These two utilities just raised your dividends: Canadian Utilities Ltd. and ATCO Ltd.

Article Excerpt

Canadian Utilities and parent company ATCO give investors two ways to buy essentially the same businesses. Still, income seekers should pick Canadian Utilities for its impressive dividend, while value investors should go with ATCO for its more modest p/e. CANADIAN UTILITIES LTD. (class A non-voting) is a buy. The company (Toronto symbols CU [class A non-voting] $40 and CU.X [class B voting] $40; Income-Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 273.2 million; Market cap: $10.9 billion; Dividend yield: 4.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.canadianutilities.com) distributes electricity and natural gas in Alberta and Australia. It also has 5 power plants—1 in Canada, 2 in Australia and 2 in Mexico. ATCO (see right) owns 52.2% of the company. Starting with the March 2020 payment, Canadian Utilities will raise its quarterly dividend for investors by 3.0%. You’ll then receive $0.4354 a share instead of $0.4227. The new annual rate of $1.74 yields a high 4.4%. Canadian Utilities has raised its dividend each year since 1972. Following a strategic review designed to increase shareholder value,…