TransCanada Invests for Growth

Article Excerpt

TransCanada Corp.’s annual cash flow is now over $3 billion. That’s letting it continue to invest in new projects to supplement the steady returns from its regulated gas pipeline operations. TRANSCANADA CORPORATION $39.62 (Toronto symbol TRP; SI Rating: Above average) operates a 59,000-km network of natural gas pipelines in Canada and the United States. This business supplies 70% of its profit. The remaining 30% comes from its electrical power operations. In the three months ended March 31, 2008, the company’s revenues fell 4.5%, to $2.1 billion from $2.2 billion a year earlier, due to the temporary shutdown of a power plant in Quebec. However, earnings excluding one-time items rose 30.4%, to $326 million from $250 million. Per-share earnings rose 22.4%, to $0.60 from $0.49 on more shares outstanding. Most of the higher earnings came from the acquisition of pipelines and natural gas storage facilities in February, 2007. The company trades for 17.8 times the $2.23 a share it’s likely to make this year…