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Transalta Corp. (TSE:TA)
TSX:TA

TransAlta (TA) AI Stock Analysis

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TSE:TA

TransAlta

(TSX:TA)

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Neutral 55 (OpenAI - 5.2)
,
Neutral 55 (OpenAI - 5.2)
,
Neutral 55 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:55Neutral
Price Target:
C$16.50
▲(1.73% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:03/02/26
The score is held back primarily by weakened profitability and a highly leveraged balance sheet, despite strong operating/free cash flow. Technicals are moderately supportive, and the earnings call adds a modest позитиве tilt via reaffirmed guidance and extended credit facilities. Valuation is constrained by the negative P/E and only a modest dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Cash generation
TransAlta's strong 2025 operating cash flow (~$646M) and positive free cash flow (~$397M) show the business can convert operations into liquidity. Durable cash generation supports debt service, funding for capital projects and data-center investments, and provides a buffer during cyclical earnings periods.
Hedging program stabilizes revenue
A demonstrated 29% hedging premium and 1,900 GWh hedged at $72/MWh materially reduce merchant exposure. This durable risk-management approach smooths cash flows across market cycles, improving predictability for debt repayment and project financing and lowering volatility of future free cash flow.
Diverse asset base
TransAlta's mix of wind, hydro, natural gas and storage, combined with contracted PPAs and merchant sales, spreads operational and market risk. Structural diversification across fuels and revenue types enhances resilience to single-market shocks and positions the company to capture long-term growth in renewables and grid services.
Negative Factors
Elevated leverage
Debt-to-equity rising to ~3.2x elevates refinancing and interest-rate sensitivity risk. With equity declining, the capital structure leaves limited room for incremental borrowing and increases the probability that weaker earnings or higher rates will force asset sales, delay projects or constrain strategic investment over the medium term.
Weakened profitability
A swing to a 2025 net loss and sharp margin compression, even with positive EBITDA, signals below-the-line pressures (depreciation, interest or impairments). Persistent profitability weakness erodes retained earnings, reduces the equity cushion and makes sustaining dividends, reinvestment and deleveraging materially harder.
Revenue decline trend
A material revenue decline (~-15.5%) indicates structural top-line pressure from market conditions or contracting headwinds. Continued revenue erosion reduces scale economics, constrains margin recovery potential and increases reliance on asset sales or higher leverage to fund growth initiatives and transition projects like data centers.

TransAlta (TA) vs. iShares MSCI Canada ETF (EWC)

TransAlta Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionTransAlta Corporation owns, operates, and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Hydro, Wind and Solar, Gas, and Energy Transition. owns and operates hydro, wind and solar, natural gas-fired, and coal-fired facilities. The company also engages in wholesale trading of electricity and other energy-related commodities and derivatives; and related mining operations and natural gas pipeline operations. It serves municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses, and utility customers. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
How the Company Makes MoneyTransAlta makes money primarily by generating electricity and selling it through a mix of (1) contracted arrangements and (2) merchant/market-based sales. (a) Contracted/PPAs: A portion of its facilities sell output under power purchase agreements or other contracted structures where pricing and volumes (or capacity/availability payments) are specified, providing more stable cash flows; revenue is recognized based on electricity delivered and/or contracted capacity or availability, depending on contract terms. (b) Merchant generation: For assets not fully contracted, TransAlta earns revenue by selling electricity into wholesale markets at prevailing spot and forward prices; earnings depend on power prices, dispatch levels, fuel costs (notably for natural gas plants), and plant performance. (c) Capacity and ancillary services (where applicable): In markets that compensate generators for being available or for grid support services, the company can earn additional revenue streams tied to capacity/availability and reliability services, subject to market rules and qualification. (d) Environmental and renewable attributes (where applicable): Some renewable generation may generate renewable energy credits or similar environmental attributes that can be sold separately or bundled with electricity under contracts, depending on jurisdictional programs and contract structures. (e) Hedging and trading activities: To manage exposure to commodity prices and volumetric risk, TransAlta may use financial hedges (e.g., power and fuel derivatives); these activities can affect reported revenue and earnings depending on market movements and accounting treatment, but are primarily intended to stabilize cash flows rather than represent a standalone growth business. Key factors influencing profitability include wholesale power prices, the contracted vs. merchant mix, fuel prices and heat rates for gas generation, hydrology and wind resource conditions for renewables, plant availability/outage performance, carbon and environmental regulation costs, and counterparty credit quality under contracts.

