A Yield to Caution

Article Excerpt

CORUS ENTERTAINMENT INC. $11 (Toronto symbol CJR.B; Shares outstanding: 193.0 million; Market cap: $2.1 billion; Dividend yield: 10.5%; www.corusent.com) is focused on TV broadcasting and content after its April 2016 acquisition of Shaw Media for $2.65 billion. Corus now owns 45 specialty TV channels, 15 conventional channels, and 39 radio stations. Some of its well-known brands include Global Television, History Channel, the Food Network, YTV and Teletoon. The stock has a high 10.5% yield. However, the sustainability of that dividend is uncertain due to the growing risks and industry com- petition Corus faces. In the past, the company benefited from the bundling of its niche specialty channels with higher-demand mainstream channels; that arrangement guaranteed its specialty channels a share of subscriber revenue. A ruling by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has changed that: “Pick & Pay” legislation now allows cable subscribers to individually select channels, on top of a $25 basic cable package. Corus also faces new competition from Netflix and the…