Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Could you give me your opinion of AltaGas? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

AltaGas Ltd., $32.59, symbol ALA on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 146.3 million; Market cap: $4.9 billion; www.altagas.ca), processes, transmits, stores and markets natural gas for producers; generates power from gas-fired, coal-fired, wind, biomass and hydroelectric plants; and operates natural gas utilities. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, AltaGas’s cash flow per share rose 19.0%, to $0.75 from $0.63 a year earlier. That’s mainly due to the January 2015 acquisition of three gas-fired power plants in the U.S. for $33.6 million. Revenue gained just 1.8%, to $452.2 million from $444.2 million. Low selling prices for its natural gas offset the extra revenue from its new operations. In November 2015, the company completed its purchase of three gas-fired power plants in northern California for $642 million U.S. These facilities have long-term contracts to sell their power to Pacific Gas & Electric, which cuts their risk. The purchase should increase AltaGas’s annual cash flow per share by 5%. To help pay for this acquisition, the…