Payout could be unsustainable

Article Excerpt

ENBRIDGE INC. $49 (Toronto symbol ENB; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 1.6 billion; Market cap: $78.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.0; Dividend yield: 5.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.enbridge.com) operates pipelines that pump oil and natural gas from Western Canada to eastern Canada and the U.S. It also distributes gas to consumers in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and New York State. Starting with the March 2018 payment, Enbridge investors will receive a quarterly dividend of $0.671 a share, up 10.0% from $0.61. The new annual rate of $2.684 yields a high 5.5%. At that rate, the dividend payout represents roughly 62% of Enbridge’s projected 2018 cash flow per share of $4.30. However, that estimate excludes certain costs such the regular maintenance of the company’s pipelines. If you factor in those costs, the payout ratio would be a less sustainable 105% of Enbridge’s cash flow. Enbridge Inc. is still a hold. hold…