TransAlta Corporation TAC is committed to being a leader in clean electricity by delivering customer-centered power solutions. The company benefits from its focus on sustainable energy projects. Given its growth opportunities, TAC makes for a solid investment option in the utility sector.
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Let’s look at the factors that are driving the stock.
Growth Projections & Surprise History
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 earnings per share (EPS) has increased 4.2% in the past 30 days to 75 cents.
The consensus estimate for 2025 EPS has increased 3.7% in the past 30 days to 56 cents.
TAC delivered an average earnings surprise of 98% in the past four quarters.
Dividend & Share Buyback
TAC distributes dividends to shareholders on a regular basis. Its current dividend yield is 2.09%, which is better than the Zacks S&P 500 Composite’s average of 1.27%.
TransAlta’s management had announced an enhanced common share repurchase program for 2024 of up to $150 million for 2024. The company has already repurchased shares worth $89 million under this program.
Return on Equity
Return on equity (ROE) indicates how efficiently a company has been utilizing its funds to generate higher returns. TAC’s current ROE is 47.71%, higher than the industry’s average of 10.34%. This indicates that it has been utilizing its funds more constructively than its peers in the electric power utility industry.
Solvency
The company’s time-to-interest earned ratio at the end of the second quarter was 3.5. The ratio, being greater than one, reflects its ability to meet future interest obligations without difficulties.
Growth Strategy
The company hopes to add up to 1.75 gigawatts (GW) of additional capacity to its fleet by investing nearly $3.5 billion to develop, build or acquire new assets through the end of 2028. It is focusing on customer-centered renewables and storage through the advancement of its 5 GW development pipeline, which it plans to expand to 10 GW by 2028.
Price Performance
Shares of TAC have gained 21.7% in the past month compared with the industry’s 5.8% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Other Stocks to Consider
Other top-ranked stocks in the industry are Exelon Corporation EXC, The AES Corporation AES and NiSource Inc. NI. Each stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Exelon’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 5.66%. It delivered an average earnings surprise of 4.5% in the last four quarters.
AES Corporation delivered an average earnings surprise of 19.2% in the last four quarters. The consensus estimate for 2024 earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 8.5%.
NiSource delivered an average earnings surprise of 20.6% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 7.5%.
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This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.
Exelon Corporation (EXC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
NiSource, Inc (NI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The AES Corporation (AES) : Free Stock Analysis Report
TransAlta Corporation (TAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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