dividends paid

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $32.13 (Toronto symbol BNS: Shares outstanding: 992 million; Market cap: $31.9 billion; SI Rating: Above Average) has reported higher earnings for its first quarter, which ended January 31, 2009, despite a 153% jump in loan losses. The bank’s overall earnings rose 0.8%, to $842 million from $835 million a year earlier. Because it paid higher dividends to its preferred shareholders, earnings per share fell 2.4%, to $0.80 from $0.82. (Bank of Nova Scotia subtracts dividends paid to preferred shareholders before it calculates its per-share earnings.) Revenue rose 18%, to $3.35 billion from $2.8 billion. The lower Canadian dollar in the latter half of 2008 lifted the contribution from the bank’s international operations, which provide about a third of its revenue....

BANK OF MONTREAL, $27.48, Toronto symbol BMO, earned $225 million in its first fiscal quarter, which ended January 31, 2009, down 11.8% from $255 million a year earlier. During the quarter, the bank issued about $1 billion of new common shares. Consequently, earnings per share fell 17%, to $0.39 from $0.47, on more shares outstanding. However, the latest quarterly earnings included a $359-million (or $0.69 a share) writedown of illiquid securities, including asset-backed commercial paper, held by the bank’s trading division. If you exclude all unusual charges, Bank of Montreal would have earned $1.09 a share. The slowing economy continues to weigh on the bank’s earnings. Loan-loss provisions rose 86.1% in the latest quarter. Most of this increase came from Bank of Montreal’s U.S. operations, particularly loans related to the commercial real estate and manufacturing industries. The U.S. accounts for about 10% of the bank’s revenue. Overall revenue in the quarter rose by 20.5%, to $2.4 billion from $2 billion. Strong gains at the bank’s personal banking operations in Canada and the U.S. offset slow growth at its corporate lending and wealth management businesses. A new high-interest savings account, the launch of the new Tax-Free Savings Account and new credit cards that provide rewards based on use helped the bank lure more customers during the quarter....

FORT CHICAGO ENERGY TRUST $8.68 (Toronto symbol FCE.UN; Shares outstanding: 134.1 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; SI Rating: Extra Risk) owns 50% of the Alliance Pipeline, which runs 3,000 kilometres from Fort St. John, B.C., to Chicago. Enbridge Inc. owns the other 50% interest. The two partners also own 85.4% of the Aux Sable natural gas liquids plant. As well, Fort Chicago owns the 1,324-kilometre Alberta Ethane Gathering System. Fort Chicago has added to its power-plant interests over the last couple of years. It now owns natural gas-fired cogeneration facilities in Ontario and California, plus power generation systems in Ontario and Prince Edward Island. It recently bought the Brush II Cogeneration plant in Colorado for $32 million U.S. In the three months ended June 30, 2008, Fort Chicago’s revenue rose 31.4%, to $178.7 million from $135.9 million a year earlier. The higher revenue mainly resulted from Fort Chicago’s purchase of Countryside Canada Power in August 2007. Cash flow per unit rose 3.3% in the quarter, to $0.31 from $0.30....

EPCOR POWER, L.P. $17.41 (Toronto symbol EP.UN; Shares outstanding: 53.9 million; Market cap: $938.3 million; SI Rating: Extra risk) owns 20 power plants in Canada and the U.S. with total generating capacity of 1,464 megawatts. In the three months ended September 30, 2008, revenues fell 10%, to $138 million from $153.4 million. The decline came mostly from currency related factors. Despite the lower revenue, however, cash flow per unit rose 8.5%, to $0.64 from $0.59. EPCOR pays a quarterly distribution of $0.63 per unit. That gives the units a current annual yield of 14.5%. The company paid out 101% of its cash flow in the latest quarter. But that high level came largely from unusually high maintenance expenditures. That spending has now slowed, and the payout ratio should drop below 100%. That should also let EPCOR hold its distributions steady....

FORT CHICAGO ENERGY TRUST $10.89 (Toronto symbol FCE.UN; SI Rating: Extra Risk) owns 50% of the Alliance Pipeline, a 36-inch diameter natural gas pipeline. It extends 3,000 kilometres from Fort St. John in B.C. to Chicago, Illinois. Enbridge Inc. owns the other 50% interest. The other assets held by the two partners are 85.4% of the Aux Sable natural gas liquids plant. Fort Chicago also owns the 1,324-kilometre Alberta Ethane Gathering System. Through recently acquired Countryside Power, Fort Chicago now also owns and operates energy systems in Charlottetown, PEI, and London, Ontario, plus two gas-fired cogeneration plants in California. In the three months ended December 31, 2007, Fort Chicago’s revenues rose 25.7%, to $173.3 million from $137.8 million a year earlier. Cash flow per unit rose 34.4% in the quarter, to $0.43 from $0.32....

