Updating our Income Portfolio Stocks Imperial Oil Ltd., Aliant Inc. and Andres Wines Ltd.

Article Excerpt

IMPERIAL OIL LTD. $119 earned $3.00 a share in the fourth quarter of 2005, up 96.1% from $1.53 a year earlier, largely due to higher oil and gas prices. Cash flow per share rose 46.3%, to $3.76 from $2.57. (Note: we have not adjusted these per share figures for a 3-for-1 split planned for May 2006.) However, Imperial’s earnings growth could slow in the next year or two as it expands its oil sands and pipeline investments. Hold. ALIANT INC. $29 earned $0.41 a share in its latest quarter, up sharply from just $0.04 a year earlier, mostly due to the end of a five-month strike in 2004. Strong demand for wireless and high-speed Internet services also helped drive earnings. The company also increased its annual dividend rate 5.1%, from $1.18 a share to $1.24. It now yields 4.3%. Buy. ANDRES WINES LTD. $26 plans to consolidate two of its wineries in B.C. This will cost it $2.5 million, but should cut…