Updating Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund, TransAlta Corp., Gennum Corp. and TransCanada Corp.

Article Excerpt

BELL ALIANT REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS INCOME FUND $28 (Toronto symbol BA.UN; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Units outstanding: 127.1 million; Market cap: $3.6 billion; SI Rating: Above average) has agreed to buy the publicly owned telephone system in Kenora, Ontario for $27 million. The price is equal to 39% of the $0.53 a unit (total $68.8 million) that Bell Aliant earned in the third quarter of 2007. As a city-owned business, the Kenora phone system did not have the resources to invest in new communication services, such as high-speed Internet access. Strong demand for these services should help Bell Aliant quickly recover the cost of this purchase. Bell Aliant is a buy. TRANSALTA CORP. $33 (Toronto symbol TA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 202.2 million; Market cap: $6.7 billion; SI Rating: Average) has agreed to study several demands from Luminus Management, a New York-based investment fund that owns 8% of the company. These include limiting the number of directors, and other governance is sues…