BELL ALIANT REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS INCOME FUND $28.75 (Toronto symbol BA.UN: SI Rating: Above average) is the main provider of telephone services in Atlantic Canada. It also serves rural parts of Ontario and Quebec. As part of the deal that created Bell Aliant, the fund transferred the bulk of its wireless business to BCE. Without these operations, the fund now aims to spur growth by expanding the availability and capacity of its high-speed Internet service. Just 20% of Bell Aliant’s customers use its high-speed Internet service, so there’s plenty of room to grow. In the three months ended September 30, 2007, Bell Aliant earned $0.48 a unit from continuing operations in its second quarter. The fund took its present form on July 7, 2006, so it did not report earnings for the year-earlier quarter. But revenue on a pro forma basis, which assumes Bell Aliant began operations at the start of 2006, grew 1.6%, to $837.9 million from $825.1 million....

GREAT LAKES HYDRO INCOME FUND $20.30 (Toronto symbol GLH.UN; SI Rating: Extra Risk) owns 26 hydroelectric generating stations located on seven river systems in four distinct geographic regions: Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and New England. Its facilities have 1,015 megawatts of generating capacity. In the three months ended March 31, 2007, Great Lakes’ revenues fell 1.2%, to $48.2 million from $48.8 million. Cash flow per share fell 3.8%, to $0.51 from $0.53. Power generation in British Columbia was lower due to an overhaul on an operating unit at the Lois facility. Total power generated was slightly lower than in the 2006 quarter, when water inflows were unusually strong....

FORT CHICAGO ENERGY TRUST $10.82 (Toronto symbol FCE.UN; SI Rating: Extra Risk) owns 50% of the Alliance Pipeline, a 36-inch diameter natural gas pipeline. It extends 3,000 kilometres from Fort St. John in B.C. to Chicago, Illinois. Enbridge Inc. owns the other 50% interest. The other assets held by the two partners are 85.4% of the Aux Sable natural gas liquids plant. Fort Chicago also owns the 1,324-kilometre Alberta Ethane Gathering System. In the three months ended September 30, 2006, Fort Chicago’s revenues fell 38.8%, to $137.2 million from $227.8 million a year earlier. However, the lower revenue was due to a change in the method of accounting for Aux Sable’s sales. Cash flow per unit rose 36.1% in the quarter, to $0.49 from $0.36. Fort Chicago’s units yield 8.6%. U.S. dividends paid in an RRSP are not subject to withholding taxes. Outside an RRSP, you may need to submit extra paperwork at tax time, as around 40% of the monthly $0.0775 distribution is considered U.S. source dividend income. Dividends from U.S. sources sent to Canadians are subject to a withholding tax — usually 15%. However, if you hold the trust outside an RRSP, in most cases, you get a Canadian income tax credit to offset that tax....

TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. ADRs $116 (New York symbol TM; WSSF Rating: Above average) is Japan’s largest automobile maker, and the world’s second-largest after General Motors. Sales outside of Japan account for 60% of the total. Toyota also makes industrial equipment such as forklifts, and pre-fabricated housing. Like most automakers, it offers vehicle loans through its financing division. Each Toyota ADR represents two of Toyota’s common shares. Japan imposes a 15% withholding tax on dividends paid to U.S. stockholders. Toyota’s sales grew from $106.4 billion in 2001 (fiscal years end March 31) to $172.7 billion in 2005. Profits slipped from $2.92 per ADR (total $5.4 billion) in 2001 to $2.28 per ADR ($4.2 billion) in 2002, but jumped to $6.66 per ADR ($10.9 billion) in 2005....

As a rule, we feel North America’s stock markets provide all the diversification that most investors need. However, a handful of foreign investments are attractive enough to be worthwhile buys, especially when they trade on New York as American Depository Receipts or ADRs. TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. ADRs $116 (New York symbol TM; WSSF Rating: Above average) is Japan’s largest automobile maker, and the world’s second-largest after General Motors. Sales outside of Japan account for 60% of the total. Toyota also makes industrial equipment such as forklifts, and pre-fabricated housing. Like most automakers, it offers vehicle loans through its financing division. Each Toyota ADR represents two of Toyota’s common shares. Japan imposes a 15% withholding tax on dividends paid to U.S. stockholders....