Green shift will power up their dividends

Article Excerpt

These two utilities are investing heavily in new green-power projects. The initiatives will help to better attract institutional investors, who are more and more environmentally conscious. The extra cash flow from their green projects will also let them push up dividends for investors. FORTIS INC. $53 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol FTS; Income-Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 464.6 million; Market cap: $24.6 billion; Dividend yield 3.8%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.fortisinc.com) is the main power utility in Newfoundland and PEI. It also owns electrical utilities in other parts of Canada, as well as the U.S. and the Caribbean. In addition, the utility distributes natural gas in British Columbia, Arizona and New York State. Starting with the December 2020 payment, the company will increase its quarterly dividend by 5.8%, to $0.505 a share from $0.4775. The annual rate of $2.02 yields a high 3.8%. Fortis has now increased its dividend each year for the past 47 years. The company intends…