Topic: How To Invest

Mr. McKeough: Could you share your thoughts on Shaw Communications? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

Shaw Communications, $19.48, symbol SJR.B on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 429.8 million; Market cap: $8.4 billion), is the second-largest cable-television operator in Canada. Only Rogers Communications (symbol RCI.B on Toronto) is larger. Shaw’s 2.2 million cable subscribers, located in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, represent about 30% of the Canadian cable-television market. Moreover, roughly 70%, or 1.6 million, of them subscribe to Shaw’s Internet services. The company also has 612,000 digital-telephone customers and 879,600 satellite-television subscribers through its ownership of Shaw Direct (formerly Star Choice). In the three months ended February 28, 2009, Shaw’s revenue rose 10%, to $839.1 million from $763.2 million a year earlier. Earnings, excluding one-time items, rose 13.3%, to $128 million, or $0.30 a share, from $113 million, or $0.26 a share. Shaw’s $3-billion long-term debt is a somewhat high 36% of its market cap. Last month, Shaw raised its annual dividend rate by 5%, to $0.84 from $0.80. The shares now yield 4.3%. Shaw trades at…