New projects will spur their dividends

Article Excerpt

PEMBINA PIPELINE CORP. $45 (Toronto symbol PPL; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio; Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 504.3 million; Market cap: $22.7 billion; Dividend yield: 5.1%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.pembina.com) owns pipelines that carry almost all of B.C.’s oil and half of Alberta’s conventional oil. Its network also carries 30% of Western Canada’s natural gas liquids (NGLs). As well, Pembina owns extensive facilities that extract, process and store NGLs. Other operations include natural-gas processing plants. In October 2017, Pembina completed its acquisition of Veresen Inc. for $9.7 billion. The purchase came with several key assets: 50% of the Alliance gas line, which spans the 3,000 kilometres between Chicago and Fort St. John, B.C.; and 50% of the Ruby pipeline, which runs 1,100 kilometres from Wyoming to Oregon. Due to improved cash flow, Pembina has raised its monthly dividend by 5.6%, to $0.19 a share from $0.18. The new annual rate of $2.28 yields a high 5.1%. In the three months ended June 30, 2018, the company’s…