The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, July 17, edition that Desjardins Securities commenced coverage on the Canadian oil and gas sector, expecting continued improvement in its valuations over time. The Globe's Darcy Keith writes in the Eye On Equities column that analyst Robert Mann says, "Our constructive view is rooted in the convergence of several supportive trends: world-class resource depth and quality, disciplined corporate behaviour, improving infrastructure availability and a more supportive investment environment." Mr. Mann rates Whitecap Resources "Buy Average Risk." He set a share target of $22. Mr. Mann says in a note: "Whitecap offers a differentiated combination of scale, inventory depth, capital flexibility, and operational execution. Following ongoing industry consolidation, we believe the strategic value and growing scarcity of large-cap non oil sands investment alternatives are increasingly attractive." The Globe reported on July 9 that National Bank analysts Dan Payne and Travis Wood rated Whitecap Resources "outperform." The shares could then be had for $15.28.