TransAlta Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 05, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 01, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
TransAlta demonstrated resilience in challenging market conditions with a strong financial performance and positive outlook. Significant progress was made in data center projects and financial flexibility was secured through credit facility extensions. However, decreased adjusted EBITDA and challenges in the Alberta energy market presented notable hurdles.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Financial Performance
TransAlta delivered adjusted EBITDA of $238 million and free cash flow of $105 million or $0.35 per share, with average fleet availability of 92.7%.
Positive Outlook for 2025
The company remains confident in achieving its 2025 guidance range, tracking to the lower end of the adjusted EBITDA range and the midpoint of free cash flow.
Significant Progress in Data Center Projects
TransAlta made progress on its data center projects in Alberta and Washington, with commercial negotiations advancing, and phase 1 of the AESO's data center Large Load Integration program allowing for 230 megawatts.
Credit Facility Extensions
TransAlta executed agreements to extend its committed credit facilities totaling $2.1 billion, ensuring financial flexibility.
Rezoning for Future Development
Parkland County approved the rezoning of over 3,000 acres for future data center development, facilitating new investment and economic growth.
Negative Updates
Decreased Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $77 million compared to the third quarter of 2024 due to lower power prices and subdued market volatility.
Challenges in Alberta Energy Market
The Alberta spot price averaged $51 per megawatt hour, down from $55 in 2024, due to incremental generation and benign weather.
Delay in Data Center Customer Agreements
Discussions with prospective data center customers are progressing slower than anticipated, impacting the timeline for project announcements.
Company Guidance
During the TransAlta Corporation Third Quarter 2025 Conference Call, the company reported a solid performance with an adjusted EBITDA of $238 million and free cash flow of $105 million, equating to $0.35 per share. The fleet achieved an average availability of 92.7%. TransAlta is on track to meet its 2025 guidance range, expecting to hit the lower end of the adjusted EBITDA range and the midpoint of free cash flow. The company executed agreements to extend credit facilities totaling $2.1 billion, with a $1.9 billion syndicated facility maturing in 2029 and $240 million in bilateral facilities extended to 2027. TransAlta completed the sale of a 100% interest in the 48-megawatt Poplar Hill facility and a 50% interest in the 97-megawatt Rainbow Lake facility, as part of the Heartland Generation acquisition's regulatory requirements. The Alberta spot price averaged $51 per megawatt-hour, with TransAlta realizing a 29% premium through hedging strategies. For the remainder of the year, 1,900 gigawatt-hours are hedged at $72 per megawatt-hour. The company also noted adjustments to its Investor Day schedule, now planned for the first quarter of 2026, to provide detailed updates on key projects.

TransAlta Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Overall fundamentals are pressured: the income statement deteriorated into a 2025 net loss with sharp margin compression, and the balance sheet is highly leveraged with worsening debt-to-equity. Offsetting this, operating and free cash flow remained solid and improved in 2025, supporting liquidity despite weaker reported earnings.
Income Statement
45
Neutral
Earnings quality and trend have weakened materially: revenue declined in 2024 and 2025 (2025 down ~3% year over year), and profitability swung from solid profits in 2023–2024 to a net loss in 2025. Margins also compressed sharply, with 2025 showing negative operating profitability despite still-positive EBITDA, suggesting higher depreciation/impairments, interest burden, or other below-the-line pressures. Strengths include a historically strong 2023 and a business model that can generate meaningful EBITDA, but the latest year’s loss and margin deterioration weigh heavily.
Balance Sheet
34
Negative
Leverage is elevated and has worsened recently: debt-to-equity moved higher to ~3.2x in 2025 from ~2.6x in 2024, while equity declined. Returns to shareholders also turned negative in 2025 following positive results in 2023–2024, reflecting both weaker earnings and a thinner equity cushion. The company has significant asset base support, but the capital structure looks aggressive for a period of earnings volatility, increasing refinancing and rate-sensitivity risk.
Cash Flow
62
Positive
Cash generation is a relative bright spot: operating cash flow remained healthy in 2025 (~$646M) and free cash flow was positive (~$397M) with strong growth versus the prior year. That said, cash flow has been inconsistent over the cycle (including negative free cash flow in 2022), and cash conversion versus accounting earnings is mixed, especially with 2025 posting a net loss. Overall, the business demonstrates the ability to generate cash, but stability is not yet best-in-class.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue2.41B2.85B3.35B2.98B2.72B
Gross Profit785.00M1.14B1.64B1.11B978.00M
EBITDA414.00M1.16B1.71B1.24B1.17B
Net Income-138.00M229.00M695.00M50.00M-537.00M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets8.66B9.50B8.66B10.74B9.23B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments283.00M337.00M348.00M1.13B947.00M
Total Debt4.48B4.56B4.21B4.41B4.00B
Total Liabilities7.20B7.66B7.00B8.75B6.63B
Stockholders Equity1.40B1.75B1.54B1.11B1.58B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow397.00M475.00M576.00M-72.00M512.00M
Operating Cash Flow646.00M796.00M1.46B877.00M1.00B
Investing Cash Flow-411.00M-519.00M-815.00M-741.00M-471.00M
Financing Cash Flow-362.00M-291.00M-1.43B45.00M-282.00M

