FORTIS INC. $38 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 279.9 million; Market cap: $10.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; Dividend yield 3.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.fortisinc.com) owns electrical utilities across Canada and in the U.S. and Caribbean. It also distributes natural gas in British Columbia.
< p>The company recently raised its quarterly dividend by 10.3%, to $0.375 a share from $0.34. The new annual rate of $1.50 yields 3.9%. Fortis has raised its payout every year for the past 43 years. The company also plans to increase the payout by around 6% each year through 2020. < p>Fortis is a buy.