TRP draws activist interest

Article Excerpt

TRANSCANADA CORP. $56.86 (Toronto symbol TRP; Shares outstanding: 708.0 million; Market cap: $40.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.4%; www.transcanada.com) is facing pressure from U.S.-based activist investors to unlock some of its value by selling or spinning off its electrical power plants. These investors also want the company to place more of its U.S. natural gas pipelines into a master limited partnership, which is similar to a Canadian income trust. The company feels its current structure is the best way to fund the $38 billion of power projects and pipelines it’s developing. Still, the prospect of a breakup adds to its appeal. TransCanada is still a buy. buy…