Updating Arbor Memorial Services Inc., TransAlta Corp., The Westaim Corp., and Emera Inc.

Article Excerpt

ARBOR MEMORIAL SERVICES INC. $28 (Toronto symbol ABO.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 10.6 million; Market cap: $296.8 million; SI Rating: Average) earned $0.66 a share in its second fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2006, up 8.2% from $0.61 a year earlier. Revenue grew 7.4%, to $59.8 million from $55.7 million, due to higher sales at its funeral division. Arbor is a buy for aggressive investors. TRANSALTA CORP. $27 (Toronto symbol TA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 202.6 million; Market cap: $5.5 billion; SI Rating: Average) has no plans to purchase affiliate TransAlta Power L.P., which is now trying to boost investor value through a sale due to Ottawa’s plan to tax income trusts. TransAlta Power owns 49.99% of five gas-fired power plants in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta; TransAlta owns the remaining 50.01% and runs the plants. TransAlta Power could have a hard time finding a buyer, considering TransAlta controls the plants and has no plans to sell. It’s…