Big acquisitions fuel growth, but also risk

Article Excerpt

PEMBINA PIPELINE $42.88 (Toronto symbol PPL; Shares o/s: 401.0 million; Market cap: $17.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Divd. yield: 4.1%; www.pembina.com) owns pipelines that carry almost all of B.C.’s oil and half of Alberta’s conventional oil. Its network also carries 30% of Western Canada’s natural gas liquids (NGLs). Pembina owns extensive facilities to extract, process and store NGLs; it also operates natural-gas processing plants. In the quarter ended March 31, 2017, the company’s cash flow per share rose 37.5%, to $0.77 from $0.56. The gain is due to its strong operational performance and new projects. Pembina will now buy VERESEN $18.30 (Toronto symbol VSN; Shares outstanding: 313.7 million; Market cap: $5.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 5.5%; www.vereseninc.com) for $9.7 billion. Veresen will diversify Pembina’s operations with its 50%-owned Alliance natural gas pipeline; the purchase also widens Pembina’s geographic exposure, especially in the U.S. Altogether, the new operations, plus Pembina’s ongoing growth projects, should increase the company’s cash flow to $3.63 a..