Sixth straight dividend rise

Article Excerpt

AIMIA INC. $8.44 (Toronto symbol AIM; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (514-897-6800; www.aimia.com; Shares outstanding: 152.3 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; Dividend yield: 9.5%) owns and operates Aeroplan, Canada’s largest loyalty program. In the U.K., Aimia owns Nectar, that country’s biggest loyalty program. It also has an interest in Club Premier—the leading loyalty program in Mexico. In the three months ended March 31, 2016, the company’s revenue fell 13.6%, to $570.1 million from $660.1 million a year earlier. Earnings per share fell 13.3%, to $0.13 from $0.15. In 2015, Aimia cut costs by closing offices and laying off 200 of its 4,000 employees. It also hired advisors to look at selling nonessential assets, such as its analytics division and Club Premier. Meanwhile, the company’s results should improve with the economy, and any asset sale should protect its strong balance sheet and high dividend. Aimia just raised that quarterly payment for the sixth straight year. It’s now $0.20 per share, up 5.3%…