These two are poised to lift your dividends

Article Excerpt

Utility stocks like Emera and Pembina remain great picks for investors looking for reliable dividends at reasonable multiples to their future earnings. We expect both firms will raise their dividends again in the next few months. EMERA INC. $59 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol EMA; Income Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 256.5 million; Market cap: $15.1 billion; Dividend yield: 4.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.emera.com) owns 100% of Nova Scotia Power, that province’s main electricity supplier. It also owns 100% of Tampa Electric, which provides electricity to more than 765,000 customers. Other interests include power plants and natural gas pipelines in the U.S. and the Caribbean. Emera last raised its quarterly dividend with the November 2020 payment. Investors now receive $0.6375 a share, up 4.1% from $0.6125. The annual rate of $2.55 yields a high 4.3%. In the three months ended June 30, 2021, the company’s revenue fell 2.7%, to $1.14 billion from $1.17 billion a year earlier. However, if…