Pembina Pipeline CorpPPL.TODON'T BUYMar 10, 2020Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Aug 12, 2026. Market Open.
A name for a good dividend and safety. Pipelines are not quite as good as utilities, because they're perceived as being commodity-sensitive (even though they're really not).
You'll get your dividend, and the safety means you can sleep at night (and that's worth something). You can get diversification via funds and ETFs.
Both benefit from AI centre demand. Pembina is building a 1.8 gigawatt natural gas plant in Alberta. Half of ALA's business is in the US, regulated utilities, in Virginia--the world capital of data centre traffic. ALA also has activity in Western Canada. ALA's growth rate is higher than Pembina. ALA gets the slight edge.
Outlook for Pembina in fulfilling take-or-pay contracts with clients. That's exactly the concern behind the stock going down. That's the risk. It's like Chorus Aviation's relationship to Air Canada (though AC has a strong balance sheet and is well-positioned). PPL was trading at a pricey 20x EBIT to EBITDA. Pays a big, growing yield at a reasonable payout ratio, assuming they can maintain cash flow. The market is determining how risky that is. PPL has lost its utility-like premium and trading down. Valuation is cheaper, but it's becoming volatile. Let the dust settle before considering this.