Big dividend hike is just the start

Article Excerpt

ENBRIDGE INC. $62 (Toronto symbol ENB; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 851.6 million; Market cap: $52.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.4; Dividend yield: 3.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.enbridge.com) gets 90% of its revenue from pipelines that pump oil and natural gas from Western Canada to Eastern Canada and the U.S. The remaining 10% mainly comes from distributing gas to 2.1 million consumers in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and New York State. New projects boost revenue Since 2008, Enbridge has spent $20 billion on 39 new pipelines and other projects. Thanks to these investments, the company’s revenue soared 164.1%, from $12.5 billion in 2009 to $32.9 billion in 2013. Its revenue probably increased to $37.7 billion in 2014. Earnings jumped 68.8%, from $857.4 million in 2009 to $1.4 billion in 2013. The company sold shares to help pay for its new projects, so per-share earnings rose 50.8%, from $1.18 to $1.78. Enbridge is now developing 27 more…