Pembina keeps rewarding investors

Article Excerpt

Pipeline operator Pembina continues to rebound from its March 2020 low of $15.27 as the economy re-opens following COVID-19 shutdowns. Despite the pandemic, the company held its dividend. As well, a new deal to sell 40% of its Western Canadian gas processing to U.S.-based private equity investor KKR will let Pembina reward its investors with higher dividends and share buybacks later this year. PEMBINA PIPELINE CORP. $47 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol PPL; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio; Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 550.3 million; Market cap: $25.9 billion; Dividend yield: 5.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.pembina.com) operates pipelines that carry half of Alberta’s conventional oil and almost all of B.C.’s oil. The company has paid dividends since 1997. It last increased that monthly payment by 5.0% with the January 2020 payment, to $0.21 a share from $0.20. The new annual rate of $2.52 yields a high 5.4%. Dividends accounted for 53% of cash flow in 2021, down from 60% in 2020. Pembina’s revenue rose 18.0%, from…