These three high yields remain sustainable

Article Excerpt

ENBRIDGE INC. $51 (Toronto symbol ENB; Income- Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares o/s 1.6 billion; Market cap: $81.6 billion; Divd. yield: 4.8%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; 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 over 2 million consumers in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and New York State. In February 2017, the company completed its $37 billion all-stock purchase of Spectra Energy. That firm operates crude oil and natural gas pipelines in the U.S. and Canada. It also owns oil and gas storage facilities. Thanks to the extra cash flow from Spectra, Enbridge increased its quarterly dividend by 4.6% with its June 2017 payment. Investors now receive $0.61 a share instead of $0.583. The new annual rate of $2.44 yields 4.8%. The company still plans to raise its annual dividend rate by 10% to 12% each year from 2018 to 2024. However, big purchases like Spectra…