Wireless Expansion Should Fuel Growth

Article Excerpt

MANITOBA TELECOM SERVICES INC. $44 (Toronto symbol MBT; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 64.6 million; Market cap: $2.8 billion; SI Rating: Average) earned $0.73 a share (total $47.7 million) in the third quarter of 2007, up 17.7% from $0.62 a share ($42.2 million) a year earlier. These figures exclude restructuring costs and other unusual items. Most of the gains came from cost cuts since revenue fell slightly to $475.9 million from $477.9 million. The company has suspended its plan to buy back $320 million worth of its shares. Manitoba Tel spent $172.9 million on share repurchases in the first nine months of 2007. The $2.60 dividend still seems safe, and yields 5.9%. Communication regulators aim to auction off wireless frequencies (called ‘spectrum’ in the industry) in 2008, and Manitoba Tel wants to conserve cash for a possible bid. Unlike other bidders, Manitoba Tel could use parts of its Allstream national business communication network to carry traffic instead of building a..