Fortis Inc. $23 – Toronto symbol FTS

FORTIS INC. $23 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 169.2 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 the Caribbean,… Read More

Utility Stocks Offer Safe, Steady Income

All four of these utility companies have increased their dividends in the past few weeks. We feel their high-quality businesses and strong balance sheets will continue to generate plenty of cash flow for investments in new growth projects and more dividend hikes.

TRANSCANADA CORP. $33 (Toronto… Read More

Updating our Income Stocks Portfolio

FORTIS INC. $26, through subsidiary Terasen Gas, has formed a joint venture to build an experimental biogas project in West Vancouver. This facility will capture and purify gases from a sewage treatment plant, and then inject the treated gas into Terasen’s gas distribution system. If… Read More

FORTIS INC. $27 Toronto symbol FTS

FORTIS INC. $27 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 156.6 million; Market cap: $4.2 billion; SI Rating: Above average) distributes electricity to over 2 million customers in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. The company also owns power… Read More

Prospering despite rising fuel costs

These three leading electricity producers use coal, natural gas or oil to generate power, so they’re vulnerable to rising prices for these commodities. Rate hikes should help them offset the higher costs. However, it can take several months before the higher rates have an impact… Read More

Fortis Inc. $29 – Toronto symbol FTS

FORTIS INC. $29 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 154.9 million; Market cap: $4.5 billion; SI Rating: Above average) provides electricity and natural gas to over 2 million customers in five Canadian provinces. It also owns power companies in the Caribbean,… Read More

Buy These Utilities Instead of Bonds

Falling interest rates have rekindled investor interest in high-yielding utility stocks, such as these five. All of them have a long history of increasing dividends. Unlike interest payments on bonds, dividends qualify for the dividend tax credit. As well, stocks offer you open-ended returns, so… Read More