WestJet sets a record

Article Excerpt

WESTJET AIRLINES $26.97 (Toronto symbol WJA; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1- 877-493-7853; www.westjet.com; Shares o/s: 123.3 million; Market cap: $3.1 billion; Divd. yield: 2.1%) carried a record 2.3 million passengers in August 2017. That’s a 13.8% rise from 2.0 million a year earlier. It also includes a single-day record for flying 81,423 guests. Moreover, the carrier’s load factor jumped in August, to 90.6% from 86.5%. Load factor is the percentage of available seats that are occupied by paying passengers. The gain came despite a 5.6% increase in capacity. Demand for the company’s flights remains high, and WestJet continues to enter into new partnerships with other airlines. Its regional air carrier, WestJet Encore, has also performed well and continues to expand its seat capacity. WestJet is a top pick for 2017. 2017…