Lower debt protects dividend

Article Excerpt

ENBRIDGE INC. $48 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol ENB; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 2.0 billion; Market cap: $96.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 7.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.enbridge.com) is now selling its 38.9% interest in Noverco Inc. to the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which manages the province’s public pension plan. As a result, the Caisse will own 100% of Noverco, which distributes natural gas to 530,000 customers in Quebec and Vermont. Enbridge will receive $1.14 billion for this holding when it completes the transaction in early 2022. It will use the proceeds to pay down its short-term debt, which totalled $1.09 billion as of March 31, 2021. While the company expects the sale will have no impact on its cash flow, paying down debt gives its more room to keep increasing your dividend. The current annual rate of $3.34 a share yields a very high 7.0%. Enbridge is a buy…