Dividend hike bodes well for AltaGas investors

Article Excerpt

AltaGas took on a lot of risk with a huge U.S. acquisition in July 2018. But it stuck to its promise of selling non-core assets to pay down a lot of the debt it took on; the regulated cash flows it gained have paid off. We still believe in this leader’s strong prospects and its outlook. It’s a Power Buy. ALTAGAS LTD., $29.61, is a #1 Power Buy for 2022. The utility (Toronto symbol ALA; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.altagas.ca; Shares o/s: 280.6 million; Market cap: $8.3 billion; Dividend yield: 3.6%) processes, transports, stores and markets natural gas for producers. It also operates natural gas utilities and is a power generator, with gas-fired, coal-fired, wind, biomass and hydroelectric plants. Almost all of AltaGas’ assets are now in the U.S. That in part reflects its July 2018 purchase of Washington, D.C.-based utility WGL Holdings Inc. for $4 billion. For the quarter ended March 31, 2022, cash flow per share fell 20.7%, to $1.65 from $2.08 a year earlier. Cash flow was weaker…