Canadian Utilities boosts its ESG score

Article Excerpt

CANADIAN UTILITIES LTD. $31 is a buy. The distributor of electricity and natural gas (Toronto symbol CU; Income Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 271.3 million; Market cap: $8.4 billion; Dividend yield: 5.8%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.canadianutilities.com) last raised your quarterly dividend with the March 2024 payment. Investors now receive $0.4531 a share, up 1.0% from $0.4486. The new annual rate of $1.812 yields a high 5.8%. The company has formed a 50/50 joint venture with Shell Canada Ltd. to build the Atlas Canada Storage Hub. This facility, just outside of Edmonton, will store carbon dioxide emissions from oil producers and other firms. It should begin operating in 2028. The partners have not yet said how much this project will cost. However, it will help boost Canadian Utilities’ appeal with big institutional investors, who are increasingly focused on companies with high ESG (environmental, social, and governance) scores. Canadian Utilities is a buy. buy…