East coast utilities seek new horizons

These two utilities continue to expand beyond Atlantic Canada. That adds to their appeal, but only one is a buy right now. FORTIS INC. $31 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 211.7 million; Market cap: $6.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; Dividend… Read More

EMERA INC. $33 – Toronto symbol EMA

EMERA INC. $33 (Toronto symbol EMA; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 147.9 million; Market cap: $4.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.2; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.emera.com) is Nova Scotia’s main power supplier. It also holds interests in electrical utilities in the U.S. and… Read More

Earn steady income from quality assets

As is the case with TransCanada (see page 71), fears of higher interest rates have hurt these four power utilities. However, their high quality, mostly regulated operations will keep giving them plenty of steady cash flows for dividends. CANADIAN UTILITIES LTD. (Toronto symbols CU [class… Read More

EMERA INC. $35 – Toronto symbol EMA

EMERA INC. $35 (Toronto symbol EMA; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 131.0 million; Market cap: $4.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.2; Dividend yield: 4.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.emera.com) gets 60% of its revenue and 50% of its earnings from Nova Scotia Power Inc., which is… Read More

Power utilities with bright futures

Low interest rates continue to spur demand for high-quality dividend-paying stocks, such as these four electrical utilities. We like the outlook for all of them, but only three are buys right now. CANADIAN UTILITIES LTD. (Toronto symbols CU [class A non-voting] $79 and CU.X [class… Read More

EMERA INC. $35 – Toronto symbol EMA

EMERA INC. $35 (Toronto symbol EMA; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 124.7 million; Market cap: $4.4 billion;Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 4.0%; TSI Network Rating:Average; www.emera.com) is buying a biomass plant in Brooklyn,Nova Scotia, from that province’s government. This facility generates power by burning… Read More

Biomass plant is a nice fit for Emera

EMERA INC. $35 (Toronto symbol EMA; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 124.7 million; Market cap: $4.4 billion;Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 4.0%; TSI Network Rating:Average; www.emera.com) is buying a biomass plant in Brooklyn,Nova Scotia, from that province’s government. This facility generates power by burning… Read More