The Daily Chase: Tim Hortons parent company announces new CEO; TC Energy hikes dividends

​We've got some significant change at the top of Tim Hortons' parent company Restaurant Brands International.

TC ENERGY TOPS Q4 PROFIT ESTIMATES, RAISES DIVIDEND

For all intents and purposes, TC Energy's a bit of a fascinating case these days. The pipeline operator topped fourth-quarter earnings per share estimates by a penny, as record shipment volumes boosted the bottom line, and that dividend hike is to the tune of 3.3 per cent, bringing the quarterly payout to $0.93 per share. It's in the nitty-gritty where things become more interesting – TC reckons comparable EBITDA will rise in the year ahead, mostly due to stronger results from its natural gas transmission lines, while contributions from the Keystone system drag on results (not to mention those pesky higher interest expenses, which the company is also highlighting. Again, it's a theme.) While natural gas has been a growth area for the company, it's not been without its own challenges – you may recall the company recently revised its cost estimate for the Coastal Gaslink LNG pipeline to $14.5 billion, a 134 per cent increase from the original 2018 estimated price tag.

FEDS ORDER CRTC TO FOCUS ON DRIVING DOWN COSTS