A new buy for income seekers

Article Excerpt

FPL GROUP INC. $52 (New York symbol FPL; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 408.9 million; Market cap: $21.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; WSSF Rating: Average) operates through two wholly owned subsidiaries. Florida Power and Light Company (which accounted for 71% of FPL Group’s 2008 revenue and 46% of its earnings) is a regulated utility with 4.5 million electricity customers in eastern and southern Florida. This subsidiary’s power stations operate under some form of government regulation. This limits the prices Florida Power and Light can charge, but it also provides steady revenue streams. FPL Group also owns NextEra Energy Resources, which operates unregulated electrical-power projects in Canada and 16 U.S. states. NextEra is the leading producer of wind power in the U.S., with 25% of the country’s total wind-power capacity. Business mix cuts FPL Group’s risk We’ve recommended only a handful of electrical-power utilities over the years. That’s because most face rising fuel and environmental costs, and could have a hard time passing these…