Rate hikes offset lower gas, power demand

FORTIS INC. $28 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 172.2 million; Market cap: $4.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 4.0%; SI Rating: Above Average) saw its revenue fall 10.5% in the three months ended March 31, 2010, to $1.1 billion… Read More

FORTIS INC. $28 – Toronto symbol FTS

FORTIS INC. $28 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 170.7 million; Market cap: $4.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 4.0%; SI Rating: Above Average) is the main supplier of electrical power in Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. It also operates… Read More

Tax adjustment distorts earnings

FORTIS INC. $27 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 170.7 million; Market cap: $4.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 3.9%; SI Rating: Above Average) earned $36 million in the third quarter of 2009, down 26.5% from $49 million a year… Read More

FORTIS INC. $25 – Toronto symbol FTS

FORTIS INC. $25 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 170.3 million; Market cap: $4.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; SI Rating: Above Average) gets just 15% of its revenue from Newfoundland Power, its original business. In the past few years, the company… Read More

East-coast utilities broaden their horizons

Fortis and Emera have used the steady cash flow from their power utilities in Atlantic Canada to fund new investments in other businesses. These have helped expand their operations beyond a single region, and enhanced their growth prospects.

FORTIS INC. $25 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth… Read More

Utilities are like bonds with growth

With bonds yielding just 2% to 3%, we believe that income-seeking investors are better off sticking with high-quality utility stocks, such as these four electricity generators. All have consistently posted strong earnings, and have long histories of raising their dividends. Unlike bond-interest payments, which are… Read More

FORTIS INC. $23 – Toronto symbol FTS

FORTIS INC. $23 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 169.8 million; Market cap: $3.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; SI Rating: Above Average) generates and distributes electricity in five Canadian provinces. It also owns power plants in the U.S. and Caribbean, as… Read More