Aimia hikes its dividend

Article Excerpt

AIMIA INC. $8.72 (Toronto symbol AIM; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (514-897-6800; www.aimia.com; Shares o/s: 152.3 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; Dividend yield: 9.2%) owns and operates Aeroplan; it’s Canada’s largest loyalty program, with over 5 million members. In the quarter ended December 31, 2016, Aimia reported earnings of $35.1 million, or $0.20 a share. That excludes one-time items. It’s also a 15.1% increase from $30.5 million, or $0.17, a year earlier. The company holds cash of $373.4 million, or $2.45 a share. Its long-term debt of $448.3 million is just 34% of its market cap. Aimia raised its quarterly dividend in June 2016 for the sixth-straight year. It’s now $0.20 per share, up 5.3% from $0.19. The stock yields a high 9.2%; its dividend seems sustainable. Aimia is still a buy. buy…