TransAlta Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price16.22
Price Trends
50DMA
17.64
Negative
100DMA
18.73
Negative
200DMA
18.04
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.31
Positive
RSI
33.15
Neutral
STOCH
32.74
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For TSE:TA, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 16.22 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 17.56, below the 50-day MA of 17.64, and below the 200-day MA of 18.04, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.31 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 33.15 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 32.74 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for TSE:TA.

TransAlta Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (66)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
66
Neutral
$17.65B18.105.60%3.62%6.62%11.55%
60
Neutral
C$9.57B55.069.40%4.44%-2.99%-32.11%
58
Neutral
C$12.86B97.608.84%4.33%-0.94%25.64%
58
Neutral
C$5.64B-28.57-7.06%6.80%-4.86%-86.64%
55
Neutral
C$4.81B-37.36-8.84%1.46%-11.00%-227.07%
54
Neutral
C$6.58B42.213.20%3.62%7.75%11.25%
50
Neutral
C$6.59B25.553.88%4.32%-4.72%96.98%
* Utilities Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
TSE:TA
TransAlta
16.22
2.40
17.33%
TSE:ACO.X
ATCO Ltd Cl I NV
65.21
18.76
40.38%
TSE:CPX
Capital Power
61.20
13.95
29.53%
TSE:CU
Canadian Utilities A
47.24
13.04
38.13%
TSE:AQN
Algonquin Power & Utilities
8.57
1.49
21.08%
TSE:NPI
Northland Power
21.57
2.54
13.33%

TransAlta Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyRegulatory Filings and Compliance
DOE Orders TransAlta’s Centralia Unit 2 to Stay Available for 90 More Days
Neutral
Mar 17, 2026

TransAlta said its TransAlta Centralia Generation subsidiary has received an order from the U.S. Department of Energy requiring Centralia Unit 2 in Washington State to remain available for operation for an additional 90 days, until June 14, 2026. The company is assessing the directive and plans to work with state and federal authorities, highlighting the plant’s continued short-term role in supporting regional power reliability and underscoring ongoing policy and operational scrutiny of legacy generation assets.

The Order effectively extends the potential operating window of Centralia Unit 2 beyond what the company may have otherwise planned, which could influence near-term dispatch decisions and resource planning. While TransAlta has not detailed financial or operational impacts, the move signals regulators’ willingness to intervene to preserve grid reliability, and may have implications for how the company manages its conventional generation fleet during the energy transition.

The most recent analyst rating on (TSE:TA) stock is a Buy with a C$25.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on TransAlta stock, see the TSE:TA Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and Strategy
TransAlta Adjusts Mix of Series A and B Preferred Shares Through Conversions
Neutral
Mar 17, 2026

TransAlta has confirmed that none of its 9,629,913 outstanding Cumulative Redeemable Rate Reset First Preferred Shares, Series A, will be converted into Series B shares on March 31, 2026. However, 1,148,549 of its 2,370,087 outstanding Series B preferred shares will be converted into Series A shares on a one-for-one basis on that date.

Following these conversions, TransAlta will have 10,778,462 Series A preferred shares and 1,221,538 Series B preferred shares issued and outstanding. Both series will remain listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the shift slightly increases the relative weight of fixed rate reset preferred shares in the company’s capital structure, which may influence investor perceptions of its funding mix and income profile.

The most recent analyst rating on (TSE:TA) stock is a Buy with a C$25.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on TransAlta stock, see the TSE:TA Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
TransAlta Sets February 27 Date to Unveil 2025 Results and 2026 Guidance
Neutral
Jan 28, 2026

TransAlta Corporation will release its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 financial results before markets open on February 27, 2026, and will host a same-day conference call and webcast to discuss the results and provide its 2026 annual guidance. The event, targeted at investors, analysts, media and other stakeholders, will be accompanied by supporting materials, a replay and a transcript made available on the company’s website, underscoring TransAlta’s ongoing efforts to maintain transparency and engagement with the capital markets as it advances its power generation and sustainability strategy.

The most recent analyst rating on (TSE:TA) stock is a Hold with a C$17.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on TransAlta stock, see the TSE:TA Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Mar 02, 2026