Top utilities for income and growth

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TRANSCANADA CORP. $38.36 (Toronto symbol TRP; Shares outstanding: 692.8 million; Market cap: $26.6 billion; SI Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.2%) operates a 60,000-kilometre pipeline network that pumps natural gas from Alberta to eastern Canada and the U.S. The company also owns, or has interests in, over 10,900 megawatts of power generation. That includes Bruce Power LP, a nuclear facility in Ontario, and the Ravenswood facility, which serves New York City. In the three months ended June 30, 2010, TransCanada’s revenue fell 3.1%, to $1.92 billion from $1.98 billion a year earlier. Earnings fell 6.1%, to $295 million from $314 million. Per-share earnings fell 18%, to $0.41 from $0.50, on more shares outstanding. The weaker U.S. dollar, higher costs at Bruce Power and a delayed rate increase pushed down TransCanada’s results. Even so, cash flow per share rose 23.6%, to $1.36 from $1.10. TransCanada has now spent $12.3 billion of the $22 billion it has earmarked for new-growth projects. The company will spend…