Earn high income and tap into AI demand

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Utility stocks like Fortis continue to offer investors a strong combination of steady growth and rising dividends. That’s because regulators help ensure utilities have sufficient cash flows to fund new projects and service their debt loads. Demand for new power sources is also rising as big technology companies, for example, build datacentres to handle energy-intensive artificial intelligence programs. FORTIS INC. $61 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol FTS; Income-Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 499.3 million; Market cap: $30.4 billion; Dividend yield: 4.0%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.fortisinc.com) began supplying electricity to St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1885. It is now the main power utility in that province and PEI. It serves 3.5 million customers in five provinces, 10 U.S. states, and three Caribbean countries. The U.S. accounts for 56% of its revenue, followed by Canada with 39%, and the Caribbean with 5%. Fortis last raised your quarterly dividend with the December 2024 payment to $0.615 a share, up 4.2% from $0.59. The new annual rate…