WestJet sets a record

Article Excerpt

WESTJET AIRLINES $21.61 (Toronto symbol WJA; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-877-493-7853; www.westjet.com; Shares outstanding: 118.9 million; Market cap: $2.8 billion; Dividend yield: 2.6%) reported higher revenue and profits in the latest quarter. In the three months ended September 30, 2016, WestJet’s revenue rose 7.6%, to $1.12 billion from $1.05 billion a year earlier. The airline earned $116.0 million, or $0.97 a share. That’s a gain of 13.9% from $101.8 million, or $0.82 a share, a year earlier. WestJet carried a record 5.9 million passengers in the latest quarter. That’s up 7.0% from 5.5 million a year earlier. The company’s load factor also rose, to 84.0% from 81.8%. Load factor is the percentage of available seats that are occupied by paying passengers. It improved despite a 10.6% increase in capacity. WestJet’s greater capacity includes the launch of its non-stop flights to London, England, and its new routes to sun destinations. WestJet is a top pick for 2016. 2016…