Algonquin is a top buy

Article Excerpt

ALGONQUIN POWER & UTILITIES, $18.04, is a buy. The utility (Toronto symbol AQN; Shares o/s: 675.6 million; Market cap: $12.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Yield: 4.8%; www.algonquinpower.com) tends to fuel its growth with acquisitions. It cuts the risk of that strategy by focusing on rate-regulated utilities. The company’s latest purchase is Kentucky Power Co., which generates and distributes electricity to 228,000 customers in that state. Algonquin will pay $2.85 billion (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). Meanwhile, due to smaller acquisitions and the start-up of new projects, Algonquin’s revenue in the quarter ended June 30, 2022, gained 18.4%, to $624.3 million from $527.5 million a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, earnings per-share improved just 6.7%, to $0.16 from $0.15. Algonquin Power & Utilities is buy. buy…