricing. Most producers lack the infrastructure flexibility to make those moves.
Source: Getty Images
The bull case for the TSX energy stock
ARC’s natural gas diversification strategy is expected to reach an inflection point in 2026 and 2027.
- The company commenced deliveries to LNG Canada through its Shell agreement during Q4.
- The larger catalyst arrives in 2027, when ARC begins shipping natural gas to international markets via Gulf Coast LNG facilities.
- Those supply agreements provide exposure to global LNG pricing rather than Western Canadian spot markets, representing a structural margin improvement that is difficult to quantify in today’s valuation.
- Notably, ARC’s Kakwa operations exceeded expectations in Q4 with production hitting 215,000 BOE per day, up 10,000 BOE per day quarter over quarter.
- ARC reported record reserves across all categories, with proved developed producing reserves increasing by 15% and proved plus probable reserves increasing by approximately 10%.
- The company calculated a before-tax net present value of $39 per share for 2P (proved plus probable) reserves, based on approximately 25% of internally identified inventory.
- With over 30 years of Montney inventory and minimal reserve booking at Attachie to date, ARC’s resource base supports decades of profitable development.
Financial strength enables capital returns
ARC ended 2025 with a net debt of $2.9 billion 2025 which is less than one times its free cash flow. The company repurchased just under 20 million shares for $514 million during 2025 while paying $452 million in dividends. That represented the fifth consecutive year of dividend growth with an 11% increase in 2025.
Bibby outlined 2026 plans: “We plan to continue to return essentially all free funds flow to shareholders in 2026 … through a combination of a growing base dividend and share buybacks.”
At current strip pricing, management projects approximately $1.2 billion in free cash flow for 2026, despite maintaining a conservative capital program of $1.8-$1.9 billion.
ARC maintained corporate production guidance of 405,000 to 420,000 BOE per day for 2026, with capital unchanged at roughly $1.8 billion.
The company’s ability to maintain corporate guidance while slowing Attachie development demonstrates the strength of its core business, particularly at Kakwa, where over 15 years of development inventory provides growth options.
The Foolish takeaway
For investors seeking exposure to Canadian energy with infrastructure advantages, diversified markets, and a track record of capital returns, ARC’s 2026 setup looks compelling. Analysts tracking the TSX stock forecast free cash flow to increase from $1.1 billion in 2026 to $1.51 billion in 2028.
In this period, its annual dividend per share is projected to expand from $0.84 to $0.92. Given a forward yield of 3.7%, the Canadian dividend stock trades at a 33% discount to consensus estimates. If we adjust for dividends, cumulative returns could be closer to 36%.
