A Yield to Caution: Exchange Income Corp.

Article Excerpt

EXCHANGE INCOME CORP. $47 (Toronto symbol EIF; Shares outstanding: 47.2 million; Market cap: $2.2 billion; Dividend yield: 5.6%; www.exchangeincomecorp.ca) operates in aviation and manufacturing. The Aviation unit (60% of its revenue) serves communities in Manitoba, Ontario, Nunavut and eastern Canada through regional airlines. As well, through its Regional One, this unit supplies regional airline operators around the world with various after-market aircraft, engines, and component parts. The Manufacturing unit (40%) includes WesTower Communications (a maker and installer of communication towers) and Quest Window Stainless Fabrication. Exchange Income pays a monthly dividend of $0.22. That makes for a high 5.6% yield. However, the company prefers to expand through acquisitions, which adds considerable risk. Newly purchased companies may come with hidden problems or face unforeseen setbacks. As well, most of Exchange Income’s purchases are private businesses, which makes them difficult to value. The company’s long-term debt of $1.74 billion is also a very high 80% of its market cap. That adds a lot of risk. Considering these factors, we believe…