Updating Canadian Utilities Ltd., Emera Inc., and Pengrowth Energy Trust

Article Excerpt

CANADIAN UTILITIES LTD. $47 (Toronto symbol CU) has raised its dividend each year since 1972. The new annual rate of $1.26 a share yields 2.7%. Thanks to higher electricity rates and gains from its natural gas storage operations, first quarter profits rose 57.4%, to $1.07 a share from $0.68 a year earlier. Buy. EMERA INC. $21 (Toronto symbol EMA) earned $0.36 a share in the three months ended March 31, 2007, down 10% from $0.40 a year earlier. A large industrial customer of subsidiary Nova Scotia Power recently resumed operations, which increased electricity sales. However, the extra revenue failed to cover the higher initial production costs. This a short-term setback, and should not hurt Emera’s $0.89 dividend, which yields 4.2%. Buy. PENGROWTH ENERGY TRUST $19 (Toronto symbol PGF.UN) paid out 92% of its cash flow in distributions in the first quarter of 2007, which is higher than comparable energy trusts. But that’s largely due to the timing of recent acquisitions. Pengrowth’s payout…