TRANSCANADA CORP. $53 (Toronto symbol TRP; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 708.6 million; Market cap: $37.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.8; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.transcanada.com) could get a boost if it receives approval for two major pipelines that would pump crude oil from Alberta’s oil sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast (Keystone XL) and to refineries in Eastern Canada (Energy East).
Even if it has to abandon these projects, TransCanada’s crude volumes should remain steady, despite lower oil prices.
As well, the company could unlock some of its value by transferring assets to partly controlled affiliates. These transactions, called “drop downs,” help the parent company free up cash for new projects. Activist investors could also pressure TransCanada to spin off its electrical-power operations as a separate firm.
TransCanada is a buy.